DEAR SUN SPOTS: I read the the information you gave someone letting them know the difference between whole and term life (Aug. 1). I’ve been wanting to advise people for a long time now about reading the polices for whole life. 

My husband bought a life insurance policy from two high-pressure salesmen at a company we’ve been doing business with since the 1970s. He finally got talked into it. It’s only worth $3,500, no interest or dividends.

We’ve been paying premiums, $114.66 for each six months or $204.75 for a year. This year will be 21 years we’ve been paying it. I even asked them to reduce the premium, and they wouldn’t. I think we’ve paid in around $4,800, but we’re offered so little to cash out that we felt that we didn’t have any other option but to keep paying it.

Another insurance company, though, is an excellent insurance company. They pay us dividends all the time for our family’s policies. — No Name, Rangeley

ANSWER: If Sun Spots read your letter correctly, you’ve already paid in substantially more on the policy than what will be paid out. How very appalling.

Have you consulted with anyone, such as an attorney or financial planner? You need someone with specialized knowledge to help you out of this mess.

As Sun Spots has noted in previous columns, sometimes life insurance salespeople present themselves as financial planners. But their primary interest is in selling their policies. A fee-only planner is a fiduciary, which means they are legally responsible for looking out for your financial well-being rather than a company. Their fee is well worth the money.

You might also want to contact the Consumer Protection Service of the Maine Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-436-2131 (9 a.m. to noon Monday through Thursday), consumer.mediation@maine.gov, Attorney General’s Consumer Division, 6 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Maybe they can offer some assistance. 

DEAR SUN SPOTS: For the reader who wanted help finding an obituary (Aug. 14), there are two other useful sources he or she could try. The Maine Franco-American Genealogical Society, located at 217 Turner St., Auburn (above the Fortin Funeral Home) collects obituaries of local and not-so-local Franco-Americans. There’s a chance someone might have sent in a particular obituary to them. The website is www.simplesite.com/MFGSWebsite/

Another great resource is ancestry.com, which has a large searchable database of vital records, including modern newspaper obituaries. While the service normally requires a paid subscription, many public libraries have a free library edition available to patrons. This includes the library at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College at 51 Westminster St., as well as the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries. Staff are always on hand to instruct users in the software.

Via Google, I was able to find the following obituary at tributes.com (http://tinyurl.com/m324ykk), which you could forward to No Name. It’s not a full obituary, per se, but it does include some memories contributed by readers.  — James Myall, jmyall@usm.maine.edu

ANSWER: Sun Spots has been informed by a reliable source that there were no services or obit for the person in question, and the family has asked that their privacy be respected.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: During 2013 Pepsi Beverages Co in Auburn has been raising money for Make a Wish of Maine.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. we will hold a vendor/craft fair at our facility at 191 Merrow Road. We have more than 25 tables rented featuring some of your favorite home party companies along with some specialty crafts.

We have more than 25 raffle prizes donated by our vendors. We are offering free Pepsi T-shirts to the first 50 people through the door after 9 a.m., and of course free Pepsi Fountain drinks while you shop.

We have room for a few more tables, which are $20 each. If you would like more information, please contact me. Thanks. — Paula Valliere, paula.valliere@pepsico.com, 689-9652.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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