Planet Money · Friday, August 14, 2026
Frank Sarawsky's early experience with insurance involved a childhood bedroom fire that was covered by his father's policy, leading him to see insurance as 'genius'. Later, as an adult, he viewed life insurance as a great deal, paying $600 a year for a $1 million payout, and later expanded his coverage to $1.5 million.
“I didn't get in trouble for burning down my room because insurance was going to pay for it all.”
“So I'm going to pay $600 a year and if something happens to me, a car wreck, anything, they're going to pay a million.”
“So by the time Frank had his own first kid in his late twenties and a friend suggested it might be time to get his first life insurance policy, he was immediately onboarded to the idea.”