September 19, 2026 at 12:35 am

He Kept a $1 Million Policy for 15 Years as a “Gift”—Then Handed His Son a $450 Monthly Premium Invoice and Demanded Reimbursement

by Chris Allen

older man looking confused on computer

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Life insurance should provide peace of mind.

Instead, this policy came with payments for the beneficiaries.

Dad called it a favor. His son saw a very different arrangement.

Check out how it all went down.

AITAH for saying if I have to make the payments for my Dad’s insurance, then he isn’t doing me a favor?

So my Dad recently decided to get life insurance after a near death incident.

He put two of my other siblings and myself (30M) as the beneficiaries, but the thing is, we have to make the payments.

Why does Dad think he is doing them a favor now?

Now, he’s never really contributed to me financially growing up (he even mentioned that the last time he was able to buy me a school shoe was when I was ten a few years back).

This was mainly because he was unemployed and unable to do so.

He’s also never been financially stable and I’ve had to give him money multiple times when I first started working at 16.

Do what? Force his son to pay for an insurance policy he doesn’t want?

Now when he decided to get the insurance, he sat me down and said that since he hasn’t done much for me he’d like to do “at least this.”

But I don’t necessarily see this as something he’s doing for me.

I’m not sure Dad knows how life insurance works.

It may sound harsh but, the only thing that benefits me is his death. I feel that as a parent he should 100% be the one to make the payments or maybe even half?

He also kinda threw his hands up like it’s up to us and that if we don’t make the payments, we lose out.

I’ve said that this isn’t really a win situation for me (or my siblings), but now I’m being called a jerk for thinking like this. Am I really?

AITA?

If he wanted life insurance on his dad, he would take out a policy.

I don’t see how this is appropriate at all for the dad to do.

Let’s see what the people in the comments say about it.

This commenter says it is a bad idea.

comment 1 25 He Kept a $1 Million Policy for 15 Years as a Gift—Then Handed His Son a $450 Monthly Premium Invoice and Demanded Reimbursement

There are a lot of risks here.

Comment 2 25 He Kept a $1 Million Policy for 15 Years as a Gift—Then Handed His Son a $450 Monthly Premium Invoice and Demanded Reimbursement

This commenter thinks it is very bizarre.

Comment 3 25 He Kept a $1 Million Policy for 15 Years as a Gift—Then Handed His Son a $450 Monthly Premium Invoice and Demanded Reimbursement

Yup, don’t pay if you don’t have control over it.

Comment 4 15 He Kept a $1 Million Policy for 15 Years as a Gift—Then Handed His Son a $450 Monthly Premium Invoice and Demanded Reimbursement

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a sister who refuses to give up her own holiday traditions to spend the day with her family at her brother’s cabin.

He may be trying to do something nice, but it isn’t a smart move.

Comment 5 14 He Kept a $1 Million Policy for 15 Years as a Gift—Then Handed His Son a $450 Monthly Premium Invoice and Demanded Reimbursement

OP argued that the policy was not a favor because the beneficiaries had to fund it and could only benefit after their father died.

His dad made the payments optional, but relatives still called OP a jerk for pointing out the arrangement’s uncomfortable logic.

Dad wrapped an insurance bill like a present and forgot to remove the price tag.

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