Already they have their tables of calculations for such cases. They know what expense will be required in the way of rent, clerks, advertising, etc., to care for this case till the prospective, the inevitable end is reached. On these calculations the immediate and all subsequent premiums or payments are based. The insurance company invests and reinvests the premiums, and the total of these, it is estimated, will meet the expenses and the amount of the policy at the time of its calculated expiration. AS AN INVESTMENT If the young man in question had the money, he would find it to his advantage to buy a paid up policy, that is one on which no further premiums would be required. But, having the money for a paid up policy, could not the young man, without any expense for clerk hire or rent, invest it, and reinvest it with the interest, as long as he lived, and thus make by insuring himself? There can be no question as to that, provided always that the young man lived out the calculated time, invested his insurance money at once, and kept on investing it in "safe things" as long as he lived. But how many young men are there who could or would take this course? It is much easier to save from our earnings than it is to invest those earnings wisely. FORMS OF LIFE INSURANCE The straight life policy, payable to the heirs at death, is the form in general use, but there are others. There is yet another form, known as the "endowment," which in itself combines the usual life insurance with some of the privileges of a savings bank. The endowment policy, while payable if death should occur before a fixed time, specifies the date when it shall be payable to the insured himself, if he should live till that time. In this case the family is secured, in the event of death, and the insured has a guarantee for himself when he reaches life's unproductive years. The premiums on an endowment policy are necessarily greater than those on a regular life, and the premiums increase with the shortness of the time. MUTUAL INSURANCE SOCIETIES Seeing the vast sums accumulated by what are known as "the old line companies," despite their high salaries and great expenses, working men throughout the world, but more particularly in the United States, have banded together and formed mutual insurance companies. These companies, there are many of them, are known as societies, and their local branches are called "lodges," "councils" or a similar name. Properly conducted, these mutual societies should be able to furnish insurance at about actual cost, for the expenses of management and collections are small. It can be said that some of them have been and are being well managed, but others, like their predecessors, the old line companies, have unfortunately been conducted for the enrichment of their promoters. The mutual insurance companies, like their more pretentious prototypes, are now placed under the supervision of inspectors in nearly all the states.