Back in 1934, the U.S. Army Air Corps had a big problem. It had just lost a dozen pilots in a variety of plane accidents and was desperate to solve this problem. Thanks to Edwin Albert Link Jr.’s Link Trainer—an early flight simulator (aka “the Blue Box”)—our pilots could practice takeoffs, landings, deep dives and turns much more intensively than they could practice in the air. The Link Trainer not only reduced the risk of crashing, but also resulted in much better flying performance when the pilots finally did get into a plane. So by the time World War II began, the U.S. government owned about 10,000 Link Trainers. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were helping pilots with brain exercises.

Vanguard recently surveyed 9,000 successful investors who were in their early 60s. Of the seven major personal concerns they had, five were related to health. With advances in health, nutrition and medical technology, many folks have reason to believe they can live very good lives all the way out to age 100. Some say 100 is the new 60.

Life is rarely fair or predictable. And that sure comes into play when your family’s health is at stake. Things can change in a flash, and the most important thing to remember is that when a crisis hits, you’re not alone. Let me share an example.