5 Factors That Could Raise Your Insurance Rates
5 Factors That Could Raise Your Insurance Rates

Insurers consider a dizzying number of factors in determining premiums, so it’s often challenging for consumers to understand why they’re paying higher rates than their neighbors or co-workers. “All the consumer can do is ask questions when they buy insurance and get comparison apples-to-apples quotes…
The Private Financial Information You Must Share
The Private Financial Information You Must Share

Recently, my husband and I decided to make some money moves to reduce our taxes and diversify an investment holding. One of the steps required transferring funds from our online brokerage firm to our regular checking account with our credit union. See also: Benefits and…
What’s UP with Renter’s Insurance?
What’s UP with Renter’s Insurance?

Here’s a quiz for renters – 35% of all the households in the U.S… True or False? A nearby fire leaves your clothing, furniture and rugs smoke damaged and waterlogged. Your landlord’s insurance will cover the costs of moving and cleaning and replacing your property.…
Auto insurance: Downshift with caution
Auto insurance: Downshift with caution

For the average driver, premiums are up 23% over five years vs. 7% for overall inflation. A 40-year-old man now typically pays $1,510 and up to $2,700, says Insure.com. Perhaps you’re thinking that if you just drive down your limits a bit, or switch to…
Consumer Watch: Renters Insurance Can Be A Good Buy
Consumer Watch: Renters Insurance Can Be A Good Buy

Julie Watts reports on why it may be worth a few hundred dollars to insure your possessions.
Cost of Flood Insurance Rises – Along With Worries
Cost of Flood Insurance Rises – Along With Worries

By LIZETTE ALVAREZ and CAMPBELL ROBERTSONMIAMI — Sharp increases in federal flood insurance rates are distressing coastal homeowners from Hawaii to New England and are starting to hurt property values and housing sales in areas just beginning to recover from the recession, according to residents…
More Bay Area Residents Live In Flood Zones Under New FEMA Maps
More Bay Area Residents Live In Flood Zones Under New FEMA Maps

Tens of thousands of homeowners in the Bay Area and across the country are getting a wakeup call. New maps from FEMA show they are now living in flood zones. Mark Kelly reports.
Be Patient With The Health Insurance Exchanges
Be Patient With The Health Insurance Exchanges

t’s time to start shopping for health insurance on the new exchanges also known as marketplaces) created by the federal Affordable Care Act. To get the scoop on what consumers should know when these marketplaces open, InsuranceQuotes.com chatted with Amy Bach, executive director of United…
A Healthy Attitude
A Healthy Attitude

Today is a big day in the health insurance world. People with no insurance or who need to change their coverage can now start researching new plan options. As this phase of the Affordable Care Act takes effect, do your best to get information from…
Do You Need Life Insurance in Retirement?
Do You Need Life Insurance in Retirement?

Life insurance helps protect your spouse and children from poverty in the case of your untimely death. However, once your children become self-sufficient and you and your spouse accumulate significant assets, there’s less of a need to keep paying the premiums for life insurance. Here’s…
DON’T BOTHER…DO BOTHER
DON’T BOTHER…DO BOTHER

When buying rental car insurance: Don’t bother checking the “yes” box and paying for Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) coverage if you’ve got a credit card that offers that same coverage. Most credit cards provide that insurance to their cardholders free of charge as long as…
Group vex: Is one enough?
Group vex: Is one enough?

If you depend on your earned income and want to build yourself a safety net, you can buy long term disability (LTD) insurance that will replace that income if you become ill or injured and unable to work. You can buy it as an individual…
Guest Blog: Unpaid Life Insurance Benefits Investigation Passes 1 billion dollars (yes, billion!)
Guest Blog: Unpaid Life Insurance Benefits Investigation Passes 1 billion dollars (yes, billion!)

The New York Department of Financial Services has issued a final report on their investigation into unpaid benefits for consumers at life insurance companies.  The report showed that the investigation recovered more than $1.1 billion in unpaid life insurance benefits for consumers nationwide and that…
Insuring yourself against water calamity can make your head spin
Insuring yourself against water calamity can make your head spin

On the other side of the country, home after home is rotting, left much the same as the day after Hurricane Sandy landed in 2012. These are the houses of those who never bought flood insurance, which must be purchased separately from regular homeowner’s insurance.…
Tracking Down Life Insurance Benefits
Tracking Down Life Insurance Benefits

Have you ever tried to track down a life insurance policy that was owned by a family member or find out if they had any life insurance?  If so, you know that this can be a challenging task. Here are some starting points:  Review all…
Nearly half of all American adults are uninsured or underinsured
Nearly half of all American adults are uninsured or underinsured

Less than one year before the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ACA) will require most Americans to obtain health insurance, a survey has found that 46 percent of U.S. adults – or 84.2 million people – remain uninsured or underinsured. During 2012, 54.6 million…
Will Obamacare save you money on preventive care?
Will Obamacare save you money on preventive care?

Federal health care reform promises to make it easier and more affordable for people to access care. As part of that effort, most health insurance plans now must offer many types of preventive care at no cost to the patient. But confusion remains about what…
Report Your Long-Term Care Insurance Claim Experience
Report Your Long-Term Care Insurance Claim Experience

This week’s Your Money column discusses the difficulty that some people have encountered when trying to file a long-term care insurance claim on a family member’s behalf. I compiled some of the most common reasons that claims are denied, along with aspects of the coverage…