Life insurance tip: Send in payment with application

If you’re shopping for life insurance, here’s a good tip: Enclose a check for your premium payment with your application. Your life insurance coverage will then be in force from the day your application is received. Read on…

What’s dangerous in everyday life?

It appears to be a no-brainer. A shark is definitely deadlier than a bee, right? Read on…

Home insurance claims for swine flu? Not so fast

An article last week in National Underwriter, an insurance trade publication, warned that home insurance companies should expect to be hit by a wave of liability claims from policyholders being sued over the swine flu. Read on…

Attention germophobes!

My former publisher is an unabashed mysophobe. This is someone who has a pathological fear of being contaminated by germs. He would come into work and immediately break out the Lysol wipes and clean everything on his desk and in his cubicle — every single day. Read on…

Long-term care insurance benefits worth less every day

If I gave you $50 to pay for dinner out, you could probably stay within that budget. But if I gave you $50 to save to pay for dinner in 20 years, you might not be too happy. What will dinner out cost in 20 years? Will your $50 even cover entrees at that time?

And so it goes with long-term care (LTC) insurance. Read on…

Americans will continue to cut spending

A new survey out from Allstate Insurance Co. and National Journal (called the “Heartland Monitor Poll”) reveals that 80 percent of Americans expect to cut their spending in order to make ends meet or to provide a cushion of financial stability for the future.

When you’re looking to cut spending, your insurance bills may seem like an obvious choice at first. Read on…

What’s the problem where you live?

The most common insurance claim in midtown Manhattan? Theft. It’s probably just smaller items — the average theft claim is just over $2,000.

In the “Windy City” Chicago suburb of Darien, where Insure.com is headquartered, the most common claim is — surprise! — wind. The cost tends to average around $5,000. Read on…

Yes, teen drivers are the scariest

Teens have a bad rap when it comes to their driving skills – and it’s totally deserved. They’re inexperienced drivers and they lack reliable reflexes when something goes wrong in front of them. This can be solved through experience on the road. Read on…

The most dangerous job in America

New statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor reveal the industry with the highest fatality rate last year: Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting. The death rate for miners is also high, along with workers in transportation and warehousing industries and construction. Read on…

Pay-as-you drive car insurance headed to California

Earlier this month, California’s department of insurance announced it has finalized regulations for insurance companies that want to sell pay-as-you drive policies, sometimes known as usage-based car insurance. Insurers will be able to verify mileage through devices in customers’ cars or odometer readings at auto-repair shops, smog-check stations and other places. Read on…