Articles & Advice
Plain-English guides to auto, home, health and life insurance: what coverages do, how deductibles and limits work, which discounts exist, and how insurers set your rate.
HSAs, FSAs and High Deductible Health Plans
A health savings account requires a qualifying high deductible plan and the money is yours to keep. An FSA works differently. Here are the rules and the IRS limits.
Read MoreIn-Network, Out-of-Network and the No Surprises Act
Balance billing is what happens when a provider has no contract with your plan. Federal law now bans it in specific situations. Here is where the protections start and stop.
Read MoreKeeping a Final Expense Policy in Force
A lapsed policy pays nothing. Here is how grace periods work, what nonforfeiture options preserve, and why reinstating is worse than never lapsing.
Read MoreLife Insurance Riders Worth Understanding
Riders change what a life insurance policy does. Here are the common ones, what each adds, and the conditions attached to the two that pay while you are alive.
Read MoreLife Insurance Underwriting and the Medical Exam
Underwriting is how an insurer classifies your risk. Here is what the application, the paramedical exam and the outside databases actually look at.
Read MorePremium Tax Credits and Cost-Sharing Reductions
Marketplace subsidies come in two forms that work very differently. Here is who qualifies, how the advance payment reconciles at tax time, and what changed for 2026.
Read MoreNaming a Life Insurance Beneficiary
The beneficiary designation controls who gets the money, and it usually overrides a will. Here is how primary, contingent, per stirpes and minor designations work.
Read MoreNo-Exam, Simplified Issue and Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
Skipping the medical exam is possible in three different ways, and they are not equivalent. Here is what each one trades away in return for speed.
Read MoreOpen Enrollment and Special Enrollment Periods
Health coverage can only be bought during set windows. Here is how open enrollment works, which life events open a special enrollment period, and the deadlines.
Read MoreSimplified Issue, Guaranteed Issue and the Graded Death Benefit
A no-questions-asked policy usually comes with a limited death benefit for the first years. Here is exactly what that means and how to tell which type you are buying.
Read MoreTerm vs Permanent Life Insurance: How They Differ
Term life covers a set period and pays only if you die during it. Permanent life lasts for life and builds cash value. Here is how each is built and who each fits.
Read MoreThe FTC Funeral Rule and Your Rights
Federal law gives you the right to itemized funeral prices, prices by phone, and the ability to buy only what you want. Here is what the Funeral Rule requires.
Read MoreWhat Final Expense Insurance Is Meant to Pay For
The death benefit is unrestricted cash to a beneficiary, not a prepaid funeral. Here is the full list of costs that arrive at death and which ones people forget.
Read MoreWhat Government Programs Pay at Death
Social Security pays a small lump sum, Medicare pays nothing toward a funeral, and Medicaid rules on burial funds vary by state. Here is what actually exists.
Read MoreWhat Is Final Expense Insurance?
Final expense insurance is small whole life coverage bought to cover funeral and end-of-life costs. Here is how it is structured and who it is designed for.
Read MoreThis content is for general informational purposes only and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice. Coverage, exclusions, eligibility, and pricing vary by insurer, by policy, and by state, and only the policy documents control what is covered. Always confirm the details of any coverage with a licensed insurance agent or the issuing carrier before you buy.