Shopping Tips
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COBRA and Your Options After Losing Job-Based Coverage
COBRA lets you keep an employer health plan after you leave, at your own cost. Here are the deadlines, the duration rules, and the alternatives worth weighing.
Read MoreFinal Expense vs Pre-Need Insurance vs Burial Trusts
Three different ways to prepare for funeral costs, with different owners, different flexibility, and different consequences if you move or change your mind.
Read MoreFinal Expense vs Term Life: Which One Fits
Term life covers a period; final expense covers a lifetime at a smaller amount. The right answer depends on whether the need you are covering has an end date.
Read MoreGroup Life Through Work vs an Individual Policy
Employer life insurance is easy to get and easy to lose. Here is what group coverage does well, where it falls short, and how portability and conversion work.
Read MoreDeductible, Copay, Coinsurance and Out-of-Pocket Max
Health plans split costs four ways. Here is what each term means, the order the money moves in, and what actually counts toward your out-of-pocket maximum.
Read MoreBronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum: What Metal Tiers Mean
Metal tiers describe how a marketplace plan splits costs with you, not how good the plan is. Here is what actuarial value means and why silver is different.
Read MoreHMO, PPO, EPO and POS: How Health Plan Networks Differ
The four letters on a health plan name describe two things: whether you need a referral, and whether out-of-network care is covered at all.
Read MoreHow Much Life Insurance Do You Need?
A multiple of income is a shortcut, not an answer. Here is the needs-based method the Insurance Information Institute recommends and the resources that offset the total.
Read MoreHSAs, 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 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 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 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 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.