Insurance & Protection
Health insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance, disability coverage, and how to evaluate policies and claims.
Latest in Insurance & Protection
An emergency-room visit can’t be billed above your in-network share, even if the hospital is out of network
Patients who end up in an emergency room at an out-of-network hospital cannot be charged more than their plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount for that visit....
A federal flood policy caps payouts at $250,000 for the home and $100,000 for belongings
Homeowners who suffer flood damage through a federally backed insurance policy can collect no more than $250,000 toward rebuilding their home and $100,000 for destroyed...
Homeowners can buy federal flood coverage even when they live outside a mapped flood zone
Homeowners who live outside a federally mapped high-risk flood zone can still buy coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program, and a substantial share of...
Standard home insurance doesn’t cover flood damage, and a new flood policy takes 30 days to kick in
Homeowners and renters who assume their standard insurance policy will cover flood damage face a costly surprise: it will not. FEMA states plainly that neither...
Flood policies leave out your car, pool, and the cost of temporary housing during repairs
Homeowners who assume their flood insurance will cover a ruined car in the driveway, a damaged backyard pool, or a hotel stay while their house...
The average flood insurance policy now runs about $976 a year
Homeowners covered by the National Flood Insurance Program are now paying an average of about $976 a year for a policy, a figure that carries...
Oklahoma homeowners now pay $5,298 a year for insurance, 121% above the national average
Oklahoma homeowners are spending $5,298 a year on home insurance, a figure that sits 121 percent above the national average and reflects a widening gap...
Home insurance climbs another 4% in 2026 to about $3,057, with California up 16%
American homeowners are absorbing yet another round of premium increases in 2026, with the national average climbing roughly 4% to about $3,057 per year. In...
Wartime veterans and their surviving spouses can claim a monthly VA pension for care costs that thousands never apply for
Surviving spouses of wartime veterans can receive a monthly VA pension designed to offset care costs, yet thousands of eligible households never file a claim....
Naming a power of attorney now spares your family a costly court fight if you’re incapacitated
Families who skip basic estate planning before a medical crisis often face a painful choice: petition a court to appoint a guardian over a loved...
California homeowners face the steepest home-insurance jump in the country this year at 16%
California homeowners are bracing for the sharpest premium increases in the nation this year, with projected costs climbing roughly 15.8 percent to an average of...
A fifth straight year of insurance hikes is pushing Florida homeowners’ premiums near $8,500 a year
Florida homeowners face a fifth consecutive year of rising property insurance costs, with average annual premiums now approaching $8,500. The increases, tracked through mandatory insurer...
Searching for health insurance online can lead you to a scammer, the FTC warns
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit in April 2026 to shut down a health care scheme that allegedly impersonated government agencies and major insurance...
After 65, a health savings account covers anything with no penalty
Americans who hold health savings accounts and turn 65 face a quiet but significant shift in how they can spend those funds. Federal tax law...
A 2% hurricane deductible can leave a Florida homeowner paying the first $6,000 of storm damage before insurance pays a cent
Florida homeowners who choose a 2% hurricane deductible on a property insured for $300,000 face a $6,000 bill out of their own pocket before their...
People with disabilities can save in an ABLE account without losing Medicaid or SSI
For the roughly 7.4 million Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the federal government has long imposed a $2,000 cap on countable resources, a...
Leaving a job doesn’t end your health coverage right away — COBRA gives you 60 days to continue it
Anyone who loses employer-sponsored health insurance after leaving a job, getting laid off, or having hours cut faces an immediate question: how long before coverage...
A new flood insurance policy usually won’t pay for the first 30 days, so buying mid-hurricane-season can leave you exposed
Homeowners who buy a National Flood Insurance Program policy after the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 face a hard regulatory reality: that...
The beneficiary form on your 401(k) or life insurance outranks your will, so an outdated one can pay an ex
A divorced worker who updates a will but forgets to change the beneficiary form on a 401(k) or employer life insurance policy can inadvertently leave...
Home insurance now eats a record 9% of the typical mortgage payment — and analysts expect another 8% jump this year and again in 2027
American homeowners are spending a larger share of their monthly mortgage payments on insurance than at any point on record, with the average annual premium...