Insurance

More than a third of Americans say their insurance costs grew in 2012, and in the majority of cases, it's not because they increased their coverage. But don't accuse the insurers of price-gouging: They've had a really rough decade.

If you ever needed to be reminded of the importance of estate planning, look no further than the story of Chanel Reynolds. Reynolds, a Seattle mother of two, faced financial disaster after her husband's sudden death at 43. So she started a web site to help others get their financial acts together.

Recently, Forbes contributor Chris Conover took an interesting angle on the issue of health care in America by calculating the health care costs of the average worker. According to his figures, they add up to $8,953 per year -- the equivalent of 58 days of work.

Having the right insurance can soften the blow of an unexpected event that might otherwise mean financial catastrophe for you and your family. But do you? Here are some tips to help you assess your current coverage and decide whether you need to make any changes.

With more and more car insurance providers offering online quotes and sign-ups, switching insurers is now easier than making a three-point turn. Here's a simple run-down of when, why and how to hunt down to best deal on a policy you hope you'll never need to use.

According to a nationwide study, 57% of respondents own life insurance, but only 28% feel extremely confident in their understanding of life insurance. Today, Alden Wicker shares a very personal story from her childhood, which drove home to her just how important it is for parents to have life insurance.

After a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, victims are understandably desperate to receive relief funds, but they often don't know the best way to get them. DailyFinance is here to help, with this list of programs designed to help you rebuild after the storm.

Superstorm Sandy is expected to cost a staggering $50 billion, with as many as 200,000 claims for wind damage and 20,000 claims for flood damage filed by consumers. The sooner those claims are filed the better, but that doesn't necessarily mean everyone will get what they ask for.

If Hurricane Sandy damaged your home, you may face months of waiting for much-needed repairs and insurance reimbursements. But you might find some relief from an unlikely source - the IRS.

Flexible spending accounts are a great way to save by using pretax money to cover medical expenses -- unless you leave money in them past Dec. 31 and lose it. Don't wait until next month to start thinking about how to drain your FSA: Follow this advice now.

When Sandy struck New York City and other major East Coast population centers, it immediately vaulted onto the list of the most expensive storms in U.S. history. Repairing the damage will ultimately cost tens of billions of dollars. Here's how Sandy stacks up to other devastating Atlantic storms.

Frankenstorm is coming, but let's assume you did the right thing in getting insurance to protect yourself against heavy weather and floods. If the storm hits you, your next challenge may be getting the insurance company to pony up the cash instead of trying to deny your claim.

With Hurricane Sandy, aka Frankenstorm, poised to hit the U.S. next week, now may be a good time to ask: Are you covered, and should you be? Even if you're not in this storm's path, 90% of natural disasters nationwide involve flooding. Yet less than a fifth of U.S. homeowners have flood insurance.

If you're one of the millions of Americans covered by Medicare, it can be tough to figure out what plans are best for you -- which is why most people just coast through open enrollment and stick with their current coverage. Here's why you should really should take a closer look -- and how to start.

When you buy insurance, what you're really buying is protection. A common mistake, though, is to overestimate what your policy really protects you from. Here are some examples to watch for in the fine print so that you don't make the costly mistake of assuming you're covered.

For many workers, it's almost time for open enrollment, when you get to choose a health insurance plan for the coming year. And while wading through all those documents and details may not be much fun, the right decision can save you enough money to make it worth the effort.

The IRS assured GOP lawmakers Tuesday that agents would play no role in enforcing the requirement that Americans buy insurance under President Obama's health care overhaul. "IRS revenue agents will not be involved. There will not be audits," IRS Deputy Commissioner Steven Miller said.