Insurance News & Latest Insurance Headlines

Busted! 5 Outlandish Insurance Claims Overturned in 2011

1:00PM 12/30/2011

Bogus burglaries, fake funerals, self-inflicted air rifle assaults -- people go to great lengths to convince insurers to cut a check to cover their personal and financial losses. But the financial gain from phony pain and suffering is often short-lived.

Social Security Going Bust? That's the Small Problem

1:55PM 12/28/2011

By Dan Caplinger

Insurance, MetLife

The woes Social Security faces have generated plenty of worried talk lately, but even if nothing changes, it'll be solvent until 2036. But Medicare, the other major government program that retirees rely on, is on course for financial disaster years sooner. That program, of course, is Medicare, and the funding situation for the portion of its benefits that retirees receive looks even scarier than Social Security's prospects right now.

5 Times When You Shouldn't File That Insurance Claim

2:30PM 12/23/2011

By Selena Maranjian, The Motley Fool

Insurance

Insurance companies take notice of customers who file a lot of claims. At some point, these become unprofitable customers, driving their insurers to raise their rates -- or cancel or refuse to renew their policies. With that in mind, here are five situations where it may be less costly in the long run if you simply skip filing a claim and pay for the losses yourself.

5 Ways You May Be Overpaying for Health Insurance

7:00AM 12/22/2011

By Dan Caplinger

Health Care, Insurance

At many companies this is open-enrollment season -- your one chance a year to make changes to your health insurance. The easiest thing to do is just pick the same plan and coverage options you did last year. But often, that can be a big mistake.

How to Get the Best Deal on Car Insurance for Your Kid

2:30PM 12/16/2011

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

Insurance

If a car tops your teen's holiday gift wish-list, give as much consideration to insurance as you do the car's make and model and the debate over whether to buy new or used. And brace yourself for insurance premium sticker shock. Here are some ways you can mitigate the cost of insuring your teen driver.

What You Don't Know About Health Insurance May Cost You

7:00AM 12/14/2011

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

Health Care, Insurance

When it comes to health care, it sometimes feels like nothing is simple. And that can be a real problem: According to a recent survey, some health care basics are going right over the heads of the majority of Americans.

What Insurers Could Do With Your 'Social Media Score'

7:00AM 12/12/2011

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

Insurance

Here's yet another reason to watch what you say and do online: Insurance companies are already surfing social media sites to get the scoop about their customers, and what their data-miners find may soon be compiled into a new way to rate you as a risk: a social networking score.

How to Use Life Insurance to Donate to Charity

12:45PM 12/07/2011

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

Insurance, Charity

When most of us buy life insurance, we're thinking about one thing: Making sure our families are taken care of after we're gone. But in this season of giving, you might also want to think about setting up a policy to take care of your favorite charity.

7 Hidden Dangers to Your Holiday Finances

6:00AM 12/07/2011

By Sheryl Nance-Nash

Insurance

Amid all the good cheer, the holiday season hides a sobering number of financial pitfalls -- and not just ones that involve overspending. Here's a look at seven dangers you might not have considered, along with steps you can take to make sure your holidays are more happy than hazardous.

The 9 Craziest Celebrity Insurance Policies

2:45PM 11/28/2011

By Douglas McIntyre

People, Insurance

Most of us have assets worth insuring -- our homes, our cars, our health. Celebrities are no different, but they must protect their most important assets -- themselves. So who's buying insurance on their fingers, legs and even smiles and hair? Check out our gallery: