“W” asked me about group long term care insurance a few weeks ago: I’m 47, single with kids and in good health. My employer is offering group LTC insurance. I was thinking I would wait until I’m at least 55, maybe 60, before buying, if at all, but I can get in now with no […]
Archives for June 2011
Is Auto Gap Insurance Really Necessary?
If you’re buying a new car, there’s a type of car insurance that you may be unfamiliar with, but that might be completely necessary. It’s called “auto gap insurance” — so named because it covers the difference, or gap, between the true value of the car and the loan outstanding against it when the loan […]
Cheaper Teenager Car Insurance – 10 Tips to Save You Serious Money
If you have a teen who drives, here are a few tips to help you land inexpensive car insurance. Car insurance is high enough for two people in the family – adding a teenager to the pool can send the premium through the roof. It’s fortunately true that women get car insurance cheaper. It’s also […]
PMI Mortgage Insurance – Do You Need It?
If you’ve been paying PMI or have been offered a loan contingent on you buying PMI, it’s time to take a look under the hood to understand what it is and what you get. What is PMI? PMI stands for private mortgage insurance. This is insurance you pay for but actually benefits the financial institution […]
Mutual Fund Holdings — What’s Inside Your Fund?
Do you investigate the mutual fund holdings inside your mutual funds before you invest? I have some very strong feelings about doing this (which we will get to). But if you want to do it, it’s easy. First, clarify the symbol of your fund. Usually you can find that on your investment statements. If your […]
Car Insurance Comparison Websites – The Ugly Truth
My car insurance came up for renewal this month, so I decided to do some rate shopping just to see what’s out there. With car insurance there are so many providers, and you want to check with as many as possible. So, I fired up my computer and headed out looking for some decent car […]