People can customize their life insurance policies by adding on extra benefits

Permanent life insurance policies can sometimes help you cover expenses, access cash, and more

If you’re planning on purchasing permanent life insurance, your policy will come with a cash value (which acts like a savings account). To make the most of this account, you could pay your life insurance premium, apply it towards a loan, or put it towards long-term or terminal care.

Most life insurance policies cover death by natural causes or accidents

However, some other causes aren’t always covered. Suicide in the first two years of coverage, high-risk activities or jobs, and war or terrorism aren’t typically covered by life insurance, for instance. However, some added benefits (or “riders”) can account for some of these situations.

Life insurance policies are often recommended for people with financial dependents

If you’re a parent, spouse, business owner, homeowner, or if you hold a lot of debt, you might want to consider life insurance. It can replace a loss of income or pay off debt.

A 'death benefit' can replace lost income, pay for a funeral, or leave a legacy

Those beneficiaries are usually family members. In exchange, the policyholder pays a monthly fee for coverage. It’s normally used to cover the life of a financial provider.

Life insurance offers peace of mind, ensuring that loved ones are financially supported after one's passing

People typically apply for life insurance policies through specific companies or online marketplaces. This video offers more information that's important to know when considering buying life insurance.

Whole and universal life insurance are two types of permanent life insurance

While they both stick with you for your whole life, they vary when it comes to added benefits, overall cost, and changes you can make to an active policy. The biggest difference between the two is that universal insurance lets you make changes to an active policy, whereas whole insurance is fixed.

A life insurance cost calculator

The overall cost of life insurance coverage ranges widely. Factors like your term length, death benefit (the money paid out after death), health and lifestyle, and any added benefits can drastically change your monthly cost. This calculator can help you determine how much your desired coverage could run you per month.

Annuities differ from life insurance policies in a few key ways, such as when they're paid out and who they benefit

Annuities are intended to benefit the plan owner, and benefits are paid out during the owner's life. The person who buys life insurance rarely sees those benefits—they're intended instead for heirs and dependents.

Some people don't like talking about life insurance—perhaps because they fear death

But CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger makes a case for why life insurance is worth discussing anyway on this "CBS Mornings" segment. She also reviews the different types of life insurance, who can be a beneficiary, and other basics.

529 plan advantages include state-specific tax exemptions and more

For National 529 Day, celebrated on May 29, an expert explained the basics of 529 accounts. Outside of forced education savings, advantages include flexibility around beneficiaries (they can be changed easily), how unused funds can be rolled into a Roth IRA, and state-specific tax exemptions.

A 401(k) 'super catch-up' lets people between 60 and 63 add money to their 401(k)

Through a "super catch-up," they can boost their retirement contributions as they prepare to stop working. But super catch-ups aren't always right for everyone.

Special needs trusts help financially care for dependents with disabilities

Special needs trusts are a specific type of trust that ensures dependents with special needs still qualify for Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, given the trust's assets are excluded from the asset limits tests required to qualify for these programs.

Insurance 'float' is money collected based on insurance’s pay now, collect later model

The insurance “float” has treated Warren Buffett well. The “float” has earned him, and Berkshire Hathaway, billions of dollars. This article includes a letter from Buffett to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders in 2009, discussing the impact of the “float” on his long-term success.

People often invest in alternative investments to diversify their portfolios

Because alternatives often have little correlation with traditional investments like stocks and bonds, adding them to a traditional portfolio can reduce its overall risk exposure.

The factors stirring up a home insurance storm

The cost of the average home insurance premium shot up 33% between 2020 and 2023 in the US, a trend mimicking heightened inflation. But beyond the cost, insurers are also pulling out of major markets like Florida and California, and millions of policies aren't being renewed as the number of $1B weather disasters continues to increase each year. Read up on the difficulties the home insurance market faces here.

The eight habits that could add up to 24 years to your life

A study presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting revealed that adopting eight healthy lifestyle habits in middle age can significantly increase life expectancy. The habits include being physically active, avoiding opioid...

Modern innovations have allowed rides to simultaneously become more extreme and safer

Several ingenious additions to roller coasters, such as extra wheels, magnetic brakes, and hydraulic system safety bars, have largely reduced discomfort and threats such as broken rides or ejected passengers.

BNPL's biggest risks include the ability to stack multiple loans simultaneously

Buy now, pay later loans come with some risks, such as the hefty late fees that can add up over time in the case of missed payments. However, personal finance experts say that tactics like reading the fine print can help consumers use these financial tools more safely.

Different CDs can have different term lengths, interest rates, and more

For instance, if a bank needs more deposits to fund loans, then it may offer high interest rates to attract deposits. Alternatively, a large bank with sufficient deposit reserves may have less incentive to grow its CD portfolio, offering lower rates as a result.

How personalized gene-editing saved a baby's life

KJ Muldoon had a 50% chance of surviving a genetic mutation until doctors developed a one-of-a-kind gene-editing therapy. In an interview with one of the researchers behind the treatment, learn what it will take to make personalized genetic medicine possible for everyone.

Primary care doctors are converting into membership-based concierge practices

Subscription-based practices sometimes don't accept insurance and they also require annual membership fees which can add up to thousands of dollars per year. In return, patients are promised more personalized care and round-the-clock access to medical providers. As doctors transition to concierge care, this retainer-based medicine model is forcing people to choose between searching for new primary care providers or paying hefty fees.

Rewards credit cards can offer points, travel miles, and more

For every dollar that a cardholder spends on a rewards credit card, they can also receive benefits such as cash back, airline miles, and more. For many, rewards are the reason they make so many purchases on credit cards in the first place.

Positive role models are a benefit of support groups

Meeting individuals who are going through similar life experiences or navigating similar health journeys can provide inspiration and be a benefit of attending in-person or online support groups.

Certain home renovations, such as installing an in-ground pool, could increase your property taxes

Significant home improvement projects like adding another bathroom or an addition might raise your tax bill if they significantly increase the value of your home. The amount your tax bill could increase by depends on how tax assessment procedures work in the home’s location, as they vary by locality.

Bizarre college donations and the strings attached

When donors give to a college, they regularly prescribe specific stipulations, typically to fund a professorship in their name in a certain subject. But some of those stipulations are unique, including requiring annual graveside flowers, pet adoption for 150 dogs, or the consistent teaching of Ayn Rand’s "Atlas Shrugged."

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Play the role of a student in a game where you try to navigate college and remain debt-free, selecting different income levels, high school experience, race, ethnicity, and more.

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

See the most iconic photos from four decades of LIFE magazine

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Children are now three times more likely to say they want to be a YouTuber when they grow up than an astronaut, with some even attending 'YouTube camps' that teach kids how to create content for the platform.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.

Use this tool to calculate the dollar value of your parental mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care, then see resources that help generate solutions.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

SpongeBob exemplifies Aristotle's philosophy for living well because he understands that happiness doesn't come from external factors like money, recognition, or power.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

Urushiol, the oily toxin in poison ivy, can remain allergenic on clothing for years.

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.

While El Niño moves warm Pacific Ocean waters east along the equator, La Niña moves them west, shifting where rainfall will become more common for months.

Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated weeks before his inauguration as he traveled from Illinois to DC through Baltimore in 1861; it took two independent claims for Lincoln to be convinced the threat was real