Coverage explained
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Auto insurance explained: what each coverage actually pays for
An auto policy is six separate coverages sold as one product. Most of them have nothing to do with your car. Here is what each one does.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Comprehensive vs collision: which one pays for what
Two coverages that both repair your own car, split along a line that is not intuitive. Hitting a deer is one of them. Hitting a guardrail is the other.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Flood insurance explained
A separate policy for the peril your home policy excludes. What it covers, what it does not, and the waiting period that catches people out.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Gap coverage: when the payout is less than the loan
Your insurer pays what the car is worth. Your lender wants what you owe. Gap coverage exists because those are two different numbers.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Homeowners insurance explained: the six parts of the policy
A home policy is six coverages, and the first one silently sets the size of three others. Here is how the structure works and where it goes wrong.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Life insurance basics
What a policy actually does, who it is really for, and the difference between the death benefit and the cash value that confuses almost everyone.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Renters insurance explained
Your landlord's policy covers the building, not your things and not your liability. What renters insurance does, and the one setting that matters most.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Replacement cost vs market value: three numbers, one house
What a house sells for, what it costs to rebuild, and what you owe on it are three unrelated numbers. Only one of them belongs on your policy.
Tyler Woodall · Aug 2026
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Why state minimum auto limits are not enough
Minimum liability limits were set decades ago and have not kept pace with medical costs or vehicle values. What they cover, and what happens when they run out.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Term vs permanent life insurance
One covers a defined period cheaply. The other lasts indefinitely and builds value. The right answer depends on whether your need has an end date.
Tyler Woodall · Aug 2026
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Umbrella insurance explained
A layer of liability coverage that sits above your auto and home policies and engages when they run out. What it does, and what it does not.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Water backup: the gap between two policies
Sewage backs up into the basement and neither your home policy nor flood insurance pays. The endorsement that closes that gap is usually inexpensive.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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What a standard home policy does not cover
Flood, earth movement, sewer backup and wear and tear are all excluded from a standard homeowners policy. Here is why, and what covers them instead.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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What uninsured motorist coverage actually covers
The one coverage that protects you from someone else's decision. What it pays, why underinsured is the part that matters more, and why people reject it.
Matthew Henry · Aug 2026
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Why home insurance excludes flood
Water from above is usually covered. Water from below usually is not. The distinction is not arbitrary, and knowing where it falls tells you what to buy.
Tyler Woodall · Aug 2026
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Wind and hail deductibles: the second one on your policy
You know your deductible. On the day a storm hits, a different and usually much larger one may apply — calculated as a percentage rather than a flat amount.
Tyler Woodall · Aug 2026