Maggie Overholt

Contributor​

Maggie is a former lead insurance editor at Reviews.com. She's written more than 70 insurance articles covering homeowners, auto, life, motorcycle, travel, and more.

More from Maggie Overholt

Do I Need Life Insurance?

It’s easy to understand why parents need life insurance. If a family’s main wage earner were to pass away, their surviving spouse and/or children would likely need financial support to help cover things like living expenses, mortgage payments, and college education. Almost everyone agrees on that fact. According to LIMRA and Life Happens’ 2018 life ...

Why No-Exam Life Insurance Isn't Exactly a Free Pass

“No-exam life insurance” has a nice ring to it. It evokes a low-hassle application process and quick turnaround time for your coverage to kick in. No-exam might also sound appealing if you have a pre-existing health condition and worry that a physical exam would disqualify you from getting insured. “Half of all consumers say they ...

4 Things You Can Do With Your Cash Value Life Insurance

If you have a permanent life insurance policy, or you’re considering one, you might be wondering about the “cash value” attached to it. Cash value sounds appealing, sure, but how valuable is it? Can you tap into that money whenever you want? Or are there strings attached? Here, we’ll answer your questions about what it ...

Stay Safe and Claim-Proof Your Home During a Bomb Cyclone

Yes, “bomb cyclone” really is the technical term for the winter storm bearing down on the central U.S. today. “What makes a storm a ‘bomb’ is how fast the atmospheric pressure falls,” explains New York Times science reporter Henry Fountain. “Deep drops in barometric pressure occur when a region of warm air meets one of ...

Tips for Home Insurance if Your Home Was Hit in Alabama This Week

Tornadoes ripped through Alabama, Georgia, and Florida last Sunday, taking a heavy toll on those in their path. Alabama’s Lee County was especially hard-hit: The Atlantic reported winds of up to 170 miles per hour that leveled a stretch of homes and property more than 20 miles long. Red Cross estimates more than 1,000 homes ...

Term Life Insurance Riders

What are Term Life Insurance Riders? Term riders are optional clauses that can be built into your term life insurance policy for an extra cost. These add-ons make your insurance more flexible, with options to buy additional coverage or switch to permanent coverage at select times throughout the policy. Why would you need that? Because ...

Life Insurance Riders that Affect Death Benefit Payments

Do Life Insurance Riders Affect the Death Benefit Payment? Life insurance pays a predetermined amount (known as a “death benefit”) when the insured person passes away. Generally, the death benefit on a life insurance policy is set when it’s purchased and never changes. However there are a few optional clauses, or “riders,” that alter the ...

Living or 'Accelerated' Benefit Life Insurance Riders

What are Living Benefit Life Insurance Riders? Some life insurance riders let you access a portion of the policy’s value during life under special circumstances. These “living benefits” or “accelerated benefits” typically kick in if the insured person develops serious health complications that put would them and their family under financial strain. Because of the ...

What to Know About Life Insurance Riders

What is a Life Insurance Rider? Your life insurance can be customized through add-ons called “policy riders.” These optional clauses expand what the life insurance policy will cover — so instead of simply paying a death benefit if the insured person passes away, the policy might also offer financial aid if they take on new ...

What Is Whole Life Insurance?

What Is Permanent Life Insurance? The first thing to know about whole life insurance: It’s actually a type of permanent life insurance. As a broad category, permanent life insurance is the alternative to term life insurance. It has no expiration date, meaning that a death benefit payout is guaranteed (whereas term life policies only pay ...

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