Read the Fine Print on Dental and Disability Insurance. Plus, Is a Cheaper Home Worth the Distance?

Learn how to weigh dental, vision, life and disability coverage, and what a cheaper home far from loved ones could cost. Is supplemental insurance worth paying for? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola, in the second of our episodes about Open Enrollment season, talk with Victoria Collar, director of knowledge, community and operations at SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management), about the benefits that often get overlooked: dental, vision, life and disability coverage. They discuss how dental PPOs, DHMOs, indemnity plans and discount plans differ, when bundling dental and vision could save you money, and why waiting periods and annual maximums matter. You’ll also hear why employer-provided life insurance may fall short, how short-term and long-term disability coverage work together, and what hospital indemnity, critical illness and cancer insurance actually pay for. Then we ask: what does it really cost to live far from your people? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski and NerdWallet mortgage writer Abby Doyle unpack a Federal Reserve study finding that 44% of American families gave or received help with money or caregiving from friends or relatives in the past year. They discuss the hidden costs of buying a cheaper home far from your support network, why many buyers would trade a bigger yard for a walkable neighborhood, how cottage court housing could help people stay close to their communities, and how to weigh connection against affordability in your home search. Figure out how much coverage your family might need with NerdWallet’s life insurance calculator: https://www.nerdwallet.com/insurance/life/learn/how-much-life-insurance-do-i-need Has social connection shaped your house hunt? Email Abby at [email protected] with the subject line “House Hunt.” Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header Smart Money’s YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email [email protected]. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. *The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices