IBT Staff Reporter

What prompts an insurer to deny coverage? The reasons for rejection fall into a handful of categories, but they all boil down to one maddening fact: Companies don't like to sell insurance to people who are likely to use it.

For most people, the right type of life insurance can be summed up in a single word: term. But before we explain why, it's important to understand the differences between the most common types of insurance available. Our glossary1 can help with that, and decipher some of the more common insurance lingo.

Insurance agents may have a less-than-golden reputation as a group, but when you think about it, this stereotype is mostly based on sales practices. Nowadays, with Internet resources at your disposal, you can educate yourself to avoid shady sales practices and select an agent that offers real value. It comes down to personal preference.

I just read the Q&A titled Risk of rolling over 401(k) with company stock, and part of it confused me. I am 25 years old. My company matches my 401(k) contributions with company stock. Are there large fees and tax issues with converting my company stock to other higher risk stocks? It isn't a huge problem for me at the moment as my company stock consistently makes 8 percent to 9 percent, but this may not be the case for everyone. Please help!

We've heard the adage that to become physically fit, we need to eat less and exercise more. The corollary for fiscal fitness is to spend less and save more.

A 401(K) CAN be a glorious thing, but let's not forget that these plans are regulated by government bureaucrats. That means they are rife with rules and regulations. Here are answers to some of the more common questions we get about 401(k)s.

Variable Annuities are sold more aggressively than fake Gucci handbags on the streets of New York City. Thanks in part to commissions around 5%, sales of variable annuities have soared over the past decade.

Figuring out how to live off of your retirement savings is as much a personal issue as it is a financial decision. You have to come up with a strategy that will allow you to enjoy spending the money you've saved without constantly worrying that you're running through it too quickly.

An exciting new retirement-savings option is coming in 2006.

A spate of oil and gas pipeline deals has boosted mergers and acquisitions for the industry by nearly 30 percent this year, but soaring prices are turning off many potential buyers.

Responding to government requests for interoperability, Microsoft Corp. said on Thursday it will offer free software that will allow Word, Excel and PowerPoint to handle documents in rival technology formats.

If you have read any books on networking or word-of-mouth marketing, it might surprise you to learn that as a college professor and expert in the field, I would tell you that you’ve actually received a better education on these related subjects than what you would have received at most universities or colleges around the world. As hard as that is to believe – it’s true.

As a satirical news story about a Belgium Orchestra looking to sell itself on online auction site eBay made its rounds on the Internet on Tuesday, the San Jose, Calif. firm once again captured a bit of the media spotlight through a unique offering.

Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit may offer its full menu of services, including e-mail, free of charge to anyone with a high-speed Internet connection, The Wall Street Journal said on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Global semiconductor sales for May increased 9.4 percent from a year ago to $19.7 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association reported on Wednesday.

Atlantic City casinos could lose more than $20 million a day in revenue and cut thousands of jobs, an industry executive said on Wednesday, as a New Jersey budget impasse forced operators to close shop.

General Motors Corp. Chief Executive Rick Wagoner will meet with Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. and Renault SA Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn in Detroit in mid-July, a person familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

AT&T says that the initial customers of its latest Internet TV offering have been pleased. But with experts citing a number of problems and limitations, will the new service be embraced?

LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. on Wednesday said it named Jeffrey Katz chief executive officer and president, effective immediately.

Britain's BAE Systems, Europe's largest defense company, ordered an audit of Airbus on Wednesday, pushing back its possible sale of a 20-percent stake in the European planemaker into September at the earliest.

On Monday, the boards of automakers Renault SA and Nissan Corp. confirmed that they were interested in forming an alliance with the world's largest car company, General Motors Inc.

France reacted cautiously on Tuesday to the idea of a tie-up between carmaker Renault, its Japanese partner Nissan and U.S. rival General Motors as Renault shares fell.

An EU committee ruled on Monday that Microsoft failed to comply with a landmark antitrust decision, paving the way for fines of up to 2 million euros ($2.56 million) a day, a source familiar with the situation said.

O'Hare International Airport was the nation's busiest airport in terms of air traffic during the first half of 2006, surpassing Atlanta's, according to government statistics released Monday.

France's Industry Minister on Tuesday expressed enormous caution over any future tie-up between carmakers Renault and General Motors.

Wall Street on Monday cheered the apparent defeat of a Mexican leftist presidential candidate whose spending promises raised debt fears, but a looming vote dispute and a longer-term political crisis may ruin the party.

South African telecommunications group Telkom SA, denied on Monday that talks concerning a possible takeover by British cell phone group Vodafone had taken place.

A breakout of avian influenza has been confirmed on an ostrich farm in the Western Cape of South Africa, said the National Department of Agriculture (NDA) on Monday.

An audacious plan for a tie-up between General Motors Corp and Renault that would create a $100 billion global auto giant was set to come before the board of the French carmaker late on Monday.