Most of us don’t doubt our need for health insurance, and since we don’t have access to universal healthcare, we do what we can to get insured. In lieu of a shift in sentiment that recognizes healthcare as a human right, we rely on health insurance to protect us from having to absorb the full cost of medical care that most people cannot afford on an individual basis.

Health insurance isn’t the only area where we need to focus on managing risks, and decisions about the other types of insurance that we need can feel much more daunting. Just like we want to protect ourselves from illness or injuries, we also want to protect ourselves against the loss of or damage to our homes, or the possibility of interruptions in our salaries if we cannot work for health reasons.

Open Enrollment season is upon us, and with it the yearly opportunity to make sure we’re taking advantage of all the workplace perks we are entitled to. This means checking that we’ve signed on to get tax breaks on commuting, health care costs, and child care. It also means being sure we’re enrolled in our retirement accounts so we can build wealth to secure our future.