Les Masterson
Former Staff Editor
About
Les Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before covering insurance, Les was a news editor and reporter for Patch and Community Newspaper Company and also covered health care, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans for multiple websites.
Les Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance , including auto, home, life and health, for a decade and previously wrote about health care, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans.
He has covered health care from the patient, insurer and provider angles over the years, which offers a well-rounded look at health insurance and its potential pitfalls for consumers.
Before covering insurance and finance, he worked in community journalism, where he won multiple editing and writing awards. He was also honored with community awards, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award from the town of Arlington, Massachusetts, for his efforts in the community when he was editor of The Arlington Advocate.
When not writing about insurance, Les has visited 47 major league baseball ballparks and contributed biographies for six books about baseball history published by the Society for American Baseball Research.
Expertise
- Health insurance
- Choosing a health plan
- Comparing health plans
- Buying car insurance
- Shopping for home insurance
Achievements
- More than a decade of insurance experience
- Covered health care from all angles (insurer, consumer and provider)
- Over 25 years of editing and reporting experience
Education
- Salem State University, Bachelor’s degree in communications with concentration in history.
Honors and Awards
- Best E-Newsletter (news category) from American Society of Business Publication Editors
- Gold Award for Best E-newsletter (news category) from American Society of Business Publication Editors
- Breaking News Writing from Massachusetts Press Association
- Multiple awards for newspaper general excellence, headline writing, editorial writing, commuter issues reporting and history writing from New England Press Association
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What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?
Whether you’re commuting to work, chauffeuring your kids around or running errands, there’s a good chance you’re sharing the road with drivers who don’t have car insurance. About one in seven motorists is uninsured, according to the Insurance Research Council.... -
How Much Car Insurance Do I Need?
Each state has a minimum amount of car insurance you can buy to satisfy financial responsibility laws. Liability insurance is the primary requirement, covering damage and injuries you cause others in an auto accident. Common liability limits are $25,000 per... -
The Best Annual Travel Insurance Of 2025
A medical emergency, transportation delay, bad weather or other unforeseen events can disrupt your travel plans and cause you to lose money you’ve invested in your trip. An annual travel insurance policy can help mitigate those costs. To help you... -
Best Car Insurance For Teens And Young Drivers Of 2025
The cost of car insurance for a teen or young driver can be shocking. Auto insurance rates for these new drivers are notoriously high due to the sizable risk they pose to insurance companies. Are reasonable rates and coverage even... -
Best Car Insurance For Teens And Young Drivers Of 2025
The cost of car insurance for a teen or young driver can be shocking. Auto insurance rates for these new drivers are notoriously high due to the sizable risk they pose to insurance companies. Are reasonable rates and coverage even... -
Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies Of 2025
Health insurance premiums are one of the most important factors when choosing the best affordable health insurance. But that’s just the start when shopping for the right plan for you.To find the best affordable health insurance companies, we analyzed average... -
Best Short-Term Health Insurance Companies Of 2025
Short-term health insurance can be a low-cost alternative to pricey COBRA coverage if you lose health insurance. But whether a short-term plan works for you depends on what you want from health coverage and whether your state allows them. To... -
Best Health Insurance Companies Of 2025
People often understand the importance of health insurance, but how do you find the best health insurance for your specific situation? Health insurance shopping isn’t often the easiest or most pleasant task, but we’ve done much of the work for... -
Best Health Insurance Companies Of 2025
People often understand the importance of health insurance, but how do you find the best health insurance for your specific situation? Health insurance shopping isn’t often the easiest or most pleasant task, but we’ve done much of the work for... -
The Cheapest Home Insurance Companies Of 2025
The average homeowners insurance cost is $1,951 annually for $350,000 dwelling coverage, but our research found that you can save hundreds or even thousands a year by shopping around and comparing home insurance policies. To help you find the cheapest... -
Best Homeowners Insurance Of 2025
Home insurance can play a key role in protecting you if your house is damaged or destroyed by a problem covered by a policy, such as a fire. But policies and coverage aren’t one-size-fits-all, so how can you find the... -
Best Homeowners Insurance Of 2025
Home insurance can play a key role in protecting you if your house is damaged or destroyed by a problem covered by a policy, such as a fire. But policies and coverage aren’t one-size-fits-all, so how can you find the... -
10 Best Travel Insurance Companies For 2025: Expert-Rated
Travel insurance can be a smart way to offset costs if unforeseen circumstances derail your trip. But how do you know which policies provide top-notch coverage at an affordable price? To identify the best travel insurance, we evaluated 69 policies... -
10 Best Travel Insurance Companies For 2025: Expert-Rated
Travel insurance can be a smart way to offset costs if unforeseen circumstances derail your trip. But how do you know which policies provide top-notch coverage at an affordable price? To identify the best travel insurance, we evaluated 69 policies... -
Best Travel Insurance For Seniors In 2025
The best travel insurance policies package together benefits that can compensate you when things go wrong at a price that’s right for you. But how do you know which ones are best for senior travelers?To determine the best travel insurance... -
Compare Car Insurance Quotes (2025 Rates)
Car insurance costs are rising—but that doesn’t mean you have to overpay. Comparing car insurance quotes with multiple insurers is the best way to find affordable pricing. It’s quick, easy and could save you hundreds of dollars a year, or... -
The Cheapest Car Insurance Of 2025
With prices continuing to climb, finding low-cost auto insurance can be challenging—but it's not impossible. We evaluated 14 leading insurers to pinpoint which companies offer the best car insurance rates, along with reliable service. We analyzed over 310,000 car insurance... -
What Is Medicare Supplement: How It Works and What It Covers
Medicare Supplement, also called Medigap, helps beneficiaries with Original Medicare (Parts A and B) pay out-of-pocket costs, such as copays, deductibles and coinsurance. Original Medicare pays for hospitalizations, doctor visits, outpatient care and other services, but it doesn’t cover all... -
Best Medicare Part D Providers For 2025
Original Medicare beneficiaries can get prescription drug benefits through Medicare Part D, which is offered by private insurance companies. But what are the best Medicare Part D providers? We dug into the cost and coverage information for over 15 national... -
Best Medicare Advantage Plans And Providers Of 2025
The average Medicare beneficiary has 42 Medicare Advantage plan options, according to KFF, a nonprofit health policy research organization. That’s a lot of choices, so how do you know what’s the best Medicare Advantage plan for you?Forbes Advisor reviewed Medicare... -
Best Dental Insurance For Implants Of 2025
Dental implants can transform your smile and make eating an enjoyable experience again, but dental implant costs can also devour your wallet if you don’t have dental insurance. Many dental insurance companies cover the procedure that provides a base for... -
Certificate of Liability Insurance: What It Is & How to Get One
Some clients may ask for a certificate of liability insurance because they want to know that you have the appropriate coverage before working with you. General liability insurance covers problems like accidental property damage and bodily injuries to others, reputational... -
Multicar Insurance: How It Works And How Much You Save
Multicar insurance is convenient—and typically cheaper—than insuring each vehicle in your household on its own policy. Multivehicle car insurance lets you buy one policy that covers multiple vehicles and can typically earn a multicar discount of between 8% to 25%.... -
Your Guide To Medicare Advantage Plans In Maryland In 2025
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare for beneficiaries in Maryland, but how do you buy the best Medicare Advantage plan for you? Offered by private insurance companies, Medicare Advantage plans offer medical coverage found in Original Medicare... -
Your Guide To Medicare Advantage Plans In Maine In 2025
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare for beneficiaries in Maine, but how do you buy the best Medicare Advantage plan for you? Offered by private health insurers, Medicare Advantage plans offer medical coverage found in Original Medicare... -
Your Guide To Medicare Advantage Plans In Louisiana In 2025
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare for beneficiaries in Louisiana, but how do you buy the best Medicare Advantage plan for you? Offered by private health insurance companies, Medicare Advantage plans offer medical coverage found in Original... -
Your Guide To Medicare Advantage Plans In Kentucky In 2025
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare for beneficiaries in Kentucky, but how do you find the best Medicare Advantage plan for you? Offered by private insurance companies, Medicare Advantage plans offer medical coverage found in Original Medicare... -
Best Health Insurance For Young Adults Of 2025
Health insurance can play a critical role in your health and financial stability regardless of age. Sure, young adults may not need as many health care services as someone in their 50s and 60s, but health insurance can still be... -
What Is A High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)?
High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) generally cost less than plans with low deductibles, but HDHPs come with higher out-of-pocket costs when you need healthcare services. Whether an HDHP is a good choice for you depends on how often you need healthcare...
About
Les Masterson is a deputy editor and insurance analyst at Forbes Advisor. He has been a journalist, reporter, editor and content creator for more than 25 years. He has covered insurance for a decade, including auto, home, life and health. Before covering insurance, Les was a news editor and reporter for Patch and Community Newspaper Company and also covered health care, mortgages, credit cards and personal loans for multiple websites.