Title insurance is the only kind of insurance coverage where – if the closing is done properly – the incidence of valid claims can be reduced to almost zero. It’s also inexpensive, and should be part of every real estate sale. Your homeowner’s carrier can’t make you less clumsy, or your all-wood house less flammable. Your automobile carrier can’t make you a better driver (though those plug-in gadgets that monitor your driving habits try to). Your life insurer can’t extend your life, and by definition, for every life insurance policy that remains in force for the policyholder’s life, the carrier will eventually have to pay a claim. As an aside, since “collision insurance” pays if a collision occurs, and “fire insurance” pays if a fire occurs, shouldn’t life insurance really be called “death insurance”? Answer: yes, but then no one would buy it.