A Weiss Ratings health trend analysis of over 1,000 insurers indicates that the total cost of health insurance went up from $95 billion in Q1, 2010 to $140 billion in Q3, 2015; that’s an increase of $45 billion or 48 percent in less than six years.

The largest growth took place after full implementation of Obamacare in 2013. Premiums went up 27 percent from $110 billion to $140 billion in just under two years.

It appears that healthcare premiums are getting out of control, so Weiss Ratings examined the associated data.

The equation here is simple – More people covered by insurance means more in premiums paid.

In Q3, 2015 there were 199 million Americans with health coverage; that’s an increase of 24.3 percent or 39 million enrollees since Q1, 2010. The sharpest increase began taking place in Q1, 2014, increasing the total number enrolled by 27 million to 199 million by Q3, 2015.

To place a better perspective on the increased premiums Weiss looked at the average premium cost per person over the same five year period.

Across all types of coverage, the Weiss analysis showed that as of Q3, 2015, Americans were paying an average of $235 per month for health insurance. An increase of $37 dollars per month or 19 percent since Q1, 2010 when the average monthly premium was $198.

This average annual rate of 3.45 percent appears, on the face of it, to be almost reasonable yet it appears that consumers may be doing what politicians have failed to do. They address the cost of healthcare by reducing coverage or increasing deductibles. Ultimately this cost falls back on the insured as a direct cost, not shown in the premiums.

Stocks

There are different types of investors out there; some try to find stable, long-term investments with potential to grow without the intention to trade them frequently, others look for the highest dividend paying, highest returns yielding investments for quick cash-out.

Regardless of the type of investor that you are, Weiss investment ratings can provide you with the necessary tools to find stock investment options that fit your needs. Weiss Ratings empowers you to sift through over 9,000 stocks; slice them and dice them using stocks screener (begin by adding criteria) until you find what you’re looking for.

Find the highest rated stocks to purchase in Weiss BUY universe, find the ones to HOLD on to, and the ones to SELL.

Or, simply type what you’re looking for in the search bar and see Weiss Ratings’ opinion about the investment.

ETFs

Check out Weiss Ratings top 10 performing ETFs based on one-year total return. Some of them receive Weiss HOLD recommendation (rated C), but nevertheless are worth looking at if you’re interested in exploring your investment options.

Keep in mind that total return is not the only aspect to consider before making an informed financial decision. Utilize Weiss Ratings tools to view any ETF’s top holdings, find similar ETFs, look at price and NAV history and compare them against each other or the industry.

Mutual Funds

Did you know that there are 12 BUY rated mutual funds by Weiss that are over 80 years old, with inception dates ranging from 1924 to 1935?

The oldest mutual fund on the list was established on July 15, 1924 and has survived the ups and downs of the U.S. economy for almost a hundred years.

Visit Weiss Ratings to explore over 28,000 Weiss rated mutual funds.

Banks

The number of financial institutions on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s (FDIC) “Problem List” declined to 183 in Q4, 2015 from 203 in Q3, 2015, and total problem bank assets fell to $46.8 billion from $51.1 billion. Combined with the declining number of institutions overall, the percentage of total institutions identified as problematic is at 3 percent, that’s down from 3.2 percent in the previous quarter and down from 11.5 percent five years ago.

According to the FDIC, there were 305 mergers, one new charter was added, and eight banks failed in 2015.

For banks with Weak Safety Ratings from Weiss (rated D+ or below), click here. To explore over 1,500 Weiss recommended U.S. banks (with a rating of B+ or better), click here.

Credit Unions

There are over 150 credit unions with assets of $1 billion or more receiving a Weiss safety ratings of B+ or higher. These biggest and best represent only 2.5 percent of the entire credit union industry!

Check out Weiss Ratings credit union page, where a different and highly rated institution gets to bear the “Credit Union of the Day” title.

Use our Credit Unions Screener to explore all U.S. credit unions, simply click on “Add Criteria” and build your list any way you want.