Can you skip insurance?

Q: Is life insurance really something everyone needs?

- T.N., Flagstaff, Ariz.

A: Nope. Those with no children, no house and no debt might consider skipping it - for now.

Think of insurance as protection against a financial loss, not as an investment. If a partner or children depend on your income, buying life insurance makes sense. But if you don't have to protect any income stream, consider parking your money elsewhere.

Learn more at iii.org, lifehappens.org and fool.com/insurance.

Q: How can I give single shares of stock as gifts?

- D.Y., Wilkes-Barre

A: You can buy one share of a stock as a gift at websites including registerstock.com, giveashare.com, shareinaframe.com and oneshare.com. It's not the smartest way to invest. You could pay $35 or more in fees to buy a $45 share of stock. Still, if it's a gift, the recipient does end up with a $45 stock that one day might be worth $90 or much more.

When buying stock for yourself, take commissions and fees into account. Try not to pay more than 2 or 3 percent of an investment's value in fees. (For a $500 investment, that would be $10 or $15.) You can invest effectively with just a few dollars via direct-investment plans or dividend-reinvestment plans ("Drips").