Your ZIP code affects car insurance because insurers use it to measure risk in your area. Accident rates, theft, vandalism, and severe weather damage vary by location, so car insurance companies ...

Hanna Horvath is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Red Venture's senior editor of content partnerships. Fox Money is a personal finance hub featuring content generated by Credible Operations, Inc.

Most Americans know their ZIP code by heart. They type it into online forms, scribble it on envelopes and memorize it as part of their address. But not everyone knows the original meaning of the term.