Disability Insurance
protects your source of income if injury or illness limits your ability to work.
Also known as disability income insurance and income protection insurance, it is designed to replace a portion of your monthly earnings while you are disabled. There are various types of disability insurance, such as short term and long term disability insurance, and ways to get coverage, like as an individual and as part of a group.
FAQ about Disability
How much does disability insurance cost?
Typically, it is recommended that working individuals spend between 1 percent and 4 percent of their annual income on disability insurance. It’s possible that you pay more or less than those ranges depending on your coverage needs. How much you pay in disability insurance premiums is based on the likelihood of you filing a claim. There are a number of factors that disability insurance carriers use to determine your risk level.
How much disability insurance do I need?
We recommend taking inventory of your monthly obligations, necessities, and investing activities to calculate your coverage needs. Obligations include mortgage/rent payments, student loan payments, credit card payments, and any other monthly debt obligations. Necessities include utilities, groceries, gas, and any other recurring expenses for you and your dependents. You will also want to consider the amount of emergency savings that you already have.
How do I get disability insurance?
If you are currently employed, there are a couple of different ways to get disability insurance. You can join a group disability insurance plan if it offered by your employer, but this type of coverage has a number of limitations. Whether you have group coverage or not, the best way to protect your income is with an individual disability insurance plan from a private insurance company. This will require you to apply and go through an underwriting process to determine whether or not you qualify.
Is disability insurance tax-deductible?
No matter how much (or how little) you spend on disability insurance, it’s important to understand the tax treatment of individual coverage. The monthly disability insurance premiums that you pay for a personal policy are not tax-deductible. However, any disability insurance benefits you receive as the result of a disabling injury or illness will be treated as tax-free income since you are paying for coverage with after-tax dollars.
Long term disability insurance
Long term disability insurance is the most complete form of income protection available. It is designed to cover serious ailments that may last several months, years, or even permanently. With long term disability coverage, benefits typically begin 90 days after a disabling event occurs and last for five years.
Individual disability insurance
Individual disability insurance is personalized coverage that you own. Disability insurance for individuals can be long term or short term, and it only protects your source of income from injuries and illnesses that may limit your ability to work. This type of income protection is also commonly referred to as private disability insurance and personal disability insurance.
Group disability insurance
Group disability insurance is a type of income protection that covers more than one individual and their ability to earn an income. In a group disability insurance plan, the members of a particular group, organization, or company are all offered the opportunity to receive coverage. Like an individual plan, group disability coverage can be long term or short term.
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