Insurance Myths That Undermine Your Well-Being

One in five will become disabled between the ages of 35 and 65. Could you financially handle being unable to work?

Frank N. Darras appears on Health, Wealth and Happiness to discuss the importance of disability insurance and how to find a good policy.

What you’ll learn

• Four in 10 new disability claims made during 2013 were filed by people in their 40s or younger.
• Americans have a greater likelihood of becoming disabled rather than dying before reaching retirement age, yet most people prioritize life insurance over disability insurance.
• Less than 4 percent of total disability claims in the U.S. involve an on-the-job injury. Workers’ compensation is not sufficient to financially protect you.
• You can get 70 percent of what you earn through disability. Including salary, overtime, bonuses. Can protect yourself up to 67 years of age.
• Forms are difficult. There’s an army of insurance adjusters. The insurance companies can beat us up and wear us out.

An exemplar is a copy of a policy that tells you about the coverage and limitations.

These are questions you should ask yourself while reviewing disability insurance exemplars:

· Is the policy occupation-specific – does the policy make you change careers/fields if you become disabled in your line of work? What is the duration?

· What are the limitations? Are mental/psychological claims limited or excluded? Will conditions like CFS, fibromyalgia, etc. be excluded because there isn’t an objective test to diagnose it?

· Set-offs. If your policy says it will insure 60 percent of your income, it is going to be off-set dollar-for-dollar for things like workers’ comp, SSDI, etc.

The podcast also discusses:

• Supplemental insurance
• ERISA law
• Long-term care
• Umbrella liability insurance