01 May How Much Disability Insurance Do I Need?

How Much Disability Insurance Do I Need?

You should have enough coverage to survive off if you happen to lose your job while being disabled. You should also take into account your bills and loan payments too.

Disability insurance is designed to protect you from the financial consequences of losing your income if you become disabled and are unable to work. Consider it as a form of income replacement. When you are unable to work due to a disability, your insurance company will pay you a monthly benefit. The amount of this benefit is referred to as compensation. The amount of coverage you need is determined by a number of variables, including your career and financial commitments.

The disability payout is dependent on your current salary. This can be as high as 60% to 70% of your paycheck. For that type of coverage, you can plan to pay between 1% and 3% of your annual income in premiums. This also depends on how much coverage you are hoping to obtain. You would still want to take into account the amount of time you would want to collect benefit payments. This is referred to as the benefit period. You could also spend less in premiums if you decide on a disability insurance policy that requires a longer elimination period. This refers to the length of time before the benefits begin.

The more risky your career or lifestyle, the more likely you will be disabled according to insurance providers. If that’s the case, prepare ahead and get more coverage. And if you live a relatively low-risk lifestyle, there is always a chance you could get sick unexpectedly. This could put your savings in jeopardy. 

In the United States, medical bankruptcy accounts for 60 percent of all personal bankruptcies. Of those bankruptcies, 90 percent of the disabilities are caused by illness rather than injury. The amount of coverage you need should be sufficient to cover not just your living expenses but also your bills and loans. Also, coverage should leave you with sufficient funds should you lose your work while injured. Continue reading to find out more:

Expenses Covered with Disability Insurance

When determining how much disability benefits you need, one of the most important factors to consider is your daily expenditures. Financial responsibilities include paying a mortgage or rent, repaying student loans or car loans, and paying medical expenses. Failure to pay these can result in the loss of your house, a reduction in your credit score, or the accumulation of unmanageable interest.

When you purchase disability insurance, make sure the benefit is substantial enough to cover the cost of your bills and loans. This can provide security so that you can stay on top of them while you are recovering. Calculate how much you spend per month on your bills and draw conclusions from there. The amount could vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars. That said, you will want to make sure that your disability coverage matches whatever number you have calculated. 

Disability insurance is particularly important for individuals who have obtained advanced degrees. This is because they also have the most student loans to repay. If you have recently purchased a home, you will also need disability insurance. The disability benefit will protect you from defaulting on mortgage payments if you become disabled or sick and are no longer able to draw an income.

There is no way to predict whether you will get hurt or become sick. Even more so, there is no way to predict how long you will be out of commission due to an impairment. You will also have to provide food for the household and attempt to go about your daily routine as you did before the disability hit. 

For that reason, when determining how much disability insurance coverage you need, you will still need to consider your income. Losing your paycheck can be a significant blow to your affluent lifestyle if you are used to enjoying the comfort that comes with being a surgeon or a Wall Street trader. 

Luckily for those individuals, disability insurance coverage can be as high as $5,000 to $10,000 a month. With those types of policies, you will likely have to pay a much higher premium to receive more coverage. That said, if you require that amount of coverage, there is a high probability that you can actually afford it. 

People on the lower end of the income scale could also require disability insurance. Although you can purchase coverage at a cheaper premium, the disability payout will be less. Despite the fact that you’re not going to have to replace as much income, you will still need to ensure that you can afford the same basic necessities that you had before becoming disabled. 

You may want to consider getting coverage that exceeds your monthly take-home pay in case your condition may have resulted in large medical costs. The start of your coverage may overlap with any increases in expenses you may incur. If this is the case, there is a chance you will face increasingly higher expenses at the same time you start claiming benefits from your disability policy. 

Premiums for disability benefits are certainly not inexpensive. A doctor, for example, is a suitable candidate for unemployment benefits. These individuals have a substantial amount of school loans to pay off and the work requires a great deal of physical and mental labor. Many doctors anticipate earning a large amount of money once his or her residency is completed. If the doctor puts off paying for disability insurance until after their residency is complete, they can expect their premiums to be much higher.

Setting Money Aside with Disability Insurance Coverage

Another factor to consider is the unpredictable economic condition. There are a lot of people looking for jobs. Because of this, it is much easier for your employer to replace you if you are forced to take a leave of absence due to a disability. You should have enough money in your savings to cover you through times of unemployment. Something to consider is using your disability insurance benefits to replenish your savings account.

Note that a tax-advantaged savings portfolio, such as a Roth IRA, is not included. You are only able to put money into these accounts if you have “earned profits.” This includes wages and tips, which is taxable income. Disability insurance payments are classified as unearned income. Benefits are not taxable unless you paid your premiums in pre-tax dollars. The IRS can levy a penalty if you attempt to use a disability benefit to finance a tax-qualified account.

When and if you should decide to save your disability payments, place them in a bank deposit account like a CD or a retirement account. Benefits may also be used to purchase stocks. However, you should only do that if your other financial commitments have been covered. It could serve as a temporary bridge between jobs if you become unemployed as a result of a disability. 

Disability Insurance Provides Coverage of Long-Term Illness

Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do to estimate how much disability coverage you may or may not require in the future. You can normally hedge against dollar amounts such as income and rent. However, you can’t exactly guess whether you will become sick or injured. That said, if you become concerned about developing a debilitating condition, you should think and plan accordingly before determining how much disability compensation you need. 

Although they frequently are, chronic conditions do not have to be physiological in order to qualify for disability insurance benefits. For example, flare-ups of Crohn’s disease can force you to leave your job if the pain is unbearable. If a mental illness interferes with your ability to function in a normal working environment, you may also be eligible for disability insurance coverage. 

The majority of disabilities are caused by chronic health conditions rather than accidents. These normally occur outside of the workplace. But be cautious! There are some disability insurance providers that exclude compensation for these diseases outright. Also, any underlying chronic illnesses – referred to as pre-existing conditions – you may have had before receiving coverage will be excluded from coverage if you file an insurance claim.

Similarly, if you discover that one of your hobbies has the potential to render you permanently disabled, you should prepare accordingly. You will future-proof yourself against missing your income later in life by buying enough disability insurance benefits when you are healthy and not disabled. 

Long-Term vs. Short-term Disability Insurance

When determining how much coverage you need, you must also consider the type of protection you need. This necessitates a decision between long-term and short-term disability coverage. The distinction is the duration of the benefit payout period. Short-term disability insurance is only good for a few months, while long-term disability insurance is good for several years.

Many individuals do have low-cost or no-cost short-term disability insurance coverage from their workplace. However, you won’t save a significant amount of money if you purchase it on your own compared to long-term disability insurance. That said, it is a good idea to anticipate the notion that if you become disabled to the extent that you require income replacement, the disability is likely to last a long time. 

When it comes to purchasing disability insurance, it’s very similar to when you would want to purchase life insurance. You will want to buy as early as you can because the younger and healthier you are, the cheaper your policy will be. 

Example Rates for Disability Insurance

A 35-year-old male should expect to pay $160 to $190 per month for a long-term insurance policy. Coverage will last until the age of 65 and the monthly benefit would be $6,250. This type of disability insurance coverage is an individual plan. Not to be mistaken for one that is provided by his company that is designed to completely replace his salaried income. Since everyone’s needs are different, this range can only be seen as a starting point for learning how disability insurance coverage operates.

There are other factors considered when estimating the range of costs for disability insurance.

Occupation: Using this example, the 35-year old man is working a full-time job as a software developer – a career he has had since he graduated college. He is not the business owner. 

Income: His annual salary is $130,000.

Benefit Amount: As previously mentioned, the benefit amount should be sufficient to substitute 60 percent of your salary. This should be equivalent to your take-home pay after taxes. Therefore, his monthly benefit should be $6,250. 

Waiting Period: The waiting period, also known as an elimination period, is the length of time this man will have to wait before getting his disability benefit. Shorter waiting times are more expensive for insurance providers. However, longer waiting periods will put a financial strain on anyone who needs their money as soon as possible. A 90-day waiting period is most commonly recommended by financial advisors. 

Benefit Period: Premiums would be less expensive if the benefit period is shorter. Disability insurance providers offer long-term coverage that can last until retirement. So for the same individual, he could save money on premiums by choosing a shorter benefit period while he chooses to cover himself until he reaches retirement age.

Health: Let’s say this man is at his peak condition. He doesn’t have any pre-existing conditions that would prevent disability insurance from covering him. He also does not have any of the major medical conditions that life insurance providers search for. He is average weight and height, non-tobacco user, and has never driven recklessly or while intoxicated. That said, some may not be as fortunate. It’s best to adjust your premium expectations accordingly. 

Own-Occupation Insurance Coverage: Despite the fact that own-occupation coverage is more costly, it is an essential component of any disability insurance policy. Own-occupation insurance coverage ensures that if you are unable to perform necessary functions in your own job but have the ability to perform the functions in a different occupation, the disability insurance provider will pay you a benefit. 

Residual Disability Coverage: This type of coverage raises the cost of premiums. However, it will help cover the cost of a partial disability. 

Non-cancelable Coverage: This type of coverage ensures you are protected as long as you make regular, on-time payments of the insurance premiums. The insurance provider does not have the authority to change or terminate coverage, rates, or benefits. Your insurance premiums will increase, but it is well worth the expense.