I don't think there's any other type of insurance that is more universally agreed upon as being valuable than Disability Insurance. The disability statistics speak for themselves as to the importance of insuring one's income.
Here is some further support from the media: From The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Disability insurance can seem expensive, but that is because there is a good chance you will use it. Think of it as income insurance, since it is really all about protecting your income stream should you not be able to work."
And this from a personal finance article: "In fact, insurance and financial experts say I'm more likely to suffer a disabling injury than die prematurely. According to the Social Security Administration's disability guide, a 20-year-old has a three in 10 chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age.
Nearly one in five Americans will become disabled for more than one year before age 65, according to the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to educating consumers about insurance.
Most people, no matter their income, spend 65 percent to 75 percent of their cash flow. In thinking about this, this means a person should aim toward securing as much disability income insurance they can toward the goal of replacing such income.
If you put away 10 percent of your income each year, then simple arithmetic says that one year of being totally disabled could wipe out the 10 years of principal that you put into your savings.
Looked at another way, four in five Americans will never become disabled before 65 and that 20-year-old has a seven in 10 chance of not being disabled either. So which odds should we bet on? Weigh the costs of Disability Insurance vs. the costs of suffering a major disability and losing your ability to earn money. How would you live?"
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Author, Richard Reich, writes articles on disability insurance for ProtectYourIncome.com - Disability Insurance Online, an online source for disability insurance quotes and information. For more information, visit www.ProtectYourIncome.com.
