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If disability insurance is right for you, consider buying as much coverage as you can comfortably afford. Disability insurance doesn’t replace 100% of your income — short-term disability typically pays between 60% and 80% of your pre-disability income, while long-term disability pays out 40% to 60%. You could go months or years without being able to bring in a paycheck if you suffer a disability.
To determine the amount of coverage you’ll need, calculate your financial obligations and what financial assets you have to rely on if you become disabled and can’t work. Assets to consider include savings, a spouse who can work or family who is willing to help. Then, fill in the gap with disability insurance.
To help put a number on the exact amount for your situation, consider the following monthly obligations you’re likely paying.
Your mortgage or rent can be one of the largest monthly payments you make. While you don’t necessarily have to cover the entire cost of your mortgage or rent payment, you probably don’t want to shift 100% of the burden of paying rent or the mortgage to a spouse.
Start with an amount equal to at least 50% of your rent or mortgage payment. This can give you a starting point of how much income from disability insurance you’ll need monthly.
If you have children or other dependents in your household who rely on you for income, you’ll want to factor in their monthly cost of living expenses.
Try to make a distinction between what’s necessary and what is a luxury to maintain your dependents’ quality of life. For example, a cell phone may be considered a necessary expense by some people, but not others.
Living expenses vary based on your lifestyle, but consider these items:
Your debt won’t disappear if you become disabled and can’t work – your creditors will still expect to be paid. While some creditors may be willing to work with you to delay or lower your monthly payment, that isn’t guaranteed.
Factor in paying the minimum amount each month on your debt. And if you can try to pay down your debt now while you’re still working and earning a paycheck, that will be one less expense to worry about if you do become disabled and can’t work.
Since disability insurance won’t replace 100% of your income, plan on using any other financial assets you might have to live on. This may also allow you to lower the amount of disability insurance you actually need to buy, if your savings or other assets can help replace your lost income. Possible sources of income could include:
If your disability quote is too expensive for your budget, you can lower your premium payments in a few ways.
Whether you choose short-term or long-term disability depends on your financial needs and your situation. A short-term disability policy will only cover you for a short period of time, such as six months.
The average disability lasts close to three years, which means ideally you would buy both short-term and long-term disability insurance. Buying both will cost more money but ensures that you’ll receive a disability payment for the duration that you’re out of work, which could be six months or six years.
In most cases, long-term disability is viewed as more valuable because it pays a benefit for a longer period of time. So if you have enough other assets or savings to carry you for a short time, such as six months, you might just opt for long-term disability.
Losing your entire paycheck after a disability can put a damper in your monthly finances, but disability insurance can help offset the loss. The exact amount of disability insurance that you need should cover your biggest monthly financial obligations, such as your mortgage payment and monthly living expenses for your family.
You can compare disability insurance companies before buying a policy to find the one that best fits your financial needs.
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