Story at-a-glance Group disability coverage has major limits – Most employer-provided plans cap benefits, include taxable payouts, and may not cover your specialty.You could lose coverage when changing jobs – Group policies don’t follow you and may drop off unexpectedly during

Story at-a-glance Group policies are easier to get and low-cost, but come with weak definitions and limited control.Group coverage can shift or vanish, with definitions changing from "own occupation" to "any occupation."Individual disability insurance offers clear, stable, own-occupation

Story at-a-glance Group disability insurance may not protect your actual specialty – Many policies use an "any occupation" definition after just 2 years.You may only receive ~35–40% of your salary – After offsets, taxes, and uncovered bonuses, benefits can fall far short of

Story at-a-glance Easy and affordable – No exams, no underwriting, and often employer-paid.Limited benefits – Offsets and caps can significantly reduce your payout.Weak definitions of disability – Many plans won’t cover you if you can work in any job, not just your specialty.Not portable or

Story at-a-glance Low rates now, high cost later – Association premiums may start cheap but skyrocket as you age.Your contract can change – Association plans can adjust terms, deny claims, or cancel coverage.Not true own-occupation – Income from teaching or consulting could reduce your

Story at-a-glance Disability insurance isn’t “set it and forget it.” Your life and income change—your policy should keep up.Riders can expire without notice. If you miss a deadline, you could lose the right to increase coverage without new medical underwriting.Life events = time to review.

Story at-a-glance Association disability plans may reduce your group benefits—even if you think they're individual.In a major court case (Fleisher v. Standard), the court ruled that "franchise" disability policies can count as group insurance, allowing insurers to offset benefits.Even if you