All guides
Every disability insurance guide we've published, grouped by topic. Pick the one that fits your situation.
Getting started
Learn the basics of disability insurance
Disability insurance calculator
See what your plan really pays after tax and how big your income gap is, right in your browser.
What is disability insurance?
How it works, what it covers, the different types, and how to figure out if you need it.
Short-term disability insurance
Coverage for weeks or months. How claims work, what it pays, and who qualifies.
Long-term disability insurance
Policies that cover you for years or until retirement. How they work, what they cost, and who needs them.
Short-term vs. long-term disability
The differences, when you need one or both, and how they work together.
Short-term disability and pregnancy
The real math of what you get paid after elimination periods, concurrent benefits, and taxes.
Is long-term disability worth it?
The honest math on when LTD makes sense, when it doesn't, and the claims reality nobody talks about.
Is disability insurance worth it?
Real cost math, the ERISA trap, and when to buy, skip, or cancel your policy.
How long does short-term disability last?
Real timelines by condition and state, the "60% of pay" lie, and what happens when STD runs out.
How long does long-term disability last?
Benefit periods from 2 years to age 65, the anxiety trap, the 24-month cliff, and what actually ends your payments.
Do I need DI if my spouse works?
The honest math behind the "my spouse makes enough" excuse. The caregiver income hit, divorce risk, and when you can actually skip it.
SSDI vs. private disability insurance
How the two systems compare on eligibility, benefits, and timing. The offset math in real dollars and when you need both.
Disability insurance with pre-existing conditions
What underwriters actually look at, the informal inquiry tactic, GSI workarounds, and how to get covered when you have a history.
Policy types
Own-occupation and how policies differ
Own-occupation disability insurance
The four types, real costs, claims gaps, hidden traps, and the FIRE off-ramp.
True own-occupation insurance
Contract-language test, carrier comparison, who needs it vs. who doesn't, and gray-zone claims.
What disability insurance does not cover
The exclusions that actually cause problems. The 24-month mental health cap, pre-existing traps, and claim-time surprises.
Disability insurance riders explained
What each rider costs in real dollars, breakeven math, and which ones matter at each career stage.
By profession
Disability insurance for your specific career
Insurance for doctors
Why physicians pay more, the own-occupation requirement, and real costs by specialty.
Insurance for medical residents
GSI programs, resident discounts, when to buy, and real premium math on a resident salary.
Insurance for dentists
Real costs by specialty, the dual-occupation claim trap, mental health disclosure, ADA plans vs. individual.
Insurance for lawyers
Own-occ by practice area, the underwriting cliff, claims reality, bar plans vs. individual.
Insurance for nurses
Group LTD tax math, travel nurse gaps, burnout vs. diagnosis, costs by specialty, pregnancy timing.
Insurance for software engineers
The RSU gap, mental health as primary risk, the adaptability paradox, and the FIRE crossover math.
Self-employed and business
Coverage when there is no employer plan
Insurance for the self-employed
No safety net, SSDI reality, income verification, costs by profile, and tax structure.
Insurance for small business owners
Personal coverage, partnership protection, and the cost gap between sole proprietors and S-corps.
Business overhead expense insurance
What it covers, the real tax math, riders, and when BOE is not worth buying.
Claims and appeals
What to do when things go wrong
My disability claim was denied
The 180-day appeal deadline, how to request your claim file, build your appeal, and the traps that sink most cases.
When LTD switches from own-occ to any-occ
The 24-month definition change, the insurer playbook starting at month 18, and how to prepare before the switch.
Working part-time on disability insurance
Residual benefit math, the 24-month cliff, five traps that get benefits cut, and the SSDI earnings limit.
Disability insurance and anxiety or depression
How SSDI, private LTD, and individual policies each handle mental health. The 24-month cap, real approval odds, and what the fight looks like.
Short-term disability for surgery
Recovery timelines for 11 common procedures, pre-surgery filing steps, and what STD actually pays after a planned operation.
Disability insurance and back pain
How SSDI, private LTD, and individual policies handle back claims. Functional capacity exams, the surveillance reality, and what gets approved.
Cost and employer coverage
What disability insurance costs and what your job already covers
How much does disability insurance cost?
Real premiums by age, income, and occupation. Gender gap, shortcut formulas, group vs. individual pricing.
Employer disability insurance
Real dollar math after tax, caps, and offsets. The ERISA trap and how to supplement.
Is disability insurance taxable?
How to check your pay stub, the real take-home math on a disability check, and one payroll change that could make benefits tax-free.
Best disability insurance companies
Side-by-side comparison on the things that matter at claim time. Financial strength, own-occ language, and what each carrier actually pays.