By Missy Biggs Applicants, caregivers, and families experience unexpected support and frustrations during the Social Security Disability Insurance benefits application process. On the one hand, each family member (including a spouse, divorced spouse, children, and adult children disabled before age 22) may be eligible for a monthly benefit of up to 50 percent of the disability benefit amount.…
Read MoreBy:Tracey Ferstler, Assistant Vice President, U.S. Claims and Operations, MetLife The topic of mental health took on an entirely new meaning in 2021. After a year of uncertainties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, employees and employers alike are focusing more closely on mental wellness and burnout. Employee anxiety, depression and burnout are at…
Read MoreBy Diane Russell, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy, Lincoln Financial Group If you have children, you know there’s no shortage of advice from family, friends and sometimes even strangers. Yet, mothers dealing with postpartum depression often feel like they have no one to talk to about what they’re going through. At least, that’s…
Read MoreAfter Cris Martin discovered a lump on her chest wall, she went into self-advocacy mode – and learned several lessons along the way, including the importance of taking early action, and having group and supplemental individual disability coverage with a good carrier. Three years ago, my life was exactly the way it was supposed to…
Read MoreBy Fred Schott, Director of Operations and Research, CDA. Around noon on January 6th, I got out of my car and strode into the Bone & Joint Institute at Hartford Hospital. Wait! Did I say “strode?” Actually, it was more like “walked guardedly, trying not to provoke my arthritic left hip into another flareup.” That’s…
Read MoreBy Bob Herum, MSFS, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC Editor’s Note: On July 28, 2015, I was struck by a car as a pedestrian. After the acute portion of my recovery ended, I met with my financial planner to discuss the potential implications to my retirement plan if I was out of work for an extended…
Read MoreWhen you become a parent, not only do you experience a magnitude of love you never thought possible, but you also discover a reserve of strength you never imagined you could possess. This is especially true when your child is in need. And if you are the parent of a child with disabilities, then you…
Read MoreBy: Phil Bruen, senior vice president, Life & Disability, Group Benefits, MetLife While more than two-thirds of employees consider paid and unpaid leave to be a must have benefit, fewer employers offer these programs now than they did in 2019 and 2020. Phil Bruen shares three tips for businesses around the successful application of leave…
Read MoreThis article originally appeared on the American Fidelity blog. Nearly three decades back, in 1993, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed. FMLA requires certain organizations to offer workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a new baby or sick family member. Today, states across the US are enacting state paid-leave laws,…
Read MoreBy Nandita Dalal, Vice President, Lincoln Financial Group Moms everywhere are balancing work with caring for their kids or aging parents at home. And for many, it’s become too heavy a load to carry. We’ve heard the stories. Working moms are helping their kids with remote learning while they fall behind on their own work.…
Read MoreRecently the insurance company I represent, and I am sure other insurance carriers, have been receiving calls and emails from agents, brokers and policyholders asking about the company’s stance on any disability that might occur as a result of receiving the coronavirus vaccine. While a very fair question, the answer is relatively simple for the…
Read MoreWhen talk of disability income insurance comes up, you probably understand how important it is to protect the breadwinner. Particularly in households where only one person earns an income, disability income insurance (DI) is critical coverage for those who want to financially protect themselves and their loved ones. Insuring a portion of your paycheck with…
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