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.…
By 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…
When 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…
During uncertain times like these, you never know where the future may lead. For many small businesses, this past year proved difficult. In fact, more than 97,966 United States businesses permanently shut down during the pandemic. For small business owners and those with business partners, now may be the time to begin considering coverage options…
When you are living with a medical condition or disease that requires regular visits to various doctors, or have a sudden health concern that needs to be addressed quickly, medical bills will begin to pile up. While your medical insurance likely covers most of your normal expenses, when it comes to specialty issues, insurance companies…
As unwelcome as it has been, the pandemic has been a great teacher. It’s revealed a lot about ourselves and the world we live in. Some lessons have been very difficult, while others have proven fruitful. We’ve all been impacted profoundly. Insurance is one area where your perceptions may have changed in light of recent…
It’s happening across America: the increase in women starting new businesses is twice that of businesses started by men. Each day, over 1,800 new women-owned businesses are being started. And leading that growth are new businesses owned by women of color, accounting for nearly 90% of new women-owned businesses opening each day. To put that…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our world, impacting the ways that we receive our education, earn our living, and even seek our entertainment. For persons with disabilities, however, the digitization of daily life has had some unexpected and rather positive consequences. In fact, for the tens of millions of Americans who…
After weeks, months, or even years of searching for answers, a diagnosis – even a challenging one – can be a relief. There’s something extraordinarily powerful about being able to put a name to your symptoms and the cause behind them. However, that relief brings a hefty dose of its own fear and uncertainty with…
The thing about budgeting is that we all know we have to do it, and often the hardest part is getting started. The challenge is even greater for adults with disabilities. In fact, 1 in 4 Americans with disabilities have a hard time finding employment and thus experience financial insecurity. Their economic situation is aggravated…
