If you have a family, you probably wouldn't think of going without life insurance. But have you paid as much attention to disability insurance? You should-- because during their working years , people are far more likely to become temporarily disabled than to die. For example, the odds of becoming disabled for three months or longer are 50% at age 35 and 40% at age 45. (Source: Journal of the American Society of CLU & ChFC, May 1992)

The first place to look for disability coverage is through your employer. If you are employed by someone else, you will probably have workers compensation, which provides coverage for work-related injuries. If you can buy disability coverage through your employer, get the maximum available; it's usually far less expensive than comparable private disability insurance. Check the figures, too, as you may want to supplement your employer's coverage. Here's what to look for in a private disability policy:

Non-cancelability
This means you can renew your insurance every year for the length of time stated in the policy.

Partial disability coverage
If you can work part-time, you will still receive a portion of your disability benefit.

Three- to six-month waiting period
Policies with no waiting period are very expensive, so you may want to choose one with benefit payments beginning three to six months after disability. It's a good idea to set up an emergency fund to tide you over until these benefits begin.

Coverage to age 65
Try to find a policy that covers you until you reach age 65, when you'll be eligible for full goverment benefits and pension income.

Own-occupation provision
Some disability policies pay benefits only if you can't do any job. But with an own-occupation provision, your policy will provide coverage when you can't do your job; if you take a different job, you can still get benefits.

Refund
Would you like to receive a large Refund of your premiums, if you remain healthy for 10 years? Available for certain occupations.

Determining the quality of Coverage
The definitions, limitations, exclusions and other contract provisions determine the quality of coverage to be depended upon at the time of a claim.

You may also want to check out the Income Qualification Table to determine your Maximum Monthly Benefit.