When you make "The Prudent Choice™" to shop for disability income insurance, you initiate a process that takes time to complete and involves a number of steps. In the interest of full disclosure, the steps are as follows:.

1. You complete an application for disability insurance. We can email or mail you the appropriate forms. You are not required to meet with an agent.

2. You may be required to submit a para-medical exam, a blood sample, a urine specimen and any other physical measurements required by the insurance company. The insurance company pays for the exam and we schedule it at your convenience. You can do it at your home or office.

3. The underwriter at the insurance company is responsible for the overall risk classification of your application and will take into account many variables in the decision process. The underwriter reviews the application and other sources of information, such as the exam and blood chemistry results, attending physician reports, Medical Information Bureau reports and personal history interview data to make a final decision. The ultimate goal of this process is to issue a policy that is adequately and fairly priced based on your individual circumstances. This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Some carriers are faster than others. Large amounts of insurance generally take longer than smaller amounts because the carriers are more cautious due to the greater risk.

4. If approved, you will receive a policy with rates based on the underwriting decision. If declined, you will receive a letter from the insurance carrier indicating the reason for declination. We will send you your policy in the mail and answer any other questions you might have.

• Almost 1 in 4 of today’s 20 year-olds will become disabled before reaching age 67.
Source: Social Security Basic Facts, February 2009

• Half of all respondents (49%) indicated that their foreclosure was caused in part by a medical problem, including illness or injuries (32%), unmanageable medical bills (23%), lost work due to a medical problem (27%), or caring for sick family members (14%).
Source: Christopher T. Robertson, Richard Egelhof, & Michael Hoke, "Get Sick, Get Out: The Medical Causes of Home Foreclosures" Health Matrix 18 (2008): 65-105. Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christopher_robertson/2

• There is a death caused by a motor vehicle crash every 12 minutes. There is a disabling injury every 14 seconds.
Source: Injury Facts®, 2009

• Income lost through disability is 2 times as great as auto accident losses, and 3 times as great as fire losses.
Source: National Safety Council, 2009

• 51.2 million Americans were classified as disabled in 2002.  

Source: "Americans With Disabilities: 2002," U.S. Bureau of the Census, May 2006

• Women between ages of 35 and 65 are 40% more likely than men to become disabled for 90 or more days.
Source: Compton Insurance Marketing, 2007

• For 30-year-old males, the risk of a long-term disability is 4.1 times more likely than the risk of death. For 40-year-olds, it is 2.9 times more likely. And at age 50, it is 2.2 times more likely.
Source: National Safety Council, 2008

• Disability is the cause of nearly half of all home foreclosures.
Source: Compton Insurance Marketing, 2007

• 69% of the private sector workforce has no long-term disability insurance.
Source: Social Security Basic Facts, February 2009