What would happen if you were too sick or hurt to work? If that ever happens to you, here’s how to still get a regular paycheck. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers...
What would happen if you got too sick to work? Or if you got hurt and couldn’t work?
You depend on your paycheck for everything — food, housing, keeping the lights on. Everything.
It doesn’t have to be due to something catastrophic, like a heart attack or a car crash. Most disabilities that cause people to miss work stem from common ailments, such as back injuries, diabetes or broken bones.
In fact, more than one out of four workers will become disabled for at least 90 days at some point before they retire, according to the Social Security Administration.
Scary to think about, isn’t it? That’s why it’s important to secure your income in case something happens that keeps you out of work.
If you’re like most of us, and you have less than $20,000 in savings, think about what a long period out of work would mean for you.
But with Breeze, you can make sure you still get paid — even if you’re unable to work. It’s an online disability insurance company that’s making the whole process easier and more affordable: Long-term disability plans start as low as $9 per month.
How to Make Sure You Still Get Paid Even If You Can’t Work
There are a lot of reasons people don’t buy disability insurance. Maybe it seems complicated or unnecessary — or maybe you’re lucky, and your employer offers it. Even then, chances are that coverage alone wouldn’t be enough to live on.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, either. It used to take more than a month and lots of paperwork and phone calls to sign up for disability insurance. But Breeze can hook you up with a quote in just 30 seconds — no medical exam required.
Just answer a handful of basic questions — your age, occupation, income, ZIP code, whether you smoke, etc. Based on your answers, Breeze will show you your best coverage option. It also shows what each policy costs, what percentage of your paycheck each policy would pay you per month if you became disabled and for how long.
In general, premiums (what you pay) typically range from 1% to 3% of your income, though you can get a policy that costs less, if you’re willing to have less coverage. Prices are based on factors like your age, occupation and income, but Breeze makes it easy to see what works best for you.
Once you choose a plan, Breeze helps you customize it. If your application is approved and you accept the offer for coverage, you’re good to go. The whole process only takes about 15 minutes.
Breeze is a new company, but its insurance policies are underwritten by Assurity Life Insurance Company, a top-rated company that’s been in business for nearly 130 years.
If you haven’t gotten around to this, it only takes 30 seconds to get a free quote so you can be sure you still get a paycheck if you’re unable to work.
Talk about peace of mind.
Mike Brassfield (mike@thepennyhoarder.com) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.