Disability Insurance for Quantitative Analysts

No carrier guide reviewed lists Quantitative Analyst as its own occupation title, so an underwriter classifies the application under the nearest available title instead, most commonly Statistician, Data Scientist, or Financial Analyst. Guardian’s Investment Analyst listing requires three years in the industry and three years of tax returns with supporting statements. Ameritas and Principal both reach their strongest Financial Analyst classification at $150,000 a year for two consecutive years; The Standard requires $200,000 a year for each of the last two years for the equivalent tier. A Chartered Financial Analyst designation or a Global Association of Risk Professionals certification can strengthen a file’s credibility without changing which title or income threshold the underwriter applies.

Get Your File Classified Correctly

Occupation class sets the ceiling on how much monthly disability benefit a quantitative analyst can buy, and which class is reached depends entirely on which cross reference title the application uses. At MassMutual, Statistician reaches a flat 5A with no income floor, while Market Research Analyst, a plausible alternative description of the same underlying analytical work, reaches only 3A, two tiers lower. At Principal, Data Scientist with a PhD reaches the carrier’s own top credentialed tier, higher than the income gated ceiling available to an Investment Analyst without that credential. The choice of title on the application, not the actual duties performed, is what moves a quantitative analyst between these tiers.

Occupation Class by Carrier for the Titles Closest to a Quantitative Analyst

	Ameritas Life Insurance Corp.	Guardian Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of America	MassMutual Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.	Principal Principal Life Insurance Company	The Standard Standard Insurance Company
Highest class reached under any of the three candidate titles below	6A (via Data Scientist, earning more than $75,000 a year)	Class 5 (Guardian’s own numeric scale; not comparable to another carrier’s lettered class)	5A (via Statistician, no stated income floor, or via CFA at more than $250,000 a year)	5A-Select (via Data Scientist with a PhD, cross-referenced to Principal’s Executives classification)	5A (via Data Scientist or Financial Analyst, both also eligible for the Preferred Occupation Discount)
Statistician	5A. No income threshold stated in the section reviewed	Class 5. No income threshold stated in the section reviewed	5A. No income threshold stated; the same class applies regardless of earnings	Not named in the guide on file	Not named in the guide on file
Data Scientist	Income-tiered: more than $75,000 a year reaches 6A; $75,000 a year or less reaches 5A	Class 5. No income threshold stated in the section reviewed	Not named in the guide on file	Data Scientist (PhD): “See Executives,” cross-referenced to Principal’s own top credentialed tier, 5A-Select on the Select product. No income threshold stated; the PhD is the qualifying credential	Data scientist (advanced data analytics) with a master’s degree or PhD: 5A, and eligible for the carrier’s 20% Preferred Occupation Discount. No specific income threshold stated beyond the credential requirement
Financial or Investment Analyst	Financial Analysts, grouped with Fund Managers, Portfolio Managers and Investment Bankers under Stocks and Securities: $150,000 a year for two years reaches 5A, others reach 4A. A separate, credential-based “Financial Analyst (non Stocks and Securities)” entry exists elsewhere in the guide: Certified reaches 6A, others reach 4A, with no income tier	Investment Analyst or Banker: Class 5, named directly on the Financial Underwriting eligible-occupations list. Section 9’s general requirements apply: a minimum of three years in the industry and three years of tax returns with supporting statements	Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA): income-tiered, more than $250,000 a year reaches 5A/5, down to 3A below $150,001 a year. A separately listed Market Research Analyst reaches only a flat 3A, two tiers below Statistician at the same carrier	Investment analyst and investment banking: $150,000 a year for two years reaches 5A, $75,000 to $149,999 a year for two years reaches 4A, below that reaches base class 3A	Financial Analyst, grouped with Broker, Hedge Fund Manager, Investment Banker and Stockbroker under the Bank, Credit Union, Finance, Savings and Loan, Title and Escrow section: $200,000 a year for each of the last two years reaches 5A and qualifies for the 20% Preferred Occupation Discount, $100,000 a year for each of the last two years reaches 4A, others reach 3A

Source: producer-facing field underwriting and product guides held by Set for Life Insurance for Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America underwriting for Guardian, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Principal Life Insurance Company, and Standard Insurance Company. These figures come from underwriting guidance, not policy contract language, so no policy form ID applies to this table. None of the five guides names “Quantitative Analyst” as a distinct occupation title anywhere; the three candidate titles compared here (Statistician, Data Scientist, and Financial or Investment Analyst) are the nearest cross-reference titles located this pass, not a claim that any carrier treats them as equivalent to quantitative analysis work. Guardian’s occupation class is stated on its own numeric scale and is not a direct equivalent to a lettered class at another carrier. Ameritas carries a second, credential-based Financial Analyst classification not used as this table’s headline figure; see the table’s own header comment. Class assignment is subject to underwriter review at the time of application and may vary by specific role, employer, and income documentation.

Find Your Occupation Class and Coverage Ceiling

Disability insurance carriers apply a mental and nervous disorder benefit limitation to psychological diagnoses only, depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD among them, a real risk in a role built on sustained analytical focus under constant market pressure. Whether the limitation is mandatory or elective depends on the carrier and the occupation class a quantitative analyst’s cross reference title reaches. Ameritas bakes a longer, 5-year limitation into its higher occupation classes than its lower ones. The Standard makes the limitation elective, with a 10 percent premium discount, at the classes a quantitative analyst is most likely to reach. Principal’s limitation rider is a no-cost election regardless of class, and MassMutual’s underwriting guide does not address the provision at all.

Mental and Nervous Disorder Benefit Limitation for Quantitative Analysts by Carrier

	Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Product Guide	Guardian Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of America IDI Field Underwriting Guide	Mass Mutual Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. Underwriting Guide	Principal Principal Life Insurance Company Disability Product Guide	The Standard Standard Insurance Company Product Guide
Mandatory or elective at the occupation classes a quantitative analyst typically reaches (5A, 6A)	Mandatory on the non-cancellable policy at classes 6A, 5A and 4A specifically	Mandatory on every package; the duration depends on which package tier is purchased, not on occupation class	Not addressed in the guide on file	Elective at every occupation class, no cost to add	Elective, with a discount, at classes 5A, 4A and 3A. Mandatory only for classes below 3A and for California policies
Duration if imposed or elected	5-year cumulative limitation on the non-cancellable (NC) policy for non-medical classes 6A, 5A and 4A; 2 years for classes 3A and 2A on the same policy. A flat 2 years on the Guaranteed Renewable (GR) product regardless of class. No elective override documented in the guide on file	12 months on the Essential package; a choice of 12 or 24 months on the Select package; a choice of 12, 24 months, or unlimited on the Premier package. A mandatory 24-month limitation overrides this choice in California and for a named list of medical specialties that does not include financial or analytical occupations	Not addressed in the guide on file; confirm directly with the carrier	24-month lifetime benefit for mental and nervous or substance abuse claims when the no-cost MNSA rider is elected; without it, benefits are payable through the normal maximum benefit period	24-month limitation by endorsement when elected at classes 5A, 4A and 3A; without it, benefits are payable through the full maximum benefit period. The same 24-month limitation is required, not elective, for classes 3D, 3P, 2A, 2P, A and B and for all California policies
Discount for accepting a limitation	Not applicable. The limitation is built into the base policy’s benefit schedule by occupation class, not elected, and no discount is stated in the guide on file	Discount scales with the duration elected: roughly 6 to 10 percent for a 24-month limitation up to 10 to 15 percent for a 6-month limitation, depending on the benefit period selected	Not addressed in the guide on file	Up to 10 percent. The MNSA rider itself carries no added cost	10 percent premium rate discount when the 24-month limitation is elected

Source: field underwriting and product guides published by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), Principal Life Insurance Company, and Standard Insurance Company. Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company’s underwriting guide on file does not document mental and nervous disorder limitation terms; confirm directly with the carrier. This provision applies only to psychological diagnoses (depression, anxiety, addiction, PTSD, burnout-related conditions); neurological conditions are covered under the same terms as any other physical disability and are not subject to this limitation at any of the five carriers. State variations apply to every carrier’s mental and nervous disorder provisions, and Guardian’s mandatory-limitation override list is built around specific medical specialties and California policies rather than financial or analytical occupations. Terms shown are subject to underwriter review at the time of application.

Compare Mental Health Coverage Terms by Carrier

A stroke, a traumatic brain injury, or another neurological event that ends a quantitative analyst’s ability to sustain rigorous, error-free reasoning is covered under the same terms as any other physical disability, at full benefit, with no cap. The mental and nervous disorder limitation covers only psychological diagnoses, burnout, depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD among them, and never applies to a neurological cause of lost analytical capacity. This distinction matters because the two claim types are evaluated under different provisions even though both can end a quantitative analyst’s ability to do the job. A claim caused by a neurological event is filed and evaluated as a standard total disability claim, never held to the mental and nervous limitation’s duration cap.

Confirm How a Neurological Claim Is Evaluated

Residual disability coverage pays a partial benefit when a quantitative analyst loses income to a disability without becoming totally unable to work, and how much that check pays depends on which prior earnings window a carrier applies before the disability began. Ameritas averages the highest 12 or 24 month period and indexes it annually for inflation after the first year. Guardian averages the last 24 months or the best two of the last three years, whichever is greater. MassMutual and The Standard both average the last 24 months, while Principal averages only the last 12 months. Two quantitative analysts with an identical current-year income loss can receive materially different residual checks depending on which of these five windows applies.

How Disability Carriers Calculate Residual Benefits for Quantitative Analysts

	Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. 4501NC · Enhanced Residual Rider (AERES)	Guardian Berkshire Life Insurance Co. of America ICC16 18ID · Provider Choice + Enhanced Partial Rider	Lloyd’s Petersen International Underwriters PDI111521 · Optional Residual Rider	Mass Mutual Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. ICC15-XLIS-RC · Extended Partial Disability (EPR)	Principal Principal Life Insurance Company ICC22-800-IDI · Income Protector	The Standard Standard Insurance Company B180(7/17) · Platinum Advantage + Residual Riders
1 · Income Loss Threshold That Triggers Residual Benefits
Minimum income loss required % of prior earnings that must be lost before residual benefits begin	15% loss of monthly earnings (Specimen) One of the lowest thresholds available. Rider text states: loss must be “at least 15% of your prior monthly earnings” due to sickness or injury.	Loss of Income due to disability (Specimen) Guardian’s Enhanced Partial rider defines “Loss of Income” as the difference between Prior Income and Current Income attributable solely to the Injury or Sickness. No explicit percentage floor in the base rider , benefit scales proportionally with income loss. Must be Gainfully Employed.	Optional rider , threshold per rider terms (Specimen) Base Lloyd’s specimen (PDI111521) notes “Residual Disability is an optional benefit that only applies if the rider was purchased.” Rider text not included in this specimen. Typical Lloyd’s/PIU residual riders require income loss and inability to perform all material duties.	20–80% loss of Predisability Earnings (Standard) EPR benefit is payable when Monthly Earnings fall to 20%–80% of Predisability Earnings. Below 20% earnings remaining triggers full benefit. Above 80% earnings remaining, no EPR benefit is paid.	Loss of Earnings from own occupation (Specimen) Principal’s Residual Disability Benefit Rider requires a loss of Earnings due to Disability. The specimen confirms “Earnings” excludes unearned income. No explicit minimum percentage floor , benefit scales pro-rata with the earnings loss ratio.	20% loss of Predisability Earnings (Enhanced); 15–20% for Short-Term version (Specimen) Specimen lists Basic, Enhanced, and Short-Term Residual riders. Enhanced Residual: benefit payable when Monthly Earnings are 20%–80% of Predisability Earnings.
2 · Monthly Benefit Calculation Formula
Residual benefit formula How the monthly residual check is calculated	Residual Monthly Benefit = (Loss of Monthly Earnings / Prior Monthly Earnings) x Base Monthly Benefit (Specimen) First 6 months minimum: The greater of (a) 50% of base monthly benefit OR (b) the formula result. 75%+ loss rule: If loss exceeds 75% of prior monthly earnings, treated as 100% loss and full base benefit is paid. Prior earnings: Average of highest 12-month or 24-month period before disability, indexed annually for CPI-U after year 1.	Partial Disability Benefit = (Loss of Income / Prior Income) x Monthly Benefit (Specimen) Prior Income: Average monthly income for either (a) last 24 calendar months, or (b) the two calendar years with highest earnings in the three years before disability , whichever is greater. Current Income: All income for services during disability, excluding pre-disability earned-but-not-yet-received income. Full benefit floor: If loss of income is 100% or more of Prior Income, full monthly benefit is paid.	Proportional formula , rider required (Specimen) Rider language not included in this specimen. Lloyd’s/PIU residual riders typically use a proportional income-loss formula: (income loss / pre-disability income) x base benefit. Confirm with current rider filing.	EPR Benefit = [(Predisability Earnings – Monthly Earnings) / Predisability Earnings] x Monthly Benefit (Standard) Full benefit if earnings are less than 20% of predisability earnings. No benefit if earnings are greater than 80% of predisability earnings. Prior earnings: Average of the 24 months before disability began.	Residual Benefit = (Loss of Earnings / Prior Earnings) x Maximum Monthly Benefit (Standard) Prior Earnings: Average monthly Earnings for the 12 months before disability. Current Earnings: Earnings during the disability period, excludes passive/unearned income. Minimum benefit: Typically 50% of base benefit for first 6 months.	Residual Benefit = [(Predisability Earnings – Monthly Earnings) / Predisability Earnings] x Basic Monthly Benefit (Standard) Full benefit trigger: If Monthly Earnings are less than 20% of Predisability Earnings, full Basic Monthly Benefit is paid. Basic Residual Rider: Flat 50% of base benefit when qualifying criteria met. Enhanced Residual Rider: Proportional formula above; includes Recovery Benefit.
3 · Prior Total Disability Requirement , Can Residual Trigger Independently?
Independent trigger Does residual require a prior period of total disability, or can it trigger on its own?	Fully independent , no prior total disability required (Specimen) Ameritas AERES rider states benefits begin the later of: (1) the day after the end of the Elimination Period, OR (2) the day following a period of total disability for which benefits have been paid. Either path is valid. Days of both total and residual disability satisfy the elimination period.	Fully independent , no prior total disability required (Specimen) Guardian’s Enhanced Partial Disability Benefit Rider uses its own Elimination/Accumulation Period. The insured must satisfy the Accumulation Period but does not need to first be Totally Disabled. Residual days count toward satisfying the Elimination Period.	Rider-dependent , verify current rider (Specimen) Lloyd’s specimen confirms residual is an optional rider. The base policy elimination period can be satisfied by successive periods of Total Disability or Residual Disability, but rider must be reviewed for independence trigger language.	Fully independent , no prior total disability required (Standard) MassMutual’s EPR rider allows residual disability claims to trigger directly after the elimination period without a prior total disability period. Both total and partial disability days satisfy the elimination period.	Fully independent , no prior total disability required (Standard) Principal’s residual/partial disability rider triggers after the elimination period regardless of whether any total disability period occurred. The elimination period can be met by residual disability days alone.	Fully independent , no prior total disability required (Standard) Standard’s Enhanced Residual Disability Benefit Rider triggers after the Benefit Waiting Period is satisfied, independent of any total disability. Days of Disability during the Benefit Waiting Period need not be consecutive.
4 · Benefit Period for Residual Disability
Residual benefit period Maximum duration for which residual benefits can be paid	Remaining unused portion of the Total Disability Maximum Benefit Period (Specimen) The Residual Maximum Benefit Period equals the total unused portion of the maximum benefit period for total disability shown on the schedule. Combined total and residual payments cannot exceed this period. Typically to Age 65/67 when selected.	Same Benefit Period as Total Disability , to Age 65, 67, or 70 (Specimen) Benefit Periods of To Age 70/67/65 or 10/5/2 Years are available. The Enhanced Partial rider benefit period matches the policy benefit period. To Age 70 option available for physicians , distinctive among carriers.	Per Schedule of Benefits / rider terms (Specimen) The residual rider benefit period is set at time of issue and shown on the Schedule of Benefits (Section 1-D). Confirm with current rider.	To Age 65 (base); Extended to Age 65 via Maximum Benefit Period Endorsement (Specimen) Specimen shows coverage end date for Extended Partial Disability corresponding to the policy’s non-cancellable period to age 65. A separate Maximum Benefit Period Endorsement is available with its own premium schedule.	Same as base policy Maximum Benefit Period , 2 years, 5 years, To Age 65/67/70 (Specimen) Options include To Age 65, 67, and 70. Residual benefits run within this same period. To Age 70 available depending on occupation class.	Same as base policy Maximum Benefit Period , to Age 67 in this specimen (Specimen) Maximum Benefit Period schedule applies (e.g., if disability begins at 62: 60 months; at 63: 48 months). Enhanced Residual Disability Benefit Rider matches base benefit period.
5 · Recovery Benefit Provisions
Recovery benefit Protections after returning to work , continued payments if income remains depressed	Explicit Recovery Benefit provision (Specimen) Triggers after a disability benefit period ends if the insured has returned to work, is performing material duties 80% or more of prior time, and still has 15% or more loss of monthly earnings demonstrably caused by the prior disability. Duration: Continues up to the residual maximum benefit period.	Recovery Benefit , income-loss based, ongoing (Specimen) Benefits continue post-recovery as long as Loss of Income persists due to the disability. Because Guardian uses an income-loss formula, benefits naturally continue as long as Current Income remains below Prior Income due to the disabling condition. Prior Income protection: Uses the best 24-month or best-2-of-3-years average.	Recovery benefit per rider , verify current rider (Specimen) Lloyd’s base specimen does not contain recovery benefit language. Standard Lloyd’s/PIU residual riders may include recovery provisions, but this must be confirmed against the current executed rider.	Recovery Benefit included in EPR rider (Standard) After returning to full-time work following a disability for which EPR benefits were paid, if Monthly Earnings remain below Predisability Earnings due to the disability, a proportional recovery benefit continues. Duration: up to the remaining Maximum Benefit Period.	Recovery Benefit , proportional, ongoing post-return (Standard) Provides recovery benefits when an insured has returned to Full Time Work but Earnings remain below prior levels due to the disability. Benefit calculated using the same proportional formula.	Recovery Benefit included , Enhanced Residual Rider only (Specimen) The Basic Residual Rider does not include the Recovery Benefit , the Enhanced version is required. The base policy confirms premiums are waived while Recovery Benefits are payable. Short-Term Residual Rider: does not include recovery benefit.

Source: specimen policy contracts and riders held by Set for Life Insurance, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. (form 4501NC, Enhanced Residual Rider, AERES), Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America underwriting for Guardian (form ICC16 18ID, Provider Choice, Enhanced Partial Disability Benefit Rider), Petersen International Underwriters for Lloyd’s of London (form PDI111521, Optional Residual Rider), Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (form ICC15-XLIS-RC, Radius Choice, Extended Partial Disability Rider, EPR), Principal Life Insurance Company (form ICC22-800-IDI, Income Protector), and Standard Insurance Company (form B180(7/17), Platinum Advantage, Enhanced Residual Disability Benefit Rider). A sixth section on physician- and dentist-specific provisions in the source table is not applicable to this audience and is not reproduced here. Terms shown are subject to underwriter review at the time of application.

Compare Residual Benefit Formulas by Carrier

Group long-term disability and an individual policy protect different things for a quantitative analyst’s bonus-heavy income. Group coverage narrows the own-occupation definition to an any-occupation test after 24 months, caps the benefit at a flat dollar ceiling, and ends the moment employment does, since the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 makes it the employer’s plan, not the analyst’s own. An individual policy stays own-occupation for the full benefit period, sets its benefit by occupation class and earned income, and travels with the analyst through every firm change. Group benefits are also taxable under Internal Revenue Code Section 104(a)(3) when the employer paid the premium, the standard arrangement, while an individually owned policy pays a tax-free benefit instead.

Group Long-Term Disability Versus an Individual Policy

Source: the Set for Life Insurance Wall Street Income Protection Report (group LTD findings across contracts examined for that report, none from a financial services employer directly, all underwritten by carriers active in this sector); Principal Life Insurance Company’s Disability Product Guide, form ICC22-800-IDI, Income Protector; and Internal Revenue Code Section 104(a)(3). The individual-policy maximum monthly benefit shown is Principal’s own published limit, not a figure common to all five carriers SFL represents. Group plan terms vary by employer and are subject to underwriter review at the time of application.

Request a Coverage Comparison

Key person disability insurance protects a firm’s balance sheet against the financial loss of a named employee, paying the business itself rather than the disabled individual. A quantitative analyst whose employer carries a key person policy on them is not personally covered by it, and the policy ends the moment employment does, the same limitation a group long-term disability plan carries. An individually owned disability policy belongs to the quantitative analyst directly, pays the analyst’s own income regardless of what the firm separately insures, and stays in force through every job change. The two products solve different problems, and neither one substitutes for the other.

Protect Your Own Income, Not the Firm’s

A quantitative analyst’s occupation class and coverage terms are set by the analyst’s own duties, income, and title on the application, not by whether the employer is a bank, an asset manager, or a hedge fund. The same cross reference titles, Statistician, Data Scientist, and Financial Analyst, apply regardless of employer type, and no carrier guide reviewed offers a different classification path specifically for hedge fund employment. A quantitative analyst moving from a bank’s trading desk to a hedge fund keeps the same underwriting considerations that applied before the move. Employer type matters for compensation structure, not for how a carrier classifies the applicant.

Apply Based on Your Role, Not Your Employer

An individually owned disability policy belongs to the quantitative analyst, not the employer, so it stays in force when a hedge fund closes, a trading desk is shut down, or a fund winds up operations. Group long-term disability coverage ends the moment employment ends, leaving a quantitative analyst between jobs with no disability protection at all until a new employer’s plan begins its own eligibility waiting period. An individual policy carries no employer eligibility clock and no waiting period tied to a new job, since premiums are paid directly by the insured rather than through payroll. This portability is a structural feature of individual coverage, not a rider or an added cost.

Keep Your Coverage Through Every Firm Change

A Future Increase Option rider lets a quantitative analyst raise the monthly benefit on an existing policy at set future dates or life events without new medical underwriting, evaluated only on updated income when the option is exercised. This matters early in a career, since bonus income tied to a model or strategy’s track record can grow well beyond what the original policy covered within a few years. Locking in a policy while young and healthy secures the lowest available premium for the base coverage, and the rider preserves the ability to add coverage later as income rises. A medical event after the original policy is issued does not affect eligibility to exercise the rider.

Preserve Your Right to Increase Coverage Later

A senior quantitative researcher or desk head who reaches a carrier’s top standard-issue and participation limit can add coverage through Lloyd’s of London, placed through Petersen International Underwriters, as an excess layer above the standard-issue ceiling. This high-limit coverage applies specifically at the income level where a researcher’s total pay has already outgrown what the five standard-issue carriers will underwrite on their own. Lloyd’s coverage is specialty and excess by design, structured to supplement a standard-issue policy rather than replace it. Confirming the current standard-issue ceiling at each of the five carriers is the first step before adding an excess layer.

Ask About Coverage Above Standard Limits

A non-cancellable and guaranteed renewable policy locks in the premium and the terms of coverage for the life of the contract, so a carrier cannot raise the premium or change the policy language after a quantitative analyst’s occupation class, income, or health status changes. This matters for a career built on volatile, performance-tied compensation, since a bad year or a health issue that would concern an underwriter at renewal cannot affect coverage already in force. A guaranteed renewable policy without the non-cancellable feature still guarantees renewal, but a carrier retains the right to raise premiums on an entire class of policyholders. A non-cancellable policy removes that risk, holding the rate and the terms fixed from issue.

Lock In Your Terms for the Long Term

A multi-life discount reduces the individual disability insurance premium when several employees at the same firm, a quantitative research group, a trading desk, or an asset management team, apply for coverage together through the same carrier. Firms with several quantitative analysts on staff can negotiate this discount even when each analyst’s policy is individually owned and individually underwritten. The discount is permanent for the life of each policy, not a temporary introductory rate, and it applies alongside any other underwriting result each individual analyst receives. A quantitative analyst at a firm that has not already set up a multi-life arrangement can ask the firm’s benefits contact whether one is available before applying individually.

Check Your Multi-Life Discount Eligibility

Elimination period options vary by carrier and by the benefit period you select. Ameritas offers the widest range, from 30 to 730 days, and Guardian offers 30 to 720 days, both with some restrictions tied to benefit period and state. Principal, The Standard, and MassMutual all offer a choice of 60, 90, 180, or 365 days. A shorter elimination period costs more in premium but pays sooner, so the right choice generally comes down to how much cash reserve you have to cover a short gap before benefits begin.

Compare Elimination Period Options

Most individual disability policies offer a Cost of Living Adjustment rider that increases your monthly benefit each year you remain on claim, tied to the Consumer Price Index. Guardian, Ameritas, Principal, and The Standard all let you choose a 3 percent or 6 percent maximum increase when you buy the policy. MassMutual’s rider applies a fixed 3 percent compound increase with no higher option. Most carriers require a full year of disability before the adjustments begin.

Ask About Cost of Living Adjustment Riders