Statistically, people are more likely to suffer an illness or injury that leaves them totally or partially disabled during their working years than they are to die before age 65. A 30-year old male has a 23 percent chance of dying before age 65, for example, but is more than twice as likely to become disabled (54.0 percent).

What's more, if four 30-year old males are in business together, there's a 76.5 percent chance that one of them will become disabled for at least 90 days before age 65, while the probability that one of them will die during the same period is just 66 percent (based on the 1989 CSO Mortality Table and 1985 Commissioner's Disability Table).

Those are not comforting statistics, which is one reason why disability income protection is an important part of a balanced financial security plan for businessowners and professionals, as well as for everyone else!

In many small or closely held businesses or professional practices, a disabled owner or key employee can mean a disabled business, since the business loses a vital part of the operation. Not only will that person have difficulty continuing to draw a salary while being unable to participate in the business, but operating expenses continue as before, and employees will expect to be paid. All of this places the business in a very tight financial bind.

Yet, in spite of these risks, according to LIMRA, only 20 percent of small businesses carry individual disability income insurance, eleven percent carry this coverage to replace business income, and even fewer (only two percent!) carry disability income protection to fund a buy-sell agreement or to cover business overhead expenses.

Disability income products provide answers to the questions businessowners and professionals are asking, or should be asking, about their business disability needs:

• Salary Continuation Plans — "What can I legally do to continue a portion of monthly income for myself and a few selected employees in the event of disability?"
• Business Overhead Expense (BOE) Plans — "How can I provide cash flow to pay operating expenses, including employee salaries, during periods of disability?"
• Disability buy-sell Insurance — "Is there a way to recover the equity value of my business interests at death or disability?"