With the recent turmoil in the financial markets, we have been seeing more and more questions about the importance of the strength of the insurance company.

There are numerous factors involved in choosing a disability insurance company but the primary factor is financial strength:

• “Who is backing the claim if I get disabled?”
• “Which of my choices of insurance companies is the most likely to be there to pay me if I’m disabled for the next 30 years or so?”

How do you tell?

First of all, look at their financial strength ratings from AM Best and Co., Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch. Make sure the company has at least an A+ rating from Best’s and AA (Aa) from the other services.

Among the disability insurance carriers we currently like the strength of Berkshire Life (a subsidiary of the highly rated Guardian Life Insurance Company).