Guardian Launches Online DI Tool For Consumers

New consumer tool demystifies disability income insurance options and pricing

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America^® (Guardian), one of the nation’s largest mutual life insurers, has launched a new online disability income (DI) insurance tool to help consumers build and personalize their own insurance package online.

The tool educates clients on the costs for various options based on age and occupation, demonstrates how adding or removing certain options affects pricing, and shows how to create the plan that best matches their individual needs. Guardian’s online DI insurance quoting tool provides consumers with transparency into pricing and allows them to personalize their level of coverage. The tool can be accessed here (www.Guardianlife.com/disability-income-insurance-calculator).

According to the Social Security Administration, over one in four of today’s 20-year-olds will become disabled before age 67. These are years of prime earning potential, and an unexpected illness or accident could prevent someone from working and earning an income. DI insurance helps replace the income people would lose when unable to work. However, DI insurance benefits from the workplace or government may not cover all of the consumer’s needs, and many are at a loss on how to acquire primary or additional coverage or to understand the associated costs. Guardian’s DI quote tool will instantly let a consumer know how much coverage could cost and provide them with access to a financial representative, if desired.

Once the consumer accesses the Guardian DI quote tool, he or she answers a few basic questions pertaining to gender, age, occupation, and income. The tool then provides an estimated monthly cost and coverage details. The individual can select how long he or she wants the coverage to last while disabled, and the amount of time before payments should start once a disability is declared. In addition, consumers can customize the coverage by selecting various policy features – such as the ability to collect disability income even if he or she is able to return to work part-time, but finds income reduced as a result of being sick or injured; a cost of living increase provision; or a specific feature that helps cover student loan payments in the event of a disability. With each selection, the estimated monthly cost adjusts to reflect the personalized package. Once the selections are made, the consumer is given the option to contact a local financial representative to finalize the plan.

“Guardian’s disability income insurance quote tool is making it easy to get fast and accurate information about how much coverage will cost, and provides optional access to a representative who can help purchase coverage,” said Laura Hahn, Director of Disability Income Marketing and Consumer Engagement Strategy at Guardian. “This insurance offers consumers the ability to pay bills while dealing with serious health issues. Less than half of the population currently has long-term disability insurance, and the uninsured often overestimate the cost of a policy. Guardian’s online quoting tool allows consumers to better understand disability income insurance and its affordability.”

With the DI insurance tool, Guardian continues to lead the industry in technological advancements and new services for its customers. Guardian recently announced the DI Quick Quote tool, an industry-first mobile sales tool that allows financial representatives to instantly access current product pricing, enabling them to provide on-the-spot quotes for individual DI insurance to current and prospective clients; and the rollout of a new, advanced underwriting system. Guardian is the only individual DI carrier to offer a student loan rider.

Guardian is one of the nation’s leading providers of individual DI insurance, which is underwritten and issued by Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America. Guardian’s DI insurance products include individual disability, small business protection, and supplemental DI protection. This full suite is positioned to help meet the income protection needs of professionals, employers, and small business owners. For more information, please visit: https://www.guardianlife.com/disability-income-insurance.

About Guardian

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) is one of the nation’s largest mutual life insurers, with $6.8 billion in capital and $1.3 billion in operating income (before taxes and dividends to policyholders) in 2014. Founded in 1860, the company has paid dividends to policyholders every year since 1868. Its offerings range from life insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, and investments for individuals to workplace benefits, such as dental, vision, and 401(k) plans for businesses. The company has approximately 6,000 employees and a network of over 3,000 financial representatives in more than 70 agencies nationwide. For more information about Guardian, please visit www.guardianlife.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151028005074/en/

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
Ana Sandoval, 212-919-8551
[email protected]
or
Harden Communications Partners
Erin Burke, 631-239-6903
[email protected]

Source: The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America