Free Educational Tool · For High Earners

How much of your income is unprotected?

Group disability insurance is built around base salary and caps out fast. For a high earner, that can leave most of your income exposed. This shows how much, and why the number is bigger than "60%" suggests. Educational only, not a quote.

Why "60% of income" isn't what high earners actually get

Group long-term disability advertises a replacement rate, but three things shrink it: it usually covers only base salary (not bonus, production, or equity), it stops at a monthly dollar cap, and if your employer paid the premium the benefit is taxable.

How the cap and the base-only rule strand a high earner's income

A physician earning $700,000 with a "60% group LTD" capped at $15,000/month is really covered for about 26% of income, and less after tax. A technology leader whose pay is half equity is covered only on base. The higher and more variable your compensation, the wider the gap between what group pays and what your household actually lives on.

An individual own-occupation policy is designed to fill that gap with portable, tax-free benefits. How much of it can be filled depends on carrier issue and participation limits for your occupation class, which is set with stacked illustrations, not estimated here.

Enter your numbers

Your compensation and group coverage

All estimates. Nothing is sent anywhere — this runs entirely in your browser.

Base salary (annual) The salary your group LTD is calculated on

Bonus, production, or equity income (annual) Compensation beyond base — usually not covered by group LTD

Group LTD monthly cap The most your group policy pays per month — enter 0 if you have no group coverage

Group replacement rate Percent of base salary your group replaces (typically 60)

Is the group benefit taxable? Employer-paid premiums make the benefit taxable; you-paid makes it tax-free

Your marginal tax rate Used only to net a taxable group benefit (percent)

Monthly income your group coverage doesn't protect

Enter your numbers above to see an estimate.

Total monthly income	$0
Group LTD benefit (after cap)	$0
After tax, if employer-paid	$0
Group's real replacement rate	0%
Unprotected monthly income	$0

This is an educational projection, not a quote, recommendation, or financial advice. Group LTD terms vary; real replacement depends on your policy's definitions, cap, elimination and benefit periods, and the taxability of employer-paid benefits. An individual own-occupation policy is tax-free when you pay the premium, but the amount that can be issued is limited by carrier issue and participation rules for your occupation class. The insurable amount is determined with stacked illustrations, not by this tool. No information entered here is collected or transmitted.

Send my results to an agent Physician? Read the disability insurance guide first →