Get protection from financial struggle

lisa_jucha.top.jpgLisa Jucha, Southern California By Kate Ashford


(Money Magazine) -- Lisa Jucha makes a comfortable living. But while she was growing up, money was scarce -- she describes her childhood as "financially difficult." She doesn't want to struggle like that again.

Lately, Jucha, who is 45 and single, has begun to worry about what would happen if an accident or illness prevented her from working. She's especially afraid of losing her home.

" I can't let a disability compromise what I worked and dreamed for," she says.

As a sign-language interpreter for the federal government, Jucha earns $68,000 a year; she brings in another $15,000 or so on the side working as a video-relay interpreter -- helping deaf people talk to hearing people via videophone.

She does get some disability insurance through work. But the coverage leaves her vulnerable, says L.A. financial planner Jennifer Hartman. Especially since Jucha relies on income from a side job -- which she can't get insurance for --she needs more coverage on her primary job.

The solution
Goals
Make sure she'll have income if she becomes sick or disabled.
Assets
$175,000 in retirement accounts
$2,000 in brokerage accounts
$83,000 in cash

1. Set a target. Uncle Sam offers employees a free benefit that kicks in for disabilities expected to last a year or more. It'll pay 60% of her salary for 12 months, 40% thereafter (minus some of her Social Security disability benefits). Hartman says Jucha should aim to replace at least 70% of her after-tax income for short- and long-term disabilities; coverage maxes out around 90%.

2. Join a group. The government doesn't sell supplemental policies, so Jucha should see if any industry associations she belongs to offer group plans, which often are cheaper than individual ones. If not, she should find an agent specializing in disability.

3. Get the right variety. She should get an "own occupation" policy, which pays out if she can't work in her field but could still work.

Do you need money help? Post your video on iReport and tell us why you deserve our next Money makeover.  To top of page

Just the hot list include
Frontline troops push for solar energy
The U.S. Marines are testing renewable energy technologies like solar to reduce costs and casualties associated with fossil fuels. Play
25 Best Places to find rich singles
Looking for Mr. or Ms. Moneybags? Hunt down the perfect mate in these wealthy cities, which are brimming with unattached professionals. More
Fun festivals: Twins to mustard to pirates!
You'll see double in Twinsburg, Ohio, and Ketchup lovers should beware in Middleton, WI. Here's some of the best and strangest town festivals. Play
Overnight Avg Rate Latest Change Last Week
30 yr fixed3.80%3.88%
15 yr fixed3.20%3.23%
5/1 ARM3.84%3.88%
30 yr refi3.82%3.93%
15 yr refi3.20%3.23%
Rate data provided
by Bankrate.com
View rates in your area
 
Find personalized rates:
Index Last Change % Change
Dow 32,627.97 -234.33 -0.71%
Nasdaq 13,215.24 99.07 0.76%
S&P 500 3,913.10 -2.36 -0.06%
Treasuries 1.73 0.00 0.12%
Data as of 6:29am ET
Company Price Change % Change
Ford Motor Co 8.29 0.05 0.61%
Advanced Micro Devic... 54.59 0.70 1.30%
Cisco Systems Inc 47.49 -2.44 -4.89%
General Electric Co 13.00 -0.16 -1.22%
Kraft Heinz Co 27.84 -2.20 -7.32%
Data as of 2:44pm ET

Sections

Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More

Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.