Disability insurance
The blueprint for income protection
Your blueprints don’t just bring ideas to life — they ensure safety, stability, and a vision for the future. But have you created a blueprint for your own financial strategy?
If an illness or injury kept you from working, how long could you or your family afford to go without your paycheck? Your income funds every part of your life — from your mortgage to your next big idea. And yet, most Americans aren’t financially prepared for the unexpected.
1 in 4
of today’s 20-year-olds will be out of work for at least a year due to a disabling condition before retirement.
73%
of workers who were out for 9+ months said it had a major or devastating financial impact.
38%
of people who were out of work due to disability had to withdraw from savings, investments, or retirement accounts.
7–10%
of all claims are now mental health-related disability claims.
Disability insurance helps protect your income — whether the cause is physical, mental, or cognitive
It’s a smart design for your financial future.
Run the numbers. See how disability insurance fits into your financial foundation.
Protection for your student loan payments
On average, it takes over 12 years to become an architect — that’s time and income worth protecting.1 And we know that education comes at a substantial cost. That’s why we offer a Student Loan Protection Rider, which can be added to your disability insurance policy to help ensure you can continue making student loan payments if a disability affects your income.
Are you an owner of your firm?
If you’re a small business owner, you may be more concerned with how a disability would affect aspects like your rent or mortgage, utilities or insurance, or the compensation of your employees. Our overhead expense policy helps cover these costs if you are unable to work due to a disability. We also offer disability buyout coverage that can help you and your partner smoothly transition your business in the event of an ongoing disability, ensuring that you are compensated for the business that you worked so hard to build.
Read more about the business owner solutions, here.
Learn how to protect your most valuable asset
NCARB Releases Latest Data on Architectural Licensure, NCARB, July 2025
Material discussed is meant for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as tax, legal, or investment advice. Although the information has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, please note that individual situations can vary. Therefore, the information should be relied upon only when coordinated with individual professional advice.
Individual disability income products underwritten and issued by Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America (BLICOA), Pittsfield, MA or provided by Guardian. BLICOA is a wholly owned stock subsidiary of and administrator for the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY.
Product provisions and availability may vary by state. Optional riders are available for an additional premium. Some policy benefits and features are not available to all occupations. Individual disability insurance policy form 18OE is underwritten and issued by Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America, (BLICOA) Pittsfield, MA. BLICOA is a wholly owned stock subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Product provisions and availability may vary by state.