Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America is a wholly owned stock subsidiary of The Guardian.

They have a policy called the Provider Plus* which we sell as our primary product.

It is a Non-Cancellable and Guaranteed Renewable policy with a true own-occupation definition of total disability.

*Form 0100,1100, 2100

Company Financials
A disability income insurance policy could contain the most comprehensive language in the world, however if "The Shifting Sands of Texas" insurance company is underwriting it, it may not be the correct policy to choose. Obviously one of the most important parts of any insurance policy, is the carriers ability to pay a claim. DisabilityIncome.com also believes there is one additional aspect one needs to consider when choosing a company, and that is their desire to pay a claim. One needs to take their time when choosing which insurance company they are going to trust to pay them a disability insurance benefit when they need it. Take some time to do some research on the internet, it is fairly easy to get a sense of which disability insurance companies have a good reputation when it comes to paying claims.

Why Size Matters
The moment a disability insurance company receives a claim, they are required to open a reserve account specifically for this person. They must put into this account money for the present and future value of this claim, and they may not use this money for anything else until the claim is over. One may not think this is a big deal, but when you stop to think that if a 40 year old goes onto claim, and his monthly benefit is $4,000 a month, and his benefit period is "to age 65", the insurance company must place $1.2 million into his reserve account regardless of whether or not the claim is for broken bones which they know will heal quickly, or for a permanent disability. Disability insurance is one of the most volatile insurance products an insurance company can offer, if the policies a carrier offers are Non-Cancellable, then the company cannot change the rates either. As you can see the insurance companies are on the hook for a large amount of money with any claim, make sure that you choose a company that has the financial ability to be in this market for quite a long time to come, and also has a good track record when it comes to paying claims.

Financial Ability to Pay a Claim
As a consumer you can check the financial stability of a long term disability insurance company using any of the following independent rating agencies. Simply click on one of the links below, and input the insurance company you want to check on. They will give you a complete background on any insurance company. Not all insurance companies are rated by every rating service.

Disability Income Insurance