How likely am I to become disabled during my working years?

More likely than most people assume, which is why disability insurance matters. The Social Security Administration has noted that roughly one in four of today's 20-year-olds will experience a disability lasting a year or more before reaching retirement age. Most disabling events are not dramatic accidents; the leading causes of long-term disability claims are musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular and mental-health conditions. Because your ability to earn is often your single largest financial asset, a multi-month or multi-year loss of income can be more devastating than an early death, since your expenses continue while paychecks stop. That is the case for protecting your income, especially in your peak earning decades when savings alone cannot cover a long gap.