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Personal Development | Nov/Dec '19

Are You Protecting Your Greatest Asset?

How to protect two fundamental components of your financial fortress.

Many young doctors with little savings and often large student loan debt are unaware that they have already attained the most significant asset that most physicians will ever acquire—the value of their future income. Physicians must take steps early in their careers to protect this substantial asset. Given the considerable investment made to become a practicing physician, it should not be surprising that the value of a doctor’s future income is also significant.

What is needed to protect this asset? That depends on who they are protecting it for—for just themselves or for others dependent on them. In either case, the physician must have appropriate disability and life insurance policies in place if the ability to earn future income is taken away by a disability or a premature death.

DISABILITY INSURANCE

Disability income insurance—tool No. 1 for young doctors to implement—is conceptually straightforward; if the insured physician becomes disabled, the policy will pay the disabled doctor. For young physicians (and doctors typically into their 50s), this protection is crucial because these individuals have not accumulated the savings to support themselves and their families in case they cannot work as a doctor.

When looking to purchase individual disability income insurance, physicians need to determine what their true need is, not how much coverage they can get. If monthly expenses are $3,000/month, but an insurance salesman says you can get $5,000/month, you are over-insuring yourself.

Physicians will also want to make sure they are purchasing adequate coverage. The definition of disability should be occupation specific, so the physician cannot be forced to go back to work in another field. A residual or partial disability rider is another important part of the contract; if the physician suffers a partial disability they can still work part-time in their occupation. Typically, there must be an income loss of 20% or greater. In the event of a long-term disability, having a cost-of-living rider as protection against inflation is also important.

Young doctors should be wary of disability insurance available through their employers. A hospital will often provide group disability income insurance at no or minimum cost to the physician. The issue with group insurance is that it covers the masses. This can lead to coverage that is not occupation specific, has short benefit periods, does not have a partial or inflation protection rider, and can be canceled at any time. Although that is not the case with all hospitals, group insurance is generally not adequate for a young physician.

Often, there are discounts connected to the hospital that allow a young physician to purchase individual disability income insurance at reduced or unisex rates. The unisex rate option is the most ideal and has the greatest impact on female physicians.

LIFE INSURANCE

Young doctors with financial dependents—typically children or spouses but sometimes other family members—need to focus on protecting their future income value not only against disability but also against death. This is why life insurance is tool No. 2 for most physicians.

Much like disability income insurance, young physicians first need to determine their death benefit need. What expenses would need to be covered in the event of your death? A mortgage, education funding for children, income support for your spouse, car loans, and other debts are just a few examples to consider.

DO THIS NOW

Determine the death benefit need. What expenses would need to be covered in the event of your death? A mortgage, education funding for children, income support for your spouse, car loans, and other debts are just a few examples to consider. Term insurance is generally best for a young physician who has a specific coverage need.

Young physicians who need to purchase life insurance should probably consider term insurance as their best option. Term insurance is inexpensive and provides a death benefit for a period of time (10, 20, 30 years). Although term insurance is not the only type of life insurance, it is generally best for a young physician who has a specific coverage need. Permanent life insurance can be a tax-efficient saving vehicle that provides tax-free growth and tax-free distributions, if structured properly, and can provide significant asset protection depending on the state of residence. For these reasons, permanent (cash value) insurance is often selected, even by young physicians, as a wealth accumulation and protection tool.

CONCLUSION

Young physicians are at the outset of their medical and financial careers; many are unaware that the value of their future income is probably the most significant asset they will acquire. We encourage them to take action early in their careers to protect this substantial asset. This article explains two key steps in that process; any further questions are welcome.

Disclosure: OJM Group, LLC (“OJM”), is an SEC-registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the state of Ohio. OJM and its representatives are in compliance with the current notice filing and registration requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which OJM maintains clients. OJM may only transact business in those states in which it is registered, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. For information pertaining to the registration status of OJM, please contact OJM or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website www.adviserinfo.sec.gov.

For additional information about OJM, including fees and services, send for our disclosure brochure as set forth on Form ADV using the contact information herein. Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest or send money.

This article contains general information that is not suitable for everyone. The information contained herein should not be construed as personalized legal or tax advice. There is no guarantee that the views and opinions expressed in this article will be appropriate for your particular circumstances. Tax law changes frequently, accordingly information presented herein is subject to change without notice. You should seek professional tax and legal advice before implementing any strategy discussed herein.

author
Jason M. O’Dell, MS, CWM

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