Part of our guide: Disability Income Insurance: Solutions, Tools and Guides →
It can take a lifetime to save enough for retirement — and just a few minutes of a disabling illness or injury to bring that saving to a halt. Here’s a coverage most advisors overlook that’s built specifically to keep retirement contributions going when income stops.
Key takeaways
- A disability doesn’t just interrupt a paycheck — it typically stops 401(k) and IRA contributions entirely.
- DIRS layers on top of an existing DI plan rather than duplicating income replacement already in place.
- Clients who think they’re “fully protected” on DI often have this specific blind spot.
DI Retirement Security pays up to 15% of a client’s income toward retirement savings during a disability — even after they’ve maxed out their existing individual DI plan.
The gap this coverage fills
Most disability income planning focuses on replacing a client’s paycheck, which matters, but it leaves a second problem unsolved: even a well-designed DI plan doesn’t keep retirement contributions flowing. If a client becomes too sick or hurt to work, their salary may eventually be partially replaced, but their 401(k) or IRA contributions typically stop entirely, right when they can least afford a gap in retirement savings.
What DI Retirement Security actually does
DI Retirement Security is a program built specifically to address that gap. It helps clients keep saving for retirement even through a long-term or total disability, paying up to 15% of a client’s income toward retirement savings, even if that client has already reached the maximum benefit available under their existing individual DI plan.
Why this matters for clients already maxed out on DI
Clients who’ve maximized their individual disability coverage often assume they’re fully protected. DI Retirement Security addresses a blind spot even for those clients: it can layer on top of an existing DI plan specifically to protect retirement savings, rather than duplicating income replacement they’ve already secured.
If you have clients who are maxed out on individual DI, or who’ve never had their retirement savings specifically protected against a disability, that’s a conversation worth having. Contact us for current illustrations, case design, and product questions for your client’s specific age, occupation class, and benefit amount.
Frequently asked questions
What is DI Retirement Security?
It’s a disability income program designed specifically to replace lost retirement savings contributions, rather than lost salary, paying up to 15% of a client’s income toward retirement even if they’ve reached the maximum benefit on their existing individual DI coverage.
Can a client get this even if they’re already maxed out on individual disability coverage?
Yes. DI Retirement Security is designed to layer on top of existing DI coverage specifically to protect retirement contributions, which is a separate need from income replacement and isn’t limited by a client’s existing DI benefit maximum.
Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23
Tim Fuller
President, SRS Inc.
Tim leads SRS Inc., a full-service IMO (Independent Marketing Organization) and BGA (Brokerage General Agency) connecting independent financial professionals with life, annuity, disability income, and long-term care solutions from 60+ carrier partners — with the impaired-risk and complex-case expertise to place business other IMOs and BGAs turn away.
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