Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

Tim Fuller is President of SRS Inc., a full-service IMO (Independent Marketing Organization) and BGA (Brokerage General Agency) that has connected independent financial professionals with life, annuity, disability income, and long-term care solutions from 60+ carrier partners for more than 50 years. Tim and the SRS team specialize in impaired-risk underwriting, advanced case design, and helping advisors place the cases other IMOs turn away.

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Critical Illness Coverage for a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

September 23, 2026October 26, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Doctor and patient reviewing a health chart on a tablet, representing health impairment underwriting

A broker in Maryland finished her chemotherapy and radiation feeling like the worst was behind her — and then the bills kept coming. Here’s how a critical illness policy would have changed that picture, and why it’s worth raising with clients every October and every month after.

Key takeaways

Traditional health insurance doesn’t cover the non-medical costs of a serious diagnosis — child care, travel, lost income.
A Critical Illness Policy pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis, with no restrictions on how the money is used.
This conversation is worth raising with clients regularly, not just during awareness months.

People are roughly five times more likely to be diagnosed with a critical illness than to die before age 65 — which is why the premium is a safety deposit box, not a bet.

The situation

The client was a broker who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a successful full mastectomy, followed by a course of radiation and chemotherapy. Physically, she was on the mend. Financially, the picture was much harder: she was unable to work full time during treatment, and her business, household, and medical expenses kept building while her income slowed down.

Why critical illness insurance was the missing piece

Traditional health insurance covered her medical treatment, but it was never designed to cover everything else a serious diagnosis brings with it — deductibles, child care, travel to and from treatment, and short-term home health care, all of which typically come out of pocket. A Critical Illness Policy is built specifically for that gap: it pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a covered serious illness, including cancer, heart attack, or stroke, with no restrictions on how the money is used.

Claims statistics suggest people are roughly five times more likely to be diagnosed with a critical illness than they are to die before age 65 — which is why it’s worth thinking of the premium less like a bet and more like a safety deposit box. If the client is diagnosed with one of the covered illnesses, the policy pays the full face value directly to them. If they die of one of the covered illnesses, that face value goes to their beneficiary. And if they die of any other cause, 100% of premiums paid are returned to the beneficiary as a tax-free death benefit — so the coverage isn’t a use-it-or-lose-it proposition.

The result

For a client in this situation, a critical illness payout arrives exactly when it’s needed most: while treatment is disrupting income, not months later during a claims process tied to ongoing medical bills. It’s the kind of coverage that turns a health crisis into a manageable one financially, even when it can’t change the diagnosis itself.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s a natural prompt to reach out to clients about what they can do today, before a diagnosis, to make things easier if the unexpected happens. If you have a client who could use a critical illness conversation, that’s a case we can help you design.

Frequently asked questions

What does a critical illness policy actually pay for?

It pays a tax-free lump sum directly to the policyholder on diagnosis of a covered serious illness, such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke. Because it’s a cash payment with no restrictions, clients can use it for deductibles, child care, travel to treatment, home health care, or lost income — whatever the diagnosis actually costs them.

What happens to the premiums if the client never gets sick?

If the client dies of a cause other than one of the covered illnesses, 100% of the premiums paid are returned to their beneficiary as a tax-free death benefit, so the coverage isn’t forfeited if it’s never used for a covered diagnosis.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

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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Case Placement: Standard Non-Tobacco After Three Carrier Declines

September 23, 2026September 23, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Underwriter reviewing medical and financial data with a client during risk assessment

Three carriers turned this case down before the fourth one said yes — and offered better than expected. Here’s how a client with thyroid nodules and carotid stenosis went from three straight declines to a Standard Non-Tobacco offer.

Key takeaways

Multiple overlapping findings on paper often get declined by carriers that underwrite off diagnosis codes alone.
A specialist’s follow-up findings — clinically insignificant nodules, stable carotid stenosis — can change the outcome entirely.
Matching a case to the right carrier can turn a decline into a Standard offer.

Three carriers declined or rated this case at Table D and Table 3 before a fourth carrier evaluated the full clinical picture and offered Standard Non-Tobacco.

The situation

The client was a 58-year-old male, non-smoker, seeking $1 million of universal life coverage. A comprehensive routine physical a year earlier had turned up mild carotid stenosis and a single thyroid nodule on ultrasound. His other medical history included neuropathy, mild osteoarthritis, and acid reflux. A follow-up thyroid ultrasound six months later found new nodules — too small to biopsy. A specialist ordered additional imaging and determined the nodules were clinically insignificant; no biopsies were ultimately needed.

Why this case was hard to place

On paper, this is exactly the kind of file that gets declined by carriers unwilling to dig past the surface-level diagnosis codes: multiple overlapping findings (carotid stenosis, evolving thyroid nodules, neuropathy) without a single carrier fully underwriting the clinical picture as a whole. That’s exactly what happened. Carrier #1 declined to offer at all. Carrier #2 came back at a Table D. Carrier #3 offered a Table 3 — still a meaningful flat extra and a hard sell to the client.

The solution

Rather than accepting the Table 3 as the ceiling, we took the case to a fourth carrier with underwriters willing to evaluate the specialist’s follow-up findings on their own terms — a clinically insignificant thyroid nodule with no biopsy required, and mild, stable carotid stenosis, not a progressive or high-risk presentation.

The result

Carrier #4 offered Standard Non-Tobacco — the best possible outcome for this profile, and a dramatic swing from the Table 3 the client would have settled for elsewhere. The difference wasn’t the medical file; it was which carrier’s underwriters actually read it.

If you have a client sitting on a decline or a heavy table rating because of overlapping or ambiguous findings, that’s exactly the kind of case our underwriting team is built to re-shop. Send us the file — we’ll find the carrier that reads it the way it deserves to be read.

Frequently asked questions

Why would four carriers give four different offers on the same file?

Carriers vary widely in how they underwrite overlapping or ambiguous findings, especially when a diagnosis code alone doesn’t capture the full clinical picture. A specialist’s follow-up notes and imaging results can change the offer dramatically — but only if the carrier’s underwriters actually weigh them.

Is it worth re-shopping a case after a decline or a heavy table rating?

Often, yes. A decline or a high table from one carrier doesn’t mean the case is uninsurable at a reasonable rate — it may just mean that carrier didn’t fully evaluate the clinical detail. Cases like this one, which moved from a Table 3 offer to Standard Non-Tobacco, show how much the outcome can depend on where the case is placed.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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Justifying Key Person Coverage Above 10x Compensation: The “Sweat Equity” Case

September 23, 2026September 20, 2022 by Tim Fuller

A son or daughter working for below-market pay at the family business, waiting for a future ownership stake, creates a real and measurable coverage need — even though underwriters are often trained to be skeptical of anything tied to an inheritance that “might never happen.” Here’s how to make that case.

Key takeaways

The standard 10x-compensation formula for key person coverage breaks down for a family member paid below market rate.
Carriers won’t count a hypothetical future inheritance toward coverage — but they can recognize today’s below-market pay gap.
Framing the case around present, measurable facts, not future ownership, is what gets it underwritten.

The gap between what an underpaid family-business heir is paid and what their role is actually worth is a real, current financial need — not a bet on a future inheritance.

The underwriting problem

Key person coverage is typically justified using a multiple of compensation — often around ten times salary. That formula works fine for most key employees, but it breaks down for the “underpaid key kid” who’s taking less than market rate today because they expect to inherit or eventually own the business.

Underwriters are right to be cautious about building future ownership into a net worth calculation. Carriers generally won’t let a second generation count an anticipated inheritance toward the coverage they can buy to pay future estate taxes, because that inheritance might never materialize. That’s a reasonable position — hope of future ownership doesn’t create a present financial need on its own.

Why this case is different

The “sweat equity on the come” scenario isn’t about counting a hypothetical future inheritance. It’s about three present, measurable facts: the son or daughter is taking less compensation than their work is worth; the business is getting their services at a below-market rate; and replacing them with someone not motivated by future ownership would cost more than what’s currently being paid. That gap between what they’re paid and what their role is actually worth is a real, current financial need — not a contingency on whether the inheritance ever happens.

Making the case to underwriters

The key is separating the two arguments. An underwriter is right to reject “insure me for more because I’ll inherit the business someday.” But “insure this key person for more than ten times their stated compensation because their real economic value to the business exceeds their pay” is a different, and much stronger, argument — one that should factor into the financial underwriting process regardless of whether the future ownership transfer ever occurs.

Bringing us a case like this

If you have a client with a key person case that doesn’t fit the standard compensation-multiple formula — a family business successor, a founder’s child, or any key employee being paid below market in exchange for future equity — that’s exactly the kind of case our underwriting team is built to help you place.

Frequently asked questions

Why won’t carriers count a future inheritance toward key person coverage?

Carriers generally won’t build an anticipated inheritance or ownership transfer into a net worth or coverage calculation because it isn’t guaranteed to occur. That’s a different issue, though, from a key person’s current below-market compensation, which is a present, measurable financial fact.

How do you justify key person coverage above the standard 10x compensation multiple?

By showing the gap between what the key person is currently paid and what their role and services are actually worth in the market — including the higher cost of replacing them with someone who isn’t motivated by future ownership. That gap represents a real, current financial need independent of whether any future ownership transfer occurs.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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Disability Buy-Out Placement for a $33M Commodities Firm Buy-Sell

September 23, 2026September 14, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Professional working confidently at her desk, representing disability income protection

The CEO’s share value had grown 250% since the buy-sell agreement was last updated — and the board realized their disability buy-out coverage hadn’t kept pace. Here’s how we closed a $33 million gap before it became a problem.

Key takeaways

Buy-sell agreements can quietly fall out of date as a company’s value grows, leaving disability coverage underfunded.
A disability buy-out policy pays a lump sum matched to the buy-sell agreement’s trigger language if a key owner becomes disabled.
Reviewing buy-sell coverage against current valuation — not the valuation at signing — is what catches gaps like this one.

The CEO’s share value grew 250% since the buy-sell agreement was last funded — and the board closed the resulting $33 million disability buy-out gap for roughly $110,000 a year.

The client

A large Texas-based firm operating in grain, energy, freight, and other commodities.

The situation

The client’s buy-sell agreement had failed to keep pace with the company’s rapid growth. As the business expanded, the CEO’s share value increased by 250% since the agreement was last funded, and the insurance portfolio protecting the shareholders needed a significant increase to match. The board, made up of a dozen shareholders, determined that a disabling event affecting the CEO could cripple the company without adequate disability buy-out coverage in place, and set a target of $33 million in coverage to fulfill the buy-sell obligation.

The solution

We placed a disability buy-out policy funded to a $33 million limit, structured to pay a lump sum benefit if the CEO became disabled, under the definitions and trigger language of the disability repurchase clause in the buy-sell agreement. The annual premium came in at roughly $110,000 plus taxes and fees — a fraction of the exposure it protected against.

The result

The board now has a buy-sell agreement backed by coverage that actually matches the current value of the business, closing a gap that had been quietly widening as the company grew. If the CEO were to become disabled, the company and remaining shareholders have the funding in place to execute the buyout without a forced sale or a cash crunch.

Four questions worth asking every business-owner client

For productive succession-planning conversations, we suggest asking clients or prospects: Do you know the current value of your business? Do you have a buy-sell agreement in place? Has that agreement been revisited since any change in company value, or since partners were added or removed? And without a buy-sell agreement, are you aware you could end up in business with a partner’s spouse if that partner dies or becomes disabled?

If you have a client whose buy-sell agreement hasn’t been revisited since their business changed in value, that’s a case we can help you review and place.

Frequently asked questions

What is disability buy-out insurance?

It’s a policy that pays a lump sum, or sometimes installments, to fund the purchase of a disabled owner’s share of a business under a buy-sell agreement, so the remaining owners can complete the buyout without a forced sale or cash shortfall.

How often should a buy-sell agreement’s funding be reviewed?

Whenever the business’s value changes meaningfully, or when partners are added or removed. In this case, the CEO’s share value had grown 250% since the agreement was last funded, leaving a significant gap that only came to light when the board reviewed it.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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Why a Down Market Is the Best Time to Talk About Long-Term Care

September 23, 2026September 8, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Adult daughter and her aging mother sharing a warm moment while discussing long-term care planning

It sounds backwards: when markets are down is exactly when long-term care planning matters most, not least. Here’s why, and how to bring it up with clients before a market downturn forces the conversation.

Key takeaways

A written LTC plan protects both against the cost of care and against the portfolio being drawn down to pay for it.
The need for LTC planning doesn’t move with the market, even though client attention to it usually does.
Reallocating a small portion of an existing portfolio can put a plan in place before a downturn forces the issue.

A long-term care event forces clients to liquidate assets at a loss at exactly the moment markets are already down — a hybrid LTC plan protects against both risks at once.

The counterintuitive case

A well thought-out, written plan for long-term care does two things at once: it protects clients against the cost of a future LTC event, and it protects the savings and investments they already have. When markets are down, that second benefit matters more than usual. This protection extends to financial planners and RIAs too, since it helps them keep assets under management rather than watching them systematically depleted by checks written to cover an LTC event.

What doesn’t change when the market does

Economic conditions will always shift, for better or worse — but the need to be prepared for a long-term care event doesn’t move with the market. When savings, emergency funds, and investment portfolios are already down, that’s precisely the wrong moment to be forced into liquidating assets at a loss to pay for unexpected long-term care.

Why a hybrid LTC plan fits this moment

By reallocating a small amount of an existing portfolio, clients can put a plan in place before a long-term care event forces the issue. A hybrid long-term care plan offers accessibility, flexibility, and dependability, and a plan built with lifetime protection adds something markets can’t offer on their own right now: certainty.

If you have clients whose portfolios have taken a hit and who could use a way to protect what’s left of their savings from a future LTC event, that’s a conversation we can help you start. Reach out and we’ll walk through how to position it.

Frequently asked questions

Why is a down market actually a good time to buy long-term care coverage?

Because an LTC event that happens while a portfolio is already down forces clients to liquidate assets at a loss to cover the cost. Putting LTC protection in place ahead of time protects the remaining portfolio from that scenario, regardless of when the LTC event occurs.

What makes a hybrid LTC plan different from traditional LTC insurance?

A hybrid plan typically combines long-term care benefits with life insurance or annuity components, offering accessibility and flexibility if care is never needed, along with the dependability of lifetime protection if it is.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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Why Small Business Owners Are an Underserved Disability Insurance Market

September 23, 2026August 23, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Small business owners make up roughly 44% of U.S. economic production, yet a LIMRA study found only 18% of them carry individual disability insurance — and half of those are using it only to protect partners or stockholders, not themselves. That leaves the vast majority of business owners with no personal income protection at all. Here’s how to open that conversation.

Key takeaways

Business owners are approachable, statistically motivated to return to work, and largely unprotected — a strong DI fit.
Most advisors simply aren’t having this conversation with business-owner clients, leaving the market wide open.
The sale is about helping owners see their own vulnerability, not about pitching product features.

Small business owners make up roughly 44% of U.S. economic production, yet only 18% carry individual disability insurance — and half of those are only protecting partners, not themselves.

Why this market is worth your time

Business owners make a particularly good fit for individual disability income insurance. They’re approachable, typically unprotected by workers’ compensation, and viewed favorably by DI carriers because owners are statistically more likely to return to work to keep their business running. There’s also a high probability that no one else is having this conversation with your business-owner clients — most advisors simply aren’t raising it.

The key to the conversation

The sale isn’t about product features — it’s about helping owners see their own vulnerability. Some business owners won’t want to engage with that, and it’s not worth spending a lot of time on the ones who don’t. But many will, once they understand what’s actually at risk, and as their advisor, you owe it to them to at least bring the need to the table.

Facts worth sharing with clients

Most people underestimate their real risk of disability. A few facts help make the case concrete: injuries, despite being the most commonly assumed cause, account for less than 10% of disability claims. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system — arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and lupus among them — are consistently the leading cause of new disability claims. Cancer is the second leading cause.

Bringing this to your clients

If you have business-owner clients relying solely on a group LTD plan, or with no personal disability coverage at all, that’s a conversation worth starting today. We have marketing support and case-design help available if you want to bring this market into your practice.

Frequently asked questions

Why do so few business owners carry individual disability insurance?

Most advisors simply aren’t raising the topic with them. A LIMRA study found only 18% of business owners carry individual disability coverage, and half of those are using it to protect business partners rather than their own income.

What actually causes most long-term disability claims?

Contrary to common assumption, injuries cause less than 10% of disability claims. Musculoskeletal conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel, and lupus are the leading cause of new claims, with cancer close behind as the second leading cause.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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The FERS Disability Gap: What Federal Employees Don’t Know They’re Missing

September 23, 2026August 3, 2022 by Tim Fuller

“I had no idea. I could barely make my mortgage payment with that.” That was a federal employee’s reaction after seeing what her own disability benefit would actually pay her — a number she’d never bothered to check because she assumed her federal benefits had her covered.

Key takeaways

Federal employees consistently overestimate what their FERS Disability Plan would actually pay them.
More than 2.85 million federal employees are covered under FERS, and over 84% carry no supplemental coverage.
A FERS benefit can be reduced by up to 60% further if the employee also qualifies for Social Security.

A federal employee earning $7,850 a month would net just $2,355 after tax under her FERS Disability Plan — barely enough to cover her mortgage.

The situation

Ask a federal employee whether their income is protected if they get sick or hurt, and the answer is almost always the same: “I have disability income protection through my work. I’m a federal employee, and we have great benefits.” Most conversations end right there. But most federal employees don’t actually know what their long-term disability plan would pay them if they got sick or hurt — and the federal government’s FERS Disability Plan, while real and provided at no cost, pays far less than most employees assume.

Running the numbers

We sat down with one federal employee and ran the actual math. Her current taxable monthly income was $7,850. If she became unable to work for more than a year, her FERS Disability Plan would pay her $3,140 in taxable income until age 62. After a modest combined tax rate of 25%, her net monthly income would drop to $2,355 — a fraction of what she was earning, and barely enough to cover her mortgage. And if she qualified for Social Security, her FERS benefit could be reduced by up to an additional 60% of whatever Social Security paid her.

Why this gap is so widespread

There are currently more than 2.85 million civilian federal employees covered under the FERS Disability Plan, and more than 84% of them carry no supplemental coverage at all — largely because, like this employee, they assume their federal benefits are already enough.

The solution

We work with carriers that specialize in supplemental disability coverage designed specifically for federal employees, built to close exactly this kind of gap between what FERS pays and what a federal employee’s actual income requires.

If you have clients who are federal employees and have never run this math for themselves, that’s a conversation worth having before an illness or injury forces it. We can help you show them the real numbers and design supplemental coverage that fits.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the FERS Disability Plan actually pay?

It varies by salary, but as a benchmark, one federal employee earning $7,850 a month in taxable income would receive $3,140 in taxable monthly income under FERS if disabled for more than a year — roughly $2,355 net after taxes, and potentially less if Social Security benefits reduce the FERS payment further.

Why don’t more federal employees carry supplemental disability coverage?

Most assume their federal benefits are sufficient without ever checking the actual numbers. More than 84% of the 2.85 million-plus federal employees covered under FERS carry no supplemental disability coverage at all.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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Case Placement: Standard Rating for a 72-Year-Old With Coronary Artery Disease

September 23, 2026July 15, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Two-vessel coronary artery disease and an abnormal EKG finding would send most $3 million applications straight to a heavy table rating, if not a decline. This one came back Standard. Here’s how.

Key takeaways

Cardiac impaired-risk cases vary enormously by condition, severity, compliance, and follow-up history.
Strong compliance with cardiac follow-up and testing can outweigh the diagnosis codes alone.
Matching the case to a carrier willing to evaluate the full picture produced the best possible outcome.

Two-vessel coronary artery disease and an abnormal EKG finding came back Standard — not a decline — once a carrier weighed the full clinical picture and cardiac follow-up compliance.

The situation

The client was a 72-year-old male, a lifelong non-smoker, applying for $3 million of permanent life coverage. His medical history included two-vessel coronary artery disease and an abnormal EKG finding of Right Bundle Branch Block (a form of heart block). On the positive side, he showed good compliance with recommended cardiac follow-up and testing.

Why this case was hard to place

Cardiac impaired-risk cases are some of the most challenging to underwrite, precisely because there’s no single “heart condition” — coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and conduction abnormalities like this client’s Right Bundle Branch Block each carry their own underwriting criteria, and carriers weigh them very differently depending on severity, compliance, and follow-up history.

The solution

We know what underwriters are actually looking for in cardiac cases like this one, and which carriers are positioned to give credit for strong follow-up compliance rather than underwriting purely off the diagnosis codes. We matched this case to a carrier willing to weigh the full clinical picture, not just the surface-level findings.

The result

The carrier came back with a Standard rating — the best possible outcome for a case with this profile, and a result that would have been unlikely with a less experienced underwriting approach or the wrong carrier.

If you have a client with a cardiac history that’s making it hard to get a fair offer, that’s exactly the kind of case our underwriting team is built to place. Send it our way — we’ll get to the heart of the matter and find the carrier that gives your client the offer they deserve.

Frequently asked questions

Why do cardiac cases vary so much in how they’re underwritten?

Because “heart condition” covers a wide range of diagnoses — coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, conduction abnormalities, and more — each with different risk profiles. Carriers also vary widely in how much credit they give for strong follow-up compliance and stable test results.

Can a client with coronary artery disease still get a Standard rating?

Yes, in the right circumstances. This case involved two-vessel coronary artery disease and an abnormal EKG finding, but strong compliance with cardiac follow-up and testing, combined with placing the case with the right carrier, resulted in a Standard offer on $3 million of coverage.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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DI Retirement Security: Protecting Clients’ Ability to Keep Saving for Retirement

September 23, 2026June 29, 2022 by Tim Fuller

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.

50+ Years in Business60+ Top-Rated Carriers★★★★★ Rated by Advisors

Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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Why Inflation Is a Good Reason to Revisit a Client’s Life Insurance Coverage

September 23, 2026June 28, 2022 by Tim Fuller

Advisor with a new sales idea at his desk, notebook sketch of a lightbulb and dollar signs, growth chart and coins nearby

“When I was young, the tooth fairy left enough money that I could buy a new doll. Today the doll would cost me ten teeth. You need more coverage.” That’s how one advisor explained inflation’s effect on life insurance to her client — and it’s a conversation worth having with a lot more clients than currently hear it.

Key takeaways

Estate tax, buyout, and income-replacement needs all grow with inflation even when the policy amount doesn’t.
An “inflation check-up” conversation is a low-pressure way to reopen a coverage review outside a formal review cycle.
The conversation often surfaces gaps that have nothing to do with inflation directly, like unaddressed estate or business needs.

A death benefit sized correctly years ago may no longer be sized correctly today — inflation erodes a static coverage amount just like it erodes purchasing power.

Why inflation changes the death benefit math

Inflation erodes the effectiveness of a static death benefit over time. A policy sized to cover an estate tax liability, a business buyout, or an income-replacement need years ago may no longer be sized correctly today, simply because the dollars it needs to replace have grown while the coverage amount stayed the same. When inflation runs hotter, the case for a larger future death benefit gets stronger, and the risk of a policy quietly becoming underfunded gets bigger too.

Why this is worth raising even outside of a formal review

Regular policy reviews don’t happen as often as they should. An “inflation check-up” conversation — prompted by nothing more than a client noticing prices have gone up — is often the moment that surfaces coverage gaps that have nothing to do with inflation directly. It can reveal estate or business planning needs that have grown since the policy was written, or that were never fully addressed in the first place.

How to use this with clients

Inflation gives you a natural, low-pressure reason to reopen the coverage conversation with clients who might otherwise assume their existing policy is still doing its job. It doesn’t require alarming language about markets or the economy — just the simple, relatable observation that everything costs more than it used to, including whatever the death benefit is meant to replace.

If you have clients whose coverage hasn’t been reviewed in a few years, or whose estate or business planning needs may have outgrown their existing policy, that’s a conversation we can help you have. Reach out to talk through any tax, business, or estate planning questions on your casework.

Frequently asked questions

How does inflation actually affect an existing life insurance policy?

A life insurance death benefit is typically a fixed dollar amount. As inflation raises the cost of whatever that benefit is meant to cover — estate taxes, a business buyout, income replacement — a policy that was adequately sized years ago can become underfunded relative to the client’s current needs, even though nothing about the policy itself has changed.

How often should life insurance coverage be reviewed?

Regular reviews are often skipped, which is part of why gaps develop. An inflation-driven conversation is a natural, low-pressure way to prompt a review and check whether a client’s coverage, and their broader estate or business planning, still matches their current needs.

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Reviewed by Tim Fuller on 2026-09-23

Tim Fuller

President, SRS Inc.

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