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Mortgage disability insurance helps cover mortgage costs if you become disabled.

Your home is likely the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, but homeowners insurance isn’t the only way to protect this significant investment. Mortgage disability insurance offers additional coverage to help keep you in your home if you’re disabled and can’t work.

If you plan to purchase a home or are already a homeowner and don’t yet have mortgage disability coverage, you might consider purchasing a standalone policy or adding it as a disability rider to your existing mortgage life insurance policy.

Here’s what you need to know about mortgage disability insurance.

Key Takeaways

  • A mortgage disability policy provides monthly income to cover mortgage principal and interest payments should a homeowner become disabled.
  • It’s an especially wise choice for those who work in high-risk occupations.
  • A mortgage disability insurance policy can be obtained through a mortgage lender after closing on a home, or by applying directly through an insurance provider or agency.
  • Mortgage disability insurance is sometimes confused with life insurance, but it differs in that it provides financial protection to the family while the insured is still alive and usually has a less stringent underwriting process than traditional life coverage.

How does mortgage disability insurance work?

Mortgage disability insurance covers mortgage payments if you become disabled. A policy provides monthly income to cover your mortgage payment if you were to become disabled and could no longer work. It’s different from mortgage life insurance, which offers a death benefit to help your family pay for mortgage-related expenses after you die.

Mortgage disability is typically best for people who are in high-risk occupations, such as roofing or fishery, who have a greater likelihood of injury on the job.

“Mortgage disability insurance should be considered by homeowners who would have limited or no ability to pay their mortgage if they became unable to work due to sickness or injury,” says Anthony Martin, CEO and owner of Choice Mutual, an independent insurance agency.

Mortgage disability insurance is connected to your mortgage, which is different from traditional long-term disability insurance. Long-term disability insurance pays a percentage of your salary, usually 50 to 60%.

A homeowner should consider a mortgage disability policy if the premiums are substantially less than buying additional general disability insurance. General disability insurance, however, offers more versatile, robust coverage.

Expert Advice Badge
nicole-maestas-expert

Dr. Nicole Maestas

Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School’s Department of Health Care Policy
Director, Retirement and Disability Research Center, National Bureau of Economic Research

“While general disability insurance payments may enable someone to continue making their mortgage payments, they may also help them pay for other important needs such as food, clothing, out-of-pocket costs for medical care, devices or prescription drugs.”

Who should get mortgage disability insurance?

Anyone with a mortgage may be interested in getting a policy, but ideal candidates for mortgage disability insurance are:

  • People in a high-risk occupation
  • People who don’t have existing disability coverage through work
  • People who can’t get traditional long-term disability coverage

“Since most of these policies are simplified or even guaranteed issue, people with health conditions can benefit from them, as well,” Anthony adds. “If you work in a hard-to-insure occupation, such as restaurant service, then mortgage disability insurance may be your only option to protect yourself and your home.”

How can you get mortgage disability insurance?

You can apply for a mortgage disability insurance policy through your mortgage lender after you close on your home. You also can get a policy by applying directly through an insurance provider or an independent insurance agency.

Most mortgage disability policies are either simplified or guaranteed issue.

The underwriting requirements for these policies aren’t as strict. That means you’ll likely pay a higher premium for mortgage disability insurance but get less coverage.

On the other hand, long-term disability insurance often requires a medical exam and questions about your health. Long-term disability can be cheaper, but you may have more trouble with eligibility based on your health history and employment.

“Minor health issues, such as high blood pressure, controlled diabetes or cholesterol, to name a few, are not going to prevent you from qualifying (for mortgage disability insurance),” Martin says. “Mortgage disability policies are more forgiving than traditional disability insurance when it comes to pre-existing health conditions and it is easier to get an approval.”

What does mortgage disability insurance cost?

Disability insurance companies use your mortgage amount, health, age and occupation to determine your mortgage disability insurance premiums.

“Like most insurance products, the cost for each person will vary depending on a variety of factors. Most of the time, mortgage disability coverage is often less expensive than traditional disability insurance, but only because the benefits are extremely limited,” Martin says. “Assuming you are in good health and comparing similar benefit amounts and lengths, you will pay more for a mortgage disability insurance policy than other disability insurance products.”

One way to offset costs is to shop around and weigh all your options, Martin adds.

Martin suggests paying attention to the benefit and elimination periods when shopping for a policy. The average benefit period for long-term disability is 34.6 months, “so making sure that your mortgage disability policy lasts at least that long is important,” he says.

Along with cost, Maestas points out a number of mortgage disability insurance policy components you should examine:

  • The length of time over which payments are made in the event of disability
  • The impact of your health and other particulars on premiums
  • Whether benefits cover the entire or part of your mortgage payment
  • Which medical conditions qualify for benefits

How is mortgage disability insurance different from other types of insurance?

Unlike life insurance, mortgage disability insurance provides financial protection for your family while you’re still alive. It also doesn’t have as stringent an underwriting process as traditional life insurance, which makes it easier to qualify for a policy.

But the coverage it provides is narrower than other life or disability insurance products since it can only be used to cover your mortgage principal and interest payments. The coverage isn’t meant for other everyday expenses or housing-related expenses like property taxes and utilities.

Another way mortgage disability insurance differs is that if you become disabled, your policy issues payments directly to your lender—not to you–to pay your mortgage.

Mortgage disability insurance riders

Insurers allow you to customize a policy that works best for you. They do this by offering riders.

A rider is an add-on to your policy. These are common in life insurance, including long-term care coverage. The downside to riders is that they often increase the cost of your policy.

Here are types of riders:

  • Return of premium — This rider requires the insurance company to return your premiums at the end of your policy if you don’t file a claim. The return of premium is costly and can double your premiums.
  • Involuntary unemployment — The rider waives premiums for a period if you’re “involuntarily unemployed.” The longer you’re eligible for premium waivers, the more you can expect to pay for this rider.
  • Homeowner-related expenses — The rider helps you with costs that go beyond your mortgage payments, such as helping you with homeowners insurance and real estate taxes. This rider provides help for mortgage-related expenses — not other costs. For instance, it won’t help you with credit card bills, auto insurance or other regular costs.

Pros and cons of mortgage disability insurance

Mortgage disability insurance comes with pros and cons.

Pros

  • Mortgage disability insurance can reduce the risk of losing your home if you become disabled and can no longer work for an extended period.
  • Coverage is usually available without a medical exam and/or medical questions. Also, policy payouts are tax-free as long as you don’t deduct your monthly or annual insurance premium on your tax return.

Cons

  • Mortgage disability insurance isn’t as comprehensive as traditional long-term disability coverage. You pay higher premiums for less coverage for mortgage disability insurance.
  • Mortgage disability coverage often decreases as you pay off your mortgage balance, even though you’ll pay the same premium. Long-term disability insurance, which is mostly based on your income, doesn’t have this condition.

If you can’t get an affordable long-term disability policy, mortgage disability insurance may be your next best option.

“An easier approval process and allowing high-risk occupations to apply are the main advantages of a mortgage disability plan. It is not a suitable replacement for long-term disability insurance, which has benefits that can be used to not only pay your mortgage but also any other living expenses,” Martin says.

Your home is your biggest investment, so take steps to protect it. Whether you have difficulty getting long-term disability insurance or already have life insurance but want more coverage to protect your family now, mortgage disability insurance could provide the coverage you need to safeguard one of your most valuable possessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between a benefit period and an elimination period?

One thing to keep in mind with mortgage disability insurance is that once you’re approved for a policy, there will be both a benefit period and an elimination period. Here’s how they differ:

  • Benefit period — Your policy’s benefit period defines how long you’ll receive coverage. Benefit periods can last only a few months or until you reach retirement age. However, the longer the benefit period, the higher your premium.
  • Elimination period — The elimination period is a waiting period that can range from 30 to 90 days, depending on your policy. During this period, you won’t have coverage. So, it’s best to consider the elimination period when you’re searching for a policy. At the very least, you should have savings sets aside to cover your mortgage until your insurance coverage kicks in. A longer elimination period typically means a lower premium.

How is mortgage disability insurance different from private mortgage insurance?

The major difference between private mortgage insurance (PMI) and mortgage disability insurance is that PMI protects the lender if you stop making mortgage payments.

PMI is often required if you get a home loan with a down payment of less than 20%. PMI costs are usually added to your monthly mortgage payments.

What is mortgage life insurance?

Mortgage life insurance is another type of policy that can help pay mortgage payments. The difference is a mortgage life insurance policy pays your mortgage if you die. It’s a type of life insurance rather than disability insurance.

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Les Masterson
Contributor

 
  

Les, a former managing editor, insurance, at QuinStreet, has more than 20 years of experience in journalism. In his career, he has covered everything from health insurance to presidential politics.