United Airlines Long Term Disability

Kevin Gormley, CFP® Andy Christopher, CFA® , lead financial planners from Leading Edge Financial Planning, discuss the details of the long-term disability plan offered by United Airlines.

The key takeaways from the video are:

• The long-term disability benefit pays out 50% of your pay until you reach age 65, which is the mandatory retirement age for pilots.
• The benefit is tax-free.
• The company pays for 75% of the premium, with the remaining 25% being paid by the pilot after tax. There is a cap on the monthly benefit amount.
• The plan offers some additional benefits such as continued health insurance coverage at the active pilot rate and non-elective contributions to your 401k plan.
• There are different waiting periods depending on whether the disability is occupational or non-occupational.
• Pilots who are considering additional coverage on top of the United Airlines long-term disability plan can look into options offered by ALPA.

Kevin and Andy recommend that pilots carefully consider their options and do some budgeting to see if the 50% benefit will be enough to cover their expenses in the event of a disability. They also recommend having an emergency cash fund on hand to supplement the disability income.  

Note: Leading Edge Financial Planning is not affiliated with United Airlines.  This video is informational only.  Please consult an expert before making a decision.

Please remember that past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk and there can be no assurance that the future performance of any specific investment, investment strategy, or product made reference to directly or indirectly in this video will be profitable, equal any corresponding indicated historical performance level(s), or be suitable for your portfolio. Moreover, you should not assume that any information or any corresponding discussions serves as the receipt of, or as a substitute for, personalized investment advice from Leading Edge Financial Planning personnel. The opinions expressed are those of Leading Edge Financial Planning and are subject to change at any time due to the changes in market or economic conditions.