American families spend more than they earn. The result of that spending is that only 40 percent of adult Americans have any savings earmarked for emergencies, and 71 percent live from paycheck to paycheck, without enough savings to survive a disability. Economic conditions have decreased the number of savers and eroded the savings of those who still have a small emergency fund. Against this backdrop, the number of Americans with disabilities continues to rise. This is not a happy combination.

A survey by the Council for Disability Awareness revealed that 83 percent of respondents believe a disability can happen to anyone at any time, but they don't think it will ever happen to them. The odds, however, are not in their favor: One in three Americans entering the workforce today will suffer a disability prior to retirement. Moreover, when a disability happens, expenses inevitably increase, so those few with savings may exhaust their funds sooner than they expected.

Additionally, investment portfolios and 401(k) balances have taken a hit. The inability to retire in comfort has resulted in more workers remaining actively employed in their later years. These prospects and clients have a firsthand understanding of the results of an economic downturn and want to be assured of a safety net in the event they become disabled and can't complete their dreams and goals. Holes in the Safety NetSome of your clients believe that if they become disabled they can take advantage of the Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) program, but the news there is even worse. The Social Security Administration received 10 million new claims in 2009, up from 8.2 million in 2004. That is a whopping 22-percent increase in just five years—and that's not the worst of it. Government auditors project that within the next four to seven years, SSDI will run out of money.