Occupational disability insurance — protect your income for the long term.
Statistically, one in four workers becomes unable to work in their occupation before retirement.
In Germany, roughly 25 % of all working adults leave the workforce before reaching retirement age — usually not through a sudden accident, but gradually. Mental health conditions today head the list of causes at over 30 %, followed by musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
The state's reduced-earning-capacity pension (gesetzliche Erwerbsminderungsrente) rarely covers your accustomed standard of living, and it only pays out once you can no longer work even three hours a day in any occupation on the general labor market. Self-employed people are usually not entitled to this state benefit at all.
Private occupational disability insurance closes that gap. It pays an agreed monthly pension as soon as you are at least 50 % unable to perform your most recently exercised occupation — typically up to age 67.
A well-designed BU policy covers far more than just a monthly pension.
These are the features we look for during selection — and what you should expect from a strong policy.
- Monthly disability pension until the agreed end age (typically 67)
- Waiver of abstract referral (no "you could theoretically do another job" clause)
- Retroactive payment from the start of disability
- Six-month prognosis period (rather than longer)
- Top-up option without renewed medical underwriting
- Premium and benefit indexation against inflation
- Premium-deferral option during financial hardship
- Worldwide cover
- Waiver of §19 VVG rights in case of innocent pre-contract disclosure breaches
- Fair definition of disability — including for the self-employed
What truly sets a strong BU policy apart.
Premium price is often the weakest selection criterion. The fine print of the policy conditions matters most.
Clear, customer-friendly wording
Vague clauses lead to disputes when you actually need to claim. We benchmark every clause against current industry best practice and transparent insurer conditions.
Clean medical underwriting — using anonymous pre-inquiries
The questions you answer at application time determine whether you'll be paid out years later. With anonymous risk inquiries across multiple insurers we find the provider who assesses your medical history most fairly.
A policy that grows with you
Marriage, children, buying a home, a salary jump: a good BU can be increased without a new medical exam — so your cover keeps pace with your life.
These are the mistakes that cost the most when you actually claim.
We see the same pitfalls again and again in our advisory practice — and avoid them systematically.
- Waiting too long — every new diagnosis makes cover pricier or impossible
- Choosing too low a monthly pension — and failing to protect your lifestyle
- Inaccurate or incomplete health disclosures on the application
- Picking a policy without a waiver of abstract referral
- Wrong occupation category — leading to needlessly high or low premiums
- Comparing on premium alone, without reading the conditions
- No inflation indexation built in
- Existing policies never reviewed, even though life circumstances have changed
Structured, transparent, no sales pressure.
You stay in the driver's seat at every step — and walk away with a clear concept in hand.
You describe your situation — via the inquiry assistant or our contact form.
We review your position, existing policies, and your actual risk.
A reasoned recommendation — you can see exactly why each piece is suggested.
Implementation, annual review, and one named contact — including in the event of a claim.
What you should know about BU insurance.
Got another question? Just get in touch directly.
When should I take out a BU policy?
How high should the monthly BU pension be?
What is "abstract referral" and why should it be excluded?
What happens if I miss a pre-existing condition on the application?
Can self-employed people get BU insurance?
How much does BU insurance cost?
Ready to get your most important insurance right?
We'll review your situation, compare the market, and come back with an initial assessment — no obligation, no cost, typically within one business day.
