"Research by The Hartford1 found most people don't understand life and disability insurance, but at the same time they are increasingly being asked to pay for them," said Mike Fish, vice president for The Hartford's Group Benefits. "Our education programs empower consumers, giving them the confidence to make informed benefit selections to help them prepare today and protect tomorrow."
MyTomorrow gives users a personalized view of their financial risks and shows how their paycheck covers monthly expenses compared to the approximate cost of insurance to protect that income. The interactive tool also includes videos from people who share how disability and life insurance helped protect their assets, such as their homes.
The Hartford's 2011 Benefit Landscape Study found that:
• Nearly half of full-time workers share the cost of life and disability insurance with their employer;
• Only one in four Americans completely understand life and disability insurance;
• The number of Millennial and Generation X workers who have life and disability coverage dropped by double digits from 2010 to 2011;
• Online enrollment is the most preferred method, particularly by Millennials and Generation X; and
• A quarter of employees are paying 100 percent of their disability coverage.
The Hartford's enrollers are using a customized MyTomorrow app on iPads at worksite events to provide benefits education and assistance with enrollment. The app gives each person immediate access to their benefits choices and costs and allows consumers to e-mail the MyTomorrow link and review benefits any time or place. In addition, The Hartford creates customized MyTomorrow websites for companies that offer the insurer's products and services in their benefits packages.
"Our survey and industry data show that the number of people who are paying for benefits is growing every year," Fish said. "We are focused on providing resources that help them protect their income — and their lifestyle — against the unexpected."
1. An independent market research agency retained by The Hartford conducted an online survey polling more than 1,000 U.S. adults, aged 18-64, in March 2011.