I vividly remember the day more than 10 years ago now. It was New Year's Day and something was awry. It started out small but over the weeks and months that followed, it became progressively worse. At first I ignored it, thinking it would go away. It didn't. And my life was about to change forever.

There's nothing unique about my story. Unfortunately, millions of people have similar experiences with degenerative and disabling conditions. But, unlike so many others, I felt some peace of mind knowing that I was covered. No, I'm not referring to my medical plan, though I was fortunate to have a good health plan. Instead, I'm talking about income protection.

According to the Social Security Administration, a staggering 30 percent of people will encounter a disability of three months or longer at some point during their working years. If that happened to you, could you live without your paycheck? Could you and your family continue your lifestyle uninterrupted?