Login & Register Protect your growing household Every family is unique. But every family needs to be protected. Protect your household and income from the unexpected You want to take care of your loved ones in the future. But today you need enough money to pay the bills. It’s something every family goes through, but you can find a balance between having money to live today while putting in place the insurance and investments to help you thrive tomorrow. To start, let’s consider the main types of family insurance options that protect your finances and how they can help you — whatever happens in life. Did you know? Some types of life insurance, like whole or universal, can build up cash value that you can use to pay for a home, college, or a caregiver.1 How does life insurance work? What is whole life insurance? What is disability income insurance? Next Steps Case Story - Dr. Feranmi Okanlami Dr. Feranmi Okanlami was a star athlete and orthopedic surgery resident when an accident left him paralyzed. Watch his inspiring story of perseverance and determination and learn how Guardian long-term disability insurance helped him recover and thrive.5 “I have worked with Guardian, an organization that committed to my personal and professional recovery, to highlight a simple yet powerful truth: disability does not mean inability,” said Dr. Feranmi Okanlami. 3:57 Prepare for changes to your family Whether you’re having a baby and need to prepare for maternity leave and covering the cost of raising children, or you’re preparing for life after your children move out, we’ll work with you to plan for and take care of your new and changing family. Protecting your income with life insurance or disability insurance — and making sure you are covered at work for children with special needs — can help your family thrive no matter what happens. What do new parents need to know about life insurance? How does a family financial strategy work? Next steps Case story - Joleen Mainz Joleen Mainz spent her whole life caring for others. In her darkest hour, she needed to trust others to care for her. Learn how she went from tragedy to recovery, with help from Guardian life and disability insurance. “We had done everything we possibly could to take care of our family, and we felt a sense of peace,” said Joleen Mainz. Plan for your family’s education College can rewrite the future and take your child’s life to new places. To prepare, you’ll need to start saving today. Options like 529 plans and whole life insurance policies each have unique advantages that can help.7 What are 529 plans? Can life insurance help with college? Next steps Being a family caregiver: elder care and special needs children Being a caregiver for aging parents or special needs children presents financial challenges. But you can start planning today to figure out your parent’s elder care or children’s long-term care. Employee assistance programs can provide critical resources. And a financial strategy with certain investments can help. How can life insurance help with elder care? Finances and elder care: what do I need to know? Does insurance help children with special needs? Next steps Disclaimer 1 Some whole life polices do not have cash values in the first two years of the policy and don’t pay a dividend until the policy’s third year. Talk to your financial representative and refer to your individual whole life policy illustration for more information. 2 Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting professional regarding your individual situation. 3 Dividends are not guaranteed. They are declared annually by Guardian’s Board of Directors. 4 Policy benefits are reduced by any outstanding loan or loan interest and/or withdrawals. Dividends, if any, are affected by policy loans and loan interest. Withdrawals above the cost basis may result in taxable ordinary income. If the policy lapses, or is surrendered, any outstanding loans considered gain in the policy may be subject to ordinary income taxes. If the policy is a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC), loans are treated like withdrawals, but as gain first, subject to ordinary income taxes. If the policy owner is under 59 ½, any taxable withdrawal may also be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty. 5 These are the personal views of a select group of Dr. Feranmi Okanlami and may not represent the experience of other clients. These opinions are not indicative of future performance or results. 6 All whole life insurance policy guarantees are subject to the timely payment of all required premiums and the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Policy loans and withdrawals affect the guarantees by reducing the policy’s death benefit and cash values. 7 Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a 529 plan carefully before investing. This and other information are contained in the Program Description, which may be obtained from your investment professional. Please read it before you invest. A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan, issued and operated by a state or educational institution that helps families save for college. Investments in 529 plans are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency and are not deposits or other obligations of any depository institution. Investments are not guaranteed and are subject to investment risks, including loss of the principal amount invested. Tax implications vary significantly from state to state. If you or the designated beneficiary is not a resident of the state offering a 529 plan, you may want to consider, before investing, whether your state or the designated beneficiary's home state offers its residents a plan with state tax advantages or other benefits. 2019-84981 20211231 Customer Service Contact Us 1-888-Guardian (1-888-482-7342) Submit a Claim Resources Forms & Claims Find a dental or vision provider Find a financial representative Industry Professionals Find a Guardian benefits sales office Broker quote request New case implementation tracker Living Balance Sheet Terms & conditions Privacy policy Disclosures Data security Accessibility Telehealth NY Reg. 200 Confidentiality for domestic violence victims SEC Rule 606 Amendments to Broker Agreement State Disaster Updates Agreement to conduct business electronically © 2021, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. All rights reserved.