Top carriers for finance professionals
All five carriers below can be written as true own-occupation for most professions. Guardian and Ameritas build it into the base definition, MassMutual and Principal deliver it through their own-occupation rider or definition, and at The Standard it comes through a rider whose availability depends on your occupation class. Your optimal carrier depends on your specific specialty, income structure, and state. We compare all five side-by-side in every analysis.
| Carrier | Product | AM Best rating | Contract strength |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Provider Choice | A++ (Superior) | Strong contract in our view, and classes hedge fund managers and venture capitalists at 3 (4 with criteria) |
 | Platinum Advantage | A (Excellent) | Contract clarity |
 | Income Protector | A+ (Superior) | Most flexible underwriting of the five, in our experience |
 | Radius Choice | A++ (Superior) | Mutual-company dividends, and a top class for hedge fund managers above $250,000 (benefits may be limited) |
 | DInamic Cornerstone | A (Excellent) | Competitive pricing and the highest BOE limit of the carriers we place |
Provider Choice
- AM Best
- A++ (Superior)
- Strength
- Strong contract in our view, and classes hedge fund managers and venture capitalists at 3 (4 with criteria)
Radius Choice
- AM Best
- A++ (Superior)
- Strength
- Mutual-company dividends, and a top class for hedge fund managers above $250,000 (benefits may be limited)
Income Protector
- AM Best
- A+ (Superior)
- Strength
- Most flexible underwriting of the five, in our experience
Platinum Advantage
- AM Best
- A (Excellent)
- Strength
- Contract clarity
DInamic Cornerstone
- AM Best
- A (Excellent)
- Strength
- Competitive pricing and the highest BOE limit of the carriers we place
Get a comparison of all five carriers tailored to your specialty
Get a Quote ComparisonHow do disability carriers classify finance roles?
Occupation class is one of the largest drivers of a disability premium, and of the white-collar roles in our carrier comparison, finance splits the five major carriers furthest. Under the carriers' mid-2026 occupation classifications, the same employed hedge fund manager can sit at Guardian's class 3, three classes below its top class of 6, and at MassMutual's 5A/5, the top of its scale, once income passes $250,000 (MassMutual notes that benefit amounts may be limited). Most other finance roles follow income ladders, typically reaching 5A somewhere between $150,000 and $200,000 of income held for two years.
| Carrier | Hedge fund managers and venture capitalists | Investment bankers, portfolio managers, private equity | Financial advisors and planners |
|---|---|---|---|
| | 3, or 4 on financial and professional criteria (venture capitalists with office duties only) | 5 (investment and private equity bankers and analysts, portfolio managers) | 5 |
| | 5A from $200,000, 4A from $150,000 ($100,000 for venture capitalists) | 5A from $150,000 (investment bankers) or $200,000 (portfolio and private equity managers) | 5A above $150,000 with five years, 4A from $75,000 |
| | 3A to $150,000, 4A to $200,000, 5A to $250,000, 5A/5 above (benefits may be limited) | Investment bankers 5A, portfolio managers 5A from $200,000, private equity not listed | 4A at most, with a designation, five years, and $75,000 |
| | 5A with $150,000 for two years, otherwise 4A | 5A with $150,000 for two years, otherwise 4A | 5A with five years and $75,000, 4A with three years and $30,000 |
| | 5A from $200,000 in each of the last two years, 4A from $100,000 | 5A from $200,000 in each of the last two years (investment bankers, financial analysts), portfolio managers and private equity not listed | 5A with a CLU, CFP, or ChFC, five years, and $150,000 for three years |
Where a carrier does not list a role, the underwriter places it from the duties you describe, including a private equity principal at MassMutual or The Standard. CFA charterholders class on MassMutual's hedge fund ladder, and The Standard and Ameritas group analysts with the fund and banking roles. For the same classes set beside tech, consulting, and accounting roles, see our white-collar carrier comparison, which prices each step down a carrier's class ladder from Seaworthy's 2026 quote study.
Why does Guardian class hedge fund managers so differently?
Guardian lists hedge fund and derivative managers, office-only venture capitalists, and commodity, futures, and options brokers at 3 in its financial industry group. Hedge fund managers and venture capitalists can move up to 4 on Guardian's financial and professional criteria, but no income level takes them higher. MassMutual and the other three carriers instead let income do the work, which is why a $400,000 fund manager can reach 5A or better everywhere except Guardian.
Guardian classes portfolio managers and investment bankers at 5, two steps higher. For a fund manager or venture capitalist, see each carrier's class before comparing prices.
Can traders get disability insurance?
Desk-based traders can. Floor traders and day traders trading their own accounts are declined at all five carriers. Stock, bond, and commodity brokers and traders class on the carriers' broker rows, with Guardian at 4 for stock and bond work with office duties only and 3 for commodity, futures, and options. Ameritas reaches 5A for bond, stock, and commodity brokers and traders, The Standard for stockbrokers and commodity brokers, and Principal for bond traders with five years in business, each once income passes the carrier's threshold. MassMutual's broker row reaches 5A/5 at $250,000 for three years with five years in the business, and every tier requires that you are not managing your own account.
How do carriers count bonus, K-1, and carried interest income?
Salary, bonus, commissions, and ordinary partnership income generally support the benefit, documented over two to three years. Guardian asks financial-industry applicants for three years in the industry and three years of returns, averages rising income over three years, and uses the lower of the last two years when income falls. It counts a bonus only after two years with the same employer. MassMutual averages a rising bonus over two years, uses the current year when it falls, and reads partnership income from the K-1 as ordinary income plus guaranteed payments. The Standard counts bonus and commission with two years of tax returns.
None of the five carriers' guidelines names carried interest, and carriers generally treat capital gains and investment returns as unearned income that does not raise the benefit. Principal, MassMutual, and Ameritas go further and reduce the benefit when unearned income runs above half of earned income, which can matter for a partner whose carried interest or investment gains outweigh salary. Treatment of any specific income stream is decided at underwriting, and tax treatment varies, so a tax professional should weigh in on your own situation. The same documentation logic for equity pay is covered on our RSU and equity compensation page.
Is employer group coverage enough in finance?
Employer group long-term disability plans typically cap the monthly benefit around $10,000 to $15,000 and commonly define covered earnings as base salary, so bonus and partnership income can fall outside the plan. Benefits from an employer-paid plan are generally taxable (tax treatment varies, so confirm it with a tax professional), and group own-occupation coverage is usually time-limited before an any-occupation test applies. The group versus individual comparison walks through each gap.
In the Seaworthy 2026 High Earner AI and Income Protection Survey (n=1,028 employed adults in $100,000-plus households, September 2026), 30 percent of the 108 respondents working in finance or accounting reported no disability insurance of any kind, individual or group.
Is own-occupation coverage available at finance classes?
Yes, at the finance classes in the table above. Guardian's Premier package carries true own-occupation at classes 6 through 3, Ameritas carries it in the base definition from 6A through 3A, Principal writes true own-occupation as a definition option, and MassMutual (from 3A) and The Standard (at 3A and higher) add it through an Own Occupation Rider at additional cost. None of the five carriers requires the mental and nervous limitation for finance occupations as such. MassMutual builds a 24-month limit into its contract that can be removed by endorsement outside California, and outside states that mandate the limitation, the other carriers make it optional or offer the full benefit period at these classes.
To see the class each carrier will assign your role and income, request a side-by-side comparison across all five.