Odds are, your employer is not in the insurance business. So why would you trust something as important as your family's security to your employer's group insurance plan?

The reality is that there are a number of potential shortcomings to many employersponsored plans. The following are some of the most common.

Insufficient life coverage. Life insurance coverage is often tied to your base salary. For example, it might be one or two times that amount. Would that really be sufficient to protect your family if something were to happen to you?

Limited disability coverage. Disability coverage (if you have it at all) might provide benefits for only a short period of time or only if you are unable to work in any job, not your own occupation.

No protection from critical illness. Outside of an executive compensation package, critical illness protection is not usually part of most employer-sponsored plans.

Lack of portability. Regardless of the benefits you do have, should you leave your job, those benefits will stop and, by then, your ability to obtain insurance could be compromised.

No coverage for family members. Even if your plan offers sufficient coverage for you, it may not extend to your spouse or other family members. For most people, stand-alone policies, which protect you regardless of your employment situation, deliver the most value and the most peace of mind.