Life insurance can be an important part of a business owner’s financial strategy. It can also be a great benefit to offer to key employees. However, sometimes the cost can be prohibitive. With split-dollar life insurance, the cost of life insurance can be managed by splitting it up.
To be clear, split-dollar life insurance is not an insurance product but rather an arrangement to purchase and fund life insurance between two parties, generally an employee and an employer.
Basically, an agreement is made under which a life insurance policy is purchased on an individual. The employer will pay all or a portion of the premiums on the policy, depending on the arrangement. When the individual dies, the employer receives a portion of the death benefit equal to the amount paid in premiums. The remaining benefit goes to the individual’s beneficiaries.
For example, if a $200,000 policy were purchased for an individual who died after the employer had paid $28,000 in premiums, then the employer would get back the money it had paid in premiums and $172,000 would go to the insured individual’s beneficiaries.
This agreement is attractive to both parties because the employer recoups its money and the employee receives a life insurance policy at a better rate because the company is picking up all or a portion of the cost. The death benefit is free of income tax for both parties as well.
A split-dollar life insurance arrangement can be used for a variety of reasons.
Split-dollar life insurance can be used to fund a buy-sell agreement.
It can be used as a benefit to recruit and retain quality executives.
Business owners who might not otherwise be able to afford life insurance might benefit from a split-dollar arrangement.
There are different ways to set up split-dollar life insurance. Usually, the individual owns the policy and designates beneficiaries, then by absolute assignment transfers to the employer an amount equal to the premiums paid by the employer. In this case, the individual retains all ownership rights, but when the individual dies, the employer is reimbursed before the individual’s named beneficiaries are paid. If the individual leaves the company, any cash value in the policy would be used to repay the company.
In other arrangements, the policy can be purchased by the employee and assigned to the employer as collateral in exchange for the employer paying the premiums. Because the company holds the policy as collateral, it can be confident that it will recoup the money spent on the insurance premiums.
In some cases, the employer can take out a life insurance policy on the employee. The employer names itself as a beneficiary of an amount equal to the cash value and designates that any funds in excess of that amount will be paid to the individual’s beneficiaries.
The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Before implementing a strategy involving life insurance, it would be prudent to make sure that you are insurable.
As with most financial decisions, there are expenses associated with the purchase of life insurance. Policies commonly have contract limitations, fees, and charges, which can include mortality and expense charges.
If you own your own business, chances are you’ve at least thought about the conditions under which you will make your departure from the business and who is going to take over after you leave. Business continuation is difficult enough under normal circumstances, but if it has to take place following the unexpected death of a key person or owner, the complications can increase exponentially.
Company-owned life insurance is one way to help protect a business from financial problems caused by the unexpected death of a key employee, partner, or co-owner. If the covered individual dies, the proceeds from this type of insurance can help in several ways. Here are some examples.
Fund a Buy-Sell Agreement
A buy-sell agreement typically specifies in advance what will happen if an owner or a key person leaves the company, either through a personal decision or because of death or disability. The death benefit from a company-owned life insurance policy can be used to purchase the decedent’s interest in the company from his or her heirs.
Keep the Business Going
If a decision is made to continue the business, there may be a period when operations cease while the survivors develop a plan to move forward. The death benefit can be used to help replace lost revenue or to pay costs associated with keeping the doors open, including rent, utilities, lease payments, and payroll. It may also help the surviving owners avoid borrowing money or selling assets.
Replace Lost Income
If a business owner has family members who depend on the income from a business, which simply could not continue if he or she were suddenly gone, the proceeds from company-owned life insurance could help replace the lost income and help protect the family’s quality of life while they adjust and move on.
The appropriate coverage amount will depend on several factors. It could be a multiple of the business owner’s annual salary or the company’s operating budget. Don’t forget to factor in such details as the cost of hiring and training a successor, where applicable, and any debts that the family may have to repay.
A thorough examination of a business and the related personnel should be conducted before the exact amount of coverage is determined.
Remember that the cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. Before implementing a strategy involving life insurance, it would be prudent to make sure that the individual is insurable. As with most financial decisions, there are expenses associated with the purchase of life insurance. Policies commonly have contract limitations, fees, and charges, which can include mortality and expense charges.
The loss of an owner can be devastating to a small business. A company-owned life insurance policy may help reduce the financial consequences if such a loss were to occur.
Your business may be running smoothly. You could be making money hand over fist. But don’t be lulled into thinking that a catastrophe could never hit your business. Disasters can strike in many ways; even a minor one could wipe out a lifetime of hard work.
Fortunately, the appropriate business owner’s insurance policy, sometimes called a BOP, can help protect your company in the event of property damage, business interruption, or legal troubles.
Property Coverage
A BOP can insure a company’s buildings and equipment in much the same way as homeowners insurance covers a residence and its contents. A standard BOP policy helps protect against a specific list of perils, such as fire, wind, hail, water damage, and vandalism.
It’s advisable to insure for “replacement value” rather than “actual value.” That way, you might not have to come up with extra money to get back to business. The premiums will be higher, but the extra expense may well pay for itself if it means getting back to work in a matter of days rather than weeks or months. You may be able to offset the extra expense by working with the insurer to identify and reduce certain types of risks to help lower premiums.
Liability Coverage
This coverage is essential if someone were to become injured on your premises, by your employees, or by one of your products. It can be used to pay medical costs for the injured parties or to defend against liability claims, even if a claim is unfounded. Liability coverage also helps protect against claims of slander or libel.
Business Interruption
If your business operations cease because of a disaster, this coverage can help replace the lost income and expenses related to operating from a temporary location.
A natural disaster is only one of the many threats facing small businesses. In such a situation, a business owner policy can help put you back in business.
Property-casualty insurance practices in the United States are based on British practices and started with marine insurers located in major U.S. ports. Even when our nation was young, we were concerned with protecting ourselves and our property and not much has changed since then. Property-casualty insurance is specifically designed to help protect your possessions from theft or destruction and your assets from being depleted through disaster or litigation claims brought against you.
The property side of a policy insures physical items, such as homes, commercial buildings, motor vehicles, and personal possessions or business inventory. Types of property insurance include homeowners insurance, fire insurance, flood or earthquake insurance, and automobile insurance.
These insurance contracts may have an “open perils” or a “named perils” clause. The open perils clause covers losses for reasons that are not specifically excluded in the policy. Typical exclusions are earthquakes, floods, and acts of terrorism or war. A named perils clause requires the actual cause of loss to be listed in the policy, such as fire, lightning, explosion, and theft.
Casualty insurance, or liability insurance, covers you for losses that you may cause to another individual or business. This is called “third-party” coverage. For example, if you have liability insurance on your car and another party is injured in a collision caused by you, your liability insurance will take care of the other person’s medical and repair costs. In addition, if someone sues you because of harm you may have caused to him or to his possessions, your casualty insurance may cover the cost.
Both individuals and businesses can purchase property-casualty insurance. Personal policies include homeowners insurance, renters insurance, and automobile insurance, whereas commercial polices are written specifically for businesses and other organizations and may include commercial general liability, workers’ compensation, and commercial property insurance.
If you are worried about protecting your possessions from damage and your assets from being diminished due to liability costs, then you may want to consider the types of property-casualty insurance that are appropriate for you. When selecting an insurance policy, make sure to examine all your options, as well as the positives and negatives of each type.
Why Are Annuities Considered an Insurance Product?
Annuities are financial vehicles that can be sold only by insurance companies. Basically, an annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company, which promises to pay you a future income in exchange for the lump-sum payment or premiums that you pay. The payments specified in the annuity contract will be paid to you during your retirement (or, in some situations, to your beneficiaries after your death).
Annuities can be used to help ensure a steady stream of income in retirement, as well as to help ensure that your spouse and/or designated beneficiary will be taken care of in the event of your death. Many types of annuities exist, and most of them include a death benefit option.
If you elect to annuitize your annuity contract, you are choosing to receive your payments on a schedule that can be based on a single or joint life expectancy (for you and your spouse, for example) or for a specified period of time. Once you begin receiving payments, most annuity contracts do not allow money to continue to be made to your heirs, other than your designated joint-life beneficiary, in the event of your death. However, if you die before annuitization begins, your designated beneficiary typically will receive a death benefit at least equal to the net premiums paid.
Some annuity contracts may offer refunds or guarantees, allowing your beneficiary to receive the remaining amount upon your death (the accumulated value or premiums paid, whichever is greater).
If you would like to use your annuity to help provide for your heirs, make sure to examine the contract closely for specific beneficiary allowances.
Generally, annuities have contract limitations, fees, and charges, which can include mortality and expense charges, account fees, underlying investment management fees, administrative fees, and charges for optional benefits. Most annuities have surrender charges that are assessed during the early years of the contract if the contract owner surrenders the annuity. Withdrawals of annuity earnings are taxed as ordinary income and may be subject to surrender charges plus a 10 percent federal income tax penalty if made before you reach age 59½.
Withdrawals reduce annuity contract benefits and values. Any guarantees are contingent on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Annuities are not guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency; they are not deposits of, nor are they guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or savings association. For variable annuities, the investment return and principal value of an investment option are not guaranteed. Variable annuity subaccounts fluctuate with changes in market conditions; thus the principal may be worth more or less than the original amount invested when the annuity is surrendered.
Variable annuities are sold by prospectus. Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus, which contains this and other information about the variable annuity contract and the underlying investment options, can be obtained from your financial professional. Be sure to read the prospectus carefully before deciding whether to invest.
We’ve all heard about the importance of having life insurance, but is it really necessary? Usually, the answer is “yes,” but it depends on your specific situation. If you have a family who relies on your income, then it is imperative to have life insurance protection. If you’re single and have no major assets to protect, then you may not need coverage.
In the event of your untimely death, your beneficiaries can use funds from a life insurance policy for funeral and burial expenses, probate, estate taxes, day care, and any number of everyday expenses. Funds can be used to pay for your children’s education and take care of debts or a mortgage that hasn’t been paid off. Life insurance funds can also be added to your spouse’s retirement savings.
If your dependents will not require the proceeds from a life insurance policy for these types of expenses, you may wish to name a favorite charity as the beneficiary of your policy.
Whole life insurance can also be used as a source of cash in the event that you need to access the funds during your lifetime. Many types of permanent life insurance build cash value that can be borrowed from or withdrawn at the policyowner’s request. Of course, withdrawals or loans that are not repaid will reduce the policy’s cash value and death benefit.
When considering what type of insurance to purchase and how much you need, ask yourself what would happen to your family without you and what type of legacy you would like to leave behind. Do you want to ensure that your children’s college expenses will be taken care of in your absence? Would you like to leave a sizable donation to your favorite charity? Do you want to ensure that the funds will be sufficient to pay off the mortgage as well as achieve other goals? Life insurance may be able to help you meet these objectives and give you the peace of mind that your family will be taken care of financially.
The cost and availability of life insurance depend on factors such as age, health, and the type and amount of insurance purchased. As with most financial decisions, there are expenses associated with the purchase of life insurance. Policies commonly have mortality and expense charges. In addition, if a policy is surrendered prematurely, there may be surrender charges and income tax implications. Any guarantees are contingent on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
If you are considering the purchase of life insurance, consult a professional to explore your options.
