Sole Proprietor Life And Health Insurance

Definition of "Sole proprietor life and health insurance"

Coverage for the owner of a business. When a proprietor dies, debts of the business become the debts of the estate since in this circumstance the law recognizes business and personal assets as one. The executor is required to dispose of the business as quickly as possible. Life insurance can fund the disposition in several ways:

  1. If the business is transferred through a will, the life insurance's death benefit can be applied to the deceased proprietor's personal and business debts and estate taxes.
  2. If the executor conducts a forced sale or liquidation, a death benefit can be used to reduce or eliminate any debts. The death benefit can also be used as a source of working capital for interim financing to operate the business in the short run.
  3. If the business is to be transferred to a child or employee, the death benefit can provide funds to effect the transfer.
  4. If the business is to be sold to a key employee (s) through a buy-and-sell agreement, the key employee (s) usually has previously bought a life insurance policy on the sole proprietor and made all premium payments. The buy-and-sell agreement stipulates the formula to be used in valuing the business as well as other conditions of the sale. Upon the death of the proprietor and the sale of the business to the key employee (s), the proprietor's estate receives the cash amount according to the buy-and-sell agreement, and the key employee (s) receives the deceased proprietor's business.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Number of times losses occur, and their severity. These statistics measure expectation of loss, and are critical in establishing a basic premium or the pure cost of protection that is based ...

Organization that is part of a preferred provider organization (PPO) in which enrollees select an EPO provider to act as their primary care physician and serve as the gatekeeper. This ...

Same as term Contribution: principle of equity in property, casualty, and health insurance. When two or more policies apply to the loss, each policy pays its part of the loss, unless its ...

Group coverage for members of a fraternal association, usually on a nonprofit basis. ...

System of charges to an insured that fluctuates according to the loss experience of that insured. This is a form of experience rating. ...

Correction of a contract containing a mistake in order to prevent a party to that contract from gaining from that mistake. For example, if $1,000,000, instead of the correct amount of ...

Statute that makes it illegal in most states for an agent to rebate (return) any portion of his commission as an inducement for an applicant to purchase insurance from him. ...

Total amount of commissions and expense allowances paid by the reinsurer to its ceding company minus the total amount of reinsurance commissions and expense allowances that, in turn, its ...

Commission that is paid based on how profitable a particular type of business proves to be that is written by an agent. ...

Popular Insurance Questions