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

Insurance coverage that protects a contractor or other type of business providing a service for expenses incurred in the event a contract is not ratified by a foreign government. For ...

Paid loss experience for the period of time from January 1 to December 31 of a specified year (not necessarily the current year). ...

Operator with no liability insurance. If a non-insured driver hits another car, the victim sometimes has no recourse against the driver. For this reason, many motorists carry uninsured ...

Circumstance under which there is a significant deviation of the actual aggregate losses from the expected aggregate losses. For example, a hurricane is a hazard that is catastrophic in ...

Technique of risk management (better known as retention or self insurance) under which an individual or business firm assumes expected losses that are not catastrophic losses through the ...

Type of disability income policy used to provide funds for the ongoing monthly business expenses (such as employee salaries, utility charges, rent, and equipment payment due) necessary to ...

Individual who sells and services insurance policies in either of two classifications: Independent agent represents at least two insurance companies and (at least in theory) services ...

Viewpoint that an insurer whose liability policy is in force at the time of an accident or injury should pay a claim. See also long-tail liability; manifestation/injury theory. ...

Risk management control procedure that emphasizes safety management. Its purpose is to reduce the frequency and severity of potential losses. Business firms apply this procedure by posting ...

Popular Insurance Questions