Split Dollar Life Insurance
Definition of "Split dollar life insurance"
Policy in which premiums, ownership rights, and death proceeds are split between an employer and an employee, or between a parent and a child. The employer pays the part of each year's premium that at least equals the increase in the cash value. The employee may pay the remainder of the premium, or the employer may pay the entire premium. When the increase in cash value equals or exceeds the yearly premium, the employer pays the entire premium. If the employee dies while in the service of the employer, a beneficiary chosen by the employee receives the difference between the face value and the amount paid to the employer (the cash value or the total of all premiums paid by the employer- whichever is greater). Thus, during employment, the employee's share of the death benefit decreases. If the employee leaves the employer, the latter has the option of surrendering the policy in exchange for return of all premiums, or selling the policy to the employee for the amount of its cash value. There are two types of split dollar life insurance policies: Endorsement-the employer owns all policy privileges; the employee's only rights are to choose beneficiaries and to select the manner in which the death benefit is paid. Collateral-the employee owns the policy. The employer's contributions toward the premiums are viewed as a series of interest-free loans, which equal the yearly increase in the cash value of the policy. The employee assigns the policy to the employer as collateral for these loans. When the employee dies, the loans are paid from the face value of the policy. Any remaining proceeds are paid to the beneficiary.
Popular Insurance Terms
Type of proportional reinsurance under which the ceding company (primary insurer) cedes a portion of the face amount of the life insurance policy it has underwritten to its reinsurer. The ...
Right, in most states, of an insured to have 10 days in which to examine an insurance policy, and if not satisfied, to return it to the company for a full refund of the initial premium. ...
Since a mobile home can literally be both mobile and a house, it obviously requires its own kind of insurance. A mobile home insurance policy is sort of a hybrid between auto insurance and ...
Several basic property and/or liability policies combined to form a single policy. For example, the homeowners insurance policy is composed of such basic coverages as broad form personal ...
Transfer of property from a bailor to a bailee; for example, transferring a suit to be cleaned from the bailor (owner) to the bailee (cleaners). ...
Pension plan funding instrument in which contributions paid by an employer are deposited to accumulate at interest. (These plans are usually noncontributory.) Upon retirement, an immediate ...
Modifications of the traditional defined benefit plan in which employees are credited with a specified percentage for each year of recognized service with the employer. Upon termination of ...
Individual who possesses a unique ability essential to the continued success of a business firm. For example, this individual might have the technical knowledge necessary for research and ...
Statutory reserve for automobile liability, representing specific dollar estimates for future claims. The national association OF insurance commissioners (naic) established formulas to ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.