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
Insurance policy under which payment is made for a loss not subject to any deductible or under which payment is made up to the limits of the policy, and then an excess insurance policy ...
Any of a number of types of surety bonds that the law requires of government contractors, licensed businesses, litigants, fiduciaries, government officials, and others whose performance of ...
Series of payments made on either a FIXED DOLLAR ANNUITY basis or VARIABLE DOLLAR ANNUITY basis. ...
Account established to manage the assets of a minor. This account is under the auspices of a custodian (either an individual or an institution). The gift tax exclusion would apply on any ...
Method of terminating a split dollar life insurance policy in which the company transfers its interest in the life insurance policy to the insured employee. Through such a transfer, the ...
Risk management control device used to minimize accidents and injuries to employees resulting from an unsafe working environment. For example, potential cumulative trauma disorders losses ...
Act that mandates that employers who have at least 26 employees must provide a terminating employee and family members, if residents of employee's household, with health insurance coverage ...
Obligatory reinsurance contract in which a reinsurer agrees to pay for all or a large portion of losses up to a limit, when these losses exceed the retention level of the cedent. The ...
Methods for payment of the value of a policy. An insurance company can select one of three options in settlement of a loss: make a cash payment; take possession of damaged or destroyed ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.