What is an executive bonus in life insurance?

Asked by: Letha McKenzie Jr.  |  Last update: February 11, 2022
Score: 4.4/5 (26 votes)

What is a 162 Executive Bonus Plan? A 162 Executive Bonus plan allows a business to provide life and/or disability income insurance to key executives using tax deductible dollars. Insurance policies are owned by the executives and are paid for through cash bonuses to the executives.

What is an executive bonus?

An Executive Bonus Plan, also referred to as Section 162 Plan, is a non-qualified plan used by employers to provide special compensation to key executives. The employers' contribution to an executive bonus plan is considered salary to the executive and is therefore subject to taxation.

What are the advantages of an executive bonus plan?

Advantages of Executive Bonus Plans

The business can selectively choose the key employees they wish to reward. The bonus payments may be considered a fully deductible expense to the company. The key employee is able to name the beneficiary of the entire death benefit of the life insurance policy.

Who owns an executive bonus plan?

The employee is the owner of the policy, and gets to determine the beneficiaries and manage the funds within the policy. The employer covers the cost of the policy by periodically giving the employee a bonus big enough to pay the policy premiums.

How much is an executive bonus?

On average, CEOs receive about 50% of their base pay in the form of bonuses. Yet these “bonuses” don't generate big fluctuations in CEO compensation.

Executive Bonus Plan Using Life Insurance

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How is executive bonus calculated?

For each executive, total compensation is calculated as the sum of base salary, discretionary and performance-based cash bonuses, the grant-date value of stock and option awards, as well as other compensation, which typically includes benefits and perquisites.

How do executive bonus arrangements work?

An Executive Bonus Plan is an arrangement in which the business pays the premium on a life insurance policy owned by the key employee as a “bonus” to the key employee. The bonus should be tax-deductible as a business expense.

Is Executive life insurance taxable?

Life insurance premiums, under most circumstances, are not taxed (i.e., no sales tax is added or charged). These premiums are also not tax-deductible. If an employer pays life insurance premiums on an employee's behalf, any payments for coverage of more than $50,000 are taxed as income.

What are insured executive bonus plans funded with?

Generally, the plans use life insurance, funded by the employer's bonus payments, to provide the insured employee with access to policy cash value if needed for retirement or other purposes and death benefit protection for the employee's family.

How are executives paid?

In a modern corporation, the CEO and other top executives are often paid a salary, which is predetermined and fixed, plus an array of incentives (bonuses) commonly referred to as the variable component of the remuneration package.

Does Permanent life insurance have a cash value?

Permanent life insurance policies offer a death benefit and cash value. The death benefit is money that's paid to your beneficiaries when you pass away. Cash value is a separate savings component that you may be able to access while you're still alive.

What is a split life insurance policy?

Generally, under a split dollar plan, a permanent life insurance policy's death benefit and cash values are split between the owner and non-owner of the life insurance contract. Typically, one party has the cash flow to fund the majority of the policy premiums.

What does liquidity refer to in a life insurance policy?

With respect to life insurance, liquidity refers to how easily you can access cash from the policy. The concept applies mostly to permanent life insurance, because it accumulates cash value over time.

Who pays the premiums in a split dollar plan?

The endorsement split dollar plan is one that is owned by the employer. The premiums are paid by the employer and the beneficiary is listed as the employee.

What is private split dollar insurance?

What is Private Split Dollar? In its broadest application, split dollar is an arrangement whereby two parties enter into an agreement to “split” the costs (premiums) and benefits (cash value and death benefit) of a life insurance policy. 2 Traditionally split dollar involved an employer-employee relationship.

How do you reward key employees?

  1. Stock Options. Stock options are a popular way to provide additional compensation for key employees, and you can tie these options to the business's success. ...
  2. Incentive and Deferred Compensation. ...
  3. Arranging Equity Participation. ...
  4. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans. ...
  5. Golden Parachutes & Golden Parachute Tax.

Which of the following is not an example of a business use of life insurance?

Which of the following is NOT an example of a business use of Life Insurance? Workers Compensation is a benefit payable when a worker is injured by a work-related injury, regardless of fault or negligence. It is not considered a business use of insurance.

Do beneficiaries pay taxes on life insurance policies?

Answer: Generally, life insurance proceeds you receive as a beneficiary due to the death of the insured person, aren't includable in gross income and you don't have to report them. However, any interest you receive is taxable and you should report it as interest received.

When an insured dies who has first claim to the death proceeds of the insured life insurance policy?

There are typically two levels of beneficiary: primary and contingent. A primary beneficiary is essentially your first choice to receive the death benefit if you pass away.

Is whole life insurance a good retirement investment?

Whole life can be a good supplement for your retirement plans, but as noted, it should not be a stand-alone option. Compared to typical retirement investments (or even real estate), whole life insurance policies are insulated from market risk – which is good – but also tend to offer lower returns over time.

What is the human life value approach?

Using the Human Life Value Approach, the value of a human's life is calculated on net future earnings potential and may be determined by discounting a person's future net earnings at a reasonable rate of interest. ... The result is a reasonably accurate estimate of the individual's economic value to the family.

Which of the following is an example of liquidity in a life insurance contract?

Which of the following is an example of liquidity in a life insurance contract? The cash value available to the policyowner. Liquidity in life insurance refers to availability of cash to the insured. Some life insurance policies offer cash values that can be borrowed at any time and used for immediate needs.

What is the purpose of key person insurance?

Key person insurance is a type of life insurance policy that provides a death benefit to a business if its owner or another significant employee passes away, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

Why do executives get paid so much?

"CEO compensation in our study reflects wages, bonuses and long-term incentives, but most importantly, the stock options that a CEO has cashed in each year, as well as any invested stock," he says. ... Stock-related compensation is a key reason why CEOs earn so much more than even high earners.