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
Independent, nonprofit, membership hospital plan. Benefits provided include coverage for hospitalization expenses subject to certain restrictions: for example, semiprivate room only. A ...
Coverage for a common carrier (the insured) for damage or destruction due to radioactive contamination from commercial radioisotopes of a property in the custody of the insured or that of a ...
State law by which insurance companies are permitted to establish deferred tax assets and liabilities subject to maximum limitations. ...
Coverage on an all risks basis for goods in transit, bailment, and while on the premises of others. ...
Fee paid to an insurance salesperson as a percentage of the premium generated by a sold insurance policy. ...
Subsidence is a term used in geology, engineering and surveying to denote the motion of a surface (usually, the earth\'s surface) downwards relative to a datum such as sea-level. In ...
Historical record of dividends paid. ...
Specific values of securities computed annually by the national association of insurance commissioners (NAIC) as guidelines and procedures for insurance companies in listing of their ...
Maximum amount that an insurance company will pay under a liability insurance policy for claims resulting from a particular accident. This maximum amount applies regardless of the amount of ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.