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
Flow of funds out of one financial instrument, whose interest rates are low, into another financial instrument, whose interest rates are higher. In the early 1980s, insurance companies ...
Insured sum paid regularly to a married partner (usually a wife but sometimes a husband) of a retired worker. There are several forms: The Federal Retirement Equity Act mandates a spouse's ...
Personal and business property insurance that combines in one policy several types of property insurance covering numerous perils. However, no liability insurance is provided. ...
Health insurance contract that is renewable at the option of the insurer. On the anniversary date of the contract, the insurer has the right to decide whether or not to renew. ...
Coverage for items that are on consignment, including exhibits, goods up for auction, and goods awaiting someone's approval. The stipulation for coverage is that these items cannot be under ...
Coverage in automobile insurance providing protection in the event of physical damage (other than collision) or theft of the insured car. For example, fire damage to an insured car would be ...
Law under which one state gives favorable tax treatment to an insurance company domiciled in a different state that is admitted to do business, provided the second state does the same for ...
Payment due on the renewal of an insurance policy. The premium may be adjusted up or down to reflect the loss experience of the underwriting classification to which the insured belongs. ...
Short-term investments, to include the following: commercial paper, interest-bearing balances with banks, federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell, trading ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.