Key Person Selective
Benefit Plans
There are additional benefits for key employees that employers
may want to consider. Programs such as deferred bonus plans, stock
options, split-dollar insurance, supplemental executive retirement
plans, or disability wage continued programs are widely used by
many business entities.
BUSINESS
OWNER
Buy-Sell Agreements
If any business is owned by more than one person,
buy-sell agreements designed for disability or death make the most
financial sense to protect both the disabled or deceased owner's
interest and the interests of the remaining parties. A buy-sell
agreement simply establishes the conditions under which one owner
(or owners) would buy and one owner (or that owner's estate in the
event of death) would sell shares of the business.
In many multi-owner businesses, personal protection concerns extend
beyond the desire of the surviving partners to continue the business
in the event of disability or death. Another consideration is to
include retirement for a planned, voluntary withdrawal by an owner
from the business.
In situations where saving for retirement has been difficult, many
business owners will view their shares of the business as the equity
for retirement. Therefore, many business owners will include retirement
in their buy-sell agreements as a way to liquidate a retiring owner's
share on a pre-established, equitable basis.
412i
Fully Insured Defined Benefit Plan – 412i
A 412i plan is a type of defined benefit retirement plan where
every dollar a business owner or professional contributes to the
plan will, in most cases, produce an immediate tax deduction for
their company.
Benefits in a traditional defined benefit plan are funded primarily
through an investment fund. With 412i plans, the benefits are funded
exclusively with contracts issued by an insurance company. All plan
assets are either in retirement annuity contracts or a combination
of retirement annuity contracts and whole life insurance. Both the
annuities and the life insurance have guaranteed premiums and guaranteed
benefits.
Since a 412i plan must be funded by a life insurance and/or annuity
contract which provide guaranteed benefits under the plan, only
an insurance company can offer eligible funding vehicles.
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