Relevant life policy financial products today: Business protection aims to help a business survive if any of its directors, shareholders or key employees either die or become seriously ill. Traditional business protection policies such as shareholder protection policies and key person insurance policies are what most people think of when they think of business protection insurance. However the market has developed over the last decade and now there are other types of business protection products that can not only help the business but also help the directors provide tax efficient policies for their families. Products such as the Relevant Life Policy and Executive Income Protection have seen massive growth over the last decade. Find extra details on Business Protection Insurance.
When it comes to choosing the right amount of cover for a business, there are multiple types of insurance that need to be considered. Depending on the particular circumstances of the business, an effective cover plan could include multiple of profits insurance, allowing businesses to protect their profits if anything unexpected was to happen. Alternatively, multiple of salary would help to cover additional costs such as recruitment and replacement in the case of an employee leaving. Loan security is another key type of insurance which can ensure that any outstanding loan payments are managed and paid off should anything go wrong.
How Much Cover is Needed? When it comes to the amount of cover you need, it is important to reflect the amount that would be needed to pay the debt or loan back in full. To ensure you have the right level of protection, there are two main types of business loan protection insurance available; level and decreasing. Level protection is suitable if your debts stay at a consistent level over a set period, such as with an interest only mortgage. Decreasing protection allows you to address your liabilities in smaller amounts which makes more sense when responding to repayments on longer-term loans such as car finance. Business loan protection can provide significant support during a financially challenging time, allowing the continuity of trading while deferring payments on those outstanding debts. It’s vital that all businesses review their current debt levels regularly and consider the implications if one or more were suddenly unable to be paid off quickly, before selecting an appropriate level of loan protection insurance.
Premium Equalisation: Shareholder Protection Premium Equalisation is an essential aspect of business trust policies. When a group of shareholders decides to take out an own life policy individually, they may need to equalize the premiums paid. This is done to prevent HMRC from considering unequal premiums as a “gift” or “wealth transfer” from those who are paying more to those who are paying less. If HMRC views this as a gift, there could be inheritance tax implications if there is ever a claim.
It’s always important to consider the tax implications of any business decision and shareholder protection is no exception. By paying for shareholder protection through the business, corporations can save on their taxes by claiming it as an expense. However, it’s important to ensure that the agreement is correctly arranged in order to avoid any unexpected tax liabilities. One of the key considerations when arranging a shareholder protection agreement is whether or not the shares will go into the deceased shareholder’s estate before being purchased by surviving shareholders. If the agreement stipulates that the shares must be sold by the estate and purchased by surviving shareholders, then they may not qualify for business property tax exemption and could have significant inheritance implications. However, with careful wording, it is possible to structure the agreement in a way that allows for this exemption while still achieving the desired outcome. Ultimately, seeking advice from a specialist business protection adviser can provide invaluable support in navigating these complexities and ensuring that all parties are adequately protected while minimizing any potential tax liabilities.
Business loans can be critical for a business to function and grow, but without loan protection, borrowing money becomes a much riskier endeavor. Business loan protection insures the debt should an unforeseen event cause the illness or death of an owner or director who was personally responsible for it. By protecting their loan, business owners minimise their exposure and ensure that the lender is less likely to be left with unpaid debts in such scenarios.
The most common way for insurers to calculate key person insurance premiums and benefits is based on salary multiples; however, sometimes more complex formulae are used. In order to determine an exact amount of coverage that is necessary for a particular business situation, advice should be sought by someone who understands the value of what would be lost with the key individual gone. This may require researching factors such as how hard or easy it would be to replace them, an estimation of how long this process may take and what kind of losses might occur in the meantime regarding profit. Ultimately, with enough consideration and thought given to these issues prior to purchasing key person insurance, this process will remain simple and straightforward. Find additional details at Executive Income Protection.