Executive Benefits
Working with clients and their advisors, Bob addresses a myriad of Executive Benefit Plans. The end result provides solutions to meet the needs of informal financing of benefits for the client company’s top executives. Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPS), Split Dollar Plans, Voluntary Deferred Compensation, Phantom Stock or Stock Appreciation Rights (SAR Plan) informal financing, and Supplemental Disability and Long Term Care Programs are examples of plans that may be informally financed.
An executive benefit plan provides you with a competitive edge recruiting and retaining top executives. Adding to your regular compensation package can help promote the dedication and commitment of your company’s most important people. You can choose which of your key employees will participate in the plan and the level and types of benefits provided.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
Existing ESOP companies, regardless of C or S Corporation status develop significant repurchase liability over time. An informal financing strategy to meet this liability makes good business sense. If no plan exists to build reserves for the liability, then management is relying on future cash flow which may be uncertain, and they are passing the problem which is currently being created onto a future management team to address.
Bank Owned Life Insurance (BOLI) and Corporate Owned Life Insurance (COLI)
Bank Owned Life Insurance and Corporate Owned Life Insurance are efficient vehicles to informally finance nonqualified benefit liabilities. Life insurance can provide a valuable asset on the employer’s balance sheet because, under current tax law, cash values grow tax-deferred. The death benefit is generally received income tax free, which provides the employer with both the ability to provide a pre-retirement survivor benefit to the participant and the potential to ultimately recover some or all of its benefit costs.
Business Succession Planning
The interaction of income taxes, estate and inheritance taxes, family values and business needs complicate continuation planning. ESOPs, recapitalization to voting and non-voting stock, Family Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, GRATs, Charitable Lead Trusts or Charitable Remainder Trusts, and Life Insurance are all devices that will have application in different situations.
Benefits for Business Owners
Needs and goals of business owners may be different than the rest of the executive group. Founders of public companies owning restricted stock also have unique problems. Estate conservation and tax liability may be of primary concern, and may need to be addressed instead of supplemental retirement plans which would only compound the problem.
My Mission
As a Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative, in all situations I will make those recommendations that I believe are best for you and your business. By matching your business needs with the best strategies and solutions, I will do my best to help you meet your business plan goals. I will work hard to build a relationship with you based on trust and integrity, always striving to provide you with the same level of ethical service that I would expect for myself.
The Northwestern Mutual Difference
We make plans for people, not just money. So no matter your goals, we have access to top rated products and services to help you meet each one.
- Best Life Insurance Company, 20211
- We're one of the Top U.S. Independent Investment Broker-Dealers.2
- In dividends expected to be paid to policyowners in 2023.3
- AAA, Aaa, and AA+ - we've earned the highest financial strength ratings awarded to life insurers from all four major rating agencies.4
2Ranking for Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC. Measured by 2020 revenue. Sources: Financial Advisor and InvestmentNews, April 2021, Financial Planning, August 2021.
3Dividends are reviewed annually and are not guaranteed. Some policies may not receive dividends in a particular year or years even while other policies receive dividends. For universal life products, in lieu of dividends, experience is reflected through changes to nonguaranteed charges and credits.
4Northwestern Mutual continues to have the highest financial strength ratings awarded to any U.S. life insurer by all four of the major rating agencies: A.M. Best Company, A++ (highest), May 2021; Fitch Ratings, AAA (highest), December 2021; Moody's Investors Service, Aaa (highest), December 2021; S&P Global Ratings, AA+ (second highest), July 2021. Third-party ratings are subject to change. Ratings are for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company.
