Leveraging Corporate Life Insurance is one key alternative that can be utilized to negate taxes on investment gains and risk-based capital charges.

The following is an overview of the corporate life insurance as an efficient vehicle to accomplish this value proposition.

What Is ICOLI?

COLI is a general term for Corporate Owned Life Insurance.  “I” COLI is simply life insurance owned by an insurer

• ICOLI is purchased by insurers for a variety of corporate reasons
  • Investment wrapper for invested assets, plus
  • Optional life insurance benefit for insured employees
  • Funding source for a given liability/expense
• Advantages of utilizing ICOLI as an investment wrapper
  • Wrapper. Wraps almost any asset class
  • Returns. Enhances after-tax returns
  • RBC. Reduces risk-based-capital charges
  • Optics. Improves balance sheet optics

Why Do Insurance Companies Purchase ICOLI?

Institutional Pricing

• Products are designed for institutional purchasers, with high early cash values and low, stable cost structures
• Immediate, positive impact to earning; no front-end loads or surrender charges

Tax-Efficient Accounting

• Gains in contracts are tax deferred
• If policies are held to maturity (death of the insured), gains plus death proceeds are received tax free
• Rebalance and trading activity does not trigger taxation
• $1 of premium can create $3 of tax benefits and tax-free proceeds

Advantages Risk Factor

• In accordance with SSAP 21(6) ICOLI is considered an admitted asset. Under current guidance from SSAP 21 there is no NAIC RBC charge on cash surrender value life insurance, regardless of underlying asset allocation.
• AM best – consistent with NAIC treatment, may apply a BCAR charge of 0.8%reflecting the credit quality the insurance carrier issuer.

Book Value Accounting and Volatility Stabilization

• General account life insurance provides stable, predictable yields
• Volatility reducing ‘’wraps‘’ can allow book value accounting on marked – to – market assets in variable universal life insurance contracts

Customized Investments

• A wide variety of traditional investments are available
• Investments or investment managers can be added by the purchaser, subject to minimum initial investments
• Private equity and real estate is available subject to minimums

Enhanced Benefit Program

• Insurance company can enhance their executive’s benefit package through an arrangement to share the death benefit

 

TOP 60 ICOLI HOLDERS (page 4)

Cash surrender value of ICOLI as reported in their statutory financial statements (Figures are in $000s)

ICOLI Economics Example

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