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Navigating Tax Deductions for Life Insurance Premiums

by Foresight Financial | Sep 2, 2024 | Blog, Insurance, life insurance

Considering that the proceeds of a life insurance policy are received tax-free upon the death of the life insured, it is not surprising that the premiums for the policy are not tax deductible. There are two circumstances, however, where premiums would be deductible for income tax purposes;

If the life insurance policy is assigned to a lending institution that requires the assignment as a condition for a loan, for either investment or business purposes.
If the life insurance policy is donated to a registered charity and the donor continues to pay the premiums on behalf of the charity.

Life insurance policies used as collateral security for a loan

The conditions under which the owner of a life insurance policy would be entitled to a collateral insurance deduction are as follows:

The loan advance must be made by a qualified financial institution that is in the business of lending money. This includes banks, finance companies, trust companies, credit unions or insurance companies. It does not include private lending arrangements such as with friends or family members;
The lending institution must require the assignment of the policy owned by the borrower as a condition for granting the loan and a formal assignment of the policy must be made. There should be a letter or other documentation on file to substantiate the lender’s requirement for the life insurance assignment;
The proceeds of the loan must be used for investment or business purposes the income of which would be taxable to the borrower;
The life insurance policy assigned can be either an existing policy or one taken out for this specific purpose.

If all of the above criteria are met the borrower is entitled to a collateral insurance deduction which is the lesser of the premium paid or the Net Cost of Pure Insurance (NCPI). NCPI is calculated from factors contained in the Income Tax Act and is applied against the net amount at risk of the insurance policy. It increases annually and is also used to determine the Adjusted Cost Basis (ACB) of the policy.

For example, let’s consider John, a 45-year-old non-smoker who wishes to purchase shares in his employer’s company. His bank will lend him the money against the collateral of those shares if he will also assign a life insurance policy on his life in the amount of the loan. John purchases a 10- year term insurance policy in the amount of $1,000,000 (the amount of the loan) which he assigns to the bank. The annual premium for this policy for 10 years is $920.00. The NCPI for the first year is $590 increasing each year. For the first year, only $590 of the annual premium is deductible. By year 3, the NCPI has increased to $1,020. In year 3, the full $920 annual premium is deductible.

As of January 1, 2017, NCPI now recognizes insureds who are rated as a substandard risk for life insurance. Prior to this date, the NCPI did not take into consideration the additional premium resulting from a substandard risk. If we assume that John was rated 200% for health reasons his annual premium for the policy would increase to $1,790. If the policy was issued after January 1, 2017, his NCPI (and collateral insurance deduction) would now increase to $1,180. By year 3 the NCPI would have increased to $2,040. For policies issued before January 1, 2017, the deduction would have been the same as if John were a standard risk.

Where the owner is a business

Canadian private corporations are also able to claim the collateral insurance deduction on policies they own on the life of a shareholder or key person that is assigned to a lending institution as a condition of a loan for either investment or business purposes. This can also have the added advantage of the proceeds of the life insurance policies creating a Capital Dividend Account (CDA) which can be paid tax free to shareholders of the corporation.

For example if John, in the previous example, were a shareholder of his company and the bank required $1,000,000 of coverage to facilitate a loan which the company was going to use for expansion, the company would be entitled to deduct the NCPI (or premium paid, if the lesser) from business income. Should John die and the $1,000,000 of insurance proceeds were paid to the bank to repay the loan, the company would still be entitled to credit the death benefit less the ACB of the policy to the Capital Dividend Account even though the company retained none of the proceeds. As a result, retained or future earnings could be paid to the surviving shareholders tax free up to the amount of the CDA balance.

Life insurance policies donated to a charity

Gifting a life insurance policy results in a charitable tax credit based on the value of the policy at the time of the gift. This usually means cash surrender value. Premiums paid for the policy receive the charitable tax credit when those premiums continue to be paid by the donor on behalf of the charity that now owns the policy.

For policies that only have the charity named as a beneficiary there is no immediate deduction. When the insured dies, however, the death benefit is considered to have been immediately donated before the donor’s death. A tax credit is available on the insured person’s final return for the year of death and for the year before death.

Generally, life insurance premiums are not tax deductible. These are two situations that may be deductible if structured properly. It is always advisable to seek the advice of a qualified advisor when dealing with income tax related issues.

If you found this article helpful, please share it with others who might benefit from it.

Strategies for Multi-Generational Planning

by Foresight Financial | Jul 1, 2024 | Blog, critical illness insurance, disability, disability insurance, Estate Planning, Family, Insurance, life insurance, long term care

The Sandwich Generation was a term coined by Dorothy Miller in 1981 to describe adult children who were “sandwiched” between their aging parents and their own maturing children. There is even a term for those of us who are in our 50’s or 60’s with elderly parents, adult children and grandchildren – the Club Sandwich. More recently, the Boomerang Generation (the estimated 29% of adults ranging in ages 25 to 34, who live with their parents), are adding to the financial pressures as Boomers head into retirement.

It is estimated that by 2026, 1 in 5 Canadians will be older than 65. This means fewer adults to both fund and provide for elder care. Today, it is likely that the average married couple will have more living parents than they do children.

What are the challenges?

The truth is that many members of the Sandwich Generation find the circumstances are both emotionally and financially draining. In the past, women have been looked upon to provide the primary care giving in the home while men take care of the income needs. Today, roles have changed with the majority of working age women employed outside of the home. As a result, financially, both parents are looked upon to provide for the family. For The Sandwich Generation helping their parents and their children at the same time, creates stress that can affect both their mental and physical health.

Risk Management in the Sandwich Generation

Having an effective financial plan becomes key in dealing with the challenges. As the main breadwinner in this situation, it is possible that three generations are dependent upon you. One of the first issues to be addressed then is how you protect your revenue stream.

Steps to Minimize risk for the Sandwich Generation

Have an open and clear discussion about family resources and needs – The older generation needs to have a discussion with their children so that everyone knows what steps have or have not been taken to provide for the senior’s care when they are no longer able to care for themselves. This would also be a good time to initiate or continue any talk about what liquidity needs exist for taxes, long term care, funeral costs and last expenses etc.
Complete a life insurance needs analysis – Where there is not sufficient capital to continue family and dependent’s income at the death of a breadwinner, life insurance can provide the necessary funds required to maintain lifestyle, pay debt, reduce mortgages, fund children’s education and provide money for aging parent’s care. Life insurance is an affordable way to guarantee future security.
Review your disability and critical illness coverage – If there is not sufficient income that will continue to be paid should you become unable to work due to sickness or accident, consider long term disability coverage. Critical illness insurance will provide needed capital in the event of diagnosis of a life-threatening illness or condition. Not only will this provide financial support but will also improve your chances of recovery without the financial stress that often accompanies such a condition.
Investigate Long Term Care Insurance – Having the appropriate amount of LTC insurance will help to reduce the stress of having to care for a parent when they are no longer able to fully care for themselves. Consider having all the siblings share the cost.
Draft a Living Will or similar Representation Agreement – Making your wishes known to your loved ones in the event you are no longer capable of making medical decisions will go a long way to providing comfort to all concerned when difficult choices need to be made.

As you can see, being part of the Sandwich Generation can be very stressful – emotionally and financially. Having someone to talk to or being part of a support group dealing with this issue, will certainly help manage the emotional challenges.

Let’s connect soon to discuss what strategies you may need to implement to provide the financial security your family needs.

Optimizing Wealth Through Asset Re-Allocation

by Foresight Financial | Apr 3, 2024 | Blog, Investment, life insurance, tax

If you are an active investor, your investment holdings probably include many different asset classes. For many investors, diversification is a very important part of the wealth accumulation process to help manage risk and reduce volatility. Your investment portfolio might include stocks, bonds, equity funds, real estate and commodities. All these investment assets share a common characteristic – their yield is exposed to tax. From a taxation standpoint, investment assets fall into the following categories:

Tax-Adverse

The income from these investments are taxed at the top rates. They include bonds, certificates of deposits, savings accounts, rents etc. Depending on the province, these investments may be taxed at rates of approximately 50% or more. (For example, Alberta 48.0%, BC 53.5%, Manitoba 50.4%, Ontario 53.53%, Nova Scotia 54.0%).

Tax-Advantaged

These investments are taxed at rates lower than those that are tax-adverse. These investments include those that generate a capital gain (stocks, equity funds, investment real estate, etc.), or pay dividends. The effective tax rate on capital gains varies depending on province from approximately 24% to 27%. For non-eligible dividends, the range is between approximately 37% to 49%.

Tax-Deferred

Tax-deferred investments include those investments which are held in Registered Retirement Savings Plans or Registered Pension Plans (such as an Individual Pension Plan). One advantage of these investments is that the contribution is tax deductible in the year it was made. The disadvantage is that the income taken from these plans is tax-adverse as it is taxed as ordinary income and could attract top rates of income tax.

The growth in cash value life insurance policies such as Participating Whole Life and Universal Life is also tax-deferred in that until the funds are withdrawn in excess of their adjusted cost base while the insured is still alive, there is no reportable taxable income.

Tax-Free

Very few investments are tax-free in Canada. Those that are tax-free include the gain in value of your principal residence, Tax-free Savings Accounts (TFSA’s) and the death benefit of a life insurance policy (including all growth in the cash value account).

While Canada is not the highest taxed country in the world (that distinction belongs to Belgium) it is certainly not the lowest. (According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada sits as the 23rd highest taxed country in the world). It is also true that in addition to the taxes Canadians pay while they are living, the final insult comes at death.

Generally speaking, you have three beneficiaries when you die. You have your family, your favourite charities, and the Canada Revenue Agency. They all take a slice of your estate pie. Most people would rather leave more to their family and charities than pay the CRA more than they need to.

As our estates grow, they include funds that we intend to leave to our children and possibly to charity. They also include funds we are likely never going to spend while we are alive.

The secret to optimizing the value of your wealth for the benefit of your estate is to reallocate those assets that you are never going to spend during your lifetime from investments that are tax-exposed to those that are tax-free.

One of the best ways to do this is through life insurance. As mentioned earlier, assets which are tax-free include the death benefit of a life insurance policy. Systematically transferring funds from the tax-exposed investments to, for example, a Participating Whole Life Policy, not only eliminates the reportable tax on the funds transferred, it greatly increases the overall size of the estate to be left tax-free to your beneficiaries – your family and your charities.

Case Study

Let’s consider Ron and Sharon, aged 58 and 56 respectively. They have been told that they have a liquidity need of approximately $1,000,000 which would become payable at the second death. They are also unhappy about the taxes they are paying annually on their investments. They elect to reallocate some of their assets to a Participating Whole Life policy for $1,000,000 last-to-die policy with premiums of $35,000 per year for 20 years.

Over this period, they will transfer a total of approximately $700,000 of investments exposed to income tax to a tax-free environment. If we assume that their life expectancy is 34 years, the Whole Life policy will have grown to a death benefit of approximately $2,630,000*. This represents a pre-tax equivalent yield over this period of approximately 11%. Not only is there more than enough to pay the tax bill but there are funds left over for the family and any charitable donation they wish the estate to make.

In addition, with the transfer from a taxable to tax-free investment, income taxes that would have been paid during their lifetime has also been reduced. Along the way, the Participating Whole Life policy has a growing cash value account which could be borrowed against should the need arise. At the 20th year for example, the cash value of the policy (at current dividend scale), would be approximately $1,071,000.

This case illustrates only one example of how it is possible to optimize the value of an estate through asset re-allocation. By using funds you are never going to spend during your lifetime, you can create a much larger legacy to benefit others while reducing the total cost of your tax bill.

If you would like to investigate this concept to determine the value it can provide you and your family, please be sure to contact me. As always, please feel free to share this information with anyone you think would find it of interest.

* Values shown are using Manulife’s Par 100 Participating Whole Life policy assuming the current dividend scale with premiums paid for 20 years.

Donating to Charity Using Life Insurance

by Foresight Financial | Mar 1, 2024 | Blog, Charitable Gifting, life insurance

If you are interested in creating a legacy at your death by making a charitable donation, you may wish to investigate using life insurance for that purpose. There are different ways you can structure life insurance for use in philanthropy. The most common are:

Gifting an Existing Life Insurance Policy

If you currently own a life insurance policy, you can donate that policy to a charity. The charity will become owner and beneficiary of the policy and will issue a charitable receipt for the value of the policy at the time the transfer is made, which is usually the cash surrender value of the existing policy.

There are circumstances, however, where the fair market value may be in excess of cash surrender value. If for example, the donor is uninsurable at the time of the transfer, or if the replacement cost of the policy would be in excess of the current premium, the value of the donation may be higher. Under these conditions, it is advisable for the donor to have a professional valuation of the policy, done by an actuary, prior to the donation.

Any subsequent premium payments made to the policy by the donor after the transfer to the charity will receive a charitable receipt.

Gifting a New Life Insurance Policy

In this situation, a donor would apply for a life insurance policy on his or her life with the charity as owner and beneficiary of the policy at the time of issue. All premiums made by the donor on behalf of the charity would be considered as charitable donations.

Gift of the Life Insurance Death Benefit

With this strategy, an individual would retain ownership of the policy but would name the charity as the beneficiary. Upon the death of the insured, the proceeds would be paid to the charity and the estate of the owner of the policy would receive a charitable receipt for the death benefit proceeds. The naming of the charity can be made at any time prior to death. There is no required minimum period that must be satisfied prior to naming the charity as beneficiary.

As long as the life claim is settled within 3 years of death, the executor of the estate has the option to claim the life insurance donation on:

The final or terminal return of the insured;
The prior income tax year’s return preceding death of the insured;
Both the current and prior year tax returns with any excess amount able to carry forward for the next five subsequent years;
Any combination of the above.

With this strategy, there are no charitable receipts issued while the insured is alive, only after death when the insurance proceeds are paid to the named charity.

Replacing Donated Assets to the Estate

There may be circumstances where a sizeable donation is made to a charity that would greatly reduce the value of the estate that would be left to family or other heirs. For donors who are concerned that their heirs would receive less than originally intended as a result of this donation, purchasing life insurance to replace the donated asset is a possible solution.

The previous headings represent the ways in which life insurance can enhance or complement philanthropy. As well, life insurance can be a valuable addition to a charitable giving program in that it enables the donor to bequeath a larger donation than otherwise would be possible with just hard assets alone.

If you have been or are contemplating making a significant charitable donation, be sure not to overlook how life insurance can enhance your gifting plans.

What the Wealthy Know about Life Insurance

by Foresight Financial | Dec 22, 2023 | Blog, life insurance

If you have ever thought that life insurance was something you wouldn’t need after you reached a certain level of financial security, you might be interested in knowing why many wealthy individuals still carry large amounts of insurance. Consider the following:

A life insurance advisor in California recently placed a $201 million dollar life insurance policy on the life of a tech industry billionaire;
Well-known music executive David Geffen was life insured for $100 million;
Malcolm Forbes, owner of Forbes Magazine, was insured at the time of his death in 1990 for $70 million.

While life insurance is most often looked upon as a vehicle to protect one’s family or business, the question that springs to mind is why individuals with wealth need life insurance?

The most common factor connecting people of wealth is that they have a substantial amount of deferred income tax that must be paid upon death. In addition, they often have a strong desire to make a substantial donation to a favourite charity or educational institution.

“Life insurance is an efficient way to transfer money to your heirs.” – Malcolm Forbes

In Canada, individuals are deemed to have disposed of all their assets at fair market value when they die, which often results in taxable capital gains and other deferred taxes coming due. Paying premiums for insurance that will cover these taxes is almost always less expensive and more efficient than converting assets.

When allocating your investment dollars, it is helpful to understand what investments have the highest exposure to income tax.

Fully Tax Exposed

Investments which are taxed at the highest rate of income tax:

Interest-bearing instruments such as bonds, savings accounts and guaranteed investment certificates;
Rents;
Withdrawals or income from registered plans such as RSP’s or RPP’s.

Tax-Advantaged

Investments which are taxed at lower rates of income tax:

Investments which are taxed as a capital gain;
Dividends;
Flow through share programs;
Prescribed annuity income.

Tax-Deferred

Investments on which income tax is deferred until the asset is disposed of or the investor dies:

Registered Savings Plans;
Individual and Registered Pension Plans;
Investments producing deferred capital gains.

Registered plans, in addition to having the growth tax-deferred, also have the added advantage of the contributions being tax-deductible.

Tax-Free

Certain investment assets are totally free of income tax:

Principal residence;
Tax-Free Savings Accounts;
Death benefit of life insurance policies.

Life Insurance as an Investment

While the death benefit of life insurance policies is tax-free, it is important to recognize that this also includes the investment gains made on the cash value portion of the policy. With this in mind, many investors have discovered that by allocating a portion of long term investments to a Universal Life or Participating Whole Life policy, the results can be significant when compared to tax exposed or tax-advantaged investments.

Life Insurance for Estate Planning

One of the main objectives of estate planning is to maximize the amount we leave to our families or bequeath to our favourite charities. What many wealthy families have learned is that one of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to reduce the portion of the estate which is lost to the government to pay taxes at death.

While this helps explain why many individuals of wealth maintain life insurance, it also underscores the advantages of life insurance to anyone who will have taxes or other liquidity needs at death. In addition, using life insurance as part of a charitable giving strategy can provide significant benefits to both the donor and the charity.

As Malcolm Forbes alluded to, for providing capital to protect your family’s future financial security, paying taxes at death and creating a charitable legacy, nothing is more efficient or effective than life insurance.

Please feel free to share this article with anyone you think would find it of interest.

Protecting Your Family

by Foresight Financial | Nov 1, 2023 | Blog, life insurance

Let’s face it, raising a family today can be financially challenging. The cost of living continues to increase, housing costs are rising along with education and extra-curricular activities for our children. It is tough to make ends meet and still have something left over at the end of each month.

Most families today require both parents to work to afford the lifestyle they enjoy. Losing one of those incomes through premature death, illness or a disability is a real risk that many families would have a difficult time facing emotionally and financially.

How do you protect your family?

Life insurance is designed to protect your family by providing the resource to replace income, pay off debt, and fund future education costs in the event that one of the parents dies.
Disability, or income replacement insurance, is designed to replace lost income if an individual is not able to work due to accident or sickness.
Critical Illness insurance will pay a lump sum benefit in the event of a diagnosis of many major illnesses.

If you and your spouse work for a company that provides employee benefits, you may already be insured for both life and disability insurance and in some cases critical illness. Be aware that for the most part, employee benefit programs provide only a minimum amount of life insurance, usually based on one or two years of income. If long term disability coverage is provided it may be enough for personal needs but that is not always the case. Each situation is different, so it’s important that you and your spouse review your respective plan information to ensure that you have sufficient coverage in place. There are options to top up your coverage either through your group insurance or individually.

How much life insurance do you need?

If you or your spouse dies, the family will require a lump sum of capital to replace earned income. You should aim to have enough cash for the following needs:

insurance to pay off any outstanding debts and mortgages
enough income from the invested capital to replace the lost income
an amount to cover future education costs

Think life insurance premiums are too expensive?

Term insurance is an affordable solution for a growing family with a tight budget. A 35-year-old non-smoking male can purchase $1,000,000 of ten-year renewable term insurance for less than $40.00 per month. A non-smoking female of the same age would pay less than $30.00 per month for the same coverage. A relatively small cost to protect a family for a total of $2,000,000 of tax free benefit in the event of an untimely death.

Let’s have a discussion about how we can build a program of protection specifically designed for your needs and circumstances. Knowing what the needs are and what protection is in place goes a long way to providing peace of mind.

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