Since the early 1980s, bank-owned life insurance or BOLI has been the go-to strategy for banks to offset the cost of executive and employee benefits. At the end of 2020, more than 3,200 banks reported owning $184.3 billion -more than 10% of bank capital – in cash surrender value. In Illinois, 234 banks owned $6.9 billion. Over $3 billion was purchased in the 4th quarter of 2020 alone. What makes BOLI work so well?

BOLI is an institutional life insurance policy insuring bank officers (and sometimes directors). Unlike the typical life insurance policy we buy as individuals, BOLI is engineered to provide the least amount of death benefit gain and maximum amount of growth in cash surrender value (CSV). The growth in CSV is recorded monthly as “other non-interest income,” and is accrued without any provision for taxes. When held to “maturity” – in other words, the death of the insured – BOLI offers tax-equivalent yields nearing 4%. With increasing chatter from Washington, DC about raising the Federal corporate tax rate, equivalent yield will be even higher if that happens.

While BOLI can be surrendered to the insurer at any time for its cash surrender value, doing so triggers recognition of the previously accrued earnings as ordinary income. In most cases, there is also a 10% Modified Endowment Contract or MEC excise tax on the gain over the initial purchase. BOLI works best if the bank holds the policy until maturity, when all proceeds should be income-tax free. This makes it a long-term, illiquid asset.

Despite the long-term holding period, the crediting rate on BOLI can adjust at least annually. The crediting rate history shows BOLI moves in the general direction of broader interest rates, albeit more slowly and with a lag. Unlike directly-held fixed income investments, however, general account BOLI has no mark-to-market risk – something to consider as interest rates begin to rise.

If the current fixed-rate BOLI is not appealing enough, you should consider whether “indexed BOLI” is right for you. With Indexed BOLI, the crediting rate is not merely declared by the insurer – it measures the change to an external index like the S&P 500™, but with a minimum and a maximum crediting rate. It’s critical to note that the CSV is never exposed to the S&P500™ - CSV is still fully backed by the insurer at all times.

Recent changes to the tax code make BOLI more attractive. Buried in the 5,000-page appropriations bill that was signed by former President Trump in late December 2020 was a small but significant change to IRC Sections 7702 and 7702A. These code sections define life insurance and MECs, basically as a ratio of death benefit to cash surrender value.

It will take a few months for insurers to revise their product portfolios to capture this change, however, BOLI carriers have already taken action. Simply put, for policies issued after January 1, 2021, the death benefit required for a given BOLI purchase is 35%-55% lower than under the old code language. This means lower cost of insurance charges to drag down yield on CSV, as well as the ability to structure a purchase with significantly lower reputation risk.

While nearly all BOLI has been a single-premium policy, these code changes could result in more competitive annual pay products becoming available to banks. This could eliminate the MEC excise penalty and provide for more liquidity.

Regulators have long-required banks to follow interagency guidance on purchasing and monitoring BOLI. This includes a thorough pre-purchase analysis as well as an annual risk assessment. It includes vendor due diligence, which is why it’s important to partner with a provider that can provide technical and compliance support, such as CBSC’s Endorsed Partner IZALE Financial Group.

The interagency guidance also requires a bank to quantify the ability to buy BOLI by measuring the cost of employee benefits. And this is where some confusion comes into play. Often BOLI is co-presented with an executive or director benefit and it’s viewed as one and the same. Offering a benefit and buying BOLI are two distinct decisions that can certainly work together but are nonetheless distinct. Even if your bank does not purchase BOLI, it may still be prudent to offer supplemental benefits to key people.

One of the first steps to evaluating whether supplement executive benefits are appropriate is to do a Retirement Income Analysis or RIA. The RIA takes a snapshot of current benefits (401k, profit sharing, pension, social security, etc.) and projects them to retirement age, and calculates the percentage of final income that could be replaced by current benefits. The projected replacement ratio can then be compared to a targeted replacement ratio, thereby offering a rational and defensible starting point for quantifying a benefit amount.

Once your bank has targeted a benefit amount, it should then compare the three common approaches to delivering a benefit:

1. Supplemental executive retirement plan or SERP. This is a mere promise by the bank to pay a benefit at a future date. Accounting rules require the bank incur current annual expenses that build a liability for the expected benefit on the balance sheet. No specific asset is required; the bank will generally make payments from cash on hand. The bank receives a tax deduction when benefits are paid, and the executive recognizes the benefit as ordinary income as received. Early vesting provides an opportunity to recognize the benefit for FICA purposes, perhaps eliminating the self-employment tax exposure in retirement.
2. Restricted executive bonus agreement or REBA. This uses a life insurance policy owned by the executive (this is not BOLI!). Premiums are designed to accrue enough cash value on a tax-deferred basis so that at the designated date or age the executive can structure income-tax-free distributions to supplement income. The premiums are current tax-deductible expenses to the bank and reported as current ordinary income by the executive, and there is generally no accrual for any post-retirement obligation. Compared to a SERP, a REBA can offer savings to the bank of 20%-30% while providing the executive with greater benefit security.
3. Split-dollar loan arrangement or SDL. Like the REBA, SDL uses a life insurance policy owned by the executive. Instead of treating the premiums as current expense to the bank and income to the executive, they are expected to be repaid in full by the policy cash value or death benefits and are therefore treated for income-tax purposes as a loan. Federal Reserve guidance permits this without Reg O treatment, provided certain conditions exist. (Note: because of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, SDL is generally unavailable to SEC-filers.)

Each benefit type offers its own advantages. For example, REBA and SDL may not be viable if there are underwriting concerns for the executive. The SERP provides the bank with greater control as the tradeoff to absorbing the largest expense of the three. After careful consideration and modeling the bank should choose the one or ones – yes, you can do different things for different executives – that best matches the bank’s objectives.

BOLI is a compelling tool that a bank can use to improve earnings. Whether you already own BOLI or it’s been a while since you’ve considered it, market forces present strong reasons for a fresh look. Supplemental benefit plans for key people are also tools that help you attract, retain, and reward the key people driving shareholder value. Even if you’ve had a SERP for years, it should be reviewed and other structures considered that might be more powerful for both the bank and the executive/director.

IZALE’s founder and CEO, Scott Richardson, helped develop the interagency guidance for BOLI, and the IZALE team has designed and implemented over 1,100 benefit plans. Drawing on his service as a director of an Illinois community bank, Richardson stresses the importance of a consultative approach that provides rational and defensible analyses that lead to customary and reasonable solutions.

To receive a complimentary Retirement Income Analysis, to get a second opinion on your inforce BOLI or to see how additional BOLI can help your bank, or to learn more about the differing ways to structure executive benefits, contact IZALE Financial Group today.

Split-dollar loan (SDL) remains a popular form of executive benefit, driven by more favorable financial impact on the CU vs. other benefit forms as well as the potential for income-tax-free benefits for the executive.

Split-dollar loan uses a life insurance policy owned by the executive and paid for by the CU. The CU’s payments are treated as a loan under IRS regulations (hence the name), and if the CU is to be repaid premiums plus interest at the IRS-determined Applicable Federal Rate (AFR), there is favorable tax treatment.

Simply put, SDL captures the spread between policy performance (which varies) and the AFR (which is fixed for each CU advance). While actual spread matters the projected spread has far more influence on expected benefits. Therefore, the projection rate you use is crucial to designing and monitoring SDL. Insurance illustration rules limit the maximum projection rate, however, prudent design demands a planning rate below that maximum.

One of the key decisions in designing SDL is what type of policy to use – whole life (WL) or indexed universal life (IUL). We use both types, helping clients match the executive’s profile to the appropriate product.

Whole Life is the oldest form of life insurance. It has strong guarantees with an annual dividend rate set by the carrier that doesn’t change much from year to year. With a 25+ year general decline in fixed income rates, it’s no surprise that dividend rates have changed. The table below shows the number of decreases from 2002-2021. The maximum projection rate in WL is the current dividend rate. We recommend a WL planning rate 0.5%-0.75% below the carrier’s 2021 dividend scale.

Indexed Universal Life has a crediting rate based on the change in an external index, most commonly the 1-year change in the S&P500™. An author of a recent article wrote that IULs are “expected to lose money about half the time.” This is a stunning lack of understanding of how IUL works since cash values are never exposed to the index and there is a guaranteed minimum or “floor” rate. The table below is based on 25 years of 1-year measuring periods

The maximum projection rate in IUL is a function of the IUL cap rate, and like WL dividend rates IUL cap rates have declined. While you can still actually get a 9% crediting rate for any measuring period, the projection rate is lower. We recommend an IUL planning rate that is 0.5%-0.75% below the maximum, and are currently using 5%-5.25%.

So which is the “right” product? While neither WL nor IUL is inherently better the key for us is the first distribution date. If you have less than 10 years before the first scheduled distribution, we generally favor WL as it provides greater confidence in meeting the projection. Beyond that, the upside of IUL may be more desirable. Whichever you choose, stress the initial planning rate by running two lower alternatives to see the impact on the targeted distribution.

There are other features of WL and IUL that are key to a sound SDL plan. Call IZALE Financial Group for a free consultation.

How important is Net Interest Margin (NIM) to your institution? Community financial institutions are heavily dependent on net interest income (NII). With the majority of earnings coming from NIM, implementing a disciplined approach around “NII management” will make the difference between underperforming and outperforming institutions. To request a comparison of how your institution ranks vs national and in-state peers, click here.

As financial institutions across the nation are dealing with challenges from COVID-19, anticipating next steps to protecting or to improving profitability will become increasingly difficult. Why: Margins are under pressure!  Cash positions are growing with record deposit inflows; loan pricing has become ultra-competitive; and many institutions are seeing accelerated cash flows from investment portfolios. In times of uncertainty, it can be challenging to develop and execute a strategy to defend profitability.   

In addition to profit management, it is important to remember that stress testing your institution’s balance sheet is no longer an academic exercise! Beyond the risk-management applications, stressing the resiliency of capital and durability of liquidity should give your institution the confidence necessary to execute on strategies to improve performance and to stay ahead of your peers. It is of heightened importance to maintain focus on the four major balance sheet positions we discuss below.

Capital Assessment/Position

Capital serves as the cornerstone for all balance sheets, supporting growth, absorbing losses, and providing resources for seizing opportunities. Most importantly, capital serves as a last line of defense, protecting against risk of the known and the unknown. As we navigate this period of uncertainty over the next 12 to 24 months, capital will be tested. Rapid changes occurring within the economy are not entirely cyclical in nature; rather, structural shifts will develop as consumer behavior evolves and business operations adjust to a ‘next normal’. Knowing the ‘breaking points’ for your capital base in terms of growth, credit deterioration, and a combination of these factors will serve your institution well for the Board and regulators.

Liquidity Assessment/Position

At Taylor Advisors, we have a saying, “Asset quality deterioration leads to capital erosion which leads to liquidity evaporation”. With institutions reporting record deposit growth and cash balances swelling, understanding how access to a variety of funding sources can change given asset quality deterioration or capital pressure is critical to evaluating the adequacy of your comprehensive liquidity position. Furthermore, stress testing your profile for a variety of scenarios (including falling below “well capitalized”) should help to give further confidence to execute strategies to protect the margin.

Interest Rate Risk Assessment/Position

In today’s ultra-low rate environment, pressure on earning asset yields is compounded by funding costs already nearing historically low levels. Excess cash is expensive and significant asset-sensitivity represents an opportunity cost as the Fed and the market forecast a low rate environment for the foreseeable future. Focus on adjusting your asset mix, not only to improve your earnings today, but to sustain it with higher, stable earning asset yields over time. Additionally, revisit critical model assumptions including loan reinvestment rate floors to ensure that your assumptions are reflective of actual pricing and rates down deposit beta assumptions as they may be too high for certain deposit categories.

Investment Assessment/Position

Strategies for investment portfolios and cash usually make a meaningful contribution to your institution’s overall interest income. Below are some key considerations to help guide the investment process in today’s challenging environment:

• Cost of carrying excess cash just increased – Most institutions are now earning just 0.10% or less on their overnight funds. There are alternatives available in the market to increase income on short-term liquidity.  Cash is not always KING!
• Consider pre-investing – Many institutions have been very busy with PPP loans, and investments have taken a back seat. However, we anticipate this program having a short-term impact on liquidity and resources.  Currently, spreads are still attractive in select sectors of the market.  

Taylor Advisors’ Take:  

Looking beyond 2020, liquidity and capital are taking center stage in most ALCO discussions. Moving away from regulatory appeasement and towards pro-active planning and decision-making will be of paramount importance. This can start with upgrading your tools and policies, improving your ability to interpret and communicate the results, and helping implement actionable strategies.

Truly understanding your balance sheet positions is critical before implementing balance sheet management strategies. Why? You must know where you are to know where you want to go. Start by studying your latest Q3 data! Dissect your NIM and understand why your earning asset yields are above or below peer. Balance sheet management is about driving unique strategies and tailored risk management practices to outperform…anything less will lead to sub-optimal results.