How Credit Unions Can Invest in Life Insurance for Executives and Minimize Risk
Credit unions commonly use life insurance-based executive benefits, such as collateral assignment split dollar plans to retain key talent. One of the original intentions has always been to leverage these benefits to incentivize an executive to stay in place in exchange for receiving life insurance coverage and tax-free income throughout retirement. However, what happens when […]
Is the Design of Your Credit Union’s Split-Dollar Plan Sustainable?
Collateral assignment split-dollar plans are a powerful executive benefit with favorable tax treatment that can incentivize retention and offer credit union leaders a long-term income stream in retirement. However, while many credit unions have collateral assignment split-dollar plans as part of their executive benefits mix, it is no secret that these tools are more complex […]
The Flaws of Target-Date Funds in Optimizing a Credit Union Executive’s Retirement Income
Both of these statements are accurate: Almost 80% of credit union 401(k) plan participants have all or some of their retirement savings in a target-date fund (TDF), and they’re only gaining more popularity since they were first introduced in 1994. Target-date funds are the wrong investment vehicle for most credit union executives. If this isn’t […]
Risk Factors for Credit Unions to Consider When Designing a Split-Dollar Plan
When deciding which executive benefits to provide to your leadership team, your board may have landed on the benefits afforded by choosing a collateral assignment split-dollar plan. This benefit type is a legal agreement between the credit union and executive that incorporates retirement distributions with life insurance coverage. While split-dollar plans are relatively common, designing […]
Why Financial Planning is an Essential Executive Benefit for Credit Union Leaders
Traditional financial planning offers practical tools for rank-and-file employees; however, it simply doesn’t capture the full breadth of complex financial situations and compensation benefits a credit union executive has to manage in the C-suite. For example, beyond a standard 401(k), executives may also have a 457(b), 457(f), or split-dollar plan with different income distribution timings […]
Unlock 25% More in Assets With Personal Strategic Financial Planning
ACT Advisors is proud to release our white paper, The 125% Credit Union Executive, where we explain how financial planning is one of the least expensive benefits a credit union can provide its executives while significantly improving their financial outcomes — by as much as 25%. Executive benefits present many complexities that require personal financial […]
Should Credit Unions Fund Split-Dollar Plans With Whole Life or Index Universal Life Insurance?
At ACT Advisors, the split-dollar plan is one of the most powerful executive compensation tools we encounter when delivering meaningful benefits to executives. The reasons include relatively reliable returns, lower risk, and their non-taxable nature in most cases. Before a credit union offers a split-dollar plan, however, it must evaluate how to fund it, typically […]
Split-Dollar Versus 457(f) Plans and What Credit Unions Should Evaluate
When building an executive benefits package that seeks to recruit and retain top talent, the question arises: with multiple options, which benefits should we include? Popular choices that uniquely benefit credit unions are the collateral assignment split-dollar (CASD) and 457(f) plans. Both are retention tools that provide retirement benefits to executives—but which is better? As […]
How Credit Union CEOs Can Make Bold Moves and Balance Personal Risk—At the Same Time
When is the appropriate time to undertake your boldest or most innovative projects? As a credit union CEO, you’ve likely considered how the risk of significant organizational changes may affect your future employment, and ultimately, long-term finances. These risks may arise from financial strain on your credit union or political challenges among your board. We’re […]
Risks Credit Union Executives and Boards Should Consider With Collateral Assignment Split-Dollar Plans
Many credit union boards propose adding a collateral assignment split-dollar plan (CASD) as a desirable compensation benefit to help retain their top executives. At first glance, a CASD appears to perform similarly to a pension plan. However, this benefit is quite complex, and misunderstanding or making assumptions about a CASD could lead to more risks […]
