Business Shield

Keep your business protected, your people retained, and your growth plans funded

Who this is for

• Owners, founders, and managing partners

• Companies that rely on key people for sales, delivery, IP, or relationships

• Teams competing for top talent who want compelling, retention-minded benefits

• Businesses seeking both protection today and financial flexibility tomorrow

The Business Shield strategy (3 pillars)

1) Protect the enterprise

Right-sized life insurance on key people and owners helps stabilize operations, reassure lenders, and buy time to recruit and transition if the unexpected happens.

2) Retain & reward leaders

Executive bonus, restricted bonus (REBA), or nonqualified plans turn benefits into a competitive edge—so high performers have a reason to join, win, and stay.

3) Build usable reserves

Permanent coverage with cash value can create a conservative, long-term reserve on your balance sheet—policy values you can potentially access (subject to policy terms) to seize opportunities or weather a storm.

Why we often recommend Indexed Whole Life (IWL) from AuguStar for owners

• Whole-life guarantees with modern growth potential. AuguStar’s Prestige Indexed Whole Life combines the guarantees of whole life (guaranteed death benefit, guaranteed cash value accumulation, level premiums) with index-based growth potential via diverse index accounts and a competitive fixed account. This gives owners protection plus upside potential inside a whole-life chassis. AuguStar Financial

• Finite-pay options that match business budgets. AuguStar highlights unique 10-pay and 20-pay IWL designs—helpful when you want premiums finished on a defined timeline and benefits that keep working. In 2024 the carrier introduced a 20-pay option positioned for both individual and business planning needs. Constellation Insurance+3AuguStar Financial+3PR Newswire+3

• Transparency and control. AuguStar materials emphasize that IWL provides index crediting options similar to IUL while retaining the whole-life guarantees and a transparent cost structure—useful for owners who want to see how dollars move through the policy over time. AuguStar Financial

• Issuer + guarantees. Indexed whole life is issued by AuguStar Life Assurance Corporation; guarantees depend on the claims-paying ability of the issuer. Product features and rider availability vary by state. (Issuer not licensed in NY.) AuguStar Financial

Prefer IUL for different objectives (income or flexibility)? We can compare AuguStar’s IUL lineup side-by-side with IWL and other carriers to match your goals. AuguStar Financial+1

Use cases owners love

• Key Person Protection + Liquidity: Help cushion revenue shocks and recruiter costs if a rainmaker or technical lead is lost.

• Buy-Sell Funding: Turn a legal agreement into cash on day one for clean ownership transitions.

• Executive Bonus / REBA: Bonus premiums to an executive-owned policy; add reasonable restrictions (vesting/performance) to encourage retention.

• Strategic Reserves: Over time, policy cash values (subject to charges/limits) can become a conservative reserve you can potentially access via withdrawals/loans (reduces death benefit; see disclosures).

What this looks like in real life (illustrative)

A two-partner firm relies on one founder for enterprise sales and another for delivery. We designed a cross-purchase buy-sell funded with AuguStar IWL (10-pay) on each partner, plus key person coverage on the sales leader. The firm added a restricted executive bonus for a rising VP.
Now, if a trigger event happens, there’s cash to stabilize operations and a pre-funded buyout to keep ownership clean—and a retention plan that keeps the VP engaged. (Example only; results vary.)

How we work (simple, fast, coordinated)

1. Discovery: Map revenue dependencies, covenants, and retention goals.

2. Design: Compare IWL vs. IUL vs. other structures; right-size amounts and pay periods.

3. Coordinate: Work with your attorney/CPA on buy-sell terms, bonus docs, and tax treatment.

4. Implement: Underwriting, funding, and policy delivery.

5. Review annually: Update values, people, and coverage as you grow.

FAQs (straight answers)

Why IWL instead of traditional whole life or IUL?
IWL blends whole-life guarantees with index-based crediting potential; some owners like the defined 10- or 20-pay horizon and the way IWL balances certainty with growth potential. We’ll show side-by-side comparisons. AuguStar Financial+1

Can cash value really help the business?
Subject to policy terms, cash values can be accessed via withdrawals/loans—this reduces the death benefit and may affect performance; careful management is required. We build policies to your risk tolerance and review annually.

Will lenders recognize this planning?
Many lenders appreciate documented continuity (key person/buy-sell) and conservative liquidity planning. We’ll coordinate the design to your credit relationships.

Ready to shield your business—and empower your growth?

Protect revenue, keep leaders, and build flexibility with a plan that’s simple to implement and easy to maintain.

Schedule your Business Shield Call (link to /contact)
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