Business continuity, ownership and key-person risk

Key-person protection

Company-owned coverage or reserves can help absorb revenue loss, replacement cost, lender pressure or transition expense after the death or disability of a critical person.

Strategy Overview

The decision at a glance.

The right question is not whether a strategy sounds attractive. It is whether its benefits, costs and obligations improve your complete plan versus practical alternatives.

When it may be worth considering
Businesses where a founder, rainmaker, operator or specialist creates measurable enterprise dependency.
Things to consider
The need should be quantified. Employer-owned life insurance notice, consent and reporting rules can affect tax treatment.
How Helix can help
We quantify the exposure, compare retention of risk with insurance and reserves, and coordinate ownership and compliance with professionals.

A Closer Look

How this strategy works in practice.

These are the mechanics and decisions worth understanding before you spend time or money pursuing a detailed design.

01

How it generally works

  1. The company estimates the financial effect of losing a critical owner or employee.
  2. Coverage or reserves are sized around replacement cost, lost margin, debt obligations and transition time.
  3. Employer consent, ownership, beneficiary designations and required reporting are documented before issue.
02

Questions worth answering

  • What measurable loss would occur and for how long?
  • Is coverage intended for business recovery, debt, ownership purchase or several needs?
  • Have notice, consent and employer-owned life insurance requirements been addressed?

Prepare For A Useful Conversation

Information worth gathering.

You do not need every item before starting. These materials help replace generic assumptions with facts from your financial life.

  • 01Current ownership agreements, cap table and governing documents
  • 02A recent valuation or the financial data needed to prepare one
  • 03Business debt, guarantees and available liquidity
  • 04Succession roles, key people and existing insurance or funding

From Interest To Informed Action

A disciplined path from education to implementation.

  1. 01

    Explain

    Clarify what key-person protection is designed to accomplish and where it may not fit.

  2. 02

    Consider

    Share your goal, timing, decision-makers and relevant assets through a brief, private planning form.

  3. 03

    Discover

    Meet privately so we can understand your broader family, business, tax, estate and investment picture.

  4. 04

    Analyze

    Compare the strategy with simpler alternatives using consistent assumptions and downside scenarios.

  5. 05

    Coordinate

    Work with your attorney, CPA, insurance professional or other specialist before implementation.

  6. 06

    Monitor

    Review assumptions, documents, funding and results as laws, markets and your circumstances change.

Common Questions

Things to consider before you decide.

What is Key-person protection?

Company-owned coverage or reserves can help absorb revenue loss, replacement cost, lender pressure or transition expense after the death or disability of a critical person.

Who might consider this strategy?

Businesses where a founder, rainmaker, operator or specialist creates measurable enterprise dependency.

What are the key risks and tradeoffs?

The need should be quantified. Employer-owned life insurance notice, consent and reporting rules can affect tax treatment.

What role does Helix Wealth play?

We quantify the exposure, compare retention of risk with insurance and reserves, and coordinate ownership and compliance with professionals.

Your Next Step

Could key-person protection improve your plan?

Tell us what you are considering through a brief, private planning form. If deeper analysis could be useful, the next step is a private discovery meeting focused on your circumstances.

Tell us what you are consideringNo recommendation is made until Helix understands your circumstances.

Primary Sources

Read the rules behind the strategy.

These government and regulatory resources are the starting point for this guide. They are not a substitute for advice based on your circumstances.

Source review completed August 2026.
Important planning information

This page is educational and is not individualized investment, legal, tax, accounting or insurance advice. Strategy availability and results depend on your circumstances, current law, underwriting, product terms and professional implementation. No strategy eliminates risk, and tax outcomes are not guaranteed. Insurance services are offered only where appropriately licensed. Separately licensed representatives may receive insurance commissions, which creates a conflict of interest described in the firm's disclosures.

Begin

Explore whether key-person protection fits your plan.

Start with a private conversation about the goal, timing and decisions already in motion. Helix will help determine whether deeper analysis is appropriate.

A few basic contact details are enough to start. Information you submit is handled under our privacy practices. Privacy Policy

Strategy of interestKey-person protection
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