How Equitable helps business owners

Helping you protect what matters most, every step of the way

Business owners have been working with Equitable for over 75 years. We have learned that the best approach to working with you as a business owner is to collaborate with you and your other trusted advisors to help ensure that you have the support and strategies you need to protect, preserve, and pursue more value from your business.

Here's how we can work together

Our people Approach and business support Business owner offerings

Who we are

Equitable is a leader in financial protection strategies and wealth management and we have been providing stability and reliability to our clients since 1859. Our promise is simple - we break complex financial decisions into small, manageable steps to help you live your life with confidence, give you peace of mind and enable you to realize your dreams.

We deliver that promise locally through our team of nearly 5,000 dedicated financial professionals.

A process that works

Small steps can have a big impact. Wherever you are we can guide you step by step to help you through each stage of your business.

Step 1: Listen to you and explore your needs

We will first listen to you to see what your specific needs, concerns and priorities are.

Step 2: Identify your goals and priorities

In coordination with our experts and any other trusted advisors you may have, we will work to define your business and personal goals.

Step 3: Coordinate and evaluate potential strategies

To ensure that your goals can be reached, our team will work to evaluate key strategies to focus on to help you get to where you want to be.

Step 4: Develop, implement and support your plan

Though planning is important, that is not where our partnership ends. We will work with you to implement strategies but more importantly we will stay by your side after, and will continue to support you and your business.

We listen to you

Our experience has shown us that it all starts with you — your thoughts, dreams and needs. We have learned that not all businesses are the same, and we have a strong history of cultivating impactful and supportive relationships with other business owners. The purpose of our partnership is to help you get to where you want to be, and to do that we need to know what’s on your mind.

Offerings for every stage of your business

Your goals for today and in the future are our main objective. Equitable has a variety of strategies available to business owners that can help get you there.

Business protection and preservation planning

Funding buy-sell arrangements
Buy-sell agreements set the price and terms at which one business owner will sell shares to the other (or to a third party) in the event of a death, disability or scheduled departure. If something happens to you, your family receives insurance proceeds in exchange for your share of the business.
Key person life insurance
This type of life insurance covers employees who are critical to your business’s success. If a key employee dies, the insurance helps offset a disruption in sales or production, missed business opportunities, credit difficulties, or the expense of training a replacement.
Key person disability income insurance
If a key employee suffers a disabling injury or illness, the business receives either steady income or a lump sum payment that can be used to train a replacement or to supplement income until the employee returns.
Life insurance

A personal life insurance policy can replace your income and protect your family if you die prematurely. This type of policy can also provide proceeds to your business to help ensure that it continues.
Using an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust for succession planning
If you have multiple heirs or multiple partners in your small business, using an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) can be an effective way to pass along your business after your death.
Annuities
An annuity is an agreement between you and an insurance company that lets you pursue accumulation through investment options to help provide you an income stream when you are ready to retire.
Business succession plans
To ensure that your business passes to your ideal successor, carefully craft a business succession plan that clearly articulates who will eventually get the business, sale price, purchase terms and possible trigger events.
Writing a business succession plan

A successful business succession plan outlines who, how and when your business will pass to another person or company when you retire, are disabled, or pass away. Most plans involve a buy-sell agreement, secured with life insurance or a loan.

Executive retention and benefit programs

Executive bonus plans
This type of retirement savings plan is funded with an executive bonus. Contributions are tax-deductible for the business. The money accumulates tax-deferred and is generally distributed tax-free. The plan requires no IRS approval, is easy to set up and can be terminated at any time.
Split-dollar arrangements
Premium payments, policy benefits or both are shared between the business and a key employee. A split-dollar policy can help you attract and retain key employees by providing them with lower-cost life insurance coverage.
Non-qualified deferred compensation

These arrangements provide retirement income — and often death or disability benefits or both — to a select group of highly paid employees. These arrangements are best suited for executives who have reached the maximum allowable retirement plan contributions, and they provide an incentive to stay with the company throughout succession.

Qualified plans

Retirement savings plans can provide a tax deduction for your business and the benefit of tax deferral for you. There are many options available to meet your individual needs.

401(k) qualified retirement plan
DC Profit-sharing plans
SEP IRA (Simplified Employee Pension Plan)
SIMPLE (Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees)
Owners 401(k)
Defined Benefit (DB)
Cash Balance/DB
DB(k)

Estate planning strategies

Estate planning strategies can help you make sure that the ownership of your business or its value passes to your heirs exactly as you desire, in a tax-efficient way.

Business valuation services*
An independent valuation of your business can help you understand what your business would actually be worth if sold. If you intend to sell, give or bequeath your business to a family member, you must have an IRS-certified valuation.
Estate equalization strategies

Strategies that enable you to leave ownership of the business to those family members most appropriate to receive it while compensating other family members who should not be given an ownership interest in the business.

Employee Benefits

Help employees protect themselves and their families — with affordable rates and limited cost to your business. Offering benefits at the workplace can help you attract and retain employees. With Equitable’s comprehensive employee benefits product suite, your employees can be provided with the coverage they need and the plans they prefer. With our ancillary products, including dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability, deductible insurance, hospital-plus, and critical illness, employees can be better protected from unexpected medical costs or loss of income.

Short-term disability insurance
When purchased for yourself, this insurance can help you manage expenses if you become temporarily disabled (for one year or less). When added as an employee benefit, group plans are typically less expensive, voluntary programs in which employees pay part of the costs.
Long-term disability insurance
When purchased for yourself, this insurance can help you manage expenses if you experience long-term disability (for several years or for life). When added as an employee benefit, group plans are typically less expensive, voluntary programs in which employees pay part of the costs.

*Business valuation services not offered through Equitable.

Next steps

Let one of our financial professionals get to know you and see how we can help. Find a financial professional near you, or call us at 844-4-BIZINFO (844-424-9463).

All group insurance products are issued either by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company or Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, which have sole responsibility for their insurance and claims-paying obligations. Some products are not available in all states.

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Equitable is the brand name of the retirement and protection subsidiaries of Equitable Holdings, Inc., including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (Equitable Financial) (NY, NY), Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America), an AZ stock company with main administrative headquarters in Jersey City, NJ, and Equitable Distributors, LLC. Equitable Advisors is the brand name of Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC). GE-2891061(01/20)