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From Vine to Cash Value: Uncorking the Benefits of Cash Value Life Insurance for Wineries and Vineyards

From Vine to Cash Value: Uncorking the Benefits of Cash Value Life Insurance for Wineries and Vineyards

As a partner and Wealth Strategist at Camas Advice, I dedicate much of my time to working with high-earners, high-net-worth individuals, and business owners. I’ve found that in the dynamic business world, smart owners keep an eye on fresh and creative strategies to ensure their growth and success continue. Many tactics are well-known, but there’s a hidden gem that banks and Fortune 500 companies use that most are unaware of: Cash Value Life Insurance. This powerful financial tool benefits businesses in various industries, including wineries and vineyards. These businesses face unique challenges, so their owners need to explore what Cash Value Life Insurance can offer. In this article, we’ll look at why business owners, especially those in the winery and vineyard industry, should learn about Cash Value Life Insurance and how this strategy can boost financial stability, supercharge growth, and create lasting success.

Cash value life insurance is a fantastic tool that can benefit business owners. It can help protect against losing a key person, provide executive benefits, fund your buy-sell agreements, provide financing or line of credit for a business, and even help with estate planning. Wineries and vineyards, just like other businesses, can use these strategies to reach their financial goals.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

 

Protecting against the loss of a key person

Losing a key person can be detrimental to any business, and wineries and vineyards are no exception. Cash value life insurance can help protect against financial loss if a key person passes away unexpectedly. For example, if a winery or vineyard owner passes away, their death could significantly impact the business’s revenue and operations. The death benefit from a cash value life insurance policy can help the business recover from the financial loss and continue operating until a suitable replacement is found.

Consider a hypothetical winery, “Sunrise Valley Wines,” as an example of how cash value life insurance can protect against losing a key person. The family-owned winery took out a cash value life insurance policy on its founder, John Smith, to ensure that the business could continue in the event of his unexpected death. This forward-thinking decision demonstrates the value of cash value life insurance in providing a safety net for wineries and vineyards facing the potential loss of a key individual.

Protea Financial Cash Value Insurance for Wineries

Executive benefits

Offering executive benefits can help attract and retain top talent, and cash value life insurance can be attractive. For example, providing key executives with a cash value life insurance policy can be valuable to their compensation package. The policy’s cash value can grow over time, providing a source of retirement income or funding for future business ventures.

Consider a hypothetical winery, “Vineyard Crest,” as an example of how cash value life insurance can be used as an executive benefit. The winery offered its executives a cash value life insurance policy as part of their compensation package, providing a valuable benefit to help retain top talent. This strategy demonstrates the potential of cash value life insurance in creating a competitive edge for businesses looking to secure and maintain the best industry professionals.

 

Funding a buy-sell agreement

A buy-sell agreement is a legal contract outlining the course of action for a business’s ownership in case of a partner’s death, disability, or departure. Cash value life insurance can effectively fund a buy-sell agreement, supplying the necessary funds to purchase a partner’s shares from their heirs or estate.

Take the hypothetical large vineyard, “Grand Estate Vineyards,” as an example of how cash value life insurance can fund a buy-sell agreement. The vineyard’s partners secured cash value life insurance policies on each other. These policies provide a death benefit in the unfortunate event of a partner’s premature death, and the tax-free death benefit ensures the availability of funds to purchase the deceased partner’s shares. In cases where a partner decides to retire or walk away, the tax-free cash value growth can help with the buy-out, minimizing the financial burden on the business in the event of a loan, payout, or both. This approach showcases the versatility of cash-value life insurance in maintaining business continuity, regardless of whether a partner’s exit is due to death, disability, or departure.

 

Providing financing for a business

Cash value life insurance can serve as a business financing source, often with more accessibility and flexibility than traditional bank financing. The policy’s cash value can be borrowed against, offering a source of low-interest financing. This can be especially beneficial for businesses needing capital expenditures or investing in new projects.

Consider a hypothetical vineyard, “Rolling Hills Vineyards,” as an example of how cash value life insurance can provide financing. The vineyard’s owners secured a cash value life insurance policy, and as the policy’s cash value grew over time, they could borrow against it. This borrowing strategy enabled the vineyard to access low-interest financing to cover various expenses, such as investing in new vineyards, purchasing equipment, or expanding production facilities.

Using the cash value life insurance policy as collateral, the vineyard could secure a loan with favorable terms, providing the necessary funds for its investments. Moreover, obtaining this financing or line of credit was far more accessible and more streamlined than going through the traditional bank loan process, which often involves rigorous credit checks, extensive paperwork, and a lengthy approval process. This approach illustrates the value of cash value life insurance as a versatile financial tool that can help businesses like vineyards access financing for growth and development with greater ease and convenience.

Protea Financial Insurance for Vineyards

Estate planning

Cash value life insurance can be used as part of an estate planning strategy, providing a tax-efficient way to transfer wealth to future generations while preserving the family business. The policy’s death benefit can be used to pay estate taxes, provide a source of income for heirs, and ensure liquidity so that assets or business interests do not need to be sold.

Consider a hypothetical winery, “Sunset Valley Winery,” as an example of how cash value life insurance can be used as part of an estate planning strategy. The winery’s owners utilized a cash value life insurance policy to help transfer wealth to future generations, offering a tax-efficient method to pass on the family’s assets. The policy’s death benefit provided liquidity, allowing the family to avoid selling valuable assets or business interests to settle estate taxes or other expenses.

Additionally, cash value life insurance can be used to equalize an estate when multiple heirs have different interests in the family business. For instance, one heir may inherit the winery, while the other heir receives the death benefit from the life insurance policy, ensuring that both heirs are treated equitably without dividing or selling the winery. This approach allows the family to preserve their legacy and ensure the continued success of the winery for generations to come, demonstrating the strategic value of cash value life insurance in estate planning for businesses like wineries.

 

Summary

Cash value life insurance can be a game-changing financial instrument for business owners looking to safeguard their company’s future and achieve their long-term financial objectives. As demonstrated by the five examples shared – protecting against the loss of a key person, providing executive benefits, funding a buy-sell agreement, offering financing for your business, and planning for your estate – cash value life insurance delivers many advantages that can cater to various business needs. However, it’s essential to remember that not all life insurance policies or advisors are created equal, and the finer details in policy design are crucial.

As an experienced Wealth Strategist, I am eager to help you explore how your business, winery, or vineyard could benefit from implementing cash value life insurance. Don’t hesitate to contact me for a complimentary consultation and please mention that you discovered my article on the Protea Financial Blog. Together, we can work towards securing a prosperous future for your business.

Learn About the Cash Value Life Insurance Policies Available for Wineries and Vineyards

Read on about the benefits of cash value insurance for wineries and vineyards. Contact Protea Financial today!

Wineries Experience Major Benefits From Cost Segregation

Wineries Experience Major Benefits From Cost Segregation

With the increased popularity of wineries, advancements lead to more tax savings.

Vineyards and wineries have been in existence for thousands of years. Recently, however, they have become more than a center for manufacturing – they have transitioned into a destination for entertainment and tourism. People travel to a location specifically for wine, they host events at vineyards, and consider wineries for social gatherings.

Given this newfound purpose for vineyards and wineries, the physical landscape and buildings have seen some major changes to keep pace. Most locations offer seating and food, event halls, gift shops and more. 

The popularity of vineyards as venues has led to both property and process advancements. Larger facilities are necessary to meet demand, often with commercial kitchens and full bars, meeting rooms and increased parking capacity. The vineyards themselves likely need additional landscaping for the increased demand in product and to maintain the added traffic of tourists. 

Protea Financial Winery Cost

What is Cost Segregation?

Cost segregation is the reclassification of building components into their shortest allowable class lives. This strategy front-loads depreciation expense and offsets tax liability, providing extra cash early into your investment to offset major expenses.

Vineyards and wineries make prime candidates for a cost segregation study due to the multitude of land improvements in addition to buildings on the property. With expanded parking, irrigation, and other specialty equipment for cultivating grapes, the benefit opportunity is quite large. Additionally, the interior of the buildings likely contains specialty lighting and flooring, decorative architecture, and plenty of equipment for manufacturing, processing, hosting and entertaining all of which can be moved into shorter depreciable lives.

If left on the books as straight line depreciation, all major benefits will be lost.

Engineering-based cost segregation studies should always be carried out by an experienced and credible firm. Have a discussion with your CPA. They may already work with an expert in the field and, if not, this is something you can establish together. 

The findings from your cost segregation study will be submitted to the IRS through your CPA alongside your annual business tax returns. Think of a cost segregation study as an add-on to your annual taxes that directly benefits your bottom line.

A cost segregation study involves a multi-step process, including a physical inspection of your property, land, and all related assets. The provider will prepare calculations based on their findings and present them in the form of a report. This report is delivered to the property owner and their tax preparer to be used in computing depreciation expenses. 

It is worth noting that your cost segregation provider should offer complete audit protection in the unlikely event that you find yourself in a position of need.

Protea Financial Vineyard Cost

Why Consider Cost Segregation for your Vineyard or Winery?

Almost all commercial property, and accompanying land improvements, qualifies for cost segregation – but some tend to be better candidates. Wineries and vineyards often yield strong benefits due to the vast amount of property eligible for reclassification, meaning the benefit can be experienced early on. Without this study, many building components and land improvements would otherwise get lumped into straight line depreciation. 

A cost segregation study can be performed on your vineyard when you establish it, purchase it or expand it. If you have owned your property for a few years and have not taken advantage of cost segregation, you can still capitalize on some benefit. We encourage you to reach out to a trusted expert to discuss your current options. 

 

Where Do I Begin?

This is quite a bit of information and likely not your area of expertise. Understanding taxes, the benefits, the incentives, and the strategies available to you is complex.  You have enough to focus on as it relates to your vineyard. While it may feel overwhelming, the right partner can guide you through the process and ensure that you are maximizing your return. The key is to work with an expert in the field, rather than trying to figure it out for yourself. 

Geraldine Serrano and Kevin Miller, Specialty Tax Consultants with Veritax Advisors, are experienced in tax incentives. They work with vineyards much like yours and understand the industry as it relates to owned assets and taxes. With them and their teams as your trusted advisors, you can rest assured that you are in good hands. The company guarantees excellent results, will defend you in the unlikely case of an audit, and will strictly adhere to all federal and state tax laws regarding real properties. 

For more information or to chat about your property, you can reach out to Geraldine today by sending her an email at geraldine@veritaxadvisors.com or giving her a call at 510.386.0872. You can also reach out to Kevin Miller today by sending him an email at kevin.miller@veritaxadvisors.com or giving him a call at 925.207.3099.

The Many Benefits from Cost Segregation for Wineries

Read our guest post on how wineries can experience significant benefits from cost segregation. Contact Protea Financial to find out more!

5 Tips for Improving Your Small Business’s Financial Health

5 Tips for Improving Your Small Business’s Financial Health

Are you a small business owner struggling to keep your finances in check? Do you constantly worry about cash flow, expenses, and profits? You’re not alone. The financial health of a small business is crucial for its survival and growth.

Here at Protea Financial, we have come up with five essential tips that can help improve your small business’s financial health. From managing and tracking expenses to investing in growing your business to increase revenue, these tips are easy to implement and will help you achieve financial stability in no time! So, let’s dive right in!

 

Track All Business Expenses

It’s important to track all your business expenses to see where your money is going and adjust as needed. This can be done by setting up a simple spreadsheet or using accounting software. Make sure to include all expenses, both big and small, to get an accurate picture of your spending.

Once you have started tracking your expenses, reviewing them regularly is important. This will help you find places within your business where saving money may be possible. It’s also a good idea to compare your current expenses to those from previous months or years to see if there have been any changes in your spending patterns. It also helps you see where money may be wasted if you pay for products or services your business no longer needs.

 

Spend Some Money on Investments That Will Help You Grow

If you’re not investing in your business, you’re not giving it a chance to grow. Investing in marketing, product or service development, and employee training can seem risky. Still, it will eventually stagnate if you don’t put any money into growing your business.

Consider what investments will help you reach your goals, and then plan to invest some money each month or quarter. You may wait to see results, but over time, these investments will help you build a stronger, more successful business, which leads to increased revenue.

Protea Financial Financial Health of Your Small Business

Set Realistic Goals

If your small business is in financial trouble, setting realistic goals for improving your financial health is important. Otherwise, you could take on more debt than you can handle or make unrealistic cuts that hurt your business in the long run.

Here are some tips for setting realistic goals when trying to improve your small business’s financial health:

  • Make a list of all your expenses and income sources. This will give you a clear picture of where your money is going and coming from.
  • Determine how much you can realistically cut from your expenses without hurting your business. You may need to make tough choices, but being realistic about what you can live without is important.
  • Create a budget and stick to it. Once you know where your money is going, you can set aside funds for specific purposes. Ensure to include a buffer for unexpected expenses so you don’t get overwhelmed if something happens.
  • Make a plan for paying off any debts you have. This may involve getting a consolidation loan or working out a payment plan with creditors. Whatever you do, ensure you can stick to the plan so you don’t end up deeper in debt.
  • Set aside money each month to build up an emergency fund. This will help you cover unexpected expenses without using credit cards or loans.
  • Finally, review your progress regularly and adjust your goals as needed. Your financial plans should change as your business grows and evolves.

By following these steps, you can set realistic goals that will help you improve your small business’s financial health.

Protea Financial Improve the Financial Health of Your Small Business

Regularly Update Your Cash Flow Forecast

Like most small business owners, you don’t have much extra money. That’s why keeping a close eye on your cash flow is important.

One of the best ways to do this is to update your cash flow forecast regularly. This will help you anticipate when you’ll need additional funding and identify potential problems before they become too big to handle.

Here are a few tips for updating your cash flow forecast:

  • Make sure you have accurate financial statements. This includes your income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows. These documents will provide the foundation for your forecast.
  • Use a spreadsheet or accounting software to create your forecast. This will make it easier to track your progress and make changes as needed.
  • Know your historical cash flow patterns. This will help you anticipate future needs and make more accurate projections.
  • Update your forecast regularly. This will ensure that it stays accurate and helps you identify potential problems early on.

Take the time to review this often. You want a solid idea of where your money is, where it is going, where it will be coming from, and how that will impact the future of your business. If you need to look at where your cash flow comes from or how it changes throughout the year, you may miss opportunities to invest more in your business or forget to save money for slower times.

 

Let Protea Financial Help Improve the Financial Health of Your Small Business

Small business financial health is an important part of success and one that should not be overlooked. Taking the time to review your finances, create a budget, track your spending, and look for opportunities to save and invest money can help ensure that you are in good financial shape.

Hopefully, you always feel like your small business finances are simple enough to understand. Let the team of professionals here at Protea Financial break down the documents and numbers you need to know. Contact Protea Financial today and let us help you improve the financial health of your small business!

Protea Financial Can Help Improve the Financial Health of Your Business

Take the time to learn how to improve the financial health of you small business with the experts here at Protea Financial. We can show you tips and tricks that can improve your bottom line!