The Best Gifting Strategy of Our Era
With taxes likely to rise in the coming decades, the normal methods of providing a financial legacy for our family could be heavily taxed. But, by cleverly using life insurance policies, there are a few ways to safely provide for our children without incurring estate taxes.


My son is 22 years old. He is a sweet guy, but not yet experienced with money. As parents, we all want what is best for our kids. We also want to ensure that they will be financially safe once we leave this world. I believe we are all wired to provide a legacy plan for our spouse, children and favorite charitable causes.
This often creates a paradox in our legacy plan. Our basic desire to leave resources to the next generation could also be the greatest obstacle to their development in life. Put in another way, you can love your 15-year old son, and giving is a good thing, but I am sure nobody reading this article believes giving $200,000 to a 15-year-old boy would ever be a good thing!
Wouldn’t we all love a way to leave a legacy to our kids that provided them cash flow in retirement? Given current low interest rates, we would love to add growth and security to this investment plan. Income and estate tax rates are likely to rise in the future due to the recent and ongoing increases in our national debt. What if we could create an income strategy that was estate tax free, no matter what the future tax laws might be?

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Sounds like a utopia, but it is not. We can currently achieve these objectives given a combination of factors.
Being Tactful with Taxes
Before we get into the opportunity, we need to face some facts. After the big spend of World War I, top marginal income tax rates went from 7% to over 70%. After World War II, they rose above 90% and stayed there for roughly 20 years; estate tax rates were almost as high. And now in 2020, we are borrowing yet again at extremely high levels. The highest marginal income and estate tax rates are highly likely to rise for the next generation — perhaps double, perhaps even worse.
If you believe tax rates will rise for our kids and grandkids, wouldn’t it make sense to anticipate that today, and take advantage of the opportunities we have now?
There are very few ways to receive income that is free from tax. Most people know life insurance proceeds are free from income tax, but nobody wants to die to achieve that objective! But what if we could have a life insurance policy with equity built up, then borrow against our own future death proceeds while we are living? Life insurance proceeds are income tax free, but so are loans from a life insurance plan. Yes, I just said your heirs can borrow against their future death proceeds income tax free, then someday when they pass, the life insurance proceeds pay back the loan and interest income tax free, with the remaining life insurance proceeds going to their own heirs.
Legacy Gifting for the 21st Century
There can be challenges gifting money to children and grandchildren. However, if you gift the premiums to a life insurance policy, you can accomplish this through a trust. It is called an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT). The advantage of this is that you can control the ultimate distributions now, and your gifts — along with their growth — are no longer part of your estate, thereby avoiding any future estate tax.
Back to my son. I have been very blessed in my career and understand how hard it is for young people today. This is especially true where I live in the Pacific Northwest, where $500,000 cannot get you a three-bedroom house in most towns. I will likely help him with a down payment someday.
That is my “now-money” plan. Here is my “long-term” gifting plan, the subject of my article: A fixed-indexed universal life (FIUL) policy is the mechanism to achieve my legacy goal. I believe I will have a taxable estate when I pass. Rather than volunteer much — or most — of the value of my estate to taxes, I would like my son, when he enters his 60s to receive a significant monthly cash flow, permanently tax-free.
I hope he is happy and financially successful during his life. But what if he is not? I know today, when I implement this strategy, long after I have passed, my son could potentially receive decades of cash flow, no matter the state of Social Security. He will also have a monthly, income tax-free reminder of how much I cared for, and loved him.
As a side note, if you have a net worth above $5 million, there are even more advanced opportunities beyond the scope of this article. There are many nuances to implementing this strategy, but I hope this piqued your interest to find out more about what I believe is the best gifting strategy of our era.
Madrona Financial Services' registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Advisory services are only provided after receipt of disclosure documents and execution of an advisory agreement. The information, suggestions and recommendations included in this material are for informational purposes only and do not constitute financial, legal or accounting advice. Hypothetical returns shown illustrate mathematical principles only and are not intended to predict or project the return of any actual investment.
Insurance products are offered through Madrona Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed insurance agency and affiliate of Madrona Financial Services. Some products discussed in this article are only available to accredited investors and are offered solely through the issuer's offering documents. The issuer determines whether to accept any individual’s subscription documents. DST investments are only available to accredited investors and are offered solely through the issuer's offering documents. The DST sponsor determines whether to accept any individual’s subscription documents.
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Brian Evans, CPA/PFS is the owner of Madrona Financial Services and Bauer Evans CPAs, a well-known registered investment advisory practice and an accounting firm based out of Seattle, Washington. He serves as their Chief Executive Officer, lead Wealth Planner and Senior Portfolio Manager. Evans also hosts a weekly radio show and podcast, Growing Your Wealth, in Washington on KTTH, KIRO, KNWN and KVI, and on KNRS in Utah.
-
Investing Abroad Could Pay Off — Here's How
Countries overseas are stimulating their economies, and their stocks are compelling bargains.
-
Retire in Belize for Stunning Natural Beauty and Culture
Belize offers miles of protected land and ocean, a rich mix of cultures and a chill lifestyle. Best yet — the income requirement is just $2K per month.
-
Your Home + Your IRA = Your Long-Term Care Solution
If you're worried that long-term care costs will drain your retirement savings, consider a personalized retirement plan that could solve your problem.
-
I'm a Financial Planner: Retirees Should Never Do These Four Things in a Recession
Recessions are scary business, especially for retirees. They can scare even the most prepared folks into making bad moves — like these.
-
A Retirement Planner's Advice for Taking the Guesswork Out of Income Planning
Once you've saved for retirement, you'll need your nest egg to support you for as many as 30 years. For that, you need a clear income strategy, not guesswork.
-
Why Smart Retirees Are Ditching Traditional Financial Plans
Financial plans based purely on growth, like the 60/40 portfolio, are built for a different era. Today’s retirees need plans based on real-life risks and goals and that feature these four elements.
-
To My Small Business: Well, I've Been Afraid of Changin', 'Cause I've Built My Life Around You
While thinking about succession planning might feel like anticipating a landslide (here's to you, Fleetwood Mac), there are strategies you can implement to manage the uncertainty and the transition.
-
These Are the Key Tariff Issues to Watch in Coming Months
While they're not dominating headlines right now, tariffs are not over. Some key dates are coming up fast that could upend markets all over again.
-
Technology Unleashes the Power of Year-Round Tax-Loss Harvesting
Tech advancements have made it possible to continuously monitor and rebalance portfolios, allowing for harvesting losses throughout the year rather than just once a year.
-
The Fiduciary Firewall: An Expert's Five-Step Guide to Honest Financial Planning
Armed with education and awareness, you can avoid unethical people in the financial industry by seeking fee-only fiduciaries and sharing your knowledge with others.