Learn what BOLI is, why banks buy it, and how it is used to support employee-benefit economics.
Bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) is life insurance purchased by a bank on selected employees or executives, with the bank as owner and beneficiary. On the bank balance sheet, it is treated as an asset used to help offset the long-term cost of employee benefit obligations.
The bank pays premiums into policies that build cash value over time. That cash value can grow on a tax-advantaged basis, and the death benefit is generally received by the bank rather than the employee’s family unless separate benefit arrangements exist. The economic logic is asset-liability matching: the insurance asset helps fund benefit-related expenses.
This matters because BOLI sits at the intersection of treasury management, tax planning, accounting, and benefits strategy. It is not simply an insurance purchase; it is a long-term balance-sheet decision with regulatory and reputation implications.