Non-Interest Income: Do You Have Enough BOLI Investment (2024)

By Eric Johnsen | June, 2015

"Despite some pleasant upside surprises, the current bank earnings season has been pretty unimpressive to date,” Joe Maloney, an analyst at Banks Street Partners, told SNL. Although year-over-year earnings growth looks fairly solid, a lot of banks’ first-quarter earnings failed to meaningfully beat their fourth-quarter 2014 numbers, he said. “There are timing and seasonality issues that could be at play, but one thing it suggests is that we’re entering a tougher growth environment,” Maloney said.1 The benefi ts of the credit quality recovery have been tapped out, loan growth remains difficult and persistent low interest rates continue to put pressure on margins.

So where can banks utilize alternative business strategies to help enhance their margins? One such area is non-interest income, specifically non- interest income generated from Bank Owned Life Insurance (BOLI). BOLI is a form of life insurance written on bank executives where banks retain the ownership and benefits associated with the policies, including tax-free death benefits. These universal life BOLI policies not only retain their original Cash Surrender Value (CSV) – the initial premium paid for the policy – but also earn non-interest income every month for the life of the policy. The bank remains the beneficiary of the policies for the life of the executive, even after they are no longer actively employed. Non-interest earnings are credited each month to the bank’s income statement, and the earnings in turn enhance the underlying cash surrender value of the life insurance policies on the balance sheet. Almost 70 percent of California banks have taken advantage of utilizing BOLI as a means of generating tax-deferred (and ultimately tax-free) non-interest earnings for the bank.

Banks are permitted to invest up to 25 percent of their Tier 1 capital in BOLI. Earnings from BOLI not only can boost the bank’s non-interest income earnings, but also have the effect of lowering the efficiency ratio of the bank, as well while offsetting expenses associated with non-qualified benefit programs and overall employee benefit programs. As the cash surrender value of the life insurance asset grows, this enhances the balance sheet, which in turn can be leveraged to grow and utilize capital for loans and other uses by the bank (up to multiples of 8-11 times for most banks).

Current yields on BOLI products are approximately 3.5 percent on a pre-tax basis (5.8 percent tax equivalent in 40 percent tax bracket). When one compares the earnings on a BOLI policy to a 10-year treasury rate, the performance is hard for a bank to ignore. With current yields of 10-year treasuries f loating around 1.9 percent on a pre-tax basis, and 1.14 percent after taxes at a tax rate of 40 percent, the crediting rates on BOLI makes it a very attractive investment for thebank’s overall portfolio. For example, a $5 million dollar investment in today’s environment will yield approximately $118,000 in additional annual earnings to the bank compared to the net yield of a 10-year treasury after taxes.

Earnings from BOLI not only can boost the bank’s non-interest income earnings, but also have the effect of lowering the efficiency ratio of the bank, as well while offsetting expenses associated with non-qualified benefit programs and overall employee benefit programs.

It is no surprise that nearly 70 percent of California banks and 60 percent nationally have utilized BOLI to take advantage of this unique investment profile. In addition to the attractive returns that BOLI can provide, BOLI is often used to finance executive benefit packages that help attract, reward and retain key executives. The BOLI life policy can help defray and in most cases completely offset the cost of executive non-qualified benefit expenses associated with SERPs, deferred compensation plans, healthcare premiums and other employee benefit expenses. Equally important, if an executive passes away while employed with the bank, the tax-free earnings from the death benefit of the BOLI policies will cover the accrued expenses associated with SERPs and other employee benefits that are owed to the beneficiary of the executive.

BOLI is really a win-win for the bank, both in terms of absolute returns as well as a key risk management tool for banks in the unfortunate event of the untimely passing of executives on whom BOLI policies are written. BOLI can be a formidable portfolio diversification tool for banks that may be over-concentrated in a particular sector of their loanportfolios, even for banks that may be nearing their loan capacity.


Eric Johnsen is executive benefits and BOLI consultant for Equias Alliance. He can be reached at (831) 373-4614 x1 or ejohnsen@equiasalliance.com.


1 SNL, “Bank & Thrift Daily,” April 22, 2015.

Non-Interest Income: Do You Have Enough BOLI Investment (2024)

FAQs

Is investment income non-interest income? ›

Noninterest income: What is it and where does it come from? Any income that banks earn from activities other than their core intermediation business (taking deposits and making loans) or from their investments is classified as noninterest income.

What is an example of a non-interest income? ›

Non-interest income is bank and creditor income derived primarily from fees including deposit and transaction fees, insufficient funds (NSF) fees, annual fees, monthly account service charges, inactivity fees, check and deposit slip fees, and so on.

How do you calculate non-interest income? ›

5 Sources of Non-Interest Income for Banks
  1. Service charges and fees. A large portion of non-interest income comes from service charges. ...
  2. Credit card fees and penalties. ...
  3. Loan fees. ...
  4. Wealth management and investment banking functions. ...
  5. Premium banking services.

What is non-interest income to total income? ›

Noninterest related income includes net gains on trading and derivatives, net gains on other securities, net fees and commissions and other operating income. Bank's income that has been generated by noninterest related activities as a percentage of total income (net-interest income plus noninterest income).

What is the meaning of non-interest? ›

: a lack of interest in something (such as a topic) He grew up with a noninterest in sports that still exists.

What is the difference between interest income and non-interest income? ›

The non-interest income is the revenue earned through fees other than interest income on loans. Examples of non-interest income include origination fees on mortgages, penalties on late payments and overdraft fees, bank-issued cards swap fees, and the monthly maintenance fees on accounts.

What qualifies as interest income? ›

interest income — the income a person receives from certain bank accounts or from lending money to someone else. taxable interest income — interest income that is subject to income tax.

What are examples of interest income? ›

A very simple example of interest income that happens every day is when an individual deposits money into a savings account and decides to leave it untouched for several months or years. The money won't just sit idly in his account, because the bank will use it to lend money to borrowers.

What are the benefits of non-interest income? ›

Diversification: The first and most important benefit of having a non-interest income is that it leads to diversification for the commercial bank. If a bank is dependent upon interest income, then its income becomes quite erratic since it fluctuates with interest rates.

What is non investment income? ›

Other Non-Investment Income: A remainder category exists for income that does not fit into the investment income or earned income categories. Examples include prizes, scholarships, awards, and gambling winnings.

Is operating income the same as non interest income? ›

Operating Income refers to the total amount of income generated by banks from its operations, which measures the operational success of financial institutions. It is the sum of net interest income and non-interest income.

What is non taxable interest income IRS? ›

What Is Tax-Exempt Interest? Tax-exempt interest is interest income that is not subject to federal income tax. In some cases, the amount of tax-exempt interest a taxpayer earns can limit the taxpayer's qualification for certain other tax breaks.

What are non interest deposits? ›

Non interest bearing accounts are preferred by many bankers: they do not incur any interest expense, nor do they incur the same scrutiny as things like “brokered” deposits or “Hot” money. These non interest bearing, or core deposits, are basically a free loan for the bank.

What is the minimum interest income that must be reported? ›

If you earn more than $10 in interest from any person or entity, you should receive a Form 1099-INT that specifies the exact amount you received in bank interest for your tax return.

What is the minimum interest to report to IRS? ›

If a bank, financial institution, or other entity pays you at least $10 of interest during the year, it is required to prepare a Form 1099-INT, send you a copy by January 31, and file a copy with the IRS.

What happens if you don't report interest income? ›

If you receive a Form 1099-INT and do not report the interest on your tax return, the IRS will likely send you a CP2000, Underreported Income notice. This IRS notice will propose additional tax, penalties and interest on your interest payments and any other unreported income.

What is the investment income on the income statement? ›

Investment Income is the income that is generated through dividends, payment of interest, and capital gains through the sale of any asset or security and profits made by any kind of investment vehicles like bonds, mutual funds, etc.

What are 4 examples of interest? ›

They can include hobbies, sports, artistic expression, leisure activities, volunteering, cultural activities, spiritual practices, traditional activities, learning pursuits, and personal development. Common personal interests include: Crafts, such as sewing, embroidery, scrapbooking. Cooking and baking.

How do you calculate interest on an investment? ›

The formula for calculating compound interest is: Compound interest = total amount of principal and interest in future (or future value) minus principal amount at present (or present value)

Do you have to claim all interest income? ›

You must report all taxable and tax-exempt interest on your federal income tax return, even if you don't receive a Form 1099-INT or Form 1099-OID. You must give the payer of interest income your correct taxpayer identification number; otherwise, you may be subject to a penalty and backup withholding. Refer to Topic No.

What is interest income benefits? ›

The main benefit of interest income is that it provides a source of income that is not directly tied to your job. This can be helpful in retirement or if you're looking for a way to supplement your income.

What are the 4 types of investment income? ›

Typically, investment income may be in the form of capital gains, rent, dividend or interest or a mix of some of these.

What is the difference between earned income and investment income? ›

Earned income is the money you make in salary, wages, commissions, or tips. Investment income is money you make by selling something for more than you paid for it. Passive income is money you make from something you own, without selling it.

Is 401k considered investment income? ›

Is a 401(K) Withdrawal Considered Earned Income or Capital Gains? Traditional 401(k) withdrawals are considered income (regardless of your age). However, you won't pay capital gains taxes on these funds.

Does non interest income make banks more risky? ›

Systemic risk is higher for banks with a higher ratio of non-interest income to assets.

What is the difference between income and operating income? ›

Key Takeaways

Revenue is the total amount of income generated by a company from the sale of its goods or services before any expenses are deducted. Operating income is the sum total of a company's profit after subtracting its regular, recurring costs and expenses.

What is the difference between interest and income? ›

The key difference between interest expense and interest income is that interest expense is the cost of borrowing money, while interest income is the money you earn from investing. Interest expense is typically tax-deductible, while interest income is taxable.

Do I need to report interest under $10? ›

Regarding missing form 1099-INT, if you have interest income of at least $10, you'll usually receive a Form 1099-INT. However, if you don't receive the form, you must still report your interest income earned. To get your interest earnings amounts, do one of these: Check your account statements.

What is my non taxable income? ›

Non-taxable income is money or property you've received from certain sources which are not subject to federal or state income tax under the Internal Revenue Code or state tax regulations. Non-taxable income is generally not required to be reported on your tax return.

What interest must be reported but is not taxable? ›

Tax-Exempt Interest Income

Interest earned on certain types of municipal bonds, such as bonds issued by state and local governments, is generally exempt from tax. In some cases, the interest may be exempt at the federal, state, and local level.

Does investment income count as income? ›

Investment income such as interest and rent is considered ordinary income and will generally be taxed according to your ordinary income tax rate.

What type of account is investment income? ›

The interest accrued on a basic savings account is considered investment income. It is earned on top of the original investments—the deposits placed into the account—which can make the account a source of income. Options, stocks, and bonds can also generate investment income.

Is investment income operating or nonoperating? ›

Investment income, gains or losses from foreign exchange, as well as sales of assets, writedown of assets, interest income are all examples of non-operating income items.

What is considered investment interest income? ›

Investment interest expense is interest paid or accrued on a loan or part of a loan that is allocable to property held for investment (as defined later).

What is the difference between income and investment income? ›

Key Points. Earned income is the money you make in salary, wages, commissions, or tips. Investment income is money you make by selling something for more than you paid for it. Passive income is money you make from something you own, without selling it.

How do you calculate income from investment? ›

The most common is net income divided by the total cost of the investment, or ROI = Net income / Cost of investment x 100.

What is an example of investment? ›

An investment can refer to any mechanism used for generating future income. This includes the purchase of bonds, stocks, or real estate property, among other examples. Additionally, purchasing a property that can be used to produce goods can be considered an investment.

What types of investment accounts are taxable? ›

Taxable accounts such as traditional brokerage accounts hold securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs) that are taxed when you earn dividends or interest, or you realize capital gains by selling investments that went up in value.

What is not considered investment income? ›

Net investment income generally does not include wages, unemployment compensation, Social Security Benefits, alimony, and most self-employment income. Additionally, net investment income does not include any gain on the sale of a personal residence that is excluded from gross income for regular income tax purposes.

What is non-operating income from investment? ›

Non-operating income is the portion of an organization's income that is derived from activities not related to its core business operations. It can include dividend income, profits or losses from investments, as well as gains or losses incurred by foreign exchange and asset write-downs.

What are examples of non-operating investments? ›

Common non-operating assets include unallocated cash and marketable securities, loans receivable, idle equipment, and vacant land.

What are examples of investment interest? ›

When you borrow money to buy property for investment purposes, any interest you pay on that borrowed money becomes an "investment interest expense." For example, say you take out a $5,000 loan against your home equity and use the money to buy stock. The interest on that loan is investment interest.

How do I know if I have interest income? ›

Where Do You Find Taxable Interest on Your W2? Taxable interest appears on Form 1099-INT. Box 1 of the form has all the interest income earned from the issuer. If there is something in Box 3, this figure only applies to interest inputted on your federal tax return.

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