Life insurance for estate taxes and inheritance preservation
Estate Protection Insurance
Estate protection insurance uses life insurance to cover estate taxes and settlement costs so your heirs receive the inheritance you planned for them, not a reduced amount after forced asset sales.
So Your Heirs Inherit the Plan, Not the Tax Bill
The gap between what you own and what your heirs actually receive can be substantial. Estate taxes, settlement costs, and outstanding debts all reduce the inheritance you intend to leave. When the estate is mostly illiquid, real estate, a business, investment property, your heirs may be forced to sell assets to cover the tax bill. Estate protection insurance provides the cash to keep that from happening.
Your heirs should not have to sell the family home or liquidate your business to pay the estate tax bill. The right insurance policy makes sure they never have to.
How It Works
A life insurance policy provides a tax-free death benefit. When held in an irrevocable life insurance trust, the proceeds are excluded from your taxable estate and protected from creditors. We coordinate policy placement with the attorneys who prepare your trust documents so everything is structured correctly from day one. The 2026 federal estate tax exemption is $15 million per person, and amounts above it are taxed at 40 percent. For high-net-worth Arizona families, business owners, and real estate investors, the math usually justifies the premium many times over.
Why It Matters
Without liquidity, an estate worth millions on paper can produce a forced sale that destroys decades of careful building. The right policy, structured the right way, turns that risk into a tax-free check that arrives exactly when the family needs it.
Your heirs should not have to sell the family home or liquidate your business to pay the estate tax bill. The right insurance policy makes sure they never have to.
When Your Estate Needs a Liquidity Strategy
If your estate could face taxes or liquidity shortfalls, insurance may be the most efficient solution.
- High-Net-Worth Families. Estates above the federal exemption threshold face a 40 percent estate tax rate. Insurance provides the cash to pay it.
- Business Owners. If your business is a large part of your estate, your heirs may need liquidity to keep it running or pay taxes.
- Real Estate Investors. Multiple properties create estate value but not cash. Insurance closes the liquidity gap.
- Families with Specific Inheritance Goals. If you want each heir to receive a defined amount, insurance ensures the estate can deliver it.
Who You Work With
Licensed, Credentialed, and on Your Side
Your plan is only as strong as the people behind it. The advisors below are the licensed agents and consultants who design, place, and service your coverage.
Chris Cohan
CEO | ChFC®, RMA®
ChFC® · RMA® · Series 6, 63, 65 · AZ Life & Health
With over 25 years in financial services and deep Arizona roots, Chris takes a steady, thoughtful approach to wealth and estate planning. As a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®), he helps individuals and families build, protect, and transfer wealth through personalized strategies.
View ProfileStephen Levin
Tucson Director of Risk Management | Senior Planning Consultant | Licensed Insurance Agent
Licensed Insurance Agent
Stephen brings a background in risk management to his role at RJP, where he helps Tucson-area families protect what they've worked so hard to build. Before transitioning into estate and insurance planning, he spent years in risk-management leadership, learning how to spot vulnerabilities and build strategies that hold up when it matters most.
View ProfileRon Tallou
Wealth Management Advisor, Fiduciary
Series 6, 63, 65 · Licensed Insurance Agent
Born and raised in Michigan, Ron developed a strong work ethic and deep appreciation for community values early in life. These formative experiences ignited a lifelong passion for wealth management, ultimately shaping his career in finance.
View ProfileThomas Fryar
Senior Planning Consultant | Licensed Insurance Agent
Licensed Insurance Agent
As a financial services professional since 1978, Thomas has developed risk-managed retirement income and estate-transfer strategies that help clients protect lifetime cash flow, provide for surviving spouses or special-needs family members, and pass wealth efficiently across generations. His four decades in life insurance and planning inform a disciplined, education-driven approach to protecting family assets.
View ProfileLenny Trujillo
Senior Planning Consultant | CLDP | Licensed Insurance Agent
Certified Legal Document Preparer (CLDP) · Licensed Insurance Agent
For more than 25 years, Lenny has helped Arizona families sit down at the kitchen table and finally make sense of retirement, trusts, and what happens to everything they've worked for. A Certified Legal Document Preparer and licensed life and health insurance agent, he walks clients through revocable living trusts, special needs planning, powers of attorney, and insurance-based asset protection in plain English. Clients consistently describe him as patient, warm, and genuinely interested in their story, the kind of advisor who'll pause the paperwork to hear about the grandkids before getting back to the signatures.
View ProfileRalph Abate
Senior Planning Consultant | Licensed Insurance Agent
Licensed Insurance Agent
Drawing on more than 30 years in insurance and retirement-income planning, Ralph structures tax-efficient wealth-transfer and protection solutions for RJP clients. His analytical approach and coaching style help households understand complex options and make informed decisions.
View Profile
Client Testimonials
Common Estate Protection Insurance Questions
Answers to the questions Arizona families ask most about estate protection insurance.