Business continuity when it matters most
Key Person Insurance
If your business depends on one or two key people, what happens if one of them dies or becomes disabled? Key person insurance provides the financial cushion your company needs to survive the loss.
When the Business Depends on One or Two People
If your business depends on one or two key people, what happens if one of them dies or becomes disabled? Key person insurance is a life or disability policy that the business owns on a critical employee. The business pays the premiums and receives the payout, which can cover lost revenue, fund a replacement search, pay off business debts, or distribute to partners. Surveys suggest 71 percent of businesses depend on a key person, but only 22 percent have coverage in place.
No one plans to lose their best salesperson or their founding partner. But the businesses that survive these losses are the ones that planned for them before they happened.
Why It Matters
We evaluate your key person exposure, structure the policy with the business as owner and beneficiary, and coordinate with any buy-sell agreement so the death-benefit cash flows where it should. For partnerships, this is what funds the buyout. For owner-operators, this is what keeps the company solvent long enough to find a replacement. For lenders and investors, it is often the protection they require before extending credit.
No one plans to lose their best salesperson or their founding partner. But the businesses that survive these losses are the ones that planned for them before they happened.
Does Your Business Have Key Person Risk?
If losing one individual would hurt your revenue, your operations, or your client relationships, the answer is yes.
- Small Business Owners. If you are the driving force behind the company, your absence could threaten the entire operation.
- Partnerships. When one partner handles key relationships or operations, the surviving partners need protection.
- Companies with Star Performers. A top salesperson or technical expert who generates outsized revenue is a key person.
- Businesses with Debt. Lenders and investors may require key person coverage as a condition of financing.
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 Key Person Insurance Questions
Answers to the questions Arizona families ask most about key person insurance.