#1 Recommended
IMO For VFO Collaboration
When you work with us, you’re never just a number—you’re an Ally.
A Better Kind of IMO
When it comes to serving advisors and insurance agents, Assurance Ally redefines what it means to be part of an IMO. Unlike traditional independent marketing organizations, we specialize in offering personalized, 1:1 relationship support within a collaborative Virtual Family Office setting.
How Assurance Ally Works
Whether you want to handle sales yourself with expert backing or prefer to partner with a seasoned Assurance Ally Partner for hands-free client support, the choice is yours.
Why a VFO-Driven IMO Matters
The VFO model is transforming the advising industry, enabling more holistic, client-focused solutions. Succeeding in this model requires the right partner- one who excels in cross-disciplinary collaboration and has your best interest in mind.
Endorsed by Industry Leading VFO, Elite Resource Team
Get your ERT membership paid for through production with Assurance Ally* and earn 10% more commissions when working with Virtual Family Office specialists.
Our Clients Say It Best
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“The support that they give me has been top notch. And that's the biggest thing. Having so many irons in the fire, knowing that I can trust them to do what they say they're gonna do has been such an important key for me.”
- Greg Keiper
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“Assurance Ally has somebody for life insurance, somebody for annuities, and then other products or services that they offer, and it just made it very straightforward and more of a partnership than us trying to go through this maze & figure it all out.”
- Jack Branch
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“Having a team that can write for multiple carriers allows me to be really solution agnostic just to really try to find the right thing for the client regardless of where it comes from.”
- Jason Bright
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“I started working with EAT because they knew the virtual family office, business model & instead of having to recreate the wheel and explain it...to another organization it was a hand in glove fit for me.”
- Todd Smith
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“One of the real advantages of using the EAT system is I have a single website that I can go to, and all of my business is there. When I go to my case status screen, every single thing I'm working on is right there.”
- Chris Wallace
VPO Planning Options Available in Addition to Traditional IMO Services
Balloon CLAT A Charitable Lead Annuity Trust (CLAT) with payments that start low and have one large payment at the end, maximizing tax benefits while supporting charitable causes. The balloon CLAT can pass a large benefit to the family free of estate and gift tax free. | Bargain Sales Sell assets to a charity at a reduced price, receiving immediate cash while securing tax advantages and supporting a cause you care about. | Charitable Gift Annuities A donation-based contract where you provide a gift to a charity in exchange for fixed lifetime income and potential tax benefits. | *Charitable Lead Trusts A trust that provides income to a charity for a set period (Or a lifetime), with the remaining assets passing to beneficiaries or reverting to the donor, offering immediate income tax savings. | Annuity Withdrawal A strategy for drawing income from annuities in a tax-efficient manner while preserving financial security. | *Asset Protection Legal and financial strategies designed to shield wealth from creditors and lawsuits. |
*Charitable Life Estate Donation of a principal residence, usually while retaining lifetime use, securing an immediate tax deduction while ensuring a future gift to charity. | *Charitable Remainder Trust A trust that pays income to you or others for life or a set term, with the remainder going to charity, usually to defer long term capital gains on an appreciated asset and estate planning advantages. | Leveraged Gifting Options Advanced strategies that amplify the impact of charitable gifts using tax-efficient financial tools and asset transfers. | Donor Advised Fund A flexible charitable giving account that allows you to make tax-deductible contributions, grow funds tax-free, and recommend grants to charities over time. | *Business Succession/ Transition/ Selling Structured plans to transfer or sell a business smoothly while maximizing value, minimizing taxes, and ensuring continuity. | *Buy-Sell Agreements Legally binding agreements that outline the transfer of business ownership in the event of retirement, disability, or death, protecting owners and heirs. |
FLIPCRUT A Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) that "flips" from net income to standard payout upon a triggering event, ideal for gifting illiquid assets. | IGNIT Plan(TM) This is a multi-generational Pooled Income Fund. | Private Foundations A personalized charitable entity that enables ongoing philanthropy, tax benefits, and control over grantmaking and investment decisions. | *Corporate Recapitalization A restructuring strategy that normally provides for different shareholder rights, normally voting and non-voting. This is done to facilitate estate planning and wealth transfer. | *Crummey Powers A provision in irrevocable trusts allowing beneficiaries to make temporary withdrawals, enabling contributions to qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion. | *Dynasty Trust A long-term trust designed to preserve family wealth across multiple generations while minimizing estate taxes. |
NIMCRUT A Charitable Remainder Unitrust that pays beneficiaries the trust’s net income, with the option to make up for lower payments in high-earning years. | Preferred PIF(TM) A specialized Pooled Income Fund (PIF) offering enhanced payout structures and tax advantages for charitable giving. | Family Limited Partnership A legal structure that centralizes family assets, and allows for the simplified transfer of hard to divide assets. | Family LLC A flexible business entity used to manage and protect family assets, reduce estate taxes, and facilitate generational wealth transfer. | GDOT A specialized trust structure allowing the grantor to pay income taxes on trust earnings, preserving more wealth for beneficiaries. | *Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust A trust designed to hold life insurance policies outside of an estate, reducing estate taxes while providing liquidity for heirs. |
TCLAT A CLAT created at death through a will or trust that allows the donor to zero out estate taxes while supporting charitable causes after death while ultimately transferring assets to heirs free of estate tax. | Young PIF A pooled income fund that is less than three years old and therefore uses a federally published rate to determine the charitable income tax deduction. | *Gifting A tax-efficient strategy to transfer assets to family, friends, or charities while reducing estate taxes and maximizing wealth transfer. | *Golden Handcuffs Compensation strategies designed to retain key employees by offering financial incentives that vest over time. | Grantor Retained Annuity Trust A trust that allows a grantor to transfer appreciating assets to heirs at a reduced tax cost while retaining annuity payments for a fixed period. | Life Settlements The sale of an existing life insurance policy to a third party for more than its cash surrender value, offering liquidity to policyholders. |
Intentional Non-Grantor Trusts A trust structure designed to separate assets from the grantor’s taxable estate, often used for state income tax planning. | Intra Family Loans Loans between family members structured to facilitate wealth transfer, reduce tax liability, and preserve family assets. | Jurisdictional Trusts Trusts established in specific states or countries with favorable tax, asset protection, or privacy laws to optimize wealth preservation. | *Key Person Insurance Life or disability insurance on a critical employee or business owner, providing financial stability in case of their unexpected departure. | *Life Insurance A financial tool providing a death benefit to beneficiaries, often used for income replacement, estate planning, and wealth transfer. | *Retirement Planning Strategies for building and managing wealth to ensure financial security and tax efficiency in retirement. |
Preferred LPs Limited partnerships structured with preferred return features, and the ability to "freeze" the value of an approeciating asset. | *Premium Finance A strategy where third-party financing is used to pay life insurance premiums, allowing high-net-worth individuals to preserve liquidity. | *Private Business Insurance A tool that allows business owners to acquire business insurance and realize profits from low claims experience. Effectively replaces captive insurance structures. | QPRTs A trust that allows homeowners to transfer a primary or vacation home to heirs at a reduced gift tax value while retaining use for a set period. | Rent To Own A method for business owners to acquire speicalty insurance coverage and benefit from the profits of low claims experience. | IRA Rollover/ Conversion Alternatives Tax-efficient strategies for moving retirement savings from one account to another, including Roth conversions and alternative rollover options to optimize tax impact. |
Retirement Tax Mitigation Techniques to minimize taxes on retirement income, including Roth conversions, tax-efficient withdrawals, and strategic asset placement. | *Revocable Living Trusts, DPAs Estate planning tools that allow for asset management during life and smooth transition at death, avoiding probate while ensuring financial and healthcare decisions are managed effectively. | Sale for Installment Note A tax-efficient strategy for transferring assets by selling them to heirs or trusts in exchange for structured payments over time. | SCIN A special type of installment sale where remaining payments are forgiven upon the seller’s death, reducing estate tax liability. | ESOP Planning A strategy for business owners to transfer ownership to employees through a tax-advantaged stock plan, improving succession planning and employee incentives. | Qualified Business Income Deduction A tax incentive allowing eligible business owners to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income, reducing taxable income. |
*Self-Financed Insurance A strategy where individuals or businesses fund their own life insurance policies using structured loans or internal financing. | *SLATs An irrevocable trust allowing one spouse to benefit while keeping assets outside the taxable estate, preserving wealth for future generations. | *Succession Planning Strategies for smoothly transitioning business ownership and leadership while maximizing value and minimizing tax burdens. | Modern Qualified Plans Advanced retirement plans designed for business owners and employees, incorporating flexible contribution structures, tax benefits, and investment options. | Overfunded Qualified Plans Retirement plans with excess contributions that can be leveraged for additional tax-deferred growth, risk management, or future tax-efficient withdrawals. | Profit Sharing A retirement plan feature that allows businesses to distribute a portion of their profits to employees’ retirement accounts, providing tax benefits and employee incentives. |
Walton GRAT A Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) structured to minimize gift tax impact while transferring appreciating assets to heirs efficiently. | *Deferred Compensation A plan that allows employees or executives to postpone receiving a portion of their income until a later date, often to reduce current tax liability and enhance retirement benefits. This non qualified. | ILIT A trust designed to hold life insurance policies outside of an estate, reducing estate taxes while providing liquidity for heirs. | Pension Optimization Plan A strategy for maximizing pension benefits while coordinating with other retirement assets to enhance income security and tax efficiency. | Pension Rescue A financial strategy that repurposes underperforming pension assets into more tax-efficient vehicles, such as life insurance, to better serve estate and legacy goals. |
Balloon CLAT
A Charitable Lead Annuity Trust (CLAT) with payments that start low and have one large payment at the end, maximizing tax benefits while supporting charitable causes. The balloon CLAT can pass a large benefit to the family free of estate and gift tax free.
Bargain Sales
Sell assets to a charity at a reduced price, receiving immediate cash while securing tax advantages and supporting a cause you care about.
Charitable Gift Annuities
A donation-based contract where you provide a gift to a charity in exchange for fixed lifetime income and potential tax benefits.
*Charitable Lead Trusts
A trust that provides income to a charity for a set period (Or a lifetime), with the remaining assets passing to beneficiaries or reverting to the donor, offering immediate income tax savings.
*Charitable Life Estate
Donation of a principal residence, usually while retaining lifetime use, securing an immediate tax deduction while ensuring a future gift to charity.
*Charitable Remainder Trust
A trust that pays income to you or others for life or a set term, with the remainder going to charity, usually to defer long term capital gains on an appreciated asset and estate planning advantages.
Leveraged Gifting Options
Advanced strategies that amplify the impact of charitable gifts using tax-efficient financial tools and asset transfers.
Donor Advised Fund
A flexible charitable giving account that allows you to make tax-deductible contributions, grow funds tax-free, and recommend grants to charities over time.
FLIPCRUT
A Charitable Remainder Unitrust (CRUT) that "flips" from net income to standard payout upon a triggering event, ideal for gifting illiquid assets.
IGNIT Plan(TM)
This is a multi-generational Pooled Income Fund.
Private Foundations
A personalized charitable entity that enables ongoing philanthropy, tax benefits, and control over grantmaking and investment decisions.
NIMCRUT
A Charitable Remainder Unitrust that pays beneficiaries the trust’s net income, with the option to make up for lower payments in high-earning years.
Preferred PIF(TM)
A specialized Pooled Income Fund (PIF) offering enhanced payout structures and tax advantages for charitable giving.
TCLAT
A CLAT created at death through a will or trust that allows the donor to zero out estate taxes while supporting charitable causes after death while ultimately transferring assets to heirs free of estate tax.
Young PIF
A pooled income fund that is less than three years old and therefore uses a federally published rate to determine the charitable income tax deduction.
*Assurance Ally Advisors can manage and implement these strategies in house.
Why Choose
Assurance Ally?
Tailored Support That Delivers Results
Advisors and agents benefit from our hands-on approach. We go beyond the standard IMO experience by acting as your advocate and ensuring the best outcomes for your clients. No cookie-cutter solutions—just the support you need to grow your business.
Access to 65+ Carriers
With over 30 years of experience, we’ve built relationships with more than 65 leading carriers. This gives you the flexibility to present your clients with the best life insurance & annuity options tailored to their needs, instead of being confined to one or two carriers. You can also view all your open cases in one place across all carriers.
Collaborate Virtually, Work Smarter
Our team has 10+ years of working in a Virtual Family Office model, which means you don’t have to educate our case consultants on the proactive planning approach you take with your clients.
Experience The Assurance Ally Difference
If you’re ready to leave behind the impersonal, high-pressure world of IMOs, Assurance Ally is here to help. Join an IMO that values collaboration, innovation, and your success…a true Ally.
