First Principles x 19th Hole

Choose Your Shot Shape

Three insurance structures built for high-income engineers. Select a club below to view its technical specifications.

Term Life — The Approach Iron

Pure protection for a defined window. Like selecting the right iron for a precise shot distance.

Technical Specs
  • Protecting income during peak earning years
  • Covering a mortgage or major liability
  • Bridging until permanent coverage is in place
  • Starting out and optimizing cash flow
The Pro Fit
  • Early-career W-2 engineers with dependents
  • RSUs or stock options as primary wealth driver
  • Complementing employer group life coverage
  • Low-cost foundation while building net worth
"Think of term like a par-3 iron — precise, purposeful, and exactly right for the yardage. It's not the whole game, but it wins critical holes."

Permanent Life — The Fairway Wood

Tax-advantaged wealth that builds over time — a fairway wood for the long game.

Technical Specs
  • Maxing out 401(k) and still have excess income
  • Wanting tax-free retirement income via policy loans
  • Building a parallel tax-advantaged asset
  • Estate planning and wealth transfer goals
The Pro Fit
  • High-income engineers in the 32–37% brackets
  • W-2 earners with limited business deductions
  • Those concerned about future tax rate increases
  • Tech employees with large deferred compensation
"Permanent coverage compounds like a well-read fairway wood — versatile, powerful, and built to keep pace no matter how long the hole plays."

Bank Funded — The Driver

Leverage borrowed capital to create tax-free wealth without depleting your assets.

Technical Specs
  • High net worth needing tax-free leverage
  • Assets exist but liquidity is tied up
  • Seeking outsized death benefit without large outlay
  • Complementing a defined benefit or qualified plan
The Pro Fit
  • Senior engineers, directors, or founders
  • $500K+ income with significant investable assets
  • Executives with deferred comp or pension income
  • Those who've already maxed all qualified plans
"Bank funding is the driver — when you need maximum distance and the conditions are right, nothing else reaches the same green."