• A deferred compensation plan is an arrangement between an employee and his or her employer to defer some portion of the employee’s current income or salary until a specified date in the future. Deferred compensation plans may be qualified or non-qualified plans for Internal Revenue Code deductions and other tax benefits. Wages received in one period are actually paid in a later period. Life insurance is a popular method of funding deferred compensation plans because the deferred amounts can be used to pay cash value life insurance premiums. The cash value may then be available at retirement to supplement other income, or if the insured dies before retirement, the insured’s designated beneficiary will receive a death benefit on the insurance policy.