The Story Behind PrimusMaxLife℠
We teach highly compensated small business owners how to create a personal pension for lifetime retirement income using IUL and Fixed Annuity strategies. Welcome to the Retirement Lifestyle by Design™ movement.
The PrimusMax Story
PrimusMax™ is a Life Insurance Agency specializing in retirement income planning for highly compensated small business owners.
PrimusMax™ is a Life Insurance Agency specializing in retirement income planning for highly compensated small business owners. After 20+ years in the industry, founder Des Primus noticed a troubling pattern: the people building America's economy were systematically overpaying taxes in retirement. They had maxed out qualified plans and built successful companies, yet traditional planning tools left too much of their hard-earned income exposed to taxation and market risk. PrimusMax was built to change that.
PrimusMaxLife℠ is the retirement income planning platform. It brings together education, AI-powered insights, and access to licensed professionals in one place. Whether you're just exploring retirement income strategies or ready to implement a plan, PrimusMaxLife meets you where you are.
PrimusMax Income℠ is the retirement income strategy at the center of it all. It pairs an Indexed Universal Life (IUL) policy for tax-free accumulation with a Fixed Index Annuity (FIA) for a guaranteed income floor. This dual-engine framework gives business owners the growth potential and tax advantages of life insurance, combined with the certainty of guaranteed lifetime income. Schedule your PrimusMax Checkup℠ to get started.
Our Mission
"To empower highly compensated small business owners to fund a lifetime retirement income through the PrimusMax Income℠ dual-engine strategy — IUL for tax-free accumulation and FIA for a guaranteed income floor — ensuring total peace of mind and a retirement lifestyle by design."
- No IRS contribution limits
- Tax-free income in retirement
- Guaranteed lifetime income
- Principal protection from market losses
- Zero RMDs — you control your timeline
Meet Des Primus
Des Primus
Founder & Principal, PrimusMax™
Retirement Income Portal for Highly Compensated Small Business Owners & Highly Compensated Small Business Owners
20+ Years Experience
Des Primus is the founder of PrimusMax™ and the creator of the PrimusMaxLife℠ platform. With over 20 years of experience in the life insurance industry, Des specializes in retirement income planning for highly compensated small business owners — helping clients replace taxable retirement income with tax-free, guaranteed lifetime income through IUL, Fixed Index Annuities, and Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities (MYGA).
After two decades in the industry, Des observed a consistent pattern: highly compensated small business owners were systematically overpaying taxes in retirement — losing tens of thousands annually to RMDs, Social Security taxation, and IRMAA Medicare surcharges — while their advisors continued recommending the same market-exposed, tax-inefficient strategies. Des built PrimusMaxLife℠ to close that gap, combining education, the personalized PrimusMax Checkup℠, and AI-powered insights to help individuals discover better alternatives.
Des is the host of the PrimusMax™ Podcast, delivering weekly strategies on IUL, annuities, tax planning, and estate planning for highly compensated small business owners. Available at primusmax.life/Podcast.
Through PrimusMaxLife℠, our expert network of licensed insurance professionals works with highly compensated small business owners to build structured pension income targets from day one, with annual reviews and ongoing policy oversight to ensure every client stays on track toward their retirement income goal.
Retirement Lifestyle by Design℠
Retirement isn't just a financial milestone. It's a holistically planned season of life where income, health, relationships, and purpose align. That's the vision behind our consumer brand.
Our Mission
Retirement Lifestyle by Design℠ empowers highly compensated small business owners to envision, design, and fund their ideal retirement lifestyle — not as a financial milestone, but as a holistically planned season of life where income, health, relationships, and purpose align.
The Five Pillars
The foundational principles that guide every strategy we recommend.
Lifestyle Vision First
"Design the life, then fund it."
Every conversation, article, and interaction begins with the client's envisioned retirement lifestyle — travel, family, purpose, health, legacy — before any product is mentioned. The lifestyle is the destination; PrimusMax Income℠ is the vehicle.
Guaranteed Income Foundation
"Income you can't outlive."
The foundation of every plan is a guaranteed income floor built with Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIA). This ensures the essential lifestyle is funded regardless of market performance, longevity, or economic conditions.
Tax-Free Accumulation
"Build wealth the IRS can't touch."
Indexed Universal Life (IUL) provides tax-free accumulation and tax-free retirement income via policy loans. No required minimum distributions, no tax drag on accumulation, and no income tax on retirement withdrawals.
Holistic Planning
"Income, health, family, purpose — one plan."
We address the full picture: guaranteed income, tax efficiency, healthcare and Medicare planning, long-term care protection, estate and legacy transfer, Social Security optimization, and inflation resilience.
Exclusivity by Qualification
"Not for everyone. Built for highly compensated small business owners."
PrimusMax Income℠ is positioned as exclusive — available only to qualified highly compensated small business owners. This is not a mass-market product.
The Business Owner's Retirement Gap
You've built a profitable business and maxed out every qualified plan available. But the IRS caps how much you can save tax-advantaged — and your surplus business income is exposed to taxes, market risk, and RMDs. Without a supplemental strategy, your retirement lifestyle depends entirely on market performance. PrimusMax Income℠ closes that gap with tax-free, guaranteed lifetime income funded by your business dollars.
Contribution Limits Kill Your Potential
Highly compensated small business owners max out 401(k)s and IRAs quickly — but those accounts cap your tax-advantaged savings at $23,000–$30,500/year. When you're earning $200K+, that's a fraction of what you should be saving.
The RMD Trap at 73
Traditional retirement accounts force Required Minimum Distributions at age 73 — fully taxable, whether you need the money or not. A $2M IRA generates $75K+/year in mandatory taxable income, pushing you into higher brackets and triggering IRMAA Medicare surcharges.
Market Volatility Threatens Retirement Timing
A 30–40% market crash the year you retire can devastate your plan. Sequence-of-returns risk forces highly compensated small business owners to either delay retirement or dramatically cut spending — a risk that compounds with every year of declining savings.
The Hidden Tax Bomb in Retirement
When Social Security, 401(k) RMDs, and investment income stack up in retirement, up to 85% of your Social Security becomes taxable. IRMAA surcharges add $3,000–$8,000+/year to Medicare premiums. These "hidden" retirement taxes cost highly compensated small business owners tens of thousands per year.
The PrimusMax Income℠ Dual-Engine Strategy
The answer isn't just another generic stock portfolio. PrimusMax Income℠ layers two insurance-based engines — IUL for tax-free accumulation and FIA for a guaranteed income floor — on top of your existing 401(k), SEP, and IRA. Together, they supplement your retirement plans with tax-efficient wealth and lifetime income beyond what the IRS allows in qualified plans.
Engine 1 — IUL: Tax-Free Accumulation
Indexed Universal Life (IUL) is the tax-free accumulation engine of the PrimusMax Income℠ strategy. No IRS contribution limits. Tax-deferred growth linked to the S&P 500 with a 0% floor — you participate in market gains and never lose principal in a down year. Retirement income via tax-free policy loans (IRC §7702) creates zero taxable income, zero Social Security taxation, and zero IRMAA impact. No RMDs. Ever.
Engine 2 — FIA: Guaranteed Income Floor
Fixed Indexed Annuities (FIA) are the guaranteed income floor engine of the PrimusMax Income℠ strategy. 100% principal protection with index-linked growth. A Guaranteed Lifetime Withdrawal Benefit (GLWB) rider transforms your savings into a pension-like income you can never outlive — regardless of how long you live or what the market does.
The Dual-Engine Advantage
Together, IUL and FIA form the PrimusMax Income℠ dual-engine framework: a guaranteed income floor (FIA) for baseline security, paired with tax-free accumulation (IUL) for growth and legacy. This is how highly compensated small business owners fund a retirement lifestyle by design — not by chance.
PrimusMax Income℠ in Action
How highly compensated small business owners use the dual-engine PrimusMax Income℠ strategy to fund a retirement lifestyle by design.
Deep Dive: The Corporate Executive
A 52-year-old VP earning $400K+ maxes out her 401(k) and receives RSUs — but faces a massive tax bomb at 73 when RMDs, Social Security, and investment income stack up. The PrimusMax Income℠ strategy layers an IUL for tax-free retirement income alongside an FIA for a guaranteed income floor, eliminating RMD pressure, IRMAA surcharges, and Social Security taxation.
Deep Dive: The Business Owner
A 48-year-old agency owner wants to exit in 10 years but has no pension plan. An IUL funded through an Executive Bonus Plan (Section 162) lets the business build personal, tax-advantaged wealth for the owner — with no qualified-plan limits. A companion FIA creates a guaranteed income floor that begins at retirement, turning business success into a lifetime personal pension.
Deep Dive: The Medical Professional
A 50-year-old physician earns $500K but has no employer pension. High student debt and late career start mean traditional 401(k) accumulation falls short. The PrimusMax Income℠ strategy uses an IUL to build tax-free cash value outside qualified limits, and an FIA to guarantee a lifetime income floor — replacing the pension she never had and protecting against market crashes near retirement.
What PrimusMaxLife℠ Offers
PrimusMax Checkup℠
A personalized assessment that identifies whether IUL or Fixed Index Annuity is right for your age, income, and goals — with a lifetime retirement income strategy report emailed instantly.
Knowledge Hub
Comprehensive guides on IUL, Fixed Index Annuity, MYGA, Social Security optimization, estate planning, and tax strategy — written for highly compensated small business owners, not generic audiences.
PrimusMax™ Podcast
Weekly retirement planning podcast for highly compensated small business owners and business owners. IUL deep dives, annuity strategies, tax planning, and expert interviews — available free at primusmax.life.
Have Questions? We Have Answers.
From IUL mechanics to annuity guarantees, tax-free income to PrimusMax Income℠ qualification — explore the most common questions highly compensated small business owners ask.
Retirement Planning
7 frequently asked questions
PrimusMaxLife℠ and PrimusMax™ are owned by Primus Max LLC (PrimusMax™ is the brand name of Primus Max LLC). PrimusMaxLife℠ and PrimusMax™ are not registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, or fiduciaries. All content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Insurance products are sold by licensed insurance agents only. Product availability and features vary by state. Consult a licensed financial, tax, and legal professional before making any financial decisions.
Ready to Get Started?
Supplement Your Retirement Plans With Tax-Free Income
Stop letting IRS contribution limits and RMDs dictate your retirement. PrimusMax Income℠ layers tax-free, guaranteed lifetime income on top of your 401(k), SEP, and IRA — funded with business dollars. Take the free Retirement Quiz now!
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