Life Settlements

Sample Life Settlement Criteria

2010-08-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Parameters and requirements are currently changing in the industry. Here is an overview of what many investment funds, funders, and buyers are looking for.

US carriers and lives
$500k-$10mm face value policies ideal
LE's at or less than 120 months
2 LE's diversified by (AVS, 21st, and Fasano)
Some carriers less than 'A' are acceptable (less than 10% of the portfolio)
Whole Life, UL, VL, VUL policies
Dry, non-contestable paper

LE's stand for Life Expectancy. See a sample Life Expectancy Report...

Life Settlements News and Updates

2009-09-28T14:13:00.001-07:00

Found a couple good resources for both Life Settlement Reviews and New, and additional industry related events.

Here they are:
Life Settlement News - Updated with Life Settlements news and press.
Life Settlement Updates - Updates from a very large Life Settlement Hub (LifeSettlementInfo.com)
Life Settlement Information - Directory for life settlement professionals and companies.

Life Settlements Help

2009-08-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Finally, a help line for Life Settlements!

I was over on LifeSettlementInfo.com and I was surprised and happy to see they now have a a Life Settlement Helpline for both consumer and professionals. This allos individuals to call into the help line with questions or with information requests, and a specialist or professional will follow up to provide assistance.

Give it a call for yourself. 1-888-823-7764

What is a Life Settlement?

2009-06-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

Life Settlements

What is a Life Settlement?
A life settlement is defined as a financial transaction in which a policy owner possessing an unneeded or unwanted life insurance policy sells the policy to a third party (the funder) for more than the cash value offered by the life insurance company. The purchaser becomes the new owner and beneficiary of the policy and is responsible for all subsequent premium payments. Or simply stated, a life settlement is the sale of a life insurance policy for a lump sum that is greater than the policy’s cash surrender value, but less than its death benefit.

Until recently, a policy owner had few options when it came to life insurance that they no longer needed, wanted or were able to afford. They could either surrender the policy back to the insurance company for the cash surrender value or simply allow the policy to lapse and lose what they had paid into the policy over the years. A life settlement offers a new option — a lump sum payment potentially in excess of the cash surrender value.

Life settlements have enabled policy owners to tap into their life insurance policy's potential liquid asset value. Life settlements are quickly growing into an invaluable financial planning tool for financial advisors, particularly in situations where their client’s needs or circumstances have changed. Anyone considering a life settlement transaction is strongly encouraged to discuss all of the relevant

Who is a Good Candidate?
The general guidelines as to who constitutes a good life settlement candidate are:

--The insured must be at least 65 years old, although an insured 70 years of age or older is more attractive.
--A life insurance policy with a minimum face value of $100,000, although a policy of $1,000,000 or greater face value will generate more funder interest.
Universal, variable, whole life along with convertible term and survivorship life insurance policies are attractive to funders with universal life being the most ideal type of life policy.
--An insured with a life expectancy of greater than 2 years but less than 15 years.

When you are looking to receive a Life Settlement, you will need to complete these steps:

Step 1: No Cost Policy Evaluation
You will need to fill out some brief forms for the policy owner to complete. All information is kept confidential. The Life Settlement company provides an internal policy evaluation for the policy owner. This evaluation is a preliminary review that indicates the policy's marketability. The evaluation will help a financial advisor when consulting with a client in determining whether or not a life settlement is the proper course of action to take.

Step 2: Authorization
After deciding to move forward with the life settlement process, and with the policy owner’s and insured’s permission, The Life Settlement company will compile the necessary documentation such as medical records and verification of coverage.

Step 3: Submit to Funders for Bidding
The Life Settlement company submits the policy and corresponding documentation to several institutional funders in order to receive the best offer on a policy.

Step 4: Offers are communicated to the Producer and their Client
Once The Life Settlement company provides you and your client with an offer, your client can decide whether to decline or accept the offer and proceed with the settlement closing process.

Step 5: Closing/Settlement
If the life settlement offer is accepted, The Life Settlement company facilitates the process of settling the policy. Closing documents are executed and funds are placed in escrow. When the policy ownership transfer has been confirmed, the settlement funds are released within 72 hours. Start to finish, the process takes approximately 60 to 90 days.

After the closing, the institutional funder is now the new owner and beneficiary of the policy and will be responsible for the payment of all future premiums. Upon completion, the seller has no further costs or obligations related to the insurance policy.

Careers in Life Settlements

2009-03-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Are Life Settlement recession proof?

The industry says no, but there is continued growth and employment opportunites throughout the Life Insurance Industry.

You can review job openings at Life Settlement Jobs

Currently seeking licensed Life Insurance Agent with a strong business sense and an entrepreneur personality. The ideal candidate must be self- motivated, professional and possess excellent communication skills.

This is a great opportunity to come learn the advanced markets of insurance, including life settlements and premium finance! Offering top commissions, over-rides, bonuses, lifetime residuals, with unlimited training and support. With a wide range of products from all the top carriers, marketing support and lead sources.

Life Settlement Information

2009-01-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

With a growing product and industry like we are seeing with the Life Settlement product, everyone is constantly looking for a strong information source, I think we found it...

Life Settlement Info could also go by Life Settlement Information.

It is a very consumer and professional friendly site packed with information, overviews, tools, calculator, quotes, and more. Also a friendly listing of Life Settlement Companies as well as an updated Life Settlement Blog.

You gotta check it out, you can also call their toll free number to request a free information kit. Number is 1-888-823-7764.

Small Businesses Use Life Settlements to Survive Crisis

2008-12-30T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a really interesting article that I found on Life Settlements becoming a tool for small businesses to use as a "life vest" in the current economic crisis. It generally provides the ability to increase capital while avoiding increasing the debt structure of the company or forcing the liquidation of company assets more vital to ongoing business.

The article was found on InvestmentNews.com and it reads...:

Cash-strapped small businesses looking for a lifeline may find one in an unlikely asset — life insurance policies on the companies' owners.

While life settlement experts caution financial advisers that tapping into insurance policies is fraught with tax and estate-planning risks, some business owners may be tempted to sell their policies if other financing options are unavailable.

"The market for life settlements is small and illiquid, and using it puts an estate-planning tool at risk for very short-term liquidity issues," warned Kimberly Kitts, founder and president of Marquis Consulting LLC, an Orleans, Mass.-based company that specializes in working with business owners.

For one company, however, life settlements have proved helpful.

X-Rite Inc., a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based marketer of the Pantone color system — used widely in the publishing and printing industries —recently needed cash to pay down more than $340 million in outstanding debt and help fund a $175 million recapitalization.

With credit short and cash tight, the company looked at the life insurance policies it held on its founders, who are in their 80s. Annual premiums on the buy-sell policies amounted to $6.7 million, straining X-Rite's budget.

Robert Finfer: Life settlements are an option when assets are illiquid.
The company decided to sell the policies, and by early November received about $20.6 million through life settlements. "That is a significant amount of cash when you're talking about illiquid assets," said Robert Finfer, president and chief executive of Integrity Capital Partners, the Bethesda, Md.-based life settlements broker that helped X-Rite find purchasers for its policies.

To read the rest of the article, CLICK HERE>>>

Considering selling your life insurance policy?

2008-11-28T05:35:00.000-08:00

Life Settlement is the process of selling an unneeded or undervalued life insurance policy for a lump sum cash payout.

Life Settlements provide a unique opportunity to benefit immediately from the market value of an existing life insurance policy and reuse those funds for whatever purpose one chooses.

Previously, the owner of an unneeded or unwanted policy had only two options:
1. Sell the policy back to the institution that issued it for its cash surrender values (often a very low, if any, value at all).
2. Allow the policy to lapse, wasting years of paid premiums.
That doesn't have to happen to you...

As a licensed insurance professional, I can help you determine if Life Settlement is a suitable option for you. If it is, I will work to get the best possible value for your policy that fits your immediate needs. All personal information obtained during the course of the transaction is treated with the utmost confidentiality and will not be disclosed to any unauthorized party.

Call me today at 1-888-973-8377.

Roy Shellhammer

Life Settlement Fraud

2008-10-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

Life Settlements are quickly becoming a power option for seniors who have life insurance policies that they no longer need, want, or would like to sell for additional funds.

However, with the growth, there is also scams and frauds within the Life Settlement Industry that needs to brought to life.

Life Settlement Fraud posts news, updates, and releases of important information related to shady practices, unlicensed individuals/firms, criminal, investment fraud, and regulation aspects.

For regulation problems, don't hesitate to contact your state's department of insurance.

If you feel a broker, professional, or provider hasn't treated you fairly and you would like a second opinion on your policy or a current offer, please call 1-888-973-8377.

Wet Paper Life Settlements

2008-02-15T09:12:00.000-08:00

We keep hearing about the term "Wet Paper Life Settlements". This can usually refer to life settlements that are sold before the life insurance policy passes the 2 year contestable period.

Wet Paper Life Settlements that are policies that are issued are usually premium financed and have certain restrictions involved before being sold. Non-issued but approved policies have other restrictions including structuring of the trust, proving insurability, etc..

It is important to know that Life Insurance Companies will strictly underwrite new policy issues for seniors. If you cannot provide an insurable interest you could lose your license for fraud.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to see if we can assist with any potential, and inform you with the truth about Wet Paper Life Settlements.

Value in Life Settlements

2007-12-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Most seniors still do not know that there is a hidden value in their life insurance policies. Policies are lapsing on a daily basis that could generate a 10-35% settlement on the face value.

An important fact is that their is not any cost or obligation in exploring Life Settlements. There is no reason to not at least explore the option of selling your policy before cashing in the cash value or letting it lapse.

Create new value for your life insurance with Life Settlements! Call 1-888-973-8377 today!

Life Settlements Credibility

2007-08-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

When exploring a Life Settlement solution for your life insurance policy, it is important to factor in credibility with the funding source or broker that you are using.

Many people will guarantee you a certain amount of money for you policy. However Life Settlements are not guaranteed until the policy and medical information is reviewed. Each Life Settlement case is reviewed and priced on a case by case basis.

It is also important to provide your life settlement source with up to date information about your health condition. This can have a tremendous factor on your offer.

Call 1-888-973-8377 with Life Settlement questions.

Life Settlements Value

2007-01-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

With a Life Settlement each case is looked at individually, there are quite a few factors that determine the amount of your life settlement, qualifying for a life settlement, and the available life settlement cash amount.

For example, your life settlement amount will be determined by the original amount of the life insurance, your life expectancy, the cost of the premiums, the current and projected interest rates and health of the insurance company that is providing the life insurance coverage. All of these factors are taken into account when determining your life settlement value.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to find out if you qualify for a Life Settlement. And RTG Consultants would be glad to answer any questions.

Life Settlement Benefits

2006-08-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Life Settlements have become the #1 financial planning tool used to reduce or eliminate expensive life insurance premiums for seniors. Life Settlements have also become an exit strategy for unwanted or unneeded life insurance policies. The most obvious benefit of Life Settlements to senior policy owners is the new money created above cash surrender value. The additional funds can be used in many ways to improve a senior's financial position. The most common is to use the new larger sum of money created by the Life Settlement to fund a new more suitable policy with lower premiums. This saves the policy owner money on an annual basis. While this is the most common use, there are many possible benefits for a Life Settlement.

Get a Free Life Settlement Evaluation by calling 1-888-973-8377.

Life Settlements Lapse

2006-07-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Rather than let a life insurance policy lapse, you could sell it to a third party for a portion of the face value. The buyer continues to pay premiums and collects the death benefit when you're gone.

How much you'll get from a life settlement depends on your age (in most cases you must be at least 65) and the policy's face value (usually at least $250,000). Most life-insurance policies -- including term-life policies, which normally have no cash value -- qualify, as long as they're convertible. That means you can change them to universal-life or whole-life policies without furnishing proof of good health to the insurance company.

If you are thinking about letting your policy lapse or have a client who is going to let their policy lapse, call 1-888-973-8377 and speak with a Life Settlements Expert to see the true value of your life insurance.

Life Settlement Solutions

2006-06-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

Life Insurance Settlements are a popular solution for un-wanted or un-needed life insurance policies.

Life settlements are essentially the same thing as viaticals, except that the policyholder doesn't have to be terminally ill to sell.

Say you're a 60-year-old with a $1 million whole life policy that you don't want any more. Maybe you don't have children, or you just can't afford the premiums.

A life-settlement firm may offer you from 15% to 30% of the policy's face value (depending on life expectancy, cash value and type of insurance) to take over the premiums for you. That's three to four times what you'd get by simply cashing in the policy with the insurer, says Doug Head of the Life Insurance Settlement Association, which advocates for settlement purchasers.

When you die, the investors get the $1 million.

How do the investors make a profit? They're betting you'll kick the bucket before they have to make too many payments. If you do, they stand to reap a sweet return on their investment.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to speak with a Life Settlement Specialist about your solution.

Viatical Settlement

2006-05-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

What is a Viatical Life Settlement?

* Remember a Viatical Settlement is not the same as a Life Settlement (Life Insurance Settlement, Senior Settlement)

If the insured currently has a policy that has accumulated cash value and is currently in-force (and not lapsed or in danger of lapsing in the next month or so) then a senior life settlement is possible. A viatical settlement is offered to terminally ill clients. A life settlement would provide a lump sum, cash payment in an amount over and above what the insured would receive if he or she went to the insurance company and asked to cash out the policy. In some instances, the amount received is up to FOUR TIMES the cash "surrender value" that the insurance company would offer. This payout is made possible because the policy owner would assign the buyer of the policy as the new beneficiary. The life settlement amount received is more than the current cash surrender value of the policy.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to speak with a Life Settlement Professional

Association Lauds FASB Decision on Valuation of Life Settlement Contracts

2006-04-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

The Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) today praised the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) amended position on the valuation of Life Settlement Contracts.

A life settlement contract -- generally referred to more simply as a life settlement -- is the sale to a third party of an existing life insurance policy for more than its cash surrender value but less than its net death benefit. Such transactions are usually undertaken for the purposes of estate or financial planning.

More:
Life Settlement Press Release

Founded in 1995, the Life Insurance Settlement Association is the oldest and largest trade organization in the industry. Its goal is to promote the development, integrity and reputation of the life settlement industry, and to promote a competitive market for the people it serves. LISA now represents 90 members with a wide variety of interests in the industry.

To get a free life settlement quote, please call 1-888-973-8377

Life Settlements, do not cash or surrender

2006-03-27T07:29:00.000-08:00

Life Settlements are quickly becoming the best option if you have a life insurance policy that your planning on surrending or letting lapse.

In the past, there was only one way to measure insurance policy value, the surrender value dictated by the insurance company. This cash value reflected neither the amount of premiums paid into the policy nor the fair market value (settlement value) that other institutions might be willing to pay for that policy. The result, (cash) surrender value of a policy is often lower than the fair market value. Many people have no idea what the true value of their life insurance policy, a life settlement will help you determine the true value and show the amount over the cash value that is available to you. There is never any obligation or costs for a policy evaluation.

Get a Free Life Settlement Evaluation today.

How Life Settlements Work

2006-03-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

Here's how the life settlements business works. Some life settlement firms and companies are bankrolled by hedge funds, pension funds, and in some cases large insurers like AIG (AIG ). The settlement firms buy the policies from individuals on behalf of investors. The life settlement company then acts on behalf of the investors, who become the owners and beneficiaries, and pays the premium until the insured dies. The firm collects the death benefit and pays its investors anywhere from 9% to 12% annual return. Other firms buy and repackage the policies for sale to a third party.

These life settlements firms really give you, the consumer, the option of creating an immediate payout for an unwanted or unused asset. Call 1-888-973-8377 for a life settlement evaulation.

Life Settlement - A Life Insurance Settlement

2006-02-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

To maximize your life settlement, you want to get multiple offers for your life insurance policy. These buyers invest in Universal Life, Whole Life, Term, Convertible Term and Variable Universal Life policies. If you do qualify as a seller, these investors pay you cash upfront for your policy. The amount paid is usually higher than your cash value. Instead of letting your insurance policy lapses if you no longer need it, why not convert it to cash. To be a seller, you must be at least 65 years of age, have a life expectancy of less than 15 years and the policy is at least $100,000.

By getting maximum value for your life settlement, you will have funds for retirement, eliminate your debts and pay your medical bills. Your quality of life can improve significantly. To get a free life settlement quote, just visit the Life Settlement Professionals or call 1-888-973-8377.

Life Settlement Company

2006-01-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

The Life Settlement Industry is growing rapidly. Nationwide both senior citizens and financial advisors are realizing the amazing benefts of Life Settlements. The Life Settlement transaction is an new option for a senior citizen that offers lump sum settlement for their life insurance policy.

Some companies involved with Life Settlements are:
Life Settlement Brokers (A broker for a Life Settlement)
Life Settlement Company
Life Settlement Provider
Life Settlement Investments

To find out how a Life Settlement can benefit you or your business, please call toll free 1-888-973-8377.

A structured settlement is not the same thing as as life settlement.

Highest Life Settlements

2006-01-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

To get the highest life settlements is to improve the quality of life during your retirement years. A life settlement is the selling of your life insurance policy. A buyer pays you upfront to become the beneficiary and they will assume the future premium payments. You will no longer be responsible for premium payments. Life settlements are conducted by a Life Settlement Company and a Life Settlement Broker. Once the deal closes, the money is wired to you. The funds can be used for retirement, paying off debts and immediately providing for your family. To qualify for a life settlement, the policyholder must be at least 65 years old, policy value is at least $100,000 and have a life expectancy of under 15 years.

Getting the highest life settlements means having more than one interested buyer. By getting multiple offers, you can make comparisons to pick out the best life settlement for you. The buyers tend to be companies specializing in the investing of life insurance policies. To get quotes on your life insurance policy from interested buyers, just click on the tab.

Life Settlements - How to Apply

2005-12-19T13:26:00.000-08:00

Life Settlements are beneficial, apply today.

A life settlement can be so beneficial in the life of a senior. The cash obtained can make a difference in lifestyle and quality of life. Receiving a lump sum cash settlement that on average is three times your cash surrender value will make all the difference. Many seniors are interested in life settlements as an option, however it is hard to find out how it would apply to them. The Life Settlement Application is an easy process that does not require a medical exam or any costs or obligations.

Call 1-888-973-8377 and we will gladly mail, fax or email a simple life settlement application so you can find out the value or your life insurance policy. You can also email us for an application.

What is a Life Settlement?

2005-12-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

A Life Settlement is a cash payment to the owner of a life insurance policy in exchange for the assignment of the ownership of the policy. With a Life Settlement you turn an otherwise untouchable asset into something liquid, something immediately useful. Life Settlements are quickly becoming an amazing financial planning tool.

By liquidating a policy for amounts higher than the cash surrender value, policy owners can initiate important financial opportunities with a cash infusion from the life settlement proceeds of an unwanted, unaffordable or unnecessary life insurance policy. Changes in your lives and circumstances can reduce or eliminate the need for an existing life policy! What was once a sound and essential asset can often evolve into an unneeded expense---even a burdensome liability. Now with a Life Settlement you can turn that asset into new found money.

With current economic conditions created by stock market declaims, combined with poor retirement fund performances, life settlement options offering amounts greater than current cash surrender value for policies no longer relevant to someone’s current needs has strong appeal.

With your new found cash, you can invest in annuities, enhance your estate planning, provide for long term care needs or use the money to better enjoy and live the life you've earned.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to speak with a Life Settlement Counselor

Source: Life Settlement Broker (LifeSettlementPro.com)

Life Settlement Today

2005-11-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

A Life Settlement (or Senior Life Settlement, Senior Settlement) allows someone to receive cash for a life insurance policy that is no longer needed or is no longer affordable. Unlike a viatical settlement, the insured person does not have a life threatening illness, but is a senior over age 65 whose health has changed since the policy was issued.

However, a life settlement is very similar to a viatical settlement - the sale of a life insurance policy. In many cases, the terminology - a viatical settlement or life settlement - cannot be assigned until the medical records have been reviewed by doctors.

Find out the true value of your no longer needed life insurance policy by call 1-888-973-8377. A Life Settlement Professional would be glad to assist you with any questions.

Life Settlements - Settlements for your Life Insurnace

2005-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Life Settlements are a type of life insurance settlement. All life settlements allow policies to be liquidated for a higher than the cash value. The difference between life settlements and viatical settlements, which is another type of life insurance settlement, is relatively narrow. Life settlements allow seniors over the age of 65 to cash in on their life insurance policy if they want to avoid high premiums, no longer need the coverage, would like a new issue, or want to lapse the policy. A viatical settlement differs in that it is only offered to terminally ill patients to reduce some of the financial problems that come with having a terminal illness, such as high medical costs, lack of income, and living expenses. Life Settlements give a larger majority of seniors the opportunity to find out the true value of their life insurance.

Life Settlements are not for every policy
Not every life insurance policy of a senior over the age of 65 will qualify for a Life Settlement. Some policies are less desirable than others. This has to do with the face amount of the policy, the premium amount, the insurance company, the general health condition of the senior insured, and the type of policy that is trying to be sold.

To find out if your policy qualifies and to find out the amount you could receive for your policy, please call 1-888-973-8377.

Provided by Life Settlements.

Options for Life Settlements

2005-10-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Life Settlements

There are two other options you have when dealing with a life insurance policy. One is that you could cash in your policy and get the cash surrender value (the amount of money you’ve paid in plus a modest amount of interest). The second is a life settlement, you can sell your policy to a bank or other financial institution. These buyers will provide you with a cash settlement that will exceed the cash surrender value of your policy. This cash payment is a life settlement. Life Settlements are the favorable option, you will receive a larger cash settlement than just letting your policy lapse.

So if you decide a Life Settlement is the right option for your particular policy, you can sell it for more than your insurance company will give you if you cash the policy in, even if you have a term policy that has no cash surrender value whatsoever.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to find out how large of cash life settlement you could receive for your life insurance policy.

Senior Life Settlements

2005-10-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

Life Settlements are also known as Senior Life Settlements, Senior Settlements, Life Insurance Settlements, and Viatical Settlements.

Whether you call it a Senior Settlement, Lifetime Settlement, or High Net Worth Transaction - Life Settlements have become a very important factor in the estate and financial planning process for seniors. Before Life Settlements, if a senior owned a policy that was no longer wanted, needed or affordable, there was no option but to lapse, cancel, or surrender the policy back to the carrier for the cash surrender value. The cash surrender or lapse value is usually very minimal. Life settlements allow qualified policy owners to liquidate a policy for an amount much higher than the cash surrender value. Seniors can now take advantage of important financial opportunities using the proceeds of an unwanted, unaffordable or obsolete life insurance policy.

Currently, with the advance of Life Settlements as a mainstream financial product, Life Insurance Companies now face competition for the surrendered policies that they once capitalized on. Life Settlements have created a competitive secondary market for life insurance policies. Consumers are now in control of their policy, free to sell their policies in an open market for the highest available price, well above the cash surrender value offered by insurance companies.

Find out how Life Settlements can benefit you, call 1-888-973-8377.

Life Settlements

2005-09-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Life Settlements for Consumers
Life Settlements are the sale of a life insurance policy that gives the policy owner a cash settlement in excess of the current cash surrender value.

Life Settlements for Financial Professionals
Life Settlements are an innovative financial and estate planning tool that financial professionals and insurance agents throughout the country are utilizing to increase their productivity. Life settlements will increase sales of your additional products, reduce lapse rates, and continue provide renewal credits while keeping the original policy in force. Make additional Commissions through our referral program.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to explore Life Settlements.

Benefits of Life Settlements

2005-09-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

Life Settlement enable seniors to reap many benefits. One of the main benefits of life settlements is that that eliminate costly premiums and provide your with a larger payout then your cash surrender or lapse value.

The concept and the benefits of a life settlement transaction coincide. To sum it up, you can receive more money in the secondary market than you can from your life insurance company. Life Settlements utilize the same concepts as when you cash in your policy with the life insurance company, except you avoid having to pay any surrender charges from the insurance company. You no longer need to make premiums and you have no obligations to the life insurance policy.

Life Settlements will continue to grow and continue to offer benefits to senior life insurance policy holders.

Call 1-888-973-8377 to speak with a Life Settlement Specialist today.

Life Settlements better than Lapsing

2005-08-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Life settlements can theoretically work to reduce lapse rates, because the investors who buy the policy will always contribute just enough money to keep it paid up until it pays off. If all life insurance consumers learn about life settlements and sell their policies before they lapse, the lapse rates would go to zero and the life insurance agencies would be forced to increase rates. This would make life insurance less competitive against other investment methods, and probably lead to lower sales.

But if you think that any of this causes the life insurance companies to worry, you’re wrong. Life insurance companies know that any loss of sales due to larger premiums will probably be more than offset by the increased sales due to people who start buying life insurance policies as investments with the thought of later selling the policies to fund retirements. Life insurance companies had always been somewhat embarrassed by lapse rates anyway, since they tended to indicate that policies had been improperly sold in the first place. Also, life insurance actuaries already assume and factor that a certain number of policyholder’s will have health declines, and thus will hold their policies until their death. From an actuary’s standpoint, the concept of life settlements in causing losses to the insurance companies isn’t nearly as onerous as the insurance agents try to paint it out to be when making a sale.

Finally, the life settlements markets are limited to a relatively small part of the market since they are only for people over 65 and who have had a dramatic health change. This group probably represents less than 0.5% of all life insurance policies, so life settlements probably are not going to impact life insurance profitability that much. It is, however, an argument that life insurance agents falsely use to try to portray the insurance companies as the big losers, and not the kids of those who are selling their policies.

Life Settlements are a great tool for seniors who were thinking about lapsing or surrendering their life insurance policy.

Life Settlements Broker

2005-08-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Reason for Life Settlement Brokers

Perhaps you have decided to allow your life insurance to lapse because the payments have just become too expensive for you to maintain, or you have other bills that need attention and right now paying your life insurance falls pretty low on the priority list. You might have also thought about taking the cash surrender payout. Instead of letting your life insurance lapse due to non-payment of the life insurance premiums, you may want to discuss your situation with a licensed life settlement broker. You may have already spoken to your insurance company about having them purchase the life settlement value of your life insurance and you are trying to decide if you should accept their offer. (In most cases, a life settlement broker can provide a much larger settlement than the Insurance Company cash surrender) Before you do, why not take a few minutes and obtain a second opinion from a licensed life settlement broker such as RTG Consultants or Life Settlement Pro.

Life Settlements were created for the consumer, it gives you another option versus having to lapse or surrender your policy.

Life Settlements (Viatical Settlements)

2005-08-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Life settlements or viatical settlements as they are also known is the process of selling the cash payout of your life insurance or portion thereof for upfront cash.

So why would anyone sell their life insurance benefits? Well in some cases, the life insurance might be no longer necessary. If for instance the policy was secured to protect a dependent or spouse but that beneficiary dies first, then that need for protection no longer exists.

Other times, a portion of the life insurance policy proceeds might become necessary to pay off bills, prevent foreclosure, pay health related expenses, or just simply to live on. John Meecham was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was unable to work. The house payments had gone unpaid for several months and disaster seemed imminent. By selling off half of his $2 million life insurance policy, John was able to pay off his house and do a bit of traveling with his wife before he died a year later.

How life settlements (viaticals) work

Viatical settlements are pretty straightforward. A policyholder who can demonstrate that he has been diagnosed with a terminal illness sells his policy to a settlement company for a fraction of its face value, depending on estimated life expectancy. People over age 70 can also often find buyers as well.

With the life insurance policy in now owned, the purchasing company solicits investors who receive the death benefit when the viator dies. Out of its portion of the investment, the viatical company pays premiums on the policy to keep it in force until the viator dies. In some cases, the company may require that investors pay the premiums.

Any type of insurance can be used in a "viatical settlement" including whole life, universal, term, or group life provided by an employer. But the policy must allow the viator to assign, or transfer, it to an unrelated beneficiary. The viator must have owned the policy for at least two years before he/she sells it. This is done to prevent people from taking advantage of insurance companies by taking out and then selling a life insurance policy when they receive a terminal diagnosis.

Life settlement (viatical) warnings

Viators who are ill and often desperate may be at the mercy of viatical companies. Under a regulation developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), viators would be guaranteed to receive a minimum payment that is based on a sliding scale according to life expectancy.

For instance, a viator with an estimated life expectancy of six months would receive 80 percent of a policy's face value, but someone expected to live 18 to 36 months would receive 60 percent. To date, however, just nine states (Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Vermont) have chosen to adopt the payment schedule.

If you plan on selling off part of your life insurance policy for cash, it is highly recommended that you see a lawyer who is experienced in the value of such things. It may take a few extra days or you may have to do some shopping, but viatical agreements can vary tremendously in the amount of money you can pull out.

In one recent study, the same insured with the same policy and same conditions received quotes from 22% of face value to over 60% of face value. Do your shopping and don't take the first offer. In the same study, it was found that there was room for negotiation and life settlement buyers often came back with larger offers when the first was turned down.

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Venture Capital Investments Rise Slightly in Connecticut

2005-08-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, Conn.

Aug. 9--Venture capital funding in Connecticut remained essentially flat during the second quarter, with venture investments rising just slightly compared with the first quarter.

Seven Connecticut companies, including two local businesses, raised $27.9 million in the second quarter, up from $24.1 million raised by venture-backed firms in the first quarter, according to a national MoneyTree Survey issued by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Thomson Venture Economics and the National Venture Capital Association.

Second quarter funding was down significantly from the same quarter of last year, when $51.1 million was invested in 11 companies, the survey found. "With only $52 million raised to date this year, companies in Connecticut will need to have strong fundraising results in the second half of 2005 to achieve historical averages," said Owen Davis, co-chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers' venture capital/private equity practice in Connecticut and Westchester County.

Nationally, venture capitalists invested $2.4 billion during the quarter in 750 companies.

The largest investment made in Connecticut went to Kelson Physician Partners Inc., a Hartford-based pediatric healthcare company, which received $15 million. This was the company's 11th round of funding. The majority of funding went to late-stage and emerging-stage companies, according to the survey.

One of those companies was Norwalk-based Reconda International Corp., a provider of Web-based software products for WebSphere MQ messaging application development, testing and support. The three-year-old company raised $300,000 in its ninth round of funding. This is the second round the company received this fiscal year. It employs 25 people and has two commercial software products. Another local business, Stamford-based LifeOptions LLC, was the only venture-backed company in Connecticut to receive first-round funding. The company, a life settlement brokerage firm, received $1 million, said Chief Financial Officer Ted Pryor. The money will be used for working capital as the company, which was launched in May, looks to broaden its reach in the Northeast.

LifeOptions focuses on the secondary life insurance market by working with senior citizens and life insurance agents to sell unwanted life insurance policies to institutional investors.

"We put a lot of time into our business plan, both in terms of the description of the plan and in terms of the numerical analysis on what we could project," Pryor said. "It's a big market and we were able to convince our investors it was an underserved market -- at least in our region." "Life settlements are the fastest growing fixed asset class in the country today, so we saw a market opportunity," said Jim Pugliese, LifeOptions' president.

While start ups have been hard-pressed to capture venture capital dollars since the dot-com bust, that may change soon, said Matthew Littlewood, who follows venture investments in New England for PricewaterhouseCoopers. There was a growth in later-stage investing during the second quarter -- an indication that venture capitalists feel their investments are maturing and ready for exit. That will mean a flurry of acquisitions and initial public offerings in the region, which will give investors more cash and time to focus on start-ups again, Littlewood said.

Life Partners Announces European Fund Development At Annual Meeting of Shareholders

2005-08-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

WACO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2005--Life Partners Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:LPHI) held its 2005 Annual Meeting of Shareholders at its headquarters this morning at the company headquarters in Waco, Texas marking nearly 14 years as the world's oldest and only publicly held viatical and life settlement company.

At the meeting, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Pardo said, "We have always been on the leading edge of developing this asset class. We have opened markets for thousands of sophisticated individual investors and are now finding durable ways to work effectively and profitably with institutional clients as well."

Discussing the Company's future growth opportunities, Mr. Pardo said, "The future of our company rests in our ability to serve both client bases with equal effectiveness. As an example of this strategy at work, I am pleased to announce that The Life Settlements Fund, a Bahamas registered fund with representative offices in London and Zurich, has now begun to purchase life settlements using our company as exclusive investment advisor and policy provider to the fund."

Based solely on business from this Fund, the company expects an increase in total business volume of about $6 million during this current fiscal quarter which ends August 31, 2005. Further, we expect even greater increases of total business volume throughout our second fiscal half and beyond.

The Life Settlements Fund is available only to non-U.S. investors and is marketed throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Approximately 98% or 9.2 million shares entitled to vote were represented at the meeting either in person or by proxy. Shareholders elected all six directors named in the proxy, with each director receiving at least 8.5 million or 93% of the total votes cast. Brian Pardo, R. Scott Peden, Jacquelyn Davis, Tad Ballantyne, Fred Dewald and Lt. General (Ret.) Harry Goodall were all elected to serve for the ensuing year.

Safe Harbor - With regard to Life Partners, Inc. and Life Partners Holdings, Inc., this press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. The statements in this news release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, the market for our services, and the value of our new contract signings, backlog and business pipeline, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. For information concerning these risks and uncertainties, see our most recent Form 10-K. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Abacus Settlements, LLC Purchases Life Insurance Portfolio with a Face Value of $50 Million from Federal Receiver in Florida

2005-07-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Abacus Settlements, LLC, a life settlement provider located in New York City, today announced that it had concluded a transaction to purchase a portfolio of life insurance policies with a face value of $50 million from the federal receiver for an insolvent life settlement finance company. The transaction follows the approval on July 1, 2005 by the U. S. District Court in the Middle District of Florida of a motion by the receiver, David Levine of Miami-based law firm Tew Cardenas LLP, recommending approval for the sale of the RFG Life Insurance Policy Portfolio to Abacus.

"We are pleased to have been recommended by the receiver and to have been approved by the Court to participate in this win-win transaction," said Craig Seitel, CEO of Abacus Settlements. "Our purchase of the RFG Portfolio helps Abacus reach its long-term investment goals, while providing an opportunity for the receiver to maximize expeditious recovery to the creditors in the RFG Portfolio."

Abacus Settlements was recommended by Levine to the Receivership Court following a bid process undertaken earlier this year in an effort to obtain the highest possible return to the investors and creditors of the receivership estate. Abacus submitted the highest and best bid for the purchase of the RFG portfolio, representing an immediate cash outlay of approximately $16.6 million, thus enabling immediate payment distributions to RFG investors.

"The proceeds of the Abacus sale, in combination with other recoveries by the receivership, will provide over $22 million from which additional distributions to investors can be quickly made," said Levine. "The offer submitted by Abacus represented the highest price in an open market bid process, and I believe the sale of the RFG Portfolio to Abacus represents the best available balance between risk and return for the investors -- both in dollars and in speed of payment," Levine added.

About Abacus Settlements, LLC

Abacus Settlements, LLC, is a life settlement provider located in New York City. The company works with life settlement brokers and life insurance producers operating in the secondary life insurance market to purchase unwanted policies from policy owners. Life settlements provide secondary market liquidity for an otherwise illiquid long-term asset.

When to consider a life settlement

2005-03-17T13:37:00.000-08:00

Seniors wanting more cost-effective insurance are being aided by the new Mortality Table, better product designs, and premium financing. Many others no longer need coverage but want more cash than the policy's surrender value. A Life Settlement can benefit a wide range of seniors as they plan for better retirement, long-term care and other needs.

What is a life settlement?

2005-03-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

A life settlement or senior life settlement is the transfer of a life insurance policy from the policyholder to a licensed Life or Senior Settlement funder. By definition, the market value is greater than the life insurance cash value but less than the net death benefit.

The transaction involves the policy owner's transfer of ownership rights to the Life Settlement funder, which then pays all premiumsóthe life insurance cash value, and ultimately receives the insurance benefits.

Most policies are lapsed because of costs or other financial strains. Few senior policy owners realize that their policy might bring 5% to 25% of the death benefit through life insurance settlements or senior life settlements. On average, Life Settlements are at least three times larger than policy cash surrender values.

Free Life Settlement Quote

2005-03-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, you can get a free, no obligation, life settlement quote today.

Click the link below!

Free Life Settlement Quote