In addition, most states require that consumers are provided with information about alternatives to settlements, risks related to taxation and government assistance, and the licensing
of life settlement brokers and providers.
Existing laws and regulations that address life settlements include many requirements, including informational disclosures that owners and insureds must receive before a life settlement can be completed as well as licensing
of life settlement brokers and life settlement providers (the policy buyers).
Most policy owners solicit the assistance
of a life settlement broker when attempting to sell their policies.
Notably, while advisors and their clients might engage with a life settlements provider directly to facilitate the sale of a policy (and thereby save money by eliminating the brokerage fees), the provider will function solely to purchase the policy themselves (or not), and would not obtain competing quotes from other potential buyers / investors (as that is the job
of the life settlement broker).
Not exact matches
Make sure your client understands the privacy implications
of releasing medical records and insurance information to the
life settlement broker.
If your client is pursuing a
life settlement, it is recommended that you work through a
broker instead
of contacting buyers directly.
The benefit is that the client will save money on the
broker's commission fee; however, unless the advisor knows many
of the
life settlement providers and can generate a competitive bidding process by themselves, the financial advisor risks not getting their client the best deal.
Information gathering — the
life settlement broker obtains information about the
life insurance policy and the state
of the insured's health.
The CEO
of Independent
Life Insurance Company said, «We believe Independent
Life's singular focus on annuities to fund structured
settlements will result in excellent service and
broker support, as well as upper tier pricing, to improve and help grow the industry.»
A
life settlement is often facilitated through a
life settlement broker who represents the policy owner and owes a fiduciary duty to the owner, including a duty to act according to the owner's instructions and in the best interests
of the policyowner.
You'll provide details
of your
life insurance policy, along with medical records, to either a
life settlement broker or provider.
Life settlement brokers provide an important function
of guiding a policy owner through the sales process, including assembling the needed information to complete the sale.
But with proper due diligence performed on the
life settlement broker, the
life settlement company and any other entity involved in the transaction, an individual should be able to allay all
of these fears.
The first major concern about
life settlements is the size
of the commission the
brokers take.
Since then, lawmakers have passed more regulation to protect consumers from such acts — including placing a cap on the commission rate at 30 %
of the
life settlement value (though some
brokers already accept commissions as low as 15 %) and requiring upfront disclosure.
If your client is pursuing a
life settlement, it is recommended that you work through a
broker instead
of contacting buyers directly.
Brokers are primarily interested in policyholders who are in their seventies, or younger if they have a serious illness, says Darwin Bayston, executive director
of the
Life Insurance
Settlement Association.
Information gathering — the
life settlement broker obtains information about the
life insurance policy and the state
of the insured's health.
The
Life Insurance
Settlement Association has a list of members on its Web site who can broker a s
Settlement Association has a list
of members on its Web site who can
broker a
settlementsettlement.