The new tax law passed in December positively impacts life insurance settlements in two ways:

1) There are more people who may not need their life insurance policies anymore due to the doubling of the estate tax exemption. People who bought life insurance to cover their estate taxes may now be exempt, making that life insurance policy unneeded or unwanted.

2) Life insurance settlements receive a much more favorable tax basis.

View the full article: https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2018/02/02/how-the-new-tcja-tax-law-affects-life-settlements/?slreturn=20181012191742

Great information about the benefits in the new tax law. If you know of anyone who does not need or want their life insurance policy anymore, we can help. Feel free to contact us for more information. 

I just heard about an idea how some agencies are retaining clients and introducing the idea of a life insurance settlement, if appropriate. This can work for any client, but life insurance settlements work best typically for clients age 65 or older, and for life insurance policy face amounts of $100,000 and over. 

About 6 months before a term policy expires, contact the client. 

1) Send a conversion illustration. Ask them if they would like to get a new policy or convert their current one. If yes, they would like to convert or get a new one, good for the client...and good for you. Another commission. Done.

2) If no, they do not want a new policy, or pay the conversion premium, do they want to pay the annual renewable rate? This is usually expensive, but an option. If yes, good for the client and for you. Done.

3) If no, they do not want to pay the annual renewable rate, do they know they have an option to sell their policy? They will most likely not know they can sell this "hidden asset", especially since it is a term policy. This is a great time to let them know it is possible to receive cash through a life insurance settlement. 

Submit an application for a free - no obligation appraisal to see what type of offer we receive. The only investment the client has made is a little time to fill out the application and send a copy of their policy. You retain the client and have the opportunity to reinvest the proceeds. Good for the client and for you. 

After all alternatives have been considered and the conclusion is that it is time to lapse or surrender a policy, a life settlement can offer a great value. Please feel free to contact us for a free - no obligation appraisal.

Full article and study:  https://reversemortgagedaily.com/2018/08/27/10-of-seniors-say-theyll-fund-long-term-care-with-reverse-mortgages/

In this article, M. Bryan Freeman outlines the advantages a life insurance settlement may present to clients.   What I like about it is that the article starts at the beginning, back in 1911 when selling or transferring a life insurance policy became legal....all the way to today and how stringently the industry is regulated.  Hope you find this article helpful:

https://m.nasdaq.com/article/life-insurance-innovations-include-a-valuable-out-clause-cm1063780

Very honored to have an article published in California Broker Magazine about the misunderstandings some people may have regarding life insurance settlements.  Hope this article helps show the facts about why life insurance settlements can be a good option for the 500,000 seniors a year who stop making premium payments and lapse their policies.

http://www.calbrokermag.com/more/8-myths-of-life-insurance-settlementsdebunked/

What is a life insurance policy worth? I get asked this question regularly, and for good reason. The answer is - it depends. It depends on the health of the client, the premiums to be paid into the policy, and the face amount of the policy, to name a few factors. A life insurance policy may be worth nothing...or it could be worth tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. And, good news, the appraisals to find out are free and no obligation.

I thought you might be interested in the real-life examples outlined in this article:   https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2019/01/25/5-life-settlements-that-didnt-get-away/

Darwin Bayston, President and CEO of the Life Insurance Settlements Association (LISA), wrote an article with the latest trends in life insurance settlements. More and more capital is flowing into the market, and technology advancements allow for faster transactions. But, one of the trends is more direct-to-consumer marketing, bypassing financial professionals. Please do not miss out on an opportunity for you and your clients. Life insurance settlements convert an asset that is worth nothing today, because the client was going to lapse their policy, into a revenue opportunity for the client and their financial professionals. 

Here is the full article:   https://www.thinkadvisor.com/2019/01/25/5-life-settlements-that-didnt-get-away/

We are living longer.  That is great.  But, what happens if we live longer than our financial plans.  The article below, Life Settlements Answer the Call to Longevity for Seniors, demonstrates how a life insurance settlement can be a good solution.

https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/life-settlements-answer-the-call-to-longevity-for-seniors#.XKZb8_ZFzIW

Yes, you can sell your life insurance policy! 500,000 seniors a year “lapse” their life insurance policies….walking away with nothing. Why? Because they don’t know they can sell their policy for a lump-sum in cash. All types of policies can be sold, including term policies…yes, even term policies.

Selling a policy is done through a life insurance settlement, which simply put, is the sale of a life insurance policy to a third party (usually an investor group) for more than any surrender value in the policy. The benefit to the client is that they receive a lump sum payment that is 3 – 5 times greater, on average, than the surrender value of the policy. 

So, now, why would anyone sell their policy? The short answer is they no longer want or need it anymore. The reason they purchased the policy 5, 10, or even 20 or 30 years ago, is no longer a concern. Some examples include a term policy that is nearing the end of the term, a client may have retired and their home is now paid off and the kids are now out on their own, sometimes people who purchased a policy for estate tax purposes no longer need it because the estate tax exemption has doubled…whatever the reason, they no longer need the coverage.

90% of surveyed seniors who have let a policy lapse would have considered selling it had they known a life insurance settlement exist. We can help. If you no longer need or want your life insurance policy, we would be honored to be of assistance.

It was a pleasure to be a guest on the Desert Living Show, introducing how a life insurance settlement can be a good solution for some seniors.  We are passionate about making sure seniors know they have an option, before they drop their life insurance policy.    Here is a brief clip:

https://vimeo.com/322876411

Thank you to Mario and Jayar at Desert United for creating this great new introductory video for us about life insurance settlements!

New Video

So many times people think that a client would only sell their policy because they needed the money.  This is not the case at all.  Here is an article written for Think Advisor about recent clients selling their policy:

4 Clients Who Sold Their Life Insurance Policies

Very honored to be a guest blogger for the Aging Life Care Association:

A Life Insurance Policy Can Help Pay For Care

The Parkinson's Research Organization is an outstanding source for families impacted by Parkinson's Disease.  From caregiver's support groups to online resources, they are "working so no one is isolated because of Parkinson's".  We are honored to be part of their Wellness Village, where many services are available to assist families. 

View Our Wellness Village Page

Every client's needs are different.  Many clients wish to sell their entire policy for cash.  But, what if that is not what the client wants, or is not in the best interest of a client?  Can a life insurance settlement be flexible to take care of the unique needs of each client?  The short answer is Yes.  How is this possible?  Here is an article that explains how and gives a real-life example:

A Life Insurance Settlement Lesson In Creativity

It is National Aging in Place Week, and the National Aging in Place Council has published a new handbook titled:  The Costs of Aging.  This 36 page document presents descriptions of the needs of aging, and data showing demographics and estimated costs for a number of different needs, including adult day care, annuities, assisted living, car expenses, caregiving, financial advisor services, home care, home modifications, Medicare and long term care, technology (such as alert systems), and much more.  Click the link below to download it:

The Costs of Aging Handbook

A big THANK YOU to Robert Wolf of Terra Firma Business  & Financial Consultants for the privilege of appearing on his podcast!  We discuss the who, what, when, why and how of life insurance settlements...

Here is the link:   Podcast

It was a privilege to be invited on The Insurance Experts with Marc Glickman.  In this 7 minute webcast, we discuss how a life insurance settlement can be a good option for clients.  Many thanks to Marc for his time and generosity, and the ability to raise visibility for this little known option.   Here is the webcast:  The Insurance Experts

Life insurance settlements have been legal in the U.S. since 1911.  Yet, many people are just now starting to hear about them, which is a very good thing for clients.  This interview with an actuary, in Financier Worldwide magazine,  explains why life insurance settlements are poised to grow in 2020 from the views of both the clients and the investor groups who buy the policies.

Outlook for Life Settlement Funds in 2020

Delighted to be on ShiftShapers Podcast, Episode 296, with David Saltzman!  We discuss the many aspects of life insurance settlements, and how they can be beneficial for clients, as well as their insurance and financial advisors. 

Podcast

Thank you to Gryphon Financial for allowing me the privilege of presenting "Life Insurance Settlements:  Benefitting Your Client...and You!" to their financial and insurance professionals nationwide!  They were kind enough to record it.  If you are interested in viewing the 30 minute webcast, please

click here.

We are so very proud and honored to partner with Assisted Living Locators to help clients and their families find an alternative funding solution for senior living expenes!!!   Here is the press release:  Press Release

It is that time of year.  Time to talk taxes.  The good news is the Tax Cut and Jobs Act has created a much better tax circumstance for clients.  In many cases, tax is not owed.  Here is an article that shows how the IRS used to tax proceeds and how they do now.  Examples are shown.  In one example, prior to the TCJA , over $19,000 of tax was owed.  But after, the tax bill was zero.  Questions about taxation?  Check our this article, and speak with your tax professional.

IRS Shows How the TCJA Life Policy Sale Tax Rules Might Actually Work

Jo Rosen and the Parkinson's Resource Organization (PRO) are doing a great service to the community by hosting a series of webcasts about "Things to Know RIGHT NOW" with all types of resources to help clients through these uncertain times.  I had the honor of being part of the "finding Money" webcast series, talking about life insurance settlements as a funding solution.    Click here for the 7 minute webcast.

For more community resources from PRO, visit their Wellness Village here.   

Thank you, Jo and PRO for the tireless, amazing work you do so that no one is isolated because of Parkinson's!

A new long term care saving solution has been introduced in Congress by Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Rep. Gregory Steube (R-FL).  H.R. 5958, the Senior Health Planning Account Act, allows proceeds from life insurance settlements to be rolled over into a special account - without tax - which may be used for qualified medical expenses.  This new account can be an additional resource and solution for seniors to plan and pay for their health care and long term care needs in retirement.  The Life Insurance Settlement Association (LISA) recently endorsed this bill, saying "the 'Senior Health Planning Account Act' would help seniors and other policy owners use underutilized life insurance assets to help plan for medical expenses without having to wait until after they are seriously ill."   Click below for more details:

Overview of H.R. 5958

Policy Concerns Addressed by H.R. 5958

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

It was a pleasure to be on Jonathan Schober's webcast, Coffee with Jon.  This series of webcasts specifically focuses on resources available to caregivers.  In this episode, we talk about how life insurance settlements can be an additional solution to help fund long term care costs.

Coffee with Jon Webcast

You are your client’s trusted advisor. You help them find solutions to their financial issues. Especially in financially challenging times, how would your clients feel if you could help them find money in an unusual way? How, you say? I’ll explain.

Life insurance can be an important part of financial planning. But, sometimes the reason people buy policies is no longer an issue, making the policy unnecessary. 500,000 seniors a year will lapse their life insurance policy, walking away with little or nothing. They no longer want, need or can afford the policy, so they just let it go. They do not know there is another option – selling it for cash – through a life insurance settlement.

A life insurance settlement (also known as a life settlement) is simply the sale of a life insurance policy to a third party, usually an investor group. The buyer becomes the new owner of the policy, pays the premiums and becomes the beneficiary, collecting when the policy matures. These investors purchase the policies for their return potential, but also as a diversification tool for their portfolios.

Typical examples of why a client would no longer want or need their policy include the death of a spouse, retirement in which income replacement is no longer needed, a business or key asset has been sold, a term policy is coming to its end or the conversion privilege is nearing, maybe the policy no longer fits in the client’s budget, and many more. Obviously, there are 500,000 different reasons a policy is no longer wanted.

Selling a policy through a life insurance settlement not only frees the client from the future premium payments, but garners additional cash for an “unknown” asset. Most clients do not see their life insurance policy as an asset. And yet, it is. Since 1911, a Supreme Court decision in Grigsby v. Russell deemed a life insurance policy an asset that can be transferred to whomever the owner wishes. I can transfer my life insurance policy to you today, with a signature on the insurance company’s change of ownership form.

The amount of money an investor group is willing to pay for a policy depends on three basic factors: 1) the premium to be paid; 2) the life expectancy of the client; and 3) the death benefit of the policy. Investors are looking for clients with life expectancies of 10 – 15 years or less, occasionally 20. Clients who are seniors are the best candidates, with policies of $100,000 face value or larger. The lower the premium, the shorter the life expectancy of the client, and the higher the death benefit of the policy, all contribute to a higher offer from buyers. We have sold policies for a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Each client’s policy and situation are unique.

We know selling a life insurance policy is legal, thanks to Grigsby v. Russell. But, the market is also very highly regulated by Departments of Insurance across the country. Life insurance settlements brokers, like me, have to have special licensing and the buyers need to be registered with each state, in many cases posting a bond, having HIPAA policies in place, anti-fraud policies, etc. Many states require the buyers detail the policies they buy each year to maintain transparency. The process is also transparent for the client, with the policy owner, insured and beneficiaries all signing off, so there are no surprises for the client or their beneficiaries.

At the end of the day, life insurance settlements generate “found money” for clients, from an asset they didn’t know they had, through a process they didn’t know existed. Life insurance settlements are not for everyone, nor should they be, but if you and your client have decided that their life insurance policy no longer fits their needs, a life insurance settlement can be a better alternative to lapsing or surrendering the policy. Studies have shown that a life insurance settlement can garner 3 – 5 the cash surrender value of the policy. And, did I mention term policies can also be sold?

Many of you will conduct financial reviews with clients at least once per year. The question to ask is easy: Do you have a life insurance policy you no longer need, want or can afford? If the answer is yes, investigating a life insurance settlement may make sense as an option. Your client receives cash from their “hidden asset”, and you look like a hero.

Thank you to Jason Kotar of Knowledgeable Aging for giving me the opportunity to discuss how life insurance settlements can be an additional funding source for clients to afford long term care expenses. 

Click here for the video (27 minutes)

It was a pleasure to write an article for FINE Living magazine, discussing many aspects of life insurance settlements in a Question and Answer format.  They requested 2,000 words, so if you like details, you will find them in this article.

View Full Article Here

Very excited to be part of this year's Top Producer Summit.   The Summit focuses on the closely held secrets that top agents and advisors use to grow in this brave new world of 2020.  We are featured on Day 2 - August 12th - at 3:00pm Pacific/6:00pm Eastern.  Thank you to Stu and Senia Gramajo for the opportunity to discuss:  

Life Insurance Settlements - Benefitting Your Client...and You!

We will also have a booth in the virtual Exhibit Hall.  Here are the details for each event:

CA Statewide Medicare Expo

August 26th & 27th

Click here for more information and to register.

Our CE class is August 26th at 4:30pm.

2020 Senior Summit:

Making Us Better Together

September 1st - 3rd

Click here for more information and to register.

Our CE class is September 3rd at 1:30pm.

We look forward to "seeing" you here!

The California Health Underwriters Associations statewide have combined to offer a virtual Medicare Expo and Summit.   Both of these virtual events will feature Medicare plan certifications, product training, and continuing education (CE) classes.  We are very proud to be presenting our CE class at both events:

Life Insurance Settlements - Benefitting Your Client...and You!

Here are the details for both events:

CA Statewide Medicare EXPO

August 26th & 27th

Click here for more information and to register.

Our CE class is on August 26th at 4:30pm

2020 Senior Summit

Making Us Better Together

September 1st - 3rd

Click here for more information and to register.

Our CE class is on September 3rd at 1:30pm

Looking forward to "seeing" you here!

Stacey Golden-Lisnock has started a new podcast, talking with professionals about how to leave a stress-free legacy.  It was a pleasure to be a guest, talking about how life insurance settlements make a real difference in the lives of clients.  The podcast can be heard on the Legacy Therapy website.   Click on the link below:

Legacy Therapy Podcast Website

It was a privilege to have an article published in ThinkAdvisor today.  So many financial and legal professionals have questions about whether policies in an ILIT can be sold.  Short answer?  Yes!   Read more here....

Do Life Settlements Work in ILITs?

I am on Cloud 9! Our client, Al, called me this weekend and said, "I don't want to make your husband jealous, but I just love you". You see, Al just received $50,000. His Medicare agent referred him to us. Al had a $250,000, 20 year term life insurance policy that was ending. He was not going to continue it, and would have walked away from it with $0. Now he has $50,000 in his bank account...from an asset he didn't know he had. He is so excited, and told me the car is getting paid off first thing Monday morning. Oh, and his Medicare agent is receiving commission of $12,500. I love helping clients!!!

Thank you, Al, for the privilege of being of service to you and your family! And, thank you to the financial, health care, insurance and legal professionals who trust us every day to help their clients!