Monday, September 17, 2007

Strategies for Life Settlement Investment

Life insurance settlements go hand in hand with death. But, individuals investing in life settlements need to know some strategies before investing in any life insurance settlement simply because death may be imminent, but if its not immediate and you have money invested in a life insurance settlement you may find yourself wishing someone would just roll over and die. Life settlements are interesting investments because you know the face value you will receive from the life insurance policy but you have no absolute answer as to when that will be and how much money you will make/lose in the process. Its a gamble, just like any other investment, but there are ways to make the gamble pay off in your favor more often.

First of all, a life insurance settlement is when an individual sells their life insurance policy for less than face value before they die. Individuals investing in this will want to consider the following tips to ensure they only buy policies that have the best possibility of a good return. Remember as well that the longer a person is expected to live the cheaper the policy will cost. The when aspect of death is what has many investors wondering about life insurance settlements and whether or not they are good options. Illness, life expectancy, and new technologies that could extend life should all be considered when looking into life settlements.

The first strategy is to make sure you only work with a broker who represents the buyer. There will be less risk of a conflict of interest occurring in this situation. The next step is to talk to your agent and tell them what you feel comfortable investing in and what you dont. If you only want to invest in terminal cancer patients that is your decision and your agent will help you find those kinds of life settlements. Be sure your agent is aware that you only want to invest in life settlements from A+ rated insurance companies. You dont want to invest and the person die and then you cant get the payoff. Finally, make sure the policies you buy are at least two years old. New policies may be part of a scam not to mention insurance companies may not pay the face amount of the policy upon death if the policy is less than two years old.

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. Life insurance settlements go hand in hand with death. But, individuals investing in life settlements need to know some strategies before investing in any life insurance settlement simply because death may be imminent, but if its not immediate and you have money invested in a life insurance settlement you may find yourself wishing someone would just roll over and die.