A life settlement is a regulated financial transaction that enables qualified life insurance policy owners to receive a portion of their future life insurance benefits by selling it to a state licensed financial institution.
The sale of a life insurance policy is similar to the sale of a home or car – all rights, title and ownership interest are legally transferred from the seller to the buyer. The buyer assumes responsibility for future premium payments and receives the policy benefits at maturity.
Eligibility requirements for a life settlement are based on two criteria:
Insured’s Age & Health Requirements:
• Insured must be over the age of 65 (individuals with health impairments are more likely to qualify).
• Younger Insureds must be diagnosed with a severe or end stage health conditions.
Life Insurance Policy Requirements:
• Policy must have a minimum face value of $100,000.
• Any type of policy can qualify for a settlement such as universal life, variable life, whole life, convertible term life, or even group life. Some policies may have restrictions that do not allow for a settlement, which can only be determined during the application stage.
The proceeds of the sale of your policy may be taxable under federal income tax and/or state franchise and income tax laws. The sale may also affect your right to receive Medicaid or other government benefits or entitlements. Settlement proceeds could also be subject to the claims of creditors.
Before you reach a decision, be sure to review a complete list of important considerations, which can be found in our application or on our website. Welcome Funds is not a tax advisor and strongly recommends that policy owners seek professional tax advice prior to accepting any life settlement offers.
Yes, our highly regulated marketplace requires life settlement brokers and providers (buyers) to be licensed on a state-by-state basis. Consumer protections have been passed in more than 45 states and are typically regulated by the State’s Department or Division of Insurance.
STATE LICENSING REQUIRED
NO SPECIFIC SETTLEMENT REGULATION
Companies that purchase life insurance policies in the secondary market are called life settlement providers. These companies must be licensed by the Department or Divisions of Insurance in your home state. Non-licensed investors may not have the proper consumer privacy and confidentiality protections in place.
Providers represent institutional investors such as investment banks, multi-national banks, international corporations, pension funds, hedge funds, private funds and other major financial institutions—including life insurance companies and reinsurers—who are investing in life insurance policies through life settlement funds.
Typically, life insurance policies were issued when the insured was in good health. As years go by, many people have a change in health, and in some cases, serious health conditions may develop. This change in health may create hidden equity in the policy that can be monetized through a life settlement.
Disclaimer: Welcome Fund, Inc., services may not be available in all states, and such services, where available, shall be transacted by Welcome Funds Inc or by a principal of Welcome Funds Inc. Please be advised that some state regulations use the term “viatical settlement” as opposed to “life settlement” to describe all transactions, regardless of the health of the insured, involving the sale of an existing life insurance policy to a third party. All real stories, case studies, and transactional data provided and contained on this website are based on the internal files of actual viatical and/or life settlement transactions processed by Welcome Funds Inc since its inception, and the specific characteristics of each case, including but not limited to the names and images of our clients, have been changed to protect their privacy. The following summary represents the transactional averages of Welcome Funds Inc. for policies closed between 1/1/2024 to 6/30/2024: $1,597,955 face value, $285,477 net amount paid to seller; 20.01% of net death benefit paid to seller; 9 bids negotiated per closed policy; and insured age of 75.97. 21 licensed Life Settlement Providers were included in our auction process and closings were completed with 12 licensed Life Settlement Providers. $1 Billion paid to our clients and 36,000 offers negotiated are based on actual settlements negotiated by Welcome Funds Inc. since its inception.
Agent: David Eric Haupt
Resident
South Dakota #40596939
Non-Resident
California #0B55640