Life Settlements in Difficulty in Canada

I have seen some ads in the Calgary Herald advertising life settlements yielding 10%. The ads definitely peaked my interest as this was something different than real estate, commodities, equities or even the bond market.

To have a different asset class paying a 10% yield would be quite attractive. Of course, with the rash of real estate deals going south and ponzi schemes rearing their head, one can only be skeptical.

The underlying concept behind life settlements is that a company offers an individual that is diagnosed with a life threatening illness a lump sum while they are alive in return for the proceeds from a life insurance policy upon death.

The company raises money from individuals paying them the 10% interest rate. They are supposed to pay the individuals from the proceeds of the policies which is difficult to pinpoint as they cannot guarantee when a policyholder will die.

The industry is growing in the US with about $12 Billion in policies sold in 2007 according to an article in this weeks investment executive. In Canada, the purchasing of policies is illegal in most provinces so the ones being offered for sale are from jurisdictions outside of Canada.

The main issue that is now plaguing this sector is similar to other unregulated industries. The individuals selling the policies are not registered to do so and are not offering proper documentation to potential investors outlining the risks.

Two companies in Ontario selling these policies have been shutdown while one in Alberta is currently being investigated.

All one needs to do is visit the Ontario Securities Commission or Alberta Securities Commission websites and do a search on life settlements to get more details on some of the issues.

If you have had any positive or negative experiences in this area, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.