Death bonds: The perils of sub-prime death

Life settlements, whereby people over the age of 65 can cash in their life insurance policies with a third party, are, on the surface, a means of creating a more efficient market. A senior no longer wanting to hold a policy can sell it to a life settlements buyer rather than allowing the policy to lapse or cashing it in with the life insurance provider for a small amount. The buyer then pays the premiums for the rest of the policy’s life – that is, until the seller dies – and then collects the benefit (hoping that the seller dies sooner rather than later).