Huge profits are possible. Yet investors have lost more than $500 million in the short life of this industry. Whether you advise others or invest your own money, here's everything you need to know before investing in Viatical Settlements.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
A "viatical" settlement is one whereby a terminally ill patient sells his or her life insurance policy to obtain needed money. The person selling the policy receives some proportion of its face value, and the buyer collects full benefits; ideally, both parties benefit. The most usual sellers are persons with AIDS. As their illness progresses, they often find themselves in desperate financial straits, and the money they receive can often make their final months more comfortable. Although buying a policy may include a humanitarian element, waiting for someone to die to recover an investment adds a ghoulish dimension to the concept. Wolk wrote Ca$h for the Final Days: A Financial Guide for the Terminally Ill and Their Advisors (1997), the first book to discuss viatical settlements. She now turns her attention to those who might consider buying such insurance policies. She notes that brokers who match up buyers with sellers sometimes take out hefty fees. She also warns that the "industry" is still unlicensed in some states and that fraud and abuse are rampant. David Rouse
About the Author
An acknowleged expert on viatical and life settlements, Wolk exchanges information with government regulators and investigators, has prevented upwards of $2 million from going into the pockets of companies that specialized in fraud, and assists attorneys who represent victimized investors.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better safe than sorry!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Viatical Settlements: An Investor's Guide (Hardcover)
As an insurance agent and someone who has worked as an investigator your first step to either selling or investing in a viatical settlement is to read Viatical Settlements an Investors' Guide by Gloria Wolk. I have seen investors swindled and investment promoters jailed as a result of slick hyped up investments. Viatical settlements are similar to the Florida land deals of the sixties, you can make money or you can be easily swindled. By following the advice in Gloria Wolk's latest book you can be one of the educated investors who wisely and safely make money in the viatical settlement marketplace. If you don't plan on following the advice in this book you probably should find another investment vehicle for your money. It is a shame that one of the best investments to come along in years, which offers a humanitarian service is being made into a three ring circus which has caused investors to lose $200,000,000. However, like anything else education is the key and this book will fortunately give you the tools you will need to safely and intelligently invest in the viatical market.------- Frank Meyers-Shaker Hts. Ohio
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXCELLENT, well-researched, well-written, and caring.,
By "Western Horseman Magazine" - July,... (Colorado Springs, Colorado) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Viatical Settlements: An Investor's Guide (Hardcover)
This book is an absolute MUST for anyone involved with viatical settlements. I suspect that anyone who says otherwise is trying to promote ignorance for their own dishonest purposes. There is no more authoritative source on viatical settlements in print. The author educates the reader, and the book is extremely thorough, easy to understand, and is also well-researched and documented. I'm objective - I have no policy to buy or sell and I don't know the author or anyone affiliated with the book. Beware of those who may denounce this book, as odds are good they have a hidden agenda...
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read for Anyone Investing in Viatical Contracts,
By A Customer
This review is from: Viatical Settlements: An Investor's Guide (Hardcover)
As one engaged in financial products and services and who has increasingly turned to viatical settlements as in investment option for our clients, I strongly recommend Gloria Wolk's book BEFORE purchasing a viatical contract. Viatical settlement contracts afford both a humanitarian AND financial reward to the investor. Ms. Wolk's book guides the reader through the many pitfalls a potential purchaser might encounter in this largely unregulated industry. As Ms. Wolk concludes, ,"if we keep investors safe, the industry will remain viable. If we keep investors safe, the industry will continue its phenomenal growth. If we make these efforts today, thousands of patients in the decades to come will benefit. They will be able to die with dignity because informed and caring investors gave them cash for the final days."
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