Recently, Florida passed a law requiring insurance companies to provide policyholders with disclosures related to significant changes to their life insurance policy. The new law is considered to be an important step in the Senior’s Right to Know movement. Because Florida has more senior residents than almost any other state, the area tends to be a leader in this movement, and many other states are likely to follow soon.

If you’re thinking about cashing in your life insurance policy for a viatical settlement, you may be wondering about this legislation.

How Are Viatical Settlements Affected?

A viatical settlement is when you sell your life insurance to a viatical company. These settlements are available to people with cancer and potentially another terminal diagnosis. At the time of writing, eight other states have adopted consumer disclosure acts like Florida; analysts anticipate that these laws are likely to come into play at some point.

If a disclosure law was in place in your state and you decided to pursue a viatical settlement, you might receive a notice from your insurer just making sure that you understood the change you were making as well as any potential alternatives. Florida law applies when seniors surrender their policies or let them lapse.

What Is the Difference Between a Policy Lapse or Surrender and Viatical Settlement?

When you let your policy lapse, you simply stop paying the monthly premiums, and you lose your policy. Similarly, if you surrender the policy to your insurer, you also forfeit your policy, and your heirs won’t receive anything when you die.

A viatical settlement provides an alternative to both of these options. You trade in your settlement, you receive a tax-free lump sum that you can use however you like, and you don’t have to pay any more premiums. Many cancer patients use a viatical settlement to pay for medical expenses, explore treatment not covered by their insurance plan, take time off work, go on a vacation, or cover other expenses.

What Is the Law?

Signed by Governor Scott on June 26th, 2017, the law requires life insurance companies to tell policyholders to consult licensed insurance or financial advisor if they are considering making certain changes to their policy. The law also requires insurers to give the policyholder details on where they can find more information about the changes and its effect on their policy.

What Is the Purpose of the Law?

Arguably, the purpose of these disclosures is to make seniors aware of alternatives. For instance, if a senior is letting a life insurance policy lapse or if they are surrendering it back to the insurance company, their insurer may notify them of the following alternatives:

• Using loans to maintain the policy and potentially even using the policy as collateral
• Getting an accelerated death benefit
• Converting the policy to a long-term care health insurance policy
• Giving the policy away as a gift to an individual or a non-profit organization
• Selling the policy through a life settlement company as a viatical settlement

To learn more about viatical settlements or to get a quote, contact us today. At American Life Fund, we work hard to make sure that our clients get the help they need through this difficult time.

For many, providing help for your aging parents can be financially, logistically, and emotionally challenging. As your parents’ age, they may reach a point where they need extra help. The good thing is there are numerous resources available to assist you and your parents in the process as they enter this new chapter of their life. We have compiled a short list of tips to help make the process of caring for your loved one easier. From the basics of knowing what to say, to exploring uncommon financial avenues, such as a viatical settlement, to meet financial obligations that arise along the journey, we highlight noteworthy points of consideration to help assist you with a smoother process in caring for your aging loved one.

1. Sit Down and Discuss

It is important to have an honest, open discussion about issues that you are aware of and ones that might come up. Both parties must be frank about their expectations. It’s easier to execute a plan for the future when everyone is on the same page.

How independent do your parents imagine themselves being when they are in the later stages of life? Is that realistic? What are their thoughts on staying in an assisted living center versus at home with their children? What level of attention will they need for day to day activities? Taking time to discuss these issues can help you plan and budget for future expenses, as well as eliminate tension that may be caused by unrealistic expectations in care.

2. Listening

It is important to understand the physical and emotional needs of your parents and address them with dignity and respect. However, it is also imperative that you consider your own limitations and be honest about them. Time, finances, and space will need to be considered when developing a plan for your parents. Those limitations do not signal a lack of care on your part. Rather, it offers what your family can reasonably handle. Many experts recommend holding a family meeting with key family members to give all family member a voice to feel equally heard.

3. Viatical Solution

When planning for long-term care for your aging parent, finances will inevitably be a topic of discussion. As you work with your aging parent to help them eliminate unnecessary expenses, you may consider letting their life insurance policy lapse to eliminate the cost of premiums. However, a life insurance policy can actually serve as a means for attaining cash now through a viatical settlement. In a viatical settlement, an individual sells their existing life insurance policy to a third party for more than its surrender value but less than its net death benefit, for cash now. Your loved one’s existing life insurance policy may hold the key when it comes to receiving funds to pay off various expenses such as medical bills, future cancer treatments, living expenses, and medications.

4. Remember to be Flexible

Life is unpredictable, especially for caregivers. If your parent has a stroke or your dad develops late-stage cancer, you’re not going to say, “It’s 7 p.m. and I’m done for the day. Someone else can meet them at the hospital and make all the arrangements.” All the planning in the world cannot account for how or when your loved one’s needs will increase. So, fine-tuning your boundaries so that they mesh with the ever-evolving reality of your situation is crucial.

Building some flexibility into your schedule and the care plan is important, but where it really matters is being open to all sources of help. You must be willing and able to step away and let someone else take over from time to time.

The fact of the matter is that one person cannot possibly do it all.

American Life Fund Can Help

It’s important to understand that as your loved one’s needs increase, the importance of your own needs and those of your family does not diminish. This means exploring all avenues for financial assistance, reaching out to relatives for help, or seeking communities that can better meet the needs of your parents.

At American Life Fund, we help make life easier on individuals burdened financially through viatical settlements. To learn more about our services or to get a quote, contact us today.

A viatical settlement is when you sell your life insurance to a third party. Instead of waiting until death to receive a payment from your life insurance company, you get access to the funds right away. Generally, to qualify for a viatical settlement, you need to have a life threatening illness, and for most people, that is cancer.

Although you can use the funds anyway you like, many people decide to use viatical settlements to cover the cost of their medical bills. Using your settlement for those expenses helps you to stay on track financially with the rest of your goals. Here’s a look at just a few of the ways a settlement can help you financially.

Offers Continued Access to Current Healthcare Providers

Legally, the only medical entity that is required to see you, regardless of whether or not you can pay is the emergency room (ER). Unfortunately, medical clinics, private doctors, and even oncology units in hospitals can refuse to treat you unless you have the means to make payments. Typically, insurance helps with that process, but even if you are well insured, you are likely to have copays or deductibles.

To keep seeing your medical team, you usually need to stay on top of your payments. If you don’t make timely payments, some clinics may refuse to provide additional medical care to you. When you use a viatical settlement to cover your bills, you ensure that you can maintain access to your current care providers.

Helps With Mortgage or Rent

When you’re juggling lots of medical bills, you may have trouble staying on top of your other financial obligations. In particular, many people may struggle to pay their largest bills, and for most people, that is your monthly rent or mortgage payment. As you know, if you can’t stay up to date on your mortgage, you risk going into default and facing foreclosure. Similarly, if you can’t make rent payments, you may face eviction, and depending on the laws in your area, that process can be a lot faster than going into foreclosure and losing your home.

One option with a viatical settlement is to use the funds to pay for medical bills, so that personal funds can be used to pay for rent or mortgage. However, since funds are unregulated, the funds may also be used to pay for rent or mortgage directly, relieving you of the stress of worrying about a roof over your head.

Allows You to Keep Paying Your Bills

In addition to paying your biggest bills, a viatical settlement can also help you to stay current on your smaller bills. After you use the viatical settlement to cover your medical bills, you can easily use the rest of your funds for electricity, natural gas, car payments, car insurance, and any other small bills that you have. Keep in mind that you deserve to be comfortable. Battling cancer can be physically and emotionally draining, and if you can afford to, you may want to treat yourself to “extras” such as cable TV, streaming services, or even leasing a nicer car.

Gives You the Financial Flexibility to Try Experimental Treatments

There are no restrictions on how you can use a viatical settlement. You can use the funds for traditional medical care, but you can also use your settlement to try experimental treatments. Whether you need to travel to other countries, pay for doctors who aren’t covered by your insurance plan, try supplements, or explore experimental treatments in other ways, a viatical settlement can help you with those extra costs and considerations.

Lets You Take Time Off Work

Tragically, many people have to work through their cancer treatments. If you’re short on funds, you may end up forcing yourself to go into work regardless of how you feel. That can be hard emotionally, physically, mentally, spiritually, and on countless other levels. However, when you get some extra money for a viatical settlement, you can get some financial relief, and hopefully, you can stay on top of your financial goals while also taking some time off from work.

Helps Caretakers Take Time Off Work

In that same vein, if you have a full-time caregiver, they may need some relief from their 9-5 job. A viatical settlement can help them to take time off work as well. Depending on your situation, you may want to pay them for taking care of you or you may want to cover some of their bills so they don’t have to work.

Provides Relief From Insurance Premiums

A viatical settlement can also help you get a bit of relief from your insurance premiums. When you are ill and struggling to make ends meet, you may be tempted to stop paying bills that don’t seem necessary, and for some people, life insurance may fall on that list. However, if you quit paying your premiums, you won’t get any benefits from your plan. Instead, if you opt for a viatical settlement, you get the payout from your insurance right away, and the company that gives you the settlement takes over your premiums.

Doesn’t Put Your Family’s Life on Hold

When someone has cancer, it affects their entire family. Often, their family members may have to put their hopes and dreams on hold to take care of the person with cancer or because of financial struggles. When you use a viatical settlement to provide some financial relief to your family, your loved ones don’t necessarily have to put anything on hold. Instead, they can go to college, keep working on their new business, build a new home, or whatever big goals you are working on right now.

Viatical settlements can sound confusing, but they are relatively straightforward, especially if you work with the right company. At American Life Fund, we make the process as fast and easy as possible. Start by getting an estimate today or contact us to learn more.

The cost to treat cancer is so staggering in the United States that the National Institute of Health projects annual spending associated with cancer costs to be $158 billion by 2020. And for patients, as the cancer grows, so do the costs associated with treating it. Cancer treatment expenses increase exponentially as the disease progresses in patients. One solution to assist with these heavy expenses is to work with a viatical settlement company. They allow you to obtain immediate funds through the sale of your life insurance policy.

The Cost to Treat the Top Cancers

Cancer does not discriminate. Any person can get cancer in any area of their body. Below are the leading types of cancer and the National Cancer Institute’s projected cost of treatment for 2019-2020 for these cancer types.

• Lung cancer: $60,885 initial cost, $7,591 annual ongoing costs, and $95,318 for the last year of life
• Colorectal cancer: $51,812 initial cost, $4,595 annual ongoing costs, and $85,671 for the last year of life
• Bladder cancer: $20,960 initial cost, $4,677 annual ongoing costs, and $75,772 for the last year of life
• Melanoma: $5,437 initial cost, $1,951 annual ongoing costs, and $62,436 for the last year of life
• Breast cancer: $23,078 initial cost, $2,207 annual ongoing costs, and $62,856 for the last year of life
• Lung cancer: $60,553 initial cost, $8,130 annual ongoing costs, and $92,524 for the last year of life
• Uterine cancer: $26,775 initial cost, $1,535 annual ongoing costs, and $70,175 for the last year of life
• Thyroid cancer: $20,000 initial cost, $4,000 annual ongoing costs, and $60,000 for the last year of life

Living with cancer is not only emotionally and physically devastating, it can quickly drain a family’s finances as well. It is no surprise that people with cancer file for bankruptcy at two and one-half times the rate as people who do not have cancer. Working with a viatical settlement company like American Life Fund can provide you and your family the funds you need and save you from the financial stress that comes with a cancer diagnosis.

The Types of Expenses That Viaticals Cover

Viatical settlements cover a wide variety of expenses including:

• Current and future medical bills
• Alternative treatment costs not covered by insurance
• Day to day living expenses such as rent, mortgages, car payments, etc.
• A once in a lifetime vacation or trip with loved ones
• Allows you to pay off existing debts

What to Expect When You Work with a Viatical Settlement Company

The viatical settlement process is relatively simple. You provide initial information about your medical status and life insurance policy. Then, the company verifies this information and provides you with an offer for your policy. Once accepted, your receive funds in 1-2 weeks.

To get started, complete our simple form to find out immediately if you qualify. You can also call us toll-free at 877-421-0148 to find out if you qualify or to learn more about how the viatical process works.

The term viatical settlement refers to a person with cancer or other life-threatening disease selling his or her life insurance policy in exchange for immediate cash. The person selling the policy can then use the proceeds to pay for medical treatments, living expenses, or any other costs they may have. This type of transaction can provide a large amount of financial relief to individuals with a serious illness. However, as with all large transactions, it’s important to know the answers to key viatical settlement taxation questions before proceeding.

Who is Eligible for a Viatical Settlement?

There are a few criteria you must meet in order to qualify for a viatical settlement. You must have a life-threatening disease such as cancer, ALS, or Alzheimer’s to be eligible to sell your life insurance policy. Additionally, it must hold a value of at least $100,000, and you need to be a legal resident of the United States. Some viatical companies have additional qualifications but these are the basic qualifiers.

Viatical Settlement Taxation Implications

The legal definition of a viatical settlement refers to when an individual with a life expectancy of 24 months or less sells their policy to a third-party for immediate funds. The law deems that individuals that fall within this projected life expectancy, should not be burdened with additional taxes when completing a viatical. Therefore, if a doctor or the actuary firm used by the viatical company you’re working with deem that you have a life expectancy of 24 months or less, the entire settlement is free from any taxation.

Even if the insured lives past their projected life expectancy of 24 months or less, the proceeds from the settlement are still completely tax-free.

Viatical Settlements and Estate Taxes

In most situations, all property that a person owns at the time of his or her death becomes part of an estate subject to taxation. This includes life insurance policies.

However, viatical settlement taxation is different because it involves no gifting or estate planning. Therefore, the face value of the life insurance policy involved in the viatical settlement is not included in the overall taxation value of the estate even when the sale occurs shortly before death. However, the proceeds from the sale may be included in the taxable estate if not spent, given away, or disposed of in another manner prior to the insured’s death.

Keep in mind, these are basic guidelines for how taxation may affect your settlement. If you have more questions in regards to viatical taxation, make sure to consult a specialist in this area such as your tax advisor for additional information.

American Life Fund has worked with hundreds of cancer patients to help them achieve financial freedom. To find out if your policy is eligible for a viatical settlement, complete our simple form. Or, if you would like to learn more about how American Life Fund can assist with your financial needs, give us a call at 877-226-9836. We look forward to working with you!

November is pancreatic cancer awareness month. Every year, about 55,440 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 44,330 people die of this cancer. That equates to about 152 diagnoses and 121 deaths per day. Although pancreatic cancer only accounts for about 3% of all cancer in the country, it is one of the most deadly, responsible for 7% of all cancer deaths. To fight this deadly disease, some patients turn to a viatical settlement which can help in a number of ways.

Taking Care of Yourself

One of the most important reasons people turn to a viatical settlement is so that they have the resources to take care of themselves. In this vein, pancreatic cancer patients use viatical settlements to cover medical treatments, explore alternative treatments, and travel to medical appointments. It also allows you to afford some items to make you more comfortable and help alleviate your discomfort such as massages or other treatments.

Covering Time Off Work

Sadly, many cancer patients have to continue working through the experience, but if you take out a viatical settlement, you can use the funds to cover the cost of taking time off from work. Some patients even use the funds to retire early. Similarly, if you have a loved one helping you, you can also use the funds to help them take time off from work. You may want to extend them money to cover their bills, travel with you to medical appointments, or pay for other expenses.

Reducing Financial Stress

When you have pancreatic cancer, you need to be able to focus on your healing journey and spending time with your family. That seemingly straightforward task can seem daunting when you are dealing with a lot of financial stress, as well as your health issues. However, when you cash out your life insurance fund using a viatical settlement, you can instantly alleviate a lot of your financial stress.

Spending Time With Family

Viatical settlements don’t just have to be used to pay for bills. Instead, they can be used to help create precious memories. Patients can use the settlement to pay for a luxury vacation, to allow multiple people to take time off work without worry, or to cover the costs of a big family get together.

Paying Off the Home

Sometimes, patients use the funds to pay off their home. This allows them to not have to worry about making mortgage payments while they are ill. Also, once their home is paid off, they know that they don’t have to worry about ever losing their home and their family will always have a place to stay.

Getting Peace of Mind

Extra funds provide peace of mind when you have pancreatic cancer. If you have pancreatic cancer, we may be able to help you. Our viatical settlements turn your life insurance policy into a one-time, tax-free cash payment. To learn more call us at 877-226-9836 or instantly see if you qualify.

Prior to doing their research, many people have assumptions about what viatical settlements are and how they work. That’s why it’s important to make sure you have all the facts before proceeding with a viatical settlement. Instead of sifting through tons of information, read this guide that debunks common viatical settlement myths.

Myth #1: Viatical Settlements Are Expensive

Truth: When you work with a viatical settlement broker, obtaining a settlement carries some costs. Brokers get a variety of settlement offers from different companies, and in exchange for that service, they charge you a fee. That can drive up the total cost and potentially even make the process expensive.

At American Life Fund, we cut out the middle man. We work directly with our clients which means we don’t charge any extra fees so you don’t have to worry about unexpected expenses. When we offer a settlement, you get the full amount of the offer.

Myth #2: Viatical Settlements Offer an Unfair Amount

Truth: Viatical settlements offer a fair amount. The amount you receive varies based on the value of your life insurance policy, your age, and your diagnosis. We work hard to ensure that our clients get the highest amount possible.

Plus when you take out a viatical settlement, the entire amount is tax-free. In contrast, other financial options are taxed as income or come with high interest rates.

Myth #3: Viatical Settlements Are Time Consuming

Truth: The settlement process can take different amounts of time, depending on which company you hire. However, at American Life Fund, we work hard to make the process as fast as possible. While some companies can take months to get you your settlement, we get funds into our client’s hands in as little as one week.

Myth #4: Viatical Settlements Are Stressful

Cancer is stressful. On top of the physical toll, the financial stress that comes with cancer can be completely overwhelming. Obtaining a viatical settlement helps to reduce these stresses. If you check out testimonials from our clients, you see all the different ways viatical settlements help to reduce the stressors that come with a cancer diagnosis.

Myth #5: Viatical Settlements Require Lots of Paperwork

Truth: Again, we make the application process as easy as possible for our clients. Because we need recent medical records and policy details to verify your information, we ask you to send any of these that you already have. And if you don’t have this information, we retrieve it for you.

In terms of paperwork that requires your completion during the viatical settlement process, you fill out the initial, one-page application to get started and you review and sign the contract at the end. That’s it.

We understand that living with cancer is an extremely stressful time. We designed a process that minimizes stress to help our clients have the best and most seamless experience possible. To learn more, call us today at 877-960-2352 or instantly see if you qualify with our simple, two-step form.

When many people think of viatical settlements, they imagine the ways the settlements can help the individual with cancer. But viatical settlements offer benefits that can help the entire family and anyone around the patient. Here’s a look at just some of the ways a viatical settlement can benefit family caregivers.

Reduces Stress on Caregivers

Being a caregiver to a friend or relative with cancer is more than just a physical job. It can also be extremely emotional and stressful. Although a viatical settlement doesn’t take away all of that burden, it eliminates many financial challenges, and in turn, that financial relief can help the caregiver to experience less stress.

Helps With Patient Stress

Many caregivers experience psychological despair as they watch their loved ones suffer. Studies show that family caregivers, in particular, often have a lot of trouble processing the emotions they feel when their loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. Those complicated emotions get even tougher to process as the patient deals with recurring bouts of cancer. Caregivers also struggle as they watch the patient suffer from a myriad of symptoms and decline physically.

Of course, all of this is compounded by financial stresses. If the caregiver knows that the patient can’t pay their bills, if debt collectors are constantly calling on the phone, or if the patient is turned away from some clinics due to inability to pay, that all increases stress for the patient, which is hard on the caregiver. When a viatical settlement helps to reduce the stress that the patient is likely to be feeling, it benefits the caregiver as well. This fact is especially true in situations where the caregivers are emotionally tied to the individual with cancer.

Time Off Work

On a practical level, a viatical settlement can help a caregiver to take time off work. Cancer patients can use the funds from a viatical settlement in any way they choose, and many patients opt to use the money to help their caregivers take extra time off work. Many people can’t afford a leave of absence unless they have extra help to cover bills and living expenses. On top of that, cancer patients often need to travel to access care and can’t always travel alone. A viatical settlement allows caregivers to take the time necessary to care for their loved one and to travel with them when needed.

Respite Care

Taking care of someone with cancer is draining. Many caregivers are with their relatives 24/7. They sacrifice their careers, time with other family members, and even their personal health to take care of their loved one. They need breaks, but they often feel guilty for taking breaks. If they can get past the guilt, there are logistical hurdles.

They need someone who understands how to care for their loved one, and that typically means hiring a professional nurse or a respite caregiver with experience. When a cancer patient gets a viatical settlement, they can use some of the proceeds to hire respite care and give their caregivers a much needed break.

If you have cancer, a viatical settlement can help you, but working with viatical settlement companies can also help your caregiver. To get more information or to instantly see if you qualify, complete our form or call us at 877-658-1360.

There are many things to consider before you start the viatical settlements process such as what exactly is a viatical settlement, what are the qualifications, and how do you apply for one? To make sure you have the best experience possible, make sure you learn these viatical settlement fundamentals.

What Are Viatical Settlements?

Viatical settlements refer to the sale of a policy owner’s existing life insurance policy to a third party for more than its cash surrender value, but less than its net death benefit. Such a sale provides the policy owner with a lump sum that can be used for a variety of expenses and in exchange, the third party becomes the owner of the policy. With a viatical settlement, you benefit from your policy’s value now instead of later.

How Do You Qualify for a Viatical Settlement?

There are many things that factor into a viatical settlement company’s decision to offer a viatical settlement. Here are some of the factors these companies take into consideration.

• Your health – In order to be considered for a viatical settlement, you must have a life-threatening illness such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, or ALS.
• The insurance policy’s death face value– Generally, you must have a life insurance policy of at least $100,000. There is no cap for the amount of the policy.
• Your citizenship status – Typically, you must be a United States citizen in order to be considered for a viatical settlement, but you may be able to qualify as a legal permanent resident.
• The rating of your insurance company – Viatical settlement companies want to be assured that if they buy out your policy, the insurance company that issued it will still be around and able to pay the policy in several years’ time. Because of this, they will only work with well-established, well-rated insurance companies.

How Do You Apply for a Viatical Settlement If You Qualify?

If you meet the qualifications and wish to proceed with the viatical settlement process, you need to find a licensed viatical settlement company. These companies have many rigorous policies they have to adhere to, and they must complete a licensing process and training. Make sure you choose a company with lots of experience with your health diagnosis and ideally, select a company with positive reviews and feedback from those who have used their services in the past.

You may want to get several different quotes from competing viatical settlement companies and compare them before you make a final choice. This is a big decision, and you deserve the best settlement possible.

Cashing in your life insurance policy for a viatical settlement can ease your financial hardships during an already emotional and trying time, so it is definitely something to consider if you meet all the qualifications.

To learn more or to instantly see if you qualify, contact us today at American Life Fund. We can help you get the funding you need to relieve financial stress and provide peace of mind during this difficult time.