What is Life Insurance Settlement - Senior Settlement?

What is Life Insurance Settlement - Senior Settlement?
Win – Win Financial Solution for Seniors!

A Life Insurance Settlement is the sales of a life
insurance policy to a third party in exchange for a cash
settlement in excess of the cash surrender value of policy
- even if none exists! This is also called as Life
settlement, Insurance settlement and also Senior settlement.

Typically, a Life insurance settlement or senior settlement
is about three to five times the cash surrender value of
the policy.

Life settlement: When an individual who does not have a
terminal or chronic illness sells a policy for other
reasons, including changed needs of dependents, wanting to
reduce premiums, and cash for meeting expenses, that is
known as a Life settlement.

Viatical settlement: When an individual with a terminal or
chronic illness sells his or her life insurance policy that
is known as a Viatical settlement.

Hitherto, elderly senior Americans with life insurance
policies they do not need or cannot afford to keep up have
had very little option. They will let the policies lapse or
sell them back to their insurers. Now lots of them are glad
to have an alternative, i.e. Life Insurance Settlement or
Senior Settlement. Seniors may now be able to sell their
policy for far more than the cash surrender value the
insurance carrier would offer.

When you go for Life Insurance Settlement or Senior
Settlement, the life insurance policy owner sells his or
her contractual rights under the policy at its present
market value in exchange for a lump sum cash payment, which
payment exceeds the cash surrender value of the policy.

The purchaser of the policy will then become the new owner
and the new beneficiary of the life insurance policy and is
then responsible for making all of the future premium
payments. The new owner now collects the full amount of the
death benefit when the insured dies.

Life Insurance settlement or Senior settlement present a
unique opportunity to the senior policy holder to extract
the maximum possible value from an existing life insurance
policy and repurpose those funds for whatever financial
needs may exist.

Seniors can use the money received from Life Insurance
Settlement or Senior Settlement, to purchase new insurance,
travel the world, start a business, buy a property or
fulfill their dreams. The money is theirs to simply enjoy
and use it for any reason they can think of. In fact,
seniors can use the cash settlement for medical expenses,
living expenses, or anything they desire-with no
restrictions.

There are various reasons why seniors sell their life
insurance policy and opt for Life Insurance Settlement or
Senior Settlement. Why Sell Your Life Insurance Policy?

1. If you are chronically ill, selling your current life
insurance policy provides needed funds to cover financial
burdens caused by your illness. A viatical settlement gives
you the ability to regain needed financial security.

2. If you are over the age of sixty-five, a life insurance
settlement or senior settlement maximizes your current
assets by eliminating premiums and getting funds that can
be used today.

3. Pay off debts.

4. Make funds available for other investments.

5. Turn a lapse insurance policy into cash with Life
settlement.

6. Pay your medical care bills.

7. Finance your retirement.

8. If you are a corporation, selling corporate owned life
insurance lets you regain back premiums paid on no longer
needed policies.

9. If you are a non profit organization, selling a gifted
life insurance policy provides funds that can be used now
and also eliminates premiums.

10. If you managing an estate, selling your current life
insurance policy will help manage changes in estate size,
eliminate premiums, and liquidate policies that no longer
are needed.

What Insurance Policies Qualify for Life Insurance
Settlements?

To find out whether you qualify, here are some of the
requirements.

(A) Must be at least 65 years of age

(B) The face value of the policy is at least $50,000

(C) The insured has experienced deterioration in health
since the insurance policy was issued; life expectancy is
under 15 years

(D) The insurance policy is in effect beyond the two year
contestable period

(E) You Are Over 21 with a Life-Threatening Illness –
Viatical Settlement

But any policy owner, including individuals, corporations,
charities or trusts, may sell any life insurance policy,
including group and term policies.

What types of polices are purchased?

1. Government issued policies

2. Term Life

3. Universal Life

4. Survivorship policies

5. Many Group types of policies

6. Corporate Owned Life Insurance

7. Whole Life

8. Basically All Types of Life Insurance Policies

The life insurance settlement value could be potentially
much higher than the cash settlement of your life insurance
policy. Do not continue to pay expensive premiums for
coverage you no longer need, and do not surrender the
policy or let it lapse. The Life insurance settlement,
Senior settlement or Viatical settlement solution is
typically the Win-Win scenario that you have been looking
for.

----------------------------------------------------
About the Author:
Paul Sherman is a Cash Flow Consultant. He offers free,
professional and independent advice to Individuals,
Business owners and Seniors. To secure a Life Insurance
Settlement, Senior Settlement or Structured Settlement
funding please visit http://www.Financial-Ease.com

Capital One Credit Cards: Card Offers For All Credit Types

Capital One Credit Cards: Card Offers For All Credit Types
No matter where your credit stands, Capital One has a
credit card just for you. Want cash back but have less than
perfect credit? You can get a cash rewards card from
Capital One. Want to be awarded for your history of on-time
payments? Capital One offers extra incentives for those
with excellent credit. From customized cards to "no hassle"
rewards, you're bound to find a Capital One credit card
that fits both your credit score and style.

A Card for your Credit

Capital One offers cards for all types of credit, including
excellent, above average, and those that need improvement.
If you have above average credit and want to receive cash
back, consider Capital One's No Hassle Cash Rewards Card.
With this credit card, you'll receive 1% cash back on all
of your purchases. It has no annual fee, and you'll enjoy a
0% interest rate on all you buy until June 2008.

If your credit needs improving, you may still be eligible
for a similar credit card. The Capital One No Hassle Cash
Rewards card offers the same program. You'll get 1% cash
back on purchases. Because it is geared for below average
credit, it has an annual fee of $29. This card has a 0%
interest rate on purchases until March 2008.

Many Capital One credit cards operate in a similar fashion.
You can choose the benefits you want, whether that be cash
back, miles, or a low interest rate. Then match those
benefits to your credit rating. You'll come away with a
credit card designed specifically for your needs.

Understanding your Credit Score

Since many of Capital One's cards cater to different levels
of credit, it is important to understand how that credit
score is determined. The most important factor is your
payment history, which contributes to 35% of your total
score. Paying at least the minimum due on your credit card
over a period of time will significantly boost your credit
rating. Your length of credit history and the types of
loans you have are also taken into consideration.

The "No Hassle" Perks

Many credit card issuers offer rewards programs and Capital
One is no exception. However, Capital One works to
streamline the process, making it easier for customers to
calculate their rewards. For example, some credit card
companies offer a layered cash back program. Customers may
earn less than 1% for the first $1500 they spend, and then
a higher percentage for the next $1500, and then a
different rate after that. Sound confusing? It can be. To
simplify the process, Capital One offers a straight
percentage rate for cash back and rewards. This lets you
know what you're earning for each dollar spent, no strings
attached.

If you want a credit card that issues miles as rewards,
you'll find a similar "no hassle" feature. Capital One
offers 1.25 miles for every dollar you spend. So as you
swipe your card, you can immediately calculate how many
miles you just earned. That is a simple process compared to
many other travel reward programs.

Capital One offers card options that fit your credit needs.
Its hassle-free features help you calculate your cash back
and travel miles. A Capital One credit card may be your
ticket to headache-free rewards.

----------------------------------------------------
To View Capital One Credit Card Offers click the following
link:
http://www.credit-card-surplus.com/capital-one-credit-cards.
php . Ed Vegliante runs http://www.credit-card-surplus.com
, a directory helping consumers to compare and apply for
credit cards.

Healthy Body, Healthy Trading Mind

Healthy Body, Healthy Trading Mind
When traders start out, it's completely overwhelming the
amount of things to learn and suck in. The simple to the
most complex: the computer, the trading software, the
markets, the strategies, indicators, psychology, capital,
time. On top of that, traders have to deal with their
family and work. Investing is just not about buy, sell and
hold but the burden and challenge of dealing with
everything and everyone. All this brings major stress that
will affect trading.

Trading is a very stressful work but not balancing them can
be counter productive. An athlete cannot train continuously
12 hours a day. He needs time away from training to
concentrate his mind on other activities in order to stay
relaxed. A new trader is so obsessed with trading that
sometimes he can go relentlessly day after day with long
hours that eventually he burns himself and not knowing it.

Due to the fact that trading involves money, many traders
want to make as much money as much as possible and as
quickly as possible. This may involve spending as much time
as possible to learn and master the skills. He may spend
long days for months if not years, weekends included,
disregarding family, work, or social life. This can be
hazardous to one's physical and mental health. When the
other parts of life are left uncared for, eventually the
trader will begin suffering by making losses. He may not
notice it in the beginning but little by little, the stress
from outside of trading will start setting in. Before he
knows it, his performance suffers, productivity and
profitability reduces. Successful trading requires healthy
and balanced mind and body. Has anyone ever seen a drunken
successful gambler in Las Vegas?

So what how does one gain and manage healthy mind and body?
Many successful and experienced traders have come to
realize that trading is a marathon and not a sprint. If it
is a sprint, then he can try to make as much as possible
thinking he'll move on to something else. Usually this is
the option of the new traders thinking in short term as he
overtrades with high leverage. This is usually the path to
blowing out the account. But experienced traders want to
stick around to trade until he retires or until his dying
breath. So a marathon requires conservation of energy by
keeping a steady pace, one step at a time. Little by
little, as he gets more experience, he can step up the pace
when he gets accustomed to the stress level.

There are many ways to keep balance in life and trading.
Many devote small hours each day to learning the skills
without intruding into other areas of life. In addition, he
may spend weekends devoting to it when the week days
impeded him from dedicating time to it.

In day trading, the trader may meditate, pray, or use other
visualization or relaxation techniques to prepare for the
full day of relentless stress. This is to erase the mind
from other outside factors, pleasant as well as unpleasant.
As for physical activity, the trader does exercises such as
walking, jogging, weight-lifting, team or individual sports
to keep the body fit. Not only will physical exercise
maintain healthy body, the mind tends to relax and
concentrate on things other than trading. Too much of a
good thing can be bad. Most workaholics end up with some
kind of stress-related syndrome or illness that leads to
early retirement or heart condition as they get older,
shortening their life span. Those who pace themselves carry
a happier and healthier and more productive life than those
who don't.

In trading, with money at stake, this is especially
important. Every ounce of emotional and mental condition
must be preserved and cared for. If not, the cost can be
dear.

----------------------------------------------------
Larry Swing is the President of the popular day and swing
trading site http://www.mrswing.com a place where you can
find free daily articles and videos covering education,
market analysis and picks from Larry and other well known
traders in the industry.

Brazilian Real Estate The Talk of The Town

Brazilian Real Estate The Talk of The Town
Overseas property investors have seen the potential of
Brazilian real estate and savvy investors are in search of
new areas in Brazil ripe for investment. One such area is
Touros Brazil.

Brazil Property is the talk of the town with leading
financiers ranking Brazil amongst the top 5 world
economies by the year 2050. As one world largest
countries, with a current population of over 180 million,
Brazil s economic potential is enormous. The optimism is
based on current availability of cheap labour and
materials, coupled with undervalued real estate.

The village of Touros in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande
do Norto is seeing some new development that will make it a
prime location for international real estate investors.
Located about 70 kilometers north of the city of Natal,
this town is quickly becoming a destination for travelers
and home buyers looking for pristine beachfront property in
Brazil.

Touros is distinctive with clean and tidy the streets and a
well kept town. Travelers call Touros 'the real Brazil'
The town benefits from a Diving Centre, Aqua Park and
Quad-Biking centres several Golf Courses currently under
construction.The road from Natal to Touros is a straight
road called the BR101, which runs from Touros down to Rio.

The weather in this part of the country is warm and dry.
Rio Grande do Norto is located in the Southern Hemisphere,
so the nicest months to be here are during the north's
winter, which makes it an excellent choice for a holiday or
second home. Even during the winter months of July and
August, temperatures still average around 24ºC, which makes
it plenty warm enough to enjoy.

Getting to this part of Brazil is fairly easy, and about to
become even easier when a new airport opens. The current
airport for Natal, August Severo International Airport,
serves both domestic and international flights. There are
direct flights here from several European cities, and
connecting flights daily from major Brazilian cities. From
the airport it is just about an hour's drive north to
Touros.

The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) reports that Brazil
received 5.4 million tourists in 2005, which was nearly a
third of all the tourists visiting South America as a whole
during that year. This generated US$3.9 billion in foreign
currency exchange from tourists. By 2006, tourist figures
in Brazil had reached an impressive 6.3 million. The WTO
predict strong performance for travel and tourism demand in
Brazil for 2007, growing at a rate of 7.2%.

All looks good for investors heading to buy property in
Brazil

----------------------------------------------------
Nicholas Marr is the CEO of Marr International Ltd the
company behind property websites

http://www.homesgofast.com and Brazilian property website
at http://www.brazilian-homes.com/

The 3 Golden Keys: Entry, Exit & Leverage

The 3 Golden Keys: Entry, Exit & Leverage
Becoming a reputable Forex trader requires having a
successful trading system. To the average Forex trader
making more than 5% a month is highly unlikely. The only
guaranteed way to become a reputable trader is to develop a
good trading system. In this article I will answer your
question: How can I become a reputable Forex trader? After
reading this article, you will better understand what you
should look for as a professional Forex trader.

A trading system is a simple way of saying, how does a
forex trader decide when to enter or exit the market and
how much leverage should he use on each trade. There are 3
elements to a successful trading system. The trade entry
timing, trade exit timing and deciding on the proper
leverage. These three elements alone are what we look at
when assessing the quality of a Forex trading system.

1 - When to enter the market

The quality of your system is going to be reflected by the
amount of time you as a professional Forex trader are
willing to commit to trading your system. For instance, if
you are generally available during the hours of 8am to 4pm
then it would not be logical to develop a system which
enters during the hours of 2am to 6am. Deciding on which
hours you are willing to commit towards trading Forex will
determine the quality of trades you make on a regular
basis. It is also going to influence the quality of life
you live on a daily basis. Needless to say there are
countless traders who spend nearly 24 hours a day watching
their monitors in fear that they will miss the next big
move. This is not how I would describe a high "quality of
life" and this is definitely not the path towards becoming
a reputable trader. If you have experienced chart gazing
for more than 10 hours straight then you know what I say is
true. Your trade entry times must be comfortable for you to
implement into a leisurely lifestyle.

2 - Exiting the market

Once you have entered a trade you should already have an
exit strategy in place. This exit strategy may be based on
duration: I will exit position after 10 hours whether in
profit or loss. Your exit strategy may also be price based:
I will exit position when either a profit of 15 pips is
reached, or a loss of 15 pips is reached. A combination of
the above two mentioned criteria can be used. A number of
other exit strategies including the use of technical and
fundamental indicators can also be used, however the
important thing to keep in mind is that an exit strategy
must be in place before ever entering into a trade. This is
not improvisational trading and your goal is not to
constantly invent and reinvent the proverbial "traders
wheel" so to speak. If your goal is to become a reputable
Forex trader you need to make a plan before you enter the
market and dedicate yourself towards sticking to it. If you
do this you will be well on your way to achieving your goal.

3 - Use proper leverage

No table can stand on 2 legs alone, leverage is undoubtedly
the essential 3rd leg to any successful trading system. As
a Forex trader knowing how much leverage to use on any
given trade can be the life or death of your account. On
any given trade you should have firmly established criteria
which will determine how many lots you will use. A
dangerous place to find yourself might be adding lots to a
losing position in the hopes that it will turn into a
winning trade, or compulsively closing out half of your
position before your target is met. These two actions when
carefully planed ahead of time may be sound in strategy,
however it is essential that your trading rules are written
before your trade is placed. It just cannot be emphasized
enough, emotional trading will lead to disaster. Emotional
trading will cause you to increase or decrease your
leverage based on how you feel in the moment, and in that
moment your emotions will trick you into throwing your
entire trade plan out the window. By creating a plan which
includes when to enter, when to exit and how much leverage
to use you will become free to execute your trades without
the fear that your emotions will get in the way. This is
how expert Forex traders move around in the market.

The benefits are far reaching, once you have learned to
stick to your plan you are free to begin experiencing the
emotions that come with being a successful trader. Emotions
are not your enemy, they only become your enemy when you
allow them to influence your strategy. A reputable Forex
trader is not a zombie, or a machine that turns out trades
without thinking or blinking; the goal of every Forex
trader is to create a lifestyle which promotes an inner
sense of accomplishment. By sticking to the above 3 points
you will find a new path unfolds before you, one which will
lead you to Forex trading success.

----------------------------------------------------
Ranked in the top 10 on Google.com, Aaron Stokes brings
guidance to Forex traders covering topics such as money
management, entry & exit strategies. Returns of 10 to 30%
per month are possible through his managed Forex program.
For more information visit: http://www.forex-cipher.com

At Last, You Can Earn 15.83% Average Annual Rate of Return Without "Wall Street" Risks

At Last, You Can Earn 15.83% Average Annual Rate of Return Without "Wall Street" Risks
Earlier this year I wrote an article with a similar title.

One reader asked: "How can this be possible, because it
sounds too good to be true."

Both the "'too-good-to-be-true" quote and the "How"
question deserve answers. So, here goes.

Let's start by explaining the TIP investment.Chances are
you have never heard of this investment. What is the
investment? Life Settlements (LS) --- Also called
Transferable Insurance Policy or TIP(s). The best way to
understand how a TIP (TIPs is plural) works is by an
example, which follows:

EXAMPLE: Joe, age 67, owns a life insurance policy with a
$500,000 death benefit and a $55,000 cash surrender value
(CSV). Joe would like to stop paying premiums. Of course,
he can cancel the policy and get the $55,000 CSV from the
insurance company. An investor (really a group of
investors) buys Joe's policy for $150,000, paid in cash to
Joe immediately. The investors now own the policy. The
group of investors will receive the $500,000 death benefit
when Joe dies. This transaction (Joe selling the policy and
the investors buying it) is called LS. A TIP is a
fractional interest in a LS. Let's say Rick is one of the
investors. Say Rick invests $100,000. He will wind up with
a diversified portfolio of TIPs (about 5 to 10). Each one
of the TIPs will be a fractional interest in Joe's $500,000
policy, say 3 percent or $15,000. This TIP (Joe's) will pay
Rick exactly $15,000 when Joe dies.

A public company (trades on the NASDAQ) invented TIPs.
Twice a year the company publishes its average rate of
return for the years (now 16) it has been in business.

A common question is, "What are the tax consequences of a
TIP?" All taxes are deferred until the TIP is paid. In the
above example, Rick would not have any taxable income. A
TIP is always ordinary income. It is not payable until he
receives the $15,000. If Rick had invested his $100,000
from a qualified plan (401(k), profit-sharing, IRA or the
like) the income would stay in the plan (like all other
investments) and all income taxes deferred until funds are
distributed to Rick.

First, a little background about the life insurance
industry. There are basically two types of life insurance:
permanent [has cash surrender value (CSV)] and term (no
CSV). According to Milliman and Robertson, an international
actuarial firm, 89.5% of Universal Life policies never
result in a death claim. The policies are either
surrendered, or worse, allowed to lapse. Note: Universal
life is the most common type of permanent life insurance
sold in the United States.

And what about term insurances? These facts are, although
true, almost unbelievable: According to Tax Planning With
Life Insurance, authored by Zaristky and Leimberger, Ten
years after issue, there is only a 15 percent probability
that at term policy will be in force at the insured's
death. There is less than a 2 percent probability that term
insurance bought twenty years before an insured's death
will be in force. So, on average 93% of all life insurance
policies sold never pay even $1 in death benefits.

Amazing! Think about it, life insurance companies deposit
premium dollars year after year and about 93% of the time
keep all of the dollars, while the insured or his heirs get
nothing in return. One exception, the policy owner
terminates a policy by getting back the CSV. Long story
short, LSs to the rescue. However, before the invention of
TIPs, LSs were the sole profit playground of institutional
investors: large companies with deep-cash pockets, like
giant insurance companies (such as AIG and CNA).

Even Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway has been in the LS
game for about 15 years and recently announced a $400
million loan to a new wholly owned subsidiary to invest in
LSs. TIPs are the bridge that allows the little guy to get
into the LS profit game.

Go back to Joe's LS/TIP example. If Joe had cashed in his
policy for the $55,000 CSV, the life insurance company
would have been off of a $500,000 death benefit hook. It's
easy to see why Joe is delighted with his $150,000 LS. Of
course, the insurance company is anything but delighted and
would like to keep LSs secret.

The pure economic fact is that the investor stands tall in
the profit shoes of the insurance company. The investor
stands to profit with a gross of $350,000 ($500,000 death
benefit less an acquisition cost of $150,000), reduced by
future premiums (until Joe passes on). The LS side of the
transaction with Joe is handled by the NASDAQ company,
which then arranges for little-guy investors to purchase
TIPs. The potential profit percentage calculated on each
TIP investment is based on the projected life expectancy of
each LS policy seller at about 16% plus.

Generally, the NASDAQ company only completes LSs where the
insured's life expectancy is actuarially five years or
less. The result of how a TIP transaction is structured
allows the TIP investor to earn an average annual historic
rate of return of 15.83%.

No worrying about "Wall Street" volatility or whether "The
Market" goes up, sideways, or down.

Now you know how it's done.

You also know because of the strange economics (no death
benefit are paid about 93% of the time) of the insurance
industry and the ingenious way TIPs are structured that a
15.83% average annual rate of return is indeed, not too
good to be true.

----------------------------------------------------
Irv Blackman is both an experienced CPA and lawyer. He
founded Blackman & Kallick, the largest independent CPA
firm in Illinois, and is the founding Chairman of the Board
of New Century Bank of Chicago, Illinois. His website is:
http://www.taxsecretsofthewealthy.com . He is the author of
8 books, and is published in 59 trade magazines in the US.
If you want to contact Irv, please visit the website or
call 888-278-3623.