"He seemed to have the viatical settlements all figured out."

Recently, viatical settlements have created problems for life insurance providers.

Along with life insurers, about 50 "viatical settlement" companies offer living benefits.

Clearly, industry experts say, there are reputable viatical settlement companies.

We had a woman in Georgia with a two-million-dollar viatical settlement.

You kill her and it's all over the newspapers that she had a viatical settlement."

Viatical settlements are most useful for dying people who need money quickly and have no dependents.

Viatical settlements are not always the right solution for those who are dying.

So far, the large United States insurance companies do not sell viatical settlements to individual investors.

"The investors reached a viatical settlement thinking Jessie would be dead in two years.

"And triggered payment under a viatical settlement," she said, finishing his thought for him.

"Sounds like an ideal scenario for a viatical settlement."

The deals are structured like a legitimate viatical settlement, with one major difference."

However, viatical settlements ensure that such policies will with absolute certainty be paid out.

A 2002 study showed that among hospice financial counselors who have had experience with viatical settlements, most report positive experiences.

As a result, the viatical settlement industry emerged.

It was this business side of terminal illness that started me in an even more intriguing direction: viatical settlements.

Investors have also been sold viatical settlements that have underlying policies from foreign insurance companies.

The reviewing physician in a viatical settlement rarely if ever reexamines the patient.

"We didn't come here to talk viatical settlements.

Viatical settlements offered a way to extract value from the policy while the policy owner was still alive.

Dr. Grigsby agreed and as a result, the first viatical settlement transaction was created.

Early improper activities among a few bad actors produced a fear among consumers regarding viatical settlements.

Despite the bad experience of some investors, viatical settlements remain an often valuable tool for the personal financial management of many ill people.

A viatical settlement, sometimes called a death future, is essentially a wager on the life expectancy of a terminally ill person.