A life insurance settlement refers to selling a life insurance policy to a third party buyer in exchange for a lump sum amount. After the settlement of the policy, the original owners are no longer responsible for paying the premiums. On maturity of the policy, they will not receive any amount as maturity benefit. However, if the policy owners need to raise money for any financial requirement, there is no need to sell the policy. Policy owners can obtain a life insurance settlement loan against the policy.
To apply for a life insurance settlement loan, the borrower needs to state the reason for the financial requirement in detail. This is where life insurance settlement loan differs from settlement, as there is no need to answer questions about the use of money. The life insurance settlement loan is required to be repaid over a certain period of time. The installments for repayment are monthly as in case of any other loan. The main advantage of such a loan is that, the policy owners get to keep the policy and also receive all the maturity benefits.
Policy owners need to approach the insurance company, which has written the policy for borrowing the loan. They need to fill an application form, mentioning all necessary personal details as well as details of the policy. It is up to the insurance company, to determine the amount of the loan sanctioned. This approved amount depends on the face value of the policy, and is usually calculated, based on the percentage of the policy value. The insurance company also determines, the period or term of the loan along with the installments. The insurance company applies a rate of interest on the loan during repayment. The policy papers are withheld with the insurance company till the loan is repaid. The policy is considered locked during this period. Policy owners are required to continue paying their premiums for the policy, in addition to the installment on the loan.
