There also may be a service charge. In addition, you may consider selling your life insurance policy to a viatical settlement company, a private enterprise that offers a terminally ill person a percentage of the policy's face value. It is not considered an insurance company. The viatical settlement company becomes the sole beneficiary of the policy in consideration for delivering a cash payment to the policyholder and paying the premiums. When the policyholder dies, the viatical settlement company collects the face value of the policy.
Viatical settlements are complex legal and financial transactions.
They require time and attention from physicians, life insurance companies, lawyers, and accountants or financial planners. The entire transfer process can take up to four months to complete. Each viatical settlement company sets its own rules for determining which life insurance policies it will buy. Usually, this means that death is expected to occur within two years. Investors may insist that your policy be from a company that is large or well-known and one that will be able to pay the death benefit.