Sunday, December 12, 2010

New York Announces First Settlement Licenses

The New York insurance department announced on December 10 that two life settlement providers were the first to be licensed under the state’s new life settlement law. The providers are FairMarket Life Settlements Corp., St. Louis Park, Minn. and Magna Life Settlements Inc., Miami.

The Act was signed into law in Nov. 2009 and became fully effective on May 18, 2010. The law marks the first time the life settlement industry has been regulated in New York.

"This represents an important next step in protecting consumers by regulating the life settlement industry. The Department continues to review additional license applications and will issue more licenses as these reviews are completed," Insurance Superintendent James Wrynn says.

Twenty-nine other entities, which were doing business in New York legally before the new law took effect and have met specific requirements under New York's Life Settlement Act, may continue to operate as life settlement providers pending the disposition of their license applications. A complete list of these entities is available at this location on the Department's website, Settlement List

The law requires that an owner of a policy entering into a life settlement must receive a consumer information booklet and other disclosures providing the critical information that the consumer needs to make a decision to sell the policy. This information must include the amounts of all offers and counter-offers, as well as the fees paid to life settlement brokers, who are the entities or individuals that bring policy owners together with life settlement providers to complete transactions.

The law also includes safeguards to protect against the unlawful release of information concerning the identities of insured individuals and policy owners and information about the medical or financial status of insured individuals.

No comments:

Post a Comment