Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

The Growing Compliance Risks of Neglecting Life Settlement Discussions

Posted on June 23rd, 2023 at 1:58 PM
The Growing Compliance Risks of Neglecting Life Settlement Discussions

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

According to a recent article in Wealth Solutions Report, broker-dealers should consider enhanced oversight pertaining to suitability, recommendations, and the use of funds obtained from life settlement transactions. How advisors reallocate the proceeds and select investments, especially when they earn fees from those investments, could raise concerns about conflicts of interest and whether they prioritize the client's best interests.

Life settlements are gaining renewed attention. Recent demographic, regulatory, and economic shifts have contributed to the renewed interest in this alternative option for policy cancellation.

According to Jamie L. Mendelsohn, an expert in the field, 87 percent of life settlement transactions involve seniors aged 70 to 100, highlighting a vulnerable population with limited knowledge about life settlements beyond what they see in commercials or on social media.  Mendelsohn reports that financial advisors often face client inquiries regarding their family or business-owned life insurance policies. However, advisors may find themselves on a precarious path without the necessary expertise in valuing policies or access to reliable, comparable data. It is not uncommon for policies to be surrendered at a fraction of their true life settlement value, resulting in missed opportunities for clients. Mendelsohn claims that, on average, clients could receive five times more than the cash surrender value through life settlements.

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags: Eccleston, Eccleston Law, Life Settlement, Broker-Dealers

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

Fantastic news!!!!  Your professionalism, support and expertise were greatly appreciated.  You made a difficult situation much more bearable.

Marci M.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1783615970 Law
July 9, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Branch Manager for Supervisory Failures Linked to Excessive Trading and Churning

A former regional branch manager at a broker-dealer has agreed to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctions after the regulator found that he failed to supervise registered representatives who engaged in excessive trading and churning of customer accounts.

1783525964 Law
July 8, 2026
SEC Sanctions David Lerner Associates for Regulation Best Interest Violations

David Lerner Associates has agreed to settle Securities and Exchange (SEC) charges alleging violations of Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) that resulted in unnecessary costs to retail investors, according to InvestmentNews.

1783434190 Law
July 7, 2026
Private Credit Funds Face Mounting Redemption Pressure as Investor Sentiment Shifts

A surge in investor redemption requests has intensified pressure on private credit funds, raising concerns about liquidity and long-term stability across the asset class, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.