VIATICAL & LIFE SETTLEMENTS CONSUMER INFO

Fee-based Consultation
 

• Some people ask why we charge for consultation. Some reasons:

  • Our only salable asset is information. We have information on most companies dating back to the beginning of this industry.

  • It takes considerable time, effort, and expense (often at great risk) to acquire the information we have.

  • We are not funded nor financed by any entity.

• Other than the Web site and library copies of our books, we do not provide information free of charge (unless you are a viator who has a problem and cannot get help elsewhere).

• If your purpose in asking for consultation is to get a recommendation about a company, please note that we do not endorse nor recommend any company, and we never have. Some of the reasons:

  • This is a private industry.

  • Few, if any, companies are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission which does not mean a thing in terms of regulation. It simply means they file certain required documents which may or may not be factual and truthful. Enron is one example of why SEC registrations means little.

  • Some states requires companies to register with a state agency but that does not equate to being regulated. Regulation is after-the-fact (i.e., shutting down a company after millions of dollars were stolen from investors).

  • Since the industry is not regulated, there is little-to-no disclosure. That means a company can change overnight and no one will be the wiser.

• If you think the safest company is one with millions of dollars in revenue, there are more questions to ask than available answers:

  • Is this a billion dollar a year industry? or a ten billion industry? No one knows for sure. Don't believe the press releases sent out by companies that want your business (your money).

  • The only way to evaluate if an investment is appropriate for you and if a particular company can be trusted, is to follow the directions and advice in Viatical & Life Settlements: An Investor's Guide. In other words, you need far more information than what you receive from sales agents -- and you need to verify the information.

• We assist attorneys who represent victims of the industry. We have enabled attorneys to establish the statute of limitations for clients' cases, and educated attorneys so that they were able to protect clients' rights. If you are represented by an attorney, have him or her contact us directly.

• Instructions for applying for fee-based consultation.

    The quickest, easiest way to reach us and get a prompt response is by email. If you phone, leave a detailed message and please understand that we are a small company and may not be able to return your call for several days. We regret that we are unable to return international phone calls.