Whether to appraise a particular asset depends in part on whether a market for that asset exists. In the case of life insurance, there has not always been a market for policies.  For many years, an insurance policy’s value consisted only of its surrender cash value. However, buyers in the life settlement market can and will pay not only the cash surrender value but also for the value in the option to continue the insurance policy, itself.

For any individual whose health has eroded, a policy issued at standard or preferred rates is likely to be worth far more than it's cash surrender value. Over 20% of all insureds, aged 65 or older, fall into this category. An appraisal by a firm, such as Coventry Financial, of such an individual's life insurance policies is in order whenever a decision regarding either an increase or decrease in existing coverage is being considered or simply as part of a routine periodic assessment of the individual's wealth.

A life settlement is an alternative to this surrender or lapse of a policy, or when the owner of a life insurance policy no longer needs or wants the policy, the policy is underperforming or can no longer afford to pay the premiums.  It gives policy owners the ability to access the value by selling their existing life insurance policies and receiving a cash settlement in excess of the cash surrender value (if any)