Speculating on Grandma's Death: Wall Street's Gruesome Grab for Fees

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Steven Berk

Securitization of life settlements is yet another dangerous development for Main Street. Is this really what we need right now?

It just doesn't stop. Despite repeated lessons and tales from the brink (the collapse and near collapse of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns to name just a few), Wall Street is at it again. What now, you ask? Wall Street is securitizing life insurance policies. What the heck is that?

A recent New York Times article details "life settlements"--which have Wall Street executives' mouths watering. The premise is this--elderly people sell their life insurance policies for fractions of what they are worth to banks. Wall Street then repackages these policies into bonds, grabs fees and sells them, netting dealers even more fees--and creating another speculative industry. This time betting on when grandma will die. And what's next derivatives on these bonds.

Securitization of life settlements is yet another dangerous development for Main Street. Industry sources explain that insurance companies are able to maintain premium rates based on the profit they make from policy lapses. If life settlements are securitized and traded, Wall Street will pay the premiums and the insurance companies will be out the easy profits from the millions of policies a year that lapse. Ultimately they will be forced to raise premiums to continue earning profits. Who, then, will suffer the true consequences? Main Street, once again.

Is this really what we need right now? In a time when the economy is inching towards a recovery from a crisis caused by precisely what is presented here: the opportunity for a new overaggressive and under-regulated speculative market? And who is going to be able to regulate these new instruments of greed so that Main Street does not become the victim?

We have a better idea for Wall Street.

Go back to basics. Finance renewable energy products, figure out an innovative way to finance new infrastructure--so sorely needed. Maybe even come up with a new micro-loan product that works for hard working Americans who want to start small businesses.

Let's let the securitization of life insurance policies die a peaceful death.

 

Assisted by David Martin and Jessica Begen.

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