Stranger-originated Life Insurance

Stranger-originated life insurance ("STOLI") generally means any act, practice, or arrangement, at or prior to policy issuance, to initiate or facilitate the issuance of a life insurance policy for the intended benefit of a person who, at the time of policy origination, does not have an insurable interest in the life of the insured under the laws of the applicable state. This includes the purchase of life insurance with resources or guarantees from or through a person that, at the time of policy initiation, could not lawfully initiate the policy; an arrangement or other agreement to transfer ownership of the policy or the policy benefits to another person; or a trust or similar arrangement that is used directly or indirectly for the purpose of purchasing one or more policies for the intended benefit of another person in a manner that violates the insurable interest laws of the state. The main characteristic of a STOLI transaction is that the insurance is purchased solely as an investment vehicle, rather than for the benefit of the policy owner's beneficiaries. STOLI arrangements are typically promoted to consumers between the age of 65 and 85.

A STOLI transaction may require the cooperation of the insured, by, for example, allowing access to the insured's medical records. The policy owner also may be paid a fee for taking out the policy.

Descriptions of STOLI arrangements may vary. They may be called "zero premium life insurance", "estate maximization plans", "no cost to the insured plans", "new issue life settlements", "high net worth settlements", or "non recourse premium finance transactions". A similar arrangement is known as Spin-Life.