Innovative Settlements(R) is the one of the Nation’s very first companies formed to specialize in life insurance settlements. At this time, we are the only company who, for more than 19 years, has consistently represented the consumer, the policy seller and never the investors.
At the time, the only type of settlement was for people with a diagnosed terminal illness and called viatical settlements. Our boutique advisory, consulting and brokerage firm (originally known as Fiedler Financial) has been devoted to representing policy owners in obtaining the highest cash settlements for them in a completely honest, ethical and straight forward manner.
We firmly believe that knowledge is power and have been active in educating consumers, regulators, financial and legal advisors about the options available with regard to liquidating all or part of a life insurance policy.
Innovative Settlements is completely independent with no ties to any funding or purchasing entity. This ensures that we shop around for the best possible settlement for all policy holders that we represent.
Innovative Settlements is licensed, registered and/or approved to do business as a Viatical &/or Life Settlement Broker in numerous states including: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Our services are available in most States. Please be aware that regulations are changing rapidly at this time (July 2009) so it's always best to call us directly to confirm. If we are not able to represent you we will happily refer you to a ethical & legitimate company who will!
Carole Fiedler
Our founder and managing director Carole S Fiedler, is originally from New York
where she enjoyed a successful career as a real estate broker with a specialty of "luxury furnished sublets", arguably the toughest market in Manhattan real estate.
Throughout college in New York State, Carole majored in psychology, the behavioral sciences and Art History.
In 1990, following a lifelong dream, she moved to San Francisco. After obtaining a Life & Disability Insurance license and Securities Series 6 and 63, she discovered the then brand new viatical settlement option and became immediately committed to helping terminally ill individuals access cash they would not otherwise be able to obtain, from their life policies. Carole soon became passionate about this work (and still is!). After working in this burgeoning field for two years and at the urging of several of her friends who were living with AIDS, had policies they wanted her to sell, Fiedler Financial was created in 1994 . That led to Fiedler Financial being the first viatical broker in the Nation to obtain a viatical settlement broker's license.
Involved in Life Settlements since their earliest days (check out the New York Times article on our news page), transitioning to include work with an additional and different client base as the industry did, came easy.
Carole got into this field for compassionate reasons, has always represented the policy sellers whether they are individuals, families, business entities and/or their advisors with the same core beliefs and high ethical standards that gained her world-wide recognition and respect in the 1990's.
Considered one of the few leading and original experts in this field today, Ms. Fiedler has been featured in newspapers and magazines internationally, seen on both network and cable TV, and has contributed to numerous books and other publications on this topic. Please be sure to check out our section headed "News and Views"
Consistently an outspoken advocate for consumer protections and reasonable industry regulation, and her commitment to ethical business dealings and strong consumer protections led her to testify before the California State Senate Insurance Committee and the California State Assembly Insurance Committee on behalf of the consumer as well as the Viatical Industry. She has participated in educational panel discussions with the California Dept. of Insurance providing her settlement expertise and conducts informational Seminars, and Question and Answer Forums on the subject. Ms. Fiedler has authored articles on the subject which have been published in numerous formats and "Help Guides" nationwide.
An avid swimmer and certified SCUBA diver, Carole's other passions include photography, music, crafts, travel, perfecting her Spanish and enjoying the beautiful outdoors of Marin County, California her current home, with her calico rescue cat Jaz seen here in our old Mill Valley office. (That's Mt. Tamalpais in the background and Shelter Bay in the foreground).
For more photos, go to these pages: Kudos | News & Views
About Paul Lewis
Mr. Lewis has 24 years of experience in finance, consultative selling and marketing in the commercial banking and online/Internet industries. At various times during his career, he has been licensed to trade securities and sell real estate in New York. Currently, he is licensed to sell life insurance in New York and New Jersey.
Paul received a BS degree from MIT and an MBA from Wharton Business School.
An avid musician, Paul plays piano and guitar and loves to sing. Paul lives in Irvington, NY, about 20 miles north of NYC. He has been married for 23 years, has a wonderful 17-year old son and 2 bichon frisees.
In the hot New York summers of the 1970's and 80's, both Paul and Carole found their way to Fire Island where they became good friends and shared their love of music and singing while harmonizing to doo wop songs on the beautiful beaches of this barrier island.
