About Innovative Settlements
Innovative Settlements is the one of the Nation’s very first companies formed to specialize in life insurance, then only viatical, settlements. Since 1994, the company (originally known as Fiedler Financial, a viatical settlement consultant & brokerage firm) has been devoted to representing consumers and obtaining the highest cash settlements for them in a completely honest, ethical and legal manner. We have also been very active in educating and consumers and their advisors about the options available to them with regard to liquidating a life insurance policy. Innovative Settlements has no ties to any funding or purchasing company. 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!
Our Mission and Our Vision
The mission of Innovative Settlements is to provide easy to understand, straight-forward and accurate information about selling life insurance policies on the rapidly growing and very complex the secondary market.
We are and always have been independent to ensure our clients there will not be a conflict of interest.
We do not sell any products nor do we engage in any other financial-related business.
We strive to provide our clients with the best customer service possible. Our philosophy has always been to focus on customer satisfaction with unmitigated integrity.
We help our clients navigate the life settlement process with complete confidence that their ultimate decision will be the right one for them and their families.
We help our clients protect their wealth.
We evaluate each situation, then educate and counsel life insurance policy owners, their families and their advisors so they may make an informed decision about selling the policy. If they choose to proceed, we approach numerous qualified buyers on our client’s behalf striving to maximize a cash settlement, which is always more than its cash value.
About 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 speciality of "luxury furnished sublets", arguably the toughest market in Manhattan real estate. Most summers found her on the extraordinary island and beaches of Fire Island.
Throughout college in New York State, Carole majored in psychology, the behaviorial sciences and Art History.
In 1990, following a lifelong dream, she moved to San Francisco. After obtaining a Life & Disability Insurance license and Series 6 and 63 for variable financial products, she discovered the then brand new viatical settlement field and became immediately committed to it. After working in this burgeoning field for two years, Carole formed Fiedler Financial in 1994 at the urging of several of her friends who were living with AIDS and had policies thay wanted her to sell. That led to Fiedler Financial being the first viatical broker in the Nation to obtain a viatical settlement broker's license.
Involved in Life Insurance Settlements since their earliest days as well has been an easy transition. Having gotten into this field for compassionate reasons, she has continuously represented the policy sellers, including individuals, families, business entities and/or their advisors with the same core beliefs and high ethical standards that gained her world-wide 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).
For more photos, go to these pages: Kudos | News & Views
About Paul Lewis
Paul Lewis is the Vice President of the Eastern Regional of Innovative Settlements and joined the company in March, 2008.
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 State.
Paul received a BS degree from MIT and an MBA from Wharton Business School.
He believes in “giving back” and has made it a priority throughout his life to help everyday people improve their lives. Through his work in Life Settlements, he hopes to help senior citizens live better lives through tapping into the value of an underappreciated asset – their life insurance.
Paul believes that a balance between work and play is essential to happiness at any age. He is an expert bridge and poker player. A lover of spectator sports, Paul has been a passionate Yankee fan since 1957. He works out, swims regularly, and plays tennis and racquetball. He is also a "foodie", and leads a group of sushi aficionados called the “New York Sushi Society”.
An avid musicion, Paul plays piano and guitar and loves to sing. 30 years ago, he and Carole Fiedler spent many a summer afternoon harmonizing to doo wop songs on the beautiful beaches of Fire Island, NY.
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.
