WESTERN MICHIGAN ESTATE PLANNING COUNCIL

SAVE THE DATE!

With rising interest rates, ongoing premium obligations, and evolving tax considerations following legislative developments in 2025, many clients are reassessing whether existing life insurance still serves its original purpose. A working understanding of the life settlement market can help attorneys, CPAs, trust officers, financial planners, and other advisors identify additional planning options before policies are surrendered or allowed to lapse.

This presentation will cover:

• Legal and fiduciary considerations when evaluating life settlements
• Tax implications, including recent legislative developments
• How the secondary market works and how policies are valued
• Business-owned life insurance and succession-planning considerations
• Using regular policy reviews as a risk-mitigation and fiduciary best practice

About the presenter:

Scott Etish is Vice President, Advanced Markets at Coventry, where he works with attorneys and fiduciaries who advise high-net-worth clients on complex estate and financial planning matters. He specializes in helping legal and financial professionals unlock the hidden value of life insurance policies that are no longer needed or affordable, providing an alternative to policy surrender or lapse that can generate liquidity, reduce premium burdens, and enhance wealth transfer strategies.

A frequent speaker at estate planning councils and bar associations, Mr. Etish educates attorneys and fiduciaries on integrating life settlements into their practice to better serve high-net-worth individuals and families. His presentations offer practical guidance on identifying opportunities and ensuring clients maximize the value of their life insurance assets. Mr. Etish works closely with legal and financial professionals to navigate the complexities of the secondary market for life insurance.

Before joining Coventry, Mr. Etish was a Partner at Gibbons P.C., where he spent nearly 17 years advising clients on complex business disputes. He began his legal career as a law clerk for an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Mr. Etish holds a Juris Doctor from Rutgers University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University’s Science in Society Program.

More details coming soon!