New Findings on Older People’s Life Expectancies Confirm Gompertz Law: The Impact on the Value of Securitized Life Settlements

Abstract

Recent findings using records from the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Death Master File discredit the late life mortality deceleration theory and confirm that life expectancies follow the Gompertz law not only until the age of 80, but for many years after. The authors show how these findings have major implications on the valuation of senior life settlements and securities backed by life settlements. They illustrate the sensitivity of valuation to the incorporation of the results of recent research regarding longevity risk.