Sell your life to a stranger - MSN Money

When I first read this, I was a little freaked out. I'm still a little freaked but in some cases ... maybe it isn't such a bad idea. What do you think?

i would not do this, ever. some stranger will profit from your death. i'd rather have the insurance go to family, or someone else i really care about.

But I always got the idea that your life insurance was for your dependents. What if your children were adults and financially independent all on their own? And what if your spouse was either deceased or again, financially independent as well? I say enjoy the money -- I wouldn't have a problem if my own parents did this sort of thing.

Like I said, it originally freaked me out a bit ... but after thinking about it. I can see some cases were it would work. It is kind of like a reversed mortgage. Not a good thing in most cases but here and there -- it would work.

As for the people that "invest" in these sort of circumstances -- ya, they freak me out.

I don't think I would ever do it but it would depend on the circumstances. Sounds like this couple is happy with their decision.

you can choose your benefactor. if you don't, then it automatically goes to the next of kin. they don't care who you pick. if you have no living relatives, or no one you think could use the money, you can pick a friend as a benefactor. or your dog. i've heard of people doing that....
oh, and you have to remember that some of that life insurance is supposed to be used for your funeral. i'm pretty sure whoever's supposed to plan your funeral wouldn't mind if they didn't have to finance everything out of pocket.