GHF GROUP LIFE SETTLEMENT FUND SURPASSES TARGETS

“This is a result of offering a protected investment with guaranteed returns in an environment of devastated equity markets. Sophisticated investors are rapidly realizing the benefits of the life settlement industry and are quickly trying to secure their own piece of the pie.” said senior trader Nelson Garber.

A life settlement is a financial transaction in which an existing life insurance policy owner sells their policy to a third party. The purchaser then becomes the beneficiary of the policy in addition to assuming responsibility for all subsequent premium payments.

In general, life settlements are an option for high-net-worth policy owners aged 65 or older who want or need access to cash. Independent estimates report that 20% of policies have a market value that well exceeds the cash value offered by the carrier. The majority settled policies are Universal Life (UL) policies which provide coverage for the entire life of the insured. Policies typically have a face value of between $100,000 and $10,000,000 and have been in-force for over two years so as to be outside of the insurance company’s contestability period.

Global Hedge Fund Group Ltd. (GHF Group) has been developing customized alternative investment solutions and providing corresponding advisory services since 2000. Our priority lies with hedge funds and private equity. GHF Group has also become a leader in providing funds in the life settlement industry. All products are designed to provide sustainable and above-average rates of return. Instability and risk are reduced by well-structured investment strategies whose clarity and success are established. Our team of competent professionals has the distinction of reliability, effectiveness and promptness. GHF Group's expertise in hedge funds is enhanced by a close association with leading research firms, successful hedge fund managers, and brokerage houses whose macro research gives its research team an edge in understanding world market trends, enabling them to make better hedge-fund allocation decisions. For more information, visit Global Hedge Fund Group’s website at ghfgroup.net.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements, as defined by securities laws, including statements about the financial outlook and business environment. Any such statements are based on current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors, including those mentioned in this news release, that could cause actual results to differ materially are set forth in the company’s current annual report and subsequent filings. They include risks and uncertainties relating to the pace at which GHF Group adds new clients or at which existing clients use additional services, the value of global and regional financial markets, and the dynamics of the markets GHF Group serves. GHF Group encourages investors to review filings in conjunction with this announcement and prior to making any investment decision. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of release, and the company does not undertake to revise those forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.

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Ratings affirmed for New York arm of Symetra Life Insurance

Symetra Life Insurance Co. and its New York subsidiary had their ratings from A.M. Best Co. affirmed because of their growth in a difficult economy.
The ratings service affirmed the financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of Symetra, based in Belllevue, Wash., and First Symetra National Life Insurance Co. of New York.
The ratings reflect the organization’s solid liquidity and risk-adjusted capital position, the consistent operating profitability of its four business segments and its continued progress in delivering strong top-line growth despite the difficult economic climate, the ratings service said. The affirmation also reflects that Symetra’s balance sheet carries somewhat less asset risk than many of its similarly rated peers, with limited exposure to the subprime and Alt-A residential mortgage markets.
A.M. Best notes that the investment portfolio’s overall unrealized loss position has narrowed significantly since its peak in the first quarter of this year. The ratings service noted that Symetra maintains a modest level of intangible assets on its GAAP balance sheet relative to its peers.
A.M. Best indicated that offsetting these strengths is the potential for additional asset impairments given the current economic conditions, the company’s increasingly heavy concentration in spread-based and other commoditized product lines, and its exposure to reinvestment risk within its large block of immediate annuities and structured settlements, which accounts for slightly less than one-half of its statutory general account reserves.
Symetra, according to A.M. Best, will continue to be challenged to maintain profitable spreads as the long-term nature of its structured settlement liabilities makes finding suitable investments difficult. The company’s spread-based product concentration is further exacerbated by its recent strong growth in fixed annuity sales, which accounted for nearly 90% of the company’s total product sales during the first half of 2009.
But A.M. Best noted that Symetra continues to execute on its strategies to closely manage its asset/liability duration matching (ALM), which have led to improved cash flow testing results. Additional offsetting factors include concerns over the near-term profitability of the group medical stop loss business, although A.M. Best noted that Symetra has a history of profitability in this product line.


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