The life settlement industry is positioned for “one of its strongest years in recent memory,” according to a financing company chief executive.

Chris Ledlie, CEO of Opulen Capital, based in Manhattan Beach, Calif., said the last couple of years of battling a struggling economy and lack of capital have given way, leading him to see that “optimism remains high” for life settlements, according to a statement.

“The industry as a whole has seen a vibrant recovery and the worst is certainly behind us,” Ledlie said. “We’ve seen many buyers return to aggressive bidding which has had yielded extraordinarily positive results for our clients.”

The life-settlement sector is “a viable market option” again, since the increase in increase transparency and disclosure, better industry practices and “meticulous underwriting,” according to Clark Hogan, managing director at Opulen Capital, a specialized financial service firm focusing on the life insurance needs of senior citizens.

For more than two years, starting with the global financial crisis in September 2008, funding for life settlements disappeared, as investors held their money. Since then, some states have imposed tighter restrictions on the sale of life settlements.

“These [regulatory] actions serve to control the industry, push out the bad actors, instill greater confidence in institutional investors who plan on purchasing life settlements and create a better experience for the financially distressed or overinsured senior citizen,” Hogan said.

Sagging housing values and delayed retirements caused by the recent financial downturn have baby boomers seeking creative methods to raise money, including selling their life insurance policies to investors to fund their retirement lifestyle, according to Opulen Capital.