Annuity Company Ratings Feed

December 17, 2009

Hartford Financial Services Group Stable Says Moodys

Good news about The Hartford

Moody's Investors Service changed its ratings outlook on The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. (HIG) to stable from developing, saying the struggling life insurer's capitalization and financial flexibility has improved.

Posted at 02:28 PM in Annuities in the Financial Crisis, Annuity Company Ratings, Financial Security of Insurers, Hartford CT Structured Settlements, Hartford Financial Services Group, Hartford Life Insurance Company, Insurance Company News, Moodys, Moodys Investor Services, News About Structured Settlements, Structured Settlement Annuity, Structured Settlement Industry News, Structured Settlement Markets, Structured Settlements, Structured Settlements Industry | | Comments (0)

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July 20, 2009

AM Best Rates John Hancock Life A+ (Superior)

by John Darer

AM Best announced today that Manulife and its subsidiaries, which include structured settlement annuity issuer, John Hancock Life Insurance Company have been rated A+ (Superior) with a stable outlook. The company was formerly rated A++.

The AM Best announcement leaves New York Life Insurance Company as the only life insurance company issuing structured settlement annuities through intermediaries that has the highest A.M. Best ratings, in addition to the highest from the other major rating agencies.

The following structured settlement annuity issuers are rated A+ or better by AM Best:

New York Life Insurance Company, New York, NY                   A++XV
John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Boston, MA                A+XV
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY              A+XV
Pacific Life and Annuity Company, Newport Beach, CA            A+XV
The Prudential Insurance Company of America Newark, NJ      A+XV
Allstate Life Insurance Company, Northbrook, IL                     A+XV

In addition to New York Life Insurance Company, former structured settlement annuity issuer Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company retains its A++XV status with A.M. Best.

Posted at 02:28 PM in Allstate Life Insurance Company, Allstate Structured Settlements and Structured Payment Solutions, Annuity Company Ratings, Annuity Issuer Ratings, Annuity News, John Hancock Life Insurance/ John Hancock Life Insurance Co of NY, John Hancock Structured Settlements, Manulife, Massachusetts Mutual Life, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, Metropolitan Life Structured Settlements, New York Life Insurance Co. Structured Settlements, New York Structured Settlements, News About Structured Settlements, Pacific Life and Annuity Company, Prudential Financial Inc, Prudential Insurance Company of America, Prudential Structured Settlements, Settlement Planning, Structured Annuity Issuer, Structured Settlement Annuity, Structured Settlement Industry News, Structured Settlement Markets, Structured Settlements, Structured Settlements in Connecticut, Structured Settlements Industry | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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June 20, 2009

California Municipal Bond Ratings Now Inferior To Most Structured Settlements

by John Darer

The State of California already has the lowest credit ratings of any state in the United States according to Bloomberg. Now facing a $24 billion budget deficit, the state of California is facing a further drop in its credit rating from Moodys Investor Service according to sources quoted in today's New York Post.

Tax exempt municipal bonds are an alternative to structured settlements that may appeal to high income or high net worth individuals.

Structured settlements that simulate the cash flow from a bond held to maturity however, match up very favorably to municipal bonds because payments from structured settlements are income tax free pursuant to IRC 104(a). In addition structured settlements can be paid more frequently than bond payment schedules

As of June 19, 2009 that life insurance companies issuing qualified structured settlement funding assets from the following sources have superior Moodys credit ratings to the State of California's A2 Moodys rating:

United States Treasury Bonds                                                Aaa

New York Life Insurance Company, New York, NY                     Aaa
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company New York, NY                 Aa2
John Hancock Life Insurance Company                                    Aa3
Allstate Life Insurance Company, Northbrook IL                        A1
American General Life Insurance Company, Houston, TX            A1
Hartford Life Insurance Company Hartford, CT                         A1
Pacific Life and Annuity Newport Beach, CA                            A1

Note:  Municipal Bonds have different liquidity characteristics to structured settlements.

Life Insurers Seen Fit to Survive The Crisis-Moodys, from May 27, 2009 Wall Street Journal Online

Posted at 02:03 PM in American General Annuity Service Corporation, American General Structured Settlements, American International Assurance Company of NY, Annuity Company Ratings, Annuity Issuer Ratings, Beverly Hills Structured Settlements, California Structured Settlements, Eureka Structured Settlements, Hollywood Structured Settlements, IRC 104(a) Income Tax Exclusion Damages PI | Sickness | WorkComp, Irvine Structured Settlements, Lake Tahoe Structured Settlements, Los Angeles CA Structured Settlements, Moodys Investor Services, Oakland Structured Settlements, Pasadena Structured Settlements, Plaintiff Attorney Financial Planning, Plaintiff Attorney Settlement Issues, Plaintiff Settlement Planning, Plaintiff Structured Settlements, Sacramento Structured Settlements, San Diego Structured Settlements, San Francisco Structured Settlements, Santa Monica Structured Settlements, Settlement Planning Issues, Simi Valley Structured Settlements, Structured Annuity Company, Structured Annuity Issuer, Structured Settlement Industry News, Structured Settlement Information, Structured Settlement Markets, Structured Settlements, Structured Settlements in Fresno County, Surfer Dude Structured Settlements, The "Shriek" of the Week, Westlake Structured Settlements | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Guide to Structured Settlements 2024

  • What is a Structured Settlement? What You Need to Know
    Structured settlements and what you need to know about them including a helpful introductory video featuring A.M. Best Client Recommended Structured Settlement Expert and Registered Settlement Planner John Darer of 4structures.com LLC
  • How Do Structured Settlements Work? How Structured Settlements Work
    How structured settlements work, including 4structures.com LLC's super helpful structured settlement flow chart/diagram showing how structured settlements fit in on the spectrum of settlement planning solutions.
  • Rated Ages and Structured Settlement Cost
    Rated Ages for Structured Settlement Annuities present advantages to all parties. Shift the mortality risk to a life insurance company whose business it it is to assess mortality risk to price its life insurance and annuities. Rated ages boost your structured settlement annuity benefit per premium dollar, or your yield on lifetime payments. Rated ages help to reduce the cost of funding a Medicare Set Aside arrangement where a Structured MSA, is being used { WCMSA LMSA or NFMSA].
  • Top Structured Settlement Annuity Companies 2024
    Which life insurance companies issue structured settlement annuities in 2024? A list of current structured annuity issuers, the location of their home offices and their financial ratings from A.M. Best, Moodys, Fitch, Standard & Poors and/or other Tier1 NAIC ratings, with links to their websites and other useful information. Last updated June 14, 2024
  • Treasury Funded Structured Settlements
    Treasury Funded Structured Settlements are a settlement option for the most conservative using the OTHER permissible qualified funding asset under IRC 130(d), United States Treasury Bonds in addition to, or instead of, structured settlement annuities. Treasury Funded Structured Settlements can also be used to fund installment sales, also known as structured sales and other non qualified structured settlements.
  • Compare Structured Settlement IRR to Other Settlement Alternatives
    Use the Taxable Equivalent Yield chart to help compare the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of a structured settlement to other alternative or complementary investments. Need help with the chart? Call 4structures.com® LLC at 888-325-8640
  • Structured Settlement Payments | Types of Structured Settlements 2024
    Ways You Can Structure Your Settlement Payments in 2024. With a structured settlement you can have more than one type of payment in a single contract. Different types of structured settlement payments can be customized and combined to meet your needs on a stand-alone basis, or in conjunction with other financial products. Diversify your structured settlement, if you wish, by funding with more than one annuity issuer, with treasury funded structured settlements, index linked structured settlement payments and market based structured .
  • Structured Attorney Fees for Tax Deferral for Attorney Contingency Fees
    Structured attorney fees is a financial strategy that offers a unique way to defer taxes for lawyers and law firms. Lawyers CAN structure their legal fees even if the plaintiff doesn't structure their settlement. There are multiple ways to structure your attorney fees, such as capped or uncapped index linked structured settlement annuities where payments are adjusted based on upside changes in the S&P 500 or another index, Trial Lawyers may also use a special deferred pay/deferred compensation arrangement, if market based returns returns are desired with no cap. Plan NOW for year end! Put structured attorney fee expert John Darer® on your settlement planning team in 2024.
  • Structured Settlement Annuity Company Customer Service Phone Numbers
    Receiving structured settlement payments from your own structured settlement or inherited structured settlement? You'll like this huge time saver. Click the title for a link to a comprehensive list of customer service telephone numbers that includes both current AND former structured settlement annuity issuers and reinsurers. If you have simple bank or beneficiary changes, or if the insurance company that issued the structured annuity has merged, sold or spun off its block of structured annuity business (e.g. Aviva, Allstate, Transamerica, AEGON, GE Capital, Liberty, CNA, Confederation Life), oran annuity issuer has changed its name and you're trying to track them down. Here you go! The list is regularly updated. Last updated May 20, 2024.
  • Structured Settlement Quote Lock-Ins | What You Need To Know
    What does a Structured Settlement Lock-In Mean? How do plaintiffs, defendants and insurers benefit from a structured settlement quote lock in when finalizing a settlement? How does the defendant/insurer/court benefit from using a structured settlement lock-in? Where to be careful when using structured settlement lock ins.
  • What Are Structured Settlement Annuities?
    Structured settlement annuities are annuities that can provide one or more customized annuity payment streams in a single contract. Read about structured settlement annuities here.
  • History of Structured Settlements
    Tracing the roots of structured settlements history from 1918, when Congress exempted damages for personal injury or sickness from income tax, to the establishment of structured settlements as a core personal injury settlement planning tool to the present day.
  • What Are Market Based Structured Settlements?
    Market based structured settlements are an alternative or supplementary structured settlement solution for the plaintiff, attorney or law firm that: 1. Can afford to take some market risk 2. Have discretionary settlement dollars. Claimants and attorneys alike may find that market-based structured settlements provide the opportunity to receive tax-free income, or tax-deferred income, while enjoying growth potential.
  • iStructure |Uncapped Fixed Index Structured Settlement Annuity
    iStructure is an innovative game changing fixed index structured settlement annuity for plaintiffs or attorneys. with an intermediate to long term horizon
  • Structured Settlements and Longevity Risk| What Are the Odds?
    Do your financial resources give you enough road, or will the road run out before you do? A structured settlement annuity helps mitigate the risk of outliving your savings, no matter how long you live. A structured settlement can include one or more customized payment streams and types.

Qualified Settlement Funds

  • What is a Qualified Settlement Fund?
    Qualified Settlement Funds | What You Need to Know
  • Firmwide Qualified Settlement Funds Debunked
    Firmwide qualified settlement funds have been heavily promoted to trial lawyers, but have been debunked in a detailed analysis in a July 2022 legal opinion a tax partner at the law firm of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP. Trial lawyers and firms who have established Firmwide QSFs or coinsidering establishing a Firmwide QSF should read the analysis as part of their evaluation.

Contact Structured Settlement Expert John Darer®

About The Structured Settlement Blog

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    Simply Click the Subscribe Button at the top left of the page above the blog title which will take you to the blog subscribe page or follow this link https://feeds.feedblitz.com/structuredsettlements
  • STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS 4REAL® Blog Is a Popular Source of Structured Settlement News, Information and Commentary, John Darer Reviews, Settlement Planning News and Financial Solutions for over 18 years,
    with a stable readership that seeks credible structured settlement information, John Darer Reviews, commentary and/or opinion about topical issues related to settlement planning, targeted to lawyers, injured persons and their family members, guardians, survivors, judges, magistrates, special masters, mediators, administrators, trust companies, insurance company executives and adjusters, financial advisers, settlement professionals, financial professionals, insurance regulators, government leaders, federal and state law enforcement, buyers and sellers of structured settlement payment rights, the news media and other interested parties. 4structures.com LLC established this structured settlement blog in 2005. John Darer ®, CLU ChFC MSSC CeFT® RSP CLTC, President of 4structures.com, located in Stamford, CT 06902. John Darer is an experienced New York City area structured settlement expert, structured settlement broker, Certified Financial Transitionist, and Registered Settlement Planner. He holds insurance licenses in 45 states, has 41 years financial services experience and 31 years in the structured settlements and settlement planning space. In his capacity as a investigative journalist and commentator, and professionally, John Darer passionately believes that shining the light on a business practice is both healthy and newsworthy. It is in the best interest of injury victims, their families and their legal advisers, that the settlement planning discussion involve those that are properly trained in the topic, properly informed on the topic and, with respect to structured settlements, properly licensed and/or appointed. It has significant instructional and deterrent value to other practitioners and firms as well as those who may be caught in the cross hairs. WHAT YOU GET here is the straight stuff with a touch of irreverence and humor. We hope you enjoy and find the content to be helpful. Subscribe to the structured settlement blog feed, or a specific category feed through your blog reader, or through the Subscribe button at the top left of this page. Followers of JDDarer™ on Twitter may also receive select content. If you would like to speak with John he can be reached at (888)325-8640 Thank you for reading! Last updated July 10, 2024

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Structured Settlements 4Real Reader Comments

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  • In my opinion, John Darer is an excellent consumer advocate in the insurance industry. When I had no one else to turn to after running up against the stone walls of these giant insurance company, John Darer used hours of his own time to investigate my situation. Not only is this an invaluable service to me the consumer but it is also of great value to the insurance industry by providing them consumer feed-back. This allows the insurance companies to correct their faults and move toward greater transparency which improves the overall public image of the insurance industry as a whole" JW 9/4/2014
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  • John...Thank you for your professional advice-Brandon 11-13-2013
  • "...Thanks to Mr. Darer's blog and personal pointers I was able to obtain a fair price for the sale of client structured settlement. Therefore, if one has no choice, but to sell their settlement educate yourself first before selling start by reading John's blog" Mr P. 11/17/2012
  • "I always appreciate when he (John Darer) keeps us informed on regs and rules. No one does it better"- structured settlement industry colleague and reader RY 7/26/2012
  • "Amen - and continued thanks for your vigilance, John"- RL 8/18/2011
  • "Thanks for writing these great blogs on your site John! As an individual investor I have learned so much about the secondary market (for annuities, structured settlements, lottery payments, etc.) from your blogs and video series!!!" (6/5/2011)
  • I have found the intelligent and forthright information on your site a godsend. So much so I have tried in a small way to pass on my findings to others. Please keep up the good work and enhance your well deserved reputation as the authority on this subject- Mike 4/29/2011
  • John - I can't thank you enough for bringing this to my attention. In my wildest dreams... PJ-May 12, 2011
  • John, I love reading your blog! Not only have I found very useful information there, but the comedy is much appreciated! Thanks for talking about "the big pink elephant in the living room" that everyone else ignores! Thank you again for your help via phone and blog! I really needed to hear what you had to say today! BM 11/23/2010
  • John—this (video published 11/2010) is a well done piece. I like the way you always stick to the facts-AM
  • What a wonderful blog you have! I have completely enjoyed reading some of your posts (4/16/2010)
  • Thank you so very much for discussing my concerns about Symetra, my annuity company. I am amazed that PI attorneys as well as a settlement broker in San Diego, could not answer the simplest questions I had regarding the Safeco/Symetra issue. Your blog/web site is most interesting and informative, and I am grateful you have take on the "watchdog" role! Thank you so much again (3/25/10)
  • "Keep up the good work exposing abuses in our industry - our future depends on clients being properly advised."-CD
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  • I heard a radio ad for the Peachtree Settlement Fund as I was driving into work this morning. (San Francisco Bay area.) I decided to check it out on the Internet and came upon your blog. Thank you very much. I do not have a “structured” settlement,
  • "All the others that I had emailed & have seen on the net were "cash now types" & have no concern of me & just are looking for my $$$. When I came across your site & blog I realized that u are an upstanding guy & are not like others. That's why I emailed"
  • This was Great. Right On Point-TS
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  • Thanks for your help and also for the good work you do on behalf of our industry-L
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  • "I Commend You On Your Effort To Make a Difference!" -R
  • "He is a fabulous writer who has a great passion for the structured settlement industry. I commend him on the passion he invokes when he writes on his blog listed above. That type of commitment and passion is hard to find and is rare in this world" -AC

Structured Settlement Best Practices Corner

  • New York Insurance Advertising law requires the full name of the Insurer to be listed along with the city and state of the principal office. Stating that you represent these fine companies using Insurance company logos without the preceding information are also illegal
  • When it comes to settlement documents it is the ultimate responsibility of the lawyers or claims adjusters who receive input concerning the structured settlement aspects of the documents to actually read the entire document, exercise independent thought and advise their clients properly
  • Be aware that financial advisors use of testimonials is prohibited or restricted
  • Most states require that Testimonials represent the CURRENT opinion of the person who made the testimonial. Be prepared to back it up.
  • Number of States That Prohibit Payment of QSF expenses by licensed agents and brokers
    5 Survey not yet complete.

Comments and Trackback Policy

  • Comments and Trackback Policy
    Comments to this blog are encouraged, welcome and add spice to the interactive nature of blogs. However, the unscrupulous practice by some to deliver comment spam, to connect all manner of unrelated products to structured settlements, detracts from user experience, is NOT tolerated by this author and thus necessitates the practice of comment screening.

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  • Learn more about structured settlements by reading structured settlement expert John Darer's blog
    Researching Structured Settlements? It may be helpful to check (1) in Archived Blog Posts (above left); (2) use the Google search box (below); (1) visit the 4structures® website at https://www.4structures.com, (4) visit 4structures® Structured Settlement Experts YouTube Channel by clicking https://www.youtube.com/user/4structures1, or (5) call settlement expert John Darer® at 888-325-8640, toll-free in the USA, 646-849-1588 in New York City, or 203-325-8640 in CT, or from outside the USA.
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Why Take a Structured Settlement?

  • A structured settlement offers guaranteed financial security to personal injury victims, wrongful death survivors and their families. A structured settlement involves a customized stream of payments, provides long-term stable tax-free income, for a period of years or a lifetime. Unlike other income annuities. a structured settlement annuity can have multiple payment streams to address multiple needs in a single contract.

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Tax Deferral Resources | Defer Taxable Settlement

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