Structured settlements expert John Darer reviews the latest structured settlements news and information and provides expert opinion and commentary, including settlement planning issues/ ideas for settlement management, incisive Structured Settlement Watchdog® commentary that may be helpful to lawyers, plaintiffs, claims adjusters, judges, the news media, sellers and buyers of structured settlement receivables,and interested others. The style is spicy, informative, irreverent and effective. The most prolific structured settlements blog, Now in 20th Year! Check back daily for something new.
Lower interest rates impact plaintiffs favorably in New York structured judgment projections
The 10 Year Treasury is at record lows. At the time of publishing the 10 year bond was at 1.59%. What this means is that the present value of elements of damages in a 50A or 50B judgment is more than it was yesterday.
Lower interest rates mean higher present values on New York CPLR 50A and 50B projections and structured judgments
Present value goes up when the discount rate used goes down. This impacts the value of future damages on a case that has gone to verdict and may have s an impact on settlement negotiations for those that understand it.
Example
Let's take future pain & suffering damages $1,000,000 which, pursuant to Article 50B, must be crunched into a 10 year time frame.
The first $250,000 is carved off and paid in cash
The remaining $750,000 is divided by 10 representing a 10 year payout of $75,000 that must be reduced to present value.
The statutory 4% growth rate built into the statute must be applied first, then the discount rate of 1.59% if the date liability was determined is today.
Because the statutory growth rate exceeds the discount rate by 2.41%, the present value of the cash flow is higher than the number awarded by the jury. There is actually a net growth rate
Then 9% interest is applied to the inflated number!
Note that Article 50A (Medical, Dental and Podiatric Malpractice judgment cases) have a slightly different set of calculations for pain & suffering. One notable difference is that the greater of 35% or $500,000 is paid in cash with the remainder paid out over 8 years, not 10 years.
On the one hand, I thought that perhaps I have to thank my competitors from Melville, New York for copying our 2017 blog post announcing that I earned a new professional designation. But really, what part of "Copyright 4structures.com LLC, and its licensors. All rights reserved. No use without permission" does Influx Media , LLC, the Melville NY based digital marketing agency for Settlement Success Intermediaries, not understand?
Instead of asking for permission, I discovered that Influx Media, LLC, the registrant of the domain settlementsuccess(dot)com and the company hired by Settlement Success Intermediaries, deliberately ignored our copyright, plagiarized and republished more than 30 John Darer authored blog posts from the 4structures.com LLC website, without authorization, without attribution to the author (having deliberately removed the author by line on all but one post) on a website in the name of the Settlement Success Intermediaries website between March 2 and March 7, 2019 and again yesterday. The posts that Influx Media, LLC plagiarized in the name of Settlement Success Intermediaries were at all times the intellectual property of 4structures.com LLC.
Excerpt of the first of 5 pages of more than 30 blog posts plagiarized from 4structures.com LLC's website by Influx Media, LLC and then republished without authorization, on the Settlement Success Intermediaries' website, which was designed by Influx Media, LLC of Melville, New York
While the published posts on 4structures.com offer buttons for readers to share on Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook, right clicking to copy is intentionally disabled. It would taken some effort by Influx Media LLC to plagiarize all the content and republish our original work without authorization, and which would not have been given, and without attribution.
Needless to say 4structures.com LLC does not tolerate such conduct with respect to its intellectual property.
Influx Media,LLC , a digital marketing company of apparently questionable ethics,on this showing, is based at 600 Broadhollow RD. Suite 203 Melville, New York and its Managing member is Don Citron. Caught with the hand in the proverbial cookie jar on March 27, 2019, Carlos Rodriguez provided a weak defense for his company's multiple deliberate and unethical actions. Influx Media, LLC reckless behavior put their client Settlement Success Intermediaries at risk and drew unwanted attention. At the request of the owner of Settlement Success Intermediaries, Influx Media, LLC removed all of the plagiarized posts and the section of the SSI website they appeared in.
The Capital Maintenance Agreement that cost $500 dollars to provide greater peace of mind, when their structured settlement was established between 2002-2009, was unilaterally terminated without notice to annuitants at or about the time of the 2013 closing of the Aviva/Athene deal. Both insurers concealed the the information from their annuitants. Moreover, material facts about the CMA were concealed by Aviva from its agents and even front line employees and, according to Court documents filed by Plaintiffs, discovery revealed that all wasn't what its seemed.
Fortunately lead plaintiff John Griffiths and I got ahead of the story by making the discovery in the Fall of 2014 and the class action filed by the Philadelphia law firm of Marcus and Auerbach in July 2015 led to what can only be seen as a positive result for over 4,000 annuitants. Once again nobody lost money, no money was in imminent danger and this was nipped in the bud.
Which New York life insurance companies issue structured settlement annuities to fund New York structured settlements in Bronx, Brooklyn (Kings), Queens, Staten Island (Richmond) and New York (Manhattan), Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Orange, Putnam and Rockland Counties in 2022?
New York City Sunset
These insurance companies are the primary issuers of structured settlement annuities for the New York City area to fund NY personal injury, NY medical malpractice, NY wrongful death, auto accident, NY workers compensation settlements and to fund Structured Medicare Set Asides in 2022.
First Berkshire Hathway Life Insurance Company Home Office: Flushing, NY
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Home Office: New York, NY
Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company Home Office: Wilmington, DE
New York Life Insurance Company Home Office: New York, NY
Pacific Life and Annuity Company Home Office: Newport Beach, CA
The Prudential Insurance Company of America Home Office: Newark, NJ
United States Life Insurance Company in The City of New York Home Office: New York, NY
USAA Life Insurance Company Home Office: San Antonio TX (where parties consent to using non admitted carrier)
Cases in surrounding counties such as Fairfield County, CT and Bergen County, NJ would substitute, Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska, Pacific Life Insurance Company and American General Life Insurance Company for numbers 1, 6 and 8 respectively. Please note that a limited number of insurance companies underwrite structured settlements compared to other types of annuities.
For New York cases that go to a structured judgment, pursuant to CPLR Article 50A or Article 50B, the following of the above structured settlement annuity issuers will write annuities to fund 50A or 50B structured judgments:
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Pacific Life and Annuity Company
United States Life Insurance Company in The City of New York
The onerous acceleration provision for late payments in Articles 50A and 50B is the primary reason for why only three carriers write structured judgment annuities in New York.
Structured settlement annuities are only offered through appointed structured settlement managing general agencies by their insurance licensed employees, or through affiliated insurance licensed independent agents and brokers.
Current as of July 3, 2022
Note that structured settlements can also be funded with United States Treasury Obligations. Market based options are also available.
Click left or call 646-849-1588 for New York City structured settlement quotes, employment structured settlement quotes, divorce structured settlement quotes, periodic payment reinsurance structured sales quotes for business installment sales and real estate installment
Putting together the structured settlement jigsaw puzzle for you
DATE OF BIRTH (If Lifetime Benefits are being considered)
The cost per $1,000 of payments for life is less expensive at the older ages
RATED AGE (if Lifetime Benefits are being considered)
A review of medical records by a medical underwriter for a life insurance company that (1) issues structured settlement annuities and (2) issues rated ages assigns an older age to you for pricing purposes and this lowers the cost per $1,000 or boosts the yield per $1,000 cost on lifetime benefits for that annuity issuer. The rated age assigned may vary from company to company. A higher rated age does not automatically translate into higher benefits. A rated age does not affect the cost of benefits that are paid for a fixed period certain.
LENGTH OF CERTAIN PERIOD
Life contingent payments are only paid if you are living. Certain payments will be paid whether or not you are living when a payment is due. So if you choose a 30 year certain and life, payments will be made for the rest of your life or 30 years, whichever is longer. You can choose how long or short you want. A longer certain period means you receive fewer payments while you are alive, but means you may leave more to your beneficiary if you die before the certain term is over. If you are young the adjustment is fairly modest. At older ages the spread can be more significant. In some cases a multiple product arbitrage can make a difference (contact me for details).
THE USE OF ANNUAL INCREASES
Increases have a meaningful effect on the amount of payments you initially receive but if you are willing to wait, it can pay out more over time. That is balanced against your needs and wishes now since you must be willing to accept a lower starting amount when compared to level payments.. It's important to do a cross over comparison so that you can see how long it will take for payments on the increasing option to (1) exceed the level payments and (2) how long it will take for the aggregate payments from the increasing plan to exceed the aggregate payments on the level plan.
DAILY RATES
Many companies offer daily rate pricing which may or may not be better than their general pricing. The threshold for offering daily rates varies by company. One company only offers daily rates. Note that daily rates are typically good until the end of the business day quoted however, some carriers will give a nominal additional amount more time, for example to the next day or in one case 2 days.
INSURANCE COMPANY PREMIUM LIMITATIONS
Some companies have low premium limitations before they require daily rate pricing which for them may be worse.
DIVERSIFICATION
Diversification is a good idea, but it may impact the price/yield due to variations in price between insurance companies. We have longstanding relationships with the leading insurance companies that underwrite structured settlements.
8. PUTTING TOGETHER “THE JIGSAW PUZZLE”
Sometimes we can get a better price by combining two or more companies by their strengths. One life insurance company issuing structured settlement annuities may be better for earlier payments and another for later payments. One may handily beat the competition for premium up to $1,000,000.
Sometimes there are unique considerations (1) some companies will not participate unless you have a US tax ID number (2) some companies will not mail payments to another country (will require US bank deposit account) (3) taxable damages case have options in a more limited universe.
A SIMPLE WAY TO DEAL WITH THE STRUCTURED SETTLEMENT PRICING VARIABLES
Consider if stable income important to you? If yes...
Consult a structured settlement expert.
Review current sources and uses of funds, determine where the gaps are.
How much stable income do you need each month? Or quarter or year?
Do you want to provide for beneficiaries?
Review and select a plan design
Explore diversification options with structured settlement expert.
Your structured settlement expert will daily rate shop.
Note that a structured settlement is a core settlement planning tool or option. There may be other important considerations. Always work with someone with proper credentials and experience.
When structuring attorney fees or taxable damages in the second half of the year, it is common to push the first payment out until January of the following year so that it is not received in the same tax year as the settlement. An attorney who is already having a great income year can use this strategy to delay receipt (and thereby some of the taxes) on the fee. In some cases this may result in a lower tax bracket.
Timing is everything when it comes to structured attorney fees and structuring taxable damages
Care should be taken to avoid the tax planning strategy backfiring by not using a January 1 payment start date for structured attorney fee payments. Many structured settlement annuity issuers automatically send out payments by check in advance, to assure they arrive on time. One company is known to send out payments as much as 10 days in advance!
Even if you have direct deposit, you're not completely out of the woods with a January 1 payment date. The annuity issuer has a contractual obligation to make payments on time. This applies not just to your January 1 payments, but to likely to tens of thousands of other annuitants and policyholders with the same payment due date. In 2016, January 1st was on a Friday and the next business day was Monday January 4, 2016. If the insurer waited to pay the next business day, payments for thousands of people would have been 3 days late. Therein lies their dilemma. So a number of insurers set their computerized payment systems to release direct deposit payments early so that they would be in good faith and timely.
It is possible that you will also receive a 1099 for that payment, in the year of settlement. What a way to mess up your tax planning if you're not careful.
The same issue goes when using a structured settlement for taxable damages. How to Avoid Getting Hit With Unexpected Income in the Wrong Tax Year When Structuring Attorney Fees
Select a first payment date no earlier than January 10th, if getting paid by check
Select a first payment date a few business days into January, if being paid by direct deposit.
Insurance bad faith describes a tort claim that an insured person may have against his/her/its insurance company for its intentional bad acts. Under the law of most jurisdictions in the USA, insurance companies owe a duty of good faith and fair dealing to the persons they insure. This duty is often referred to as the "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" which automatically exists by operation of law in every insurance contract. [ Source : Wikipedia]
In Good Faith Use of Structured Settlements in Bad Faith Claims, published in the Connecticut Law Tribune on March 14, 2016 , I explore how structured settlements can make a difference in bad faith cases on either side of the damages tax spectrum. Download Good_Faith_Use_of_Structured_Settlements_in_Bad_Faith_Cases_3-2016 .
I am a frequent contributor to "The Trib". The Good Faith/Bad Faith article, is my 6th published in the Connecticut Law Tribune in the last 12 months.
For further information on structured settlements and bad faith claims and practical illustrations, please contact the structured settlement experts at 888-325-8640
A rated age will be issued if the structured settlement annuity issuer believes the plaintiff has an impaired life expectancy. The rated age is simply the age used to price the structured settlement annuity, or New York structured judgement annuity, as opposed to the actual age
Rated Age Structured Settlements Can Boost Your Potential Lifetime Annuity Payout
From the plaintiff's perspective, rated age will serve to boost the yield per settlement dollar allocated to a structured settlement.
From a defendant or insurer's perspective, a rated age will serve to reduce the cost of settlement offers for paying life contingent future damages.
How Does a Rated Age Help Reduce the Cost of A New York Structured Judgment?
A rated age could reduce the cost of a structured judgment in New York for a Defendant. Certain aspects of a structured judgment, pursuant to CPLR 50A or CPLR 50B are life contingent, future medical expenses and future pain & suffering. A rated age would most likely impact future medicals, which stretch many years into the future, Under New York law, future pain & suffering is compressed into 8 years for Article 50-A and 10 years for Article 50-B structured judgments, so it would need an exceptionally high rated age to have any impact.
High rated agestructured settlements may hold an advantage over other vehicles and even a modest amount allocated from a large settlement, can effectively be used as an "investment backstop" to assure a certain level of future income, even if everything else is lost.
Moreover payments from structured settlements are income tax-free pursuant to Sections 104(a)1 or Section 104(a)(2) and 130(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. A structured settlement offers contractual certaintyas opposed to hypothetical investment possibility. A structured settlement blended with a settlement trust,such as a Settlement Preservation Trust or Special Needs Trust (Supplemental Needs Trust in New York state),in tandem, may offer a plaintiff a measure of liquidity, contractual guarantees, upside potential along with downside protection.
Low 10 year bond rates are increasing the amount of pain (and suffering) for plaintiffs. If that sounds a bit strange, consider that it has been more than half a decade since the 10 year bond has been less than the statutory growth rate for pain and suffering under New York CPLR Article 50B. As things stand, this means that every dollar of pain and suffering is worth more in present value in a structured judgment, than the jury verdict.
Do you have a New York CPLR Article 50B expert on your team at meditations, someone who talks the talk and walks the walk?
According to figures from LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute (LIMRA SRI), fixed income annuities are one of the two rising stars.
Structured settlement annuities are a form of fixed income annuity that may contain elements of immediate annuities and deferred income annuities.
Insurance Newsnet's Linda Coco goes so far as to categorize the rising income annuity trend as " "The income annuity meteor"
The Income Annuity Meteor Shower | It's Raining Income!
Joseph Montminy, assistant vice president at LIMRA SRI told Insurance Newsnet that there is a trend of rising sales of income annuities (fixed immediate and deferred income, combined), In 2014, those sales totaled 12.4 billion, up from $10.5 billion in 2013 and LIMRA projects these annual sales will rise to (a combined total of) more than $20 billion by 2018.”
With income annuities, like structured settlements, consumers have to be willing to exchange the control over a portion of their assets, or settlement, in order to get a higher guaranteed payout, what I like to call "a job that they cannot be fired from". Check out this video.
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 which specializes in assessing mortality risk to price its life insurance and annuity products. 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 2025 Which life insurance companies issue structured settlement annuities in 2025? 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 November 3, 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 2025 In 2025, you can structure your settlement payments in various ways. A structured settlement allows for multiple payment types within one agreement. You can tailor and merge different structured settlement payments to suit your individual needs, either alone or alongside other financial instruments. If desired, diversify your structured settlement by utilizing multiple annuity issuers, treasury-funded structured settlements, index-linked structured settlement payments, and market-based structured options.
Structured Attorney Fees for Tax Deferral for Attorney Contingency Fees Structured attorney fees offer a financial strategy that provides a unique method for deferring taxes for attorneys and their firms. Attorneys can structure or defer their legal fees independently of whether the plaintiff structures their settlement. There are various ways to structure attorney fees, including capped or uncapped index-linked structured settlement annuities with payments adjusted according to the S&P 500 or another index's positive changes. Trial lawyers might also opt for a special deferred payment/compensation arrangement if they seek market-based returns without a cap. As the year-end approaches, consider adding structured attorney fee specialist John Darer® to your settlement planning team for 2025.
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 December 9, 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.
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.
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.
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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.
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Thank you for reading!
Last updated July 10, 2024
New York City Structured Settlement Experts Bridge building settlement consultants who collaborate with clients using a humanistic process, providing creative and reliable advice and support for litigating parties and their lawyers with matters in Courts throughout the New York City metropolitan area
New York Structured Settlement Expert Whether you're at the crossroads of the world or the crossroads of your life, structured settlements provide stability for when life is at a crossroad. Call 888-325-8640
New York Settlement Planning Expert for NY Attorneys and Residents - YouTube New York settlement expert John Darer's comprehensive approach to Settlement Planning helps New York personal injury lawyers and their clients move through the financial transition resulting from a major life event. CPLR Articles 50A and 50B expertise for New York lawyers
New York Structured Settlement Expert Useful information and ideas about structured settlements, settlement planning and litigation recovery managements for New York residents, New York Lawyers and New York judges
New York General Obligations Law §5-1702 The New York Structured Settlement Protection Act imposes mandatory requirements on the defendant or the defendant's legal representative when a structured settlement is created (as part of the resolution of a case)
Structured Settlements v Structured Judgments Often confused by writers on the Internet, but there IS a difference between structured settlements and structured judgments under CPLR Articles 50A or 50B. Find out more...
Connecticut Structured Settlement Experts 4structures.com LLC is based in Stamford CT and Connectict works with clients all over CT, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, New Haven, Hartford, West Hartford, West Haven, Torrington, Danbury, Wilton, Ridgefield, Norwalk, Midletown, New London, Westport, Oxford, Stratford, Old Greenwich, Stafford, Storrs, Groton
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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
John, Keep fighting the fight. -NASP member 12-4-2013
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
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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)
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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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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
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Jay J. Sangerman, PLLC A New York and Florida based AV rated estate planning law practice with an emphasis in Supplemental Needs Trusts, which assists attorneys in efficient case settlement though the use of Supplemental Needs Trusts and Special Needs Trusts; and Elder Law
Day Pitney LLP - People - Keith Bradoc Gallant Brad's practice includes traditional trust and estate planning and administration, special needs and disabilities planning, planning for same-sex couples and their families, planning for incapacity, and all types of probate litigation.
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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.
London Market Structured Settlements Experts Bridge building settlement consulting using a humanistic process, providing creative and reliable support for London Market Insurers, Lloyds Syndicates, Claims Professionals and Lawyers
New York Structured Settlement Experts Bridge building settlement consultants who collaborate with clients using a humanistic process, providing creative and reliable advice and support for litigating parties and their lawyers.
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