Structured settlement expert John Darer reviews the latest structured settlement news, information and provides expert opinion and commentary, including settlement planning issues/ ideas for settlement management, incisive Structured Settlement Watchdog® reports that may be helpful to lawyers, plaintiffs, claims adjusters, judges, the news media, sellers, buyers of structured settlement payment rights and interested others, The style is spicy, informative, irreverent and effective. The most prolific structured settlement blog, Now in 18th Year! Check back daily for something new.
Tacky As Seen On TV ad by Prosperty Partners on Prosperity partner's owned annuitybuyout(dot)com.
Also evident on annuitybuyout(dot)com, the negligent gap in insurance and financial service regulation enables secondary market companies like Prosperity Partners to advertise guaranty life and health guaranty assocations that would otherwise be illegal. Insurance comissioners and NOLHGA please make note.
The PPI Cash Blog reports that the Tennessee legislature "has looked to make living difficult for
those reeling under poverty". A committee hearing on Wednesday is likely
to discuss a bill which would prevent anyone receiving federal or state
assistance (i.e. welfare) from winning $ 600 or excess in Tennessee state lottery payments.
The gist of the proposed bill is that those who cannot afford basic necessities and rely on public assistance should not be spending money on lotteries. PPI says that "people say that the
government need not tell them how to spend their money". PPI suggests the Bill is inequitable because it treats those who are unemployed and those on welfare differently.
PPI goes on to say that "recent studies have concluded that the poor spend most percent of
their income on lottery tickets than wealthier people. It's the old "dollar and a dream" concept, an effort to get out of poverty, even if winning
odds are extremely slim.
According to PPI, the State of Tennessee review has found that nearly 50% of those individuals
who received food stamps from state purchase lottery tickets. Nearly
half of them are expected to stop playing if the bill is passed. PPI hopes the Tennessee legislature will not try to expand bill that prohibits
large lottery winnings to those people who get state unemployment
checks. The operative quote is "though remaining unemployed is difficult enough, remaining poor
and unemployed is still worse". Comment
So let me get this straight. It's not OK (and gives rise to Congressional hearings) for public corporations who take "welfare" (a/k/a TARP) from the United States Treasury to spend money on business development that could potentially create jobs, but it's OK for some poor bastard to spend the government's money on a one in $%^&ing million chance at a fortune. And if he or she doesn't win the taxpayer will have to pay anyway.
Boy, the way Glenn Miller played.
Songs that made the Hit Parade.
Guys like us, we had it made. Those
were the days.
Didn't need no welfare state.
Everybody pulled his weight.
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.
Those were the days.
And you know who you were then.
Girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like
Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content. Fifty
dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent. Those
were the days.
Take a little Sunday spin, go to
watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day that cost
you under a fin.
Hair was short and skirts were
long. Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong.
Those Were The Days.
Prosperity Partners is using its blog network to attack what we have been attacking all along, the false claims of cash now made by certain factoring companies.
"There’s a great push going on these days to expose structured settlement (factoring)
companies that aren’t being completely honest with their clients. They claim
their clients can get their cash in no time at all. At least that’s the way they
make it sound. But, the clients are turning the pages on these companies.
They’re complaints have brought to light these false claims which will help
protect other structured settlement holders from falling into their trap. The
truth is, because the sale of a structured settlement needs court approval,
there’s really nothing quick about it." PPICash Maryland blog 4/11/2009
"Unfortunately, the structured settlement (factoring) industry isn’t immune from shady companies. Some of these
companies proclaim “Get your money in no time at all” when this just isn’t true,
unless of course you believe 90 days or more falls under the umbrella of “in no
time at all.”
That’s how long it take to get your money when you sell your structured settlement; at least on average. Actually, that’s just a
guesstimate. This 90 day period is only if nothing pops up to slow the process
down even further. As much as getting your money in no time at all sounds, it’s
just not the truth". PPI Cash Georgia blog 4/11/2009
Memo to the Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General for Maryland and Georgia, start an investigation into these practices and do what it is that you do. There is a growing body of evidence to support your involvement!
The following appears on the web site of Maryland Structured Settlements located at www.structuredsettlementsmaryland.com:
"If you sell your structured settlement to a third party that’s licensed, insured and bonded you get something that others, who sell to uninsured, unlicensed and non-bonded buyers don’t get. You get the security of knowing that if the buyer should go bankrupt you’ll still get your money.
Many states require a business to be covered with these important protections in place before they can do business in the state. This protects the consumer from potential financial harm. Doing business with a structured settlement buyer that isn’t licensed, insured or bonded is like playing Russian roulette with your money."
The site labeled Maryland Structured Settlements is registered to factoring company Prosperity Partners, according to GoDaddy.com
My readers know that one of my biggest beefs with the factoring industry is that there is no licensing requirement, no continuing education requirement and little regard overall for truth in advertising as evidenced by the cash now fraud that pervades the segment factoring industry buying structured settlement payment rights from tort victims.
It is possible that the reference is to being registered with the secretary of state in each state you do business. If any factoring company is operating in a state without registering with the secretary of state they deserve to be spanked HARD financially based on the dollar value of transactions concluded in the state, which can be easily determined by Court records. But registering with the SoS is a whole different thing than being professionally licensed. In the insurance biz very often both are needed.
I reached out to an officer of one of the factoring companies to see if there was something new about factoring company credentials that perhaps my tentacles of research had not discovered and the response was " if they're licensed it's news to me. Not sure what licensing authority is out there for this business. Maybe driver's licenses?"' Nuff Said!
And holy misplaced metaphors... "doing business with a structured settlement buyer that isn’t licensed, insured or bonded is like playing Russian roulette with your money", is that some fancy way of saying that money goes to your head?
Paid to post shill for Prosperity Partners, Brit Julie-Ann Amos states in Structured Settlements in Georgia:
"It’s real easy to reach for the plastic when you don’t have the cash to pay for
things. The problem with that is that your credit card debt piles up as well as
an exorbitant amount of interest. And, let’s not even mention those late fees.
But, if you own a structured settlement, you don’t necessarily have to keep relying on the plastic to
make ends meet"
Amos suggests that you tap your structured settlement by selling structured settlement payment rights to "pay for things". There is no mention or consideration for how the individual has arrived in the financial predicament. Compulsive spending is an addiction like alcoholism. Someone who cares about an alcoholic is not going to support bad behavior, so why support the same in a spendthrift?
Without a well reasoned plan that includes education on how the person got there, a recognition of the reason and a plan to mitigate the risk of a recurrence, one is just throwing gasoline on the fire which could have disastrous consequences.There is a reason that credit cards have limits. The only thing standing between the recipient and cash now is a single person, the judge.
While not specifically referring to Prosperity Partners, despite feigned beneficence some factoring companies solicit consumers with "why wait?" sales pitches and bribe customers with promises of financial or "in kind" rewards for destroying long term financial security.
Ms. Amos who is notby any meansan expert on structured settlements was the subject of our post "The Truth About Julie Ann Amos" last month. Further evidence is her contribution to financial illiteracy by referring to a cash now pusher as a structured settlement company...NOT TRUE!
This UK based shill for Prosperity Partners has written "The Truth About Structured Settlement Awards". Her Linked In profile shows all sorts of interesting things including the unfortunate proof that Julie-Ann Amos has no bona fides on the subject of structured settlements.
Factoring company Prosperity Partners has registered a number of state specific web domains including structuredsettlementscalifornia.com. Even though it has its own talented writers, it seems to be hiring content generators to compete with the content being generated by "primary market" commentators. The problem with hiring ghost writers who have no background in your subject is that the lack of background may result in errors and factual inaccuracies which reflect poorly on your company. Moreover, it puts you on the radar of the stuctured settlement watchdog.
I would also like to stress to content generators like Julie-Ann Amos that if you intend to write about structured settlements you better research what you write, or you will be open to critique.
The author of "Hacking Reality," Amos, incorrectly states that "The total amount a court awards a plaintiff in a structured settlement is actually a life-time worth of payments, and not a sum the
insurance company issues a one-time check for. It’s true, over time, you do get
the total amount of the settlement, but you receive it in small increments which
some people find just isn’t enough to make ends meet. You do have options
however.
Comments
Structured settlement is a settlement not an award. That's why it's called a structured settlement and not a structured award.
Amos' sentence construction masks the fact that the insurance company (or if applicable qualified settlement fund trustee or administrator) DOES issue a one time check to a qualified assignment company which includes the cost of the single premium structured settlement annuity.
Passing off Julie-Ann Amos' piece as "the truth about structured settlement awards" is a poor reflection on Prosperity Partners. The company is more than capable of writing its own factually based content.
Julie Ann Amos posts are flooding the Internet on Prosperity Partners blogs in Georgia, New York, Arizona, Illinois as part of Prosperity partner's blitzkreig strategy. Once again Julie Ann Amos (picture above) has no credentials that qualify her as a structured settlement expert. She is simply a content generator, nothing more.
A thank you is due to Prosperity Partners for providing subject matter expertise that supports our theory that "cash now" advertising is a FRAUDULENT inducement to some of the most vulnerable consumers, tort victims with structured settlements. Among other things Prosperity Partners warns structured settlement recipients of:
"False promises. This is a big one in the industry among unscrupulous settlements buyers; they promise fast funding and expedited returns, when in fact they have LITTLE POWER over the speed of the process because court approval is involved. The average time for court approval is 90 days, with some states being quicker (45 days is about the bare minimum) so beware of companies claiming that they can process your purchase in a matter of weeks. No one can speed up the courts! The only thing that will expedite your processing is efficient, accurate preparation and application".
If I have one criticism of the Prosperity Partners is its ironic use of "cash now" advertising**. Although it is not as blatant as Stone Street Capital, J.G. Wentworth, Woodbridge Investments, Peachtree Settlement Funding, Imperial structured Settlements, Structured Settlement Investments and Novation Capital is it not false advertising, or "false promises" as Prosperity Partners' Director of Marketing Jason Rigler has so aptly put it?
We encourage the factoring industry and its members to STOP COMMITTING FRAUD! The "fraudsters" include the supposed leading members of the the National Association of Settlement Purchasers, an association which "cash now pusher" Imperial Structured Settlements (on its website) reminds us is "the trade association that determines best practices and provides strength and credibility to the industry".
On a technical note Prosperity states in its introduction "You have chosen to sell structured settlement payments because you have a distinct financial need that your settlement plan is not meeting. So it is imperative that those needs are met through the “sale” of your payments. In order to do that you will need to protect yourself and avoid the pitfalls that can impact people who sell structured settlement payments".
Not everyone who has a structured settlement has a settlement plan.
Not everyone who has a structured settlement has a financial plan.
If they have a plan, not everyone who has either one keeps up with their plan.
Prosperity Partners suggests that "you can start dancing when you discover it's possible to get cash for an annuity", and "if you don't use all the cash", they tell you to "keep dancing by putting the balance in your savings account".
Of course PPI forgot to tell you that you will be "brake dancing" because by selling your annuity at a discount you will be simultaneously putting the brakes on your long term financial security. Does trading tax free or tax deferred benefits from the annuity for taxable savings account rates make so much sense that it will have you spinning on your head?
FREEZE FRAME! According to Bankrate.com money market savings accounts are paying on the average 2.43%. Interest Checking is paying on the average 1.58%.
On July 16, 2008 PPI Cash, a factoring company out of Lake Worth , Florida has published a blog called "Non- Qualified Annuities Rule" offering tips "to structured settlement annuity recipients and lottery winners" ,in following up to the recent IRS Private Letter Ruling obtained by IFS. The post needs some clarification to correct some errors in fact and context. PPI Cash: In a nutshell (which is hard to do with cases of these types) the non-qualified
annuity can be used in a taxable damage case for the first time.
FACT: Non qualified structured annuities have been used for many years. The PLR simply clarifies the tax treatment governing a specific set of facts, involving an employment related settlement, which are set forth in the ruling.
PPI Cash: For those who don’t know, the non-qualified taxable annuity is one that is
outside of any pension plan.
FACT: In this context a non qualified annuity is one that is used to fund payment of damages that do not fall within the tax exemption qualifications of IRC 104(a)(1) or 104(a)(2)
PPI Cash: Employment cases are notorious for dragging on and on in court while racking up
plenty of legal fees. Once agreement is reached the person then at least has the
option of selling the structured settlement to get the cash due them quickly.
QUESTION: Is PPI suggesting that a structured settlement agreement be reached andTHEN the person immediately contact PPI or any other factoring company to sell the structured settlement? I certainly hope not.
COMMENTS:
Don't over structure! Make sure there is some liquidity! Avoid unnecessary factoring.
A non qualified assignment or non qualified structured settlementoffers a solution to a wide variety of disputes or claims for damages that do not fall within the realm of damages under IRC 104(a)(1) or 104(a)(2). For more information please click here
The tax exemption to structured settlement rights purchasers under IRC 5891 does not apply to non qualified structured settlements
Transferability might invalidate the entire non qualified structured settlement, since cashing out even a
portion would seem to violate the cash-equivalency doctrine. According to an IRS Audit techniques guide published in 2005, "the cash equivalency doctrine provides that, if the right to
receive a payment in the future is reduced to writing and is transferable, such
as in the case of a note or a bond, the right is considered to be the equivalent
of cash and the value of the right is includible in gross income".
MESSAGE TO FACTORING INDUSTRY:if you are going to hold yourself out as an authority in a putative effort "to take up shelf space" on the search engines at least do your homework
"Want A Better Payment Structure: Sell Settlements for Cash" screams the headline at Settlementstocash.com, apparently the alter ego of Prosperity Partners, Inc. (a/k/a PPI Cash according to the domain registration.
Something of a woofer for the structured settlement watchdog...
"We also offer a more flexible deferred payment plan as an alternative to the restrictive disbursement schedule imposed by the payment structure from settlements and annuities"
Hmm..wonder what that is...? and... let's try to figure if this makes sense.
(1) Evidently you are expected to sell your structured settlement (annuity) payment rights in exchange for a deep discounted lump sum of cash and then you will get another deferred payment plan. Is it tax-free? Probably not. If you are thinking about doing business with these folks or any other factoring company with a similar scheme you'd better ask that question!
(2) Is it an insurance product? Probably not. We previously reported that a licensee search conducted through the Florida Division of Financial Services showed neither the firm, nor firm's principal Wayne Calhoun nor Jason M. Rigler, its director of marketing, who can count the seminal "Structured Settlements Are Like Ants" among his works, were licensed in Florida or appointed by any insurance companies, in Florida. A search conducted today shows that neither of those parties are currently listed as licensees or appointees in Florida.
(3) If it was an insurance product such as a deferred annuity it might not make sense because you'd effectively first pay a deep discount for cashing out your rights and then pay again after that with the follow on deal. Structured settlement payment recipients you are paying the factoring company by accepting that huge discount!. Then you are paying a commission on whatever other financial product that the scheme requires whether that be (a) commission to an insurance agent for another insurance product or annuity or (b) trustee fee to a trust company or (c) a portfolio management fee to a money manager and you are giving up tax-free income for tax-deferred (which means you eventually have to pay taxes) or taxable income
Holy Light Bulbs Batman! Is this what JG Wentworth means when it talks about "restructured settlements" on Restructuredsettlements.com? (see January 15, 2006 post on that subject!)
Make sure you look at the mathematics!Ask the factoring company, advanced funding company, or buyer of structured settlement payments rights, for a written projectionof when you are expected to break even. If a purchase of securities is being suggested remember that securities fluctuate and if you read the legally required disclosures you will find that nothing is guaranteed.
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 2023 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].
Structured Settlement Annuity Companies 2023 Which life insurance companies issue structured settlement annuities going into 2023? 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.
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 Ways You Can Structure Your Settlement Payments. 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 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 the an index linked structured settlement where payments are adjusted based on upside changes in the S&P 500 with no downside and a cap of 5%. 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.
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 for 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) or changed its name and you're trying to track them down, here you go! The list is regularly updated. Last updated January 23, 2023.
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.
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, John Darer Reviews and Information, Settlement Planning News, Tax Deferral and Deferred Income Planning Solutions,
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. For over 17 years it has been a leading source for critical commentary. The John Darer authored blog has been among the most prolific, regularly providing reviews, fresh structured settlement, settlement planning, litigation recovery management content and commentary. John Darer®, CLU ChFC MSSC CeFT® RSP CLTC, President of Stamford, CT based 4structures.com, LLC, is an experienced New York City area structured settlement expert, structured settlement broker, Certified Financial Transitionist, and Registered Settlement Planner.
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.
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Last updated April 20, 2023
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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...
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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
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"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
Just checked out your blog and loved it. Keep up the good and balanced work-DL
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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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