South Florida Business Journal Feed

February 12, 2011

Imperial Holdings IPO: Associated Press and Florida Media Fluff Their Structured Settlement Lines

by Structured Settlement Watchdog®

Despite an overwhelming supply of legitimate structured settlement resources that says the contrary, the Associated Press managed to "fluff its lines" February 8, 2011, in its description of Imperial Holdings. To wit... "The  Boca Raton, Fla company provides...and turns lump sum cash settlements from lawsuits into a stream of monthly payments".  (emphasis ours)  It's actually the other way around. Imperial Structured Settlements offers cash to structured settlement annuitants in exchange for the transfer of the annuitant's rights to receive future payments.

The Associated Press inaccuracies were published in Bloomberg Business week in its BW extras section, Forbes and other media outlets.

Bandell Needs Band Aid

In a related story also published February 8, 2011, the South Florida Business Journal's Brian Bandell stated "the company (Imperial Holdings) is also involved in the structured settlement business, which involves a plaintiff settling a lawsuit in exchange for periodic payments over time".  Had Bandell simply read the website for Imperial Structured Settlements he'd have been able to report more accurately. Imperial is a "cash now" pusher or settlement payment purchaser.

Unfortunately the South Florida media beat continues to add to its track record of shambolic reporting when it comes to structured settlements. Most notable was the Scott Rothstein Ponzi being mischaracterized by the South Florida Press. As recently as August 16, 2010 , the South Florida Journal stated "Structured settlements have been in the news in South Florida during the past year because Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein's $1.4 billion con was based on non-existent structured settlements".  That is total B.S.  The Scott Rothstein criminal complaint contained nothing about structured settlements!    Our Scott Rothstein Ponzi coverage

 It doesn't take much to discover the truth about structured settlements.

That being said, the Imperial Holdings IPO was oversubscribed, which bodes well for other structured settlement factoring entities who might be contemplating IPOs. Clearly there is a large demand for shares of institutions that charge among the highest discount rates to selling tort victims.

 

Posted at 10:25 AM in Boca Raton Florida Structured Settlements, DRB Capital/Imperial Structured Settlements | Critical Commentary, Imperial Holdings IPO, South Florida Business Journal | | Comments (0)

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August 18, 2010

Without Evidence, South FL Business Journal Published Bogus Report Re Scott Rothstein Scam

by Structured Settlement Watchdog®

South Florida Business Journal Publishes False Report Despite Lack of Evidence

The South Florida Business Journal demonstrates classic shambolic reporting in its coverage of the Imperial Holdings IPO, a subject that Structured Settlements 4Real and Reuters covered on August 13, 2010.

Even though there has been considerable coverage to the contrary about Scott Rothstein's con job, the South Florida Business Journal makes asses of themselves by presenting the following superfluous utterly false statement as fact on Monday August 16, 2010.

"Structured settlements have been in the news in South Florida during the past year because Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein's $1.4 billion con was based on non-existent structured settlements".

Pin_headed_reporter_lg_clr Which "pinhead" at South Florida Business Journal authored the above quote?

It is already well established that what Rothstein was peddling WERE NOT and COULD NOT HAVE BEEN structured settlements.

They were putative pre-settlement funding deals. Anyone who actually knew what a structured settlement is would immediately see that.

Watchdog Attitude


Posted at 01:02 AM in Come On Journalists! Get a Grip!, Scott Rothstein Ponzi | Nothing to do with Structured Settlements, South Florida Business Journal, Structured Settlement Watchdog® | | Comments (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
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  • 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.
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    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 .
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    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.
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    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.

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    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 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
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  • Be aware that financial advisors use of testimonials is prohibited or restricted
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