Structured settlement expert John Darer® connects the dots for readers with structured settlement news, information and expert opinion, 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.
The legitimacy of using the term annuity to describe factored structured settlement payments has been questioned for more than a decade. It may surprise some, but one company made a good faith effort to tell it like it is.
Here is an excerpt from an ad from a tertiary marketer in 2009. The 2008-2009 financial crisis stifled institutional financing to the structrued settlement secondary market and this "liquidity crisis", led to some transferrees in the secondary market seeking funding from individuals, such as Mom & Pops.
"For a limited time there is a finite supply available to the retail marketplace.
Compared with other products these In-Force Annuities are created as a result of specific court orders.
Ownership of the annuity payment(s) provides a superior income stream that is extremely secure.
Since this is not an insurance transaction it does notrequire an insurance license or any other license.
The reason for this because it is factoring which is a sale of receivables.
If you go to Google and type in factor transactions you will get more pages than you care to read" they said.
Contrast that with the sematics of comparing a sap sucker with its Latin name. In defense of their usage of annuity, others attempt to justify it by citing Aunt Merriam Webster to describe and market the receivables.
Structured settlement annuities had a RECORD 4th quarter of 2022, as increasing awareness of rising interest rates looking good against a volatile stock market, plummeting crypto and hard work by industry members, catapulted industry production to close to its all time record achieved in 2019. The structured settlement primary market produced $779.5M in December 2022 to end Q4 2022 with $2.075B in production. The total for 2022 was $6.025B according to industry sources.
How Structured Settlement Industry Was Affected in Covid Era
Despite a return to structured settlement production highwater mark to the north of $6B in 2018 and the all-time record in 2019, the rapid deceleration in interest rates in the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic, together with court closures that constricted the supply line of cases coming up for trial, played a role in the drop in structured settlement industry wide production.
Joe Gargan, the convicted felon and former structured settlement broker and head of The Pension Company Inc. who purloined millions of dollars from the United States taxpayers and a New York City area hospital, was granted compassionate release after being incarcerated less than 2 years. The United States Department announced June 15, 2020 that Gargan pleaded guilty to the embezzlment.
Gargan spent the majority of his custody at FMC Butner in North Carolina, a joint that housed notorious felons such as the late Bernie Madoff. FMC Butner had a deadly oubreak of Covid-19.
According to Judge Rossie D.Alston, Jr. of the United District Court, District of Alexandria, Gargan" has established that extraordinary and compelling reasons justify his release pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A). Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, it is hereby
ORDERED that Defendant’s Motion for Compassionate Release (Dkt. 39) is GRANTED and Defendant’s Motion to Vacate Sentence pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 (Dkt. 41) is DENIED; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED that the custodial portion of Defendant’s sentence is reduced to time served; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED that the Federal Bureau of Prisons is directed to release Defendant from confinement no more than fourteen days (14) from the date of this Memorandum Opinion and Order; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED that upon release, Defendant shall begin serving the three-year term of supervised release this Court imposed on September 23, 2020; and it is
FURTHER ORDERED that all terms and conditions of supervision remain in full force and ".
Source:
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division.
Seattle based Symetra Life Insurance Company Slammed with Structured Settlement Class Action Certification
A nationwide class action lawsuit certified against Symetra Life Insurance and its affiliate Symetra Assigned Benefits Service Company (“SABSCO”) alleges that Symetra and its affiliate violated RICO, the Washington Consumer Protection Act, civil conspiracy, unjust enrichment, and their contractual rights. In her August 3, 2022 order, Judge Marsha J. Pechman of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington granted class certification in White, et al. v. Symetra Assigned Benefits Service Company, et al. United States District Court Western District of Washington Case No. 20-cv-01866 and certified the following class:
“All persons who are or were, at any time:
annuitants of [a structured settlement annuity (“SSA”)] that contemplated life contingent payments issued by Symetra AND
who subsequently sold to a Symetra affiliate the right to receive payments from that SSA in a factoring transaction.”
The Court denied Plaintiffs’ Motion to Certify a Class as to their breach of fiduciary duty claims.
Plaintiffs brought this class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and all others who, in settling underlying tort litigation, became the beneficiaries of a Symetra Life Insurance structured settlement annuity, and who then sold the rights to their future annuity payments to SABSCO or another Symetra affiliate.
Symetra Used Position of Trust
Plaintiffs’ amended complaint seeks redress for injured persons and families who relied on Symetra to safeguard their loing-term financial well being , alleging that Symetra Defendants solicited Plaintiffs’ rights to their future payments as part of a business scheme that used their position of trust as issuer and owner of Plaintiffs’ structured settlement annuities. Plaintiffs allege that Defendants leveraged their knowledge and unequal bargaining power to profit by purchasing Plaintiffs’ future payments at a steep discount in factoring transactions. As a certified class, Plaintiffs are one step closer to holding Symetra Defendants accountable for these practices.
The Responsibilty of Settlement Planners and Plaintiff Structured Settlement Brokers in Symetra placements 2006-2012
I Told You So About Symetra and Clearscape in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010... Did Your Settlement Planner?"
Symetra's factoring operation was well known in the structured settlement industry from at least January 2006 until Symetra stopped writing structured settlement annuities in 2012.
Symetra was pressured to resign from the National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) as its factoring activity was incompatable with the mission of NSSTA. To be clear, Symetra actually established a factoring company called Clearscape Funding and solicited not only Symetra (and former SAFECO) annuitants, but externally as well.
I personally sent a strongly worded letter to Symetra on January 23, 2008 withdrawing my appointment in disgust (see Writing on the Wall below entry for January 23, 2008). I cannot say the same for other settlement planners who, despite public knowledge of the existence of Clearscape and what Symetra was doing, continued to place business with Symetra.
How many of these settlement planners "romanced" trial lawyers with lavish donations to state and local trial lawyer associations, who turned the other cheek to recommendations and proposals to place business with a lower rate company that had a known factoring company?
How many settlement planners' put their clients into Symetra structured settlement annuities out of a single claimant QSF, despite advanced knowledge of Symetra's factoring operation?
How many times did settlement planners' often belicose and bombastic rhetoric about dastardly approved lists led to a Symetra structured settlement annuity placement?
How many settlement planners continued to make recommendations, to trial lawyers and their clients, to place their hard fought for settlement dollars into Symetra, DESPITE knowing of the existence of Clearscape?
How many settlement planners solicited customers using the false statement that Symetra was a "Berkshire Hathaway Company" to "do-si-do" the known Clearscape issue?
Will the Symetra Structured Settlement Class Action bring a reckoning to Symetra and shine the light on those who placed their clients in harm's way?
Chronovo, which is based in a suburb of Boston Massachusetts continues to promote annuities using "Bobby Bonilla Day", a “holiday” of sorts celebrated by baseball fans, who use memes and jokes to talk about how the New York Mets pay someone who hasn’t been on the field since 2001 over a million dollars every year until 2035 when there are far better and more relevant choices to illustrate the value of annuities using other baseball players and other sports figures.
The Gratuitous Trivialization of Madoff to Promote Annuities
Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, this seems to have been lost on Chronovo, which highlighted the Madoff connection in its most recent Chronovo Chronicle celebrating Bobby Bonilla Day. At least the lack of depth perception stopped short of trivializing Joey Gargan, another convicted felon, a former structured settlement broker and company owner and "Kennedy connection", who remains incarcerated at FMC Butner, where Bernie drew his last breath in April 2021.
There's Nothing Unusual About Deferred Payments to Athletes But There Are Much Better Examples
There's nothing unusual about a team paying athletes deferred annuity payments, but Bobby Bonilla is no Ken Griffey, Jr. or Manny Ramirez, both of whom have bigger annuities and arguably had greater career accomplishments, by quite some distance. In my opinion Griffey Jr and Manny Ramirez in particular are better examples to promote annuities for any company, let alone, a company from Boston.
I'm a lifelong New York Yankees fan, but in this case, since we're discussing annuities, I'm waxing lyrical about a Red Sox legend in an effort to change the narrative of certain annuity promoters' (at least structured settlement annuity promoters) narrative from Bobby Bonilla to other athletes who had better careers and more significant annuities.
Manny Ramirez was a Boston Red Sox and Major League baseball legend and 12 Time All Star. Manny was a complete hitter, who hit for both power and average, and recognized as one of the best right-handed hitters of his generation, Ramirez finished his career with a lifetime .312 batting average, 555 home runs (15th all-time), and 1,831 RBI (18th all-time). In 111 postseason games, Ramirez posted a .285 batting average with 29 home runs and 78 RBI in being on 2 World Series winning teams.
Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey Jr. 630 HR, .284 BA, 1836 RBI, 184 SB, .538 SLG Griffey, Jr. is a Hall of Famer, a thirteen-time All-Star and one of the most prolific home run hitetrs in baseball history, 7th in MLB history. Griffey won ten Gold Gloves as a center fielder and tied for the record of most consecutive games with a home run (eight, with Don Mattingly and Dale Long. He's been on the cover of the box of more than one variety of Wheaties for goodness sakes!
The Manny Ramirez Annuity
Manny Ramirez signed a $160M contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2008, with deferred $1.968MM/year increasing at 0.25% from 2011-2026 (16 payments) Total annuity payout $30,077,936. Here is the schedule:
Ken Griffey, Jr. $112M contract deferred $3.59MM/year from 2009-2024. Despite being retired and not playing for the Reds since 2008, the 13 Time All Star Hall of Fame slugger Ken Griffey Jr. is the 6th highest-paid players on the Cincinnati Reds. Total Deferred Payout $57,440,000
Just to remind you in case you were wondering, the total payout to Bobby Bonilla at the end of this road in 2035 will be $29,831,205.00. Ouch!
Better Career Stats than Bonilla, Better Annuity than Bonilla
Ken Griffey, Jr. $112M contract deferred $3.59MM/year from 2009-2024. Despite being retired and not playing for the Reds since 2008, Hall of Fame slugger Ken Griffey Jr. is the 6th highest-paid players on the Cincinnati Reds.
Bonilla 287 HR .287 BA 1173 RBI 48 SB .472 SLG 6 Time All Star, One time time World Series winner (with the 1997 Florida Marlins)
While a quality player, Bonilla's career stats performed well below Manny Ramirez and Ken Griffey Jr, his peers with deferred payments
Bobby Bonilla himself was quoted in the New York Post on July 1, 2022 as saying "“I’m probably more famous for that deal than the career I had”
But for the fact the Mets and its owner were scammed by the late crooked Bernie Madoff, there would be no Bobby Bonilla Day. Instead of "celebrating" Bonilla, perhaps Chronovo should reconsider their post given Bonilla's deferred compensation peers as a better role model for annuities. Madoff was a crook who destroyed lives and died a miserable death.
One of the more significant and impactful parts of the July 1, 2022 New York Post article was the statement that Bonilla has never approached the Mets about receiving the funds all at once, instead opting to keep the yearly tradition going. “I’ve never even thought about it,” Bonilla said. This statement IS something to get in front of young people of color with structured settlements who are targeted by structured settlement factoring companies when they reach 18 and throughout their 20s.
Insurance groups that include current and former structured settlement annuity issuers represent more than 43% of the largest life insurance groups in the United States.
Prudential (1)
MetLife (2)
New York Life(3)
Massachusetts Mutual Life (4, former structured settlement annuity issuer)
AIG Life & Retirement (6, soon to be Corebridge Financial)
Lincoln Financial (8, acquired Liberty Life of Boston structured settlement block, reinsured by Protective Life, #26)
John Hancock (10)
Brighthouse Financial (15, includes legacy Travelers Insurance Company/ legacy MetLife Insurance Company of CT structures)
Pacific Life (16)
Athene (19, includes former Aviva, CGNU and CGU Life structured settlement business)
Talcott Resolution (21, formerly known as Hartford Life)
Protective Life (26, reinsurer of Lincoln Life of Boston structured settlement business-formerly Liberty LIfe of Boston)
Genworth (30, roll up and spin off of First Colony, American Mayflower, GE Capital Assurance Company, GE Capital Life Assurance company of NY)
A Qualified Assignment and Release which includes the following, raises more questions than answers. If you see one it probably deserves a second opinion.
QUALIFIED ASSIGNMENT AND RELEASE
Defined Terms
Assignor:___________________ Qualified Settlement Fund, ( QSF may be adminstered by company related to settlement planner)
Assignee: Qualified Assignment Company related to the settlement planner.
Qualified Funding Asset:Annuity
Issuer of Qualified Funding Asset : Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
12. In exchange for "legal payment rights" pursuant to 5891 of the IRC, to the Periodic Payments specified in Paragraph 15. Claimant hereby releases and discharges the defendants and/or respondents with regard to the Periodic Payments, and agrees to only look to (name of Assignment Company owned by settlement planner firm holding company)
SIDE BAR (sponsored by "What's Your Vector Victor?")
Why is the Clamaint releasing and discharging "Defendants and/or Respondents" in the settlement planner's Qualified Assignment and Release document from a QSF? Wouldn't the "Defendants and/or Respondents" have been released and discharged when the money was deposited in the QSF under the "resolve or satisfy" clause in § 1.461-2(c)(2)?
13. In the event of notice of an application to any court for the transfer of the payment rights under this agreement, (name of Assignment Companyowned by settlement planner firm holding company) reserves the right to effectuate an immediate transfer of ownership of the "Qualified Funding Asset"
Metropoltan Life Will Not Issue a Structured Settlement Annuity to a Settlement Planning Firm's Assignment Company
This author has confirmed with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, that Metropolitan Life Insurance Company WILL NOT issue a structured settlement annuity to a qualified assignment company other than its own. Furthermore, since MetLife spun off its retail division to form Brighthouse, a transition which was finalized August 7, 2017, MetLife does not issue retail annuities.
Factored Structured Settlement Payments Bought as an Investment Are Not An Annuity
The acquistion of someone elses' structured settlement payment rights is not the purchase of a structured settlement annuity, in accordance with National Association of Insurance commissioner (NAIC) Statutory Issue Paper No. 160, or an annuity under the laws of most states. In 37 states, investors in other people's structured settlement payment rights do not have the same statutory protections.
What is a Qualified Funding Asset?
According to IRC 130(d)
"For purposes of this section, the term "qualified funding asset" means any annuity contract issued by a company licensed to do business as an insurance company under the laws of any State, or any obligation of the United States, if—
(1) such annuity contract or obligation is used by the assignee to fund periodic payments under any qualified assignment,
(2)the periods of the payments under the annuity contract or obligation are reasonably related to the periodic payments under the qualified assignment , and the amount of any such payment under the contract or obligation does not exceed the periodic payment to which it relates,
(3)such annuity contract or obligation is designated by the taxpayer (in such manner as the Secretary shall by regulations prescribe) as being taken into account under this section with respect to such qualified assignment, and
(4)such annuity contract or obligation is purchased by the taxpayer not more than 60 days before the date of the qualified assignment and not later than 60 days after the date of such assignment".
It is clear from the plain reading of IRC 130(d) that obligation refers to any obligation of the United States. So the puzzle is what is the settlement planner getting the payee into here?
If you would like more information on the essentials of structured settlement documentation, this video may be helpful.
Charly Schell, Chief Strategist at Armis Advisers,the CEO of Bison Advisors and one of the original co-Founders of Forge Consulting, passed away in a small plane crash in a remote section of the BIghorn National Forest in Wyoming on July 15, 2022. The plane departed from Powell Municipal Airport, in Powell Wyoming and was en route to Johnson County Airport in Buffalo Wyoming airport when the accident occurred, according to reports. The crash also took the life of his wife Kelli Taylor Schell, General Manager of Cateechee in Hartwell Georgia. They are survived by their two adult children.
Schell was a former U.S. Army aviator who later began a successful career in settlement planning. In 2011 he was President of the Society of Settlement Planners and he later helped business owners mitigate taxes, to retire early and to leave a legacy.
I'll let Charly tell his story in his own words...
Rest in Peace. My deepest condolences to Charly & Kelli's family, friends, colleagues and former colleagues and those whose lives they touched and made a difference.
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.
STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS 4REAL® Blog Is a Popular Source of Structured Settlement News and Information, Settlement Planning News, Tax Deferral and Deferred Income Planning Solutions,
with a stable readership that seeks credible structured settlement information 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 the structured settlement blog in 2005 and 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 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 tort 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 October 10, 2022
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
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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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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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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.
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.
Helpful Structured Settlement Information is Here!
Learn more about structured settlements by reading structured settlement expert John Darer's blog
Researching Structured Settlements? Check (1) in Archived Blog Posts (above left); (2) use the Google search box (below); (3) visit the 4structures® website at https://www.4structures.com, (4) 4structures® YouTube Channel by clicking the above link, or (5) call settlement expert John Darer® at 888-325-8640, toll-free in the USA or 646-849-1588 in New York City
Subscribe to a Specific Category Feed for a subject you like or the Whole Blog
SUBSCRIBE to the dedicated RSS feed for the Structured.Settlements 4Real® blog category that interests you. For example, if you are just interested in reading about "New York Structured Settlements" you can follow that feed. Just click on the category title tag at the bottom of a post you like and then the little RSS symbol on the resulting page.You can also subscribe to the whole blog
The John Darer® authored Structured Settlements 4Real® blog is the most prolific structured settlement blogger with over 5,200 blog posts, and counting!
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.
FactCheck.org nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that Aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
NYC 9-11 Health The World Trade Center Health Registry is now the largest registry in U.S. history to track the health effects of a disaster. The federally funded program is information central for first responders and others with health issues from 9-11
Comments and Trackback Policy