Structured Settlement – Definitions, Do's and Don'ts

What is Structured Settlement? What is Annuity? Information on how to use your structured settlement and how not to use your structured settlement and insight on what goes on behind the scenes

Why Would A Company Want To Buy My Structured Settlement?

There are several structured settlement companies and corporates that purchase structured settlements and offer a lump sum in exchange. The simple reason for a company to purchase a structured settlement is that it represents a good investment deal.

A Guide to Senior Settlement Brokerages

Life Settlement Brokers make the entire process of Senior Life Settlement easier. Insurance is a highly secretive market, where the current prices of policies are not easily available to the policy holders. Brokers get this inside information, as most brokers are closely affiliated with insurance companies. Brokers also know the procedures along with all their intricacies, and can speed up the process. One more important advantage of having a broker settle a senior policy is that they can attract more bids and hence give a better choice to a buyer.

Senior Life Settlements: An Introduction

A Senior Life Settlement means the sale of an insurance policy to a third party at a value less than the face value of the policy. The buyer of the policy is liable to pay all future premiums on the policy, while the original holder of the policy gets a lump sum in cash. This lump sum is an amount that exceeds the cash value of the policy accrued till that date.

Strategies for Handling a Structured Settlement Cash Award

If you choose to sell your structured settlement cash award for a lump sum payout, it's vitally important to hire a lawyer. Don't let the dollar signs in your eyes overrule the reasoning part of your brain.

Personal Injury Settlement Loans

Many victims of personal injuries cannot afford the expenses involved in litigating for an injury settlement, even though they may have a genuine case. There are two kinds of personal injury settlement loans. The first are loans based on a collateral, and the second are non-recourse loans given by injury settlement lawsuit financing companies.

Personal Injury Settlement Amounts

The amount of personal injury settlement depends on many factors, and there is no fixed value for any compensation package. The amount settled on depends on factors like age of the claimant, severity of injury, net financial loss, medical expenses incurred, medical prognosis, extent of liability, etc.

An Introduction to Injury Settlements

Injuries may sometimes be caused by negligence of another person. In such cases, the party seen as responsible for the injury may have to pay compensation to the injured party. The compensation will help the victim financially by paying medical expenses, cover lost wages, and make up for any other financial loss suffered.

Injury Settlements

If you have been unfortunate enough to be a victim of an injury or accident, you can claim your injury settlement to be paid to you as lump sum amount or in installments distributed over a period of time. The best thing for you to do is to consult a personal injury attorney to decide upon which option you choose.

Sell Structured Insurance Settlements

It is not good practice to sell a structured settlement without a real need for the money. Structured settlement annuities are usually bought as investments and do not provide the necessary benefit when they are sold early. Even though part of the settlement can be sold to raise money for a one time necessity, the entire settlement must be sold only in case of dire emergency when the money cannot be raised in any other manner. Since structured settlements ensure regular periodic payments, many people hesitate to sell the entire settlement at one stretch.

Viatical Settlements

The concept of viatical settlements works on the premise that a person with a terminal disease can sell his life insurance policy for less than the face value. The person can get lump sum cash and the buyer can collect the benefits of the policy after the original policyholder’s death. It sounds a bit grim but then there are always the harsh aspects of life. The longer the life expectancy, the less expensive the policy. But then life rarely follows a logical road and so the element of risk is there if the original policy holder’s life expectancy increases with the passage of time. It is after all a gamble on death. If the seller dies sooner than expected, you collect a higher return and on the other hand, if the person lives longer than expected, you will collect a lower benefit. Added to this is the fact that you can also end up losing your principal investment if the person lives long enough and you have to pay the additional premiums.

Viatical Settlement Providers

A viatical settlement involves the selling of a life insurance policy by a terminally ill person to unrelated investors who can be private funding companies or brokers. These companies or brokers buy the policy at a reduced rate based on the face value of the policy. They pay a lump sum amount of cash to the seller and on the person’ demise, they collect the death benefits. Grim as this may sound, if the transactions take place in a fair manner, the viatical settlements can provide relief to the terminally ill person in terms of easing the financial strains, which may other wise compound the physical and emotional trauma the person is undergoing.

Viatical Life Insurance Settlements

The physical and emotional demands of a terminal illness are traumatic enough - both for the person and for the near and dear ones. Financial strains only serve to compound the trauma. Viatical life insurance settlements, if handled carefully, can provide financial relief. The process of viatical settlement involves the selling of a life insurance policy by a terminally ill person whose life expectancy has been predicted for about two years or so, to unrelated investors - which can be banks, private companies, or brokers.