"To structure or not to structure", that is the question that often percolates through the minds of a claimant, plaintiff, legal counsel or adviser representing them as a lawsuit winds down.
Generally a structured settlement for children or people with substantial impairments a structured settlement is automatically considered. But how about structured settlements for seniors and other adults, the survivors of a person who has died and those whose friend has made some money in the stock market and thinks they will have the same luck***?
Bob LeClair's Finance and Markets Email Newsletter 4.22.2006 reports that despite the generally positive stock market, only twelve of the twenty most widely-held stocks are up for calendar 2006. On the plus side, Cisco Systems leads with a +20.8% gain, while Intel brings up the rear with a decline of -23.6%.
The above is interesting statistic for a plaintiff or plaintiff attorney faced with a decision to accept or reject a structured settlement as part of the resolution of the claim or lawsuit.
Accept a structured settlement for contractual guarantees with no volatility**.
**For further discussion on volatility have your structured settlement consultant run a Monte Carlo Analysis. If you are considering a lifetime of need be sure that your structured settlement broker, consultant, planner or adviser uses a software package which takes into account the mortality variant.
*** e.g. during the 2000 stock market mania when stocks were such a popular discussion topic it was not unusual for literally anyone to offer a stock tip whether qualifed or not. Many people invested without an understanding of the risks.
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