by Structured Settlement Watchdog
From time to time I receive an email from someone or on behalf of someone who has appeared in this forum having been highlighted for a specific alleged behavior. While the majority of such contact is favorable on occasion I am asked by some of them why I didn’t pick up the phone.
No Bones About It
The need for a structured settlement watchdog is borne out of the following:
- (1) need to raise the standard of financial literacy of the profession and its stakeholders
- (2) heretofore inability or unwillingness of some to adhere to a published code of ethics and the trade associations to enforce them even when such practices are made known to them
- (3) failure by some to adhere to published laws
- (4) dubious marketing practices by the factoring industry; and
- (5) an attempt to balance marketing inequities or present counterpoint commentary as needed
The Balance
- On the one hand one can say that watchdog commentary exposes bad behavior and the exposure of the bad behavior is not good for business. On the other hand having knowledge of bad behaviors, letting them continue and doing nothing about it is also not good for business.
- What ever is exposed in this forum is generally accompanied by links or .pdfs to what supports the point being made. The rest is my opinion which thankfully, is a Constitutional right that we all have to express.
Uncompensated Role
- I have not been paid for the time I voluntarily take to be a watchdog, nor have I sought compensation for this role.
- I am not controlled by any trade association. Like many of the “malcontents” I run a professional practice with all that goes with it including the considerable time commitment.
- With all due respect I simply don’t have the time to call you to do your job.
The phrase “sunlight is the best disinfectant”, often to Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeisattributed means that transparency and openness can expose and eliminate corruption, wrongdoing, or unethical behavior. Brandeis And The History Of Transparency : Sunlight Foundation
To those who don’t like the hygiene of “light being shone as a disinfectant” but don’t have the time to review their own websites, articles to be published, marketing materials for accuracy, or whether there are inconsistencies between what you have declared under penalty of perjury and your marketing materials, I offer to do this for you, because I feel it so important that financial literacy and proper credentialing be a pillar of the profession. But I cannot do it for free. If you are interested feel free to contact me to discuss terms. Or you can hire someone else to do it.
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