In a long awaited response to member concerns expressed in persistent communications stretching over several years, the National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) posted a web page about “Promoting the CSSC”, a settlement industry professional certification program that it administers.
Response to Unfortunate Credential Puffery
The page came about after conversations between officials at the University of Notre Dame and the National Structured Settlement Trade Association following a letter that this author sent to the University of Notre Dame (also see archive post 3 below) with a request for its position on the extensive credential puffery exhibited in bios of certain NSSTA members, which unfortunately including members of the NSSTA Board of Directors (industry leaders who did not lead by example in this regard, and even the ignominy of the NSSTA itself (in a June 2009 press release announcing a pair of new Board members).
The publication of the subject matter on the new NSSTA web page is a welcome positive development that should have been in place from the inception of the certification program over 15 years ago. This author encourages NSSTA to circulate communication to all of its members alerting them to this web page and reminding them about their ethical requirements, under the NSSTA Code of Ethics to promote the certification properly.
There is now no excuse for ANY NSSTA member, or other settlement professional, to simply state that they earned their CSSC “from Notre Dame“, or University of Texas at Austin*
Particular ephasis on NSSTA Board members, such as one who appeared at time of original posting on Lexis Nexis stating that “He earned his Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) diploma from the University of Notre Dame in September 2000″ You could catch the most wayward of passes in the Super Bowl with that sort of stretch, eh? They certainly didn’t play Edward Elgar’s “Pomp & Circumstance” (the traditional orchestral march played during the recessional at graduations), after just 4 Days in the vicinty of Touchdown Jesus. for the CSSC Program. To jog your memory…
A third NSSTA Board member referred to in a prior post has changed his profile on his company website to more accurately reflect his credentials. In this author’s opinion NSSTA Board members must be held to the highest standard, without exception, even those revered in the industry. How about it guys?
For the record, this author regrets having to begin naming individuals. What choice is there when even after NSSTA posts guidelines, its leaders are non compliant?
One has to consider that,
- fair notice was been given (posts below, emails to NSSTA)
- the information is ALREADY in the public domain
- the information is of public interest and
- the fact that NSSTA has only recently posted a web page about promoting the CSSC (after 15 years) is irrelevant because nothing has changed in relation to what the program is (or has been) in relation to NSSTA and University of Notre Dame.
- the amount of labor to make the correction can be measured in minutes and cost to make the correction is minimal (not that cost should have any bearing on ethics for something that should have been right in the first place)
All NSSTA members are encouraged to view their own profiles on the Internet, including social media, to assure that they are not misrepresenting the CSSC certification.
Articles This Author Has Written to Address the Problem
- Notre Dame Responds to CSSC Promotion Concerns – Structured Settlements 4Real® Blogs July 15, 2009
- Notre Dame Asked For Position on CSSC Representations About Association With The School – Structured Settlements 4Real®Blog July 14, 2009
- Certified Structured Settlement Consultants Should Be Clear About The Credential – Structured Settlements 4Real® Blog July 12, 2009
- Florida Annuities Fraud Law… A Sign of Things To Come Elsewhere? – Structured Settlements 4Real® Blog February 13, 2009
- Why Did Some Certified Structured Settlement Consultants Shamelessly Puff Their Credentials? – Structured Settlements 4Real® Blog January 17, 2009
- Settlement Planner’s “Board Certified” Credential Hype is Misleading – Structured Settlements 4Real® Blog April 26, 2008
- Do You See Yourself As A Certified False Advertiser December 5, 2007
- CSSC | 4 days in the vicinity of “Touchdown Jesus” DID NOT make you one of ” The Fighting Irish”! – Structured Settlements 4Real® Blog October 18, 2007
Last updated October 1, 2025
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