Structured settlements expert John Darer reviews the latest structured settlements and settlement planning information and news, and provides expert opinion and highly regarded commentary. that is spicy, Informative, irreverent and effective for over 20 years.
The STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS 4REAL® Blog is a highly regarded source for structured settlement news, information, and commentary, led by structured settlement and settlement planning subect mater expert John Darer CLU ChFC MSSC CeFT RSP CLTC. With two decades of operation, the blog and 4structures.com are recognized as comprehensive resources, offering detailed guides and specialized insights. Established in 2005, the blog caters to a broad audience, including legal professionals, injured individuals, families, and various stakeholders, providing reviews and opinions on settlement planning. John Darer, President of 4structures.com LLC, is a seasoned structured settlement expert with over 40 years of financial services experience and 31 years specializing in structured settlements. Based in Stamford, CT, he is a Certified Financial Transitionist and Registered Settlement Planner, holding insurance licenses in 45 states and the District of Columbia. John Darer is dedicated to transparency and advocacy, he emphasizes the importance of engaging trained and licensed professionals for settlement planning, offering valuable insights through his investigative journalism and professional commentary.
If you have a structured settlement it’s generally not a good idea to seek financial advice from anyone lacking relevant credentials, whose primary solution is pennies on the dollar.
District Settlements Paycheck to Paycheck Fantasy
“As mentioned above, the primary benefit of a structured settlement is that recipients do not have to worry about complex financial planning because their payments come in scheduled installments. In other words, they only need to financially plan out as far as their next installment. However, this payment structure is not always convenient for the immediate needs of a plaintiff in life after the lawsuit has been settled.”
District Settlements fails to consider an important word in financial planning. It’s called a budget.
What is a Budget and why is it important?
A budget is a plan you write down to decide how you will spend your money each month. A budget helps you make sure you will have enough money every month. Without a budget, you might run out of money before your next paycheck. Source Consumer.gov “Managing Your Money| Making a Budget”
District Settlements hasn’t learned much, a decade on from Einstein Structured Settlements
“The possible downside is that benefactors of a structured settlement lack the autonomy and power that comes from being able to access the full value of their settlement right away”.
What is a “Benefactor”?
In the most technical sense, a benefactor is someone who gives something to someone else — anything from a sandwich to an entire estate. A benefactor also doesn’t have to be just a person; it can be a group or a more formal organization, as long as something is given without the expectation of a reward or any kind of return on the gift. Source: Kristi Waterworth The Motley Fool June 30, 2025 update
District Settlements jibber-jabber about what is effectively pennies on the dollar leading to autonomy and power wins them The Silly Billy award.
It’s just nonsense. Power is a state of mind. Consider listening to SNAP’s ” I’ve Got The Power”. It will be a lot cheaper and more fun.
“Access to the full value of their settlement right away” is a lie. Nobody who sells structured settlement payment rights gets full value of their settlement. Run as fast and as far as you can from anyone attempting to tell you otherwise.
Buyers of Structured Settlement Payments Are NOT Structured Settlement Companies. In Maryland where District Settlement is registered in Owings Mills,a person or company seeking to acquire structured settlement payment rights, is referred to in the law as a “structured settlement transferee. A structured settlement transferee, “must register with the Office of the Attorney General. See Maryland § 5-1107. The Maryland Office of Attorney General Structured Settlement Transferee Unit accepts and processes initial and renewal applications for companies that are able to proceed”. District Settlements however is not listed as a registered as a transferee in Maryland.
California, where District boasts of having a large slice of the Hispanic market, California refers to buyers of structured settlement payment rights as a transferee.
