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.
MJ Settlements latest ” Offering Sheet” is promoting investments in structured settlement receivables that they call annuities, but are not annuities, and link to non-existent companies
These so-called “unique” opportunities from MJ Settlements are supposedly annuities and supposedly “carefully vetted” and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. But honestly, how “carefully vetted” can they be if MJ Settlements can’t even manage to get the issuers’ names correct? Let’s examine why our baloney detector is going bonkers.
Deal 2998
Issuer is listed as Hartford Life Insurance Company, however The Hartford sold that business in 2017, the company became Talcott Resolution Life Insurance Company and that company was acquired by Sixth Street in 2021.
Wow! Deal 860 mentions Talcott Life Insurance Company. So close, yet no cigar!
And the “razz-berry” on top with respect to this for Todd Lesk can be found in the records of the Florida Department of Financial Services Licensee Detail which shows the proper names of the Talcott Resolution entities.
Deal 903
Issuer is listed as MetLife Insurance Company
Here are a list of MetLife Affilates. MetLife Affiliates | MetLife.Investors will not find the purported entity that Lesk and MJ Settlements are misrepresenting to potential investors.
MetLife issues structured settlement annuities through MetLife Tower Life Insurance Company and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.
If MJ Settlements and Todd Lesk, were advertising annuities to New York state residents (Lesk grew up in New York and held a New York license until late 2024) advertising would need to comply with New York Insurance law 2122(b) N.Y. Insurance Law Section 2122 – Advertising by insurance producers (2025)“Every agent of any insurer and every insurance broker shall, in all advertisements, public announcements, signs, pamphlets, circulars and cards, which refer to an insurer, set forth therein the name in full of the insurer referred to and the name of the city, town or village in which it has its principal office in the United States”.
Deals 14441, 3041, 796-2, 4407, 14441-2
Issuer is listed by MJ Settlements as Prudential Life Insurance Company. No such entity exists.
The Prudential Insurance Company of America is the only issuer of strucured settlement annuities.
According to Prudential “Annuities and Life Insurance are issued by Prudential Financial companies; The Prudential Insurance Company of America (“PICA”) or Pruco Life Insurance Company (“PLAZ”) (in New York, by Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey (“PLNJ”)), all located in Newark, NJ (main office), or an unaffiliated third-party issuer: Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”), located in Jersey City, NJ. Fortitude Re has retained PICA as an unaffiliated Third-Party Administrator. Variable Annuities and Variable Life Insurance are distributed by Prudential Annuities Distributors, Inc. (“PAD”), Shelton, CT (main office)”.
Deal 3047
MJ Settlements lists issuer as Allstate Life Insurance Company.
