Structured Settlements 4Real®Blog 2026

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.

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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.

Category: Financial Scams and Scandals

  • SEC Opens “The Rockford Files” , Thwarts Another “Structured Settlement Funding” Ponzi Scheme

    These scams victimize investors NOT tort victims who are receiving structured settlement payments as part of the settlement of their law suits. Legitimate structured settlements funded with annuities can only be placed by insurance agents who are licensed in your state. It’s easy to verify.

  • Ohio “Investment Advisor” Is One Bad “Apple”

    One of Patrick Hindert's neighbors to the North is going "up the river". William R. Appleton, II, the "bad apple" former insurance agent from Maineville, Ohio pulled a "mini Madoff" on unsuspecting victims, posing as an investment advisor and  convincing his insurance clients to invest, then placed the investments in his own personal accounts, paid…

  • When Even “CDs” Aren’t Safe

    The global financial crisis that has decimated stock portfolios and real estate has seen people flocking to safer alternatives. Among those "safer alternatives"…Bank CDs. From some unlucky Texans and others who invested in CDs with Stanford International Bank that illusion may be shattering. The Securities Exchange Commission ("SEC") has accused Stanford International Bank and its…

  • Madoff Ponzi Scheme and Structured Settlements. Any Exposure?

    Bernie Madoff appears destined to die in jail, the reporting of the fraud in the financial press is likely to cause some confusion. Therefore 4structures.com, LLC has done a brief structured settlement survey of structured settlement annuity issuers for official statements on their Madoff exposure, if any.

  • Avoid Ken Nakamura Phishery!

    Portland Oregon’s Ken Nakamura appears to have his bait and tackle out in a big phishing scam. Nakamura is major domo of a website called "giveusallyourmoney.com", according to Whois records. Download givemeallyourmoney.com whois.pdf The site giveusallyournmoney.com is nothing more than an unsecure form which asks for your name, your card number, the expiration date and…

  • Year of “Flabbergasting Financial Criminality”

    Page Six Magazine referred to 2008 as "a Year of Flabbergasting Financial Criminality" A historical swindler's gallery that includes Bernard Madoff, Marcus Schrenker,Arthur Nadel,Richard S. Piccoli and Gen-See Corporation,Norman Hsu, Lou Pearlman a/k/a "Big Poppa",Charles Ponzi,William Miller a/k/a "520%",Dana Giacchetto, Raffaello Follieri, Alberto Vilar shows that even the rich and sophisticated are susceptible to dissipation…

  • Hedge Fund Crook’s “Bear-er Bombs” Raise $1.7M at Auction

    Given that the bear is a simple of pessimism, cynicism and a downward sliding market, one wonders why more weren’t clued into the inconsistency of Greenwood’s “bull”ish pitch. Fortunately the media has resisted the urge to label this hood another “mini Madoff”