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: Life Insurance

  • Life Insurance Policy Contestable Period is a Protection Against Fraud

    The contestable period on a life insurance policy is designed to protect the insurance company and policyholders (in the case of a mutual company) or stockholders (in the event of a stock company) from material misrepresentation and frauds. The actuaries of the insurance company sets its premiums in good faith relying on the truthful recording…

  • Life Insurer Capital and Surplus Reductions A No Go-NAIC

    The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), representing insurance regulators in all U.S. states and territories, reached a decision last Thursday after nearly three months of deliberation NOT  to LOOSEN life insurers’ capital and surplus requirements. State insurance regulators use time-tested tools to protect consumers and help maintain a solvent and competitive marketplace,” NAIC President Roger Sevigny (of…

  • Life Insurance for Impaired Risks

    by John Darer CLU ChFC MSSC CeFT RSP CLTC There are a variety of reasons that life insurance maybe a good purchase by or for the benefit of tort victims and their attorneys. Some of these include: Life insurance on parents (or grand parents) who provide care giving services and/or support can provide an immediate…

  • A Federal Charter For Life Insurance Regulation Inevitable?

    The state insurance commissioners have created the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission to allow insurers to file products under uniform standards, allowing products to be sold in all member states.

  • Life Insurance When You’ve Got Medical Problems

    Life insurance may be an important element of a settlement plan for personal injury recovery management when recovery involves a minor child or incapacitated adult, particularly if the parents are the primary caregivers. Life insurance can be used to finance the cost of a replacement caregiver, or someone who will replace certain services that are…

  • Weathering Tough Financial Times-The Long Term Costs of Quick Cash

    “Rising fuel and food prices, declines in the housing market, volatility in the financial markets, an ever-tightening credit crunch…– they’re all creating unexpected financial challenges for many Americans,  But tough financial times don’t necessarily justify resorting to risky ways to make ends meet.” Mary Schapiro CEO Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") Weathering Tough Financial Times-The…

  • Life Settlements vs. Structured Settlements!

    A website appearing high on search engine results, called the Structured Settlements Guide, is bloody useless, in my opinion. What purports to be an "on line informational guide to structured settlements" simply isn’t. Today’s Google alert on structured settlments informs us of its piece on "cash for life insurance". To clear up any confusion caused…

  • Life Insurance In Personal Injury Settlement Planning

    Life insurance may be an important element of a settlement plan when the settlement involves a minor child or incapacitated adult, particularly if the parents are the primary caregivers.

  • If They Claim To Offer Liquidity Then Why Are They Still CHaracterizing Such Assets as Illiquid…And Other JG Wentworth Fallacies

    JG Wentworth issued a press release the other day that highlights the inconsistency of its message. JG Wentworth claims that it is the oldest and most respected buyer of deferred payments for "illiquid assets" such as structured settlements, annuities and through its dedicated subsidiary, life insurance payments. If JG Wentworth and other companies offer liquidity…

  • Re-Finance Your Term Insurance!

    Mandatory switch of mortality tables to the 2001 Commissioners Standard Ordinary (CSO) as of January 2009. 1980s tables were used previouly and there have been improvements in mortality along the way.