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.
recent posts
- 🔥Founder and Former CEO of 777 Partners, Joshua Wander, Pleads Guilty⚖️ to $500 Million Fraud Scheme — DOJ Confirms Double‑Pledging, Misappropriation of Structured‑Settlement Funds, and Falsified Bank Statements
- The Steering Problem Needs a Wake‑Up Call
- Companies Still Using the Incorrect Term “Secondary Market Annuity”
- Canonical: Non‑Qualified Assignment (NQA)
- ⭐ THE 18–25 GUIDE TO STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS
about
Category: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife) has remained a steady, recognizable presence.through wars, depressions, recessions, regulatory rewrites, tax changes, product cycles, and industry reinventions,
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The longevity of the life insurance company issuing structured settlement annuities and consistency of its ratings is an important consideration when you consider a structured settlement for a long term or lifetime obligation that may stretch 50 or more years into the future
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Structured Settlement Industry at “Half Time” 2019. After returning to $6 billion in production in 2018, production through Q2 2019 exceeded $3B in premium for structured settlement annuities Top 3 were MetLife, Pacific Life and Berkshire Hathaway . Prudential and USAA Life Insurance Company round out the top 5 at half time.
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MetLife, Inc. announced in January 2018 that it intends to merge two subsidiaries Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company and General American Life Insurance Company. The surviving brand will be Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, which underwrites structured settlement annuities
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Structured settlement annuities tend to be issued by largest and well capitalized insurers in the United States. 50% of the top 12 insurance holding companies in the United States include a subsidiary or subsidiaries that issue structured settlement annuities.
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In 2026, several life insurance companies provide structured settlement annuities for personal injury and related claims in New York City and surrounding counties. Key issuers include Metropolitan Life, New York Life, and Prudential. Only three companies offer annuities for structured judgments under specific legal articles due to strict provisions.
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Surplus is a Rainy Day Fund for an insurer’s Rainy Day Fund. Surplus is one indicator of an insurance company’s financial health. It gives an insurance company another source of funds, in addition to its reserves and reinsurance, if it needs to pay a higher than expected amount of claims.
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Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company became the primary underwriting company for MetLife structured settlement annuities. Metropolitan Tower Life was the successor-in-interest to Metropolitan Insurance and Annuity Company (“MIAC)”, the qualified assignment company used by MetLife structured settlements until December 1, 2004.
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This will not impact new structured settlements, which will still be issued via Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, an A+ XV life insurance company in existence since the mid 19th Century. Existing structured settlements where Metropolitan Life was the annuity issuer are not affected.
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Berkshire Hathaway was rated #4 most admired company in the world in the FORTUNE 2016 survey. Berkshire Hathaway issues structured settlement annuities through subsidiaries Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of NB, First Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company, in New York and Periodic Payment Reinsurance through National Indemnity Company.
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MetLife’s Periodic Payment Agreement helps transfer financial obligations for personal physical injury cases that can’t be assigned under IRC Section 130. The annuity serves as a qualified funding asset, meeting the exception to the “non-natural person rule” outlined in IRC 72(u)(3)(C).