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: Structured Attorney Fees

  • Structured Attorney Fees Require Careful Advance Planning

    Proper planning must be undertaken in advance if intend to structure attorney fees. Delaying until the last minute may unnecessarily heighten the risk of not achieving the desired tax outcome

  • New Non Qualified Assignment Facility from Pruco

    More details have emerged concerning Pruco Assignment Corporation, a partnership with which enables Prudential Financial, through us and other appointed structured settlement brokers, to offer non qualified assignments. As I announced in my post about Pruco late Friday afternoon more details would be forthcoming and here they are: Like the NABCO (Allstate) and BARCO (Liberty) facilities,…

  • Prudential Announces Non Qualified Assignment Facility

    Prudential Financial has partnered with Pruco Assignment Corporation to offer services for Non-Qualified Assignments and Structured Settlements, effective April 28, 2006. This new facility will handle assignments in various cases, expanding beyond existing providers. More details will be announced next week, emphasizing the need for licensed insurance producers for obtaining services.

  • Would You Like Guaranteed or Volatile With That Settlement?

    by John Darer CLU ChFC MSSC CeFT RSP CLTC This OR This To Structure or Not to Structure? “To structure or not to structure”—that is the question that frequently stirs the thoughts of claimants, plaintiffs, and the legal counsel or advisers guiding them as a lawsuit approaches its conclusion. Generally a structured settlement for children,…

  • Short Term Structured Settlements Increasingly Attractive

    Short term structured settlements are becoming increasingly attractive due to rising short term rates. Consider these figures: April 11, 2003 compared to March 31, 2006 1 Year T Bill      1.25%  v   4.82% 5 Year T Bond    2.92% v   4.72% Source: Federal Reserve H15 data Certain transactions which might have been less attractive a…

  • The National Savings Rate- A Very Sobering Statistic

    Fast Fact: The Commerce Department reports that the the national savings rate for 2005 was a pathetic -0.5%. Despite what people are telling you, "they ain’t gettin’ it done". The urge to spend is strong and the excuses not to save can be numerous. Gregory Bresiger highlights the national savings problem in Sunday’s New York…

  • Structured Attorney Fees Could Help New York Attorneys Mitigate Effect of “Millionaire Tax”

    Structuring attorney fees, if done properly, affords an excellent tax deferral opportunity for personal injury lawyer and other high earners in the legal profession who earn contingency fees. The value of the tax deferral opportunity increases with a higher tax rate.

  • Structured Attorney Fees to Defer Income and “Day After Tomorrow” Loans

    A number of companies have introduced innovative programs for lawyers whereby the lawyer structures his/her/its legal fees for income deferral and and then takes out a loan purportedly secured by the same structured legal fees.

  • How Do Lawyers Get Paid in Structured Settlements?

    Lawyers should check their retainer agreements to be sure that the retainer agreement expressly speaks to how the fee is calculated in the event the plaintiff accepts a structured settlement as part of the resolution of their case. The retainer agreement should also address the issue concerning the structuring of attorneys fees.

  • Prudential “Rock Blocks” Structures From SIngle Claimant QSFs, including Structured Attorney Fees

    The next time you get a piece of The Rock, it won’t include a single claimant qualified settlement fund. Prudential Insurance Company of America dealt a blow to promoters when it announced that it will no longer write structured settlement annuities stemming from single claimant qualified settlement funds (“QSF”)