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 Settlement COLA

Structured Settlement COLA is a fixed COLA standand for Cost of Living Adjustment for structured setlement annuities, not a soft drink, not a competitor of Coke, Pepsi or Inca Cola. What some structured settlement consultants and others refer to as a cost of living adjustment is really a FIXED escalator not tied to the CPI index.

  • Structured Settlements | Comparing Index Linked vs COLA vs Level Payments

    A structured settlement can be paid to plaintiffs, attorneys or law firms structuring legal fees, in several different ways: index linked, a standard fixed annual increase, or level payments. What should you do?

  • Structured Settlement “COLA” | Structured Settlement Inflation

    Structured Settlement “COLA” | Structured Settlement Inflation

    Adding a “COLA” to your structured settlement means sacrificing soime structured settlement payments today with an eye to ultimately have more payments in the future. What some structured settlement consultants refer to as a COLA is really a fixed, such as 2%, 3%, or more, or linked to an index,

  • Getting “PSSI” in the Name of Financial Literacy and Attention to Detail

    Getting “PSSI” in the Name of Financial Literacy and Attention to Detail

    The new website of John Bat’s Plaintiff Settlement Solutions Incorporated (“PSSI”, pronounced “Pissy”) is NOT one of “life’s moments that takes our breath away”. As Will Smith might have paraphrased back in the day, time to start “gettin’ pissy with it”

  • Is Structured Settlement COLA Taxable?

    Is Structured Settlement COLA Taxable?

    A Structured Settlement COLA, or Cost Of Living Adjustment, is a fixed annual increase in future payments, elected before settlement finalization. While typically non-taxable, certain scenarios—like variable income streams or taxable damages—may incur tax liabilities. Recent developments include new index-linked structured settlement options by various insurers.

  • United States Consumer Price Index Now 2.72%

    Structured Settlements 4Real blog presents a real time inflation data report feed from inflation data.com. Please check the left column of the blog. The January 15, 2010 release, reflecting December 2009 data,  shows a rate of 2.72%.. In December 2008, the inflation rate was 0.09% The period March 2009-October 2009 marked  a period of deflation,…