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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Category: Structured Settlement Watchdog®
John Darer’s popular watchdog commentary is an effective counter measure to misinformation, whether the misinfornation has been generated thrirough intention or ignorance and also calls out and highlights unethical practices in the structured settlement secondary market and provides valuable insights for attorneys, plaintiffs, defendants, claims adjusters, judges, investigative reporters, buyers and sellers of structured settlement receivables, lawmakers, law enforcement, attorneys general, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the FTC, consumer and disability advocates, and others.
The content is impactful, engaging, and widely regarded, with over 1.5 million page views. on Structured Settlements 4Real alone. On October 1, 2025, The Structured Settlements 4Real blog recently transitioned from the Typepad platform to WordPress after 20 years.
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A mailing list marketer, using the email address Todd.Edborgmarketinglist@gmail.com, has targeted NSSTA members, trying to sell them the names of people they already know—because nothing says “innovative marketing” like charging you for your own address book. NSSTA members are going to pay to get lists of people they already know? “From: todd.edborg <todd.edborgmarketinglist@gmail.com>Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2026…
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The article discusses the ongoing mislabeling of structured settlement receivables as “secondary market annuities” (SMAs) by Hersch Stern and Todd Lesk. While Stern operates a legitimate primary-market business, his terminology remains inaccurate. The persistent misrepresentation risks misleading consumers about their legal rights and protections, particularly as these receivables are not true annuities.
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SmartAsset does a lot of good work. Their calculators, guides, and tools help millions of people understand financial decisions that would otherwise feel opaque. This post isn’t about criticizing their mission. It’s about strengthening the ecosystem they influence. Because when a platform with SmartAsset’s reach uses terminology that insurance departments do not support, the consequences…
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If you’re receiving lifetime annuity payments or life contingent structured settlement payments, are you better off selling the structured settlement payment rights, or doing nothing and keep on receiving the guaranteed payments for life.
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In October 2024, a post revealed that a Henderson, Nevada business named “Structured Settlement” misrepresented itself as a structured settlement company instead of a collections agency. In 2025, Nevada clarified definitions of structured settlements in law, emphasizing their distinction from collections, ensuring consumer understanding of this regulated financial term.
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Insurers are not planning to increase private-asset exposure; they have already done so, with 88% expecting private assets to surpass 10% of portfolios within two years. This trend has been visible in filings, particularly Schedule BA, where private investments are recorded well before survey results validate them.
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MJ Settlements misrepresents its structured settlement receivables as safe, A-rated products, using misleading terms like “SSA” and “Guaranteed to Outperform.” The company fails to disclose significant risks, including long deferral periods for payments and lack of state protections, ultimately masking the true nature and credit quality of its offerings.
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The Blithering Peanut Awards™ highlight the persistent misuse of structured settlement terminology, especially the phrase “awarded a structured settlement.” This misinformation misleads consumers into misunderstanding court roles and settlement processes. The 2026 awards underscore the importance of clarity and accuracy in structured settlement discussions, especially in an era exacerbated by AI-generated content.
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Todd Lesk Permanently Barred from FINRA but Lists FINRA on LinkedIn as “Licenses and Certifications”
Todd Michael Lesk, CEO of MJ Settlements, was permanently barred from FINRA on October 6, 2023, prohibiting any affiliation with broker-dealer firms. Despite this, he continued to display invalid licenses on LinkedIn. The situation raises concerns about misrepresentation in marketing structured settlements. The blog highlights these discrepancies.
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by Structured Settlement Watchdog Is a structured settlement annuity ours, yours, or theirs? The image was captured on January 8, 2026. It is part of an online ad from a structured settlement factoring company. This ad is awkwardly placed in a news story about a fatal shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 7, 2026. The…