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: Structured Settlements 101
A clear, foundational introduction to structured settlements — what they are, how they work, why they exist, and how they fit into the broader ecosystem of settlement planning, annuity funding, financial security, and claimant protection. This category distills essential concepts for attorneys, claimants, adjusters, and financial professionals, combining straight‑facts education with the watchdog‑style clarity and humor your readers expect.
It covers:
What structured settlements are and how they provide long‑term financial security for injury victims and litigants.
How structured settlements work, including diagrams, flow charts, and explanations of the process from settlement negotiation to annuity funding.
Types of structured settlement payments, rate lock‑ins, IRR comparisons, taxable‑equivalent yield charts, and other financial literacy tools.
The role of annuity companies, including financial ratings, issuer lists, and market performance data from major carriers such as MetLife, Prudential, New York Life, Pacific Life, Symetra, and others.
Industry best practices, regulatory considerations, advertising ethics, and common pitfalls — including improper credentials, misleading marketing, and compliance issues.
Historical and market context, including production data, insurer rankings, and long‑term financial stability indicators.
This category serves as the definitive starting point for anyone seeking a reliable, fact‑checked, and professionally grounded understanding of structured settlements — without the misinformation, hype, or “cash‑now” noise that pollutes the web.
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Structured settlements are commonly used to pay damages for personal physical injury or physical sickness, wrongful death, or claims pursuant workers compensation statute. IRC 104(a)(1) and IRC 104(a)(2) provide exemptions for income paid for such types of damages..
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A sell structured settlement transaction IS NOT recommended UNLESS you have a well defined essential need and have exhausted all other sources to raise cash. Speak to a credentialed financial professional well versed in structured settlements and your lawyer for guidance
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Period Certain in an annuity, means the number of years that the payments will be paid regardless of whether or not the payee of the structured settlement annuity (or retirement annuity) survives the entire payment schedule.
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A qualified assignment is a transfer of a contractual obligation to make future periodic payments under a settlement agreement, which satisfies the requirements of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 130.
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Constructive receipt can affect the ability to do a structured settlement. Find out why in this informative video
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Be careful how you use the word “guarantee” when expressing structured settlement payments in settlement agreements, qualified assignments, or sales presentations.
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Structured settlement lock-ins enable settling parties to fix benefits that are being submitted for Court approval, where the court approval process make take months and where the Court needs to see actual not hypothetical benefits. A judge can approve benefits without the fear that they are no longer available
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Structured Settlements } How They Work. Check out this structured settlement flow chart which helps explain how a structured settlement works when a structured settlement is funded with one or more structured annuities.
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A structured settlement annuity is a “longevity insurance” product that provides one or more fully customizable payment streams set forth in the terms of a settlement agreement and release.
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DealFlow Media’s writers and editors will have to bone up on the reality that you cannot be awarded a structured settlement. A Court, jury or arbitration panel makes awards. A structured settlement is created as part of a compromise- “a meeting of the minds”. That’s why it’s called a settlement!