Should You Sell Your Structured Settlement?

The courts have just awarded you a settlement in the amount of $1.3 million dollars for injuries you sustained while using the Widget Corporation's product. However, the terms of the settlement require that Widget pay you a small amount right now, with the remaining funds to be dispersed over the next 20 years. This "structured settlement" works fine for some people, but you have medical bills that need to be paid now. What can you do about it? Answer: you can sell your structured settlement and receive additional cash now.

So, exactly what is a "structured settlement?" The Center for Justice and Democracy describes it as follows:

There are companies whose primary source of business is to purchase your structured settlement and give you a lump sum payment instead. Of course, you must pay a significant fee to gain access to money now instead of waiting. Still, it is an option for some people especially if they need the money now.

Lawsuit settlements are not the only structured settlements that you may receive. In addition, you could receive a settlement for:

When deciding whether to sell your structured settlement or not, you need to consider that your proceeds -- if taken over time -- have a tendency to be eroded by inflation. $1.3 million today could be worth half that in 20 years! In addition, you may not live long enough to receive all of the proceeds, although in most cases the remaining unclaimed funds would go to your estate as an inheritance.

So, should you cash your structured settlement in? Good question! Sit down with a calculator and determine what fees you are willing to pay and what expenses need to be addressed immediately. If you have immediate pressing needs, then contact a settlement company today for more information.

Matt Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of business, human interest, advocacy, and family issues. Please visit http://www.thearticlewriter.com for more information.

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A Structured Settlement May Be What You Need A structured settlement is usually an annuity set up for recipients of a financial award, normally due to litigation involving an injury or accident. If you are receiving periodic payments from a structured settlement or annuity, you may be interested to know that you can sell part or all of your remaining payments. Selling structured settlements is legal in all states. Accounts Receivable Factoring - A Viable Cash-flow Solution for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises The pace of change in today’s business environment is inarguably staggering. Growth of e-commerce; changes to business structures; evolving relationships; changes to funding arrangements; access to capital and its sources. All occurring at increasingly exponential rates. Fast. The fact that there is more computing power in the average notebook computer today than it took to put a man on the moon should illustrate how fast things change, and whether in senior management or a business owner you need to keep pace. Annuity Transfer - What Are The Risks Many people who know in the back of their minds that they got the possibility to transform a monthly payment or annuity long term payments into a big lump sum and by that to relieve some temporarily financial problems, or need to buy a new car or a house or help their children and so forth are tempted to exercise this process into action. Are Business Buyer Notes Profitable Like anything else, it depends on the type of business youre selling. Business buyer notes are documents secured by a business, much like a mortgage broker except there is no real estate involved. Often, personal property like cooking equipment, furniture, and office equipment obligates one individual or company to make payments, usually monthly, to another person or company. Businesses are sold without the help of bank financing; this makes it much easier for a person to buy a business with a small down payment. Because the down payment is small, most banks will not finance the remaining balance, so the seller {owner} agrees to hold a "note" on the remaining balance for the buyer. This is called seller-financing or owner-financing. The buyer then agrees to pay the seller a monthly payment. The person holding the note however does not want to wait that long to receive all the money from the business, so he or she looks for a someone to buy all or part of the note being held. Cash for Structured Settlements You may have come across innumerable advertisements promising you attractive cash returns for your structured settlement. Alternatively, there may have been companies who might have approached you to cash your structured settlements. There may be instances wherein you need the money desperately, but before selling out, study the available options carefully. You must realize that there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with cashing structured settlements.

Should You Sell Your Structured Settlement?

by Matthew Keegan