Information - Structured Settlements

Structured settlements are structured cash payments through an annuity system that is established to compensate injury victims for their losses. Structured settlements are the other alternative payment system to a lump sum cash settlement and are set up to provide payments to you over time. Structured settlements received special legislative treatment by the U.S. Congress in 1982, as a way to make large settlements more agreeable to parties and provide certain protection to victims. Structured settlements have been around for a long time however their popularity has steadily increased over the past 6 years. In 1999 only 7% of insurance settlements that were under $7,000 were completed as structured settlements. While we don't have hard data for the current year, the number is much higher now When someone has won a structured settlement that has arisen from a lawsuit, they expect they will have to wait a year or more just to receive the money, this is not true. There are many companies available to you that exist to purchase your settlement from you. These types of companies will pay you cash in exchange for the structured settlement or any portions of your periodic settlement that is remaining. What does this mean for you? Well this essentially means that you will receive a lump sum payment from the company who will purchase your structured settlement and have the ability to use it for anything they desire rather it be paying for college, purchasing a new home, paying off debts, investing into the future, anything you desire Structured settlements are economic packages or financial agreements permitting a settlement to be paid through an income via regularly scheduled installments either for a fixed period or for the lifetime of the applicant. Because it is tailor-made for individual cases, the structured settlement may also include some immediate payment to cover special requirements Generally, a structured settlement is the result of a lawsuit, this is an agreement made between you and the responsible party that you will accept specified payments from them in a specified period of time, as a result you will release them of any liability named in your lawsuit. There are a variety of payment methods you can choose from such as annual installments that come over several years or in payouts that come every few years. Other types of structured settlements include winnings from situations where the awards are of a substantial amount such as contests or lotteries.