Litigation

Today we ask some frank questions of Society of Settlement Planners Board of Directors members Rhonda Bentzen that are in the public interest. 

Subj: SSP Board of Directors Date: 06/10/2010 11:22:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: structures To: rbentzen@comcast.net

1. What is your vision for factoring in 2010 and beyond?
2. What is the SSP's vision for factoring for 2010 and beyond?
3. Do you believe that in force structured settlements make an attractive investment option for tort victims and/or personal injury attorneys in the current market?
4. What percentage of structured settlement brokers and settlement planners that you work with currently take a referral fee from you for structured settlement factoring transactions? If the number is lower than the 90% that you published on December 12, 2007 then please share your thoughts as to why the percentage is lower.
5. Without identifying anyone specifically, are there any primary market general agents who are members of NSSTA or SSP currently taking a referral fee from you with respect to their agents, employees or contractor's referrals?
6. Do you believe that the SSP and NSSTA should allow factoring companies to be members? If so why? If not, why not?
7. Do you believe that your being the sole factoring industry member of a settlement planning trade association represents a conflict of interest? Please explain your answer.
8. Do you believe that the life insurance companies currently writing structures can purchase payment rights from their own annuitants at a cheaper cost of money than the rest of the secondary market?
9. On March 14, 2008 you stated "A price is just a price - one that any self-serving individual could claim to have the best of, especially when quoting it to someone who doesn?t truly understand the ins and outs of the business.  It?s what comes with that price that makes it all make sense in the end".  Obviously you cannot win every deal but the recent deal where you were beaten by 50% offered to the annuitant raises an eyebrow. How is it that you offered $80,000 and another company was able to offer $120,000?  Using your own credo that is still posted on your blog,  I'm aware that the winning bid embodied an 8.8% effective discount rate compared to an estimated 17.2-17.5% that you offered. What value would you have offered to the structured settlement broker's annuitant to justify paying $40,000 less cash?
10. Are you in favor of a business standard for the structured settlement purchasing industry that includes licensure in each state that a member does business? If not, why not?
11. On a lighter note, what theme song do you think is best for Joe McCarthy?