Litigation

Structured Attorney Fees, If You Want Tax Deferral Plan Now!

Posted on March 12, 2010
In this video structured settlement expert John Darer addresses important issues for plaintiff attorneys who would like to consider structuring their legal fees. The underlying message is if you want tax deferral start planning now.

Market for "In Force" Structured Settlements in Full Swing. Who Wins?

Posted on March 12, 2010
Judging sheerly by the volume of phone calls this author receives from investors, or representatives of investors, seeking to purchase structured settlement payment rights there is a huge demand for this type of asset. This author receives a daily update...

Justia Blawg Search Ranks Structured Settlements 4Real 26th All Time Most Popular Blawgs

Posted on March 12, 2010
Structured Settlements 4Real is on the verge of the top 25 most popular legal subject matter blogs of all time according to the Justia.com metric which ranks over 3,000 legal subject matter blogs (a/k/a "Blawgs"). As of March 12. 2010...

Rated Ages and Stuctured Settlement Annuities

Posted on March 11, 2010
In this video, John Darer and Mark Wahlstrom discuss the subject of rated ages and impaired risk underwriting as it applies to structured settlements. Attorneys, judges, plaintiffs and claims adjusters can all benefit from this podcast, which is the first...

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"Do Investors Even Recognize How Devoid The Current Financial Discourse Is of Real Analysis"

Posted on March 10, 2010
The title is ominous message for tort victims and their attorneys who rely on money managers. The quote is self explanatory. What is with investors? "Many investment professionals have developed a habit of forming expectations based on nothing more than...

Problem With Factoring Series on The Factoring Channel: Part 1 Advertising

Posted on March 09, 2010
Matt Bracy has started a potentially helpful new podcast series over on the Factoring Channel on LBN. Every two weeks Matt intends to address another subject concerning factoring, ostensibly to overcome the concerns expressed or felt by members of the...

Fortune 2010 World's Most Admired Life Insurers...Structured Annuity Issuers Take 1st, 2nd and 4th!

Posted on March 06, 2010
Life insurance companies issuing structured settlement annuities took 1st, 2nd and 4th in the annual FORTUNE list of The World's Most Admired Life and Health Insurance Companies for 2010. New York Life, Prudential Financial and MetLife deserve a hearty congratulations...

Structured Settlement Website Traffic Rankings March 2010

Posted on March 06, 2010
Which legitimate structured settlement industry websites are getting the most traffic? Three Month Trailing Top 10 Global Traffic Rank (Alexa Rank as of 03/06/2010) of Structured Settlement and Settlement Planning Industry websites* (+ or- traffic from 02/10/2010 report)...

Settlement Industry's Moral Issues "Trivial and Inconsequential"? Rhonda Bentzen

Posted on March 05, 2010
This morning I received a follow up call from an industry colleague seeking help in dealing with a plaintiff attorney who was concerned about structuring his client's settlement because of fear that the settlement would later be factored. Then someone...

Financial Literacy Lessons of 2010-4 -Lifetime Annuity for Structured Settlement

Posted on March 05, 2010
A Milwaukee Wisconsin structured settlement consultant bullet points that "only annuities can pay out for a lifetime" in an online sales presentation about structured settlements. Is this true or just "cheesehead whiz"? Structured Settlement Watchdog on undercover assignment Here we...

Standards for NSSTA Board of Directors and New Leadership

Posted on March 03, 2010
The National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA) is currently seeking nominations for the 2010-2011 Board of Directors. Voting will take place at the NSSTA Annual Meeting at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC in early May 2010. Accompanying the request...

Ratings of Structured Settlement Company Pacific Life and Annuity Affirmed by Moodys and S&P

Posted on March 03, 2010
The third party financial ratings of Pacific Life Insurance Company and Pacific Life & Annuity Company were recently affirmed by Moody's and Standard & Poor's. Pacific Life and Annuity Company is a structured settlement annuity issuer and one of the....

"Is a structured settlement viewed as income?"

Posted on March 01, 2010
The above question was posed by someone in an internet search earlier today and the answer is that while the payments from a structured settlement viewed as income, such income is exempt from income taxes. A definition of income is...

S2KM Exposes "Spotted Dick"

Posted on March 01, 2010
"Spotted Dick" a steamed "sue it" pudding containing a dried fruit (single claimant 468B QSF)... Well if it wasn't obvious before. it is obvious now that "The Dick" has spots. Today Beyond Structured Settlements March 1, 2010 (Dick) Risk offered...

"Steamed Dumb-plings" From Nashville

Posted on March 01, 2010
Earlier today I reached out to factoring broker Rhonda Bentzen with a request and a follow up to the ongoing questions that she refuses to answer. "Dear Ms. Bentzen: Please remove the link in the "Blogs of Interest" section in...

Settlement Planners Rebuffed in Attempt to Waste Tax Payers' Time at Treasury Hearing

Posted on February 24, 2010
As expected the Treasury Panel presiding over yesterday's IRC 104(a)(2 hearing) pushed back interlopers Jack Meligan and Dick Risk by informing them them that the hearing WAS NOT the forum to argue IRC 468B single claimant qualified settlement funds. Meligan...

Why Is NYSTLA Dissing Partners for Justice? Have NYSTLA Members Considered the Potential Damage to The Partners Program?

Posted on February 23, 2010
Many members of the New York State Trial Lawyer Association Partnership For Justice are abuzz over a letter sent last week to NYSTLA members by outgoing NYSTLA President, Buffalo attorney Richard S. Binko, all but using his position as President...

Ex-Manager's Effort to Shake Down Peachtree Doesn't Bear Fruit

Posted on February 22, 2010
The Palm Beach County "financial cess pool" has churned out a new piece of notoriety. This time former Peachtree Settlement Funding "manager", Christian Palombi, 40, of 3-D West Gate Lane, Boynton Beach, was arrested and charged with one count of...

Structured Settlement Industry Urban Legends-1

Posted on February 22, 2010
This is the first part in an ongoing series about the Urban Legends of Structured Settlement primar6y and secondary markets. CLAIM: "My credentials... Certified Structured Settlement Consultant (CSSC) specializing in designing safe and secure investment vehicles for injury victims who...

20 US Bank Failures in 2010

Posted on February 21, 2010
Federal regulators closed 4 more banks on February 19, 2010 bringing the year's total to 20. There were 140 bank failures last year, the highest annual number of failures since 1992, when the country was at the height of the...

Beware EPTL 5-4.6 Wrongful Death Legal Malpractice Trap in New York

Posted on February 21, 2010
The New York State legislature amended EPTL 5-4.6 in 2005, to create a mechanism pursuant to which the lawyer representing a plaintiff in a wrongful death case may have the Supreme Court order the settlement sum be paid into the...

Financial Literacy Moments of 2010-3 Federal Tax Rules Concering Structured Settlements and Qualified Assignments

Posted on February 21, 2010
The following question appears in a page of frequently asked questions about structured settlements on a major structured settlement industry website. Unfortunately the answer is incomplete. THE QUESTION: "What OTHER federal tax rules govern the use of structured settlements and...

Do Meligan and Babener Actions Now Reveal a level of Panic Over Single Claimant 468B?

Posted on February 20, 2010
This author submits that certain settlement planners thought that Treasury guidance on the Single Claimant 468B qualified settlement fund was a forgone conclusion given that it was on the Priority Guidance plan for so many years. Then it was omitted....

What's Going on With S2KM Limited?

Posted on February 20, 2010
Where in the world is S2KM? Does the alter ego of Patrick Hindert still exist? Hindert's blog "Beyond Structured Settlements" still has occasional posts although in recent times those have been authored by NYU 3L Jeremy Babener as contributing author...

"Voulez Vous Fac-Tor Avec Moi Ce Soir?"

Posted on February 19, 2010
It's a fine day in the blogosphere, the "whinge meter" is whirring up and it's a good day for a song to needle Rhonda Bentzen for defiling the settlement industry with 16 links to steamy Japanese porn sites (as of...

Financial Iliteracy Is a Disease. Fortunately It's Curable!

Posted on February 18, 2010
In this video John Darer discusses the need for greater financial literacy in the structured settlement industry and settlement planning profession as the level of gaffes has risen.

What Is A Settlement Factoring Exchange?

Posted on February 18, 2010
In this video John Darer interviews Andrew Cravenho of the Settlement Quotes, LLC Factoring Exchange. Viewers can learn about this viable alternative to going to the "usual suspects". If your clients have exhausted all other financing alternatives and have no...

Federal Reserve Raises Discount Rate .25%

Posted on February 18, 2010
The move today of the Fed to raise the discount rate after markets closed has seen the yields on key bonds increase. 10 year Bond 2/18/2010 3.801% 30 Year Bond 2/18/2010 4.733% There is still a way to go but...

Settlement Planners Who Solicit You Based on Outdated Information

Posted on February 18, 2010
In this video John Darer pokes fun at a settlement industry phenomenon where certain settlement planners and structured settlement brokers use outdated information to support their case of alleged bad business practices.

Jack Meligan 468B Rant on LBN

Posted on February 18, 2010
Jack Meligan, Co-Founder of Settlement Professionals, Inc. and the founding President of The Society of Settlement Planners was up on his soap box in a video posted on LBN earlier today. In a video podcast entitled "Treasury Hearings on 104(a)(2)"...

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