Litigation

Canada Unveils "Canadian Life Insurers Assurance Facility"

Posted on May 25, 2009
Reuters reports that Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty unveiled details of an assistance facility for the country's life insurers aimed at ensuring the firms have access to the funds they need if credit markets seize up. The Canadian Life Insurers...

Sheiks To Help Fund Structured Settlement Cash Outs?

Posted on May 25, 2009
Andrew Savysky and Michael Asseff, principals of cash now pusher Structured Asset Funding (and Bentzen Funding Solutions) are listed on a website as "Investors/Issuers at the now canceled October 2009 Middle Eastern Distressed Credit Investment Conference in Dubai...

Structured Settlement Blog's Search Engine Rankings Hit New Low In Spam Comments

Posted on May 24, 2009
Patrick Hindert's recent post Spencer v Hartford 3 contains a comment from real estate lawyer, Lucas Law Center that "at first blush" adds credibility to the post. Download Lucas Law Center comment on Beyond Structured Settlements 5-2-2009.. Heck an endorsement...

Structured Settlement Websites...Alexa Traffic Rankings May 2009

Posted on May 24, 2009
Three Month Trailing Top 10 Traffic Rank (Alexa Rank as of 05/24/2009) of Structured Settlement and Settlement Planning Industry websites* (+ or- traffic from 04/24/2009 report). Lower number means more traffic (e.g. Google.com is ranked 1 in the overall scheme)...

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"Cash Now Pusher" States That "Chain Of Brokers Take Cut out of YOUR money!"

Posted on May 22, 2009
As if it was bad enough to have absolute proof that Bentzen is locked at the hip with a "cash now pusher" Structured Asset Funding we now have a competitor who imply that the kick back to structured settlement broker...

Inflation...It's Coming Says Philly FRB President

Posted on May 22, 2009
Bloomberg reports that Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser said prices may rise 2.5 percent in 2011, a rate well above central bankers? preferred range, and cautioned against complacency on inflation. ?The economy may be at greater risk...

Banks Assessed Emergency Fee by FDIC To Replenish Reserves

Posted on May 22, 2009
Bloomberg reports that U.S. banks will pay an emergency fee based on their assets to rebuild the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.?s reserves, putting a greater burden on large banks to replenish the fund amid the fastest pace of failures in...

Hindert Mum On JG Wentworth Bust

Posted on May 21, 2009
Pardon me for being sophomoric but can't stop giggling about this headline long enough to write a post. You get the drift.

The Great Thing About Structured Settlements From The US Department of Justice

Posted on May 21, 2009
Structured settlements created as part of claims resolved through The United States Department of Justice structured settlement program represent perhaps the only annuity based structured settlements that are factor proof. Lawyers for tort victims contemplating a settlement with the United...

What JG Wentworth Leaves in Its Wake

Posted on May 21, 2009
How ironic that the doofy JG Wentworth commercials win an advertising award the same week that it goes bust. In court documents In re: JGW Holdco LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 09-11731, J.G. Wentworth said that tightness...

Another "Bernie" in New York City legal settlement "Ponzi"

Posted on May 21, 2009
The New York County District Attorneys Office says that its investigation revealed that Marc A. Bernstein ("Bernie"), a 54 year old personal injury lawyer with Bernstein & Bernstein, LLP 330 East 33rd Street New York, NY 10016, "engaged in a...

Four More Years! Temporary FDIC Limits Extended! FDIC Can Borrow 3X More

Posted on May 21, 2009
On Wednesday the Senate passed Bill S.896 to prevent mortgage foreclosures and enhance mortgage credit availability. One of the provisions of this bill is the extension of the FDIC's $250,000 deposit insurance limit. The bill extends the temporary $250,000 limit...

JG Wentworth, in Bankruptcy, Offers Advice To Bankruptcy Trustees...Oh The Irony!

Posted on May 20, 2009
Yes it's true...in Reuters today!

Thought "Bleeder"JG Wentworth, in Bankruptcy, Offers Advice To Bankruptcy Trustees...Oh The Irony!

Posted on May 20, 2009
Yes it's true...in Reuters today!

Structured Settlement Industry Has Parallels To Boxing and Wrestling Industry

Posted on May 19, 2009
One of my colleagues says he was surprised to learned that the structured settlement industry was becoming like boxing in the old days. We have NSSTA, SSP and now NSSTO per Settlement Partners' Carola Davis whose email signature states "Member...

J.G. Wentworth Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Posted on May 19, 2009
J.G. Wentworth, the nation?s leading "cash now pusher" announced that three of its non-operating parent holding company level affiliates ? JGW Holdco, LLC, J.G. Wentworth LLC, and J.G. Wentworth, Inc., -- have filed a voluntary reorganization plan under Chapter 11...

Just When You Thought You Could Count on Social Security

Posted on May 18, 2009
The trustees of the Social Security system reported that the retirement trust fund will be exhausted in 2037, four years sooner than was the case just one year ago. Plaintiffs, their lawyers and frankly, the rest of us, should plan...

Disability Insurance is Critical Defensive Financial Planning

Posted on May 18, 2009
A new study released May 18, 2009 by the LIFE Foundation and America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). looks at the consequences facing individuals who become disabled and can't work, and the level to which various types of disability income protection...

Lawyers Who Moonlight as Structured Settlement Experts

Posted on May 18, 2009
You have to love the "locker room" banter you're starting to hear from handful of lawyers who are moonlighting as structured settlement experts. "Swinging it around" to measure up as structured settlement experts by advertising the "size" of their experience...

Hartford To Keep Life Insurance Business- Dow Jones

Posted on May 18, 2009
Just days after it was approved for $3.4 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), The Hartford has announced that it WILL NOT BE SELLING its life insurance business. The last few months had brought rampant speculation that Hartford...

New York Life Chief Investment Officer Says No Need For TARP

Posted on May 16, 2009
Gary Wendlandt , chief investment officer and vice chairman of New York Life Insurance Company, said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswire on Friday May 15, 2009 that, with more than $12 billion in surplus capital at the end...

Rapid Settlements "Bootleg" Results in a "Sack" By The Fifth Circuit

Posted on May 16, 2009
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a District Court ruling in "concluding that a sham arbitration cannot be used as a device to being about an unlawful (structured settlement) transfer." The Court rejected yet another attempt by Rapid Settlements...

NSSTA and SSP Leadership Asked to Address Servicing of Structured Settlement Payments by Factoring Companies

Posted on May 16, 2009
The following letter has been sent to NSSTA leadership by this author: "As you may be aware a number of annuity issuers/assignees are permitting factoring companies to "service" the annuity issuer/assignee's structured settlement obligations. The arrangement starts off with the...

Strucured Investment Vehicle IS NOT a Structured Settlement

Posted on May 15, 2009
In the last few months we've encountered a number of people, fortunately small) who have become confused by the term "structured investment vehicle" to the degree that they believe it has something to do with the term structured settlement. Rest...

Structuring Celebrity Endorsement Fees

Posted on May 15, 2009
Attention Singers/Songwriters Actors/Actresses Comedians Famous Personalities and "Celebutards" If you are having a good year financially and anticipate endorsement fees that only add to this year's tax bill? A long term financial planning opportunity providing potential relief for celebrities of...

Bentzen Funding Apology Letter ...From "Cash Now Pusher" Structured Asset Funding President!

Posted on May 15, 2009
The saga of "the Connecticut woman" continues. Background The woman lost an eye just over 2 years ago and filed suit against a defendant. The matter was settled in August 2008 and a large structured settlement funding with an annuity...

Structured Investment Vehicle IS NOT a Structured Settlement

Posted on May 15, 2009
In the last few months we've encountered a number of people (fortunately small) who have become confused by the term "structured investment vehicle" to the degree that they believe it has something to do with the term structured settlement. Rest...

Hartford and Prudential preliminary approval for TARP-Wall Street Journal

Posted on May 14, 2009
A Wall Street Journal email blast is reporting that Hartford Financial, Prudential Financial, Lincoln National and Principal Financial have received preliminary approval from the Treasury Department to receive funds from its Troubled Asset Relief Program.

EPS Attempts To Trademark "The Structured Settlements Company"

Posted on May 13, 2009
EPS Settlements Group has opportunistically attempted to register the stand alone words "The Structured Settlements Company" as a service mark. On February 9, 2009 the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a refusal based on Trademark Act Section 2(e)(1),...

Would you take Settlement Planning Advice from this "Hoodie"?

Posted on May 13, 2009
Structured settlement financial advice has hit skid row by way of the Sirigao Phillipines. I Valnaz (who uses the above image in his Blogspot profile) has picked up where his compatriot mommy bloggers have left off with spam blog about...

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