Litigation

J.G. Wentworth "Springs Forward" Falls Back

Posted on April 03, 2009
Is J.G. Wentworth NOW going after Jerry Springer's audience with a new commercial send up that involves a talk show host and a bunch of loonies chanting like chimpanzees that they want their money now?

FTC to Clamp Down on Dubious Product Statements on Social Media

Posted on April 03, 2009
Advertisers will soon face regulatory changes that some fear will curtail their efforts to tap into the fast-growing online social media phenomenon according to an article in the Financial Times on April 3, 2009 Revised guidelines on endorsements and testimonials...

J.G. Wentworth "Springs Forward" Falls Back

Posted on April 03, 2009
Is J.G. Wentworth NOW going after Jerry Springer's audience with a new commercial send up that involves a talk show host and a bunch of loonies chanting like chimpanzees that they want their money now?

FTC to Clamp Down on Dubious Product Statements on Social Media

Posted on April 03, 2009
Advertisers will soon face regulatory changes that some fear will curtail their efforts to tap into the fast-growing online social media phenomenon according to an article in the Financial Times on April 3, 2009 Revised guidelines on endorsements and testimonials...

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Tasteless Ignorants Advocate Capital Crimes in Face of Binghamton Tragedy

Posted on April 03, 2009
The tragic news today that at least twelve people are dead after a gunman went on a shooting spree inside the American Civic Center in Binghamton for the most part has been met with the outpouring of humanity, but some...

J.G. Wentworth Boo Frickety Hoo

Posted on April 02, 2009
Standard & Poor's Rating Services said yesterday that it will no longer rate J.G. Wentworth, LLC's counterparty credit and senior secured debt at J.G. Wentworth's request. S&P's announcement occurred on March 31, 2009 after Wentworth announced Deutsche Bank had extended...

National Insurance Consumer Protection Act Proposal Is Unveiled

Posted on April 02, 2009
Congress is set to reveal will reveal its first Optional Federal Insurance Charter proposal today, entitled the "National Insurance Consumer Protection Act" (NICPA), introduced by Congresswoman Melissa Bean (D-IL) and Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA). NICPA would establish a national regulator...

"Financial Crack" Dealer Now Offering FAST Cash Now

Posted on April 01, 2009
Cash Now Pusher Structured Asset Funding, who we affectionately refer to as a "financial crack dealer" due to its irresponsible promotion to the gullible of a Ferrari and a boat as reasons to sell your structured settlement payment rights. Now...

Aviva 4 Year Run at A.M. Best "A+" Over...Now "A" with Stable Outlook

Posted on April 01, 2009
The A.M. Best rating of Aviva, one of the United States' fastest growing insurance operations, has changed to A (Excellent) from A+ (Superior) effective March 12, 2009. The downgrade follows a 4 year run at A+ that stretches back to...

"Maryland Structured Settlements"... The Money Goes To Your Head!

Posted on March 30, 2009
The following appears on the web site of Maryland Structured Settlements located at www.structuredsettlementsmaryland.com: "If you sell your structured settlement to a third party that?s licensed, insured and bonded you get something that others, who sell to uninsured, unlicensed and...

Can Your Agent Legally Yap Up State Insurance Guaranty Funds in Insurance Sales Pitches?

Posted on March 30, 2009
Is there a change in New York State law afoot on the use of the state guarantee fund by an agent in a sales situation? Link to January 26, 2009 New York State Insurance Department Office of General Counsel (OGC)...

Non Qualified Structured Settlement Benefits Magnified By Tax Hikes

Posted on March 29, 2009
A deal reached in the New York State legislature will hike state income taxes by an astounding 31% for all New Yorkers making more than $500,000 a year reports Sunday's New York Post A second, slightly lower tier would increase...

Be Careful Where You Dip Your Wiki!

Posted on March 29, 2009
A wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content, using a simplified mark up language. Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites. Wikipedia is the perhaps the best...

Long Term Care Insurance Company Ratings Fumble in April 2009 Financial Planning

Posted on March 29, 2009
A fumble "at the goal line" in otherwise very good article on the financial security provided by long term care insurers in the April 2009 Financial Planning magazine (pp 48-53) leaves me scratching my head. Donald Jay Korn observes that...

New York Life Grabs Market Share in Guaranteed Lifetime Income Annuities 2008, Q1 2009 Sales Up 90%

Posted on March 29, 2009
LIMRA International U.S. Individual Annuity Sales Survey, Fixed Immediates, Fourth Quarter 2008 places New York Life Insurance Company as the number one seller of fixed immediate annuities for 2008. It was a year that New York Life exceed $1 billion....

Walking The Walk on "Sound Diversified Settlement Planning"?

Posted on March 28, 2009
I felt compelled to read Tacker LeCarpentier's February 16, 2009 article in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly after the NSSTA posted a link and "belated kudos" on its website referring to the aricel as "perceptive". After reading it I was left...

Structured Settlement Sales Jump 25% Say SFA Statistics

Posted on March 27, 2009
Speaking of structured settlements, The National Law Journal's Amanda Bronstad reports "in a sign of the economic times, value of structured settlements jumps 25%". Citing Structured Financial Associates stats, Bronstad refers to the total value of structured settlements and a...

Use of Structuring Attorney Fees Expected To Increase With Taxes

Posted on March 27, 2009
A new tax environment in the offing in New York could lead to increased use of structured attorney fees and structured settlements. Bloomberg reports that next year's budget gap may be $3 billion greater (25% more) than expected just 6...

Using Credit Card vs Selling Structured Settlement

Posted on March 26, 2009
Paid to post shill for Prosperity Partners, Brit Julie-Ann Amos states in Structured Settlements in Georgia: "It?s real easy to reach for the plastic when you don?t have the cash to pay for things. The problem with that is that...

Re Unifying Estate and Gift Tax Exemptions...Don't "Bauc" At it!

Posted on March 26, 2009
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) today introduced legislation which would make permanent many of the Estate tax cuts enacted in 2001. The bill would make permanent the estate tax levels ($3.5 million exemption/45% top rate) in effect in...

National Financial Literacy Month

Posted on March 25, 2009
April 2009 is National Financial Literacy Month in the United States. National Financial Literacy Month is an effort to highlight the importance of financial literacy and teach Americans how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits. Historically, The Jumpstart Coalition...

Everything You Need To Know About Structured Settlements?

Posted on March 25, 2009
Who didn't sneak a peek at the poorly hidden tome at the top of their parents' bookshelf at pubescence to learn "Everything That You Need To Know About Sex... But Were Afraid to Ask"? On the topic of masturbation, author...

ViaTrust Inc Laughable Misinformation on Structured Settlement Broker

Posted on March 24, 2009
Douglas Petrie of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey has outdone himself with this howler website from Via Trust Inc about Finding The Right (Structured Settlement) Broker "Selling the settlement may seem very tempting and you may think about finding a good...

Structured Settlement Websites Most Popular March 2009

Posted on March 24, 2009
Three Month Trailing Top 10 Traffic Rank (Alexa Rank as of 03/24/2009) of Structured Settlement and Settlement Planning Industry websites* (+ or- traffic from 02/25/2009 report). Lower number means more traffic (e.g. Yahoo.com is ranked 1 in the overall scheme)...

Stone Street Capital Mascot Resembles Which Teletubby? CAST NOW!

Posted on March 23, 2009
Showing its sensitive side Cash Now Pusher Stone Street Capital says: "Some people are critical of annuitants who choose to solve their financial problems by selling some of their structured settlement payments. This criticism is unfair; we should admire those...

What is A Qualified Assignment?

Posted on March 23, 2009
An assignment of obligation to make future periodic payments which satisfies the requirements of Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 130. In a structured settlement agreement the original obligor (the defendant, insurance carrier for the defendant, or the trustee of a...

Puffing Professional Credentials Is Not Cool in Houston or anywhere

Posted on March 23, 2009
On January 3, 2009 I posted Truth In Structured Settlement Advertising, SSP is Not a Professional Designation, after discovering that a veteran member of the profession was holding a trade association that he/she was not on record as being a...

AIG-"Making Informed Decisions Is More Important Than Ever"-NAIC Chief, PA Insurance Commish

Posted on March 22, 2009
In the face of continuing media and consumer confusion regarding American International Group, Inc. (AIG) and the role of state insurance regulators, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has moved to correct the information and in a published statement...

Fresno Tomahawk Chop Suey

Posted on March 20, 2009
While the Recent Appelate decisions in the Tomahawk and Ramos cases in Fresno County California represent a victory of sorts for J.G. Wentworth, in that California is not sinking into the sea as feared, Patrick Hindert ruins his own commentary...

Do Annuity Issuers Really Give a Crap About Plaintiffs?

Posted on March 20, 2009
I am going to go out on a limb with this one because I, for one, want to know how many structured annuity issuers really give a crap about plaintiffs? One can read the brochures, look at the web sites...

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