Structured Settlements Offer Advantages over Lump-Sum Payments

A structured settlement, which offers injury victims cash payments through a long-term annuity as compensation for their damages and medical expenses, offer a number of possible advantages over payment in a lump sum. While the lump sum payment is the traditional way for responsible parties to pay accident claims, the structured settlement offers payments over the span of an agreed-upon period of time. This length of time may span from several years up to the remainder of the life of the injured party, depending on the severity of the accident, the amount of money involved, and the agreement reached between the two parties.

Depending on the specific circumstances of the case, structured settlements can have numerous advantages over a lump-sum payment:

<LI>They are tax free. Thanks to a 1982 change in the Federal tax code, payments on a structured settlement are free of state and Federal taxes. The paying party funds the settlement through the purchase of an annuity which earns the interest to fund the continued payments. This is not the case with a lump-sum payment, which the injured party must invest themselves. Any interest earned on those investments are taxable.</LI>

<LI>They are potentially safer. Most people who come into a large sum of money suddenly find that they are quite popular with long-lost relatives, unscrupulous purveyors of investment schemes, and good, old-fashioned thieves. By receiving payments in substantially smaller amounts, the beneficiaries of a structured settlement have far fewer worries about having others take advantage of them, which could leave them both poor and without adequate medical care.</LI>

<LI>They are simply less trouble. Its difficult enough to adjust to changes in your life if you are seriously injured without having to also take the new responsibility of investing and managing a large sum of money. Not only must you invest the money, but you must invest it wisely, knowing that it must continue to fund your living and/or health care expenses. The regular payments of a structured settlement, along with their tax-free status, simplify day to day living considerably.</LI>

While they are not ideal for everyone, particularly those who are experienced investors or those who need a large sum of money at once for immediate medical expenses or the purchase of a home, structured settlements can offer a simpler, safer payment solution for many people who are victims of an accident or injury.

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A Structured Settlement May Be What You Need A structured settlement is usually an annuity set up for recipients of a financial award, normally due to litigation involving an injury or accident. If you are receiving periodic payments from a structured settlement or annuity, you may be interested to know that you can sell part or all of your remaining payments. Selling structured settlements is legal in all states. Accounts Receivable Factoring - A Viable Cash-flow Solution for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises The pace of change in today’s business environment is inarguably staggering. Growth of e-commerce; changes to business structures; evolving relationships; changes to funding arrangements; access to capital and its sources. All occurring at increasingly exponential rates. Fast. The fact that there is more computing power in the average notebook computer today than it took to put a man on the moon should illustrate how fast things change, and whether in senior management or a business owner you need to keep pace. Annuity Transfer - What Are The Risks Many people who know in the back of their minds that they got the possibility to transform a monthly payment or annuity long term payments into a big lump sum and by that to relieve some temporarily financial problems, or need to buy a new car or a house or help their children and so forth are tempted to exercise this process into action. Are Business Buyer Notes Profitable Like anything else, it depends on the type of business youre selling. Business buyer notes are documents secured by a business, much like a mortgage broker except there is no real estate involved. Often, personal property like cooking equipment, furniture, and office equipment obligates one individual or company to make payments, usually monthly, to another person or company. Businesses are sold without the help of bank financing; this makes it much easier for a person to buy a business with a small down payment. Because the down payment is small, most banks will not finance the remaining balance, so the seller {owner} agrees to hold a "note" on the remaining balance for the buyer. This is called seller-financing or owner-financing. The buyer then agrees to pay the seller a monthly payment. The person holding the note however does not want to wait that long to receive all the money from the business, so he or she looks for a someone to buy all or part of the note being held. Cash for Structured Settlements You may have come across innumerable advertisements promising you attractive cash returns for your structured settlement. Alternatively, there may have been companies who might have approached you to cash your structured settlements. There may be instances wherein you need the money desperately, but before selling out, study the available options carefully. You must realize that there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with cashing structured settlements.

Structured Settlements Offer Advantages over Lump-Sum Payments

by Charles Essmeier