Pre-structured Settlement Loans for Auto Accident Victims

If you were involved in an auto accident and injured you may be considering or be in the middle of a lawsuit; against the person, a company or insurance provider. These types of lawsuits can take many months if not years to complete. Unless the victim choose a settlement, which usually is much lower than what is deserved. Regardless if you ride the case till the end or accept a settlement you’ll most likely be stuck with a structured settlement.

A structured settlement is basically an alternative to a large one sum payment. A pre determined amount of money is awarded to the victim and to be paid out at specific amounts over so many months or every year. This can help protect the company or person making those payments from financial ruins. However, it can add a financial burden to the victim since they cannot access all of the money at once. Resulting in negative reports on your credit history; lose of house or auto and even bankruptcy.

There are a few solutions the victim can opt for; one would be what’s called a settlement loan or pre-settlement loan. This is where the victim would actually apply for a settlement loan with a settlement loan provider in the middle of the lawsuit. They can receive money ahead of the verdict and use the cash as needed. This can be much more useful than a traditional loan since if your case is lost you don’t need to pay back the advance that was given.

Another solution would be to sell your structured settlement. This is where a company or investor would buy out your payments for one large payment. You wouldn’t receive the full amount of your structured settlement, you’ll get around 75% to 80% at best. This is a good solution if you need money now to pay off bills. However, you can only sell your structured settlement after an agreement has been made in court. If you still have a pending lawsuit you’ll have to opt for a settlement loan.

So, if you’re an auto accident victim and need cash now you just need to weight your options. You’ll be able to do one of two things; if you’re in the middle of a pending lawsuit you can apply for a pre-settlement loan. If you have a structured settlement you can opt to sell it to a 3rd party provider for a large one sum payment. Whatever you choose discuss your options with a financial advisor prior to accepting any agreements.
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What Is A Life Insurance Settlement?

As time goes on, our life circumstances change and we find ourselves needing to re-evaluate various aspects of our lives, including our financial arrangements. When it comes to taking a long hard look at our insurance coverage, we may find that a life insurance settlement is a viable option.
In brief, a life insurance settlement is a situation in which the owner of a policy determines that it is his or her best interests to sell their policy to a third party. The third party provides payment in cash to the former owner of the policy, who no longer has any claim now or in the future against the policy. Under the terms of the life insurance settlement, the third party also becomes responsible for the payment of any premiums for the remaining life of the policy.
Life insurance settlements, like any life insurance policy situation, are regulated by the insurance departments of each state. The type of regulation in life insurance settlements varies from state to state. In some instances, the state may use the term of a viatical life insurance settlement to refer to cases where the sale of the policy involves a person who is terminally ill, or one who is advanced in years. Life insurance settlements that involve circumstances other than terminal illness or persons under the age of 65 may be referred to simply as "life insurance settlements." In other states, the same term may be used to refer to just about any type of life insurance settlement, regardless of the circumstances.
There are several reasons why someone might opt for a life insurance settlement. One of the most common reasons is to pay for outstanding healthcare costs. While the person may not be terminally ill, the amount left due after health insurance has covered its share may be enough to threaten overall financial stability. In this instance, the individual is choosing a life insurance settlement as a means of avoiding financial difficulties and may at some future point purchase another life insurance policy.
Another common reason is that financial conditions have changed and the owner can no longer afford the premium. Rather than allowing the policy to lapse, the owner will choose a life insurance settlement as a means for getting some value from the years of premiums paid into the policy. As with the previous example, the individual may choose to invest in a new policy once the financial outlook has improved.
A third reason to consider a life insurance settlement would be a drastic change in the overall finances of the individual; changes that are different enough to impact the estate planning needs of the individual. As an example, unexpected influxes of cash may create a situation where the very reasons for the original purchase of the policy may no longer apply. In that instance, the owner may no longer wish to pay premiums for coverage that is now redundant at best and choose the option of a life insurance settlement as a means of amending the overall fiscal profile to reflect the new financial structure.
Not all types of life insurance policies are eligible for a life insurance settlement. Typically there is no problem with obtaining a life insurance settlement with whole life, universal life and any type of term life policy that is convertible. The amount of money that can be realized from a life insurance settlement will vary. Final payout will be based on such factors as the medical condition and age of the owner of the policy, the kind of insurance held, the level of rating of the issuing insurance company, and the amount of the premiums. It is also important to realize that a life insurance settlement is not exempt from taxes in every state. Consultation with an accountant or other financial expert will help the individual to determine any taxes that may be due.
When your life circumstances change, it is a good idea to re-evaluate your life insurance and see if a life insurance settlement is in your best interests. Article source : www.articlesbase.com

Selling Structured Settlements For Personal Injury Claims

A structured settlement is an agreement by which a party that loses a personal injury lawsuit (the actual payor is usually an insurance company) agrees to pay the judgment to the winner using payments over a period of time rather than payment in lump sum. This future income stream can if desired sold to a third party in exchange for a lump sum payment. The typical procedure is as follows (details may vary according to state law):
(1) The seller sends documentation including information about the insurance company, the amount of the settlement, and the payment plan to the potential buyer.
(2) The potential buyer makes a purchase offer.
(3) The seller (if interested) sends the potential buyer a copy of his structured settlement policy and the settlements agreement.
(4) The seller and the buyer draw up an agreement detailing the proposed transaction.
(5) The seller and the buyer submit the agreement along with an application to the court for approval.
(6) The court reviews the documentation and approves the sale as long as it determines that the transaction is in the best interests of the seller.
The entire process normally takes a few weeks.
An important point to keep in mind is that the price of a structured settlement is always less than the total value of the payments received. Time is money, and a lump sum payment is always worth more than payments over time because a dollar today is almost always worth more than a dollar tomorrow. Therefore it is important to accurately calculate what is called the "time value of money" in order to arrive at a fair price. This calculation is more mathematically precise than most people realize, and guidelines exist for this purpose. Unless you are a mathematician or an insurance actuary, it would be a good idea to seek professional assistance for this purpose. Article source : www.articlesbase.com

When To Consider Selling Your Life Insurance Policy?

A Life Insurance Policy is a personal property, like a house, car, antiques, old painting or stocks and bonds. You can sell your life insurance policy like you sell your other personal property items. Life insurance may now be viewed as a traditional asset that can be purchased or sold. Sale of Life insurance policy is called as Life insurance settlement, Life settlement or Senior settlement.
Millions of seniors are unaware of the flexible and liquefiable insurance policy, they can sell for cash. The flexibility of a Senior settlement or Life settlement permits policy owners to sell all or a portion of their life insurance policies.

When the life insurance policy owner sells own life insurance policy, he or she transfers all rights and obligations to a new owner. The purchaser of the policy will then become the new owner and the new beneficiary of the policy and is then responsible for making all of the future premium payments. The new owner now collects the full amount of the death benefit when the insured dies.
Life insurance settlements present a unique opportunity to the policy holder to extract the maximum possible value from an existing life insurance policy and repurpose those funds for whatever financial needs may exist. Many people choose this option because the cash value of a life settlement generally exceeds the surrender value that would have been paid by the life insurance policy.
Policies are sold for many different personal or business reasons. Below are some of possible reasons for considering a Life Insurance Settlement:
Personal:
1. The original purpose or need for the policy has changed or has diminished totally.
2. The Beneficiary of the policy is deceased.
3. Policy holder is chronically ill, selling current policy provides needed funds to cover financial burdens caused by illness. A Viatical settlement gives the ability to regain needed financial security.
4. Policy has not met the original illustrated values and premiums need to be increased to keep policy in force.
5. If policy holder is over the age of sixty-five, a Life settlement or Senior settlement maximizes the current assets by eliminating premiums and getting required funds that can be used today.
6. Insured person wishes to distribute the funds/ liquid assets as per his or her desire while living.
7. To make funds available for other investments like real-estate, stocks, bonds or to start a new business.
8. Divorce settlement has altered the need for life insurance.
9. Personal financial situation has gone bad and making premium payments is unaffordable.
10. Sale proceeds from Life settlements are needed to pay down loans or outstanding debt.
11. The policy owners current asset mix is weighed too heavily in life insurance.
12. A client wishes to invest in a more appropriate product, such as a lower cost survivor policy, single premium annuity for supplemental income, long term care insurance, long term care insurance or other asset protection tools.
13. A family trust has eliminated the need for personal life coverage.
14. Policy holder need to fund an alternative healthcare that present insurance does not cover.
15. Insured person has left an employer, so he or she needs to sell old group policy.
16. Policy was purchased to ensure the availability of funds to pay off a mortgage and the mortgage has been paid.
17. To take a long awaited vacation or to buy a luxury item that was never affordable.
18. When a policy is in danger of getting lapsed the policy holder can turn it into cash.
19. You can use life settlements to donate to your favorite charity or cause and feel much better about yourself knowing that you have done your part to make the world a brighter place.
Business:
1. Business owned policies those are performing below expectations.
2. Key person insurance policy is no longer required due to retirement or change in business structure.
3. A policy purchased to finance a buy/ sell agreement is no longer needed after the business has been sold.
4. Bankruptcy of business has caused liquidation of assets.
5. Deferred compensation programs in business have changed or not required.
6. If you are a corporation, selling corporate owned life insurance lets you regain back premiums paid on no longer needed policies.
Estate Planning:
1. A single life insurance policy is no longer appropriate- a survivorship policy meets the estate planning requirement and 1035 exchange is avoided.
2. If you are managing an estate, selling your current life insurance policy will help manage changes in estate size, eliminate premiums, and liquidate policies that are no longer needed.
3. A policy needs to be removed from an estate. The three year rule can be avoided by using the life settlement sales proceeds to repurchase a new policy out side the estate.
4. There is a significant reduction in size of estate due to loss of net worth and less insurance coverage is needed to fund the projected estate tax liability.
Charitable Organizations:
1. If charities can no more continue to pay premiums on gifted policies.
2. Proceeds of a Life insurance settlement could result in a larger gift to the charity organization than the policy itself.
Non-Profit Organizations:
1. If you are a non profit organization, selling a gifted life insurance policy provides funds that can be used now and also eliminates premiums.
Once a policy owner has absolutely determined that it no longer makes sense to continue holding a policy, Life insurance settlement or Life settlement may be economically advantageous relative to surrendering or letting the policy lapsed.
This innovative wealth and estate planning tool removes the burden of expensive insurance premium payments in addition to providing the lump sum cash settlement. This allows policy holders to get cash out of their life insurance policy, in an amount in excess of the cash value of policy(if any), while they are still alive. To get the highest life settlements is to improve the quality of life during your retirement years.
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A Better Way To Sell A Structured Settlement- Via Auction

Structured settlements were introduced in Canada and the United States in the 1970's. They were introduced as an alternative to lump sum payments, common in insurance settlements and lottery winnings. In the decades since, they have also been accepted as legal financial instruments in England and Australia.

The aforementioned common law countries have decided to include structured settlements in their statutory tort laws. These four countries handle tort law and the settlement packages a little bit differently, but the general overall definition applies across the board. In a nutshell, a structured settlement by legal definition is a statutory agreement to pay a specified sum of money over a period of time, on a payment system.
Payment Arrangements
When someone wins a court settlement (or if they settle the case beforehand), the insurance company often gives the winner a choice of taking a specified amount of money in a lump sum, or a bit more money if the insurance company can enter into a structured settlement arrangement.
Of course, it is in the insurance companies best interest to pay the claimant in a structured settlement, because the insurance company can earn interest, during the structured payment cycle, on the full sum of money it would have paid in a lump sum.
The insurance company wins in the profit game, when they get to enter into a structured settlement. They will be able to invest the full sum of money owed, and they get to earn interest or dividends on the money in hand during the payment period.
Structured settlements are most often paid out in the form of an annuity over a period of time. An annuity is also legally classified as a financial instrument. Once again, the financial institution will gain an additional financial advantage, because they can collect interest or earn other kinds of income on the bulk amount, during the payment period.
Annuity & Structured Settlement Buyouts
Structured Settlements for a great deal of clients are the ideal solution. Payments spread out over a period of time allow clients to balance their finances and pay bills in the years to come. Some people get their settlement payments $300, $1000 or even more each month. Sometimes they may include lump sum payments many years in the future. This is fine as long as their life is humming along and their bills are being paid.
Yet, circumstances sometimes get in the way, and people need the lump sum cash right away to solve some issue that has come up in their lives.
Because both annuities and structured payments are a legally-binding financial agreement, those items can potentially be transferred to another person under the terms of the laws that have been set up to manage these financial products. But, when faced with a serious financial crunch, some people hastily sell their annuities and structured settlements to the first company who would be willing to buy them for a lump sum amount.
These companies who are willing to buy-out annuities and structured payments are commonly referred to as "Factoring" companies, because they use "Factors" to determine how much future payments are currently worth, and how much they should buy them for.
The Standard Method of Selling A Structured Settlement - Persistence and Patience (not always used)
We have all seen the countless ads on TV from a various companies, "Get Lump Sum Cash Now." For years, people have turned to factoring companies in their time of financial need. Smart consumers will learn from the insurance companies. Have you ever been involved in a car wreck? The insurance company requires for you to get three estimates and then they will pay the company that offers them the best deal.
The smart consumer will also invest a little bit more of his or her time to make sure they get the best deal for their annuity or structured settlement. They will call at least three factoring companies and get competitive bids from each. Then they will go back to the three aforementioned companies and see if any are willing to beat their best offer.
It can be tiring and time-consuming to follow through in this process, but for the average person, it could be worth several thousand or even tens of thousands of dollars in one's bank account at the end of the process.
The Better Method of Selling a Structured Settlement - Open Marketplace Auction
A new way of dealing with this issue has recently been introduced to the marketplace. Websites allow Structured Settlement owners the ability to list details of their payments, and receive cash bids directly from Top-Rated Funding firms.
The process is relatively simple. Clients sign up for a free account and list the details of the payments they receive. Once an account is created and the details of the payment arrangement are known, Funding Firms can log in and make cash bids directly on the purchase of the settlement. Each firm can see the current highest cash offer, and if they wish to beat it with a higher cash price, they can do so.
Sellers do not need to worry about being called countless times by salespeople because the contact information of the settlement owner is not shared. When a factoring company makes a cash bid on the settlement, the service notifies the settlement owner of the new bid via email.
Having settlement buyers compete in an open marketplace lowers the profit margin for funding firms, and forces the lowest possible discount rates to be applied when funding companies compete to buy future payments. This in turn ensures that clients can get the maximum amount of money back from their settlement.
The Importance of Comparison Shopping
Two siblings had been receiving separate, but identical annuity payouts in the form of a structured settlement from an accidental family member death. Sibling one got into a financial crunch. When this happened, sibling one called a "Factoring Company." She was offered a lump sum buyout, and although the offer was much lower than the value of the settlement, sibling number one didn't realize the importance of shopping the competition, and sold her settlement for $70,000.
Sibling number two heard about the buyout and thought that it would be nice to have her cash now also. But, sibling number two was not as desperate for an immediate buyout. Sibling number two took the time to shop around for a better deal. Sibling two managed to uncover an online service, and they helped to secure the best offer possible. Sibling number one got a $70,000 buyout and was initially happy with her cash buyout.
Sibling number two came to the service with the same initial $70,000 buyout offer for the settlement. After working with the service, sibling number two got offered $100,000 for the same settlement sibling number one sold for $70,000.
Sibling number two sold her settlement for $100,000 to JG Wentworth who is an auction partner in the service. While sibling number two did get the best possible deal, sibling number one unfortunately has to live with the fact knowing that she made a $30,000 mistake by not shopping the competition.
In Conclusion
Your structured settlement or annuity is the foundation of your financial future. If you find yourself in financial need now, you should at the very least give yourself a couple more weeks to shop your deal to the competition. You might be telling yourself that you cannot afford to wait, but the truth is that you cannot afford to take the first bid that you are offered. In some cases, jumping at the first offer could be the equivalent of financial suicide to a structured settlement owner.
So, be patient and persistent in the process of finding a buyer for your settlement. And remember, if you are willing to negotiate with a car dealer on the price you pay for a car, then there should be no reason in the world that you should not negotiate with a factoring company when you are looking for a buy-out of your settlement.
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