The topics of broker assistance and compensation have been discussed at

length in recent months. In late December this debate became heated when John

Darer, a settlement planning consultant from 4structures.com, LLC went

head to head with Rhonda Bentzen, a structured settlement factoring broker doing

business as Bentzen Funding Solutions.

The debate between Darer and Bentzen revolved around whether or not it is

acceptable for you as a settlement planning consultant to charge a fee when you

refer clients to a factoring company. On this topic I would have to agree with

Bentzen that it is not unethical, per se, for a structured settlement planner to

charge such a fee provided such fee is reasonable in all of the circumstances.

My reasoning for this is as follows.

Similar to Bentzen, I have been on both sides. I was a life and annuity sales

agent for four years. I had created countless annuities for my clients and on

occasion when their financial positions changed I was asked to help them find a

way out of their annuity. This happened often enough that I found out about the

structured settlement factoring business and eventually changed my orientation

when I started Sovereign Funding Group in 2002.

Firstly as an insurance and annuities agent and now in the structured

settlement factoring business, I have always put my clients' best interest

first. I think that it is reasonable for a structured settlement planner or an

insurance and annuity representative to be compensated for his or her

professional assistance to clients when seeking out a reputable factoring

company and assisting with the sale details.

Where I disagree with Bentzen is when she states in her December 21, 2007

post that "...The referral fee ultimately saves the annuitant money and comes out

of my pocket". That statement is simply untrue. Contrary to her assertion, any

fee charged adds to the overall sale costs and impacts the best price available

to the client in the marketplace.

In light of the recent controversy I think that it is important to provide

some guidance to structured settlement planners and annuity company

representatives who want your clients to make an informed decision that best

serves their needs, gets them the most money for their annuity as well as the

fastest, most professional service.

1. There are many circumstances when a structured settlement may no longer be

appropriate for your client. Times change. Your client's assets must be flexible

to weather these changes.

2. You have taken great care to design a structured settlement that best

suits your client's needs. The factoring company you choose to advise on the

sale of your client's annuity should take the same care in deciding:

(a) is a sale appropriate in the circumstances, and if so what compliment of

payments ought to be sold;

(b) what is the best price available for these payments;

(c) what is the most expedient court process to complete the sale?

3. Each sale requires court approval based on the best interest test of the

annuitant and any dependants.

4. Purchase price and service level can vary widely between factoring

companies. Just as you would get competing quotes for structured settlement

annuities, you should get at least two quotes from competing factoring

companies.

5. Your client will generally get more money and better service if you

consult with a factoring company that specializes in the insurance field and has

legal expertise to complete the transfer process rather than a general buyer of

receivables or an intermediary who lacks control of the transfer or funding

process.

6. You should monitor the average length of time the factoring company you

choose takes to complete the transfer process and disperse funds to your client.

The benchmark is six to eight weeks. Unexplained delays beyond eight weeks will

cost your client money.

7. Throughout the transfer process the factoring company should keep you and

your client informed of the benchmarks and be proactive in resolving legal

issues that may arise.

8. In the case where your client decides to sell only partial payments, be

careful that your client does not agree to sell all payments in return for the

factoring company servicing the remaining unsold payments back to your client.

Servicing arrangements could jeopardize your client's recourse against an

annuity issuer in the event of a default. Furthermore, your client may not be

able to sell the remaining payments at a future date if they are serviced by a

factoring company.

9. It is acceptable for you to be compensated for your professional

assistance to your clients and referral to a reputable factoring company. You

decide. However, contrary to some assertions made in blogs, any fee you charge

will impact the best price available to your client. You should be careful that

your fee is reasonable in all circumstances.

Sovereign Funding Group has specialized in buying structured settlements for

6 years. We offer plaintiff brokers:

1. the benefit of six years of experience in preparing insurance annuities

and in-house legal expertise to make sure the transfer process is completed in a

timely manner.

2. the most money for your client's annuities by requiring our investors to

compete for each case thereby establishing the best market rate.

3. the fastest service by guaranteeing your client a price quote within two

hours of contact and sale documentation delivered the same day.

Compare our price and service level the next time one of your client's

contacts you. Call David Springer at 877-836-4661.

A structured settlement broker is someone who can help you when you want to sell your cash settlement award.

A structured settlement broker will be able to sell this settlement and give you a lump sum of cash.

If you happen to have won a great settlement due to negligence or malpractice that was done by someone else, you will find that it may be hard to be able to know how one can use the money gotten from such settlements.

A large amount of settlement can be divided into installments so that it can enable the defendant who lost to be able to pay it without so much strain.

What normally happens is that when you have won a large settlement, you will obviously look for a structured settlement broker who by authority given by the court will be able to buy the original contract and provide you with a large payment even though it will not be the full amount of the settlement.

The advantage of this process is that a person who will have the need to acquire the money immediately will be relieved as they will be able to cash in their payment through a structured settlement broker.

This means that in the case one was receiving such a settlement due to an accident, they can be able to offset outstanding hospital bills immediately.

Even though this might not be the case you will find that you can be able to invest this large amount so as to ascertain that you will have financial freedom in the future.

Some of these brokers can be able to give you ways on which you can invest the money that you have received wisely.

Care should be taken when you are looking for a structured settlement broker because some do not have the expertise that is associated in this line of work.

You will find that a broker might get you a deal that will not be as good as you expected. Try to find those brokers who have been doing such jobs for a long time.

This is because they will have a wider range of experience than those that have just started doing the business.

There is an organization that goes by the name of the Better Business Bureau where they list different experts in different categories.

From this list you can be able to find a broker who is certified to be an expert in this line of work. Further research can be done through the internet.

A structured settlement loan has been known to be helpful especially to anyone who will be in need of financial aid before the structured settlement has been approved by a court.

Also, a structured settlement loan can help someone who does not want to wait for the process it entails so as to receive payment.

When you win the lottery or get damages from an accident or lawsuit, you will most likely be paid through the structured payment process.

The justice system has come up with this type of payment so that those people who are not used to handling colossal amounts of money may be able to control the money that they receive thus preventing them from spending the money that they got unwisely.

Before this system was invented, you would find that most of the people who received large settlements were prone to going on gross spending sprees that led to them being broke in a short while.

This in turn would affect the economy of a country as they would have to depend on government handouts instead of being in a position that could be helpful to nation building.

On the other hand, you will find that there are those people who are focused and investment minded.

Such people will need a structured settlement loan in the event that there is a lucrative investment and they don't have the capital to invest in it.

The loan can go a long way in providing them with the possibility of investing their structured settlement such that by the time they start receiving payments, they might even be in a position to clear the loan.

There are very many companies that are ready and willing to give a structured settlement loan for a certain fee.

This loan will be found to be repaid in a comfortable number of installments.

Using this method, the person who has been awarded a structured settlement will be able to receive a lump sum that can go a long way in helping one be able reduce debts and financial related problems.

There are different methods these companies use to be able to give someone a loan.

They can give you the amount you desire even if it is not the lump sum. This percentage can be repaid with a higher interest but will in the long run not put your complete structured payment in risk.

A loan has been known to be a bit tricky to complete payments and that is why anyone who is taking out this type of loan should be sure and should do it when there is no other alternative.

Just imagine being able to receive a monthly payment that is tax-free for a certain period of time! Well, this can also happen to you but only when you encounter personal injury. When you're the victim, you can file for an injury claim and a structured settlement will be devised for you to receive regular payments.

There are cases when the defendant can't afford to pay a lump sum amount for the injury claim and so such settlement will also favor them. On the part of the plaintiff, he or she can receive regular payments that can be used for rehabilitation, medications, and other bills. You will need to look for a structured settlement purchaser if you're interested in selling the structured settlement.

Claimants have various reasons for wanting to sell their structured settlements. It can be that they have found an ideal business opportunity or they are currently facing a financial dilemma. As you decide to sell structured insurance settlements, you will need to know the process so you can obtain the best deal possible. In a couple of weeks, you can already receive the lump sum once you find the right buyer.

The structured settlement purchaser is going to assume some risk in buying the structured settlement. Because of this, there are some factors being considered like annuity balance, payment timelines, payor's stability, and other relevant criteria. A quote will be given to you and it's up to you to decide whether you will accept it or not. The truth is, you can't obtain the entire amount that is due to you. In fact, some buyers pay out only 50%of the real amount in lump sum thereby allowing them to earn huge profits.

To get the best quote in the market, its best if you keep detailed records of all transactions that has transpired ever since the setup of the annuity. The purchaser will be able to offer you a competitive price. Depending on your financial need, you can a sell a portion only and after that, you can retain the structured settlement.

You need to be aware that when you decide to sell structured insurance settlements, you will need court approval. If you don't, you might face legal issues. Because of this, it is important that you consult your lawyer about it. Only an experienced and competent lawyer can provide you with unbiased options where you can benefit greatly. There are many things you need to consider before you sell the annuity. Take your time and don't make rush decisions for you will only regret it in the end.

Receiving a regular amount can be a great option to help you manage your accounts and your finances. You will become a more responsible individual and you will always have a steady cash flow every month. The best time to sell portions of the settlement is during emergency situations only. That way, you will still have money for the coming months. Always think about your best interest.

The world is moving towards a faster way of earning big money in a much quicker manner, and one of the best methods to earn good money is through structured settlements.

In case if you do not know what a structured settlement is, its financial compensation provided to an employee or a person from an organization for any particular reason that has harmed him or her. If the compensation amount is relatively large then it is provided to the employee / person in small incremental amounts at regular or periodic intervals. This is a wise way to collect the money without being overwhelmed by the instant financial abundance.

Believe it or not, today, structured settlements are sold online and through advertisements, it is one of the best ways to earn a steady flow of income over time. Any person or organization can purchase structured settlement. Its a good deal to get one.

There are many circumstances that can provoke the person receiving structured settlements to sell it. The amount received regularly from the company or any entity is decided by the court, thus the whole system is legally bound and lawful. There are many people in America who are enjoying this sort of income and without any doubt, the structured settlement sale are steadily increasing.

One needs to also think about the fact that there are many fraudulent organizations or people out there who promise they can transfer the structured settlements very quickly; this is not true at all. Transfer of ownership in structured settlements does take some time and anybody promising that they can do it soon enough it is a sham. The transaction is legally bound and the person receiving the amount is monitored by the government, thus transfer of ownership is always challenging.

There are enough reasons to debate over the fact whether structured settlement investment are fair or not, but witnessing the increasing trend of structured settlements indicates its one of the best ways of earning a steady income over time.

There are no limitations on the type of entity that can purchase it either. Rather, it can be sold to anyone. Usually it has been the case that the one who is the primary owner of structured settlements is suddenly in need of a large sum of money and thus he/she opts to selling structured settlement for immediate cash today. When they do this, they transfer the rightful ownership to the future cash flows to the buyer who has purchased the structured settlement.

Check it out for Structured settlement companies and Lump sum structured settlement