Why choose structured settlements?

Under the federal tax code, all or part of a plaintiff's financial settlement can be designated as a structured settlement annuity. This stratagem dispenses recurrent periodic tax-free financial remittances. In the case of progressive and continuing obligations that arise along the way, predicaments arise if liquidity of funds is necessitated. Due to the volume of structured settlements commissioned annually, a secondary market has metamorphosed that allows settlements owners' to manipulate their financial needs. Though, such an action is considered as an expedient measure.

Methodologies opted for structured settlements

Buy-and-hold Method

The buy-and-hold is a method where an annuity is purchased by the party from a life insurance company

Assigned Method

In the assigned method,the obligation is designated to a third party that acquires the annuity

The installment payment arrangements significantly vary due to their highly-structured agreements that warrant periodic payments.


Payment Methods

Yearly payments:In the form of yearly payments, they are divided and disseminated for the duration that has been accorded.
Monthly indexed installments: Financial indices will decide the change in disbursements in monthly indexed payments.
Inflation hedging: Inflation hedging involves monetary incentives based on the inflation and deflation of the economy.
Differed payments: Differed payments will dissipate inequitable aggregates over an agreed duration.
Estimated future care of the beneficiary: Intermittent and routine remittances to cover medical expenses, housing expenses, etc., needs that are diversified that might be required for the future care of the legatee.
There are many pros and advantages of structured settlements. Besides adding certainty to a claimant's financial circumstances and establishing guaranteed payments, which may not be impacted by market fluctuations of the economy, structured settlements offer the following benefits:

Tax-free remuneration

Personal injury claim and wrongful deaths are liable to be compensated with structured settlements. Such future stream of settlements is exempted from income tax. This is perhaps one of the most significant benefits of structured settlements.

Maximizing benefits

A beneficiary invariably claims more in terms of structured settlements than as lump sum payments. Fixed annuity payments persist for a lifetime – as long as the claimant lives.

Protecting the beneficiary

Beneficiaries can be nominated in the event of the untimely and premature demise of a claimant. The inheritor receives all future guaranteed payments.

Security

Litigants can successfully avoid prospects of uncertainty with alternative types of investments that can provoke unseasonal depletion of resources.

Flexibility

Compensations primarily designed to meet the victim's needs that could imply replacement of income, funding college education for dependent children and unceasing coverage of medical expenses. Unique needs of the appellant are satisfied with payments that are scheduled for any duration or even the claimant's life span.

Negotiation

Virtually everything in a structured settlement is negotiable. This may comprise of:

  • Receiving lump sum payments in the end
  • Payments ending after the death of the claimant or transferred to an heir
  • Duration of the structure
  • Amount of emolument received in each payment
Whether to choose a structured settlement or a lump sum payment is, of course, a decision that every appellant must take before applying for such a benefit.