When looking to sell your structured settlement the best
place to start is with a structured settlement company.
Start your search for a structured settlement company via
the Internet. Here you’ll find a selection of the best in
financial companies. Visit at least three different websites
so you can compare payout rates, fees and services.
A structured settlement company is in the business of
helping lottery winners as well as those with medical,
insurance, accident or lawsuit settlements.
Structured settlements are essentially financial settlement
packages that are paid in regular installments over a
specific length of time or for the life of the claimant.
A structured settlement company or factoring company as it
is sometimes called will give you a lump sum for a
discounted price. The process is similar to ‘factoring’ a
term used in business to maintain cash flow. Such a company
sells accounts receivables to another company as an
investment. The factoring company makes sure that any money
that is owned to them is paid in advance.
For instance, if a company is under contract to provide
marketing services for $40,000 but even though all the work
has been done and the marketing program is long since over,
the organization is taking its sweet time to pay. Some
organizations are just notoriously slow when it comes to
paying its contract workers. This is where a factoring
company would step in and purchase the check that is
supposedly in the mail.
The downside to this is that the company who did work would
only receive about $34,000 of the original $40,000. Sure
it’s 15% less but if you were to look at it in a positive
light it may be to the company’s advantage. In the case of a
small company operation, that $34,000 could mean the
difference between staying in business and having to close
their doors permanently.
Now if you’re looking to acquire cash you could get out of
your settlement payment arrangement using a structured
settlement company which works much the same way.
The structured settlement company would be the recipients of
your payments and you would be given a lump sum payment
instead. Of course, the amount you would receive from such a
factoring company would be 10 to 15% less than the total
money you would have received over the term of your
settlement.
The upside to receiving cash from a structured settlement
company is that you would now have a lump sum to use for
whatever you desired. You could buy a new house, pay off
debts, handle unexpected financial expenses etc.
Selling your payments can be a win win situation for both
the settlement claimant and the structured settlement
company but first you need to do your homework to make sure
that selling your payments is what you really want to do.
Once you sell to a factoring company there is no turning
back. The settlement payments they receive are no longer
yours.
Okay, you have decided that selling structured settlement is
in your best interest but how does one go about getting cash
for structured settlement payment?
First off you need to do your homework and acquire a broker
or brokerage firm to help you out.. Every reputable broker
and/or brokerage company will have a website you can use to
research more about them and their services.
Reputable brokers and firms will take the time to answer any
selling structured settlement question you may have. Most
will also give you a free consultation over the phone and
will take the time to explain how the cash for structured
settlement process works.
In doing the research that is required to get you the most
cash for structured settlement payment, you should consult
not one but several different brokers and/or firms. Selling
structured settlement is a big financial transaction and
should only be done with a broker and/or firm you’re
comfortable with. By consulting several brokers you’ll be
able to gauge which ones are honest and trustworthy and
which ones are only in the business to make a quick buck for
themselves.
Another reason to comparison shop is find out how much your
payments are worth. In order for a broker to give you a
realistic cash for structured settlement payment quote a
broker will need to do some calculations to determine the
current value of your remaining payment. This figure may
differ between brokers.
Since you’re the one selling structured settlement it’s
important for you to understand what its current value is
and how it’s calculated.
Basically, it’s a calculation of what your payments are
worth in today’s dollars. When you factor in inflation, the
current dollar value is worth less than what a dollar will
be valued at in the future. When making calculations, a
broker will take the present and future dollar values into
consideration and determine a realistic value for your
remaining payment.
In other words, you’ll receive less in a cash for structured
settlement payment now than if you had continued to receive
your payments over the course of your structured settlement
term.
That said, when you factor in taxes, inflation and the cost
of living in the future you’ll see how the current value is
a realistic representation of the value of your settlement
annuity as it stands today.
When selling structured settlement, it’s in your best
interest to retain a broker and/or brokerage firm who has
related experience buying and selling annuities for others.
Unfortunately, you’ll find that since the industry is
relatively new (buying and selling structured settlement
payments have only been legal since 2002), there may only be
a small number of specialized brokers available to you
locally.
When deciding on the right broker to help you get cash for
structured settlement payment you’ll also benefit from a
large firms who employs several brokers and therefore are
not out to gain the maximum commission on every transaction.
A larger brokerage firm with experienced brokers, also know
how to work the system and will make sure that they get your
sale before a court within a reasonable time frame. When
dealing with brokers with less experience the process can be
lengthy and somewhat complicated.
The bottom line when selling structured settlement and
looking to get the most cash for structured settlement
payment is that you seek out the expertise of a
professional.