“It is impossible for a person to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.” – Epictetus Introduction That observation is particularly relevant to the modern use of the term “structured settlement.” The term is widely used in personal injury practice. Attorneys encounter it in mediation discussions, settlement agreements, tax analyses, Medicare Set-Aside planning,...
I. Introduction What happens when a six-figure lump sum disappears within months, and a client returns, destitute, asking for help? Structured settlements were developed in part to prevent precisely these outcomes, but only if they are meaningfully considered at the time of resolution. For plaintiff attorneys, structured settlements are not a niche financial product or...
“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” – W. Edwards Deming From Evidence to Imperatives, and What Comes Next In Part One of this Survey Series, we examined fifty years of structured settlement research, from the 1977 Lilly Report through the 2025 MetLife Claimant Poll, and identified a consistent finding across...
Introduction Nearly fifty years have passed since the first structured settlement studies sought to measure how periodic payments could reshape personal injury compensation. In that half-century, the industry has evolved from a defense-side experiment in claims management into a broader settlement planning profession, one that integrates claimant financial security with tax efficiency, government benefits protection,...
I. Introduction – Completing the Series “The Social Security Act is among the most intricate ever drafted by Congress; its Byzantine construction … makes the Act ‘almost unintelligible to the uninitiated.’” — Judge Henry Friendly, Schweiker v. Gray Panthers That observation captures the challenge still facing policymakers and structured settlement professionals. For decades, structured settlements...
The faces of innovation – From finance to sales, actuarial, strategy and operations, Independent Life stands strong. Together, we’re exploring new frontiers in the structured settlement industry, with the launch of iStructure Select™, and the inclusion of the Nasdaq-100 Volatility Control 12%™ Index. (From left to right) CEO Donald J. Herrema, Senior Actuarial Analyst Joey...
I. Introduction: From System Shifts to Strategic Opportunity This article is the fifth installment in our six-part series on how structured settlements interact with public benefit planning. Article 1 and Article 2 explored system-wide shifts; the One Big Beautiful Bill’s (OBBB) expansion of state authority over Medicaid and the Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) 2025 reforms...
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