Blog

What is public policy and why is it important for structured settlements? One definition of public policy is “the broad area of government laws, regulations, court decisions, and local ordinances as enacted by federal, state, and local governments.” That comprehensive definition encompasses all federal and state laws, regulations and court decisions that have impacted structured settlements since...

Reviewing Structured Settlement Educational Programs – Spring 2019 Does the National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) need to re-think and re-design its educational programming and educational marketing to strategically position structured settlements as the core product within personal injury settlement planning? Or is NSSTA already doing so? We introduced these questions in a prior Independent Life Chronicle blog post.  Based...

Benefits of Structured Settlements Today in the context of industry change and the need for industry growth, what exactly are the benefits of structured settlements? And will marketing those benefits be enough to ensure the future success of the National Structured Settlements Trade Association (NSSTA) and the structured settlement market? NSSTA President Michelle Caine highlighted the strategic importance of these...

Knowledge: A Strategic Factor in Structured Settlement Growth He has demonstrated “how knowledge can function as a driver of long-term economic growth” – The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in awarding Paul Romer a 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics. —————- During the most recent annual meeting of the National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA), which occurred...

ABLE Accounts: The Direct Funding Debate Without more specific legal authority, many plaintiff attorneys, special needs attorneys and settlement planning professionals may be unwilling to recommend direct funding of ABLE accounts with structured settlements because of the risk their disabled client might lose his or her means-tested government benefits. In this article, we’ll explore the current arguments for and...

Are ABLE Accounts a Growth Opportunity for Structured Settlements The ABLE Act together with the state ABLE programs now offer settlement and judgment payees an important new solution (ABLE Accounts) for saving and accumulating money while preserving eligibility for needs-based government benefits and allowing direct access by the owner/beneficiary. Structured settlement annuities appear to represent an ideal funding...