Approved Annuity Issuers

Structured settlements regularly involve financial obligations that may run 30, 40, even 50 years and longer. As such, they comprise some of the longest obligations underwritten in the entire financial world. When your company parts with a substantial amount of cash today, they don't want to hear about any problems tomorrow.

The claimant shares this concern, maybe even to a heightened degree as their entire financial future rests on the ability of the annuity company to make all payments as promised.

Since NO ONE wants any interruptions or irregularities with the flow of future payments, EVERYONE cares about the quality of the life insurance company(ies) who issues the annuity contract.

To that end, most companies establish criteria or an "approved list" of life insurance companies whom your broker is allowed to use to fund structured settlements. Do not stray from it and do not let your defense counsel* or the claimant's counsel wander off that list. It is there for a reason. The companies on your list may not have the number one very best cost for a particular case on a particular day, but they will be able to come close. Close enough for your company to stand its ground and not approve a settlement involving any company about whom they have worries.

Learn who keeps the list and make sure your broker knows who's on it.

* Defense counsel who are ignorant of company program rules may be exploited by skilled adversaries. Be sure to tell your defense attorney that your company has a formal structure program, that you have assigned an approved broker to the case, and that any and all terms related to the structure must be cleared with the broker before an agreement is finalized.