3 Reasons Not to Sell a Structured Settlement
First off, lets explain some good reasons to sell your structured settlement or annuity payments. There are turning points in peoples lives. which require a lump sum of cash. Maybe a son or daughter is going away to college or the opportunity to purchase a new home arises. These are just a couple of reasons which justifies selling a structured settlement.
Having a fixed income is very important in our everyday financial life. It allows us to be able to provide security for our family and live a respectable life that most of us dream about. The financial security of having a guaranteed amount of cash deposited in our bank account each month keeps us worry free about where the money is going to come from to pay our monthly expenses. This type of income creates less stress and creates the freedom to do the things we enjoy the most.
The question you should be asking is "Do I really need this money now?" This question is the basis for our first reason of why you shouldn't sell a structured settlement. What is the true reason you are selling the annuity payments? This answer must be a valid reason because the judge must determine that your reasoning for the sale of the structured settlement is a good one. A judge will not transfer the payments to the financial institution if he does not see a valid reason or does not agree with your viewpoint about your financial future. Buying a brand new BMW is not a good reason to cash in your fixed income, maybe you could settle for a Ford.
The second reason not to sell a structured settlement is if the periodic payments are too far in the future. The problem with this situation is that the value of money today will not be the same as it will be ten years from now. If you are receiving payments that start five to ten years and beyond, it wont make any sense to try and cash them out because they will be worth pennies on a dollar in ten years. A case such as this causes many other difficulties as well. A case of this nature would have a discount rate up above 50% and would not get approved in court even if it made it that far.
The third reason not to sell a structured settlement is if there are other viable sources of cash that are available to you. Once again fixed income is very important to an individuals financial portfolio. Removing this option only hurts the portfolio. There are numerous ways of receiving a lump sum of cash. A bank loan backed by your fixed income is one alternative or accessing the equity in your home would be another. These are just a couple of ways to receive the extra cash that you may be looking for.
