Best Structured Settlement Companies

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If you’ve agreed to a structured settlement as a result of a legal settlement or court judgment, you can choose to sell your future payments to a structured settlement company. These buyers will pay you a lump sum of cash—albeit only a portion of your settlement amount—so you can access immediate funds.

Retirement Living evaluated broker and direct-funded structured settlement buyers to help you compare companies and make an informed decision. We identified the five best choices for your review, after carefully considering costs, customer experience, buyout options, the speed of transactions and company reputation.

(3 Reviews)
  • Fast funding time
  • Access to higher payouts in a faster time
  • Over 20 years of experience

District Settlement Finance has extensive experience buying annuity payments and structured settlement payment rights. An expert will work to understand your financial needs and goals when selling your payment rights and guide you through court proceedings.

Read Review
  • Great customer service
  • Highly-rated customer service
  • No interest advances

Fairfield Funding’s small but efficient team helps ensure an individualized customer experience. Fairfield employs only financial professionals and has a reputation for being upfront about structured settlement fees charged during the transfer process.

J.G. Wentworth
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  • Most Flexibility
  • Multiple options for buyouts
  • Best price guarantee

J.G. Wentworth is one of the most recognized names in structured settlement purchases along with debt consolidations and other financial products like annuities and mortgages. The company has funded more than $10 billion in loans to date.

Stone Street Capital
(2 Reviews)
  • Great reputation
  • Purchases structured settlements and annuity and lottery payments
  • Customized quotes

Stone Street Capital is one of the largest structured settlement companies, and with 25 years in business, it is one of the first companies to offer structured settlement buyouts.

Peachtree Financial
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  • Informative website
  • Easy-to-understand information
  • Individualized plans

eachtree Financial Services purchases structured settlements directly and provides funding to other firms for structured settlement buyouts. Peachtree is highly rated, and its website includes a lot of educational resources.


Structured Settlement Company Reviews

After our evaluation, we chose the five best structured settlement companies: District Settlement Finance, Peachtree Financial Solutions, Stone Street Capital, Fairfield Funding and J.G. Wentworth.

District Settlement Finance

Fast cash payouts | 4.5 Stars

District Settlement Finance has over 30 individuals ready to help those looking to cash in their structured settlement payments for a lump sum. Its team members leverage decades of experience to brainstorm creative ways to help you achieve your financial goals while retaining a portion of your insurance payments.

District Settlement doesn’t work with third parties to fund payouts, which helps them maintain some of the fastest funding times in the industry. District Settlement doesn’t post this information online, but the company told us that funding can happen in as little as 24 hours after signing. This is because the company does not use a broker, and their money is available immediately to purchase structured payments.

  • Fees: $1,000 
  • Discount rate: 9.9%
  • Denial rate: <1% 
  • Time to fund: 24 hours after signing
  • BBB rating: N/A

To learn more and get a buyout quote, read our comprehensive District Settlement Finance review.

Peachtree Financial Solutions Review

Informative website | 4.6 Stars

 Peachtree Financial was once the largest buyer of payment rights behind JG Wentworth until the two companies merged and became one large conglomerate that controls the vast buyouts in the industry. The Peachtree Financial website has many helpful details to educate you about the pros and cons of selling your payments. 

We received an immediate response to our request for a quote online, but we were unable to source detailed fee or funding information from the representative. 

To learn more and get a buyout quote, read our comprehensive Peachtree Financial review.

Stone Street Capital Review

Great reputation | 4.5 Stars

A well-known name in the structure settlement industry, Stone Street Capital offers competitive buyouts. They have experience working with top insurance companies, such as Berkshire Hathaway, AIG, Prudential, and Metropolitan Life. They work directly with JG Wentworth for their funding. It’ll take a week or less after the hearing date, on average, to receive your money, but Stone Street offers cash advances to help you during the waiting period.

To learn more and get a buyout quote, read our comprehensive Stone Street Capital review.

Fairfield Funding Review

Great customer service | 4.65 Stars

Fairfield Funding maintains a lean but efficient team to make fair offers at a 10% discount rate on structured settlements, annuities, and lottery payments. Fairfield pays all costs associated with the transaction, including the court filing fee and notary fees. They offer customer service during regular business hours; however, when we asked questions about their fees and process, we were unable to get a response using it’s online chatbot. 

As a direct purchaser, Fairfield Funding works quickly to close transactions within 45 to 60 days from start to finish (the exact time varies by laws in your state). If you need cash sooner, you are eligible for a cash advance in five days.

Their reputation in the industry is almost all positive, with only a few negative reviews posted over the last 10 years. 

  • Fees: $2,000
  • Discount rate: 10%
  • Denial rate: 14%
  • Time to fund: 1-2 weeks after approval 
  • BBB rating: A+

To learn more and get a buyout quote, read our comprehensive Fairfield Funding review.

J.G. Wentworth Review

Flexible options for selling | 4.35 Stars

JG Wentworth is the most widely known name in the structured settlement industry. With competitive rates and the ability to offer subprime mortgages, loans, and creative financing options, they offer some of the most flexible options for selling your future cash payments. 

Our attempts to contact the company using the quote feature and contact form were unsuccessful; however, the website mentioned a best-price guarantee. If you find a better deal elsewhere, JG Wentworth will give you $1,000 if they cannot match it (copy of competitor contract required). 

To learn more and get a buyout quote, read our comprehensive JG Wentworth review.

How We Compared Top Structured Settlement Companies

There are many companies advertising structured settlement buyouts, but we did the time-consuming research for you. Our in-depth look into the best structured settlement buyout companies includes reputation, price, customer service, and other factors. We reviewed a wide range of these companies and then considered which of those on our list stood out in each of the four categories.

How to Choose a Structured Settlement Company

1. Compare Quotes

First and foremost, source quotes from several reputable companies, as structured settlement buyout offers can vary. Ask about the discount rate as well as the fees incurred for getting court approval, processing the sale, and more.

Some companies may offer the chance to speak with an independent professional Advisor to provide guidance on what the liquidated funds could be used for, as a percentage of annuitants today are refinancing their settlement into other investments.

Can you negotiate a structured settlement buyout offer?

Several structured settlement buyout companies offer a best price guarantee where they’ll try to beat a competitor’s offer. This is why it’s important to shop around and source multiple quotes. 

When asked whether you can negotiate your offer, a District Settlement Finance representative told us, “Educate yourself on the sale process, what it entails, what a discount rate is, and how your payout will differ by payment structure when it comes time to fund your transaction. There are only a few credible buyers of structure settlement payments, so it shouldn’t take long to learn how much your payments are worth.” 

3. Prioritize Customer Service

Selling a structured settlement is a big decision so it’s important to find a company that is available to talk to when you need help. Ask for additional contact methods you can leverage during and outside regular office hours, such as cell phone, email, live chat, and more. 

If a company you’re working with provides a high level of support, then they will likely also have a well-defined approval process when you go before a judge. 

4. Ask About the Denial Rate

Analyzing the percentage of proposed settlement purchases declined by a judge, and the total dollars purchased to date are important figures for gauging a company’s reputation and success rate. 

It’s certainly wise to inquire about these figures—and we are weary of companies who refuse to answer—but you must also remember that many factors can affect the result of your case. Each and every deal that gets presented to a judge is unique and should be treated as such. 

5. Prepare to Wait for Court Approval 

It’s important to know that when it’s time to sell your settlement payment(s) you will need to go before a judge who will ask you about your requested transfer and determine whether cashing out your settlement is in your best interest. 

The court approval process can take a few months from start to finish, depending on the jurisdiction. To begin the process, you’ll sign a series of paperwork before the company files a petition with the court to approve your settlement transfer.  

Who Can Benefit from Selling a Structured Settlement?

Most commonly, people choose to sell a structured settlement to cover an immediate financial need, such as:

  • Medical emergencies
  • Emergency home repairs or aging-in-place renovations
  • Funding a retirement account
  • The cost of college tuition 
  • Purchase of a home
  • Pay off child support
  • Pay off tax liens and government debts 
  • Start a business 

Typical Payouts for Structured Settlements

Structured settlements involve periodic payments to an individual, often as a result of a lawsuit settlement or insurance claim. When these settlements are sold for a lump sum, the purchasing company will offer you a price based on the future value of your payments by factoring in inflation over time. 

In other words, $10,000 goes much further today than it will 20 years from now. So, if you want to sell a payment you’re due to receive next year, the purchasing company will buy it for a price they think it will be worth next year—not today.  

Discount rates: Every structured settlement buyout company will calculate a discount rate for your payments, which is used to discount future payments to their present value determined by time, value of money, and risk. Common discount rates for structured settlements typically range from 8% to 18%. The higher the discount rate, the lower the present value or lump sum payout for the same future value. District Settlement Finance has the lowest discount rate, according to our research.  

After factoring in discount rates and other fees, you’ll walk away with less money in the long run, but you’ll gain access to fast cash you can use for other expenses.

The table below shows how different discount rates affect the lump sum payout for a structured settlement.

Future Value of SettlementDiscount RatePresent Value (Lump Sum)
$100,0008%$46,319
$100,00012%$32,171
$100,00018%$18,415

Note: These values are simplified, and actual calculations may vary based on additional factors like payment frequency and duration.

Considerations Before Cashing Out a Structured Settlement

It is extremely important that you know selling your structured settlement payments is not a financial decision you should take lightly or make quickly. 

However, there are instances where selling could make sense if you have significant debts. We recommend consulting your financial advisor to help you compare your debt’s interest rate to the rate the buyout company proposes.

Pros and Cons of Selling a Structured Settlement

Pros:

  • Liquidating your settlement can help cover significant expenses
  • Faster access to a lump sum of cash
  • Investing the funds may yield higher returns than interest on periodic payments
  • Paying off debts will help with your credit score 

Cons:

  • The payments are being sold at a discount, so you’ll lose part of your settlement
  • It takes anywhere from 30 days to 60 days to receive your cash
  • Lump-sum payments eliminate the possibility of steady and reliable income streams over time

Alternatives to Selling a Structured Settlement

People often choose to sell some or all of their structured settlement to access a lump sum of money to help cover major expenses. However, those in need of fast cash can leverage other options, such as:

  • Selling a life insurance policy
  • Cashing in a pension or retirement fund
  • Credit counseling, debt management, or loan consolidation
  • Accessing your home equity with a cash-out refinance mortgage or home equity line of credit
  • Liquidating a stock portfolio 
  • Selling annuities that you may own or have inherited 

Discuss with a finance professional or credit counselor before deciding whether selling your settlement payments is in your best long-term interest. Sometimes, getting out of a financial hole in the short term can give you the opportunity to be successful in the long term; every situation is unique. Only you can decide whether selling your payments is in your best interest. 

FAQs About Structured Settlements

Will I owe taxes if I sell my structured settlement?

Generally, lump-sum payments from selling a structured settlement are tax-free. However, tax implications can vary based on individual circumstances and the nature of the settlement. For this reason, it’s wise to consult your CPA or tax attorney on the implications of selling your payments. 

Can I cancel a structured settlement buyout if I change my mind?

Cancelation policies vary by company and jurisdiction. Some states have a mandatory cooling-off period, allowing you to cancel within a specific time frame. After you sign, there is a rescission period that varies by state; it’s nearly impossible to cancel once the judge has approved the sale. However, the process from signing to your court date is long enough that you have time to decide if you want to move forward. 

Can I sell a portion of my structured settlement?

Yes, you can sell all, a portion of your future payments, or a specific dollar amount, depending on your needs and the buyer’s terms. Some insurance companies only allow a certain amount of splits when selling, and there may be a servicer of the payments that sends out the monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments. 

Why do I need court approval to sell my settlement?

Federal and state laws mandate that you get court approval to ensure the sale is in your best interest and to protect you from unfair terms. There are also state mandates on discount rates that can be applied to a transaction. 

What type of income can I sell to a structured settlement company?

Many companies purchase structured settlements, annuity payments, and lottery payments. You can also sell casino winnings and jackpots, though they aren’t as common. Each type of income may have different regulations and market rates. The approval process may also vary slightly by payment type. 

Bottom Line

If you’re considering selling a structured settlement, start by reading as much literature as possible to learn if the process makes sense for you. Our in-depth guide reviewing the best structured settlement companies is an excellent starting point for learning about the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. The sale process will take months, and it has severe financial implications. There are only a few companies that offer to buy these payments in this consolidated industry, so it’s important to pick the right company that fits your needs.

The Best Structured Settlement Companies

 Structured Settlement CompaniesBest For
1District Settlement FinanceFast funding time
2Fairfield FundingGreat customer service
3J.G. WentworthFlexible options for selling
4Stone Street CapitalGreat reputation
5Peachtree Financial SolutionsInformative website
Best Structured Settlement Companies

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