Peter Arnold's blog

Our friend, William T. Robinson, III, has a letter to the editor in today's New York Times concerning the importance of trained legal representation. While Mr. Robinson's comments are general, his point is especially important for those who have been in an accident.  

Remember 1999? The Matrix came out, AOL was king of the Internet, and most of us logged onto the web using a phone line.

Calling the rules that govern structured settlement annuities “a true belt and suspenders” approach, Pacific Life CEO James Morris makes a strong case for their financial security in a new video issued by The National Structured Settlements Trade Association.

In the August issue of Smart Money, reporter Reshma Kapadia writes about the increasing financial strains for Americans caring for an elderly family member. Here are some numbers:

NSSTA is delighted to welcome The Hartford back to the structured settlement industry. A Fortune 150 company, The Hartford announced recently that it would once again begin issuing structured settlement annuities to resolve physical injury and accident claims.

Hartford Life Insurance Company joins the following life insurance companies in the structured settlement business:

In recent years, several state legislatures have wrestled with workers compensation issues. Their goal: to make the workers’ comp process more efficient while still protecting the future needs of injured workers.

So listen to labor attorney Michael Rott, who serves as general counsel to several California unions:

“Many of our high-value cases absolutely would not settle without a structured settlement.

Over the weekend, Wall Street Journal investment columnist Jason Zweig published a column on financial security, “If Treasury Bonds Aren't Safe, What Is?” He notes:

Fears are rampant that the U.S. may lose its triple-A credit rating [and] that the economy will stay stagnant….

Amid such uncertainty, you can't reduce one set of risks without raising others.

"Consumers should be aware that many significant protections cover insurance products sold today. A combination of updated consumer protection laws and strict oversight by state Insurance Commissioners help maintain a solvent, competitive marketplace for products such as structured settlement annuities."

Our friends at Medivest just pointed out an interesting development that may indicate renewed federal interest in Medicare Set-Asides.

When someone at NSSTA mentions “Bill,” there’s no question about who we’re talking about. It’s Bill Tocchi, who spent more than 15 years as a structured settlement consultant for Ringler Associates and then served as president of Structured Financial Associates. Bill is also a past director of the NSSTA Political Action Committee.