Month: December 2015

Paying Off Credit Card Debt Could Be As Simple As Selling Your Annuity

    Finance Tips

Cash for a structured settlement

Credit card debt is no laughing matter for way too many Americans today, and if you’re like most people, you’d love nothing more than to pay off all those debts and put them in the past. It’s hard to figure out how to get this money in the first place, but if you happen to own an annuity settlement, then the money is actually already right under your nose!

Selling your annuity is a great way to get a lump sum of cash (which you already technically own, by the way) and finally get control over your money so that you can use it in a better way — on something like paying off your debts, for example!

Selling structured settlement annuity payments does not involve breaking your annuity contract and it’s 100% legal. In fact, the process even requires legal documents and a court visit to ensure that all parties involved are on the same page. You won’t receive the entire amount of money that’s sitting in your annuity account, but you’ll definitely receive more money than you would if you broke the contract. Furthermore, you won’t have to watch that money slowly dwindle because of regular maintenance fees. Once you sell your annuity and have control over the money, you’ll be able to pay off all that debt you’ve been smothered by for years.

If you’re still not sure whether selling your annuity is the right choice, consider these facts:

  • The average American household pays about $950 in interest every year.
  • The average American adults owes $3,761 in credit to a variety of lenders at any given time.
  • All in all, Americans owe a collective $11.91 trillion in debt payments.

You definitely aren’t the only one with credit card debt — but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it forever.

Selling Your Lotto Win for a Lump Sum

    Finance Tips

Lump sum versus annuity

Do you have a structured settlement with a large amount of money due to you? Perhaps you’ve won the lottery, or a lawsuit. You have plans. Maybe you want to quit your job and see the world. Create a college fund for your kids. Buy your dream house on the beach. Start a business. But if you wait for the annuity to be paid out over time, it may be 30 years before you see all your money. You can however decide to get cash for your settlement and discover pre settlement loan benefits.

What to do when you win the lottery

Once all the excitement has died down, you find that it is a long wait for your money. And if you choose to stay wth the annuity settlement, it will be thirty years before you have all the money that’s due to you. Thirty years is a long time in anyone’s life and your goals and needs will have changed by then. You need the money now while you have the vision and energy to achieve your goals.

Also keep in mind that the value of money depreciates over time due to routine inflation and 5 million dollars will be worth less thirty years from now. On the other hand, if you sell your lotto win for a lump sum, you can access all your money now when you need it, to move on with your plans.

Cash for structured settlement: how does it work?

If you decide to get cash for your settlement, you will be working with a direct funder that has built a relationship of trust over time with banks and other financial institutions. If you’re one of the more than 37,000 Americans who use money from structured settlements each year, you may want to consider the pre settlement loan benefits of selling your annuity.

One of the benefits of an “immediate” annuity is that normally you can begin receiving payments in around 30 days. The vast majority – 92% – of those who sold their structured settlements report that they are satisfied with their decision.

So if you decide now not to wait for your money but to sell your annuity, thirty years down the line you may look back and think it was the best choice you ever made.

Commercial Real Estate Over Time, It’s A Proven Winner

    Finance Tips

Commercial real estate sales

Whether it’s new properties built on spec or older sites vacated by previous owners, there’s always a wide variety of commercial property available for purchase. And many of the prospective buyers are seeing them strictly as investments, intending to hold the properties and hoping they appreciate enough in value over time to offset any costs that might be incurred during the period of ownership.

Strategies for finding and purchasing commercial real estate for sale can vary quite a bit, as significant changes in the market occur with regularity every five to seven years. But over time, investing in real estate has proven to be a reliable way to make money.

Real estate investment firms find it to be a consistently profitable business for those who make wise decisions, with annual returns ranging from 6% to 12%. Banks will typically lend 60 to 70% of the property value on commercial real estate for sale, so a down payment of at least 30% is required.

A Class A commercial building in a large city’s downtown area is classified as one that’s 250,000 square feet or larger. In the suburbs, the size is less clearly defined, but in general 50,000 and up is considered to be Class A.

If a corporation wishes to function as a real estate investment trust (REIT), it has to pay out 90% of its taxable profits as dividends on a continuing basis.

As you might imagine, New York is the world’s leading city for property investment, with about 7% of the total $788 billion market (as of June 2014).

In the first months of 2015, there had been ten consecutive quarters in which prospective investors had expressed growing interest in finding commercial real estate for sale.

This, of course, is a specialized area for investment, and there are pitfalls to avoid. Fortunately, expert advice is available for companies or individuals on how to buy commercial real estate.

Erase Debt by Selling Your Structured Payments

    Finance Tips

Lump sum lottery winnings

Playing the lottery is currently the most popular and widely practiced form of gambling in the United States. Maybe you buy a scratch off from time to time or maybe you are an avid power ball player. Whatever your game may be you need to be aware of what your options are when you win big. Many people don’t know that lottery winnings are not paid out in a lump sum as they are typically advertised. Instead, the lucky winner receives lottery winnings in a monthly payout for up to several years in a process known as a fixed annuity. As you can probably tell that isn’t what a big winner wants to hear. Selling fixed annuities is an option many winners are choosing so that they can actually get a lottery lump sum payout. Here are a few things people do after selling fixed annuities:

1. Pay Off Huge Debts – In February 2015 alone there was a daily average of 3,422 bankruptcy filings in the United States. That statistic is absolutely indicative of how many Americans are struggling financially. Selling fixed annuities in order to get a lump sum payout is a way to end your struggle with debt. Whether you are behind on your mortgage or drowning in credit card or medical debt, you can use your lump sum lottery winnings to get rid of it for good.

2. Invest – Often times individuals who choose to sell annuity payments will discuss their options with a financial adviser who can guide them. Financial advisers will sometimes recommend putting the money into certain types of bank accounts so that it is protected and grows interest, and others will recommend investing the money. Although investing your money is a risk, there are experts available who can give you their educated opinion on how to grow your money.

3. Travel – Do you have a certain country that you’ve always wanted to visit, but didn’t have the funds? If you decide to sell your fixed annuity payments and receive a lump sump payment for your lottery winnings this can be your chance! You may not win enough to quit your job forever, but with the right money management you can afford a great trip for a couple of weeks or longer and finally see parts of the world you’ve always dreamed about.

The average American adult owes nearly $4,000 in revolving credit to lenders right now. Don’t be a part of that statistic. If you win the lottery don’t settle for a fixed annuity that will only give you a small amount each month. Sell your structured settlements and get the money you deserve.

How to Choose Between a Lump Sum or Annuity?

    Finance Tips

Pre settlement loan rates

There are two ways to get “free” money in the United States: sue someone or win the lottery. Before everyone goes out suing people or spending their life savings on lottery tickets, it may be helpful to know how “free” that money really is.

The Real Lottery

Winning the Mega Millions would be a dream come true for many, but the 25% immediately withheld by the federal government is sure to wake some from that dream. An additional 6-9% is withheld off the top for state taxes as well. Rather than receive a lump sum, lottery winners receive an annuity; the Mega Millions starts with an initial payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% increments. Winners are then plagued by additional administrative, early withdrawal, and other fees if they violate certain stipulations.

What to Expect With a Structured Settlement

In many cases, civil cases will settle outside of court awarding the claimant with a structured settlement for damages. There are over $6 million paid out every year to fund new structured settlements, making the average structured settlement payout $324,000. Like the lottery however, the annuity settlement received is paid out over a number of years and protected with similar fees.

Choosing a Lump Sum or Annuity

Lottery winners and structured settlement holders have the option to sell their payments for a lump sum of cash, although selling a structured settlement or annuity can cost surrender charges totaling up to 10%. While it is abundantly clear that there is no way to get 100% of the pie, selling your annuity could be the best way to get the most of your money quickly. A study found that 92% of claimants who sold their structured settlement were pleased with their decision. Picking a lump sum or annuity is a decision that only you can make, but it is an option that will always be available to you.