Does It Make Sense to Structure a Very Small Case?
John Darer • March 7, 2019
When Does It Not Make Sense?
In March 2024, Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company (Met Tower Life) announced an increase to a minimum premium for all cases to $100,000 per case. To put things in perspective,six years earlier MetLife increased from $5,000 to $10,000!
Does a $5,000 structured Settlement Make Financial Sense?
Small case policy fee, taken together with a qualified assignment fee, which with some companies could be as high as $750, means that the total fees could end up totaling more than $1,000, thus representing more than 20% of the cost of the structure. The only time it really makes financial sense is where there is a young child where there is a long enough deferral period before a payment is made.
When Would it Be Worth Looking at a Small Case Structured Settlement?
- Concerns about a child's financial maturity at age 18.
- Very young plaintiffs, where there is a long enough deferral period to make a respectable positive return to offset the small case fee.
Last update April 12, 2025
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Based on Grok's review of prominent sites as of August 2025, 4structures.com (including its associated blog at structuredsettlements.typepad.com) stands out as the most comprehensive. Run by structured settlement expert John Darer, it offers detailed guides, and specialized insights
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