The Letter

Let me just start by saying that I come from a family with lots of girls, so it was pretty natural that my first job would be babysitting for other families at 13. By 16, I had my first fast food job. My best friend and I interviewed to work at a Wendy’s being built near our houses. We were employees #1 and #2. I stayed there long enough to wear through several pairs of bleach stained black high top sneakers.

Eventually I had an offer for a better job. Several of my high school art class friends and I were recruited to paint t-shirts for a woman who designed very gaudy expensive apparel that she sold to boutiques. We could all paint and draw and thought it would be great to work together, but the work itself was pure sweatshop. We inhaled so much glitter! We perfected applying neon slick paint from clumsy bottles in fluid straight lines. After hours hunched over shirts with cramped hands trying not to breathe wrong, this job was less fun. We were paid per piece. I made a comment, more like an observation, about the difference between piece work and hourly work before leaving on a family vacation. When we returned from our camping trip it was waiting for me in the mail—my first firing. The note inside said that I was no longer needed and my last paycheck was attached. I burst into tears immediately, crying hot and fast. It felt very personal.

I figured out why she let me go. She couldn’t afford any dissent and the mere mention of an hourly rate was too risky. I found another job that I kept for almost 2 years with a different kind of t-shirt company. I put letters and numbers on team shirts and took custom orders. My friend, employee #1, stayed at Wendy’s until she left for college.

I think back to how it felt when I opened that letter. I learned so much about people and management from those early jobs. As my parents reminded me, I didn’t do anything wrong, not really. With economy being the way it has for the last few years, there are many people who have felt the sting of a firing letter and the bewilderment of wondering what they did wrong. You may be in a position where you need a lump sum instead of your regular annuity payments. You can receive cash for structured settlement payments to help you through any temporary crisis, until that next job comes your way.

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One of the interesting side effects of the current economic recession is the frankness that has entered the conversation about money. Rather then brag about excess, people compare money-saving techniques and sacrifices. Where to get the cheapest fresh meat? Discount furniture? Restaurant specials? Do you clip coupons? You’ll find people are actually bragging about how little they can spend and showing off their prowess to hunt down the best deal.

As someone who has always lived by the laws of frugality, I find it especially humorous when people describe what they have given up: manicures, spa days, expensive dinners. I also find it troubling to hear what those who are barely getting by are doing to survive: shaving and boiling soap to make detergent, living on peanut butter, forgoing medication. We may all be in this recession together, but we are not experiencing it the same way. Some treat it as if it is a fad or some novelty to embrace and then discard when the money comes back. For others, this is just another year, though perhaps one that has gotten a little harder.

We’re all hoping that things will improve soon and that the great recession will just be a nation-wide character building program that we’ll remember fondly. If you’re in a bind right now though and can’t wait for things to come around, you might be interested in cash for structured settlement payments and finding relief right now.

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We recently went out of town and had to leave our beloved dog in town. Usually we have a neighbor look after our shaggy gray dog, but after having to deal with coming home to a sick dog after the last two trips we decided that was no longer an option. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but it wasn’t fair to the dog to keep doing this. I’ve boarded dogs at the vet before, but that usually means that our furry friend is isolated in a cage with just a few bathroom breaks and no socialization. We opted for a doggie-daycare style place. They have a large open area for group play and individual kennels for beds. It’s not the same as home, but it’s the best alternative for the price without having someone stay at your house.

He survived the weekend just fine and seemed to have enjoyed it, I think. He slept for the next two days almost solid! I know being in a strange place with new sights and smells can make dogs anxious. I suspect he was pretty wound up for the entire weekend. Even though boarding the dog isn’t what I’d like to do, we couldn’t take him with us and we wouldn’t cancel the trip.

Sometimes we have to make tough decisions that aren’t ideal, but do satisfy our most pressing needs. If you’re interested in selling annuity payments, you should talk to a professional about all your options. You may find that receiving a cash payment might be the best option for you, even if it isn’t what you’d do in a perfect world.

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If you are looking to sell annuity payments from a structured settlement, you will quickly discover that a buyer of structured settlement annuity always matters; they are the crux of the entire transaction - the bridge from annuity to cash in hand. When I decided that I wanted to sell my annuity payments I had made the decision out of strong financial need. We were in a position where we needed a lump sum of money to pay down debt. The payments that were coming in from the structured settlement every month were great to have on hand but they were not enough to do anything substantial with in terms of making financial headway. We had decided that the best thing to do was to trade future payments for the cash we needed today. But how to begin? How to make sure that the process went as smoothly as possible? We found that a buyer of structured settlement annuity payment was the most important part of the puzzle.

The buyer of structured settlement annuity payments is responsible for brokering the deal and we did the research to find the buyer that would work best for us. First and foremost we looked for a buyer that would give us a quote prior to the sale - that would let us know what our future payments would look like in present day cash value. We also looked for a buyer that had a strong reputation in the industry and certainly a purchasing company that had solid financial backing and had experience and a history in the business.

When all was said and done we had our money in our hand and the process had gone as smoothly as it could have gone. This had everything to do with our choice of buyer of structured settlement annuity. So when does that choice matter?Always.

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This is the time of year when I rush to do as much as I can outside before the real heat of the coming summer arrives. We went to the local arboretum a week or so ago and enjoyed a wonderful day outside wandering through the gardens. The meandering paths and carefully arranged intimate garden settings are very popular with families and anyone looking for the perfect backdrop for their photo. In fact there were so many cameras, helpers, brides, and teens swarming around that when we stopped by the mall later it seemed strange that there weren’t photography entourages roving about.

As we made our way through every manicured corner of the arboretum we stumbled on to the test garden. This is the area where they plant different types of plants to check for suitability, survivability, and all of those other important things before dedicating a swath of the grounds to this plant. The test garden area is a shocking contrast to the rest of the space. The plants are arranged in a grid with squares of earth dedicated to different plants and, to be honest, some of them were not faring very well. This is where the staff has to determine whether or not this plant is going to make it and end up in the background of someone’s portrait.

I like the idea of a hidden test area for experimenting and testing both the plant and the conditions. This implies forethought, patience, and time. The plants are cultivated and cared for to ensure that they will contribute to the overall beauty and balance of the garden.

As you cultivate and care for your finances, it would be nice to have a little test garden—a place to try new ideas. Luckily, if you have an annuity you could receive cash for structured settlements providing you with a lump sum in exchange for payments received over time. This could provide you with the extra cushion that you need to take a risk or an opportunity to replenish your finances after an experiment gone wrong. Think of it as your own private test garden

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In the last post I talked about my hesitancy in going to a buyer of structured settlement annuity. I was wary of what they could offer us - and honestly mistrustful of the direction in which they could possibly lead us. When it comes to money you have to be so careful. However, my husband felt confident that we were not doing all that we could to maximize the use of our structured settlement. The payments came to us every month and they were great - certainly another much needed source of income with which we could pay bills and handle household expenses - but what more could we do if we had a lump sum of money at our disposal? This was why we needed a buyer of structured settlement annuity.

After a lot of research, we found a buyer of structured settlement annuity that we felt we could trust and the company worked with us to answer some of our most pressing questions. As we discussed earlier, we learned through the buyer that we did not have to sell our entire structured settlement; we could sell just the number of upcoming payments that we wanted to sell in order to accrue the amount of money that we wanted.

Some of the other things that we learned included:

The way that the process works is that we ultimately trade the purchasing company the right to receive a certain number of our future annuity payments in exchange for cash value of those payments today. We would not move forward in the sale, however, until we agree to the purchasing company’s terms. The purchasing company that we were working with would first give us a free quote.

The process to sell annuity payments is generally short; sellers can generally receive their money in a minimum of sixty days.

We could use the money made from the sale to attend to debt, pay college tuition, put a down payment on a home, and more.

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When I first set out to find a buyer of structured settlement annuity I fully admit that I was pretty skeptical about what they could offer me. I only went as a favor to my husband who strongly believed that there was better things we could be doing with our structured settlement money than accepting monthly payments. He felt that if we had a lump sum of money - even if it wasn’t all of the money included in the settlement - we could make better choices and definitely start controlling our debt much more effectively.

So I went to a buyer of structured settlement annuity to learn the finer points of selling my annuity payments. How would it work? Was I bound to sell the entire settlement? How much would I get? What could I do with the money? How long would it take? I had a lot of questions and luckily I worked with a buyer who was very patient and willing to not only answer all of my questions - regardless of how silly they may have seemed - but guide me through the entire process.

I could not be happier that I went this route. I felt like I was given the respect that I deserved and I had all of my questions answered until I was completely satisfied with the choice to sell annuity payments. Most of all, I didn’t feel pressured to sell the entire settlement; I felt that I was in the driver’s seat the entire time and that the choices were mine to make.

Some of the things that I learned when working with a buyer of structured settlement annuity payments included:

I did not have to sell my entire structured settlement. I could only sell those future payments that I was comfortable selling. Which meant determining how many payments would accrue me the amount that I needed and proceeding from there.

More in the next post…

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Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. The longer days and moderate temperatures make me want to spend as much time as possible outside where I can enjoy the fresh green grass and new buds and blooms. Standing squinting in the sun after a long winter, you remember why you were so anxious for winter to be over. It just makes you feel good.

Along with the return to the life outside, we have our own corresponding seasons inside. These rituals and routines happen each year at this time, including spring cleaning, road trips, weddings, and barbeques. While you are packing away your sweaters and airing out the rugs, this is also a good time to stop and do a little financial spring cleaning.

Take a moment to evaluate where you are financially and where you would like to be. What would you like to accomplish this year? What resources do you need to get there? Whether you are still in crisis mode or thinking about your dream summer vacation, taking the time to evaluate your situation is a critical step in your planning. It may be that you are looking for a buyer of structured settlement annuity, but you’ve put it off. Spring has a way of giving us the energy we need to do things we know we need to, like shampooing the carpets, planting new flower beds, and planning for our financial goals.

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I don’t like saving anything until the last minute; I don’t like to be caught unprepared. My friends always made fun of me when we were in our twenties because I was the only one with an absolutely meticulous budget that I followed to the last penny. I wanted to make sure that I knew what to expect and that should a rainy day arise - as they eventually always do - I would be able to meet it with resolve instead of being completely disorganized and confused. This part of my personality, believe it or not, has been what has motivated me to sell annuity payments - to take control of my money so that I am prepared for anything.

The structured settlement that I was given after my accident is meant to provide me with a monthly payment of cash - made from an annuity into which the entirety of my settlement was deposited. Most people who know me would absolutely think that this was the best possible scenario for me; to have the same amount of money coming in every month at the same exact time. However, the opposite was true. While I was certainly able to budget with the income from the structured settlement, I was happier to have the money all at once. I felt like this was the way that my money could work better for me - could give me many more options.

Instead of limiting me, I felt like the decision to sell annuity payments would give me flexibility and the ability to prepare for the future in a way in which I was comfortable - instead of just using the monthly payments to pay monthly bills. With a lump sum of cash I could pay off debt, put money away to save for a downpayment on a home, make home improvements to increase the value of my home, and essentially realize my own vision of the future instead of what other people expect.

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There is a new grocery store opening in my neighborhood. Three years ago the long-time grocery store closed and we were left with no stores at all in a 2-mile area. The newest store makes the third grocery store to open in the last year, all of them easy to reach by foot or on a bike. I am one of those people that enjoys walking to run errands in the neighborhood: to the post office, coffee shop, grocery store. I really feel more connected to the people and places around me when I slow down and walk. I understand that by choosing to walk I am trading the benefits–sense of community, physical health, environment–for my time, always a precious commodity.

Of course, I can drive to any store I choose. It is so much faster to drive, more convenient and more efficient, too. I believe, depending on the situation, that there are benefits to both.

This dilemma comes around in most areas of life; slower more deliberate versus faster more convenient. When it came time to find a buyer of structured settlement annuity, I took my time. I carefully researched my options and stressed finding a company that could take care of my needs. Receiving cash for structured settlement payments may seem like the fast convenient way to get the money I need, but I took my time finding the right solution for me. Sometimes you can have it both ways!

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