Securitizing Structured Settlement Payment Streams:
A Primer

Abstract

The term “structured settlement” refers to a broad category of financial resolutions between an aggrieved party and a party deemed to be responsible (or their insurer). In a structured settlement, often used to settle wrongful death and personal injury cases, the plaintiff is paid money over time, rather than in a single lump sum. This article provides an introduction to structured settlements, including how they benefit plaintiffs and insurers, how they are underwritten, how their transactions function, how they are securitized, how they have performed in the asset-backed securities marketplace, and how their risks are uncorrelated to the risks to which many other asset classes are exposed.