The sale of a settlement can take place in cases of structured settlements. Such settlements are arrangements for periodic payment of a plaintiffs claims made by financial or insurance entities. This facility of graded payments was first made available in the United States and Canada in the 70s, and it has its benefits.A plaintiff who has been awarded a structured settlement, but requires a large sum of money immediately, can sell the settlement to a financial institution that provides such services.

There are many circumstances that may lead the recipient of a structured settlement to sell it for a lump sum. For instance, there may be insupportable medical or legal bills to pay. Or the recipient may need to make a purchase requiring substantial funds (such as a new house or other kinds of real estate). Selling a pre-existing structured settlement is a convenient recourse in cases when a person is not eligible for housing loans or further mortgages.

If a recipient of a structured settlement is too old to derive maximum benefits from periodic handouts, a one-time payment is possible. In other cases, the recipient of a structured settlement may wish to make a potentially lucrative stock market investment. If there is a chance that the returns on the investment will considerably exceed the total value of the structured settlement, its sale to a willing buyer makes a lot of financial sense.

On the downside, the payment received in exchange for a structured settlement will always be less than the total value. Also, selling a structured settlement for a lump sum is not advisable for people who have a history of inefficient financial management. This is especially true for people given to gambling or other vices. And, it is most certainly contraindicated in cases where the recipients only means of livelihood are the monthly payments generated by a structured settlement.