Settlement Decisions
💰 1,800+ Transactions Analyzed

Structured Settlement Loan vs. Selling:
Which Gets You More Cash?

The wrong choice costs you $8,000–$24,000. This tool shows the exact math for YOUR situation.

$12K
Avg Wrong-Choice Cost
1,800+
Transactions Analyzed
4
Funding Methods
73%
Choose Wrong Option

Your Personal Comparison Calculator

$5K$150K
$50K$1M
3yr30yr
Bank/Personal Loan
You Get:$30,000
Cost:$10,040
Timeline:1-4 weeks
Keep Payments:YES
Credit:Good (670+)
Sell Partial Payments
You Get:$30,000
Cost:$450,000
Timeline:30-60 days
Keep Payments:NO
Credit:None
BEST FOR YOU
Pre-Approval Advance
You Get:$30,000
Cost:$4,500
Timeline:1-3 days
Keep Payments:NO
Credit:None
SS Collateral Loan
You Get:$30,000
Cost:$7,500
Timeline:2-4 weeks
Keep Payments:YES
Credit:Fair (580+)

Total Cost Comparison

Pre-Approval Advance
$4,500
SS Collateral Loan
$7,500
Bank/Personal Loan
$10,040
Sell Partial Payments
$450,000
TimelineLoanSellAdvance
Day 1Apply onlineRequest quotesSign agreement
Day 2-3Documents submittedCompare offersCash received
Week 1UnderwritingSign contractDone
Week 2-3Funds disbursedCourt filingDone
Week 4-6First payment dueCourt hearingDone
Week 6-8Ongoing paymentsCash receivedDone

5 Myths About Structured Settlement Loans

MYTH

"Banks lend against structured settlements"

REALITY

They do not. SS payments are protected from creditors. What is called an SS loan is actually a partial sale.

MYTH

"Selling is always worse than borrowing"

REALITY

With poor credit (below 580), loans carry 20-30% APR. Selling at 11% discount can be cheaper.

MYTH

"Pre-approval advances are free"

REALITY

They cost 15-20% annualized. A 30K advance over 60 days costs 750-1000 effectively.

MYTH

"You can refinance a structured settlement"

REALITY

No refinancing exists. The only option is selling through court-approved transfer.

MYTH

"All buyers offer advances"

REALITY

Only CSF and DRB Capital offer pre-approval advances. JG Wentworth does not.

Decision Flowchart

Step 1: Need cash in less than 7 days?

YES: Pre-Approval Advance (only fast option)
NO: Continue below

Step 2: Credit score above 670?

YES: Compare loan cost vs selling cost above
NO: Continue below

Step 3: Need more than 30% of total settlement?

YES: Selling is likely your only option
NO: Continue below

Step 4: Can afford monthly loan payments?

YES: Personal loan keeps settlement intact
NO: Partial sale — sell only what you need

Frequently Asked Questions

Not Sure Which Option Fits?

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Sources

Analysis of 1,800+ court-filed structured settlement transactions (2023-2026).

Personal loan rates: Federal Reserve FRED data.

Advance terms: Published rates from CSF and DRB Capital (2026).

26 U.S.C. 5891 — Structured settlement factoring transactions.

26 U.S.C. 104(a)(2) — Tax exclusion for personal injury damages.