What is a Rated Age?
Because a Structured Settlement is a “life insurance product”, it is possible to utilize a substandard age rating – which is often referred to as a “rated age”. This concept suggests that there is a reduced capacity to the normal life expectancy of the claimant. It is important to note that negative health conditions do not need to be related to the claim in question.
Life companies issue rated ages to individuals & those rated ages are a direct reflection of the individual’s life expectancy, according to that life company.
Our entire staff has the ability to obtain rated ages from those life companies, on your behalf. This is important because rated ages will help decrease the cost of purchasing a structured settlement for your client. An important aspect of rated ages is that a claimant can have a wide range of rated ages, depending on which annuity company you are dealing with.
Higher the rated age = shortened life expectancy = lower cost annuity
Because the life expectancy is shorter than expected, the insurer anticipates that they will be able to forgo making payments for the same amount of time, that it would, if the individual had a normal life expectancy. The advantage of a “rated age” is worth considering for your clients, as it allows for a higher yield, on a lifetime benefit stream.
The Valdez Team works with clients primarily in San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas - with additional clients around the nation. Our team focuses on Settlement Planning & producing Structured Settlements for personal injury, medical malpractice, elder abuse, workers' compensation, product liability, mass torts, and construction defect cases. In addition, we also have the ability to create Structured Settlements for non-physical injury cases and attorney fees.