When it comes to selecting a financial institute that specializes in Structured Settlement Annuities, or when you are in the process of retaining services of a professional annuity broker, you are better off evaluating those entities carefully. It is important to look at their financial strength, credit ratings, and how are being presently rated/benchmarked by various independent entities such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings.

It must be noted, however, that companies such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s Investors Service may be providing their ratings based on the overall financial strength of a company. Such ratings, therefore, do not necessarily correlate to the safety or the performance of the separate accounts that may be actually funding a company's variable products. Moreover, considering that the product features and their availability often vary by state, and the fact that some of their products may be actually being provided through licensed third party broker-dealers, it is important to look into all those fine-print details. Therefore, one must carefully consider the underlying fund investment objectives, risks, charges, and limitations and expenses of a variable universal life insurance policy before retaining their services.

Additionally, you should also look into factors such as the following before retaining the services of a Structured Settlement Annuity professional or a broker-dealer:

• Commitment to service, quality and excellence
  
• Whether or not the actual guarantor issues a "Statement of Irrevocable Guarantee" for all assigned contracts
  
• Company's assets available as assurance,
  
• Streamlined communication between the life company, the annuity broker and the claimant,
  
• Whether or not they are prompt, professional and attentive to address your needs,
  
• Whether or not they would have a Dedicated Business Analyst handle all your inquiries

Essentially, you should be looking for a structured settlements annuities company that has demonstrably superior financial strength, outstanding credit ratings, impeccable reputation for customer service, and a proven track record of being a top-level provider in the Structured Settlement Annuities market.