Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Estimated cash in hand
$81,322
Present value before fees
$83,322
Total future payments given up
$180,000
Effective discount
54.8%
Payments sold
180
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How to use this
- 1Enter payment amount ($).
- 2Enter payment frequency.
- 3Enter years of payments remaining (years).
- 4Enter buyer's discount rate (%).
- 5Enter transfer / legal fees ($).
- 6Read your estimated cash in hand on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Companies that buy structured settlements quote a lump sum today in exchange for your future scheduled payments. That lump sum is a present-value calculation with a discount rate attached, and the discount rate is where nearly all of the buyer's profit lives — quotes commonly land between 8% and 18%, and a few percentage points move the offer by tens of thousands of dollars. This calculator prices your payment stream at whatever discount rate you enter, shows the total nominal value you are giving up, and reports the effective haircut as a percentage. Use it to compare competing offers on equal footing: convert each offer back into its implied discount rate by adjusting the input until the present value matches the quote. Court approval is required for these transfers in every US state under structured settlement protection acts, and judges do consider whether the discount is unconscionable, so an offer far below the numbers here is worth challenging.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Payment amount: 1000 $
- Payment frequency: Monthly
- Years of payments remaining: 15 years
- Buyer's discount rate: 12 %
- Transfer / legal fees: 2000 $
Results
- Estimated cash in hand: $81,322
- Present value before fees: $83,322
- Total future payments given up: $180,000
- Effective discount: 54.8%
- Payments sold: 180
What each field means
Inputs
- Payment amount ($)
- The payment amount used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 10–100000 $.
- Payment frequency
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Monthly, Quarterly, Annually.
- Years of payments remaining (years)
- The years of payments remaining used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 15 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–40 years.
- Buyer's discount rate (%)
- The buyer's discount rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 12 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–25 %.
- Transfer / legal fees ($)
- The transfer / legal fees used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–25000 $.
Results
- Estimated cash in hand
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Present value before fees
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total future payments given up
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Effective discount
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Payments sold
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What discount rate is fair?
Competitive offers in recent years cluster around 8-14%. Anything above roughly 18% is generally considered aggressive and courts have rejected transfers on that basis. Shop at least three buyers.
Can I sell only part of my payments?
Yes. Partial sales — a fixed number of upcoming payments, or a slice of each — are common and preserve long-term income. Model that by lowering the payment amount or the number of years.
Do I owe tax on the lump sum?
Payments from a personal physical injury settlement are generally tax-free, and a qualified transfer usually keeps that treatment. Lottery and non-injury structures are different. Confirm with a tax professional.
Why does court approval matter?
State protection acts require a judge to find the transfer in your best interest. Bring competing quotes; a judge comparing your offer to market rates is your strongest leverage.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Structured Settlement Payout Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/structured-settlement-payout-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/structured-settlement-payout-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Structured Settlement Payout Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Structured Settlement Payout Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/structured-settlement-payout-calculator) (2026).