If you have ever been in a bind for cash you know the stress, the weight of not being able to pay your bills. In these desperate times, desperate measures are often taken. Expensive loans, overused credit cards, and a snowball of events quickly complicate your financial position. Once the collectors begin their relentless pursuit of your sanity, the road to financial prosperity seems a million miles away. On the scene arrives your hero, the Cash Now guy.

The Cash Now guy says he can buy your lawsuit settlement and give you a lump sum for it. Of course, you have to have a structured settlement; you have to be receiving annuity payments, on top of a myriad of other qualifications. So if you are a lawsuit winner with an annuity settlement, is it really as good as it seems? Can cash now ease your financial woes? Maybe, but maybe not, it all depends on your situation.

The formula is simple. Does solving your money problems today outweigh the price you pay to get an advance on your future annuity payments? For example, paying what equates to a one time 25% interest fee on $30,000 might be worth the price to save your home and avoid bankruptcy. If you are behind on credit cards, which charge you a ridiculous 24% interest rate, does it make sense then to take a lump sum option? The credit card rate is better than the discount you would pay. What if you had to give up $30,000 of your $75,000 lump sum due in 8 years? Will the $45,000 you get today make up for the 30k throw away?

Annuities and structured settlement suits were created and scheduled to meet the future needs of a recipient. The fee for accelerating those payments is exorbitant. Researching alternative options is a must, and at the end of the day, it is your sanity that makes the final argument. Is cash now an answer to your prayers? Probably not but, it is a choice on your list. And its time to get started on that list before your bills get the better of you.