J.G. Wentworth has sold in excess of eight billion in future payments since its inception which makes it one of the most prolific and well-known structured settlement annuity companies on the market. It also puts a lot of effort into making the settlement process visible and offers you three different types of sale and payout option. From the moment you arrive on the site, you’re provided with information around how structured settlement annuities work, what you will need to do while working with J.G. Wentworth, the types of payment solution on offer, and even insights into how to manage these payments for minors.
Compared with Peachtree Financial Solutions, a subsidiary of J.G. Wentworth, and Fairfield Funding, J.G. Wentworth feels a lot faster and easier to work with. By that, we mean that you can get hold of a representative really quickly, the live chat is bristling with enthusiasm, and it didn’t take long for the system to send through a quote. We also like the fact that there are three sale and payout options – these may be available on competitor sites but not as clearly explained – which include: to sell a period of payments, to sell a portion of each payment, or to sell all your payments. This breakdown gives you a lot more wriggle room if you’re not entirely sure whether or not structured settlements are the way you want to go, or if you want to commit everything all at once.
J.G. Wentworth includes a structured settlement calculator section on its site that helpfully tells you that there is no calculator. The fees and the costs can realistically only be determined once you’ve ticked the boxes, filled in the forms and the costs are accurately assessed. However, they do include information around taxation, which is very helpful, along with detailed sections around quotes, life after selling, and second sale options.
J.G. Wentworth review: How does the process work?
Application process: Visible, plenty of information, managed by calls and emails
Costs: Fees are provided upon application
Purchase options: structured settlements, various annuities such as pension and medical, lottery, different types of structured settlement payment plan, home mortgages
Calculators, service and support: Live online chat, contact number, fast digital quotation process
- Fees are a mystery until you get started
- Seamless application process
J.G. Wentworth offers a solid quotation process that assures you that a representative will contact you within minutes of your filling out the form. This is, you’ll be pleased to know, absolutely true. Once you’ve clicked on the giant Get a Quote button and filled in your details, you will be put in touch with a human being who will talk you through the process and answer any extra questions you may have around your structured settlement and your plans for its use. It’s a good idea to visit the dedicated section that focuses on the settlement payment process first as this will answer a lot of your questions upfront, and help you frame any further questions more effectively.
Of all the sites, J.G. Wentworth has the most detailed outline of its sales process. There is a breakdown on its landing page and there’s an entire walkthrough on its Process page. The banner allows you to even click on the relevant button for each step so if you’re ahead of the game, you can skip ahead to where you need to be. The same site also includes a lot of information about the myths that surround these sales, common questions people ask, and videos around what structured settlement annuities are.
J.G. Wentworth review: Information and support
- Extensive information, help and support
- Dedicating an entire page to a calculator is an irritating misnomer
There can be few things as annoying as seeing something on a website entitled, ‘Structured Settlements Calculator’ only to discover that it tells you there is no such magical being. Well, competitors such as Fairfield Funding have managed to make one without any issues so that’s awkward. It’s a strangely smug addition to a site that’s very focused on giving people as much information as possible and does make you feel as if fees are a hidden mystery that you can only unlock once you’ve committed.
J.G. Wentworth: Customer reviews
- A+ rating on Better Business Bureau
- 4.5 star rating on Consumer Affairs
This feeling is carried through customer reviews on BBB which are not glowing. While it achieves as A+ rating from BBB, many reviews claim that the payment terms were low, customer service poor, and payment slow. Some customers have also complained about ongoing calls and emails even after they’ve moved on from the process or opted to use another company.
These complaints are echoed on the Consumer Affairs site – spam, poor service, slow payments. That said, there are also numerous positive reviews on the site that expound the virtues of J.G Wentworth which has an overall review of 4.5 stars out of 87 ratings in the past year.
Should you choose J.G Wentworth?
J.G. Wentworth has sat at the top of our best structured settlement annuities guide over the past few years for a reason. There are mixed customer reviews, but the company has sold so many of these settlements that it would be impossible to have pleased all the people. The lack of visibility into fees is, to a certain extent, understandable – the company wants to provide an accurate quote that reflects current rates – but it does feel like you have to jump into an ocean to get your toe wet. Overall, however, it’s a solid start for anyone looking to find a reliable partner for their structured settlement annuities.
