Market-based solutions

Market-based solutions

Time is the advantage

100 years' worth of performance data demonstrates that public market risk diminishes with time. And a structured settlement can cover decades, enough for the market’s short-term volatility to even out into long-term growth.

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PROSPERA SOLUTIONS

Why choose market-based options?

Why choose market-based options?

Trust a century's
worth of data

Historically, the S&P 500 has never had a negative total return over any rolling 20 year period.

Creating the
right balance

Combine cash, annuities, and market-based structures to balance immediate needs, predictable income, and long-term growth.

Protect purchasing power

Long-term, uninterrupted market exposure can protect against inflation and preserve purchasing power as cost of living increases.

S&P 500 performance, 20-year periods

The twenty-year horizon: Where market-based growth shines

Structured settlements are built for decades, and decades are where the market does its best work. From 1984 to 2025, every 20-year stretch of the S&P 500 grew faster than a fixed 5.00% rate annuity comparison.

The weakest window, 1998 to 2018, ran through two major downturns and still turned $1 million into nearly $3 million.

Scenario
Period
Annualized return
Growth of $1,000,000
Highest 20-year period
1984–2004
13.22%
$11,984,095
Lowest 20-year period
1998–2018
5.62%
$2,983,726
Most recent 20-year period
2005–2025
11.00%
$8,061,178
Fixed rate, for comparison
20 years
5.00%
$2,653,298
Growth of $1,000,000, 2005–2025
Market-based end value
$8,061,178
Market avg. / year
11.00%
Fixed end value
$2,653,298
Fixed rate
5.00%
Difference
$5,407,880
  • Market-based (S&P 500)
  • Fixed (5.00%)
Value of $1,000,000 by year, market-based (S&P 500) versus fixed 5.00%
YearMarket-based (S&P 500)Fixed (5.00%)
2005$1,000,000$1,000,000
2006$1,157,900$1,050,000
2007$1,221,469$1,102,500
2008$769,525$1,157,625
2009$973,142$1,215,506
2010$1,119,697$1,276,282
2011$1,143,322$1,340,096
2012$1,326,254$1,407,100
2013$1,755,828$1,477,455
2014$1,996,200$1,551,328
2015$2,023,748$1,628,895
2016$2,265,788$1,710,339
2017$2,760,410$1,795,856
2018$2,639,504$1,885,649
2019$3,470,684$1,979,932
2020$4,109,290$2,078,928
2021$5,289,067$2,182,875
2022$4,331,217$2,292,018
2023$5,469,893$2,406,619
2024$6,838,461$2,526,950
2025$8,061,178$2,653,298

S&P 500 Index total return, dividends reinvested. Market-based values compound actual annual S&P 500 returns; fixed values compound at 5.00%, a typical structured settlement annuity rate as of October 2026. Periods are measured year-end to year-end. Highest and lowest figures are the best and worst continuous 20-year windows between 1984 and 2025. Annualized return is the compound annual growth rate. For illustration only; not a projection. Historical performance does not guarantee future results. Growth Structured Settlements do not invest directly in the S&P 500; index shown for reference only.

S&P 500 performance, 20-year periods

The twenty-year horizon: Where market-based growth shines

Structured settlements are built for decades, and decades are where the market does its best work. From 1984 to 2025, every 20-year stretch of the S&P 500 grew faster than a fixed 5.00% rate annuity comparison.

The weakest window, 1998 to 2018, ran through two major downturns and still turned $1 million into nearly $3 million.

Scenario
Period
Annualized return
Growth of $1,000,000
Highest 20-year period
1984–2004
13.22%
$11,984,095
Lowest 20-year period
1998–2018
5.62%
$2,983,726
Most recent 20-year period
2005–2025
11.00%
$8,061,178
Fixed rate, for comparison
20 years
5.00%
$2,653,298
Growth of $1,000,000, 2005–2025
Market-based end value
$8,061,178
Market avg. / year
11.00%
Fixed end value
$2,653,298
Fixed rate
5.00%
Difference
$5,407,880
  • Market-based (S&P 500)
  • Fixed (5.00%)
Value of $1,000,000 by year, market-based (S&P 500) versus fixed 5.00%
YearMarket-based (S&P 500)Fixed (5.00%)
2005$1,000,000$1,000,000
2006$1,157,900$1,050,000
2007$1,221,469$1,102,500
2008$769,525$1,157,625
2009$973,142$1,215,506
2010$1,119,697$1,276,282
2011$1,143,322$1,340,096
2012$1,326,254$1,407,100
2013$1,755,828$1,477,455
2014$1,996,200$1,551,328
2015$2,023,748$1,628,895
2016$2,265,788$1,710,339
2017$2,760,410$1,795,856
2018$2,639,504$1,885,649
2019$3,470,684$1,979,932
2020$4,109,290$2,078,928
2021$5,289,067$2,182,875
2022$4,331,217$2,292,018
2023$5,469,893$2,406,619
2024$6,838,461$2,526,950
2025$8,061,178$2,653,298

S&P 500 Index total return, dividends reinvested. Market-based values compound actual annual S&P 500 returns; fixed values compound at 5.00%, a typical structured settlement annuity rate as of October 2026. Periods are measured year-end to year-end. Highest and lowest figures are the best and worst continuous 20-year windows between 1984 and 2025. Annualized return is the compound annual growth rate. For illustration only; not a projection. Historical performance does not guarantee future results. Growth Structured Settlements do not invest directly in the S&P 500; index shown for reference only.

S&P 500 performance, 20-year periods

The twenty-year horizon: Where market-based growth shines

Structured settlements are built for decades, and decades are where the market does its best work. From 1984 to 2025, every 20-year stretch of the S&P 500 grew faster than a fixed 5.00% rate annuity comparison.

The weakest window, 1998 to 2018, ran through two major downturns and still turned $1 million into nearly $3 million.

Scenario
Period
Annualized return
Growth of $1,000,000
Highest 20-year period
1984–2004
13.22%
$11,984,095
Lowest 20-year period
1998–2018
5.62%
$2,983,726
Most recent 20-year period
2005–2025
11.00%
$8,061,178
Fixed rate, for comparison
20 years
5.00%
$2,653,298
Growth of $1,000,000, 2005–2025
Market-based end value
$8,061,178
Market avg. / year
11.00%
Fixed end value
$2,653,298
Fixed rate
5.00%
Difference
$5,407,880
  • Market-based (S&P 500)
  • Fixed (5.00%)
Value of $1,000,000 by year, market-based (S&P 500) versus fixed 5.00%
YearMarket-based (S&P 500)Fixed (5.00%)
2005$1,000,000$1,000,000
2006$1,157,900$1,050,000
2007$1,221,469$1,102,500
2008$769,525$1,157,625
2009$973,142$1,215,506
2010$1,119,697$1,276,282
2011$1,143,322$1,340,096
2012$1,326,254$1,407,100
2013$1,755,828$1,477,455
2014$1,996,200$1,551,328
2015$2,023,748$1,628,895
2016$2,265,788$1,710,339
2017$2,760,410$1,795,856
2018$2,639,504$1,885,649
2019$3,470,684$1,979,932
2020$4,109,290$2,078,928
2021$5,289,067$2,182,875
2022$4,331,217$2,292,018
2023$5,469,893$2,406,619
2024$6,838,461$2,526,950
2025$8,061,178$2,653,298

S&P 500 Index total return, dividends reinvested. Market-based values compound actual annual S&P 500 returns; fixed values compound at 5.00%, a typical structured settlement annuity rate as of October 2026. Periods are measured year-end to year-end. Highest and lowest figures are the best and worst continuous 20-year windows between 1984 and 2025. Annualized return is the compound annual growth rate. For illustration only; not a projection. Historical performance does not guarantee future results. Growth Structured Settlements do not invest directly in the S&P 500; index shown for reference only.

WHERE IT APPLIES

One approach, three applications

One approach, three applications

Market-based vs. market-linked

How market-based structures compare to market-linked annuities

Indexed and market-linked annuities offer a piece of the market through an insurance contract. Prospera's market-based structure is still a structured settlement, with the same periodic payments, but it owns the investments directly.

Market-based (Prospera)Market-linked annuities
OwnershipDirect. The assignment company owns the actual funds.Contractual. An insurer's contract, not the underlying assets.
Upside potentialUncapped. No caps or participation rates.Capped by participation rates or spreads.
Downside protectionNo floor. Values can fall with the market.Minimum set. The life company backs a floor on value.
Market exposureFull participation. Managed through time horizon and a blend with fixed payments.Buffered or floored, paid for through limits on growth.
Counterparty riskDiversified. Spread across thousands of securities, not one insurer.Concentrated. Tied to the issuing insurer's balance sheet and solvency.
Fees and costsTransparent. Fund and program fees disclosed up front.Embedded. Costs sit inside caps and spreads.

Market-based vs. market-linked

How market-based structures compare to market-linked annuities

Indexed and market-linked annuities offer a piece of the market through an insurance contract. Prospera's market-based structure is still a structured settlement, with the same periodic payments, but it owns the investments directly.

Market-based (Prospera)Market-linked annuities
OwnershipDirect. The assignment company owns the actual funds.Contractual. An insurer's contract, not the underlying assets.
Upside potentialUncapped. No caps or participation rates.Capped by participation rates or spreads.
Downside protectionNo floor. Values can fall with the market.Minimum set. The life company backs a floor on value.
Market exposureFull participation. Managed through time horizon and a blend with fixed payments.Buffered or floored, paid for through limits on growth.
Counterparty riskDiversified. Spread across thousands of securities, not one insurer.Concentrated. Tied to the issuing insurer's balance sheet and solvency.
Fees and costsTransparent. Fund and program fees disclosed up front.Embedded. Costs sit inside caps and spreads.

Market-based vs. market-linked

How market-based structures compare to market-linked annuities

Indexed and market-linked annuities offer a piece of the market through an insurance contract. Prospera's market-based structure is still a structured settlement, with the same periodic payments, but it owns the investments directly.

Market-based (Prospera)Market-linked annuities
OwnershipDirect. The assignment company owns the actual funds.Contractual. An insurer's contract, not the underlying assets.
Upside potentialUncapped. No caps or participation rates.Capped by participation rates or spreads.
Downside protectionNo floor. Values can fall with the market.Minimum set. The life company backs a floor on value.
Market exposureFull participation. Managed through time horizon and a blend with fixed payments.Buffered or floored, paid for through limits on growth.
Counterparty riskDiversified. Spread across thousands of securities, not one insurer.Concentrated. Tied to the issuing insurer's balance sheet and solvency.
Fees and costsTransparent. Fund and program fees disclosed up front.Embedded. Costs sit inside caps and spreads.

FAQS

Frequently Asked + Answered

How does Prospera expand traditional settlement options?

Prospera adds market-based solutions to the traditional settlement toolkit. Cash, guaranteed annuity payments, and market-based structures can be blended to address immediate needs, provide predictable income, and create long-term growth potential.

Aren't market-based settlements new or unproven?

Market-based structured settlements are built on the same established periodic payment framework used in traditional structured settlements. Prospera combines that framework with diversified investment options from leading asset managers, bringing familiar long-term investment principles to settlement planning.

Isn't the market risky?

Market-based investments involve risk, which is why time horizon and diversification matter. Prospera can blend guaranteed annuity payments for near-term needs with diversified, market-based investments positioned for longer-term growth. This allows the market-based portion to remain invested over a longer horizon, helping manage short-term market volatility while creating greater growth potential over time.

Can I combine this with a traditional annuity?

Yes. Prospera can blend guaranteed annuity payments with market-based investments to address different needs over time. Annuities can provide predictable income for near-term needs, while the market-based portion can remain invested for longer-term growth potential. Together, they create a more flexible approach tailored to the individual settlement.

What happens to my funds if something happens to Prospera?

The structure is designed for long-term continuity. Assets are held in dedicated investment accounts established to fund scheduled payments and are separate from Prospera’s operating assets. The underlying investments are managed by established asset managers, and Prospera is institutionally backed to support long-term stability and continuity.

Does Prospera work with my settlement consultant or broker?

Yes. Prospera works through the settlement professionals you already rely on, not around them. Our solutions expand the options available to your consultant, giving them more ways to build a settlement strategy around your immediate and long-term needs.