Choosing a structured settlement investment as an option for for financial gain can be a viable method of acquiring profit. These settlements are usually paid out to individuals over a period of time and may be the result of an insurance pay out, lottery winnings, annuities or a court judgment. Recipients of these funds are often willing to sell the payments in exchange for a lump sum of cash. There are a variety of reasons why an individual might choose to do this. Receiving money that is owed over time in small increments may not have the same kind of life changing possibilities that a one time payment of a large amount of money can have. This is the main attraction that draws individuals to investors who are willing to pay money for structured settlement payments. Why wait for the money when it can be obtained in one large payment? Of course, sellers will find that they are not going to receive as much money as originally would have been the case. For a structured settlement investment to work, there must be the potential of real profit down the road for the investor. These settlements may have been originally designed to create a steady source of income that will aide the beneficiary for a long time to come. This time frame will usually extend over a period of years. In the minds of some recipients, having access to a larger sum of money in the present is more valuable than having more money in the long run, but having to wait for it.