What Is a Structured Settlement Annuity

What Is a Structured Settlement Annuity
A structured annuity settlement is a financial vehicle that includes periodic payments, provided that the plaintiff in a personal injury liability lawsuit replaces a cash payment settlement. This type of financial tool can only be configured with a licensed settlement planner. (Settlement Quotes does not create these insurance products.)

A structured settlement is set up by purchasing an annuity through a life insurance company such as Metlife or Monumental Life Insurance Company. This annuity can be a monthly, semi-annual, annual or lifetime payment from the claimant. These periodic payments are tax-free and are a great source of fixed income for an individual after a personal injury liability case.

Many people wonder if they can receive a one-time cash payment after they start receiving their structured settlement annuity payments. The answer is no, you cannot go back to a cash settlement for the total. You do have options however. Settlement Quotes provides services to people in this situation. We will offer you a sum of cash for your structured settlement from other companies.

This is not always the best option for many people. A discount rate will be applied to your structured settlement to calculate your present value of your structured annuity to calculate your cash settlement. Due to the time value of money, you will only receive a partial amount in the lump sum. After a court approval process the lump sum payment will remain tax free.

Quotes Settlement only recommends using this inexpensive option if you have other financial assets that can provide financial support for your family. Many people pay off their debts, send their kids to college, or make a down payment on a house with the money they receive from the factored structured settlement.

There are many benefits to keeping your settlement structured. Quotes Settlement recommends seeking the advice of a financial professional before factoring payments through a structured settlement factoring company. A structured settlement can be used as a source of income when it comes to applying for a loan. This option must be tried first before attempting to receive a one-time payment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Structured Settlement Quotes is dedicated to providing you with the information you need to make an informed decision about the sale of your structured settlement or annuity payments. The following is a list of the most frequently asked questions, followed by detailed answers from our learning center organized by topic:

About Settlement Quotes

What makes Settlement Quotes services unique in the market?

For what types of payments does Structured Settlement Quotes provide price quotes service?

About Selling Your Annual Structured Settlement

What is an annual structured settlement?

Is it legal to sell your structured settlement payments?

What if your structured settlement agreement or annuity policy contains an anti-sale or non-transferable clause?

Can only some of your structured settlement payments be sold or do you have to sell all of them?

What if you have sold some of your structured settlement payments in the past? Can more payments be sold now to registered Certified Structured Settlement Quotes funders?

Do you have to pay taxes on the money received from the sale of your structured settlement payments?

What if you are in bankruptcy and have not yet been discharged?

The sale and transaction with a financier are risk free?

If you are a minor, can you sell your structured settlement payments?

Is It Legally Allowed To Sell Workers' Compensation Payments?

About the Bidding Process

How do you start the bidding process to receive quotes from our certified sponsors?

How long will it be until you receive the quotes?

How many quotes do you receive from Settlement Quotes?

Each of the quotes you receive is a guaranteed offer to buy your structured settlement payments?

Are you obliged to sell if you only request a quote?

How long do you have to accept an offer?

What if you accept an offer and then decide you want to cancel?

When do you find out which certified finance company gave the highest quote?

About the selling process and getting your money

Once you accept an offer, what are the steps to follow to complete the sale transaction and how long does it take to receive payment?

If the sale transaction is not completed for any reason, will you still receive your payments as usual?

About Settlement Quotes

What makes Settlement Quotes services unique in the market?

Settlement Quotes is a market leader in providing the industry for buying and selling structured settlement payments and other annuities in every state.

Settlement Quotes brings together, settlement buyers (Certified funders) to compete for their payments.

If you decide to sell, you have the peace of mind of knowing that the selected Certified Financier is one of the most experienced and respected in the industry to complete the sale and get your money in the shortest time allowed by law.

For what types of payments does Structured Settlement Quotes provide a quote service?

Settlement Quotes provides structured settlement quotes and other insurance annuity payments. Specifically, we can quote the payments you receive:

From an insurance company

As a result of a lawsuit or insurance settlement

Payments of any guarantee or life contingencies

Not as a result of a workers' compensation claim

We DO NOT offer quotes on:

Workers' compensation payments

Payments for a minor

Pensions

Social security payments

TIAA CREF payments

Mortgages

Pre-settlement cases

Settlement of travel expenses

VA disability or pension

Other disability payments

About Selling Your Structured Settlement Annuity

What is a structured settlement annuity?

A structured settlement annuity is a contract issued by an insurance company to finance the payment of personal injury compensation over a period of time. It is sometimes referred to as an insurance allowance.

In the event of your death, your beneficiary is guaranteed a tax-free payment or series of payments over a fixed period of time.

Most structured settlements are the result of a lawsuit, with payments resulting from a legal action.

Is it legal to sell your structured settlement payments?

Yes. You can sell your structured settlement or insurance settlement payments.

Most states have a structured Settlement Protection Act. These laws allow you to sell your payments if the following requirements are met:

Full information should be given on the financial terms of your sale.

You have a "cooling off period" after signing the documents you can change your mind and cancel the sale.

You must be informed in writing to request independent professional advice regarding your sale. In some states, you can choose to waive the tips.

The hearing takes place before a judge who considers your case and decides whether or not to approve the sale. The judge will examine your financial situation, what you want to do with the money, and whether it is in your best interest to sell payments.

The judge must issue a court order approving the sale.

What if your structured settlement agreement or annuity policy contains an anti-sale or non-transferable clause?

An anti-transfer clause or anti-sale language does not prevent you from selling your payments.

Some structured settlement agreements or annuity policies contain anti-sale or non-transfer clauses such as:

"None of the periodic payments can be advanced, deferred, increased or decreased, they cannot be anticipated, sold, assigned or encumbered."

Since you must obtain a court order approving the sale of your payments, a judge will review and evaluate your case.

The judges have the power to approve the sale, even if the no-sell clause appears in the structured settlement agreement or structured settlement annuity policy which tries to prevent you from selling your payments.

Can only some of your structured settlement payments be sold or do you have to sell all of them?

You can sell part or all of your payments.

You can create more than one online file with different payment combinations and get more than one set of price quotes in order to better meet your financial needs.

If you only sell some of your payments, your insurance company will continue to pay the payments you still have on time and in good time.

What if you have sold some of your structured settlement payments in the past? Can more payments be sold now to registered Certified Structured Settlement Quotes funders?

Yes. If you have sold some of your structured settlement payments in the past, you can sell the remaining payments that you are still a beneficiary of.

Do you want to know how much your payments are worth? Get a guaranteed price offer set for your payments in less than 24 hours.

Do you have to pay taxes on the money received from the sale of your structured settlement payments?

The money you receive from the sale of your structured settlement payments will have the same tax treatment as the payments you receive from your structured settlement annuity.

If you receive your payments tax free then the money you receive from the sale of your payments will also be tax free.

In most cases, structured settlement annuity payments are tax-free because your pension was established to qualify for tax-free treatment under section 130 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The US Federal Government has taken several steps to ensure that payments received for personal injury damages are tax-free.

Section 104 (a) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code confirms that damages received from personal injury or illness are not considered income and are not taxable.

In 2002, a federal law was passed to protect beneficiaries in the sale of their structured settlement payments. As a result, Section 5891 was introduced into the Internal Revenue Code.

Section 5891 requires that the sale of structured settlement payments be approved by a court in accordance with applicable state law.

Please note that this information is provided as a courtesy only, and does not constitute legal advice. You should seek legal or professional counsel to deal with your specific circumstances.

What if you are in bankruptcy and have not yet been discharged?

We can quote your payments, even if you are in bankruptcy and have not yet been discharged.

If you are in bankruptcy, you will need to notify us before your case is quoted so that we can speak with your bankruptcy administrator or legal representative to obtain additional information.

Our certified funders reserve the right to deduct a commission for additional work in processing cases that have not yet been discharged from bankruptcy.

The sale and transaction with a financier are risk free?

You do not waive any rights in the sale of a structured settlement until the transaction is completed and you have received the full sale price. Furthermore, your case is protected by the court and a judge's order that forces the financing company to carry out its obligations. You are fully protected.

If you are a minor, can you sell your structured settlement payments?

Settlement Quotes does not offer quotes to underage beneficiaries as they have no legal capacity to sell their payments without the intervention of a litigation or a guardian.

Is It Legally Allowed To Sell Workers' Compensation Payments?

It is not legal for you to sell structured settlement annuities that arise from workers' compensation claims. You must keep the annuity until all payments have been completed.

About the Bidding Process

How do you start the bidding process to receive quotes from our certified sponsors?

To start the bidding process,

1- Go to the form above and enter the amounts of the payments, the date and the insurance company. You can enter as many cases as you like with different payment combinations to get the amount of money that best suits your financial needs.

OR

2- Contact one of our customer service specialists at 1-888-562-1268 and he or she can help you enter the information necessary for our certified financiers to start bidding and competing to buy your payments. Once the offers are received, one of our customer service specialists will contact you to review your case.

How long will it be until you receive the quotes?

We are usually able to get back to you within a few hours (up to a maximum of 24) with the company offering to buy your annuity. You can receive all or some of your quotes, in just 1 hour.

How many quotes do you receive from Settlement Quotes?

We are going to share with you the top quotes we receive from our certified sponsors. The number of citations we receive will depend on the number of certified funding participants at the time your case is entered on the Settlement Quotes website.

Each of the quotes you receive is a guaranteed offer to buy your structured settlement payments?

Yes. The price quotes received are guaranteed offers to purchase your structured settlement payments.

We guarantee:

1- You will get a higher price from each of our Certified Financiers in advance, without problems.

2- You will receive your guaranteed quote quickly --- in less than 24 hours and, often, in the shortest time of 2 hours.

3- Each quote constitutes an offer to purchase your annuity payments that remains open for acceptance for 24 hours after publication in order to provide time to decide. If you do not accept the offer within 24 hours from the date of registration, the offer is frozen and may remain valid or may be revoked or modified at the discretion of the respective certified financier on a case by case basis. It is recommended to contact Settlement Quotes at 1-888-562-1268 to confirm the availability of these types of offers, if the 24-hour period has already expired.

Are you obliged to sell if you only request a quote?

No. There is no obligation to accept an offer to purchase. You may decide that you do not want to sell your annuity in which case we will close the file until further notice from you.

How long do you have to accept an offer?

Each offer provided by our certified partners is open for acceptance for a period of 24 hours after publication. To accept, simply contact us by phone at 1-888-562-1268 and notify one of our customer service specialists that you accept the offer and wish to continue your sale.

What if you accept an offer and then decide you want to cancel?

You should not indicate acceptance of the offer until you are sure you want to proceed with the sale. However, even if you accept and receive sales documents, there is usually a "cool down" in which you can change your mind and cancel the transaction. The reflection time period is clearly stated either in the sales compliance certificate or in the Assignment Agreement that you receive as part of the sales documentation.

When do you find out which certified finance company gave the highest quote?

You will be notified by email or phone of the successful Certified Funder immediately upon acceptance of an offer to purchase. You can rest assured that each Funding Entity is examined by Settlement Quotes and certified to be reliable, trustworthy and competent to complete your transfer and get your money in the shortest time allowed by law.

About the selling process and getting your money

Once you accept an offer, what are the steps to follow to complete the sale operation and how long does it take to receive payment

At Settlement Quotes we understand that your financial goals depend on completing your sales transaction and getting paid in the shortest time allowed by law.

Once you have accepted an offer and confirm that you wish to proceed with the sale to the winning Certified Funder, the sale process immediately begins as follows:

1- First call at 2 hours. You will receive a call from a customer service expert on behalf of the certified finance company within 2 hours of acceptance. At that time, our expert will inform you that Financial Certificated was the successful bidder and will provide you with the contact information.

2- Legal documents in 24 hours. You will receive the legal documents from the Certified Financier within 24 hours. A Notary Public will wait for you at your home or other convenient location to review the sale documents with you, answer any questions you may have, and sign the sale.

3- Process in court within 30 days. Our Certified Financier will complete the court process as soon as legally permitted. This could take about 30 days, depending on the state.

4- Immediate access to your money. You will get your money directly by bank transfer into an account of your choice immediately after completing the legal process.

5- The expected time from price quotation to financing and the entire transfer process can take about 6 weeks, depending on the state in which you reside.

If the sale transaction is not completed for any reason, will you still receive your payments as usual?

Our certified funder will process the sale transaction of your structured settlement, at no cost to you.

In the unlikely event that your sale is not completed for any reason:

1- Neither Settlement Quotes nor the corresponding certified funder will charge you any fees or penalties. This promise will be recorded in writing in the sales documentation that you receive.

2- You will have the right to receive all the payments of the annuity that you had agreed to sell as they mature.

3- Your insurance company will continue to pay all future payments as if it had never entered into a sales transaction.

You will have no future obligation to Settlement Quotes or the applicable certified funder.

see also finance and business knowledge

Movies Series Based on Famous Novels

Movies Series Based on Famous Novels
10 fun series adapted from the book That will let you slip into the world of fun books

Often times we will see movies that bring famous literature or novels to the screen. As with the world of series, youth literature and novels are often produced. And many of them were successful and popular with audiences. Resulting in returning to find more books to read And today, Pigbox.com would like to introduce you to a series based on famous novels that have a wide variety of stories from the present day. Until going back to the different eras, you can definitely call it fun. As for what matters will be, let's follow along.

1. Sherlock (2009)
Sherlock Holmes, one of the most famous and legendary detective characters of the world famous literary scene. Written by Sir Arthur Conan Deutsch tells the story of the brilliant young detective Sherlock Holmes. Be observant and observant With knowledge of science such as physics, chemistry and forensic science skills He is famous for his clever, complex, unpredictable investigations. With the tactics of investigating the Sherlock Holmes-style case by the Sherlock edition, the series has a total of 4 seasons.

2. Game of Throne (2011-2019)
The best of the series that you absolutely do not want to miss. The series adapted from George Raymond's bestselling book A Song of Ice and Fire, Richard Martin for Game of Thrones. With the story of the seat of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms between the 3 main families comprising Stark Family, Lannister Family And the Targaryen family Along with the invasion of the Zombie Army White Walker. The North will change the war between the clans. The series consists of 8 seasons, packed with a rich story. The struggle between kingdoms to use magic.

3. Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)
Adapted from the true story of Piper Kerman, which depicts a true experience of a year in prison in Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, Orange Is the New Black will bring audiences to know. The tumultuous story in prison of Piper Chapman who goes to prison for his involvement in the transnational drug trafficking movement. Which is a squeal from her ex-girlfriend And the fun of this series is the story of each prisoner before they end up in this prison. The series has to follow all 7 seasons.

4.13 Reasons Why (2017-2020)
Based on the best-selling Jay Asher novel of the same name, it tells the story of a teenage tragedy that could happen to any family. And all of the events lead to suicide and discovering the truth about what happened to Hannah Becker, along with the key evidence: a tape containing 13 reasons why she made the decision to commit suicide. The series spans four seasons and will slowly lead the audience into a story that if anyone is stressed or mentally fallen. We do not recommend viewing. Because the story of the series may gloom you for days.

5. Little Women (2017)
A three-episode series, aired on BBC One, based on Luisamay Alcott's world-famous novel of the same name, the story of the four March-Joe, Meg, Amy and Beth siblings. American civil war They have to learn about love and loss. The story of the Little Women series has been adapted several times from 1958, 1970 until the 2017 version of course, there is also a movie version for fans to follow.

6. YOU (2018-present)
Based on Caroline Capeness's thriller with a compelling twist. The series will introduce you to Joe Goldberg, a charismatic young man with a career as a bookstore manager. Where he fell in love with a young woman who frequented the books He's obsessed and does whatever it takes to get involved in the lives of people he is obsessed with. And make myself the right person for that girl Even in the end, it ended with a bloodshed The series has a total of 2 seasons, I can say that it is intense, inviting, kind, watching one at a time, definitely ending.

7. Bridgerton (2020)
After the series about Bridgerton aired As a result, Julia Quinn's book was best-selling and ranked in the New York Times, followed by Bridgerton on the love story of Daphne Bridgerton, the eldest daughter of the Bridgerton and Simon families. Bassett, Duke of Hastings The fragrant bachelorette that the Debutant mothers dream of becoming their son-in-law. Even though both of them said they did not want anything from each other But it is clear that hearts have begun to grow after having to outsmart each other amid social expectations for their future. It was broadcast for a total of 1 season and the strength of this series has resulted in the green light to build for Season 2.

8. The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Another popular series after it aired on TV for The Queen's Gambit, the board game of life. Adapted from the writing of Walter Tavis, which recently won Best Miniseries or Television Movie. And best actress award Genre, miniseries or TV movie based on Anya Taylor-Joy. On the stage of the Golden Globes A series about the story of Beth Harmon, a girl left behind by her parents in an orphanage. In 1950 Kentucky she coped with loneliness and discovered that she had a talent for chess. But to acquire her abilities Had to exchange for drug addiction You will also have to face the hidden demons while fighting in the male-dominated world of chess.

9. Lupine (2021)
Another immortal character in the literary world, Arsene Lupin, created from Mauris LeBlanc's writings, is making a comeback after the Lupine thief Lupine series. Released as one of the top five Amazon and Fnac bestsellers by Lupine Lupine, about the adventures of Arsene Lupin, a gentleman thief. Master of Disguise Who set out to avenge his father From the injustice created by the wealthy elite family It was broadcast for a total of 1 season and the strength of this series has resulted in the green light to build for Season 2.

10.Shadow and Bone (2021)
Shadow and Bone, the legendary Grisha series based on the legendary Grisha. Leigh Barduco's best-selling world-wide tale tells the story of a world bruised by war, Alina Starkov, an orphan and a humble soldier. She released a special power that could be the key to the independence of her country. As the land of huge shadow sniffers crawling in Alina has to part from everything she knows she is familiar with in order to train with a super-powerful elite soldier known as Grisha. But while trying to practice the use of strength Instead, she discovers that allies and enemies may be the same person. And this beautiful world is not what it seems at all. But with serious power Including charming criminals mixed in And may have to rely on something superior to magic to find a way to survive. The series is scheduled to air on April 23, 2021 and will consist of 8 episodes.

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Mergers and Acquisitions of Companies

Mergers and Acquisitions of Companies
External development is a form of business growth that results from the acquisition , participation, association or control of a company, companies or assets of other companies, expanding their current businesses or entering new ones. The term used in business jargon is M&A, which comes from Mergers and Acquisitions.

The reasons for a company to decide on external development (mergers, acquisitions, alliances ...) compared to the internal one has its origin in different causes that we will comment on in this definition.

Reasons for mergers and acquisitions
We will highlight the economic and market power reasons.

1. Economic reasons
Cost reduction : Through economies of scale and / or economies of scope through the integration of two companies whose productive and commercial systems are complementary to each other, generating synergies.
Get new resources and capabilities by joining or acquiring another company.
Replacement of the management team : It usually happens that, when management is replaced, there is a greater increase in value.
Obtaining tax incentives that can increase the benefits of acquisitions and mergers, due to the existence of exemptions or bonuses.

2. Motives for market power
It may be the only way to enter an industry and / or a country , as it has strong entry barriers.
When mergers and acquisitions are horizontally integrated , an increase in the market power of the resulting company is sought and, consequently, a reduction in the level of competition in the industry
.
When mergers and acquisitions are vertically integrated, companies that operate at different stages of the production cycle are integrated , the objective is to immediately achieve the advantages of vertical integration , both backwards and forwards.

Types of external development
The types of external development are:
The merger of companies : Integration of two or more companies so that at least one of the originals disappears.

The acquisition of companies : Operation of purchase and sale of packages of shares between two companies, keeping the legal personality each of them.

Cooperation or alliances between companies : Intermediate formula, links and relationships are established between companies, without loss of legal personality of any of the participants, who maintain their legal and operational independence.

Depending on the type of relationship established between the companies, they can be classified into:

Horizontal: The companies are competitors among themselves and belong to the same industry.
Vertical: Companies are located in different phases of the complete cycle of exploitation of a product.
Conglomerates: Companies have very different activities from each other.

Types of mergers
They are unions between two or more companies, with the loss of legal personality of at least one participant.

1. Pure fusion
Two or more companies of an equivalent size, agree to join, creating a new company to which they contribute all their resources; dissolving the primitive companies. (A + B = C)

2. Merger by absorption
One of the companies involved (absorbed) disappears, integrating its assets into the absorbing company. The absorbing company (A) continues to exist, but accumulates to its equity the corresponding to the absorbed company (B).

3. Merger with Partial Contribution of Assets
A company (A) contributes only a part of its assets (a) together with the other company with which it merges (B), either to a new company (C) that is created in the merger agreement itself, or to another pre-existing society (B), which is thus increasing its size (B '); it is necessary that the company contributing assets (A) does not dissolve.

Business Acquisitions Financing
The participation or acquisition of companies takes place when a company buys part of the capital stock of another company, with the intention of totally or partially dominating it.

Acquisition or participation in companies will give rise to different levels or degrees of control depending on the percentage of share capital of the acquired company in its possession and according to the way in which the rest of the securities are distributed among the other shareholders: large packages of shares in the hands of very few individuals or a large number of shareholders with little individual participation.

The purchase of a company can be done through a conventional purchase-sale contract, but in recent decades, two financial formulas have been developed:

Purchase using financial leverage or Leveraged Buy-Out (LBO) .
Public offer for the acquisition of shares (OPA).

1. Buying through financial leverage (LBO)
Buying through financial leverage (LBO) consists of financing a significant part of the acquisition price of a company through the use of debt.

This debt is secured, not only by the buyer's equity or creditworthiness, but also by the assets of the acquired company and its future cash flows. So after the acquisition, the debt ratio tends to reach very high values.

It may be the case that the purchase is made by the same managers of the company to be acquired. In this case we are facing a purchase by management or Management Buy-Out (MBO). The reason why they decide to launch an offer on the company they work for is to put the company in the right direction.

2. The public offer for the acquisition of shares (OPA)
The public offer for the acquisition of OPA shares occurs when a company makes an offer to purchase all or part of the capital stock to the shareholders of another listed company under certain conditions.

see also finance and business knowledge

11 Most Poisonous Plants in the World

11 Most Poisonous Plants in the World
11. Doll’s Eyes

Actaea pachypoda, commonly known as doll’s eyes, is a flowering plant native to the forests of North America. In the spring it produces white flowers but Actaea pachypoda’s most striking feature is its fruit. The plant features a white berry that measures roughly half an inch in diameter and has a black stigma scar. This is where the name “doll’s eyes” originates from. The plant as a whole, including its berries, is considered poisonous to humans. In fact, the berries are the most dangerous part. This is due to cardiogenic toxins that have an immediate sedative effect on the human heart muscle. Therefore, ingesting the berries can lead to death by cardiac arrest.

10. Water Hemlock

Plants from the Cicuta genus, known by their common name as water hemlocks, have been described as the most violently toxic plants in North America. They’re native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly North America and Europe. These large wildflowers belong to the carrot family and are sometimes confused with celery or edible parsnips. Similar to water parsnips, water hemlocks have clusters of umbrella-shaped white flowers and they’re found on the shorelines of lakes and rivers. Unlike water parsnips, however, they’re infused with a deadly cicutoxin, particularly in their roots, which attacks the central nervous system.

When ingested, intoxication symptoms can take as little as 15 minutes to manifest. Violent seizure activity is a common side-effect and its onset can be abrupt. It can lead to respiratory failure, muscle breakdown, swelling in the brain or kidney failure. In many cases, death has occurred within a few hours of ingestion. Should the victim survive, seizures may still persist for up to 96 hours and a possible side effect is retrograde amnesia of the intoxication or the events leading up to it. Other neurological symptoms may include hallucination, delirium or coma.

9. Rosary Pea

Abrus precatorius, also known as the rosary pea, is a perennial climber that twines around shrubs, hedges and trees. Humans have spread the rosary pea outside its native Indonesia and the plant’s ability to invade is quite remarkable. These factors have led to its current pantropical distribution. The rosary pea grows aggressively, expands deep roots and produces hard-shelled seeds. It’s extremely difficult to remove once it’s reached maturity. The plant has brightly-colored seeds, which present shades of red and black, being reminiscent of a ladybug. The seeds are deadly due to an extremely toxic component called abrin. It prevents protein synthesis, which is vital for cell health. In a laboratory setting, abrin has been determined as being at least 75 times more potent than ricin, another well-known plant toxin.

The seed, however, isn’t typically lethal if its hard shell hasn’t been broken. If chewed and ingested, a single seed can kill both adults and children. For an average-sized human the lethal dose of abrin is an estimated 0.1 milligrams. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting and seizures leading up to multiple organ failure. Death typically occurs after a few days and there’s currently no antidote to stop the toxins from ravaging the human body. Because of their bright coloration, the seeds are valued in native jewellery-making. There’ve been reports of workers who’ve died from pinpricks as they were piercing and threading the seeds. In India, as late as the 19th century, rosary pea poison was reportedly used as a weapon. Needles were dipped in a paste made from pounded seeds and then dried in the sun. Afterwards they were mounted on a handle and used to puncture the skin of humans or animals.

8. Lily of the Valley

The lily of the valley is sweetly scented and has bell-shaped flowers which blossom during springtime. It’s found throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere and has had a significant cultural impact. It was fashion icon Christian Dior’s favorite flower and has formed the basis of several classic perfumes. In Christian tradition it’s said to have been sprung from the tears of the Virgin Mary, during the crucifixion of Jesus. The lily of the valley also lends its name to a song from rock band Queen, on an album entitled “Sheer Heart Attack”.

The album title only seems fitting, since ingesting the lily of the valley essentially wreaks havoc on the human heart. All parts of the plant are highly poisonous. It contains a toxic amino acid as well as around 38 different cardiac glycosides. These organic compounds increase the output force of the heart and its rate of contractions. To make matters worse, the lily of the valley produces bright-red berries, which may be attractive to children. Any part of the plant, even ingested in small amounts, can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, blurred vision or reduced heart rate. The lily of the valley’s deadly power was also shown on the TV series Breaking Bad. The show’s main character used it as a poison as he plotted to assassinate an adversary.

7. Oleander

The oleander is the only plant species in the Nerium genus and one of the most poisonous commonly grown garden plants. Oleander is so widespread that its point of origin is no longer known, although some suggest that it comes from Southeast Asia. It can grow to be nearly 20 feet tall with thick and leathery dark-green leaves. Each branch ends in a cluster of flowers, which are white or pink to red. According to one theory the name “oleander” was derived from a combination of Greek nouns that would roughly translate as “I kill man”. It’s a name that rings true when considering the plant’s notorious toxicity.

Every part of the oleander is poisonous. Ingesting it can affect the heart, the gastrointestinal system and the central nervous system. It can lead to muscle tremors, seizures, coma and death. Even contact with the leaves can lead to skin rashes for some people. Its toxicity and wide distribution have turned the oleander into an urban legend across many cultures. While versions vary, the overarching narrative is that people died after eating food roasted over a campfire made from oleander stick. Some legends claim that this happened to the soldiers of Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander the Great.

6. White Snakeroot

Ageratina altissima, also known as white snakeroot, is a poisonous plant native to eastern and central North America. It grows up to 5 feet tall and is topped by clusters of small white flowers. While most of the killer plants on our list are rather direct in their attack on the human body, white snakeroot takes a different approach. It contains a toxic alcohol called tremetol. When the plants are consumed by cattle, the toxin spreads to their milk and meat. Then, as humans drink milk or eat beef, they can suffer from tremetol poisoning. It’s a disease commonly referred to as milk sickness.

While farmers today are aware of the dangers associated with white snakeroot, the plant claimed many lives in the past. At the dawn of the 19th century, European Americans settling in the Upper South or Midwest, found themselves in the plant’s natural habitat. Thousands succumbed to milk sickness and it took several decades for them to identify white snakeroot as the culprit. It may have also been the cause of death for Nancy Hanks Lincoln, US President Abraham Lincoln’s mother.

5. Suicide Tree

Cerbera odollam, commonly known as the suicide tree, is a plant that bears some resemblance to oleander. It’s native to India and other parts of Southern Asia, where it grows in marshy areas and coastal salt swamps. The suicide tree’s flowers are white and its fruit, when still green, resembles a small mango. The fruit’s fibrous shell encases an oval kernel that’s highly toxic. It contains cardiac glycosides and a proprietary toxin, called cerberin, which block calcium ion channels in the heart muscles. It basically disrupts the heartbeat, often to a fatal degree. Upon ingestion of the kernel, the most common poisoning symptom is vomiting, and death may occur within two days. Cerberin is hard to detect in an autopsy. Strong spices also have the ability of masking its taste. This, much like its common name would indicate, has made it an agent of suicides and homicides in India. Between 1989 and 1999, there were over 500 cases of fatal Cerbera poisoning in the Indian state of Kerala.

4. Deadly Nightshade

As the legend goes, when Macbeth was still a lieutenant and before he became King of Scotland, he was faced with invading English forces. Under the guise of a truce, he poisoned them with wine made from the sweet fruit of the deadly nightshade. Augustus, Rome’s first emperor, was said to have been poisoned by his wife with a deadly nightshade mixture. Known by its scientific name as Atropa belladonna, extracts from this plant have been in use since at least the 4th century BC. It’s a perennial herbaceous plant that produces purple, bell-shaped flowers and berries which ripen to a shiny black and are about half an inch in diameter. It’s native to Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus, and North Africa. It has, however, been cultivated outside its range.

Throughout history, belladonna has found a place in medicine and as a cosmetic but also as a poison and in ceremonial rituals. Women in the past, including Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, would reportedly use belladonna drops to dilate their pupils. This feature was considered attractive at the time. Belladonna has also occasionally been used as a recreational drug due to the vivid hallucinations and delirium it produces. The state can last for several days. Recreational use, however, is considered extremely dangerous since there’s a high risk of unintentional overdose.

Much like its common name would suggest, the deadly nightshade is one of the most toxic plants in existence. Every part of it contains tropane alkaloids and the active agents are atropine, hyoscyamine and hyoscine. They disrupt the regulation of involuntary activities by the nervous system. Initial symptoms may include dry mouth and throat, headaches, loss of balance, slurred speech, delirium and convulsions. Since it basically paralyzes nerve endings in the body’s involuntary muscles, death occurs due to breathing or heart complications.

3. Wolf’s Bane

The Aconitum genus contains numerous plants commonly known as aconite, wolf’s bane, monkshood, or devil’s helmet. Wolf’s bane is a plant that people have known to be extremely toxic since Ancient times. In Greek mythology, it’s said to have come from the slavering mouth of Cerberus, the monstrous three-headed dog that guarded the entrance to the underworld. In legends related to lycanthropy, it’s said to either cure people of being werewolves or to induce it when consumed.

The indigenous Ainu of Japan used arrows laced with wolf’s bane to hunt bears. The plant is so toxic that indigenous people of Alaska used it for whale-hunting. A poison-tipped lance would be used in the hunt and it would paralyze the whale causing it to drown. Wolf’s bane, especially in its roots and tubers, contains a highly potent cardiotoxin and neurotoxin called aconitine. It damages sodium channels, thus disrupting the proper communication of signals to neurons, skeletal or cardiac muscles.

The first symptoms of aconitine poisoning occur 20 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion. In fatal poisoning death occurs within six hours and it’s usually the result of respiratory paralysis or cardiac arrest. The only post-mortem indications that poisoning has occurred are those related to asphyxia. Treatment is mainly supportive and atropine had been cited as an effective antidote for the physiological symptoms.

2. Castor Bean

We’ve previously mentioned ricin on our list and alluded to its renowned toxicity. It’s found in the seeds of the castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, which is listed by Guinness World Records as the world’s most poisonous common plant. While castor oil itself has uses in medicine and other applications, ricin is notoriously deadly. It’s found in the pulp of the raw castor bean and the process of extracting it is similar to that of removing cyanide from almonds.

Despite their name, the seeds are not true beans but merely resemble them in appearance. They are contained by spiked, greenish capsules. Ingesting broken seeds or breaking them by chewing is what causes poisoning in humans. Intact seeds, when swallowed, may pass through the digestive tract without releasing ricin. Symptoms of intoxication include a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. After a few days, the victim will likely experience extreme dehydration, decreased urine production and a drop in blood pressure.

Unless treated, death occurs within a week. Ricin is so toxic that it has been researched as a chemical or biological warfare agent in both World Wars. In this context, ricin is considered to be a schedule 1 controlled substance. It was used in the 1978 assassination of Georgi Markov, a journalist who spoke out against the communist Bulgarian regime. The hitman fired a pellet containing ricin into his leg from a modified umbrella and Markov later succumbed to the poison.

1. Tobacco

Tobacco is the common name of over 70 plant species in the Nicotiana genus, which are indigenous to the Americas and Australia, as well as parts of Africa and the South Pacific. They’re part of the nightshade family and contain various amounts of nicotine. Some tobacco cultivations sites in Mexico date back to 1400-1000 BC and in some native cultures it was seen as a gift from the Creator. Smoking tobacco, as a ceremonial ritual, was believed to carry thoughts and prayers to the divine. Nowadays, tobacco smoking and consumption account for a global industry trending towards $1 trillion.

In 2017, in the US alone, tobacco companies spent an estimated $1 million every hour towards marketing their products. The risks associated with smoking tobacco are well-established. The inhalation of carcinogens and poisonous chemicals, such as carbon monoxide is devastating to overall health. There are thousands of different substances in cigarette smoke which contribute to its harmful effects. These may include arsenic, nickel or formaldehyde. Smoking has been identified as a major risk factor in heart attacks, emphysema, strokes as well as several types of cancer. It’s highly addictive and even secondhand smoke exposure claims thousands of lives each year. There are over 1 billion tobacco smokers worldwide and the practice itself has been identified by the World Health Organization as the number one cause of preventable death.

10 Insanely Creepy True Stories

10 Insanely Creepy True Stories
From attic-dwelling killers to phantom babysitters, we count down 10 insanely creepy true stories.

10. The Hatchet And Daniel LaPlante
Daniel LaPlante is one nasty fellow. LaPlante was sentenced to life in prison after he murdered Priscilla Gustafson and her two young children in New Hampshire in 1987. The mother was shot multiple times. The children were strangled or drowned. LaPlante was just 17 years old at the time of this despicable crime, and it wasn’t his first dance with the law. In 1986, a younger version of LaPlante terrorized a man and his children with a hatchet. He hid in a closet while they were away and chased them into a bedroom when they returned. Luckily, they managed to escape through a window. LaPlante was found hiding between two walls in the home a few days later. In 2013, LaPlante sued the state Department of Correction for violating his rights as a Wiccan.

9. A Visit From The Easter Bunny
This isn’t Charlie Brown’s Easter Beagle, that’s for sure. Reddit user Kittypurry83 says she had a most unpleasant encounter. When she was younger, she woke up in the middle of the night to see someone dressed as a bunny standing in her room. She could also smell wet hay. That morning, an extra Easter egg that her parents hadn’t hidden was found. Her parents swore up and down that they’d never do something like that, but her sister, who shared a room with her, confessed that she’d seen the bunny and smelled wet hay, too. To this day, Kittypurry83 is afraid of “people in rabbit costumes.”

8. The Woman On The Closet Shelf
In Japan, a man found himself dealing with a mystery in his own home. He lived alone and couldn’t understand why food was disappearing from his fridge. Fearing that he was the victim of a crafty (and hungry) burglar, the unnamed man installed security cameras that linked to his smartphone. What he discovered was truly shocking. A homeless woman named Tatsuko Horikawa had been living on a closet shelf and came out to eat while the homeowner was away. He hadn’t been able to detect her before because she was very neat and took regular showers. The woman was charged with trespassing.

7. The Cleveland Torso Murderer
Between 1935 and 1938, 12 people, and perhaps many more were beheaded by a serial killer dubbed the Cleveland Torso Murderer. Though some victims were recognized, most were drifters and members of the working poor, making their names hard to discover. Most males were castrated and some bodies had been treated with a chemical substance. Despite police efforts, the identity of the murderer was never pinned down. One theory claims that the murders were performed by multiple people. In 2013, NBC announced plans to produce a miniseries about the torso killer, but it never reached completion.

6. The Singing Children
Reddit user DruSparro has a true story right out of a horror film. While resting in bed with her fiancé, she experienced a sudden and uncomfortable feeling. The air was heavy. Her ears popped. Looking over at her betrothed, she discovered that it was happening to him, too. Out of nowhere, the doorknob to their bedroom started turning. Then, the singing started. DruSparro claims it sounded like a nursery rhyme but the words were unintelligible. The incident lasted 10 seconds and never happened again.

5. The Ghostly Babysitter
Talk about an unexpected visitor! To Reddit user ExcitedForNothing, it was just another ordinary day. His sister was away, leaving him with the task of caring for her home and watching his niece. All was well when ExcitedForNothing decided to step into the kitchen for a drink of water. His niece was giggling, a sure sign that the family dogs were nearby. That’s when it happened. A strange sound filled the air. In his words, it was like “a thick piece of wood had been snapped in half suddenly or a tree was knocked over.” Alarmed, he went back into the room where his niece was and saw something bizarre. The family dogs were whimpering in the corner and his niece was staring at the ceiling. When ExcitedForNothing’s sister came home, he told her the story. Her reaction? She simply rolled her eyes and said it was Hugh, the previous owner of the home. ExcitedForNothing watches his niece on his own turf now.

4. A Killer In The Attic
In September of 1941, Theodore Edward Coneys was at the end of his rope. He couldn’t bear another winter on the road. When he went to visit an old friend and noticed the front door was unlocked, he decided to venture inside. Nobody was around. This was his chance! He crawled through a hole in the closet and made it his new home. As time passed, Coneys became comfortable and started doing bold things like shadowing people from room to room. One day, Coneys went to the kitchen for some food, not realizing that his friend was napping nearby. That’s when the frail man was caught. When the friend tried to run for help, he hit him with a “stove shaker.” The friend was mortally wounded and Coneys was arrested.

3. The Haunted Hairdryer
Here’s a story sure to blow you away! When Reddit user Greenlink12 was in high school, their mother was experiencing sleep deprivation. When asked if everything was OK, she revealed a strange occurrence. Someone (or something) was leaving the hairdryer on in the bathroom. Whenever the mother unplugged it and went back to bed, it happened again. Was somebody sleepwalking? Was it all a dream? Nobody knows for sure.

2. The Zodiac Killer
Around the late ‘60s, someone went on a killing spree in Northern California, but nobody knew who they were. Known only as the Zodiac Killer, they sent taunting letters to local newspapers and included cryptograms for authorities to solve. Only one has ever been deciphered. The case was marked “inactive” in 2004.

1. What They Saw On A Country Road
Reddit user nana_nana_batman was cruising down a country road with a friend when a young boy ran in front of them. He appeared scared, so the friend decided to get out of the car and go after him. A few moments later, the friend came back and made it clear that they needed to leave. Why? The friend had followed the boy to a graveyard, where the boy promptly disappeared. It was later discovered that the boy had died in a fire decades before.

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