John Hancock Life Insurance Company (a subsidiary of Manulife Financial) is a well-known structured settlement annuity issuer. If you receive structured settlement payments from John Hancock, you have the legal right to sell some or all of your future payments for a lump sum. We see John Hancock annuities regularly and they are generally one of the more cooperative issuers to work with on transfers.
John Hancock's 6-Month Transfer Rule
John Hancock has a policy that restricts new transfers within 6 months of the court order approving a prior sale. This is measured from the date the court entered the order approving your previous transfer, not the filing date. If you've previously sold structured settlement payments through a court-approved transfer, you'll need to wait 6 months from the date of that court order before a new transfer can be processed.
Note the distinction from other issuers: some companies measure from the petition filing date, while John Hancock measures from the court approval date. This means the effective waiting period may be slightly shorter since the court order typically comes weeks after filing.
How to Get Your John Hancock Benefits Letter (Verification of Benefits)
A Verification of Benefits (VOB) letter confirms the details of your structured settlement payment schedule. Here is how to obtain one from John Hancock:
- John Hancock has a dedicated Verification of Income form (Form SSVOIFM)
- Call (800) 624-5155 (Group Annuities / Structured Settlements, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM ET)
- You'll need your contract or policy number, full name, and Social Security number
- The VOB form can also be downloaded from John Hancock's website
- Expect processing to take 7–14 business days
Tip: You don't need a benefits letter to get a free quote from CSF. Call us at (800) 317-3769 and we can help you get started right away.
How CSF Handles John Hancock Transfers
CSF regularly works with John Hancock and has extensive experience with their transfer process. Here is how it works:
- Free quote: call (800) 317-3769 or request a quote online
- CSF reviews your payment schedule and structures the transaction to meet your needs
- We handle all court filings and legal paperwork required under your state's Structured Settlement Protection Act
- After court approval, John Hancock processes the transfer and redirects your payments
- You receive your lump sum: typically within a few business days of the court order
One thing we have noticed with John Hancock: their post-approval processing is usually faster than average. Once the court signs off, John Hancock tends to redirect payments within a few business days. If you have questions about your John Hancock annuity, call us at (800) 317-3769. We can walk you through what to expect.