When insurance companies arrange a structured settlement for a payment recipient they purchase an annuity for a discounted rate. An annuity is an investment account. The annuity will reach its maximum value at the end of the agreed period of time (... many years you will receive payments). The payments made to the victim include principal and interest. Similar to a savings account receiving interest every month, the interest is accrued on the value of the annuity (the amount the annuity was purchased for). If you sold your annuity prior to its maturity, it would not have collected enough interest to reach the expected value.