And it usually says, “Spend me, spend me, spend me!”

This is one of the underlying fears of extremely wealthy people who fret about leaving too much money to their heirs.

People unaccustomed to handling large sums of money often end up in a dark place and/or are easy targets for others seeking to separate them from their sudden riches.

As California family law attorney and prolific blogger Mark Brian Baer highlighted in a recent post, the family of  Whitney Houston recognizes this risk and is fighting to change the terms of Houston’s daughter’s $20 Million inheritance.

While most personal injury settlements resolve for significantly less than these kinds of dollars, the same risk is nonetheless omnipresent.

For this reason alone, choosing a structured settlement for some portion of one’s personal injury claim makes all the sense in the world.

Often, the argument is made that “rates are too low for me/my client to consider structuring.”

But for anyone who can relate to the temptation brought on by the infamous talking money, it may be worth re-prioritizing the superior value of delayed gratification over speculative returns.

Returns which, if readily available cash is spent too quickly, may never materialize anyway.

Thomas Jefferson’s advice to “never put off till tomorrow what you can do today” might make sense for daily chores.

But when it comes to money, “putting off till tomorrow what you can spend today” may just lead to a happier, more secure place.