Reviews (2)

The title should be "An Introduction to Annuities"
The book is great for an intorduction...period. Nothing technical, no details and no insight. That is why I would have a different title than plain "annuities". I was a little mislead.

Good information on Annuities - specific focus on USA
Excellent book on annuities with focus on US market.

The book talks about fixed and variable annuities, concepts and definitions are really clear.

Taxation is also dealt and what is really good about the book is the way it is presented, examples, illustration etc.

The entire life cycle of annuities (from distribution to claims / disbursement), history of annuities, need for regulation - in one word, the book covers everything about annuities. ... Read more

Book Description

The content and structure of this text are based on the twin beliefs that (1) the study of insurance, a major tool of risk management, should be preceded by an understanding of procedures and concepts of risk management and (2) most students will take only one course in the area. For students who plan further study in the area, the balanced treatment of both subjects provides a broad introduction to the field.The first 6 editions of this text occupied a niche at the upper end of the textbooks on risk management and insurance. The purpose in developing the 7th and 8th editions was to further develop the reputation established by earlier editions. Most texts in the area of risk management and insurance emphasize principles of insurance and other institutional aspects of the subject. Although this text includes some institutional information, it emphasizes an analytical approach. The text focuses on the management of risk by organizations. Because of the reliance on analytical methods, the book is most appropriate for the advanced undergraduate--or introductory graduate-level courses. ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to Emergency Management is a practical reference for professionals and students who need to understand the process of disaster response planning and mitigation.

The book details the world's leading emergency management agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covering its history, organization, programs, and operations as well as the Federal Response Plan (FRP). The authors examine the roles, responsibilities, and interrelationship between FEMA, state and local emergency management systems and other critical partners. They also explain the government emergency resources available before, during, and after crises. Practical and easy-to-reference, the text includes a chapter on terrorism and the events of September 11, 2001, and reviews their impact on disaster management and emergency planning in the future.

This essential text includes the latest information on the Office of Homeland Security and several detailed appendices which include: a list of organizations involved in disaster management, a directory of disaster management and terrorism Web sites, a glossary of disaster management terms and acronyms, and a compendium of domestic and international disaster statistics.

* Includes numerous diagrams, illustrations, and statistics on disaster management history and concepts
* Provides case studies and examples of disasters from around the world to connect theory to real-world application
* Features a special chapter on September 11th, terrorism, and the new world order of disaster management ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Intro to Emergency Management
"Introduction to Emergency Management" is a straight-forward and insightful entre into the world of public emergency management. George Haddow and Jane Bullock are former senior FEMA officials that exerienced it first hand. And it shows.

I've added this book as one of my reference texts for the Organizational Continuity sessions I conduct. I also plan to use it in an workshop series I'm developing. It would be a great textbook for any course on Emergency Management AND it's also a good read for anyone interested in getting a taste of Emergency Management. I truly wish this book was in print when I took Emergency Management in grad school.

Highly recommended !!! ... Read more

Book Description

Based on the author's experience of teaching final-year actuarial students in Britain and Australia, this book focuses on the two major areas of risk theory: aggregate claims distributions and ruin theory. It is ideal for a first course in insurance risk theory, being fully accessible to readers with a solid understanding of the basic tools of probability theory. Numerous worked examples are included in the text and each chapter concludes with a set of exercises (which have answers in the text) with complete solutions available for instructors from www.cambridge.org. ... Read more

Book Description

Professional Review Guide for the CCA Examination, 2004 Edition is a valuable tool for those preparing to take the CCA Exam.This valuable manual contains: study tips, a comprehensive resource list, multiple choice questions for review, and information on Biomedical Sciences, Information Technology, Healthcare Data Content, Health Care Delivery Systems, Clinical Classification Systems, ICD-9-CM and CPT coding, Official Coding Guidelines, Billing, Reimbursement, and Compliance, Commonly Administered Drugs, Lab Values, Official Guidelines for ICD-9-CM Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.Use the book and the Interactive CD-ROM to practice interpreting documentation and applying your clinical knowledge in assigning codes to diagnoses and procedure for a variety of patient settings. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Study Guide
Very informative and through. Coverage of all topics is very well written and easy to understand, even without prior insurance experience or background. This is by far the best exam study guide I have come across because of the way it is layed out with each chapter including a "quick quiz" in the middle & an end of chapter "exam". Also at the end of this book is a full exam that covers all topics discussed, as well as sample applications and basic insurance forms. Very helpfull and will be a great addition to any agents reference collection. I highly recommend this book for the novice, expert, and soon to be life & health agents. A++

Good at home study guide.
Overall it is a good study guide (I passed using this book with 2 weeks of leisurely at home study), but the test section could be revamped - it did not include enough questions that were like the ones on the actual exam (I took an Experior Online state exam). ... Read more

Book Description

This book:
*provides a sound methodology for operational risk control
*focuses on management risk and ways to avoid it
*explains why and how information technology is a major operational risk
*shows how to integrate cost control in the operational risk perspective
*details analytical approaches to operational risk control, to help with scorecard developments
*explains the distinction between High Frequency Low Risk and Low Frequency High Risk events
*provides many case studeies from banking and insurance to demonstrate the attention operational risks deserve

*Assists risk professionals in preparing their institution to comply with the New Capital Adequacy Framework issued by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which becomes mandatory from January 1, 2006
*Readers benefit from a significantly broader viewpoint on types of operational risks, operational risks controls, and results to be expected from operational risk management - compared to what the reader may gain from books previously published on this same topic ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Impractical and long winded diatrabe
What I wanted:

1] Definition of Operational risk
2] Basel II standard explained in easy English
3] Flowchart for how to go about dealing with it
4] Some kind of standard best practices based on his experiences

What I got

1] Operational risk is everything.
2] Basel II not explained.It seems to assume you already get it.
3] No system is presented.He argues it is all relative.
4] No best practices.Again it is all relative.

He does in fairness mention make a great deal of arguments for the need for operational risk.The problem is that anyone buying the book already understands there is a need.They are buying the book to get hints on what to do about it.I know it is all relative but as an expert he needs to take a stand and come up with some fairly universal best practices.Also he needs to realize that this is a young area and many banks are just creating their Op risk departments and need some kind of help in how to go about that.Not theory but concrete practical help.

To complicate matters his English is boorish and he uses bullets like they were going out of style.Not to sum up things like they are normally used but rather to break up run-on sentences.The sign of a well written book isn't snotty language or fancy math terms.The sign of a good book is that the readers learned something from it.I came away from this book no closer to knowing what to do about Op risk then before I bought it. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive text is written by educators and experienced coders to help learners master the complexities of medical coding. The 12 modules address a variety of medical specialties including dermatology, cardiology,primary care, and orthopedics, and tackle the common coding problems encountered in the real world. Codingexercises provide practice for learners and enable them to test their knowledge.(comprehensive, insurance, coding, coding exercises, medical specialties)ALSO AVAILABLE - INSTRUCTOR SUPPLEMENTS CALL CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO ORDER Instructor's Manual ISBN: 0-7668-0105-5 ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Don't waste your money
As a CFP(r) myself, I was very interested and excited about reading this book. My outlook soon changed. This book should be subtitled "WHY you should capture the middle market and increase your profits" rather than "HOW TO capture the middle market and increase your profits". And the WHY should already be obvious. The author makes a compelling argument for targeting middle market Americans for financial planning services, however she falls dramatically short in providing ANY new or insightful marketing ideas on HOW to capture the specific market. In fact the ONE chapter dedicated to actually marketing is redundant of any marketing strategy book one chooses to pick up today, and it covers about 4 pages on how the author designed her own FP logo. In my opinion its another case of a financial advisor needing to stroke their own ego by writing a book - and if you like reading this "canned" praise for the author, you may just enjoy this book after all - it is full of it. The rest of the information, if you are a financial planner, you should already know or be ashamed you don't know it.

Middle America plus...
Middle to upper middle income America have traditionally been underserved by the financial advisory industry. Yet they typically benefit in the most impactful ways from even basic financial planning strategies. I know from experience as a practicing CFP. Garrett and the planning network she has been building have methods for providing financial planning advice using an hourly billing model. With the hourly model for practicing (clients pay an hourly fee to their planner just like they would to their attorney, CPA or career counsler) the client can buy needed financial planning to at least start them on a path of financial planning realization. They remain in control of the costs of their planning, and it doesn't take long for the results to take hold and justification for the expense is easy. The idea is that paying by the hour and therefore knowing what the costs and scope of the work will clearly be, enough planning can be done without trying to shoehorn someone into some broadly defined, comprehensive level of analysis that simply is not necessary for entry level planning needs. And, because that level of planning is expensive, good folks often can't afford or rationalize that large an expense, especially having no previous experience hiring a planner. So often no planning takes place at all.

This book will sharpen the interest of planners everywhere who are tired of fighting over the much smaller group of wealth management clients, and provide a means for accessing the much larger group of middle-upper middle income clients who will pay a professional fee for an unbiased professional advisor. Why not help clients grow into the wealth management client we all seem to want them to someday be?

The popular media have been all over the Garrett Planning Network in a very positive way. Get the book and see what all the fuss is about.

Practical Advice from a Middle Market Expert
Sheryl Garrett has done a masterful job of communicating her view that a fee-only, hourly approach to providing financial advice can be both personally satisfying and financially rewarding. Sheryl clearly defines the size and potential of the Middle Market, and defines in detail a practice model to serve that market.

I'm impressed by the level of detail Sheryl provides in the book. She not only outlines her practice model, but she presents a detailed look at how she serves her clients. She includes tips and techniques that she actually uses in her practice when dealing with clients. She also does a good job of highlighting various helpful websites.

If you want a good discussion of the future of financial planning in America, this is a great place to start!

Garrett's Guide to Financial Planning
Timely and practicle. This book brings the leading edge of working with the middle market to financial planners. This book is full of practice tips and techniques for being "an all- american financial planner". It's a book that should be on every financial planner's desk.

Great Financial Tool for Individuals and Financial Planners!
I really enjoyed this book and it's "common sense" approach to the confusing world of Financial Planning! It provides a wealth of information for both individuals and Financial Planners about what Middle America is really looking for from a Financial Planner. ... Read more

Book Description

Security breaches, theft, and lack of resources due to natural or man-made disaster are all forms of corporate loss. The Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime Prevention, Fourth Edition, shows how to avoid or minimize these losses with a wealth of practical information.
This revised volume brings together the expertise of more than 40 security and crime prevention experts who provide practical information and advice. The Handbook continues to be the most comprehensive reference of its kind, with the Fourth Edition covering the latest on topics ranging from community-oriented policing to physical security, workplace violence, information security, homeland security, and a host of special topics. It is a must-have reference for managers and security professionals.

* Covers every important topic in the field, including the latest on high-tech security systems, homeland security, and many specialty areas
* Brings together the expertise of more than 40 security and crime prevention experts
* Each chapter provides a wealth of practical information that can be put to use immediately ... Read more

Reviews (5)

too basic for most people
this book should really be titled "Buying Insurance." there is almost nothing in it about annuities, which is the primary reason i bought the book. there is no explanation of guaranteed vs. current annuity rates, different provisions like MVA, etc. it did help me out with a couple of insurance topics, but if you are really sitting down and getting ready to actually make decisions or pruchase insurance/annuities, this book doesn't even begin to get you prepared for the real world. it's good bathroom reading for someone just curious about the subjects, but not a very practical book with real money/lives on the line. if you're a do-it yourselfer, or like to be prepared before meeting with financial professionals, i think you almost have to buy a few different books, one specializing in each subject.

Almost everything you need to know
This is a wonderful explanation of all the terms you need to understand before buying life insurance. Just bear in mind this one thing. The insurance company will always try to get more money out of you then you get from them. So, life insurance is a bad investment unless there is a catastrophe.

some good basic info, but....
This book has some good information, but after reading the section on annuities, I put the book down and refuse to read another word of it and do not recommend it to anyone. This is because the author fails to even mention that anyone can purchase an annuity with no surrender penalties whatsoever with many no load mutual fund companies. Sorry Brian, but that fact you left that out reveals your bias perspective, and is just plain unacceptable for a book like this. Shame on you.

Good, general guide
This is a good investment if you are looking at establishing financial security and your plan includes insurance coverage. This will prepare you with some good common sense tips and easy to understand explanations. It is a quick read but worthwhile if you are totally new to this area.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Buying Insurance and Annuities
For the insurance poor! If insurance is greek to you, this is a great book to have. It provides great simple explanations and illustrations. For the readers ease they included "jargon alerts" so you don't have to have a dictionary to read the book and "insider tips" to advice you even more. Makes for a great reference tool. ... Read more

Book Description

In the 1970's, the research agenda in insurance was dominatedby optimal insurance coverage, security design, and equilibrium underconditions of imperfect information. The 1980's saw a growth oftheoretical developments including non-expected utility, pricevolatility, retention capacity, the pricing and design of insurancecontracts in the presence of multiple risks, and the liabilityinsurance crisis. The empirical study of information problems,financial derivatives, and large losses due to catastrophic eventsdominated the research agenda in the 1990's.The Handbook of Insurance provides a single reference source oninsurance for professors, researchers, graduate students, regulators,consultants, and practitioners, that reviews the research developmentsin insurance and its related fields that have occurred over the lastthirty years. The book starts with the history and foundations ofinsurance theory and moves on to review asymmetric information, riskmanagement and insurance pricing, and the industrial organization ofinsurance markets. The book ends with life insurance, pensions, andeconomic security.Each chapter has been written by a leading authority in insurance, allcontributions have been peer reviewed, and each chapter can be readindependently of the others. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Useful Encylopedia
I went to a financial professional who was going to charge me $2000 for advice. I saw this title on their office shelf, and I bought the book instead. I saved tons of money and I taught myself what they know. This is not a gimmick book, like how to get rich quick or make millions in real estate. It's more like a financial encylopedia. This book is great for the working person who needs to know how to plan, or just wants to speak the same language as the financial profesisonals. Thanks to this book, I didn't pay a big commission.

Don't waste your money.
Lesson One in Financial Planning: Don't waste money. If you know absolutely nothing about investing and planning, then this book is for you.

Alternative title: "Financial Planning For High School Freshman"

Case-in-point, the reader must slog through 290 pages to get to chapter 16 titled, "Risk & Reward". And then, (drum roll, please!) we get this gem, "Sound investment management principals dictate that the investor should almost never invest in just one asset class to the exclusion of all others". WOW, that's worth every penny of my ($). THANKS!

Bottom line, if you're in the financial services business and you need this book...it's time to rethink that career choice. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Must Read!!
Wonderful review of the Insurance industry and the internet age! I would recommend this to anyone and everyone interested or employed in the Insurance business! This company has developed ideas that will change the insurance industry... I applaud the very brilliant author! and will be waiting to see his business at the top of Fortune 500's list!

Insurance Salesmen are dead.
I feel the insurance salesman is dying. I believe in a financial planner, one who can integrate investments with insurance. They can structure your financial future all by one person. I felt the book was informative, but wasn't descriptive enough. I would encourage anyone in the business to take a look at the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Devoted to the problem of fitting parametric probability distributions to data, this treatment uniquely unifies loss modeling in one book. Data sets used are related to the insurance industry, but can be applied to other distributions. Emphasis is on the distribution of single losses related to claims made against various types of insurance policies. Includes five sets of insurance data as examples. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Loss Distributions
This book, part of the Wiley Series in Probability and Mathematical Statistics is writen for the fitting of probability distribution models to data relating to losses in the insurance industry. A necessary prerequisite for the understanding of this book is a university course in mathematical statistics. This is an advanced book utilizing higher mathematical formulas and functions. It covers models for random variables, statistical inference, loss distributions, and applications. It is a very useful book for those interested in theory and who are competent in advanced functions. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Important book
An important book on life insurance by the most knowledgeable author on the subject. THE book to read.

The definitive guide to life insurance.
Joseph Belth provides the analytical consumer with a rational, systematic approach to understanding personal insurable risk and how to transfer that risk to an insurance company. Readers can browse the chapters to get answers to questions specific to their individual situation, or read it cover-to-cover for a comprehensive overview. Of particular value are the strategies for assessing how good your policy is and whether it's a "good deal". Although a bit dated, it is still the best book on the subject. Those interested in a more current discussion of the industry, company ratings, and consumer issues are referred to Professor Belth's newsletter THE INSURANCE FORUM, PO Box 245, Ellettsville, Indiana, 47429. ... Read more

Book Description

Yor’ve heard from the rest, now learn from the best—Million Dollar Prospecting Techniques Effective prospecting skills are the foundation upon which successful sales careers are built. Now, learn the secrets of effective prospecting from some of the most successful sales professionals in the world. Based on interviews with members of the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table—the top six percent of the international life insurance sales industry—Million Dollar Prospecting Techniques features fascinating and instructive case studies and anecdotes; proven prospecting strategies, systems, and formulas; and step-by-step guidance on all key aspects of sales prospecting, including:

• Attitude, authenticity, and other intangibles
• Locating and qualifying prospects
• Leveraging the telephone’s full power
• Making cold calling more effective—and more fun
• Building networks and getting referrals
• Marketing—including a chapter on electronic marketing techniques

Reviews (6)

OK
Good book. Follow it and you'll do well. MDRT could update this with suggestions from recent MDRT winners.

Very Good Book
I have used, to a degree of success, the suggestions within this book. You must follow and practice in order to become better. I recommend this book for an experienced producer or a entry level salesperson.

I expected more
This book reflects a low standard from an excellent organization. It is a mixes plegiarizaton with cliches and fails to deliver anything of substance to those wanting more. As someone who trains financial planners, skip this book. There are better books on prospecting and attitudes about prospecting such as the psychology of call reluctance (see my list of suggested sales books). Others, like SPIN selling do a much better job on the subject of selling in general. Skip this one. Buy one of the others. Demand better from MDRT.

Not worth my time
I needed a book on prospecting because I just got started in automotive sales. This dull book wasted most of it's time discussing attitudes and philosophies about selling. Another entire chapter of this 5 chapter gem was devoted to networking at parties (and the only parties discussed in this chapter were ones were lots of successful rich business owners are in attendance-gee thanks).

Basically I ten times more useful prospecting ideas out of one chapter of Tom Hopkins "How to Master the Art of Selling" than this entire book!

An Excellent Tool For Sales Success!!!!!!!!!
This book is an excellent tool for the blood of selling which are the prospects. It helps you to develope and learn the technique that you can feel comfortable with and master it. I started using one of their suggestion already have appointments that are not just good, they are profitable. READ IT AND USE IT. ... Read more

Book Description

What all managers need to know about growth in a turbulent world

Especially in these turbulent times, good risk management is about exploiting opportunities for growth while protecting value already created. To do this, corporate leaders must, first and foremost, learn to manage the chain of cause and effect between risk and shareholder value. Now Risk shows them how. As vice chairs of the international consulting giant KPMG L.L.P., authors Mary Pat McCarthy and Tim Flynn are uniquely qualified to offer executives and senior managers this ultimate primer on risk and its optimization and management.

• Packed with case studies and exclusive interviews with executives of many Fortune 500 companies
• Explores the most successful risk management strategies now in use internationally and offers prescriptions for adapting them to any company

Reviews (3)

Highly Recommended
This is an easily accessible, short and reasonably thorough introduction to the subject of risk. The authors touch on almost every dimension of the topic, including financial risk, operational risk, reputation risk, governance risk and even the risk of terrorist attack. The book might have been quite a bit shorter and somewhat more focused on corporate management if the authors, KPMG vice chairs Mary Pat McCarthy and Timothy P. Flynn had tightened their anecdotes about anti-terrorist preparations at the Olympic Games. However, they seem to have believed that they would lose readers unless they provided a few entertaining distractions, and they could be right. Though it breaks little new ground, it plows the old ground interestingly. We recommend this portable summary of useful information to the CEOs and board members who are its intended audience, as well as to anyone responsible for risk management.

Extremely helpful and informative
This book is perfect for the times, an informative, interesting read with illustrative real-world examples. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 7 "We the People of the Board" and Chapter 8 "Audit Committee: Risk and Regulation" for the practical guidance insight provided. All in all, a digestible primer on key risk issues.

A Highly Recommended Read
If ever there was a book to capture the topic of the times, this is it. This salient, well-written book treats the topic of risk intelligently and pragmatically. Most refreshingly, it treats risk from the point of view of the business person, manager or executive forced to live with and manage risk on a day-to-day basis.

KPMG's risk management advice is coupled with interesting, colorful and very enjoyable interviews with top executives at British Airways, Oracle, Microsoft, Sprint, shipping giant P&O and others. Even General Barry McCaffrey chimes in with his thoughts on business lessons from the battlefield.

In all, an engaging read that I recommend for my peers but not my competitors. ... Read more