The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insures home mortgages made by private lenders against the possibility of borrower default. If the borrower does not repay the mortgage, FHA pays the lender the remaining principal amount owed. By insuring lenders against the possibility of borrower default, FHA is intended to expand access to mortgage credit to households, such as those with smaller down payments or below-average credit histories, who might not otherwise be able to obtain a mortgage at an affordable interest rate or at all. FHA also traditionally plays a countercyclical role in the mortgage market. In other words, it generally insures more mortgages during periods when lenders and private mortgage insurers tighten their lending standards and reduce activity in response to market conditions, and it generally insures fewer mortgages at times when lenders and private mortgage insurers make mortgage credit more easily available. When an FHA-insured mortgage goes to foreclosure, the lender files a claim with FHA for the remaining amount owed on the mortgage. Claims on FHA-insured loans have traditionally been paid out of an account, known as the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund), that is funded through fees paid by borrowers, rather than through appropriations. However, if FHA were ever unable to pay claims that it owed, it can draw on permanent and indefinite budget authority with the U.S. Treasury to pay those claims without additional congressional action. In recent years, increased default and foreclosure rates, as well as economic factors such as falling house prices, have contributed to an increase in expected losses on FHA-insured loans. This increase in expected losses has put pressure on the MMI Fund and reduced the amount of resources that FHA has on hand to pay for additional, unexpected future losses. This has led to concern that FHA may need to draw on its permanent and indefinite budget authority for funds from Treasury to hold in reserve to pay for these higher expected future losses, or, eventually, to pay insurance claims. An annual actuarial review of the MMI Fund released in November 2012 showed that, according to current estimates, FHA does not currently have enough funds on hand to cover all of its expected future losses on the loans that it currently insures. The results of this actuarial review heightened concerns that FHA could need funds from Treasury. However, whether FHA actually needs to draw funds from Treasury would be determined as part of the annual budget process, not by the actuarial review. FHA faces an inherent tension between protecting its financial health and fulfilling its mission of expanding access to mortgage credit. In addition, the share of mortgages insured by FHA has increased in the past several years as the availability of mortgage credit has tightened, further contributing to this tension. FHA has recently proposed or implemented a number of changes to its single-family mortgage insurance program that are intended to minimize risk to the MMI Fund while still allowing FHA to support the mortgage market and expand access to affordable mortgages. These changes have included increasing the fees that it charges to borrowers for insurance, modifying its underwriting criteria, and taking steps to increase oversight of lenders who make FHA-insured loans. While many of these changes were made administratively by FHA, some involved congressional action. Congress has also weighed additional changes to FHA's programs, and has considered additional legislation aimed at protecting the financial health of the MMI Fund. An example of such a bill is the FHA Emergency Fiscal Solvency Act of 2012 (H.R. 4264), which passed the House of Representatives during the 112th Congress. An identical bill (S. 3678) has been introduced in the Senate.

Retirement Preservation: a substantial amount of money is positioned in wealth-building tools that will not decrease in value if the stock market goes down and will lock in gains when the stock market goes up. Your retirement planning and wealth preservation goals are inextricably tied together. The financial strategies you have in place today impact both your present lifestyle and the one you envision for the future. Both require a comprehensive understanding of your personal goals. This platform includes strategies to develop a Tax-free retirement income and ways to assure flexibility, growth, and no principal risk. These methods can be used to build your retirement, provide for college tuition, generate additional savings and other uses. Your successful financial survival plan requires careful planning. If you don't know what you are planning for, then you might not get what you want. "Plan your work and work your plan." Easy to read, easy to implement plans that will exceed traditional methods.

Are you the Risk Manager or Patrol Director of a ski resort? Are you confronted with how to lead the competition; provide a safe environment, manage risk and improve your customer's experience. The Smartphone Medic gives you a strategy by which you can improve aspects of your operation, cultivate a strong ethic around safety and risk management, minimise costs of insurance premiums, and harness the power of technology, thus reducing the impact of accidents and incidents on the ski field. Through a variety of case studies, facts, ideas and practical solutions, you will learn how to lead the competition, and improve your customers' experiences. You will also be introduced to Medic52, a smartphone application designed for easy use in challenging conditions. By improving data capture, risk management and patient handling, this app will revolutionise accident management, giving the opportunity for snow safety professionals to make our sport safer. Duncan Isaksen-Loxton, is an Australian ski patroller, Surf Lifesaver, and IT consultant, The Smartphone Medic blends his experience as a first responder with his in-depth knowledge of technology to provide realistic, everyday solutions to improving on-field care.

FEHBP is generally available to employees, annuitants, and their dependents. Eligible individuals may elect coverage in an approved health benefits plan for either individual or family coverage. For the 2013 plan year, there are about 230 different plan choices, including all regionally available options. As a practical matter, an individual's choice of plans is often limited to 10 to 15 different plans, depending on where the individual resides. While enrollees have a range of choices, they typically decide which options best match their needs, the amount of their wages they will contribute to health insurance, and how risk-averse they are to potential out-of-pocket costs. While most federal employees or annuitants reaching age 65 are automatically entitled to Medicare Part A, Medicare-eligible employees may also voluntarily choose to enroll in Medicare Part B and Part D. For individuals covered under a FEHBP plan as an annuitant, Medicare is the primary payer and FEHBP is the secondary payer. As a secondary payer, FEHBP could cover a share of Medicare deductibles and coinsurance for any services that are covered by both plans, and FEHBP would continue to reimburse for its covered services that are not covered by Medicare. FEHBP is administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which is statutorily given the authority to contract with qualified carriers offering plans and to prescribe regulations necessary to carry out the statute, among other duties. Some of OPM's additional duties include coordinating the administration of FEHBP with employing offices, managing contingency reserve funds for the plans, and applying sanctions to health care providers according to the prescribed regulations.

If your goal is to pass your insurance test the first time without the hassle of big thick study books, the Health Insurance, Iowa License Exam Manual is right for you. Every effort has been made to reduce the number of pages necessary to pass the test. The fresh format has smaller bites of information. Each exam topic is followed by multiple choice questions to reinforce your learning. Designed to stand alone or be used as a supplement, this easy to read manual is complete with a table of contents, insurance text, over 250 multiple choice practice questions, study tips and test taking tips. You will learn the exam topics needed to successfully pass your insurance test: types of policies, policy provisions, clauses, riders, social insurance, field underwriting procedures, other insurance concepts, and Iowa rules and regulations.

It is well known that migration law often imposes restrictions which severely in uence entitlement and access to social security bene ts for migrant workers. However, in the wake of new social problems created by economic globalization, new patterns of migration, and political pressures - and in an effort to make sure that countries treat each other's subjects equally and that rights to bene ts are maintained - an increasing number of countries today have entered into bilateral and multilateral social security agreements with a basis in human rights. A network of such agreements is now starting to extend over the entire globe.

Let author, Kevin L. Glaser, CPCU, CIC, SCLA, ARM, AAI, AIC, ARM-P, AIS, share with you his wealth of first-hand experiences gained in his roles as insurance company adjuster, underwriter, marketing representative, risk manager, and expert witness over a period of thirty years. This revised third edition contains expanded content in most chapters, including factors affecting the price of insurance, litigation related information, comparisons of the insurance industry to the automobile industry, as well as the addition of an index and new easier-to-read book formatting. Who should read Inside the Insurance Industry - Third Edition? This book contains useful information for attorneys, new insurance company hires, risk managers, financial planners, business owners, college students taking insurance courses and individuals who purchase insurance to protect their financial well-being. Sample areas of interest to readers include: Mechanisms and processes by which insurance is sold -Identification of various distribution methods -Definitions of common industry terminology Internal workings of insurance companies -Discussion of responsibilities of departments such as marketing, claims, underwriting, policy services, audit, loss control, legal, actuary, subrogation, internal audit, product development, information technology and management Little known factors that impact insurance companies and policyholders Factors affecting the price of insurance -How to get the best insurance deal -When (and how) to make an insurance claim External resources available to assist purchasers of insurance -Consultants -Public adjusters Risk management -Risk manager essential responsibilities -Sample case study Litigation-related information What the future holds for the insurance industry This book is written in an easy-to-understand format which allows people with limited experience working with insurance to better understand many areas of insurance which were previously unknown to them. It contains just the right mix of broad and specific information. All of the above are valuable reasons to purchase Inside the Insurance Industry - Third Edition. But the #1 reason for you to buy this book is that it will save you money

Born into a humble family in Bogota, Colombia, Gonzalo Jimenez has always been motivated by his desire to be more and do more. After coming to the United States as a teenager, Gonzalo used his creativity and staunch work ethic to continue his education and start a new life in a new country. Today-still a humble man-Gonzalo is blessed with a beautiful family and one of the most successful insurance agencies in the state of Texas. Meaningful is the story of a simple man who followed his passion to build his ideal life. That life not only includes a successful career, but is a life rich with music, family and friends. Read along as Gonzalo shares his story and his heart-how he overcame adversity and conquered challenges to forge his own path and create his own future-a life filled with music, family and friends.

Most restaurant owners and partners need to start or catch up on their retirement and to have a complete exit strategy. They need control of their money. It needs to grow, not decline. The funds need to be accessible if along the way an emergency or opportunity arises. Most of all, it should be tax-free and allow a lifetime draw.

A condensed version of Jon's original book, HOW TO WIN THE HEALTH CARE GAME, this work offers notes and highlights for a quick study of the fundamentals for efficient purchase of health insurance that maximizes savings.

Ever dream of having the freedom to travel? Do you ever wish you had more time off? Adjuster's Life shows you how to do just that-and get paid for it to boot. Your new business as an Independent Insurance Adjuster is at your fingertips. Now, there's no need to waste time and money going to an expensive school. What you need to know, from resume to payday, is packed inside the pages of this little book. No sales gimmick or hook. Just the simple words of a seasoned adjuster penned with sweat from years of one on one field training. This manual comes not only with words, examples and web-links, but a promise to coach as you build your adjusting career. Do you want to see what it's like to ride through a storm as an adjuster? Well then, what're you waiting for? Jump in-let's roll. This business thrives in any economy, and you can too. Whether you're looking for a rewarding career or just want to become a better adjuster-this is for you.

The insurance industry has changed, consumers have changed, the competition has changed, communication has changed...BUT MOST INSURANCE AGENTS HAVE NOT With mass marketing and over $1 BILLION dollars spent on advertising last year alone by a few of the biggest players in the insurance industry, there's not a day that goes by that your clients and prospects aren't bombarded with messages from your competitors. Unfortunately, most of those messages focus on "cheap insurance," "saving money" or depict the agent as "outdated and useless." Consumers are being taught that the only difference between insurance providers is PRICE and the entire industry is being commoditized by direct writers trying to push the retail agency force into extinction Retail agents want to know how they can compete with the giants of advertising and mass marketing to keep their clients and grow their agencies. The unfortunate answer is that you simply can NOT compete in the price wars and mass marketing being done by the big industry advertisers. IF YOU TRY, YOU WILL LOSE However, you CAN beat them by communicating with your clients and prospects in ways that the big companies cannot. You CAN use the new rules of communication and new methods to reach your clients and prospects that will set you apart as THE go-to insurance advisor in your area. Agents need to break away from the price wars and commoditization and start creating experiences and relationships with their clients that are impossible to replace. You're in a fight for your agency's life. Whether you realize it or not, change in the insurance industry is going to continue at a rapid pace over the coming years. The big discounters will continue to increase their advertising and banks and other large corporations will join in to try and make the retail agent as irrelevant as possible. Consumers will rely more on the internet and social media for their research and communication with insurance companies and agents. Only the strongest agents who find new ways to communicate their value and set themselves apart will survive. You can do more than just survive, you can thrive in the coming years by becoming a 21st Century agent and using 21st Century Communication tools with your clients and prospects. You can be known in your community as an insurance expert and a trusted advisor that people seek out and want to do business with. You can learn: 1. The 3 jobs of a 21st Century agent that are vital to your success 2. Strategic ways to bring new sales to your door without having to chase them 3. How to keep clients married to your agency for life 4. How to create top of mind awareness with clients and prospects 5. The seven questions that every prospect wants to know before choosing an agent 6. How to overcome price as an objection to doing business with you 7. The 6 new rules of communication and how to use them with clients and prospects 8. 7 tools of 21st Century Communication 9. The best way to use social media with clients and prospects 10. How to set up online and social media tools and manage them in a few minutes 11. How to make old-school communication techniques new and relevant again 12. The secret to getting clients to consistently refer prospects to your agency 13. How to attract client cross-sales instead of constantly having to chase them 14. The importance of touching your clients 24 times per year and how to do it 15. The importance of a communication calendar and the formula that makes it easy 16. How to create "social influence" 17. Two easy formulas for writing communication pieces that clients want to read 18. The two most important things to concentrate your time, effort and energy on No one is going to make you grow, make you improve or make you keep up with the consumers and the insurance industry. But if you don't, it's just a matter of time before you get left behind.

If your goal is to pass your insurance test the first time without the hassle of big thick study books, the Life Insurance, Iowa License Exam Manual is right for you. Every effort has been made to reduce the number of pages necessary to pass the test. The fresh format has smaller bites of information. Each exam topic is followed by multiple choice questions to reinforce your learning. Designed to stand alone or be used as a supplement, this easy to read manual is complete with a table of contents, insurance text, 250 multiple choice practice questions, study tips and test taking tips. You will learn the exam topics needed to successfully pass your insurance test: types of policies, policy riders, provisions, options, exclusions, completing the application, underwriting, delivering the policy, taxes, retirement, other insurance concepts, and Iowa rules and regulations.

You don't need to read this book, but you'll want to...
Any successful businessperson today knows you have to drive positive results to be competitive in your marketplace. You've got to continually look for ways to cut costs, improve staff efficiency, and drive higher sales.
Some of you need money to purchase new capital equipment or repair your current equipment to stay competitive. This book is filled with insights and strategies that are designed to help you do the following: Increase profitability Lower operating costs Reduce business risk that you may be totally unaware of Make you more competitive in your marketplace This book will show you how to lower the human and financial costs of your workers' compensation program which is a huge cost driver to your profitability. Specifically, it will review the policies and procedures you should have in place to accomplish the goals listed above. The book will also share with you some tools used by companies today to streamline big ticket areas, including training and claims management.
Who should read this book?
This book is designed for CEOs, CFOs, COOs, Risk Managers, HR directors, Administrators, Safety Directors and Claim Coordinators. It offers a comprehensive "holistic approach" to an integrated system to all levels of company management. Some material will speak the language C-Suite executives relate to, but there will also be material that will need to be communicated and carried out throughout your company.
Here is what this book will help you achieve.
You will take away a clear understanding of how to administer a successful workers' compensation program in your business. The book is broken down into easy manageable steps, which are all part of a system called the "PX4" process.
Here is the good news. The "PX4" process works Your company will experience fewer claims and those claims will cost you less, on average. Following the "PX4" process outlined in this book will drive better results for your company and make you more competitive in your marketplace.
Ask yourself this question.
What if you changed some business practices within your company which had the effect of adding millions of dollars to your topline sales results, put you in control and increased your profitability, would you be interested in knowing how companies are accomplishing that? If yes, read on.
The ideas revealed in Accidents Waiting to Happen provide user-friendly, turnkey, and proven strategies that will put you in control in the administration of a results-focused, successful workers' compensation program, whatever your industry.
"The concepts presented in this book are "spot on" for companies looking to become "Best in Class." If you truly want to become more competitive in your marketplace, it is important to understand from an insurance company perspective, employers considered "Best in Class" typically receive better pricing at renewal time." " Eleanor Powell-Yoder, President, Michigan Commercial Insurance Mutual"
"It is extremely important to pick partners who can truly help your company. In that regard, we are glad to have worked with Rick. I was amazed that in just eight short months, he dramatically lowered the number and severity of workers' compensation claims we typically had through the years, improving our profitability and lowering your operating costs. With his leadership, we effectively added over $13 million to our financial statement. I highly recommend you read his book." " Jim Ginas, President, Southeast Modular Manufacturing"

There is more to selling insurance than writing policies. When done right, you can build a successful business that affords you a lifestyle most people only dream about. Why try to figure it out on your own when you can learn from someone who has already been there and done that? Jeff Hastings knows insurance, and he knows how to build a profitable business. Since starting as a file clerk with Farmers Insurance Group in 1985, Jeff has built an extraordinary business, consistently receiving top awards, including District Manager of the Year in 2005. He and the agents in his district have achieved phenomenal success, and now he shares the keys to their success with you. Many of the business tools you will need are included such as licensing guidelines, a business plan, employment contracts, an employee handbook, business forms and more. If you are serious about building your own insurance agency, So You Want to Be an Insurance Agent gives you a complete system to develop, manage and grow your business.

The Ultimate Medicare Decision-Making formula is designed to simplify and educate readers about the seemingly complicated and confusing aspects of Medicare. It will also enable them to make swift and accurate decisions in regards to their health and prescription drug choices. Developed through thousands of hours working with new Medicare beneficiaries, this proprietary decision making process will allow you as the reader to select the right Medicare health plan for your individual health care needs, lifestyle, and budget. You'll find everything you need to know from when, where and how to apply for benefits, to the optimization of your plan from year to year. In addition to the book itself, readers will also have the ability to access audio-video tools as well as personal assistance via the internet. Finally, the consumer tips following each relevant chapter will help readers avoid common pitfalls associated with the enrollment, and plan selection of Medicare. Although designed primarily for the new Medicare enrollee, this material is relevant to anyone receiving benefits from Medicare.

THE COST OF IGNORANCE is a riveting novella by business insurance veteran Robert Phelan.The story punctures confusing insurance jargon and introduces a powerful new concept for middle-market companies: a little-known form of insurance known as Performance-Based Insurance (PBI) costs less and can save a company millions of dollars over time. The tale is told through the misadventures of Timothy Franculli, owner of a wholesale manufacturing company that is about to go broke because of escalating liability and health insurance costs. Timothy attends a conference in San Francisco where he runs into an old friend and learns about PBI, a type of insurance that could save his struggling company hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. But there is a catch. Typically, in order to qualify for PBI, a company must have a strong safety culture where worker injuries and accidents are controlled and reasonably predictable. Franculli has a lot of catching up to do after a series of employee injuries the year before caused his worker s compensation premiums to skyrocket 40 percent.

Avoid the pitfalls of setting up and managing your company's property/casualty insurance program. Know the terms of the trade:, quickly acquire concepts, and learn how to effectively and economically manage your company's insurance program - for YOU

Providing an analysis of select programmes relating to life insurance, topics covered include the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance programme (FEGLI) and the retirement benefit and retained asset account disclosures that could be improved; veteran's benefits and current life insurance programs; and the insurance and tax issues of Corporate-Owned Life Insurance (COLI).

Old Risks-New Solutions, or Is It The Other Way Around is the latest in a series of volumes which examines new developments in the political risk insurance (PRI) industry. Based on presentations made at the 2010 MIGA Georgetown Symposium, it provides important insights into challenges facing investors and practitioners from the political risk insurance (PRI) industry, including investors, insurers, brokers, lenders, academics and members of the legal community. This volume reflects the key issues which have faced investors and insurers alike including arbitration and a dynamically evolving marketplace. Contributors to this volume reflect on the evolution of the PRI industry during a period of dramatic changes in the marketplace. Not only has the crisis had a tremendous impact on the volume of investment projects, particularly into developing countries, but also on the perception of risk and claims management. The volume begins with a look at the global market place in the aftermath of the financial crisis from an insurer's perspective. It continues with an overview of claims experience and key issues investors should understand when relying on bilateral investment treaties. The volume then examines challenges facing investors and insurers alike when considering sovereign risk within the context of political risk. The volume concludes with an overview of the PRI industry and its evolution over time - how did insurers see the global marketplace evolving over time, what are they predicting now, and how much has it really changed? Old Risks - New Solutions provides valuable insights for practitioners and investors alike, particularly in today's turbulent and uncertain markets.

Health insurance can offer protection against catastrophic medical expenses and improve access to health care. There are, however, imperfections in the insurance market that require intervention such as asymmetry of information between the policy holder and the insurance company, moral hazard that can occur on the side of the insured or the provider of health services, risk selection that may lead to cream skim a particular market, and others. To encourage the effective development of Voluntary Private Health Insurance, it will be necessary for policymakers to establish and enforce regulatory standards that will attempt to correct inefficiencies from market failures and that will achieve desired social objectives. This book is intended to help countries that are contemplating how to design and implement a legal framework for a private health insurance market. First, it provides an overview of private health insurance, the rationale for insurance regulation, and the institutions involved in administering insurance laws. It then reviews the key standards and protections that are often used in regulating private health insurance. As part of the discussion on regulatory standards, options for supervisors in certain areas where policy and regulation approaches vary will be noted. To illustrate international experience, examples of the regulation of private health insurance from several low, middle, and high-income countries will be drawn upon throughout the book.

A life settlement is a transaction in which an insurance policy owner sells a life insurance policy to a third party for an amount that exceeds the policy's cash surrender value, but is less than the expected death benefit of the policy. Reports indicate that the life settlements market had experienced robust growth up until 2007 when it was estimated that $12 billion in face amount, or stated benefit, amount, of life insurance was sold in life settlement transactions. More recently, the amount sold has declined. This book outlines the Life Settlements Task Force's findings about the life settlement market and recommends that the Commission consider certain actions to improve market practices and regulatory oversight.