In these troubled economic times a home is a precious commodity. Protecting that investment has never been more important for homeowners and property owners. When Mother Nature or good old fashion bad luck cause damage to a property, homeowners turn to their insurers to help them restore their property. Insurers, meanwhile, are as equally interested in enhancing their bottom lines as homeowners are in protecting their investment. When these interests collide, the claim game begins and the fight to protect your home and get what is owed you becomes a high stakes game of chance. Without the right guidance, without knowing the Rules of the Game--rules written by and for the insurers--you could find yourself on the losing end. The Claim Game levels the playing field between homeowners and insurers by giving homeowners the knowledge and tools needed to empower themselves so that they can get every penny owed them and claim victory. Discover the secrets to homeowner insurance settlement with the only step-by-step guide to property insurance claims written by an insurance insider. Exposing little-known methods that enable you to expedite your claim and get every penny owed you, The Claim Game is your comprehensive resource for homeowners insurance and property damage claims. The Claim Game will teach you how to: - Settle claims quickly and fairly. - Reduce or eliminate your deductible. - Decipher a policy so it makes sense. - Discover hidden coverages that protect you and save money. - Organize claim information to expedite your claim. - Get a denied claim covered. - Understand an estimate from a contractor or an insurer. - Select the right contractor to repair your home or property. Also included: - Claim-specific guidance for many types of losses including hurricane, tornado, earthquake, hail, fire and many others. - An in-depth exploration of the most common issues and concerns homeowners encounter. Don't let what you DON'T know cost you!

Section 215 of the FACT Act (FACTA)1 requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or the Commission) and the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), in consultation with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to study whether credit scores and credit-based insurance scores affect the availability and affordability of consumer credit, as well as automobile and homeowners insurance. FACTA also directs the agencies to assess and report on how these scores are calculated and used; their effects on consumers, specifically their impact on certain groups of consumers, such as low-income consumers, racial and ethnic minority consumers, etc.; and whether alternative scoring models could be developed that would predict risk in a manner comparable to current models but have smaller differences in scores between different groups of consumers. The Commission issues this report to address credit-based insurance scores primarily in the context of automobile insurance. Credit-based insurance scores, like credit scores, are numerical summaries of consumers' credit histories. Credit-based insurance scores typically are calculated using information about past delinquencies or information on the public record (eg: bankruptcies); debt ratios (i.e., how close a consumer is to his or her credit limit); evidence of seeking new credit (e.g., inquiries and new accounts); the length and age of credit history; and the use of certain types of credit (e.g., automobile loans).

We are all excellent consumers. We collectively have no problem clearly identifying what we want, how we want it and when the price is right. We make our educated presence known in almost every marketplace except one-healthcare. Managed care and its first dollar benefits have created a problem and the solution is . consumer directed healthcare. We can fix our system of healthcare and your second largest business expense, behind payroll, if we stop buying health plans and start buying health insurance.

Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject Economy - Health Economics, grade: 2,0, University of Gottingen, 26 entries in the bibliography, language: English, comment: Reforming the health sector is a complex issue with implications on equity. Since women are particularly vulnerable in health issues, this paper deals with the effects of health sector reforms on gender and equity. Therefore, it describes what kind of challenges the different health systems around the world have to face and how policy responds. The different components of health sector reforms are researched towards the effect on gender equity., abstract: The health sector is facing cost explosions for various reasons. Facing limited resources contemporary politics tend to focus on the reduction of costs when talking about reforming the health sector. Reforming the health sector is a complex issue with implications on equity. Since women are particularly vulnerable in health issues, this paper deals with the effects of health sector reforms on gender and equity. Therefore, it describes what kind of challenges the different health systems around the world have to face and how policy responds. The different components of health sector reforms are researched towards the effect on gender equity. Figures and examples are used to prove the evidence of the subject and the implications on gender issues. This paper concludes that women are often disadvantaged in access to health care due to barriers in access to remuneration and cultural barriers within families. This affects women's health status. A major challenge in this context is to promote the participation of women in order to adjust reforms and components of services to their needs.

The consolidation among German carriers and a wave of new foreign providers have changed the conditions in the German industrial insurance market drastically. To stay competitive nowadays, industrial insurers have to adjust to the modified conditions of competition and have to develop new strategic competitive advantages. The key issue for carriers is thereby the identification, development and fostering of determinants which influence the buying decision of insurance buyers. The buyer perception of overall competitiveness is strongly related to the actual decision to buy. This book reviews academic and professional literature on competitive factors of industrial insurers and identifies a set of 10 competitive factors that is heavily used across previous studies. The author Christian B. Schmitz examines these 10 factors through a survey sent to insurance buyers in the market, identifies the most substantial competitive factors and gives recommendations how industrial insurers can improve their competitiveness. The book is addressed to professionals of industrial insurers, to brokers and corporate risk managers as well as to academics and students.

Financing options currently available for long-term care are insufficient and poorly understood by consumers. Heavy reliance on public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid has led to considerable depletion of funds for both federal and state governments. With current long-term care costs reaching upwards of $74,000 per year, current mechanisms of payment are inadequate and will not survive the growing older adult population. Long-term care insurance was developed to curb reliance on public programs and mitigate private out-of-pocket payments. However, the marketing of this product is contributing to its demise. Personal interviews and historical data provide a qualitative descriptive study of how marketing practices of local independent insurance agents contribute to the impact of long-term care insurance as a finance model for long-term care. Modifications in marketing, including agent and consumer education and increased state regulation, will improve the ability of long-term care insurance to actively finance long-term care. This overview of the long-term care insurance industry will be useful for professionals and consumers alike.

Your disaster recovery plan is in place, but as with any plan, you need to test it not only to find holes in the plan, but also confirm the underlying assumptions will work. This is the only book available on this subject and is your guide to the entire testing process. Testing cannot be an afterthought of recovery planning; it must be a powerful, disciplined and efficient implementation tool. This book proves that testing is not an art. It is a science.Despite the ever-evolving nature of business in the global economy and the corresponding increased number of threats to business continuity, this book contains timeless and technology-independent principles from 30 professionals who have contributed their expertise in 36 detailed chapters. Each author provides checklists and suggest topics to cover in any disaster recovery planning document.The book is written in four sections with numerous realistic scenarios and provides beneficial guidance for managing the entire testing process. " 'Disaster Recovery Testing: Exercising Your Contingency Plan, ' written jointly by thirty disaster recovery professionals, drives home the importance of testing the company's contingency plan, discussing necessary management skills, effective use of resources, and the elements of successful testing in various settings. "The authors assume that a disaster recovery plan has already been developed and approved. The book's initial chapters are similar to what one might find in a disaster recovery planning book, including how to justify, budget, and manage the process - but all are geared towards testing. "One important chapter addresses the benefits of client participation. Disaster recovery managers know how important it is to develop a partnership with the client business leaders to address adequately all recovery aspects of business functionality. "Various testing methods and processes are also addressed. The authors provide numerous checklists and suggest topics to cover in any disaster recovery planning document. These lists alone make the book worthwhile."Overall, ... the material focuses much needed attention on disaster recovery testing. It is written in four well-planned, easy-to-follow sections, with numerous realistic scenarios and ideas to consider. This book will provide useful guidance for management of the entire disaster recovery testing process." --SECURITY MANAGEMENT Magazine" 'Disaster Recovery Testing: Exercising Your Contingency Plan, ' written jointly by thirty disaster recovery professionals, drives home the importance of testing the company's contingency plan, discussing necessary management skills, effective use of resources, and the elements of successful testing in various settings."The authors assume that a disaster recovery plan has already been developed and approved. The book's initial chapters are similar to what one might find in a disaster recovery planning book, including how to justify, budget, and manage the process - but all are geared towards testing. "One important chapter addresses the benefits of client participation. Disaster recovery managers know how important it is to develop a partnership with the client business leaders to address adequately all recovery aspects of business functionality. "Various testing methods and processes are also addressed. The authors provide numerous checklists and suggest topics to cover in any disaster recovery planning document. These lists alone make the book worthwhile. "Overall, ... the material focuses much needed attention on disaster recovery testing. It is written in four well-planned, easy-to-follow sections, with numerous realistic scenarios and ideas to consider. This book will provide useful guidance for management of the entire disaster recovery testing process." --SECURITY MANAGEMENT Magazine

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

In Answer To A Pamphlet Intitled, Sir Isaac Newton's Tables For Renewing And Purchasing Leases, Etc. And To A Letter Added To It Intitled, The Value Of Church And College Leases Considered, Etc.

Since 1973 the exchange rates of major currencies have been permitted to float freely against one another. This, along with an increase in the volume of the world trade, has escalated foreign currency risk. Exchange rate movements have a significant impact on companies engaged in international trade. In contrast to big multinational companies, that have a broad range of tools available to reduce their foreign currency exposure, middle-sized companies have only limited possibilities to hedge their foreign exchange rate risk. The aim of the paper is to examine all available hedging techniques that can be utilized by a middle-sized company and to analyse the impact of an effective foreign exchange risk management on the value of the company. The paper begins with an overview of the foreign exchange market and detailed analysis of models that are used to make short-, medium- and longterm exchange rate forecasts. Further on, the book examines the impact of FX hedging procedures on the company and presents pro and counterarguments of corporate hedging. Finally, different internal and external hedging techniques are examined in order to make recommendations on when a particular hedging technique should be used.

Help your clients attract and retain high caliber employees with this new, compact reference guide. An ideal educational tool for today's information-hungry and time strapped professional, this book includes an overview of the various compensation plans available, the many features each plan offers, and a summary of how they compare and can be applied to different scenarios.'The Society of Financial Professionals has long been dedicated to the principle of providing ongoing education to the industry. Now, this compelling new guide continues the tradition and the legacy of learning"by Alan R. Ziegler, CEBS, CLU, ChFCPresident, Society of Financial ProfessionalsTo attract and retain top tier employees, employers must craft appealing compensation plans. Individuals need information on the many plans available to determine which will benefit them most when negotiating new contracts. And today's busy financial service professionals need to stay abreast of all the latest plans - so they can advise their clients accordingly.Now, the Society of Financial Professionals has teamed up with tax and compensation planning expert, Lou Shuntich, to bring it all together in one compact volume. This 'one-stop" source provides a concise, to-the-point overview of.. The various plans available.. The significant features of each plan offers.. And a summary of how they compare and can be applied to different scenarios.The compact, easy reference format makes this guide simple to use. Concise, straightforward chapters address the various tax and ERISA issues that must be evaluated, and an easy-reading chart covers the comparison criteria needed to draw sound conclusions.

Escape the endless LTC marketing gimmicks by the so called experts and enjoy a real world selling approach from someone who's actually done it! Curt Vahle takes you from the lead card through to the sale and shows you step by step how to sell this most mysterious of insurance products. . .LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE!

A flexible labor market and an open economy are crucial to economic competitiveness, but can sometimes cause prime-aged and older workers to suffer large, long-term income losses. This report explains why existing government programs, which emphasize retraining and insurance for short-term job loss, don't assuage workers' fears about globalization. It also proposes a shift of resources from existing programs to wage insurance.

This is the best book you can own on the strategies YOU need to use to get the insurance companies to pay you ALL the money you are entitled to collect when you have a claim. Wouldn't you agree that nothing else matters about insurance other than getting the claim PAID IN FULL?
In this book, you will learn:
- The games and scams insurance companies use to cut costs and keep claim payments at the lowest amounts possible
- When it's the right time to use an attorney
- How you can take control of your claim, and not allow the insurance company or claims adjuster to control YOU
- What a Public Adjuster is, and the valuable help you can get from Public Adjusters
- That the insurance adjuster is NOT there to help you
- and much more
You will learn:
- What to do when you have a car accident...BEFORE you open the car door or talk to anyone
- How much MORE money I collected (thousands!) in the two little claims I had while writing this book
- About Diminished Value on automobiles, and how it can cost you THOUSANDS if you don't fight
- About cheap aftermarket auto parts that insurance companies LOVE, but leave you less safe
- And so much more
Ask yourself these questions:
Do you carry a spare tire and jumper cables in the trunk of your car?
Do you have a toolbox at home?
Have you ever bought a book or read an article that showed you how to fix something?
Do you own a first aid kit?
Do you have a fire extinguisher or smoke alarms in your home?
Why would you do ANY of those things?
Answer: So you are prepared BEFORE something bad happens.
READ THIS BOOK BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU!!!READ THIS BOOK AFTER SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO YOU, TO KEEP IT FROM GETTING WORSE!
This book should be on the shelf in EVERY HOME. This book should be in EVERY automobile glove box.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

A captive insurance company is, in a nutshell, an insurance company formed by a business owner to insure the risks of the operating business. The operating business pays premiums to the captive, and the captive insures the risks of the operating business. A captive is much more than an exotic form of self-insurance: It is the creation of a new insurance company that has the potential to grow from being a mere captive into a full-blown insurance company seeking to profit from underwriting the risks of others. "Adkisson's Captive Insurance Companies" provides a basic introduction to captives and their benefits, including: utilize your own experience ratings; recapture underwriting profits; underwrite exposed risks and deductibles; access the reinsurance markets; and transfer wealth between generations. This book also provides a unique look at the wealth transfer, accumulation and preservation advantages of captives, as well as an overview of the types of captives, taxation of captives, and captive domiciles.

Insurance Decision Making and Market Behavior discusses such behavior with the intent of categorizing these insurance "anomalies". It represents a first step in constructing a theory of insurance decision making to explain behavior that does not conform to standard economic models of choice and decision-making. Finally, the authors propose a set of prescriptive solutions for improving insurance decision-making. Considerable evidence suggests that many people for whom insurance is worth purchasing do not have coverage and others who appear not to need financial protection against certain events actually have purchased coverage. There are certain types of events for which one might expect to see insurance widely marketed are now viewed today by insurers as uninsurable and there are other policies one might not expect to be successfully marketed that exist on a relatively large scale. In addition, evidence suggests that cost-effective preventive measures are sometimes rewarded by insurers in ways that could change their clients' behavior. These examples reveal that insurance purchasing and marketing activities do not always produce results that are in the best interest of individuals at risk. Insurance Decision Making and Market Behavior discusses such behavior with the intent of categorizing these insurance "anomalies". It represents a first step in constructing a theory of insurance decision making to explain behavior that does not conform to standard economic models of choice and decision-making. Finally, the authors propose a set of prescriptive solutions for improving insurance decision-making.

STEAL, CHEAT, AND LIE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP--a growing practice on both sides of the Atlantic that's costing consumers millions each year. Marine insurance is based on Uberrimae Fidei or utmost good faith but it hasn't worked out that way. Author Ed Geary closely examines the schemes of marine insurance fraud and conspiracy that involves not only boat owners and policy holders, but insurance brokers, and marine underwriters. Geary's disclosure of the Central Intelligence Agency's clandestine Operation Deep Six to destabilize the elected government of Venezuela and install Hugo Chavez as president put him in the cross-hairs of the Agency. Silencing him became an even greater priority when Geary exposed the CIA's theft of high value yachts used in idiotic schemes to smuggle of narcotics from Colombia to the United States. Association that ultimately destroyed an organization that's been around before the reign of Queen Victoria and exposes the fraud and trickle-down-corruption that has tainted the Lloyd's Agency System. fraudulent ship valuation conspiracy by the once reliable Lloyd's List in London challenges the imagination.

Praise for "The Handbook of Variable Income Annuities"

"This wonderful book fills a big void by providing us with a complete picture of how the many aspects of retirement income fit together. The author's perspective that longevity is not a certainty to be saved for but a risk to be insured against redefines the future of the insurance industry."
--Jon A. Boscia, Chairman and Chief Executive OfficerLincoln Financial Group

"As the baby boom generation approaches retirement, planning for the golden years will assume an increasingly central role. Jeff Dellinger brings to this work broad, long-standing, and distinguished experience in the annuities field. This book is a great help to those who endeavor to enjoy retirement safely and anxiety-free."
--Mark Souder, United States Congressman

"Straightforward and clear, "The Handbook of Variable Income Annuities" describes the most important principles of optimal asset liquidation. It demystifies variable income annuities, givingfinancial professionals a high comfort level with this instrument, which is so important to the retirement security of Americans and others around the globe."
--Norse N. Blazzard, JD, CLU, Principal, Blazzard, Grodd & Hasenauer PC founder and past chairman of the National Association for Variable Annuities

""The Handbook of Variable Income Annuities" is the first book to rigorously present and unify the key ingredients that explain why a variable income annuity produces a better lifetime income result than alternatives. It is an imperative read for all financial professionals who aspire to serve retirees and prospective retirees."
--R. H. "Rick" Carey, founderThe VARDS Report

Withtrillions of dollars in retirement savings programs at stake, and millions of Americans on the precipice of applying these savings to generate retirement income, you can't afford to be without the knowledge, insights, and timely perspective this fascinating and comprehensive work offers. A must-read for those preparing for the tidal wave of retirees facing the very real, very important task of seeing their decades of accumulated wealth carry them through the totality of retirement safely, successfully, and with the prospect that their best standard of living lies ahead!

First Practical Guide to Integrating Risk Management, Business Continuity Management and Corporate Governance From Two World-Renowned BCM Pioneers Who Have Served on the British Standards Institution (BSI) Team Creating a British and International Standard for Risk Management. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is currently developing disaster preparedness standards for businesses. DHS is incorporating language from the British Standards Institution (BSI) because it "provides a management systems approach to business continuity and integrates risk management disciplines and processes." The two authors of this now classic text in the field have been directly involved in developing those BSI standards. Here they bring you a distillation of their worldwide experience in pioneering the integration of the disciplines of risk management and business continuity. This practical guide is endorsed by: * * * The Business Continuity Institute * * * The Institute for Risk Management * * * Disaster Recovery Institute International It includes numerous helpful features: * * * Chapter objectives, summaries and bibliographies; charts, sample forms, checklists throughout * * * Plentiful case studies, in boxed text, drawn from enterprises around the globe, including the UK, US, Europe, Australia, Asia, etc. * * * Boxed inserts summarizing key concepts * * * Glossy of 150 risk management and business continuity terms * * * Timely topics, including stakeholder management, supplier management, outsourcing, the people factor, technology recovery, and communication, both internally and externally. * * * Wide range of challenges, including supply chain disruptions, media and brand attack, product contamination and product recall, bomb threats, chemical and biological threats, etc. * * * Instructions for designing/executing team exercises with role playing to rehearse scenarios * * * Guidance on how to develop a business continuity plan, including a Business Impact Analysis * * * Ideal for senior undergraduate, MBA, certificate, corporate training programs; in use at 50+ campuses worldwide * * * Instructor Materials on CD, including PowerPoint slides and syllabus for 12-week course with lecture outlines/notes, quizzes, reading assignments, discussion topics, projects * * * Authors with extensive international experience in all aspects of risk management and business continuity, having worked with organizations in a combined total of 50 countries The authors' message is that risk management has become a strategic tool in managing all risk across an organization, and that BCM forms one more important tool in a much wider and coordinated risk management program. They are now complementary disciplines that must be understood and supported by your organization as a whole, including CEO's, directors, non- executive directors, risk managers, continuity managers, internal and external auditors, investment managers, compliance managers, finance directors, human resource managers, project managers, regulators, corporate trainers and other stakeholders. After discussing the relationship between risk management and BCM, the authors take the reader through the business continuity management cycle: how to understand the organization and its culture; continuity strategies; how to develop and implement a business continuity response, including developing a Business Impact Analysis; building and embedding a business continuity culture; testing/exercising a plan, along with benchmarking, maintenance and audit. "This book is a must read for those senior managers, risk managers and continuity managers who have the vision to see both the new opportunities and the new responsibilities of business continuity management." - George J. Mitchell, Chairman, DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary; Former Senate Majority Leader and U.S. Senator for Maine.