Archive for January 2009
Suicide and US Soldiers
Suicides of Soldiers Reach High of Nearly 3 Decades – NYTimes.com
This is an unfortunate trend that underwriters need to be aware of.
Use this permalink if the above link is not working:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/30suicide.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Remote Underwriting Jobs – Look Beyond
Search Jobs, Resumes, Recruiting & Career Site – Beyond.com
There are a a ton of job sites on the internet and it should come as no surprise that companies must pick and choose where to place their ads. For the job seeker, the problem is finding the website that hopefully lists the type of position you’re looking for. I prefer employment sites that utilize meta-search engines. If you’re searching for that ultimate remote underwriting job (or any new position) I suggest trying Beyond.com. I have been playing around with this website and so far, the results are impressive. Beyond claims to have search capabilities for over 15,000 niche employment sites.
Feel free to leave a comment. Let me know if this type of post is useful or not.
I’ve added a link on my sidebar.
Coffee and the Risk of Dementia – Drink Up
Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk – NYTimes.com
According to The Seattle Times, Starbucks is planning another big round of layoffs. Maybe this study will help sales. Is this useful data for underwriting purposes? Probably not. But it is interesting and with the level of coffee I consume, my dementia risk is likely less than zero.
Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs and the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
NEJM — Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs and the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
Here is a link to the NEJM abstract. When there is doubt regarding the findings of a medical study as reported by various sources, it is always prudent to go to the original source.
Meet the New Boss – Same as the Old Boss
Here is another report on the same Vanderbilt University study on antipsychotics originally reported on in the NEJM. The lesson from this comparison is obvious. Be cognizant of differences in reporting quality and possible underlying biases. The NYT article didn’t go deep enough. The sudden cardiac death risk from newer antipsychotics is about the same as the sudden death risk from older antipsychotics.
Same study, different perspectives. I’ll leave it to the reader to determine which is the better report.
Newer Antipsychotics – The Law of Unintended Consequences
This is the NYT permalink to an article summarizing a recent study in the NEJM.
My fascination with pharmaceuticals is both personal and professional. It should be noted that the relative risk is still not high. Our problem is the law of small numbers. One applicant issued with a unique medical history, the right combination of impairment and medications, and a large coverage amount can do some serious damage to your bottom line.
Disclaimer:
I only take vitamins and one baby ASA daily.
Homocysteine Predicts CV Mortality in Elderly
Small study population notwithstanding, the results are of interest to our profession.
Occupational Risk – Journalism Can be Bad for Your Health
One of the more arcane areas of mortality risk is occupational risk. It is best to think about occupations in their context. For example, a climb leader working the Arbuckles is a different risk profile than a climb leader working K2.
Today I want you to think about journalists.
Working for Uncle Sam – (sorry, no openings for remote underwriters)
Remote Underwriting with Turkeys
Remote underwriting turkeys
This post marks the beginning of a periodic series covering remote underwriting management issues. Based upon search engine traffic there seems to be a high level of interest on this topic, hence a new periodic series. Personally I have experience in several aspects of the remote underwriting experience. I have managed remotes. I was a project manager for the design and implementation of a paperless workflow system from the technology side. I’ve functioned as an Interim Chief Underwriter managing remotes. I have worked remotely for numerous companies (not all at the same time).
I am remote.
Again, thanks for visiting. Please leave a comment or two.
(the picture was taken in my brother’s backyard while working remotely from Marlborough, MA)
