any 8F notes for sale?

[arwen]

In another thread, Dixie Chick is having success selling her notes for 8G.

Does anybody who passed in November have notes for 8F they would be willing to sell?

[Anonymous]

I understand your concern about good notes for 8F.

I was in a similar situation this past November. Since the Actex was the only manual available, I started using it. To my surprise it was pretty good! While the presentation, and a few other things could be better, I found the Actex notes pretty much covered everything.

Thus I would suggest you use the Actex and supplement it with your own notes. While getting someones notes might save you time, it would be well worth the effort.

If you still want my notes, I will take a look at them, and get back to you - I have not really looked at them since November!


Good luck.

[CurtisBlow]

I disagree with actuary123. I bought the ACTEX but used it sparingly (as I did with most of the upper level exams) because chapters were missing (Ex. New Corporate Finance 5.28), it contained solutions to problems from outdated editions (Ex. Taxes and Business Strategy), outlines to study notes which have since been update (8F-404-01 Rating Agency Practice), and sections not thorough enough or too thorough (8F-102-00 Valuation Actuary Practice Notes). It was also organized in its traditional non-sensical approach (text - section a, SNs and everything else- section b) as opposed to being organized by topics outlined in the syllabus.

[arwen]

I used Actex and made my own extensive notes as well. I found Actex almost useless, and was proven right by my first failing score ever. (Perhaps that's not <u>entirely</u> Actex's fault...) That's why I'm asking. I have to tackle all this material again, and I'd prefer a better set of notes.

[mayreeh]

http://www.beginwork.net/

New study manuals for 8I and 8F.

I emailed them and they hope to have an 8I published by the end of March (based on last year's syllabus.) I would assume that they will have 8F by then also.

[Anonymous]

I took great notes for 8F. My intention all along was to try and sell them if I passed. I did manage to pass with an 8, in spite of the Actex.

Basically, for 5 and 6 I had used Carmody's guides and had been really successful with them. So for 8F I tried to create a study guide with the same feel. I typed everything up in Word. I used the outline function so that I could easily generate lists of different detail levels. I think it's great!

So why haven't you all seen it for sale? Well, I started figuring out the costs of advertising and mailing. Then I realized that since I'm a complete unknown maybe only 10 people would buy it. And then when I figured in my marginal tax rate, the whole business model looked like it would pay me less per hour than I normally get paid, and so I just haven't gotten around to it.

However, if you guys really are interested I could print some copies (the final version is about 125 pages) and ship them. I would print the full version and then a condensed version for memorizing. What would you all consider a fair price?

[Songbird]

Although I only managed a 6, I still think this might help: just mark and jot down stuffs on your SOA study notes as you read along. Rewrite briefly hard to understand passages, mark out keywords, number the items etc. Make sure you really understand everything though. Then reread them 3 or 4 times. The finance textbooks are mostly repeated stuffs, so just get the ideas in your head, not much to jot or memorize. I didn't really bother about the reinsurance textbook except learning to do the accounts. The other 2 chapters would need more work (but I just glossed over, no time).
I strongly suggest you go through those listed readings instead of skipping straight to manuals. 99% of them are very well written.
Good luck! :smile:

[JO]

However, if you guys really are interested I could print some copies (the final version is about 125 pages) and ship them. I would print the full version and then a condensed version for memorizing. What would you all consider a fair price?


Hey, I'd be interested. Is 125 pages all you have?? Because Carmody's outlines are around 400 pages and his condensed outlines between 80-90 pages.

Anyway, if you tell me that it covers the material in as much details Carmody did, I'm definitely in.

I don't know what a fair price would be though..What did you have in mind?

[arwen]

N4S -- would it be easier for you to send the stuff as Word file, upon receiving payment? I have no idea about fair price. I'm paying out of pocket (my co. doesn't pay for study material on a second attempt). Also, fyi, Glenn the webmaster has volunteered (in another thread, anyway) to help with marketing and distribution...

[Phil]

Someone should probably inform the SOA about the sudden availability of study notes for Course 8, so that they can adjust the question difficulty. This is for everyone's protection, including yours. Otherwise the student performance will be so high that the SOA will have to resort to randomly flunking people to drop the pass rate down to 40%.

I'll be happy to draft a letter to them, if you want.

Let me know,

-Phil