This practical handbook aims to show planners and managers throughout the financial services industry how to compete successfully by improving the quality, selection, and delivery of services. It presents step-by-step methods for designing and implementing financial service packages that will satisfy customers' needs. It offers practical advice on how to determine customers' wants and how to translate these into an individualized package tailored to their particular needs "Business Information Alert" In recent years, the U.S. housing market has been characterized by rapid changes in housing prices, quality, and availability. This handbook is a highly readable examination of the various theories that have been advanced to explain the economic behavior of today's housing market. Emphasis is put on developing an understanding of the sophisticated economics underlying the market, thus enabling the reader to carry this knowledge over into a rapidly changing marketplace. The book begins with a brief look at the historical development of U.S. housing markets and government intervention in these markets. The study goes on to develop a conceptual framework that can be used to evaluate the effects of the economic environment and government policy on the housing market. Throughout the book, real-world data is employed to verify and illustrate the major points of the presentation.