SOA members typically align themselves within one of these sections:

• Finance–including risk management and dynamic financial models
• Health–including managed care, Medicare, healthcare, providers, payers and premiums
• Life Insurance
• Retirement/Pension
• Special Interest–areas including investment, long–term care, international and regulatory

As the needs of businesses and individuals have evolved, so have the contributions of SOA membership and actuaries everywhere:

• When the Social Security System was formed in the late 1930s and pension systems were developed during the next several decades, actuaries were heartily involved in this burgeoning area.
• As modern health insurance policies began to be issued in the middle of the 20th century, the skills of actuaries were required and today, actuaries are heavily involved in disease modeling.
• In the latter part of the 20th century, financial markets expanded and new financing tools were developed, leading to new responsibilities for financial actuaries.
• As lifestyle improvements became important, consumers demanded credit for these healthier lifestyles, which led to actuaries helping develop preferred life insurance credits for such things as non–smokers.
• The diversification of many types of businesses has led to organizations having much larger and wider–ranging risk profiles than ever before. These risks encompass personnel, insurance, financial, economic and legal issues. Due to their quantitative and qualitative skill set, actuaries are leaders in analyzing these risks, which is known as enterprise risk management (ERM).
• Just as the baby boom generation turns 60, current retirement systems are not sustainable. Actuaries are leading the way in developing a framework around 21st century retirement systems.