Description: The Total Career Benchmark Model, consistent with Retirement 20/20 principles, focuses on reconstructing and maintaining a consistent and reasonable sharing of risks and rewards amongst the four stakeholders: Individuals, Society, Employers and the Markets. Modern technology provides the necessary tools. A series of benchmarks are used for tax limits, target pensions, accrual to date etc. The self adjusting, consistent benchmarks under the TCB Model, means that all stakeholders speak the same language. Individuals and Employers can easily compare what they have to what they need – and more importantly can see how to accrue what is needed. An individual’s ability to tax shelter income over a career is not dependent on the design of any employer pension plan. All funds allocated to an individual remain the individual’s and are not used to subsidize another person – except for the inherent risk sharing of an annuity – by hidden transfers of value.

Description: The author explores the issue of longevity risk with its implications for life insurers and society at large, and concludes that the actuarial profession is in a unique position to understand longevity risk and offer solutions.

Description: This article announces a new research project, co-sponsored by a number of actuarial organizations, to evaluate macrodemographic and microsimulation models that could be used to analyze retirement and other public policy proposals.

Description: The author, outgoing chairperson of the Entrepreneurial Actuaries Section, ‘EAS,’ relays thanks to various individuals who have helped advance the goals of the section, and describes a request to the SOA, submitted by the EAS to develop a separate website for finding actuaries. “This would not be an extension of the SOA Directory which allows actuaries to find actuaries but a website for public access to actuaries who would register as independent entrepreneurs, small business and larger consulting firms.”

Description: Summary of results from 2017 Risk and Process of Retirement Survey.

Description: Remarks on a recent series of articles in 'The National Underwriter' on risk selection and related regulation.

Description: The "feel free" strategy helps retirees understand when they can retire, how much they can spend and how much guaranteed income they might want. The approach is very simple - divide your age by 20 and feel free to spend that percentage of your savings in a year.

Description: Description of focus group research conducted in 2013 by the Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of how people make decisions about when to retire and about managing financial risks in retirement. Eight focus groups of financially resource constrained retirees who had retired voluntarily were interviewed. The report offers many quotes from retirees and a chance to “give a face” to much of what we say about retirement.

Description: Updates on the efforts of the Academy’s health practice council. its work groups and task forces, to educate health care policymakers on issues including principles for reform, Medicare, the individual insurance market, and risk factors.

Description: Discusses the formation of a task force, intended to become the Committee on Social Security - Retirement and Disability Income, which will focus on education and research on a variety of issues.