Description: This paper presents multiple book reviews: Reports from Staff of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Reports in Connection with Social Security Legislation 1975-77, 'Statement on Cost Comparisons of Individual Life Insurance Policies', by Canadian Institute of Actuaries, 'Investment Activities of Life Insurance Companies' from Huebner Foundation Lectures, 'The Life Insurance Industry's Marketing Dilemma' by Johns, 'The Future of Social Security' by Munnell, 'Social Security - Today and Tomorrow' by Ball, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'The Crisis in Social Security - Problems and Prospects' by Boskin, 'A History of Interest Rates' by Homer, 'Indexation of Pensions and Other Benefits' by Robert Myers, 'Life Insurance Accounting' by Strain, '1978 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund...' by US Congress. Brief summaries of additional readings are also included.

Description: This is a discussion of the paper, 'Group Annuity Mortality' by Ray M. Peterson, which presents the Group Annuity Table for 1951 with projection factors. The paper is reviewed, an additional projection method is suggested with illustrations, discussion of the difficulties of using projected rates for premiums and reserves, and critiques are provided.

Description: This is a discussion about employee benefit plans after retirement. The following questions are addressed: 1. To what extent are death benefits and medical benefits for employees and dependents kept in force after the employee retires?, 2. Where there is a continuation of such benefits for a retired employee or his dependent, what special problems can result from remarriage or reemployment, or in the event of the enactment of a federal plan?, 3. What methods of paying for or funding such costs are used?, and 4. What are the tax implications to both the employee and employer of the various approaches? Also discussed are insured vs. non-insured plans and valuation standards for pension plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1964, Vol. 16 Pt. 2.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to outline certain questions involved in the analysis of the experience emerging from the operation of Major Medical Expense insurance plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1958, Vol. 10, No. 28.

Description: The objective of this forum was to bring together basic factual material and to discover a good cross section of actuarial thinking in this field. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1950, Vol. 2, No. 2.

Description: This article is a review of the 1981 book ‘The Coming Revolution in Social Security,’ by A. Haeworth Robinson. The reviewer notes that the author believes there is ‘dangerous lack of information about the current program,’ but that understanding will bring demand for radical changes. An important question asked by the book is whether, due to the changes in our society and economy since the original program was instituted, and probable future changes, the system needs to be fundamentally different and more flexible.

Description: This discussion focuses on looking at the growth of and improvements in Voluntary Plans. As well as efforts being made to publicize the availability of voluntary plans, problems involved in the different approaches to coverage and federal proposals. From the Transaction of the SOA, Vol. 2 No. 4

Description: This article from The Actuary, April 1971, volume 5, Issue 4 is about a report on Social Security and Medicare. As is often the case, it is desirable, perhaps even necessary, that one personally review the whole of any report of this kind in order to make a fair evaluation. The use of the word broader in the headline certainly conveys the expansive nature of numerous proposals recommended by a majority of the Council.

Description: Discusses the report of the fifth Advisory Council which provides recommendations for improving Social Security.

Description: This panel discussion describes three actuaries' experiences with governmental advisory groups. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1970, Vol. 22, Pt. 2, No. 64.