Description: All things considered, caution needs to be applied to the use of so-called “standard” mortality tables. Sharpening up these blunt estimates by using individual assumptions reveals material differences in the structure of longevity, both between plans and within plans.

Description: A look at the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, and how it differs from both prior financial crises and pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic gives actuaries an opportunity to assess different ways risk may interact, and thereby adjust the profession’s work for the future.

Description: While the major market crash subsequent to the widespread contagion of the COVID-19 virus was readily predictable, the rapid recovery and ongoing growth subsequent to it was not. Market dynamics around the recovery resist characterization by most traditional analytical approaches. In examining the circumstances around the emergence of a large retail class of investors, one sees that ingrained human tendencies, particularly optimism bias, have fueled much investor behavior responsible for the recovery. Understanding this makes it possible to predict potential future crashes and develop behavioral interventions for subsequent market recoveries.

Description: “DeFi,” or decentralized finance, is an emerging financial system built on blockchains without central intermediaries such as banks. Defi has experienced explosive growth in the last couple of years, with billions of capital locked in numerous DeFi protocols on blockchains. However, DeFi is still relatively unknown outside of the cryptocurrency/blockchain sphere. Established actuarial practice areas such as insurance, employee benefits, banking, and investments all contain DeFi application opportunities for those interested in exploring them. This article aims to provide an introduction to DeFi concepts with a few practical tips.