Welcome to the July 2026 issue of General Insurance Community Newsletter, the SOA’s biannual newsletter for those with an interest in general insurance (GI)—also referred to as non-life (NL) insurance, and property and casualty (P&C) insurance. In past issues (including GI Insights, the precursor to this newsletter), I had written many of the articles. This GI newsletter will now place greater emphasis on engaging the newly formed GI Community. As we shift to greater Community engagement, I’ll continue writing an introductory article, “Looking Ahead,” but will only contribute topical pieces from time to time. In past editions, I would include my random thoughts within the introductory article. I will now be including my random thoughts in stand-alone articles for each edition beginning with this one. Additionally, I have included an article I wrote, “GI Exams and the Redesigned FSA Pathway,” which provides updated information on GI exams.
We are using this introductory article as a call to the Community to come up with ideas for articles to write for future editions. If you have an idea but are not ready or able to write it for whatever reason, try reaching out to someone you think might be good at writing the article. Keep me in the loop because I can work out whether the article is appropriate and the logistics for meeting SOA publishing deadlines.
You do not have to be a great writer to submit an article. I’ve always questioned my abilities to write papers and articles that would entice readers to go beyond the first paragraph. But that hasn’t stopped me from writing articles for many years—in addition to writing some exam resources for GI exams.
Written communication skills are critical to having a successful career as an actuary. Think of this as a chance to hone your writing skills.
While not necessarily a complete list, examples of types of articles include:
- Technical (e.g., something analytical that is, or could be used by, GI actuaries).
- Explanatory (e.g., some aspect of the GI market in a specific jurisdiction).
- Experience (e.g., sharing an experience that is relevant to the Community).
- Interview (e.g., Q&A with someone that has insights into something relevant to GI).
- Opinion (e.g., viewpoint on something relevant to GI actuaries).
As for length, that can range between 500 and 2,500 words. More details and best practices can be found in our Author Guidelines for Community Newsletters. Our goals with this newsletter are to develop a strong GI Community and keep those in it informed on topics of interest to GI actuaries. We welcome feedback and ideas to help us achieve these goals. Authoring an article can also help you gain name recognition, earn CPD credit and establish yourself as an expert. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas regarding this e‑newsletter, feel free to contact me.
This article is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Neither the Society of Actuaries nor the respective authors’ employers make any endorsement, representation or guarantee with regard to any content, and disclaim any liability in connection with the use or misuse of any information provided herein. This article should not be construed as professional or financial advice. Statements of fact and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of the Society of Actuaries or the respective authors’ employers.
Anthony Cappelletti, FSA, FCIA, FCAS, is a staff fellow for the SOA. He can be contacted at acappelletti@soa.org.