2024 ValAct Meeting - Session 4B: Avoiding Statistical Pitfalls in Actuarial Work 8.26.24 Recording

Modern Actuarial work, being quite data intensive, provides many opportunities for actuaries to use the statistical skills that are part of their basic training. Furthermore, modern computing allows us to analyze vast quantities of data intensively, and each package will provide statistical 'answers' to any questions the actuary might ask of it. However, in this particular field, it is often worth taking a step back, and ensuring that we recall and consider the warnings that come with each of the statistical procedures we might attempt to use. This will allow us to ensure that we guard ourselves against drawing inappropriate conclusions, which could come back to haunt us later.At the conclusion of the session, attendees will be able to avoid drawing inappropriate statistical conclusions, while doing their work. They will leave informed about the types of pitfalls that exist, and where those might come into play in actuarial work.