Description: News Direct chairperson's column discussing recent activities, future plans, and the new officers of the Marketing and Distribution Section of the Society of Actuaries.

Description: The International Network of Actuarial Risk Managers INARM is an informal group of people who are interested in learning and sharing enterprise risk management ERM practices across borders to enhance the level of actuarial ERM practice around the world. This article provides a list of internet contact points.

Description: Provides information on the 3 incoming Council members.

Description: The editor provides highlights of the May 2013 issue of International News and calls on international members to provide feedback to the Society of Actuaries as it continues to become a more global organization.

Description: The panel offers a recap of the most recent initiatives being proposed for reform of the Medicare program. Items addressed include areas of actuarial concern, potential impacts on the insurance industry and responses initiated by the actuarial profession. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 1, Session 48

Description: This is Mr. Hilary L. Seal's response letter to Editor Arnold F. Shapiro in regards to the 1983.1 ARCH's document on number of deaths observed in a mortality study.

Description: This article is a thank you letter to all people who volunteered to administer and supervise examinations. It is also an encouragement for people to continue volunteering.

Description: This article announces David Holland as the new President-Elect for the SOA and names the Vice Presidents and Board members.

Description: In her address at the 1997 Society of Actuaries annual meeting, incoming president Anna Rappaport gave high priority to 'further developing multidisciplinary joint ventures with other professional associations and academia, including facilitating the exchange of ideas between academics and practitioners.' This article describes the results of that endeavor.

Description: Report on the second in a series of studies conducted jointly by LIMRA International and the SOA Long-Term Care Experience Committee. The study examines longterm care insurance LTCI industry persistency experience by reporting on changes in both voluntary lapse and total termination activity for all participating companies during calendar years 2002 through 2004. Overall, the results indicate that LTCI persistency continues to increase. However, recent increases have occurred on the group side of the business more than the individual side.