Description: Discussion of the career of a health insurance actuary who worked in an insurance company, consulting firm and government

Description: Tensions arose between the Society of Actuaries [SOA] and the Casualty Actuarial Society [CAS] organizations’ leadership when articles in the May 1997 issue of the CAS newsletter suggested the SOA was trying to force a merger. This article describes how a meeting between SOA President, Anna Rappaport, and CAS President, Mavis Walters, led to an exchange of views that included the entire Boards of each organization and ultimately led to the members of both Boards demonstrating mutual respect.

Description: For more than two years, 'The Actuary' has received more articles and letters on Social Security than on any other single topic. Given actuaries’ interest in analyzing financial situations and the extensive public debate on Social Security worldwide, the subject’s prominence among actuaries is easily understood. To offer more SOA members a forum for their views, editors of the September 1998 issue included a survey asking members’ opinions on five statements related to possible U.S. Social Security reform. The survey drew 1,067 responses, representing 6.6% of the membership, by the Oct. 31, 1998, deadline. This article summarizes the results of that survey.

Description: This article discusses the results from the 1999 SOA member survey. The survey's findings send some clear signals about approaches to developing new and better programs and improving current ones. from The Actuary, February 2000, volume 34, issue 2.

Description: This article is about a session held at the October 1996 annual meeting, which focused on how actuaries can move beyond traditional employers.

Description: This article discusses the actuarial profession and its role and needed skill set development going forward in meeting the needs of businesses for risk management and capital management

Description: On the lighter side, actuary Bill Feldman nostalgically recalls playing baritone saxophone for Tony Bennett in two 1969 concerts. From: The Actuary, September 1999 – volume 33 - Issue 7.

Description: Insurance professionals are seeing the industry change before their very eyes, and many are being forced to change with it. But it seems those pushed and pushing the most are those touched directly by the Internet’s World Wide Web. In this article, seven executives and professionals are interviewed about their work on this new fast track. They sometimes had widely varying opinions, but they agreed on two points: the Web is rapidly forcing a restructuring of the way insurance business is done, and this will create new and perhaps more opportunities for actuaries.

Description: This article describes how actuary and avid bridge player, Donald Sondergeld, fulfilled his own prediction. At the end of his article 'Actuaries and the rule of 11' [The Actuary, October 1997], he said he expected 'to become an ACBL [American Contract Bridge League] Life Master soon.' In a foursome with his wife, Mary, in March 1998, Don crossed the finish line when they won the final gold points he needed.

Description: This article discusses the media attention received when Al Easton, as 1997-1999 Futurism Section council chair, coordinated a study of the section members and asked the members to forecast future events in members' practice areas. The study utilized the Delphi technique, which assembles a group of experts and polls them on the same questions in up to four rounds of surveying. Each time, the previous round's answers are revealed so the experts can consider their next responses in light of their peers' views. From: The Actuary, January 2000, volume 34, issue 1.