Description: This is a discussion of the title paper by Robert M. Duncan which outlines the use of a contributory money purchase plan with death benefits, and investments in equities, to fund pensions. The approach is critiqued.

Description: This article contains reviews of the following books published in 1992: 1. 'Broken Promises: The Inside Story of the Failure of Executive Life' by Vic Modugno, 2. 'Within the System: My Half Century in Social Security' by Robert J. Myers, 3. 'Insurance Risk Models' by Harry H. Panjer and Godon E. Willmot, and 4. 'Social Security: What Every Taxypayer Should Know' by A. Haeworth Robertson. Notices of Social Security notes and studies are also included. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1992, Vol. 44.

Description: By definition, actuaries are preeminent in making actuarial analyses. Nevertheless, in some areas, such analyses can be adequately performed by persons from other professions, such as economists and statisticians. This article describes the misuse of life expectancy data by the Heritage Foundation when they 'calculated' that low-income, single African-American males born after 1959 face a negative rate of return from Social Security. Unfortunately, this misinformation was widely disseminated through the news media and Web sites.

Description: This article considers the challenges that need to be addressed in the cost analysis of long range social insurance programs, which in the US is now over a period of 75 years. The main thrust of this paper is the consideration of population changes however, the effects of economic elements cannot be ignored. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 1984 Volume No. 1.

Description: This is a short version of a memorandum to the Commissioner of Social Security and other government officials addressing misuse of actuarial cost estimates.

Description: Reports on recent month-end fund balances in the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance funds. They had been facing a great financial crisis recently and now are in much better financial condition.

Description: Summarizes two Social Security Administration Actuarial Notes by the author. One compares actual experience under the Medicare program for the first full year of operation with the cost estimates that were made early in 1965. The second analyzes the annual death rates of the United States population aged 65 and over, before and after Medicare, for fiscal years 1961-68.

Description: Article from The Actuary, June 1971 – volume 5 - Issue 6 reviews the Advisory Council on Social Security's 1971 report on Social Security and Medicare.

Description: This general discussion looks at the results derived from the 15th International Congress of Actuaries and the legislations adopted in Canada and proposed in the U.S. giving favorable tax treatment to pension contributions by the self-employed. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1958, Vol. 10, No. 26.

Description: The objective of this forum was to bring together basic factual material and to discover a good cross section of actuarial thinking in this field. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1950, Vol. 2, No. 2.