Description: Linda M. Springer, FSA, MAAA, spent more than 25 years in the financial services industry in executive positions responsible for general and financial management and strategic operational planning. Springer is now the eighth director of the United States Office of Personal Management. In this interview, she discusses government life, on–the–job challenges and how her actuarial background has helped her progress in her career.

Description: Why and how to set up an advance directive, in case a health event renders you unable to make your own medical to decisions.

Description: Have you recently considered volunteering within the actuarial profession? If so, becoming a “friend” of the Smaller Insurance Company Section is a great way to start. This article explains what you can expect from your volunteer experience.

Description: The author reviews the attributes of Fast Risers. You can use their secret investing method of determining who to invest in and their innovative investment in these relationships to generate meaningful business relationships.

Description: A real life situation is posed involving a management, leadership, or other business decision, and readers are invited to submit their responses to "What Would You Do?" This issue’s case study involved a tricky decision faced by a hiring manager as to whether or not to extend a job offer.

Description: A review of the book "The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty" by Dan Ariely. The book is about lying, cheating, stealing, and shaving the truth -- something done by everybody, but the factors influencing this can be a bit surprising.

Description: Gaining people management skills from Captain D. Michael Abrashoff's book, "Its Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy"

Description: In the Leadership & Development Section’s Leadership Inspiration Contest, entrants were asked to tell us what inspired them to be a better actuarial leader. Here is the winning entry from the “Defining Moment / Event” category.

Description: A real life business dilemma faced by an actuary is presented, and readers are invited to answer "What Would You Do?"

Description: Cassie He and Linda Liu, two actuarial students, invite Mark Freedman, the President-Elect of SOA to share with us his experience as an actuary, the challenges and opportunities facing actuaries and the outlook for the profession as SOA president.