Description: Latest in a series applying Buddhist philosophy to the working world of the actuary. The focus is on the author's experience in yoga teacher training.

Description: An open letter to the Taxation Section of the Society of Actuaries from the newsletter editor, Kristin Norberg.

Description: Feature article discussing the importance of business connections when trying to get a board position.

Description: Discusses a wide range of issues related to financial decision making and aging. Includes discussion of cognitive decline, fraud and poor decisions. Brings in role of technology and tools.

Description: This article sheds light on the various ways machine learning can uncover patterns within data to add unique value and insights to businesses.

Description: Recent advances in mortality modeling have enabled applicant-specific quantification of mortality risk in life insurance applicants using laboratory and physical measurements. Relative to more conventional underwriting, this approach identifies a small population of significantly under-priced policy and a much larger, cross-subsidizing group whose risk is presently overestimated. Applicants placed in the highest percentile by this scoring methodology are more than 10X as likely to die in a given period as their demographic peers, and represent approximately 5% of short-term claims. Implications for product design are substantial in both the short- and long-term, as the possibilities for adverse selection grow, and the opportunity for fully individualized pricing raises the more distant prospect of products with as many rate classes as applicants.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation involving communication (or lack thereof) between two young actuaries.

Description: Over the last decade, the actuarial career has gained significant attention of entry level job-seekers as it continues to be one of the consistently top rated jobs in the market. There are different avenues to break into the profession, but one of the most common is through an Actuarial Student Program, where a company formally supports the exam progress of individuals through paid study materials, exam fees, and time off to study. Most programs also include an emphasis on development of leadership and communication skills. As the recruiter for MassMutual’s Actuarial Student Program, I get the opportunity to regularly share with candidates why I believe a student program is such a powerful springboard for a successful actuarial career. Profiled in the article is two actuarial students and one recent actuarial student program “graduate” to highlight the value a student program can bring to one’s professional development.

Description: Provides personal perspective on moving from full time employment into a range of different activities before full retirement; provides ideas for new paths.

Description: Author's 4 personal heroes inspiration for readers to identify their own noble purpose, & create a 5-year plan for personal growth (Competency Framework).