Description: This article reviews key findings from the research done by the SOA on Financial Perspectives on Aging and Retirement Across the Generations with a special focus on the impact for retirement planning.

Description: The third age can be viewed as a period between the traditional full-time employment career building period and fulltime retirement and leisure. Individuals combine work, volunteerism and leisure in different ways during this period. Some actuaries look at this period as one during which they might want to start a small consulting business. There is no generally accepted practice at present and maybe none will emerge. This article will look at issues related to the third age from the perspective of actuaries who move from full-time regular employment with an established business into a consulting practice. I will share personal experience in making such a transition.

Description: SAVER Summit Looks at Retirement Needs and Savings Plans by Anna M. Rappaport from Pension Section News, August 1998, Issue No. 37.

Description: Feature article describing the next steps people should take after they are finished working full time.

Description: A summary of actuarial education, a major activity and concern of the Society of Actuaries.

Description: This article looks at changes in life spans and retirement ages. The changes are completely out of sync. The history of retirement and retirement ages is reviewed. The article finds that while life spans were increasing for many years, retirement ages were dropping and then they had a modest increase recently. There are parallel issues in many countries and some international data is provided. The issue of working as part of retirement and phased retirement are introduced. The article concludes that more change is needed and that the failure to keep retirement ages updated is one of the reasons for the decline in defined benefit plans.

Description: Feature article discussing important issues related to retirement.

Description: From a session at a meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in San Diego, CA, June 22-23, 2000 This session provided an update on the progress of the American Academy of Actuaries task force charged with developing a long-term strategic approach for marketing the profession to future users of actuarial services and to strategically position and strengthen the profession.

Description: The author notes that, as of 1977, the “actuarial profession is small, but it is also divided. There are several actuarial organizations in North America, and as a result different groups are addressing limited energy to the same problems.” The article then discusses the Society of Actuaries’ recent proposal for reorganization of the profession, and the committee formed to proceed with reorganization. It is noted that the SOA so far is the only organization endorsing the proposal, but other organizations have expressed a willingness to listen.

Description: Anna gives us an excellent “layman’s overview” of concerns, challenges and potential areas for improvement in the area of pre-retirement disability—a contingency that is perhaps too frequently ignored or underemphasized in the general pension actuarial literature during the trend from DB to DC retirement vehicles.