Description: The author discusses how small firms can compete successfully against big firms by cre¬ating a micro-niche business, because other firms—including big firms—cannot compete directly. In this way a small firm can compete against large firms with great success by stepping outside direct competi¬tion, in which it cannot hope to win. From ‘The Stepping Stone’ issue number 43.

Description: This article discusses challenges that short-term predictions have on actuaries' reputations, both as individuals and as a profession, and discusses strategies to improve our professionalism and better manage this risk.

Description: This essay, submitted for the Society of Actuaries' Entrepreneurial Actuaries Section 2010 Papers Competition, proposes an entrepreneurial solution to address the continued, unsustainable increases in health care costs. Under the author’s plan, entrepreneurs will “develop systems providing clear financial motivation for consumers to make decisions that minimize health care spending and maximize positive health outcomes. In so doing, health care providers must necessarily compete to offer the highest quality services at the lowest cost. By relying on the financial self-interest of consumers and free-market competition among health care providers, effective and sustainable systems to bend the health care cost curve can be achieved.”

Description: Introduction of the Leadership & Development 20th Anniversary Special Edition of The Stepping Stone.

Description: Update on section activities from the chairperson.

Description: The column summarizes tax and retirement matters that ACLI and its member companies have been actively addressing. These include IRS 2015-2016 priority guidance items, the Department of Labor proposed fiduciary rule, proposed IRS hedge fund reinsurance rules, and new IRS notional principal contract rules.

Description: Discusses the insurance and actuarial profession in India.

Description: Read the April 2017 issue of CompAct published by the Technology Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: Actionable tips to improve the readability of business e-mails.

Description: Attempting to define what actuaries do from a student's perspective