Description: Description of focus group research conducted in 2013 by the Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks. The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of how people make decisions about when to retire and about managing financial risks in retirement. Eight focus groups of financially resource constrained retirees who had retired voluntarily were interviewed. The report offers many quotes from retirees and a chance to “give a face” to much of what we say about retirement.

Description: Discusses the duality of the market-consistent and traditional actuarial approaches to pricing and valuations, and the need to exercise flexibility of thought to reconcile the opposing viewpoints.

Description: The author identifies miscommunication challenges that may exist in the workplace, including misunderstandings and communication mishaps, assumption of motive, and relational tension, and suggests clarifying conversation as a way to address these challenges.

Description: Two actuaries describe how taking an improvisational acting class can help in the business world, with specific examples of improvisational techniques as they relate to actuarial work.

Description: Update on section activities related to membership engagement.

Description: The right mindset is essential to success in any number of arenas.

Description: View article from The Actuary August/September 2014 – Volume 11, Issue 4: Most Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This is an article about the marketing of group long-term care insurance to law firms.

Description: This article is a review of the book by Joshua Foer. It covers the history of memory techniques, the way a human brain organizes memory, and various problems and successes in memory recall. The author starts by interviewing memory savants, and learns from them that the ability to perform seemingly impossible memory tricks is simply a matter of studying and practicing proven techniques used for millennia. This review suggests that actuaries can benefit greatly from some of these techniques despite the availability of electronic hand-held devices to recall facts because the person who does not need to rely upon such devices can have a huge perceptual advantage in executive presentations.

Description: This article discusses the actuarial profession and its role and needed skill set development going forward in meeting the needs of businesses for risk management and capital management