Description: Many top-performing businesses aren’t just risk aware, but rather risk intelligent. Such a posture helps prepare companies for a major event and can demonstrate to a regulator or auditor that an appropriately strong control framework is in place. Better still, companies gain real strategic value from a “risk adjusted” understanding not only of their threats and vulnerabilities, but also the upside opportunities associated with various risks. It starts with having both qualitative and quantitative information to identify, assess and manage risks. Strategic risk management, at its core, is about creating value by increasing transparency and accountability, and quality of information. More than a mere compliance exercise, effective risk management enables more informed strategic decision making, increased accountability and transparency, a greater likelihood of organizational success, and – ultimately – competitive advantage, as borne out by many studies that correlate risk management and financial results.

Description: The focus of the essay is how to use regulatory requirements like ORSA to add competitive advantage. This is accomplished by leveraging the work done for regulators in a way that helps a firm make better decisions. Looking for concentrations of risk, model shortcomings and changing correlations are considered. Stress testing, counterparty risk and changing risk appetites are all topics that help the risk manager better understand the risks accepted. Finally, the paper suggests that the risk officer job should be split into a component that focuses on the process and risk mitigation techniques. The Chief Risk and Return Officer would reside in the strategic planning area and participate in strategic decision making for the firm. Part of the essay collection "Risk Metrics for Decision Making and ORSA"

Description: metadata for the entire issue

Description: In this interview Dr. Reinhardt shares his thoughts on the role he believes actuaries should take in the health care system reforms.

Description: Evan and Brad interview Larry Moews, Chief Actuary and Risk Officer of SCOR. The discussion focuses on Larry's insights and experiences in Risk Management.

Description: Update on issues, priorities and key messages from the Joint CAS / CIA / SOA Risk Management Section Council.

Description: Highlights from the 8th Intercompany Long-Term Care Insurance Conference held in March 2008, consisting of 56 sessions covering a range of long-term care insurance LTCI topics each with a track-specific focus.

Description: Disease management DM is increasingly encountered in health plans and employer groups as a health care intervention targeted to individuals with chronic diseases chronics. The untested assumption is that without DM, the chronic and non-chronic trends are identical. From Financing Chronic Care Monograph, M-HB05-1.

Description: The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is moving forward to implement a new regulatory requirement that requires U.S. insurers to perform an Own Risk and Solvency Assessment (ORSA). Before developing a response to the ORSA requirement, insurers will want to understand its genesis and the underlying rationale for it, as well as its implications. This essay provides an overview of the evolution and rationale for ORSA, as well as practical implications for insurers as they begin to design an ORSA process. Part of the essay collection "Risk Metrics for Decision Making and ORSA"

Description: This paper develops a conceptually rigorous formulation of the cost of capital method for estimating margins for mortality, lapse, expense and other forms of underwriting risk.