Description: Continuation of series applying Buddhist principles to actuarial work setting. This issue discusses the challenges to actuaries posed by the coronavirus pandemic and how mindfulness practice can expand an actuary's perspective and enhance effectiveness

Description: This article describes why dressing up - even while working remotely- can help create work / life balance when the day is done.

Description: When a program host invites audience attendees to stand up and give their “30-second elevator speech,” you should jump right up and be the first to go. Not only will you be grabbing an unexpected chance to practice, but what you say in those 30 seconds may put you as much in the spotlight as the keynote speaker. This article shows readers how.

Description: This Society of Actuaries Research Brief has been constructed to highlight some of the key features of the COVID-19 epidemic and contemplate the risks for the actuarial profession to consider in their work.

Description: This presentation proposes a solution to the student actuarial paradox “I mastered the syllabus but failed the exam,” by utilizing the two-dimensional syllabus vehicle which pedagogically focuses on the two dimensions of content and problem difficulty. This presentation advocates the PMR characterization of three levels of problems difficulty: Plug-ins (easy), Monkey-wrench (intermediate), and Research-type(hard) questions. PMR was developed by examining difficulty levels in SOA exams, and problems of various software vendors. The author's students routinely score high on the SOA FM exam; it is hoped that these methods will assist other instructors in their quest for good pedagogy. Very briefly: “Plug-ins,” refer to multi-part problems, for example, calculating the price of an annuity that is first increasing and then level; “Monkey-wrench” problems specifically refer to plug-in multi-part problems where one component is a monkey-wrench, an issue the candidate has not previously encountered. It might be a non-typical modeling or it might be a non-typical algebraic simplification or it might be an unexpected integration of distinct modules in a manner that the candidate has not yet seen. “Research-type questions” refer to problems requiring some type of experimentation for example, looking at initial cases, seeing a pattern and then applying methods

Description: This article introduces hope as a cognitive concept that appears when circumstances are uncertain or dire. Hope is the belief that by shifting one's perspective, an individual has the power to take steps to improve their current problematic circumstances

Description: Effective strategic planning can have a profound effect on the development of your team and the growth and direction of your actuarial organization. This article shares the elements that will set you up for success before the meeting even begins.