Description: Most computations that are done within actuarial science entail using discrete death rates associated with incremental ages. It's not that continuous death rates cannot be used, it's just that discrete values tend to be more convenient to work with. Of the various continuous probability distributions, the one most closely associated with actuarial science may be the Gompertz distribution. This paper takes a closer look at the Gompertz, starting with the motivation behind Benjamin Gompertz proposing this particular distribution. Then the paper develops procedures to estimate the parameters for this distribution, and it ends with a brief example of the procedures presented in the paper.

Description: An insurance company starts with an initial surplus, collects premium, pays claims to policyholders and pays dividends to stockholders. What remains is the following year’s surplus. The process continues. This paper describes how to calculate the distribution of surplus for any given year. With these distributions, one can make the calculations of premiums and dividends.

Description: Summarizes results from the 2016 life reinsurance survey. Reinsurance new business production and in force for US and Canadian life reinsurers.

Description: This article talks about the Board of Governors' decision to not pursue accreditation of the F.S.A. designation with state insurance commissioners for purposes of rendering opinions on life insurance company reserves.

Description: This article is discusses the concept and practical ways to apply the understanding of empowerment and how to empower people. There is a high payback for those who use empowerment effectively.

Description: Analysis of IASB position on the discount rate to use in computing the Fair Value of Insurance Liabilities

Description: Highlights of the 1997 International Underwriting Congress with an in depth discussion of 1 critical illness policies and 2 Use of population data where little insurance data exists.

Description: This article is about the 4th China Congress of Actuaries which was attended by over 200 actuaries, insurance professional and industry representatives from China and overseas. The main theme of the conference was 'Actuarial Professionalism.'

Description: Cyber threats and their costs are a continuously evolving, moving target and a source of uncertainty.

Description: This article talks about assets and liabilities as they related to Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. From Small Talk Newsletter, November 2005, Issue No. 25.