Description: Applies the economic concept of negative externality (where firms profit but create unacceptable social costs) to systemic of financial institutions. Identifies alternatives to the traditional (Pigou) response of taxing the firm.

Description: From a session at a meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Las Vegas, NV May 22-24, 2000 This session discussed the purpose of the proposed Ambassador Program under development by the Actuary of the Future Section to focus on the nontraditional actuarial practice areas that are expected to play an increasingly significant role within the actuarial profession in the 21st century.

Description: Overview of research project to investigate the extent of funding of public government retiree health programs.

Description: This 1978 session discussion included important challenges to the actuarial profession that result from current social and economic changes, opportunities for actuarial input in a political process, and expanding horizons for the actuarial profession. From Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 4, No. 1.

Description: In this paper, Chapter VII of the 1987 Valuation Actuary Handbook, the author, an attorney with the American Academy of Actuaries, discusses the valuation actuary concept, starting with the current regulatory system. The potential legal implications, including personal liability, are explored. The author notes that “perhaps most significant is the fact that by increasing the scope of the valuation actuary’s duties, the nature and scope of potential professional liability also increase.”

Description: This presentation is an open forum from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The speakers, members of the Pension Committee of the Actuarial Standards Board [ASB], present an update on the ASB’s exposure drafts of actuarial standards of practice intended to provide detailed guidance on setting economic assumptions for pension plans. The session is concerned with selecting actuarial assumptions, specifically economic assumptions, for measuring pension obligations. The speakers note that in addition to providing guidance to actuaries, the standards are designed to help users of our work product understand what actuaries consider in determining their assumptions. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4B.

Description: Review of 2010 events and accomplishments of the Untapped Opportunities work group for the Health Section: market research analyzing the perceptions and potential roles of actuaries in the broader health care industry, educational programs on medical and clinical matters, planned research destined to expand brand awareness of health actuaries, and building organizational partnerships.

Description: The article discusses the sustainability of the ACA individual market from a public entitlement standpoint. A key point of measuring sustainability is the reliance on market forces rather than federal budget constraints. The article explains why an actuarial viewpoint of sustainability is necessary to a greater extent than other public assistance and social insurance programs. The article challenges actuaries to be a bold, objective voice in a space that is full of opinionated but often uninformed viewpoints.

Description: The Society is taking a hard look at its members’ needs and our future as a profession. Two recent studies have focused attention on the building of our future: Report of the Task Force on the Future of the Actuary and Report of the Task Force on Strengthening the Profession. Both reports discuss the importance of our profession in health care matters. But, neither report is designed to address the practical issues involved with building toward our future in health care.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. This session debates the following resolution - resolved: the actuary should be required to express an opinion in life insurance company statements regarding the valuation adequacy of projected future cash flows.