Description: This is a summary of topics discussed at the 1996 Bowles Symposium: “The Old Age Crisis: Actuarial Opportunities,” September 26-27, 1996, at Georgia State University, Atlanta.

Description: A review of the book Abundance by Steven Kotler and Peter H. Diamandis.

Description: Imagine that the insurance purchase process is a bridge. The customer is coming from one direction and crossing the bridge and the insurer is coming from the other side. The point at which they meet is the transaction point. At one time, customers were willing to completely cross the bridge to get to the insurer. They knew that they needed insurance, and like any retail purchase, they would “travel” to make it happen. Today, the insurers are normally the ones “journeying” across the bridge. This is the future of insurance — useful, convenient, intelligent protection that does its best analytic and protective work on the client-side of the bridge.

Description: The author explores the issue of longevity risk with its implications for life insurers and society at large, and concludes that the actuarial profession is in a unique position to understand longevity risk and offer solutions.

Description: A review of the latest of a series of reports from Statistics Canada, covering data from various Canadian social benefits programs for 1971-1977.

Description: Attempts to construct an abridged mortality table from the scant data available. The number of persons exposed is 291, among whom there have been 184 deaths.

Description: Excellent big picture view for planning a social insurance system with pay-as-you-go, required self-funded, and voluntary plans.

Description: The article looks at potential changes in care provider demographics that could ultimately have an impact on the cost of long term care services.

Description: Planning for retirement in North America has become much more challenging as the defined benefit system has declined. We must take more responsibility for ourselves. As we plan, many societal forces affect us. Both men and women are disadvantaged because Americans in particular are not very good savers. While pension plans and Social Security, or CPP/QPP/OAS in Canada, generally use the same formulas for men and women, often the results are different. This article focuses on the challenges women face in retirement.

Description: The author of this article served as an author, panelist, moderator, and as the keynoter for the January 2011 first Living to 100 symposium. This article looks at issues by stakeholder discussed at the symposium, points to some of the papers presented, and leaves the reader with ideas about some of the big questions about longevity that are facing society.