Description: The Advisory Council to Social Security will soon be replaced by a board to manage a new independent system. This article discusses recent recommendations made by the Council and the role actuaries have played on it.

Description: In this article, the author suggests that Social Security funds could earn better returns if some of the assets were invested in index funds weighted by the market capitalization. Index funds retain the risk and reward of the diversified market as a whole and eliminate the greater risk/reward of investing in a single issue or market segment. They offer a simple way to focus on asset mix where so much of the risk can be managed.

Description: Article describing two actuarial notes released by the Social Security Administration in 1967 clarifying changes to primary insurance amounts and family benefits.

Description: This article presents a view of health care as an economic system, suggests a framework for classifying current criticisms of the system, and offers references for further reading.

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: This article discusses key excerpts from testimony in June and July 1981 by James R.Swenson, Chairman of the Academy’s Committee on Social Insurance, to the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and to the Senate Subcommittee on Social Security. The testimony recommended that the long term problems of Social Security be addressed at the same time as the short term imbalances, that benefits be adjusted to affordable levels e.g. gradual increase in retirement age, that more attention be paid to pessimistic actuarial projections, that the actuaries be given more latitude in selecting assumptions, and that the law be amended to require actuarial certifications for Social Security.

Description: Mr. Myers tells about his recently ended position as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security for Programs and also his new position as Executive Director of the bi-partisan National Commission on Social Security Reform under President Reagan.

Description: This is an article explaining the options employers have under the Medicare Part D, or the Prescription Drug Improvement and Medicare Modernization Act - MMA - that took effect in January 2006. The article discusses 4 options under the MMA with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Description: This article focuses on the differences between U.S. and Canadian policy making processes, especially as it relates to social insurance.

Description: Social security systems around the world have suffered from inadequate funding, leading to current or potential deficits and ultimate insolvency. This article discusses that this problem is a direct actuarial consequence of the inadequate funding that created the problem in the first place. It is simply an open group valuation problem.