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: 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 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: 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: Heart disease, critical illness insurance and the path to change – a personal essay by Jing Lang, FSA, FCIA, FLMI.

Description: This article contains reviews of the following books published in 1959: 1. 'Pension Funds and Economic Power' by P. P. Harbrecht, 2. 'Retirement and Insurance Plans in American Colleges' by W. C. Greenough and F. P. King, 3. 'Elements of Vital Statistics' by B. Benjamin, and 4. 'Demography' by P. R. Cox. Notices of other articles and publications are also included. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1960, Vol. 12, No. 32.