Description: Retirees and their advisors should construct diversified portfolios of retirement income, allocating among various retirement income classes that include Social Security, annuities, and systematic withdrawals from invested assets. This essay discusses the pros and cons of various retirement income generators and the issues with constructing retirement income portfolios.

Description: Discusses a wide range of issues related to financial decision making and aging. Includes discussion of cognitive decline, fraud and poor decisions. Brings in role of technology and tools.

Description: Retirement income security under defined contribution plans depends upon sufficient savings and decumulating that savings so it provides an adequate income throughout retirement. Investment risk and longevity risk inherently complicate the latter task. The economic rationale for annuitization is clear in this context. However, annuitization rates have historically been very low, a phenomenon that is still not well understood. If retirees are making “rational” decisions based on full information, if their choices are consistent with the pursuit of their financial priorities, then low annuitization rates are not an issue for concern. In this case, retirees who annuitize and retirees who do not must have different financial priorities. However, research by the TIAA Institute shows that the decision to not annuitize is inconsistent with the stated financial priorities of most non-annuitants. It appears that non-annuitants do not und erstand that annuitization would address their financial priorities for retirement.

Description: Provides anecdotal information on management of finances for people over age 85. Include quotes from an expert discussion.

Description: This interview provides information on Retirement Health and Happiness, the first in a new series of publications designed to improve retirement literacy.

Description: Speculative fiction story regarding time travel and implications.

Description: Crossword Puzzle

Description: Correspondent's report from the Investment Section Breakfast at the SOA Annual Meeting in Austin 2015

Description: Have you recently considered volunteering within the actuarial profession? If so, becoming a “friend” of the Smaller Insurance Company Section is a great way to start. This article explains what you can expect from your volunteer experience.

Description: This paper offers basic, economic and actuarial ideas to improve the balance of cost, access to treatment and quality over time.