Description: The United States has received severe negative press the last several years regarding its massive U.S. federal government debt, currently estimated as of April 2007 at about $8.9 trillion. This article looks at the U.S. debt relative to other countries and also explores the impact on U.S. investments.

Description: This article describes the actuarial role and opportunity in cleaning up the ...mess left by the excesses of the 1980s. From The Actuary Vol. 24, No. 4

Description: This is an in-depth look at the root causes of the subprime mortgage crisis and ways actuaries can eliminate the problems. From the Actuary Magazine, April/May 2010 – Volume 7 Issue 2.

Description: This article presents highlights from a Roundtable Discussion held at the 2008 Annual Conference of the National Academy of Social Insurance - NASI. Some issues discussed are the results of the SOA 2007 Survey on the Risks and Process of Retirement, the phases of retirement and the changes during retirement as a function of changing health and capability, age, changing family status and employment status.

Description: Article from The Actuary, April 1985, Volume 20, No. 4 that discusses from usury to interest. Usury definitions are 1 The lending out of money with an interest charge for its use: the taking or practice of taking interest 2 An unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest, specifically interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money. Between definitions 1 and 2 are 2000 years of Western history, beginning with Biblical strictures against charging any interest and reaching today's sophisticated credit economy, in which interest, per se, is accepted and only excessive interest is illegal.

Description: This article summarizes the results of a Delphi study amoung SOA Futurism Section members about the actuarial profession and the U.S. economy and other matters in the years 2010 and 2050.

Description: This article draws attention to the competition for the Boleslaw Monic Prize. Prizes totalling Dutch florins 12,500, roughly US$4,500 are being offered for the three best papers submitted on: “The significance of inflation for the non-life insurance industry, with particular reference to the relationship between direct insurance and reinsurance the problems facing management and a suggested methodology for their solution.”

Description: Demographic changes around the world may present actuaries with an opportunity to tackle product development, risk management and asset allocation challenges involving financial and investment variables.