Description: The article discusses the critical role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) within insurance companies, particularly amidst changes in accounting regimes like USGAAP Long-Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17 and implications of these changes on FP&A activities.

Description: Stefanos Orfanos shares his perspective and priorities for this year as the incoming chair of the SOA Education and Research Section.

Description: Providing ways to master the art of soft skills and embracing agility to propel actuarial success in today's market.

Description: In today’s market of post-pandemic consolidation and org chart streamlining, we’ve observed significant changes to actuarial career development and advancement opportunities. But, those changes aren’t occurring in equal measures across the arc of the actuarial career. Our focus is on the impact felt by experienced reinsurance actuaries.

Description: As the insurance industry continues to evolve due to a pandemic and rapidly changing economic and regulatory conditions, the role of data scientists and actuaries has become increasingly important. In an interview with the Atidot data science and actuarial team, we discuss what it is like to work at an InsurTech, how data scientists and actuaries can collaborate, and look at some concrete technical examples of where the innovation is having an impact. This article explores what collaboration can look like and how the role of data science and actuary may evolve in the InsurTech industry in the future.

Description: This article studies the syllabus as a dynamic, interactive teaching tool that informs and is informed by both solutions of complex course problems and student difficulties with these problems.

Description: Actuary Dave Dillon describes his role volunteering his time as a teacher in higher education, including the rewards and challenges that teaching offers. He discusses the importance of being attentive to his audience’s pre-existing knowledge and adapting his presentations accordingly. His work as a teacher typically encompasses three distinct domains: 1) acquainting young students with the actuarial profession, 2) educating non-actuaries about public policy issues related to health insurance (including the Affordable Care Act), and 3) instructing current actuaries on advanced methodologies and principles within the field. Recently he taught a health insurance course for actuarial science graduate students at Georgia State University and lectured at Boise State University’s master's program in Population & Health Systems Management. In every teaching and mentoring opportunity, actuaries can contribute to the expansion and prosperity of the profession and are encouraged to pursue these endeavors.

Description: Dovel Technologies started as a two-person company, and by the time we sold to Private Equity in late 2019, Dovel had more than 1,200 people on its payroll. In this article, the authors (and cofounders of Dovel) describe two concepts that helped Dovel grow that actuaries can apply to help grow their firms.

Description: In 2021, Deloitte and the SOA conducted a research study on emerging technologies in which the current use and future outlook of these technologies for the actuarial profession were evaluated.

Description: This is a conversation with two critical staff members of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) about their experience there. Jane Lesch is a non-actuary who has been working at the SOA for over 20 years, and is an engagement specialist. Mike Boot is an actuary who retired at the end of February after 15 years at the SOA, most recently as managing director. We spoke to both Jane and Mike to get their take on what leadership is about, and how working at the SOA impacted them.

Description: The latest in a series of articles connecting the principles of Zen Buddhism to the working world of actuaries. This issue focuses on techniques for cultivating a gratitude mindset under all types of conditions - even stressful ones, in order to maintain equilibrium and harmony for a more productive workday.

Description: Describing my experience of serving on a section council. Reflecting on some of my successes and my frustrations.

Description: This article introduces the JRMS library, how one can access it and what books are added this year.

Description: This article introduces the JRMS library, how one can access it and what books are added this year.

Description: This article focusses on the results of a June 2020 survey by the Leadership and Development Section of the SOA on working remotely as an actuary. The article presents the questions and responses of the survey, and commentary on how to successfully navigate the remote work environment as an actuary - from the perspective of both a current organizational leader, and as a future organizational leader.

Description: Overview of the seven trends affecting the Actuarial profession .

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has not simply changed the way we live. It has caused most of us—whether we want to or not—to reassess the way we think and feel about our world. Most in the general public have been looking to political and medical leaders to better understand the implications to health and wealth. Likewise, we as actuaries look to business leaders and key volunteers for their insights into the impact on our profession. We recently conducted a series of interviews with such leaders in the Canadian actuarial profession. This article addresses their insights into the evolving set of skills we need in this rapidly changing world.

Description: What does leadership look like within the actuarial industry, what are some variables, and what practical advice can we learn?

Description: Read the June 2020 issue of The Stepping Stone published by the Leadership & Development Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: The SOA and Plug and Play relationship will allow InsurTech start-ups to validate their technology and modeling processes with actuaries. The strategic partnership with Plug and Play demonstrates the SOA’s commitment to providing its members with dynamic learning experiences, rewarding volunteer opportunities, and collaborative events where they can learn from the experiences and ideas of peers around the world.

Description: There is a growing amount of “off-balance sheet” talent in the US and Global workforce. This spans from consultants and contractors, to gig workers and the crowd (both curated crowd and open crowd). One such example is Uber and Lyft workers. Insurance companies and the Actuarial profession have started to experiment with platforms such as Kaggle and this will continue to grow and evolve. This article explores these new sources of talent for companies, the implications to the actuarial function, benefits and challenges of the evolving workforce.

Description: Insight on SOA research.

Description: An overview of how the actuary's role will evolve as technology improves.

Description: Members of the American Academy of Actuaries’ Solvency Committee have put together an acronym reference chart. This handy guide can be folded up to fit in your wallet and quickly reviewed so you can fearlessly enter an elevator.

Description: The author suggests that true actuarial method is a blend of all three modes of thinking, clinical, statistical and heuristic, and using all three early in our processes will make us smarter modelers. From The Actuary, February 2012, Volume 9, Issue 1.

Description: Book review of 'You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader.'

Description: This is the December 2011 cover of The Actuarial magazine displaying the featured articles inside: How to Handle ORSA, The Actuarial Profession in India, and The SOA's Competency Framework

Description: The actuarial profession in India has witnessed a sea change in the decade after insurance liberalization. It has gone from being described as a 'moribund profession' to being a dynamic and lucrative one. This article covers the actuarial professions growth in India along with the Life Insurance market, products and regulatory environment.

Description: The Society of Actuaries' managing director of actuarial research provided an overview of research activities including the funding behind research projects and the staff/volunteers involved with research.

Description: Customers, quality and efficiency are the three key components to successful reports. This article explores those components as well as technology and product knowledge and details how to create successful reports.

Description: Listing and description of key articles in August 2011 issue of Risk Management. Topics include Predictive Modeling, Risk management and Solvency II.

Description: The author discusses expectations for incoming actuarial science students, emphasizing that a solid grasp of algebra and traditional mathematical skills is not enough. In addition, the author states that today’s business environment dictates that students be well versed and that their backgrounds include familiarity with complexity science.

Description: The article discusses how to have important conversations with the people who make up your circle of influence, including those who work for you, peers and colleagues, clients, superiors, governing boards, and vendors and contractors. The author states that “your ability to use language well, to enter into conversations boldly and confidently, and to create strong relationships and demonstrate understanding across multiple groups and situations will absolutely determine your ability to create, sustain and maintain a profitable culture.”

Description: A review of the book WE: How to Increase Profits through Full Engagement.

Description: Letter from the SOA president addressing the importance of volunteering. Also included are the responses from some volunteers who were asked various questions on the subject of volunteering.

Description: In this paper, Honorable Mention Essay for the Society of Actuaries' Entrepreneurial Actuaries Section 2010 Papers Competition, the author examines the rapidly increasing costs of maintaining the U.S. prison system and the fiscal pressures the federal and state governments are faced with, and proposes a plan for an early prisoner release program “with a rigorous, merit-based approach that can be expected to demonstrate favorable outcomes for the general public and the released prisoner.” This plan involves “an optimized process for evaluating the perils associated with freeing candidates eligible for early release - an individualized assessment and quantification of those risks…” The article goes on to describe the costs, benefits, risks, and critical success factors. The report includes two appendices.

Description: This article describes a ranking system for early prisoner release. It is intended to describe the framework and strategy needed for mitigating the risk of such programs and optimizing those programs’ outcomes.

Description: Letter from the president discussing the SOA’s emphasis on communicating with employers.

Description: This series of articles provides an in-depth look at the activities of the SOA in 2009.

Description: How to get more out of your employees by monitoring their 'Tensions'. The employee's tensions may be either too high Stress or too low Apathy. This article tells you what to do in either case.

Description: A preview of the Society of Actuaries’ 2010 Health Meeting, June 28-30, at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida.

Description: Interview featuring Andrew Lin the SOA’s youngest FSA to date.

Description: This article explains the changes made to the Expanding Horizons Newsletter.

Description: Feature article discussing the new SOA stipend awards and featuring interviews with the first recipients.

Description: Presidential address about changes in the actuarial world.

Description: This is an article by outgoing Society of Actuaries President, Bruce D. Schobel, reflecting on the Society's accomplishments over the past year and looking ahead at its future plans.

Description: Article discusses how to set your goals by asking 2 questions 1What do I want? and 2 What is important to me? These questions will help you to set your goals and make these goals more achievable.

Description: The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the research mission of the SOA, its inner workings, major efforts, funding and its unique qualities.

Description: Discusses a major campaign to change the image of the actuary.

Description: This article looks at five reasons why the new image campaign will succeed. From Reinsurance News, February 2005. Article from Re-news, February 2005

Description: This is a brief report on the trip that the author made with two other SOA members, Bruce Schobel and Jim Wiseman, to Almaty, Kazakhstan during the week of September 1, 2003. They were invited by the Actuarial Society of Kazakhstan [ASK] to conduct several seminars for their members and various government officials. The trip was financed by USAID through a grant to the Arizona-Kazakhstan Foundation. The topics of the seminars were pension/social security reform, role of the actuary in an economy, annuity pricing/ reserving and professionalism.

Description: Reflections of a Regulatory Actuary by Larry Gorski

Description: This report provides the results of the 2002 membership and candidate survey. Results of the research suggests four broad avenues for action: 1. Maintain and enhance the value credentials. 2. Assess member satisfaction periodically. 3. Establish a baseline for employer perceptions of the actuarial profession. 4. Apply results to the Balanced Score Card.

Description: The last year in the 20th century was an important time for the Society of Actuaries. Central to the Society’s 1998-99 activities were the celebration of its 50th anniversary, consideration of the Big Tent concept for the profession’s future, finalization of its new education and examination system for implementation in 2000, and sponsorship of a wide range of scientific projects and seminars. This article provides a 1998-99 Society of Actuaries year in review.

Description: The author offers advice to an imaginary Fellowship Admission Course about group disability insurance. The speech is based on an article by Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune entitled “Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young” that became widely known as the “Sunscreen Speech” because of its central theme.

Description: Discussion of Forecast 2000, the actuarial profession's public relations program.

Description: This article from SOA president David Holland, speaks to the need of the actuarial profession to consistently evolve with the needs of the 21st century.

Description: Presidential address at the 1996 annual meeting. The president encourages actuaries to broaden their scope and skills, develop the attributes he discusses and make a plan to redesign yourself.

Description: This article reports on a meeting of the Finance Practice Area and the issues on which they are focusing.

Description: Highlights awards and honors dispensed to SOA members.

Description: This section contains biographies for authors with articles featured in the Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1995, Vol. 47.

Description: This article covers the experiences of the actuaries who participated in the Life Skills Inventory teaching session at the SOA annual meeting. From The Actuary, April 1995, Volume 29, No. 4.

Description: This is the Foreward to Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1995-96 Reports.

Description: This article provides a review of the 1993-1994 Year. 'This program year is marked by the profession using the firm foundation of actuarial science and the solid organization of the Society of Actuaries to reach out to new allies and technologies to capture its future. From The Actuary, December 1994 – Volume 28, No. 10.

Description: 1994 SOA Meeting, San Antonio. Table of contents From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 20, No. 3B, San Antonio Meeting of the Society of Actuaries on June 15-17, 1994.

Description: 1994 SOA Spring Meeting, San Francisco. Table of contents from Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 20, No. 2 of 1994 SOA Spring Meeting, San Francisco, May 26-27, 1994.

Description: 1994 SOA Spring Meeting, Orlando. This is a list of workshops and sessions from the 1994 SOA Spring Meeting at Orlando with no written record. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 20, No. 1.

Description: This article is an update from the E&E committee on the improved E&E Systems. 'The Flexible Education System has given us the freedom to expand the course offerings and to innovate.'

Description: The author talks about how his company coped with the great flood of 1993 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Description: An article how the New Actuary of the Future Section Relates to the existing Futurism Section outlines the different functions of each and stresses he importance of both sections.

Description: This paper looks back at how actuarial research began, at the changing patterns in actuarial research, and makes some recommendations. From the Actuarial Research Clearing House 1990 VOL. 1

Description: List of workshops and sessions from the New York Annual Meeting with no written record. From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 15, No. 3B.

Description: Discusses the Society's fiscal activities and long-range financial plan.