Description: The author has been gathering facts about actuaries who were active in North America before the Actuarial Society of America was founded in 1889. The purpose of this exercise is to compile a definitive history of the North American actuarial profession in time for the Society of Actuaries centennial year, 1989. Furthermore, the author encourages all Society members to take a personal interest in the history project, both for the pleasure it offers and because of its bearing upon observance of the fundamental values that justify actuaries in calling theirs a profession.

Description: The author notes that “there is reason to expect 1981 to be the biggest year for Social Security legislation since 1977, perhaps even since 1972. The author further notes that the Congress will be forced to act to bring the system into financial balance. The article discusses some of the actions apt to be considered for legislative action including inter-fund borrowing, general fund borrowing, general revenue financing, changes in retirement age, changes in indexing, move towards universal coverage, and others.

Description: A discussion of recent experiences of actuarial volunteers visiting Egypt

Description: The paper reviews in detail the measures of actuarial status used for the social security program since the program was developed in the middle 1930s. The paper concludes with suggestions by the author concerning appropriate measures of actuarial status for social security in the future. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1981, Vol. 33.

Description: Full version of International Section News, June 1998, Issue No. 16.

Description: This discussion at the 1967 Annual Meeting is about the appropriate level of unassigned surplus and the rationale and accounting for contingency reserves. The question of a contingency reserve for Phase III tax is also discussed.

Description: This paper uses operations research to develop the answer to a question concerning the optimal size of a debit, which is a defined geographical area for an agent to sell and service business as part of a 'combination company' operation. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1968, Vol. 20, Pt. 1, No. 57.

Description: This is a discussion about many topics.

Description: This panel discussion looks at individual tax qualified products. The areas addressed include regulatory developments, products being used, the effect of volatile money markets on product design, variations in assumptions by market, variations in results by market, defined benefit HR10, spousal IRAs, and Canadian RRSP's.

Description: Excess ratio refers to the calculation of expected losses in excess of some stated limit. This paper suggests methods for calculating excess ratios in the practical situation without the laborious calculations which the techniques of Dr. Kahn's paper, 'An Introduction to Collective Risk Theory and Its Application to Stop Loss Reinsurance,' would seem to require, and as an alternative to the Monte Carlo simulation technique which would also seem to be impractical to use on a case by case basis in experience rating.