Description: The momentum in value-based care has produced an opportunity for actuaries to become pioneers in health care

Description: As actuaries, we’re trained to see patterns in numbers and to design solutions that mitigate risk. But I can tell you from experience that while quantitative analysis and modeling are critical actuarial tools, looking at the numbers alone can lead to insurance products that don’t succeed in the real world the way the math says they “should.” With new digital technologies, we have more data at our fingertips than ever before, but I believe it’s equally as important to bring qualitative research methodologies into your product development process if you want to design solutions that meet real needs in the market. In this article, Amanda Turcotte shares what happens when qualitative research is neglected or ignored, what happens when you incorporate it into the product design process, and how to implement qualitative research practices in your organization.

Description: Read the January 2020 issue of International News published by the International Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: The article describes the nature of actuarial research conducted at the Goldenson Center at the University of Connecticut. One of the research projects to create a National Retirement Sustainability Index is analyzed in detail. It demonstrates how the work we do at the Goldenson Center is both an art and a science while satisfying the following research criteria we adhere to at the Goldenson Center:  >The problem has to come from industry  >The solution has to add value to what is currently done in practice  >The solution has to be implementable