Description: Last March, Congress passed and the President signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act followed by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which amended the former collectively, the “Act”. The article provides a brief background on the passage of the Act generally and the creation of the new Investment Income Tax in particular compares the existing provisions of the HI tax with the newly enacted provisions, and it then analyzes the import of the Investment Income Tax for annuities and, possibly, life insurance contracts. The article concludes with thoughts on the potential effect of the new tax on the annuity marketplace.

Description: Commentary on the Actuarial Profile Survey by the Committee on Planning.

Description: The article offers a discussion about future products, distribution, insurance laws, and contracts. Some ideas might not be possible today, but it is offered as food for thought.

Description: This article discusses future benchmarks of Medicare and Medicare's rising costs and its relativity to the actuarial profession.

Description: Specifies 6 rules which help shape not only good crime-scene analysis, but good futures practice, as well. These rules address project management and control.

Description: The author chronicles the history of the actuarial profession and actuarial organizations around the world and discusses how globalization affects the actuarial profession today.

Description: The Society is taking a hard look at its members’ needs and our future as a profession. Two recent studies have focused attention on the building of our future: Report of the Task Force on the Future of the Actuary and Report of the Task Force on Strengthening the Profession. Both reports discuss the importance of our profession in health care matters. But, neither report is designed to address the practical issues involved with building toward our future in health care.

Description: Tells what occurred after the adverse private letter ruling PLR 200738016 up to the issuance of the revenue procedure, and offers some speculation about the future.

Description: The Society of Actuaries' health leadership met earlier this year for an all-day meeting in Chicago. A significant portion of that meeting was spent discussing current challenges facing the U.S. health care system and how the SOA can best serve its members by addressing top priority issues. The Actuary Magazine, April/May 2005

Description: The hot days of summer are upon us and, with it, the inevitable reference to the dog days of August. All over North America this year, summer began early with heat waves, heat alerts, smog alerts and hurricane and tornado warnings. Admittedly, this is not very encouraging news for our society which is concerned with preservation of life, quality of life and conservation of property. Accordingly, it is a challenge for our profession that prides itself on its ability to accurately calculate the financial impact of natural or catastrophic events on society at large. The Actuary Magazine August 2005