Description: This article discusses the media attention received when Al Easton, as 1997-1999 Futurism Section council chair, coordinated a study of the section members and asked the members to forecast future events in members' practice areas. The study utilized the Delphi technique, which assembles a group of experts and polls them on the same questions in up to four rounds of surveying. Each time, the previous round's answers are revealed so the experts can consider their next responses in light of their peers' views. From: The Actuary, January 2000, volume 34, issue 1.

Description: This article is about Stanley B. Tulin's actuarial career and lessons he has learned regarding what leads to a successful actuarial career.

Description: This article summarizes the changes in the rules for discipline of U.S. actuaries, which were recently updated, detailed, and clarified through the revision of Article X of the American Academy of Actuaries’ bylaws.

Description: Tensions arose between the Society of Actuaries [SOA] and the Casualty Actuarial Society [CAS] organizations’ leadership when articles in the May 1997 issue of the CAS newsletter suggested the SOA was trying to force a merger. This article describes how a meeting between SOA President, Anna Rappaport, and CAS President, Mavis Walters, led to an exchange of views that included the entire Boards of each organization and ultimately led to the members of both Boards demonstrating mutual respect.

Description: This article gives an overview of how countries all over the world are addressing the issue social security financing and its rapidly growing costs.

Description: For more than two years, 'The Actuary' has received more articles and letters on Social Security than on any other single topic. Given actuaries’ interest in analyzing financial situations and the extensive public debate on Social Security worldwide, the subject’s prominence among actuaries is easily understood. To offer more SOA members a forum for their views, editors of the September 1998 issue included a survey asking members’ opinions on five statements related to possible U.S. Social Security reform. The survey drew 1,067 responses, representing 6.6% of the membership, by the Oct. 31, 1998, deadline. This article summarizes the results of that survey.

Description: Each year, one six-day annual event in the United States attracts 5,000 scientists as well as other individuals with a strong interest in science. The Society of Actuaries was formally represented this year for the first time at the event, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], held Feb. 12-17, 1998 in Philadelphia. An eminent panel discussed the 1997-98 SOA research project, 'Impact of Mortality Improvement on Social Security: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.' The SOA’s session was entitled 'Social Security in the NAFTA Countries: What if People Stop Dying?' This article summarizes that presentation.

Description: This article discusses the results from the 1999 SOA member survey. The survey's findings send some clear signals about approaches to developing new and better programs and improving current ones. from The Actuary, February 2000, volume 34, issue 2.

Description: Discussion of the career of a health insurance actuary who worked in an insurance company, consulting firm and government

Description: This article discusses the pros and cons of high speed electronic transfer of medical data, and the implications this technology may have on health actuaries.