Description: This editorial explains the benefits of a recent seminar among NAFTA countries on mortality improvement and how social security systems can be affected.

Description: The Advisory Council to Social Security will soon be replaced by a board to manage a new independent system. This article discusses recent recommendations made by the Council and the role actuaries have played on it.

Description: In this article, the author suggests that Social Security funds could earn better returns if some of the assets were invested in index funds weighted by the market capitalization. Index funds retain the risk and reward of the diversified market as a whole and eliminate the greater risk/reward of investing in a single issue or market segment. They offer a simple way to focus on asset mix where so much of the risk can be managed.

Description: This article analyzes the proposals in the recent state of the union address to support Social Security. The recommendation contains two plans - to transfer surplus tax revenue to Social Security and to invest part of the transfers in equities.

Description: This article discusses the financing issues of Social Security and Medicare benefits and how reforms are necessary in the near future.

Description: Background on the actuary, Nathaniel Bowditch, who was also a renowned mathematician and scientific navigator.

Description: This article presents an overview of current research related to both public and private retirement income security.

Description: Article from The Actuary, May 1997, Volume 31 Issue No. 5. In this article, it discusses an intriguing development about the reform plans for Social Security financing proposed by the Advisory Council. The individual account plan is a compromise of the opposing views about reform.