Description: Because of the growing significance of Enterprise Risk Management, it is critical to consider how ERM responds and relates to circumstances and conditions. In particular, one megatrend currently impacting our world and our understanding of the economy is the emergence of a behavioral economics perspective. This paper describes the nature of behavioral economics, and considers the potential impact of such a perspective on ERM. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2012, Vol. 1.

Description: This paper represents a brief progress report on research, being sponsored by the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries, in the area of modeling of economic series. In particular, research is being undertaken to provide a foundation for the actuarial community’s modeling of a variety of economic variables, including interest rates, equity returns, inflation, unemployment rates, and real estate price levels. The specific objectives of this research are to provide a summary of the literature in the area of economic scenario modeling, identify data sources and methodologies in this area useful to the actuarial profession, and produce working software for economic modeling, including appropriate documentation, to be made available to the general actuarial community in order to allow actuaries to use and build upon this research. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 2004, Vol. 1.

Description: In May, 2001, the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and the Society of Actuaries (SOA) jointly issued a request for proposals on the research topic “Modeling of Economic Series Coordinated with Interest Rate Scenarios.” The objectives of this request were to develop a research relationship with selected persons to investigate this topic; produce a literature review of work previously done in the area of economic scenario modeling; determine appropriate data sources and methodologies to enhance economic modeling efforts relevant to the actuarial profession; and produce a working model of economic series, coordinated with interest rates, that could be made public and used by actuaries via the CAS / SOA websites to project future economic scenarios. Categories of economic series to be modeled included interest rates, equity price levels, inflation rates, unemployment rates, and real estate price levels.

Description: A program of undergraduate research in actuarial science and financial mathematics has been implemented at the University of Illinois over the last two years. This program has included two National Science Foundation-sponsored research Experiences for Undergraduates [in Summer 2007 and Summer 2009] on the topic 'Stochastic Modeling in Actuarial Science and Financial Mathematics,' as well as a variety of academic-year research projects undertaken by current actuarial science majors. This paper summarizes the program's evolving experiences in providing research opportunities to undergraduates, and highlights some of the topics and issues arising from these research experiences.