Description: The 2021 Society of Actuaries Generations Survey offers results by race and ethnicity. This article is an interview with Alan Newsome and shares the results of the survey as well as broader issues to understand the differences in retirement security by race and ethnicity. It documents that there are major differences, and that the COVID-19 pandemic affected different groups very differently. It also raises issues related to societal conditions.

Description: All things considered, caution needs to be applied to the use of so-called “standard” mortality tables. Sharpening up these blunt estimates by using individual assumptions reveals material differences in the structure of longevity, both between plans and within plans.

Description: Retirement planning generally includes a focus on decisions needed at time of retirement, but it often fails to focus on changes during retirement and additional decisions needed as people age. The 2021 SOA Risk Survey and other SOA research documents the lack of focus on future change. It is common for people to lose cognitive ability and generally to become less able to make decisions, manage their finances, their medical care and their lives at high ages.This panel focuses on communication and decision issues. The SOA has recently issued a decision guide on High Age Decisions. The brief identifies four domains for high age decisions: ·Health, health care and staying healthy ·Managing finances ·Housing and transportation ·Support networks The panel will include a discussion of communications and how we change, problems of physical, hearing, sight or cognitive decline and the challenges created and the four domains in the SOA Decision Brief.

Description: Panelists from the home-based care industry will discuss the latest technology and services that enable and prolong the receipt of formal and informal care at home for the elderly and delay transitions to care facilities.

Description: This article provides a perspective on the SOA’s Aging and Retirement research reports, and on the types of research that are included. The SOA does a lot of research on different retirement topics, and many people are not aware of the scope of this work. This article offers an overview of the big picture as we think about the future. The article describes longer-term challenges to the US retirement system and recent developments that have affected the system and created uncertainty. It provides an overview of what individuals have said about retirement and their view of post-retirement risks and planning in a variety of consumer research studies. It then reviews some of the research and provides information on summary reports which provide insight on the findings from multiple related research reports. It also provides information about consumer education and what is currently available and in process. It then focuses on how the SOA is helping retirement professionals understand current and expected change and discusses areas of uncertainty as we help those we serve deal with change.

Description: "Issues surrounding end-of-life and palliative care are not well understood and there is little research in the actuarial literature. From an actuarial perspective, however, end-of-life is important because of the significant cost to the healthcare system. Ian Duncan will discuss some of his research on the financial implications of end-of-life care, as well as the outcomes of a palliative care program. Dr. Matzo is an engaging personality with decades of experience in gerontology and palliative nursing, including training and teaching professionals in the field. Dr. Matzo focuses on educating the public on the importance and benefits of palliative care and hospice (care given in the final six months of life). In this session on “Palliative Care Public Education,” Dr. Matzo will give us an overview of the benefits of palliative care and how this knowledge empowers the individual to make important decisions about their healthcare options. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the role that the actuarial profession may play in this area."

Description: Getting people to think beyond retirement about future care needs and how they will be paid for is critical for a healthy aging plan. However, most people avoid the topic and make rushed decisions when finding long-term care services. Hear from experts in this advisory field explain what a successful plan looks like and what it takes to get people to plan ahead.

Description: Critical factors to consider as we age include where we live, who we interact with, how we get the help and support we need when we need it, and how our health care is organized and delivered. Underlying this is how we finance the cost of specialized housing, care and support. Some communities are age-friendly where we can obtain supportive services, others are not. Some people choose to live in senior housing which integrates support services, others choose to live in the community among people of all ages. Some health care systems are well designed to meet the needs of older people, others are not. The cost of living for older adults, considering all of these factors, varies by community. Explore more about the perspective of older adults, how communities have structured to meet their needs, and how society as a whole is becoming aware of and addressing a growing aging population.

Description: In this introductory session, we set the stage for the Symposium’s entire ElderTech track. We’ve seen increasing technology adaptation by the elderly in many areas of their lives, including socializing, health care, mobility, home monitoring, insurance, investing and financial planning. Panelists will provide an overview of the current state of ElderTech and how they believe it will evolve in the short and long term. Panelists will also discuss the problems ElderTech is trying to solve, consumer pain points and why ElderTech has become so important recently.

Description: This section presents book reviews and summaries of recent publications on a variety of topics.