Description: Read the August 2017 issue of In The Public Interest published by the Social Insurance & Public Finance Section.

Description: The standard for measuring retirement income adequacy has been the final earnings replacement rate (usually targeted at 70%). But - does it work?

Description: June 2013 issue of the Social Insurance & Public Finance Section newsletter, In The Public Interest.

Description: This article consists of a point-counterpoint dialogue addressing important aspects of social insurance programs. It discusses the desirability and advantages of these programs that provide financial assistance to those who are retired, disabled, ill or unemployed.

Description: A letter to the editor regarding how the Social Security trustees project Social Security costs: Is it actuarial science or politics? From Pension Section News, January 2006, No. 60.

Description: In the face of profound, worldwide changes in demographic, family, and lifestyle patterns, this paper introduces a dynamic social security system deemed most suitable for accommodating these changes.

Description: Chapter 8 of the Models for Retirement Policy Analysis. This chapter describes MINT, or Modeling Income in the Near Term, which is one of three retirement income and social security models now being developed in the Office of Research, Evaluation, and Statistics of the Social Security Administration. The accessibility, ease of use, cost as well as the strengths and limitations of the approach are addressed.

Description: This article presents a summary of ideas discussed in a 1999 symposium on the subject of the pros and cons of privatization as an element of the U.S. Social Security system. The four main topics addressed were: 1. Overview of Social Security reform. 2. Pros and cons of privatization. 3. Impact of privatization. 4. Practical issues of privatization. From: The Actuary, September 1999 – volume 33 - Issue 7.

Description: A Paper to Note The Vital Connection, an ERIC Publication by Joseph Applebaum from Pension Section News, February 1999, Issue No. 39.

Description: Presented at October 1997 Annual Meeting. This session presents some of the economic issues associated with worldwide old-age crisis, focusing on the management of cash flows in social security systems and how they affect the country's national economy.

Description: Presented at October 1996 Annual Meeting. This session presents a forecasting model of economic assumptions that are inputs to projections of the Social Security system. Social Security projections are made to help policymakers understand the financial stability of the system.

Description: These are the abstract, outline, graphs and tables of the paper “Conclusions from Michigan Studies of Social Security Financing”. By such studies we mean the papers prepared during the past five years by actuarial students and Cecil Nesbitt, and which have appeared in ARCH. The paper is in three parts: A lengthy Abstract, followed by 17 pages of text, graphs, tables and references. The third part is a 10 page Appendix which gives the proofs of text statements.

Description: This paper discusses the underlying nature of the Social Security program, certain erroneous views of the program, various Advisory Council proposed solutions to the long-range financing problems, and the probability that no solution stands any chance of being enacted. From The Old-Age Crisis - Actuarial Opportunities - The 1996 Bowles Symposium, M-RS99-1.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Vancouver Meeting shows a comprehensive look inside government debt problems in the U.S. and Canada, Generational Accounts and the implications on government debt of the generational accounts. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 3b.

Description: Surveys show that young people do not have confidence that Social Security will exist when they retire - a view that is supported by some official projections. Author points out some ways the funding shortfalls can be corrected to secure Social Security's future.

Description: This is the fourth paper on n-year roll forward reserve financing of public benefit systems, especially Old-Age, Survivors and disability Insurance OASDI, prepared by University of Michigan faculty and students. As the papers have developed, some ideas have been simplified, while others have become more complex. It is concluded that the theoretical model requires further attention. This research can be extended to expand our knowledge of OASDI financing and the applicability of n-year roll forward reserve financing.

Description: This paper explores and develops some initial ideas of roll-forward reserve funding of Social Security. It reports on the work of actuarial students and teachers for an 8-week study period coordinated with the National Science Foundation program of Research Experience for Undergraduate grants. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, VOL. 1.

Description: Concomitant with the industrial revolution, the function of providing old age income shifted from families and local institutions to government social security and private pension plans. The history of this change in the U.K. and U.S. is reviewed. A simple mathematical model provides insights into the role played by three rates [the rate of increase of the working population, the time preference rate, and the rate of real wage growth] in determining optimum funding policy. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, Vol. 2.

Description: This paper is a report on research for undergraduate experience grants held for 8 weeks under the direction of Cecil Nesbitt. The topic of the research was Social Security Financing and Related Matters. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1993, VOL. 1.

Description: Presented at Annual Meeting October 1986. Discusses: Reasonableness of cost projections in the 1986 OASDI Trustees Report, Possible policy alternatives in response to the higher cost projected for years after 2020, How to reduce the variability in cost trends due to economic and demographic changes, Financing implications of differences and similarities in cost trends between Social Security pensions and private pensions, paper, 'Components of Trends in Social Security Costs' by Francisco R. Bayo, Milton P. Glanz and Charles L. Trowbridge.

Description: Presented at October 1985 Annual Meeting. Discusses fifty years of Social Security and the role of actuaries, recruitment sources and problems, remuneration, functions of actuarial staff, problems of staff retention, political pressures, opportunities to influence national legislation.

Description: This paper discusses the cause of the long-term financial problem of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance OASDI program, outlines an alternative actuarial financing approach for OASDI as a solution to this problem, and details the advantages of this approach over the current financing method. Followed by several discussion papers submitted

Description: The author analyzes the arguments for and against a Social Security earnings test and concludes with a recommendation the author believes is consistent with the proper purpose and nature of the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance [OASDI] system. Includes discussion and author’s review of discussion. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1982 Volume 34.

Description: This paper presents a critical analysis of the economic assumptions employed in making projections of the social security program. Also, it discusses the importance of the relationship between increases in the Consumer Price Index and increases in wages in covered employment. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1981, Vol. 33.

Description: The paper reviews in detail the measures of actuarial status used for the social security program since the program was developed in the middle 1930s. The paper concludes with suggestions by the author concerning appropriate measures of actuarial status for social security in the future. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1981, Vol. 33.

Description: This is a panel discussion session on social insurance topics focusing on the short and long term financing issues of Social Security, the issue of general revenue financing, and proposals to revise benefit structures. Both U.S. and Canadian systems are discussed.

Description: This 1979 panel discussion focuses on Social Security and the possibility for future changes in such areas as financing, retirement age, benefit design, treatment of women, and retirement test.

Description: This paper presents multiple book reviews: Reports from Staff of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Reports in Connection with Social Security Legislation 1975-77, 'Statement on Cost Comparisons of Individual Life Insurance Policies', by Canadian Institute of Actuaries, 'Investment Activities of Life Insurance Companies' from Huebner Foundation Lectures, 'The Life Insurance Industry's Marketing Dilemma' by Johns, 'The Future of Social Security' by Munnell, 'Social Security - Today and Tomorrow' by Ball, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'The Crisis in Social Security - Problems and Prospects' by Boskin, 'A History of Interest Rates' by Homer, 'Indexation of Pensions and Other Benefits' by Robert Myers, 'Life Insurance Accounting' by Strain, '1978 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund...' by US Congress. Brief summaries of additional readings are also included.

Description: On May 16th, the Social Security Boards of Trustees sent to the Congress the three annual reports OASDI, HI, and SMI. These reports present cost projections similar to those provided to the Congress last year at the time of enactment of the 1977 Amendments.

Description: A comparison of Social Security benefits, for a hypothetical new entrant to the program, between the 1972 Social Security Act and the 1977 Social Security Act.

Description: This 1978 teaching session provided a basic primer on the design of the OASDI benefit formula. Areas covered included: 1. The Decoupling issue 2. The Average Indexed Monthly Earnings 3. The Primary Insurance Amount formula 4. The Indexing procedure 5. Transition arrangements 6. The Short Service problem 7. Replacement Ratio considerations 8. Impact of Wage Base changes 9. The Retirement Age and Retirement Test.

Description: This section contains multiple book reviews and notices concerning the actuarial profession. Reviews: 'Medical Risks: Patterns of Mortality and Survival' by Singer and Levinson, 'The Theory and Practice of Pension Funding' by Trowbridge and Farr, 'Two Stochastic Processes' by Beekman, 'Disability Income Insurance - Cost Differentials between Men and Women' by New York Insurance Department, 'Social Security and Private Pension Plans: Competitive or Complementary' by McGill, 'A New Look at Accounting for Pension Costs' by Hall and Landsittel, '1977 Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASDI Trust Funds...,' 'Investigation of Sickness Statistics - Individual Policies, 1971 and 1973' by the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries, 'The Graduation of Pensioners and of Annuitants Mortality Experience 1967-70' by the Institute of Actuaries and the Faculty of Actuaries, 'Pensions and Survival - the Coming Crisis of Money and Retirement' by Calvert, 'Group Benefits in a Changing Society' by Spencer, 'Experience of Disabled Work Benefits under OASDI 1965-74' by Bayo and Wilkin. Digests also included.

Description: This paper discusses decoupling of social security - meaning that the coupling of actual benefits for those already beneficiaries and potential benefits for future beneficiaries be broken. The purposes are to describe the environment, the problem which decoupling addresses and the importance of a rational solution. The paper discusses the wage-indexing approach and the price-indexing approach. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1977, Vol. 29.

Description: This article is a review and discussion of the 1976 “Report of the Consultant Panel on Social Security to the United States Congressional Research Service.” The report contains the results of another government-initiated study of the OASDI system which puts forth a second solution to a problem first publicly identified by the 1975 Advisory Council on Social Security, a problem which has come to be known as the “decoupling issue.” Because the solution proposed by the actuaries and economists making up this consultant panel is significantly different from that of the Advisory Council, this report has inspired some degree of friendly debate among actuaries and others interested in the technicalities of the OASDI benefit formula. Panel members are Peter A. Diamond, James C. Hickman, Ernest J. Moorhead, and William C. Hsiao, Chairman.

Description: This session is about the U. S. Social Security System undergoing a period of critical reappraisal with the costs and future of the system in question, and about how the actuarial profession should be involved in the process.

Description: This section presents multiple book reviews and summaries of recent publications. Reviews: 'Social Security' by Myers, 'Report on Actuarial Principles and Practical Problems with Regard to Nonforfeiture Requirements' by Society of Actuaries, 'Mortality and Morbidity in the US' by Erhardt and Berlin, 'The Fifty-Second Annual Report of the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System' by US Government, 'Health Service Information in the US Today' by Murnaghan, 'Financial Problems Confront the Federal OASI and DI Trust Funds' by Staats, 'Public Employee Pension Funds' by Tilove, '1976 Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASDI Trust Funds...' by US Congress, 'Report of the Consultant Panel on Social Security to the US Congressional Research Service' by US Government, 'Crime by Computer' by Parker, 'Reports of Consultants on Actuarial and Definitional Aspects of Social Security Disability Insurance' by US Government, 'Social Security: The Fraud in Your Future' by Shore, '1972 Lifetime Earnings by Age, Sex, Race and Education Level' by Social Security Administration. Digests also included.

Description: This article is a review of “1972 Lifetime Earnings by Age, Sex, Race, and Education Level, Research and Statistics Note No. 14-1975,” published by the Social Security Administration, which presents detailed data by quinquennial age groups, sex, race, and years of school completed as to the present value of future earnings based on static earnings levels 1972. It is stated that such data can be used for general analytical purposes to form policy, for court determinations of awards in damage suits, and for cost-benefit analysts in such areas as disease prevention and education programs. The author of this article notes in his analysis the inconsistency of the static salary assumptions with a range of interest rates from 2% to 8%.

Description: This paper offers a mathematical discussion of integrating private pension plans with social security and looks at IRS rules, earnings replacement by social security, integrating defined benefit and defined contribution plans, early retirement, target plans, discrimination test and other issues. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1976, Vol. 28.

Description: This discussion panel which occurred at the SOA's 1975 Bal Harbor Meeting provided a forum for discussing Social Security in the United States. The topics included solutions to financing problems, non-discrimination considerations, possible benefit changes, and the disability experience of the program.

Description: Response to Robert Myers review of an actuarialaudit of the Social Security system performed by Professors Kaplan and Weil.

Description: This article covers a session at the 1975 Spring Cincinnati Joint Meeting of the Conference of Actuaries in Public Practice and Society of Actuaries. It addresses the following issues: how the Social Security system reached its present situation with respect to benefit levels and actuarial status, the problems in Social Security funding and with the Social Security system, the prospects for the Railroad Retirement system and the future of Social Security. 1975 Record Vol.1, No.3

Description: This paper summarizes the legislative activity from 1969-72 with regards to social security. Topics include expansions in Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance [OASDI], establishment of social security trust funds, and changes in Medicare including extensions of benefits to disabled persons. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1973, Vol. 25, Pt. 1, No. 73.

Description: This article discusses the changes to the Social Security System that were enacted at mid-year 1972 in Public Law 92-336. Among the changes are the so-called 'automatic' provisions,' under which Social Security benefits are periodically increased in step with the Consumer Price Index, and the earnings base is concurrently increased in step with average earnings levels.

Description: Continuation - Part 2- of a three part panel discussion about social insurance in Great Britain. Moves on to a discussion of social insurance in the United States including social security, disability income, unemployment insurance and old age assistance From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1962, Vol. 14 Pt. 2

Description: The author's purpose is to attain a greater insight into the nature and significance of the social security financing method and to examine the image in the public mind of the social security financing method and its significance. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1959, Vol. 11, No. 31.