Description: This paper shows how discrete multivariate analysis or multidimensional contingency table methods may be applied to data arising in actuarial work. A brief introduction to the theory is followed by two detailed examples of its application. Finally, the concluding remarks indicate how the procedure could be incorporated into a complete rate-making procedure. This work was performed for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Description: The conventional way to analyze grouped observations on a single variable is to construct histograms or, sometimes, fit a normal distribution. We extend this latter approach by allowing for transformations to near normality.