Description: This article provides a highlight of all the information and resources the predictive analytics and futurism section provides to its members.

Description: Anders discusses how skills in PA techniques don't have to become the focal point for all actuaries, but they can be another tool in the toolbox for all of us.

Description: This article gives a brief overview of ways to extend clustering analysis beyond basic methods such a k-means

Description: A discussion of what to do in the face of unprecedented change. With so many negative indicators of the economic future, suggestions are made for individual actions.

Description: The author explains how he used judgmental forecasting techniques to develop a dynamic lapse assumption. He defines the techniques and provides readers with a step-by-step process.

Description: The main focus of this article revolves around pension plans and their funding levels.

Description: A good primer on how clinical studies should be conducted and how statistics are used and misused to influence us.

Description: Python & Scikit-Learn are a powerful combination for predictive modeling. Using Scikit-Learn you gain access to a variety of models, such as support vector machines, decision trees, gradient boosting and others. Scikit-Learn is very popular with the Kaggle community.

Description: This article explores a potential alternative to the more typical regression-based specification of risk adjustment models. We demonstrate a proof of concept that a nearest-neighbors approach may hold some promise in certain applications of health-based risk adjustment.

Description: Description of the vast variety of predictive analytics topics covered by the Forecasting & Futurism section and introduction to the July 2015 issue of the newsletter.