Description: Chronicles the journey made by Allstate to enhance its process for managing risk and ultimately find ways to better exploit risk opportunities.

Description: This article examines employee stock option ESO cost accounting, the characteristics of ESO schemes, the requirements and recommendation of FAS 123R and SAB 107. It also explains why the lattice model is probably the best approach to measuring the cost of stock option grants.

Description: This article is written in response to the article that appeared in the February/March issue of The Actuary entitled Better Standards for Setting Standards written by Dave Kass. It discusses the process itself, the time it takes to develop or change standards and how quickly new ideas should be incorporated in the standards.

Description: This article is an interview with Laura Bennett, FSA, CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance. Her company provides one–of–a–kind pet insurance. The Actuary recently asked Bennett some questions about her unusual use of actuarial training.

Description: By expanding their knowledge base, actuaries can develop a broad business perspective which in combination with the analytical skills characteristic of the profession can help them succeed in the areas of strategy and general management.

Description: This article discusses the discount rate that should be used under GASB 45. Public employers now find themselves in a similar situation to private sector employers in the early 1990's in that GASB 45 requires them to measure liabilities including post-retirement medical liabilities using accrual accounting.

Description: The goal of the session was to provide actuaries with an overview of the experiences of being an independent actuary and several details to be considered when setting up your own business.

Description: Discussion of the merger between the the Actuarial Education and Research Fund and The Actuarial Foundation. The named of the merged organizations will be The Actuarial Foundation. Legally, the AERF will go out of existence, but all of its functions will be continued by the new, merged organization.

Description: Discussion of the October 23 & 24 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries Board of Governors, at which two motions addressing matters of interest to academic actuaries were approved. 1. Undertaking a process of accreditation for academic actuarial science programs. and 2. SOA exam exemption for certain students attending certain institutions.

Description: This article previews the session on Predictive Modeling at the 2009 Spring meeting that is co-sponsored by the Education & Research Section and Health Section of the SOA.