Description: Presented at Living to 100 Symposium, January 2011. This paper first explores the current state and contributing causes of obesity. It then explores the mortality and health care costs of obesity. It ends with a discussion of its management.

Description: The effect on mortality of the reduction in smoking and the increase obesity in the U.S. is estimated based on historical and projected patterns.

Description: This article is seeking participation from companies focused on nontraditional products and/or nontraditional distribution for the SOA Inter-Company Expense Study.

Description: Transcript of Session 3A from the 2008 Living to 100 Symposium discusses the use of mortality in social insurance systems in the US and Canada.

Description: Abstract: Exposure to cigarette smoke has had and will continue to have a huge effect on mortality. Significant differences in smoking prevalence rates by gender have contributed to differential levels and rates of improvement in mortality and are expected to continue to influence mortality improvement differently over the next several decades. This paper compares smoking prevalence and cessation by gender and their effect on smoking-attributable and, in turn, all-cause mortality. A summary of mortality attribution approaches used to evaluate the effect of smoking and projections of mortality rates by gender is also provided.

Description: This is one of eight essays from the collection: 2020 Living to 100 Essays.

Description: This article series highlights the growing impact of climate change on health, property, and financial institutions, emphasizing the need for actuaries and risk analysts to evaluate and adapt their practices to manage evolving climate-related risks.

Description: Arguably, many of the fundamental contributing factors to the 2008 mortgage crisis involved misdirected incentives and misinformation available to key participants in the housing finance process. The incentives discussed here include those of the mortgage holders, mortgage intermediaries, mortgage providers, securitizers, raters and CEOs and other highly paid staff of those involved. Unless similar incentives are recognized, future public policy decisions will again fail to avoid this system-wide risk. Since I am most familiar with the U.S. situation, my comments will be limited accordingly.

Description: “E-Cigarettes: A Hazard or a Help?” by Sam Gutterman was published online in the North American Actuarial Journal on December 18, 2019, and in print in Volume 24, 2020–Issue 4. This essay is the author’s update to the original paper; it has not been peer-reviewed. The essay is solely an expression of the views, opinions, and ideas of the essay author for applying the original research to actuarial work.

Description: Full version of Product Matters! November 2003, Issue No. 57.