Description: This article highlights some of the key elements included in the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to Congress in July 2023 regarding the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Description: Mortality Model Selection and Combination in RAlternative approaches for selecting mortality models and forecasting mortality have been proposed. The usual practice is to base mortality forecasts on a single mortality model selected using in-sample goodness-of-fit measures. However, cross-validation and other alternative out-of-sample measures are increasingly being used in model selection, and model combination methods are becoming a common alternative to using a single mortality model. Such methods combine predictions from multiple mortality models to reduce model choice uncertainty and improve forecast accuracy. Explore techniques to select and combine mortality models using the freely available open source R package CoMoMo (https://github.com/kessysalvatory/CoMoMo), which extends the widely used R package StMoMo (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=StMoMo). We will use data for the USA and other countries to discuss and demonstrate four different model combination approaches including simple model averaging, Bayesian model averaging, model confidence set, and stacked regression ensembles.

Description: "Hear an overview of recent results and potential scenarios that may impact the future of the ACA market. Review recent reported industry level profitability before transitioning to a discussion of how current market dynamics may influence the future profitability of this segment. Results from microsimulation economic models will be presented to help illuminate market shifts. Issues that will be explored include how ICRA availability might influence individual decision making, as well as how a move to level funding is impacting the small group market. By attending this session, you will: Understand the recent average and variation of industry performance in the ACA market segment. Describe current policy and market forces that are expected to impact this segment. Explain the range of market scenarios that may result due to these forces."

Description: "Living to 100 in the time of COVID-19: A Study of Late –Life Mortality Trajectories, Leonid A. Gavrilov, Ph.D., Natalia S. Gavrilova, Ph.D., Academic Research Centers, NORC at the University of Chicago Swedish Mortality Does Not Decelerate in Recent Cohorts, or Does it? – Roland Rau, Ph. D., Professor, University of Rostock & Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany; Marcus Ebeling, Ph.D., Karin Modig, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Anders Ahlbom, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm Sweden; Kai Kaufhold, Aktuar DAV, Ad Res Advanced Reinsurance Services GmbH, Cologne, Germany; Annika Ziegler, Lukas Stake, Hochschule Koblenz & Ad Res, Germany"

Description: Risk is opportunity! Equipped with skills to analyze risks, actuaries are no longer limited to applying these skills solely within traditional actuarial roles. Listen in as the presenters share their career experience in a non-traditional role and provide insights on how being an actuary can bring additional value to the profession.

Description: This article discusses the changes in the marketing and distribution of lindividual life and annuity products. It highlights new distribution channels including banks, broker dealers, wirehouses and the Internet as well as fee-for-service financial planning.

Description: This is an interview with Shane Chalke, FSA, MAAA, who has started three businesses since 1983. Chalke, the youngest person ever to be elected to the SOA Board of Governors, has a knack for making the right business decisions. He tells how his actuarial background has played a role in his success, and what makes him a winner.

Description: This is an interview with Steve Vernon, FSA, MAAA, who runs his own business for helping people live long and prosper–financially, emotionally and with respect to their health. His contribution to society is to use his actuarial expertise and communication skills to help the baby boom generation face these challenges.

Description: This article discusses the services a personal actuary can provide.

Description: Article discussing the SOA’s addition of a new membership section, Social Insurance & Public Finance Section and a new section of the Web site, Pathway to Membership.