Description: View article from The Actuary August/September 2014 – Volume 11, Issue 4: Most Frequently Asked Questions

Description: Interview with John Houston, Advanced Analytics and Predictive Modeling practice leader at Deloitte.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation involving communication (or lack thereof) between two young actuaries.

Description: Society of Actuaries research efforts currently in development

Description: Introduction of the Leadership & Development 20th Anniversary Special Edition of The Stepping Stone.

Description: Recently completed research projects from the Society of Actuaries.

Description: Many top-performing businesses aren’t just risk aware, but rather risk intelligent. Such a posture helps prepare companies for a major event and can demonstrate to a regulator or auditor that an appropriately strong control framework is in place. Better still, companies gain real strategic value from a “risk adjusted” understanding not only of their threats and vulnerabilities, but also the upside opportunities associated with various risks. It starts with having both qualitative and quantitative information to identify, assess and manage risks. Strategic risk management, at its core, is about creating value by increasing transparency and accountability, and quality of information. More than a mere compliance exercise, effective risk management enables more informed strategic decision making, increased accountability and transparency, a greater likelihood of organizational success, and – ultimately – competitive advantage, as borne out by many studies that correlate risk management and financial results.

Description: The focus of the essay is how to use regulatory requirements like ORSA to add competitive advantage. This is accomplished by leveraging the work done for regulators in a way that helps a firm make better decisions. Looking for concentrations of risk, model shortcomings and changing correlations are considered. Stress testing, counterparty risk and changing risk appetites are all topics that help the risk manager better understand the risks accepted. Finally, the paper suggests that the risk officer job should be split into a component that focuses on the process and risk mitigation techniques. The Chief Risk and Return Officer would reside in the strategic planning area and participate in strategic decision making for the firm. Part of the essay collection "Risk Metrics for Decision Making and ORSA"

Description: The editors of Health Watch have made health care reform the focus of the Sepctember 2009 issue, and provide an introduction to the issue's contents.