Description: Note from Editor introducing the articles in this issue.

Description: The article discusses an IRS private letter ruling applying the after-death distribution requirements applicable to non-qualified annuity contracts under section 72(s) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Description: Column about the importance of volunteers to the SOA. From The Actuary, August/Sept 2010 Vol 7 Issue 4

Description: The April/May 2016 edition of The Actuary magazine—the Society of Actuaries’ flagship publication.

Description: The February/March 2016 edition of The Actuary magazine—the Society of Actuaries’ flagship publication.

Description: An overview of the articles in the November 2019 issue of The Modeling Platform, and a plea for submissions! Please! Send us articles!

Description: The rapid economic development of Asia has ushered in profound lifestyle changes, particularly in urban centers. Increased disposable income, urbanization, and the proliferation of convenient food services have contributed to dietary habits associated with elevated health risks. Among these, insulin resistance (IR)—a metabolic condition linked to diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases—has emerged as a critical yet underrecognized threat. IR is also strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. For life and health insurers operating in markets such as Greater China and Southeast Asia, traditional underwriting methods face significant challenges in accurately assessing these evolving risks. This article investigates the limitations of conventional approaches and explores the potential of continuous underwriting methodologies to better align risk assessment with dynamic lifestyle factors.

Description: In the spring of 2019, Dr. Cai started to serve as the Actuarial Science Program coordinator at Salisbury University, a medium-sized public teaching school in Maryland. At that time, the program was small, with only two faculty members who focused on both statistics and actuarial science, with approximately 10 students. During the next five years, the program did make some achievements in curriculum development, student exam preparation, job placement, and recognition, but Dr. Cai continued to have a dream to make the program unique. Dr. Cai believed that the skill sets students learned, even from a small program, could enable them to compete with anyone on a global basis. In spring 2024, Dr. Cai advised a group of exceptional actuarial students to participate in the 2024 Society of Actuaries (SOA) Student Research Case Study Challenge (SRCSC), and the team won third place – —behind two teams from the University of New South Wales, Australia. This article is the story of the journey.

Description: In this article, we aim to outline the advantages of smaller programs and gather opinions on the challenges these programs face in their efforts to emphasize these strengths. For our purposes, we define small actuarial programs as those with a relatively low student enrollment count. The following are three key advantages of small programs, which are similar to those of small colleges:(a) Enhanced benefits from small class size; (b) Adaptable curriculum; (c) Increased opportunities for each student. A variety of similar other issues are also discussed with recommendations, challenges, and invitations for further dialogue.

Description: The article outlines the editorial vision of Risk Management and Insurance Review (RMIR), emphasizing the need for research that bridges theoretical innovation and real-world application in the evolving landscape of risk management and insurance. RMIR prioritizes methodologically sound work that contributes to conceptual development and offers actionable insights. The journal encourages interdisciplinary, globally diverse, and practically relevant submissions, including those addressing emerging themes like systemic catastrophe risk, behavioral interventions, algorithmic ethics, and the use of AI in insurance.