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: This article discusses challenges that short-term predictions have on actuaries' reputations, both as individuals and as a profession, and discusses strategies to improve our professionalism and better manage this risk.

Description: Recaps the highlights of last 12 months of activity and accomplishments by the LTC Section Council.

Description: Resources to help actuaries advance their careers.

Description: On October 30, 2015, the SOA Assumption Development and Governance Group, an informal discussion group consisting of nearly 200 interested actuaries with topics pertaining to actuarial assumption development and governance, organized an industry discussion call on end-to-end assumption documentation practices. The purpose of this call was to generate a large list of ideas for best-practice assumption documentation. More than thirty companies were represented in the call, including direct insurers, reinsurers and consulting firms. This article is the work product of the discussion written by Laurie Li and Alex Zaidlin.

Description: Resources to help actuaries advance their careers.

Description: Based on April webinar, develops nine guidelines for setting assumptions.

Description: In Schaeffler v. United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued a taxpayer-friendly decision on the scope of the attorney-client privilege and the work-product doctrine. The article explores the case and its meaning for the two doctrines, and specifically how it differs from the decision in United States v. Textron in the First Circuit.

Description: Preparing an effective actuarial memorandum in support of the health actuarial opinion.

Description: Chairperson's views on SIPF section's new mission statement approved by the SOA Board.