Description: Political figures and journalists have tended to blame deregulation and greed for the credit crisis. However, we would like to suggest that these were not the primary cause of the credit crisis. The real cause of the crisis was faulty regulation and arrogance. Flawed regulation in the over-reliance on complicated capital models and arrogance in believing that the complex mathematical formula in risk models overcame the limitations on input availability and enabled companies to capture returns that were greater than the cost of capital, have led Wall Street by creating CDOs and similar instruments to repackage risks and take out the systematic excess risk charges as profits, and have also allowed companies to run “prudently” on leverage ratios that were in hindsight over the limit.

Description: The problem facing risk distributors is that product pricing is sticky, whereas the market price of risk can be quite volatile. This disconnection can become particularly severe during market downturns. The problem facing risk insurers is maintaining market share in benign market conditions when the market price of risk is low. Strategies that are dynamic with respect to time are difficult in practice, since they require more capital in volatile markets.

Description: The traditional informal care of/by family has faced increasing geographic and economic challenges from changing family households and sources of family income. Financial planning and risk protection tools provide important resource in the changing retirement landscape toward optimal family support and crisis management, that is, with less duress and financial burden to affected family caregivers. Ultimately, maintaining family values and close communications through evolving family structures are key to a healthy society and economic welfare of the people.

Description: When regulators examine financial institutions, one of the most important areas on which they focus is capital requirements. This essay argues that we can’t push for neither too high nor too low default probabilities. Regulate too high and you introduce rigidity to the system: you choke the economy. Regulate too low and you introduce softness in your foundations: they cannot for long sustain the economy. Therefore, regulation should be set to provide a 'window for business'.

Description: An essay received in response to the Committee on Post Retirement Needs and Risks Call for Essays exploring ideas and thoughts on working in retirement and phased retirement programs.

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: This is a collection of essays on this topic published by the Society of Actuaries Research Institute in 2024 which discusses the risks emerging from artificial intelligence (AI) widespread use, including short-term risks like privacy erosion and economic disruption, as well as long-term risks like existential threats and biased decision-making.

Description: This document is a call for essays issued by the Society of Actuaries Research Institute. It seeks submissions that explore the impact of Artificial Intelligence/Large Language Models on retirement professionals and retirees. The document provides background information, research objectives, and a list of illustrative topics and questions that the essays can address. The submission guidelines, timeline, and evaluation criteria are also outlined.

Description: The Society of Actuaries’ (SOA) Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program in collaboration with the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA) and the Organization of Latino Actuaries (OLA) are pleased to publish this essay collection on Aging and Retirement Issues in People of Different Races and Ethnicities. This effort explores how differences in wealth and retirement outcomes are experienced by people of different races and ethnicities and promotes a better understanding of the underlying issues surrounding the differences.

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