Description: Letter from the SOA president addressing the importance of volunteering. Also included are the responses from some volunteers who were asked various questions on the subject of volunteering.

Description: Over the last year or two, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of U.S. news topics that involve actuarial thinking such as Obama-care and long-term health of Social Security. While it is a nice feeling to see actuaries at the center of the action, much, or even most of the debate is conducted without any understanding of the actuarial concepts involved. This article is about the challenge of actuaries educating the public on these issues, especially when the profession is still working hard to bring its communication skills up to the level of its technical expertise.

Description: This is the December 2011 cover of The Actuarial magazine displaying the featured articles inside: How to Handle ORSA, The Actuarial Profession in India, and The SOA's Competency Framework

Description: The mission of the Education and Research E&R Section is described. The next two Actiarial Research Conferences are detailed. The pension section briefly discusses the decline of defined benefit pension plans.

Description: Column describing what the SOA is doing for its members and discussing some of the annual meeting highlights.

Description: This article discusses how the SOA exams have changed over the years and the reasons for the changes. The current system focuses on actuarial education, balances examination rigor with educational experience, and uses technology - where appropriate - to facilitate and enhance learning outcomes.

Description: In this article, the outgoing Society of Actuaries President, Donald J. Segal, reviews what he learned in the past year about the SOA and the actuarial profession.

Description: Actuaries are lauded for their technical and analytical skills, but aren't so well known for their communication and general business skills. Is this the case worldwide? The Actuary magazine spoke to actuaries from Australia to the United Kingdom and a sampling of regions in between to get their take on the topic.

Description: This article is an update on the educational and qualification 2005

Description: This is a book review of 'What Healthy People Know by Dr. Bob Gleeson, a book focusing on the seven things that healthy people do to say healthy and live long. The reviewer relates these activities to the actuarial career.