Description: The article discusses the sustainability of the ACA individual market from a public entitlement standpoint. A key point of measuring sustainability is the reliance on market forces rather than federal budget constraints. The article explains why an actuarial viewpoint of sustainability is necessary to a greater extent than other public assistance and social insurance programs. The article challenges actuaries to be a bold, objective voice in a space that is full of opinionated but often uninformed viewpoints.

Description: This article is a review of the book by Joshua Foer. It covers the history of memory techniques, the way a human brain organizes memory, and various problems and successes in memory recall. The author starts by interviewing memory savants, and learns from them that the ability to perform seemingly impossible memory tricks is simply a matter of studying and practicing proven techniques used for millennia. This review suggests that actuaries can benefit greatly from some of these techniques despite the availability of electronic hand-held devices to recall facts because the person who does not need to rely upon such devices can have a huge perceptual advantage in executive presentations.

Description: An article in the September 2008 issue of Health Watch in which the author passes along some thoughts to those who may be participating in the health care debate this time around.

Description: Discusses the workshops given at two Spring Meetings in 2004 on promoting yourself, which demonstrated practical techniques for self-promotion.

Description: Successful Marketing and Selling to Baby-Boomer-and-Older Customers Twelve Recent Brain Research Discoveries Having Relevance to Successful Communications By James J. Gilmartin from Long-Term Care Newsletter, September 2004, Issue No. 12.

Description: A comment letter to policymakers produced jointly by the SOA and AAA presents findings from their actuarial analysis of the proposed CLASS Act. The analysis indicates that the proposed structure and funding approaches will be unsustainable, and will cover only a very small proportion of the intended population. The opt-out and guaranteed issue provisions of the plan pose a risk that soon the program will either need increased premiums and/or significant reductions.

Description: The challenge for LTC Insurance marketers and distributors is to explain the reasons behind actuaries' recent changes to pricing and underwriting while also furthering the cause of LTC Insurance sales.

Description: We discussed impacts of procrastination and strategies to harness the power of inertia to aid individuals in their pursuit of future financial well-being.