Description: Welcome to the third issue of International News of 2024.

Description: This article discusses the guidance provided in IRS Notice 2022-6 and prior guidance on whether distributions from an individual account under a qualified retirement plan satisfy the exception to the 10 percent additional tax in Internal Revenue Code section 72(t) for certain substantially equal periodic payments.

Description: Can quiet actuaries inspire others and get things done just as well as their louder, more social colleagues? This isn’t just a question that plagues quiet actuaries, of course. For the over half of us that identify as quiet people and wish to lead, it’s easy to second guess and doubt ourselves. This doubt sometimes holds us back from reaching for that promotion, or starting that new organization. Some quiet actuaries may try to adapt extravert behaviors, however those efforts can be draining and short-lived. This article shows how quiet actuaries can authentically lead and leverage their strengths.

Description: In a world filled with tweets, ever-breaking news, thousands of TV channels and millions of podcasts, is there any point to toiling away at an article? Or seeking a journal or magazine willing to publish it? It would seem that no one is likely to read about your hard-earned wisdom in this jam-packed world, much less be influenced or educated by it. Yet many of the reasons that have always propelled actuaries and their companies to take the time and trouble to publish an article (or two or more) still ring true today, ensuring that those of us who do make the effort will surely reap business development benefits. The likely competitive edge is just that strong. What competitive edge am I talking about? This article explains four reasons how and why this is so, especially when measured against competitors who would never even bother with this remarkable tactic.

Description: A compilation of reader responses is presented to a real life situation. This issue’s case study involved an actuary trying to add to staff, who encounters questionable behavior by a prominent actuarial recruiter. What the actuary actually did is shared after the compiled responses.

Description: To understand the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and mortality, RGA investigated a national, health-related, mortality-linked data set provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). RGA Strategic Research Actuary Julianne Callaway discusses the company's findings.

Description: This article starts with the increasing attention that FP&A receives due to the implementation of new financial regimes and emphasizes the collaborative nature of FP&A. It then describes the roles that actuaries play in FP&A, the new demands for actuaries that we are observing, and suggests some best practices that we are seeing across the clients. This article targets to point out the new demands from FP&A on actuaries and provide some advice on how actuaries can do to meet these demands.

Description: Interview of Natasha Regan about her mastery of the game of chess.