Description: This article explains the travel grants to the 44th Actuarial Research Conference provided by the Committee on Knowledge Extension Research.

Description: This article is written in response to the article that appeared in the February/March issue of The Actuary entitled Better Standards for Setting Standards written by Dave Kass. It discusses the process itself, the time it takes to develop or change standards and how quickly new ideas should be incorporated in the standards.

Description: By expanding their knowledge base, actuaries can develop a broad business perspective which in combination with the analytical skills characteristic of the profession can help them succeed in the areas of strategy and general management.

Description: This article is an interview with Laura Bennett, FSA, CEO of Embrace Pet Insurance. Her company provides one–of–a–kind pet insurance. The Actuary recently asked Bennett some questions about her unusual use of actuarial training.

Description: The article summarizes what it takes to be a good leader and coach in a business organization.

Description: The risk/delivery/protection framework was first presented to participants in the SOA's Long-Term Care Think Tank seminar in a survey. That survey was designed to get participant opinions on how the system might evolve over the next five to 10 years. The results of the survey are summarized in the article.

Description: Discussion of the October 23 & 24 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries Board of Governors, at which two motions addressing matters of interest to academic actuaries were approved. 1. Undertaking a process of accreditation for academic actuarial science programs. and 2. SOA exam exemption for certain students attending certain institutions.

Description: An article from The Actuary that highlights the strategic importance of inter-company mortality studies. Broad-based mortality studies form the backbone of the life actuarial profession. However, few companies have sufficient exposure or deaths to construct their own mortality table. Even is some large companies have enough data, there is still a vast majority of companies that do not. Historically, the void has been filled by means of inter-company studies.

Description: At least 60 percent of households are now on the Do Not Call list, the level of telemarketing is down, but it still remains an effective marketing channel for insurance companies.

Description: This letter was written in response to an article that ran in the October issue of The Actuary, titled "The Medical Malpractice Crisis: A Top=Down Solution" by Allen Elstein. Mr. Elstein's reply is also in this article.