Description: The editor of The Independent Consultant offered brief notes about the articles covered in the current issue.

Description: Communicating value vs. service in order to gain clientale.

Description: It’s Fun To Be An Expert! by William C. Cutlip from Smaller Consulting Firm Section, June 2003, Issue No. 2.

Description: In this article, the section chair of the Entrepreneurial Actuaries Section, ‘EAS,’ addresses the growth of the life actuarial profession. The author notes the significant growth in size of the profession in terms of membership, but cautions that calling us a growing profession on this basis only addresses the supply of actuaries, not the demand. The article then discusses current efforts to address the question of demand, noting that the EAS is in early discussions with other sections and the SOA staff to develop some measure of future demand for actuaries.

Description: The incoming chairperson of the Entrepreneurial Actuaries Section discussed the section initiative for the coming year.

Description: Article offers ideas on how actuaries in small firms can address theri litigation risk in rational, cost-effective ways.

Description: This article describes how to help the client see that the pain of not having your product or service is greater than the pain of parting with his or her hard-earned dollars.

Description: This article notes how “we can do much more at the company, industry and social level by combining what we know with other actuaries as well as members of other disciplines.” This will become easier due to social technologies that allow individuals to collaborate regardless of conventional barriers. The author asks “how do we use these new social technologies to leverage our existing actuarial skill set data in a way that creates value for customers and clients?”

Description: In this article, the author discusses an estate planning strategy that is extremely effective in an environment of low interest rates and depressed asset values, and was made more attractive by the December 17, 2010 legislation that provides extensive estate tax relief, although only for two years: the Grantor Retained Annuity Trust or GRAT. The articles discusses how a GRAT works, strategy for setting one up, income tax considerations, certain drawbacks, and the need to act quickly, given congress is considering legislation that would impose restrictions.

Description: The author discusses group short-term disability or STD programs, including the advantages and disadvantages of self insured vs. insured plans, as well as hybrid approaches.