Description: SOA interview with David Axene

Description: Call for essays that provide practical applications of in-depth research papers that will be published in the upcoming edition of the NAAJ.

Description: Emerging technologies like GenAI will be more disruptive than past technological developments, such as spreadsheets, low-code data and dashboarding tools, and cloud computing. This article will explore how how we can lead ourselves, our teams, and our organizations to thrive within a defined modern value proposition, using one of two archetype roles: actuaries as business partners or actuaries as developers.

Description: Over the past couple of years, the Society of Actuaries has altered radically its perception of its research role. An Issues management process has been put into place to identify and prioritize research activities. A management process has been established to approve research projects and to oversee progress. With such a structure In place a number of research projects have been initiated. The research activities of the SOA go well beyond new research projects. A revitalization of the experience studies and library activities also has occurred. In addition, several special projects which deserve mention have been undertaken. This article provides a status report on a list of research projects, experience studies, library activities and other projects. It also provides a chart showing the flow of a research project from conception to completion. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1991, Vol. 1.

Description: As actuaries, we’re trained to see patterns in numbers and to design solutions that mitigate risk. But I can tell you from experience that while quantitative analysis and modeling are critical actuarial tools, looking at the numbers alone can lead to insurance products that don’t succeed in the real world the way the math says they “should.” With new digital technologies, we have more data at our fingertips than ever before, but I believe it’s equally as important to bring qualitative research methodologies into your product development process if you want to design solutions that meet real needs in the market. In this article, Amanda Turcotte shares what happens when qualitative research is neglected or ignored, what happens when you incorporate it into the product design process, and how to implement qualitative research practices in your organization.

Description: The article discusses the use of the keyword strategy in teaching. The literature with a negative view of keywords is reviewed and responded to by advocating keywords with multiple meanings supplemented with relevant instructional guidance. Numerous examples are presented from the SOA preliminary exams. Additionally, advanced use of keywords to problems not having them are presented.

Description: The article discusses the critical role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) within insurance companies, particularly amidst changes in accounting regimes like USGAAP Long-Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17 and implications of these changes on FP&A activities.

Description: 1993 SOA Meeting, Quebec. This session was geared towards goal setting for actuaries who manage functional areas, departments, or divisions. Topics included: the reasons why goal setting and achievement are often ineffective, the key success factors in setting and achieving goals, and a proven methodology for setting and achieving goals.

Description: This story won the Predictive Analytics and Futurism Section prize for most novel prediction forming the basis for the narrative in the 2019 Actuarial Speculative Fiction contest.

Description: This article provides an update, as of September 2019, on the Reinsurance Section’s sponsored research in process and studies recently completed.