While the landscape of actuarial modeling is constantly evolving, many life insurers find themselves tethered to legacy tools of the trade. Decades-old codebases (think COBOL, APL languages); vendor systems designed in the 1990s; and sprawling, complex networks of spreadsheets immediately come to mind. While these tools have served their purpose, they often, in my observation,…
As our world confronted the ongoing challenges of climate change, July 2023 became a record-breaker as the hottest month ever documented. And the 2023–24 El Niño emerged as one of the largest climate anomalies of the 21st century. Coupled with record-breaking sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season became the fourth…
According to Pew Research, the number of Americans aged 100 and older is expected to quadruple over the next three decades. Late this past year, Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, died at the age of 100 after being under hospice care for nearly two years. While “living to 100” may seem…
Becoming a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) is a professional milestone deserving of recognition and celebration for every actuary who achieves it. It’s also true that everyone’s FSA journey is unique. Yuzhe Michael Tang, CFA, FSA, CERA, recently completed the Fellowship Admissions Course, becoming an FSA in the Quantitative Finance and Investment (QFI)…
As Pride Month unfolds, it is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in various fields, including the actuarial profession. It wasn’t until after I met with Craig Chu, FSA, EA, MAAA, FCA, pension actuary and president of the Sexuality & Gender Alliance of Actuaries (SAGAA), that I learned about the fascinating…
The actuarial profession is constantly evolving, with new technologies, regulations and societal challenges shaping the field. For this third Q&A in The Actuary’s “Voices of Tomorrow: Perspectives from the Next Generation of Actuaries” series, I connected with Marcel Chang, FSA, CERA, a consulting actuary with four years of experience, currently with Milliman in Kuala Lumpur,…
Gathering the insights of risk managers about current and potential hazards helps researchers identify and compile risk trends that extend longer than the typical planning horizon in the insurance industry. The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute and the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) sponsored the survey, which was conducted in November 2024, and the key…
In recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, The Actuary is honored to present a Q&A with Chunhong (Hong) Gao, FSA, MAAA, CFA, PRM, the Chief Actuary at Global Atlantic Financial Limited (Bermuda). With over two decades of experience in various actuarial fields, Hong shares her inspiring journey from rural northeast…
In recognition of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, I am delighted to share this interview with Kenny Kan, FSA, MAAA. Originally from Malaysia, Kenny has risen through the actuarial profession to executive leadership positions and is now the Chief Actuary of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the…
Childhood dreams have a funny way of resurfacing, don’t they? As a youngster, the allure of journalism captivated me, but practicality steered me toward a more lucrative and stable career path. Still, that dormant passion for storytelling never quite faded. Now imagine my exhilaration when an invitation to join the editorial board of The Actuary…