Description: This paper presents some preliminary observations from a study that investigates and models the fuzziness inherent in post-retirement financial strategies. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2011.

Description: ARCH is an informal electronic publication presenting current actuarial research, which the Education and Research Section of the Society of Actuaries offers to members and friends of the actuarial community. Read more from the editors.

Description: This introduction is followed by an overview of RA, which includes such things as the role of RA in ERM, the conceptualization of RA, and the role of FL as it relates to RA. We turn then to an overview of the FL methodology used in this study. The next three chapters are devoted to FL methodology as it relates to RA issues, and includes a discussion of FL modification of the risk matrix, FL modification of the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the role of fuzzy optimization as it relates to RA. We turn then to examples of RAA-FL in the areas of operational risk, hazard risk, financial risk and strategic risk. This is followed by closing comments and observations. The study concludes with an annotated bibliography.

Description: In December 1997, the Society of Actuaries held a conference whose focus was actuarial and financial modeling. During the course of that conference, one of the speakers mentioned a number of technologies his firm was using for modeling, which were either unfamiliar or only vaguely familiar to some of the audience. The purpose of this paper is to define each of the technologies mentioned during that presentation and to briefly describe their distinguishing characteristics. The technologies discussed in this paper are statistical pattern recognition [SPR], neural networks [NNs], genetic algorithms [GAs], simulated annealing, fractal analysis, chaos theory, rule induction, data fusion algorithms [DFAs], data compression, fuzzy logic, case-based reasoning, and expert systems.

Description: Read the ARCH 2013.1 Proceedings editor's comments.

Description: The abstract for a paper that describes the history of traditional topics like actuarial cost methods and assumptions, the history of past inquiries into the dynamic and stochastic nature of pension costs, and the perceptions and concerns of pension actuaries of the past. Presented at The Future of Pension Plan Funding and Disclosure symposium held July 14-15, 2005 in Washington, DC.

Description: This article comments on the editorial policies of the Actuarial Research Clearing House publication. ARCH 2009.1

Description: This paper presents an overview of credibility theory in a fuzzy environment and discusses its implications.

Description: What is the 'best' post-retirement financial strategy for a particular participant of a defined contribution plan? The answer to this question must accommodate a number of risks, the most obvious of which are related to longevity, inflation, investment, and health. Moreover, what makes this question especially intriguing is that its solution must be molded to the wealth, features and agenda of a particular individual and/or family. Many of the constraints and goals are qualitative, and standard market and population metrics may have limited significance. This is the abstract of a paper that deals with implementation issues, qualitative goals and constraints, and tailor-made solutions.

Description: The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of soft computing applications in actuarial science. Soft computing refers to modes of computing in which precision is traded for tractability, robustness and ease of implementation.