Description: This editorial explains the benefits of a recent seminar among NAFTA countries on mortality improvement and how social security systems can be affected.

Description: The Advisory Council to Social Security will soon be replaced by a board to manage a new independent system. This article discusses recent recommendations made by the Council and the role actuaries have played on it.

Description: In this article, the author suggests that Social Security funds could earn better returns if some of the assets were invested in index funds weighted by the market capitalization. Index funds retain the risk and reward of the diversified market as a whole and eliminate the greater risk/reward of investing in a single issue or market segment. They offer a simple way to focus on asset mix where so much of the risk can be managed.

Description: This panel discussion, which occurred at the April 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Orlando, presented a discussion on developments related to employer's accounting for pensions and other post-employment benefits.

Description: The following topics were discussed at concurrent sessions: 1. Pension benefit security bill, 2. Variable insurance products, 3. Trends in hospital and medical care utilization, 4. Insurance distribution and marketing systems, 5. Deferred and incentive compensation, 6. Annual Statement accounting, 7. Social Security and employee benefits in western Europe, 8. Individual medical expense insurance, 9. Reserves and related problems for variable annuities and cost-of-living benefits, 10. Topics for consulting actuaries, 11. Profit and other objectives in group operations, and 12. Life insurance operations overseas- problems and opportunities. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries, 1969 Vol. 21 Pt. 1 No. 61.

Description: This article covers a session at the 1975 Spring Cincinnati Joint Meeting of the Conference of Actuaries in Public Practice and Society of Actuaries. It discusses plan termination insurance which includes issues such as: coverage, premium, contingent liability, reportable events, valuation of PBGC benefits and clearance on M&A. 1975 Record Vol.1, No. 3

Description: This article analyzes the proposals in the recent state of the union address to support Social Security. The recommendation contains two plans - to transfer surplus tax revenue to Social Security and to invest part of the transfers in equities.

Description: This article discusses the financing issues of Social Security and Medicare benefits and how reforms are necessary in the near future.

Description: From the Record 1977 Vol. 3, No. 4, this presentation is from a concurrent session at the Society of Actuaries 1977 Annual Meeting, held in Boston October 24-26. In addressing current developments with respect to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ‘ERISA,’ the panelists discuss the relationship between actuaries and accountants, problems caused by ERISA and pending legislation, including mandatory retirement age, and beneficial aspects of ERISA. Current developments with respect to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ‘PBGC,’ Contingent Employee’s Liability Insurance, ‘CELI,’ and head tax increase are also included.

Description: Background on the actuary, Nathaniel Bowditch, who was also a renowned mathematician and scientific navigator.