Hinchman takes the helm

The Academy welcomes Grace Hinchman as its new executive director. Before joining the Academy, Hinchman was senior vice president at a professional association for corporate financial executives.

New Contingencies out

"Black Swan or Black-Scholes? The Crisis of the Actuarial Profession" is the cover story of the May/June Contingencies. The new issue also includes a special software section and articles on financial economics, getting involved in international actuarial issues, and more.

Webcast on revised standards

The Council on Professionalism's June 25 webcast will present a 90-minute update on the Qualification Standards. The revised standards took effect Jan. 1 and apply to most of the actuaries in the U.S.

• Register for the webcast.
• Find out more about the webcast.

Register for June PBA seminar

Register online for "Introduction to PBA: An Overview of a Principles-Based Approach (PBA) to Reserves and Capital." The June 9-10 seminar in Orlando is designed for those who are new to PBA and want a high-level summary of current PBA hot topics and recent developments.

Calendar for actuarial CE

Use the easy-to-search North American CE Calendar to help plan your continuing education schedule. The calendar lists Academy, ASPPA, CAS, CCA, CIA, and SOA events.

August research conference

The 43rd Actuarial Research Conference will be held Aug. 14-16 at the University of Regina in Regina, SK, Canada. The event is cosponsored by the Academy. June 30 is the deadline both for registering early and for submitting an abstract.

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May 20 Hill briefing

“Wading Through Risk Pools: Practical Implications for Health Insurers” is the focus of the Academy's one-hour Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday, May 20. The Academy briefing will feature Cori Uccello, the Academy's senior health fellow, and David Shea, chairperson of the Academy's Federal Health Committee.

PBR comments to Treasury

The Academy comments on an IRS notice to life insurers about potential federal income tax issues related to proposed principle-based reserving methods.

Examining longevity's costs

The North American Actuarial Council asks the Academy to help put the implications of increasing longevity into "the forefront of public policy discourse."

NAAC warns that the long-term viability of many financial security arrangements is threatened by a failure to adapt to longer lifespans.

• NAAC's letter to the Academy
• A National Underwriter online article about NAAC's request
• More actuaries in the news

Help from PAL

The Academy's Pension Assistance List (PAL) program helps people who have questions about their pension plans.

• Members of the public: Ask for assistance.
• Actuaries: Volunteer for PAL.

Resources for voters

"Election 2008," a new set of online resources, is designed to help voters better understand a few key public policy issues. It includes an election guide on Social Security reform, short backgrounders on health care topics, and helpful news links.

Shoring up Medicare

The Academy says the Medicare trustees' 2008 report underscores the need to address the programs' long-term financing problems.

• Read the Academy news release on the trustees' report.
• See the Academy issue brief on Medicare's financial condition.