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Complaints

The ABCD handles complaints involving alleged violations of the Code of Professional Conduct. The complaint process is described in detail in the ABCD’s Rules of Procedure.

Getting started

Generally, your complaint will be clearer if you discuss it with the ABCD staff before putting it in writing.

You can start by asking for information. You may

  • send a request for information to lee@actuary.org,
  • fax your request to 202.872.1948 (Attn: Ed Lee),
  • or mail it to the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline, 1850 M Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20036.

Filing a formal complaint

A complaint should succinctly describe what the actuary did (or failed to do) that might be a material violation of the Code of Professional Conduct. When feasible, materials should be attached to the complaint that document the conduct in question. The complaint should be signed.

Please note that

  • you do not have to be a member of an actuarial organization to make a complaint.
  • complaints must be submitted in writing.
  • you will be identified to the actuary who is the subject of your complaint.

An alternative to the formal complaint

Another option is to send the relevant information to the ABCD without providing your name, or while asking the ABCD to keep your identity confidential. When you request anonymity, you are by definition submitting “information” rather than a complaint.

Anyone can submit “information,” and it is sometimes used to satisfy an actuary’s Precept 13 obligation under the Code of Professional Conduct. It can also be used to anonymously submit publicly available information (such as a government report or a published article) that indicates a possible violation of the Code.

Like a complaint, information should succinctly describe the alleged misconduct and, when feasible, should be accompanied by materials documenting it. (For details on how the ABCD treats complaints and information, see Section II of the Rules of Procedure.)

Jurisdiction

The ABCD’s jurisdiction to investigate alleged violations extends to the actuarial practice of the five U.S.-based organizations’ members in every country. By virtue of agreement between the five U.S.-based organizations, the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA), and the Colegio Nacional de Actuarios, A.C. (CONAC), the Asociación Mexicana de Actuarios, A.C. (AMA), and the Asociación Mexicana de Actuarios Consultores, A.C. (AMAC) (collectively “the Mexico-based organizations”), the ABCD has reduced the risk that their members will be subjected to multiple disciplinary investigations arising out of a single complaint, inquiry, or incident involving an alleged breach of the professional standards of the CIA, the Mexico-based organizations, and/or the U.S.-based organizations.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the process described here, please contact ABCD Counsel Ed Lee (202.223.8196; lee@actuary.org) or review the Rules of Procedure.