This Week … In a Minute

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TOP NEWS

Retirement Symposium Covers Key Issues

Panelists discuss ways to strengthen U.S. retirement systems.

The Academy’s Actuarial Perspectives and Solutions for Strengthening the U.S. Retirement System symposium, held Thursday in the nation’s capital, covered a range of retirement issues, including Social Security, the role of individuals, and the role of employers. The retirement symposium brought together federal policymakers, retirement experts, and actuaries to discuss and share actionable solutions aimed at strengthening the U.S. retirement system and improving outcomes for Americans, with special recognition of Social Security’s 90th year. Look for more details on the event in a future Actuarially Sound blog, an Actuarial Voices podcast, and the upcoming Retirement Report newsletter.

RPC Members Visit CBO, CRS

Academy volunteers visited government agencies on Wednesday.

Ahead of the symposium, Retirement Practice Council members, the Senior Retirement Fellow, and Academy staff met with key federal agencies on Wednesday. They met with staff from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Congressional Research Service (CRS) to discuss retirement priorities, including Social Security solvency, defined benefit plans, and the practice council’s work.

MEMBERSHIP

Member-Selected Directors Process Concludes

Thank you to Academy members who took part in the annual member-selected directors process, which concluded Wednesday. The new member-selected directors, who will begin three-year terms in November, will be Joseph Hicks, Ron Ogborne, and Becky Sheppard. To learn more about the prospective slate of the 2025–2026 Board of Directors and the Academy’s selection process, visit the Board Selection Center.

Call for Volunteers—Thank You and Next Steps

Thank you to Academy members and volunteers who responded to the annual Call for Volunteers. Your support helps the Academy fulfill its mission of serving the public and U.S. actuarial profession. Over the next several months, Academy staff will work with volunteer leadership to review responses, add volunteers to committees, and reach out to those who expressed interest in specific micro-volunteering opportunities.

For members who did not answer this year’s survey, a volunteer contact form is available throughout the year to express your interest. Questions? Please contact Volunteer Member Engagement Manger Anthony Washington at 202-223-8196; volunteer@actuary.org.

OUTREACH & NEWS

Academy Presents on Actuarial Professionalism at Elevance Conference

Academy Committee on Education Chairperson Al Bingham virtually presented the session “Actuarial Professionalism from Code to Culture” to Elevance’s Actuarial Conference on Tuesday. The presentation reviewed the professionalism framework housed and maintained within the Academy, with special focus on qualifications and continuing education, the broad self-regulatory activities and culture that advance U.S. actuarial professionalism, and the Academy’s new membership requirements, effective for new members on Jan. 1, 2026.

GAO Seeks Chief Actuary Candidates

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is seeking a chief actuary to guide and oversee the implementation and quality of all program activities related to actuarial matters and manage GAO’s actuarial staff to maintain excellence in actuarial practice within GAO. For more information, please contact GAO Chief Actuary Frank Todisco at todiscof@gao.gov.

NAWA Virtual Annual Meeting Set for Sept. 30

The Network of Actuarial Women and Allies (NAWA) will hold its 2025 virtual annual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30, from noon to 4 p.m. EDT. The program will include a keynote speaker; sessions, including an artificial intelligence (AI) panel featuring Academy AI Subcommittee Chairperson Dorothy Andrews; leadership updates and strategic vision; and opportunities to connect, contribute, and engage with fellow members. Look for details coming soon to NAWA’s LinkedIn and Instagram pages.

PUBLIC POLICY

Public Policy in Action

A new policy paper, Public Sector Workers Not Covered by Social Security: Implications for Their Retirement Security, examines how public sector entities seeking exemptions from Social Security must demonstrate compliance by sponsoring a pension plan with benefits comparable to those provided by Social Security.
The Life Practice Council shared feedback on the NAIC’s Longevity Risk (E/A) Subgroup’s longevity risk factor approach proposal request, which considers an approach for determining capital charges for longevity reinsurance.
The C-3 Subcommittee and Variable Annuity Reserves and Capital Subcommittee submitted comments to the NAIC’s Life Risk-Based Capital (E) Working Group and the Variable Annuities Capital and Reserve (E/A) Subgroup regarding their recent exposure of proposed changes to the scaler/conditional tail expectation metric, the inclusion of additional standard projection amount, asset adequacy testing, and voluntary reserves in capital calculations.

Resource Center—Visit the online Resource Center to stay on top of the latest Academy news and activity.

EVENT CALENDAR

Oct. 16	How are U.S. Households Saving and Spending in Retirement? Observations and a Discussion on Preparedness and Decumulation (webinar)
Nov. 17–20	Life and Health Qualifications Seminar; Arlington, Va.
Nov. 20–21	Academy Leadership Summit & Governance Transition; Washington, D.C.
Dec. 8–9	Seminar on Effective P/C Loss Reserve Opinions; Salt Lake City (early discounts available)

Visit the Event Calendar for a complete listing of Academy events.

Reminder—Your Input Wanted on Potentially Disruptive Events

The Disruptive Events Task Force, created by the Academy’s Strategic Planning Committee, is seeking your input on potentially disruptive events, defined as significant developments (e.g., emergencies and disasters, or a cure for chronic disease) that are not covered by routine measures; that can be caused by natural, man-made, or artificial circumstances; and that cause current actuarial models to no longer be effective.

Your Voice Matters—Your insights could directly influence professional response protocols, risk management strategies, and future opportunity identification to ensure the U.S. actuarial profession remains resilient and ready for whatever comes next.

Take Action—Visit the Potentially Disruptive Events webpage to submit your input.