By Preeti Vasishtha
On a recent trip, my rideshare driver, George—a man in his seventies—told me he had retired from his full-time job in upstate New York about a decade ago. He moved to the Washington, D.C., area to escape the harsh winters. Retirement, however, did not mean stopping work. He now drives several days a week, earning income that allows him to save and fund his interests in photography and travel.
George is one of the estimated 42 million people in the United States who engaged in some form of gig work in 2025. Some supplement traditional full-time jobs. Others rely on gig work entirely. For many, gig work has become a source of retirement income.
Gig income is not always steady, and how it is reported can affect Social Security benefits—the primary source of income for most retirees, from a system that is already facing long-term financing challenges. Health and long-term care costs continue to rise. Property insurance volatility, driven in part by climate risk, adds another layer of financial uncertainty. As these pressures come together, the retirement equation grows more complicated.
Our cover story, “The Many Sides of Retirement Planning” (page 14), explores these developments and explains how actuaries are uniquely positioned to analyze where and how these systems intersect and why actuarial insights across practice areas are essential to shaping the future of retirement.
Another field that’s evolving rapidly is cell and gene therapies, which pose new challenges in modeling risk, pricing, and access. “What Actuaries Need to Know About Emerging Therapies” (page 22) explains the need for actuaries to adapt models to account for evolving regulations, uncertain clinical outcomes, and changing financial frameworks.
Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and other types of complex models, are also bringing new challenges to actuarial professionalism. From a professionalism perspective, the actuary does not always know how these models work, what data they were trained on, or what biases they may have. Professionalism requirements continue to guide actuaries as they navigate these new challenges. In “Professionalism in the Age of AI” (page 38), actuaries explain how they are addressing questions of transparency, control, and accountability while continuing to uphold the principles of professionalism.
As you consider these developments across your practice areas—health, life, casualty, retirement, and risk management and financial reporting—the Academy has a wealth of resources ready for you. In “Advancing with an Edge” (page 30), actuaries describe how Academy membership provides the foundation they need to meet professional requirements, grow into new roles, and strengthen their credibility. Members point to Academy resources as practical tools for addressing workplace challenges. For many members, volunteering and committee involvement represents the most transformative aspect of Academy membership, providing them with unique learning experiences and career development opportunities. For employers, Academy membership is an investment in workforce development and quality, strengthening technical rigor across the organization.
President Tricia Matson captures all this and more in her own membership journey (page 6). Matson reflects on why she chose to join the Academy, and what she has learned about the value of membership over time.
In CEO Insights (page 8), Executive Director and CEO William J. Michalisin builds on this perspective, showing how the Academy empowers members to apply their expertise in service of the public and the profession—shaping policy, upholding professionalism, and reinforcing the MAAA designation—while demonstrating the real-world impact of actuarial insight through volunteer work.
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George did not describe himself as part of a workforce trend or a demographic shift. He simply built something that works for him—balancing income with the freedom to pursue what he enjoys. Yet his story reflects a larger shift: Retirement today is increasingly entwined with health care, insurance, financial markets, and evolving work arrangements. Viewing these as interconnected systems—and identifying where vulnerabilities could emerge—is where actuarial insight matters most. By measuring risk, modeling long-term consequences, and designing sustainable retirement solutions, actuaries help people like George and every reader planning their own retirement to find greater financial security in their golden years.
Preeti Vasishtha is editor-in-chief, Contingencies, and the Academy’s director of content.