Insights and Ideas from the American Academy of Actuaries
Contingencies
March/April 2025
From a 35-minute board meeting in 1965 to more than 1,000 volunteers today, this issue celebrates the volunteers who carry the Academy's work. It also honors Stephen Goss's five decades at Social Security and recalls the founding of the nation's first Black-owned auto insurer.
Features
The Power of Volunteering
By Anthony Washington From a 35-minute inaugural board meeting in 1965 to a thriving network of more than 1,000 volunteers, the Academy has built a lasting legacy of leadership and impact. As the Academy modernizes its approach to volunteer...
A Win-Win for All
Each year, the Academy gives several awards to members and volunteers to recognize their contributions. In this article, recipients of one of those awards, the Outstanding Volunteerism Award, explain how serving the Academy has benefited their...
Stephen Goss Retires After 50+ Years With the Social Security Administration
A leading voice in the U.S. actuarial community, his exemplary career included longtime service as an Academy volunteer. By Michael G. Malloy Stephen Goss, chief actuary of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the 2013 recipient...
The Pioneering Dream of a Black Auto Insurance Company
Loyal Auto Insurance, the first Black-owned auto insurance company in the U.S., was born from wartime discrimination and community fundraising in the 1950s. Its story is a fascinating fragment of how race and insurance intersected in mid-century...
The Pacing Problem Unplugged Part 2
By Srivathsan Karanai Margan Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part series examining how technological innovation has thrown up new hurdles to the regulatory process. The first part, "The Pacing Problem Unplugged Part 1," appeared...Departments
Editor’s Note
A Salute to Our Volunteers
By Preeti Vasishtha
I AM HONORED TO JOIN THE ACADEMY as Editor-in-Chief of Contingencies. Since starting in January, it has been an exciting and immersive few weeks. I've been steeped in learning about the Academy's extensive public policy...
Letters
‘Anxiety Is an Actuary’ Resonates Deeply
IN RESPONSE TO OUR RECENT FEATURE "ANXIETY IS AN ACTUARY," published in the November/December 2024 issue of Contingencies, reader Matthew Harnden, Marsh McLennan Agency, offered the following feedback:
"This is a message of thanks to the...
President’s Message
Why Volunteerism Matters
By Darrell Knapp
THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE OF CONTINGENCIES focuses on volunteerism, which is near and dear to my heart. The American Academy of Actuaries relies on a plethora of volunteers to work with dedicated staff in fulfilling the...
Up To Code
Up to Code—The Classics Perspectives from the ABCD
By Julia Philips
Editor's Note: The article was originally published in the September/October 2008 issue of Contingencies. These articles possess a timeless quality, with content that stays pertinent and insightful through time, though some...
Cryptic Puzzle
Does This Sound OK?
By Tom Toce
Once again we have a puzzle from Bob Fink and Jerry Miccolis. And once again they have expanded my parochial knowledge of wordplay. The device they employ here was new to me. At first I thought there was something wrong, and you...
Puzzles
Gotta Collect ’Em All
By Josh Feldman
The dog days of winter hit me hard this year as cabin fever hit many of us here in the heartland. I needed something to take my mind off the ice outside and find something to look forward to. And then my brother told me that the...
The Last Word
What Is Insurable? It Depends
By Sam Gutterman
I am writing this as the Los Angeles fires are still raging. The effects of past decisions of several insurers to stop writing new business or renewals in parts or all of California (especially homeowners coverage) are being...
