Insights and Ideas from the American Academy of Actuaries

Contingencies

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Features

From its 1965 founding to the age of artificial intelligence, the Academy has adapted to meet the moment. Past presidents reflect on six decades of progress—and the challenges and opportunities that shape the profession.

Professionalism in Practice

By Virginia Hulme

Why self-regulation matters—and how actuaries at every career stage play a vital role in maintaining the integrity and trust of the profession.

A Steady Hand

Throughout his tenure on the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline—including one year as chairperson—William C. Hines has offered measured, thoughtful leadership. As he continues his term as chairperson, Hines reflects on guiding the profession through ethical complexity, expanding the use of requests for guidance, and preparing for challenges ahead.

Championing Standards of Practice

Kevin Dyke, chairperson of the Actuarial Standards Board, reflects on the board’s accomplishments and its role in guiding actuaries through evolving practice areas, regulatory expectations, and emerging risks.

Meet the 2025 Rising Actuary Award Recipients

Recognizing outstanding early-career actuaries who are shaping the profession’s future.

Unmasking Hidden Bias

This article is from the Actuarial Technology 2025 supplement.

The Cloud Cost Equation

This article is from the Actuarial Technology 2025 supplement.

Departments

Editor’s Note

’Tis the Season to Pause, Reflect, & Celebrate

By Preeti Vasishtha Anniversaries have a way of making us pause. They pull us out of the urgency of today and ask us to look both backward and forward—to see how far we’ve come, and to consider what might come next.They serve as markers in...

President’s Message

The Best Is Yet to Come

By Darrell Knapp This November/December issue of Contingencies is a special one, celebrating the Academy’s 60th anniversary—six decades of faithfully fulfilling its mission to serve the public and the U.S. actuarial profession. It is a...

Letters

The Importance of Economic Principles for Actuaries

I appreciate the ambitious two-part primer on economics (“The Dynamics of Market Forces—Setting the Stage” and “The Dynamics of Market Forces—Squaring the Circle”) by Carlos Fuentes published in the May/June 2025 and July/August 2025...

CEO Insights

Six Decades of Service, A Future of Impact

By William J. Michalisin Sixty years ago, leaders from the four actuarial organizations based in the United States came together with hopes of uniting the actuarial profession in this country. The leaders involved wanted to create a separate and...

Up To Code—The Classics

When Is a Violation Resolved?

By William J. Falk Sarah McAree (MAAA, FSA) has a problem. Sarah was recently engaged by the privately held Argo Fishing Lure Co. to provide actuarial services related to its retiree group-benefit plans, beginning with the that year’s...

Policy Compass

H.R. 1 Shines Light on Academy Policy Priorities

By Ted Gotsch Policy can be confusing, even for those who are tuned into the process. Lawmakers and regulators seem to speak their own technical language that, at times, makes it difficult to understand what they are trying to accomplish. The...

Cryptic Puzzle

Hallucinations

By Tom Toce I’ve been seeing a lot of lists of occupations that are likely (and not likely) to be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). On the likely list are mathematicians, statistical assistants, writers and authors, and personal...

Crossword

Show Me the Money

By Warren Manners Across 1 Diamond alternative 5 Guttenberg film of...

Puzzles

Connections

By Josh Feldman On what I thought was a typical subway ride 18 months ago, my friend Chef asked me for a hand on a game he was stuck in. Never in a million years did I expect that this simple call for help would change my life. Chef couldn’t...

The Last Word

1965—A Very Special Year

By Sam Gutterman In addition to 1965 being the year the American Academy of Actuaries was founded, it was also a very special—and indeed pivotal—year for many other reasons. For me, it was the year I graduated from high school, left my...