CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMFORT FOODS. But even with a child’s disdain for vegetables, there was something appealing about Campbell’s vegetable alphabet soup. Perhaps there’s an unexplainable urge to turn individual letters into words. Somewhere along the road, the urge seems to morph as we turn words into letters. There is the dreaded ASAP … Read More

ReferenceFor more on the new membership requirements, see the September Actuarial Update. THE HOLIDAYS WILL ARRIVE BEFORE WE KNOW IT, and I’m reminded of some professional advice I received about 25 years ago. I was chatting at a holiday party with the general counsel of an actuarial consulting firm, trying to find a common topic between an actuary and an attorney. … Read More

“THESE RATES ARE UNCOMPETITIVE—WE NEED 30% LOWER RATES!” “These reserves don’t make sense, how can they shoot up like that? You need to sharpen your pencil.” Do these sound familiar to you? As practicing actuaries, we inevitably encounter situations when we must deal with unreasonable requests from our companies’ management or clients. But what happens when we are pressured to … Read More

JOHN WAS FINISHING ATTENDANCE AT A CONTINUING EDUCATION SESSION. It had been a long session covering complex new material. John knew he needed credit for the session to stay current with qualification requirements. More important, he knew that if he mastered the material being presented he would increase his competence as a practicing actuary. Nevertheless, maintaining concentration for the entire … Read More

“NO MORE EXAMS!” AISHA EXCLAIMED. Aisha was celebrating her success with a credentialled actuarial coworker, Bailey, over lunch. Aisha was especially glad that she no longer had to tell friends and family that she was still taking actuarial exams. “Finally! I finished my actuarial exams and now my credential is right around the corner! I’m done, right?” “Congratulations, Aisha!” said … Read More

  Editor’s Note: Beginning with this issue, Contingencies will be occasionally reprinting Up to Code articles from days gone by. Have no fear; the content is still germane and applicable to your daily practice. This article originally appeared in the January/February 2008 issue of the magazine. When I was learning to golf, I first heard “the rules are your friend” when I … Read More

You’ve been dreaming about this since you were a kid, and now it has happened. You just got hired as a junior actuary. You’re so excited about starting off your career. You know about the exams; you also know about the type of work that you will be doing. You’ve got your promotions all scheduled out as well. Manager after … Read More

The 1960s was a great time to be a kid with a fondness for science fiction. All forms of sci-fi entertainment proliferated in the decade. Authors such as Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury regularly turned out new sci-fi stories, television offered sci-fi-themed series ranging from the ridiculous (Lost in Space) to the sublime (Star Trek), and several motion pictures that … Read More

When someone asks me if I can do something for them, I like to say “yes.” I want to be helpful, useful. That is true in my personal and professional life. But sometimes you have to say “no.” It could be because you don’t have the time, you don’t like to do what is requested—or it may be that you … Read More