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About CAS
The Casualty Actuarial Society is a professional organization whose purpose is the advancement of the body of knowledge of actuarial science applied to property, casualty, and similar risk exposures.
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Category Archives: General
An Actuary and an Epidemiologist Walk into a Bar
Actuaries and epidemiologists share a lot in common. Both use advanced mathematical tools to study human behavior, investigate patterns, and manage risks. The medical profession has long utilized epidemiological models to understand the dynamics of epidemics and to project the trends, preparing for the allocation of medical resources and developing public health policies. Similar goals … Read more
CAS Research Review Q&A: Practical Guide to Predictive Models
As part of our new CAS Research Review series, CAS is highlighting important papers and articles you may have missed! Here we are speaking with Don Closter ACAS, MAAA, co-author of Predictive Models: A Practical Guide for Practitioners and Regulators. What is the objective of this paper, and who is it for? The objective of … Read more
It’s Time to Take Visualization Seriously
In 2019, I gave five talks about data visualization. This was great fun, but as I looked back, I felt compelled to confront a difficult question: what are we as actuaries still not getting about this? Haven’t actuaries embraced data visualization? We understand that it’s important. We understand that it’s an essential element of communication. … Read more
Posted in General.
Let’s All Visit Jupyter
The actuarial workflow typically looks like this: you complete an analysis in a spreadsheet, then you paste the chart into a word-processing document. If you want to make a change to the math, or the data, that copy-and-paste step must be repeated. It’s easy for the two (or more!) documents to fall out of sync, … Read more
Posted in General.
Malaysia: Opportunity Knocks
I really enjoy travel, whether for work or pleasure (or even better, combining work and pleasure). When I first visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a few years ago, I was immediately attracted to this vibrant capital city. There was so much to love: the diverse architectures and neighborhoods, ranging from some of the tallest buildings in … Read more
Posted in General.
The RPM Seminar–What’s in a Name?
You may have noticed that the name of our RPM Seminar has been changed from Ratemaking and Product Management to Ratemaking, Product and Modeling. Why the change? The new name now more appropriately reflects the seminar’s three main focus areas – RPM programming covers not only ratemaking and product management, but also a large quantity … Read more
Posted in General.
My Visits with CAS Members and Candidates in Wisconsin: Insights and Feedback
Recently, I made a trip through Wisconsin for visits with American Family, CUNA Mutual, and Sentry. I enjoy these meetings, as it is always a pleasure to meet with and hear from CAS members. We have a passionate membership that wants to continue to make the CAS better. At these meetings, I discussed four major … Read more
Posted in General.
The Staff Actuary’s Blog: ASTIN Colloquium 2016
I’m just back from the annual ASTIN Colloquium, held June 1-3 in Lisbon, Portugal, on the campus of the Lisbon School of Economics and Management (known locally as ISEG, “Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão”). The meeting was a valuable and enjoyable experience – although I was delighted to return home and experience both air … Read more
National Volunteer Week: Why Do You Volunteer for the CAS?
As the United States celebrates National Volunteer Week, CAS president Steve Lowe gave a heartfelt thank you to all CAS volunteers for giving their time and efforts around the world. I would like to join Steve in thanking CAS volunteers for your enthusiastic service to the Society. Since joining the CAS staff in 2010, I … Read more
Posted in General, Volunteerism.
Reflections from the CAS Staff Actuary: The First Two Weeks
It is a real and sincere honor to be the CAS’s first staff actuary. The creation of such a position has been considered and discussed over the years, but only last year did the CAS Board vote to formally implement it – and only last month, in mid-January, did the position actually begin. While it has … Read more