Join us for another exciting episode of YPAC podcast as host Yisi Wang, FSA, CFA sits down with Blake Hill, FSA, FCIA, a distinguished leader in the insurtech industry. Discover the transformative power of technology in insurance, and the unique challenges and opportunities within the insurtech sector. Blake also shares invaluable career advice for young professionals and highlights the benefits of volunteering within actuarial organizations. 

Host Nick Kocisak, ASA, is joined by Austin Kang, FSA, MAAA, CERA, to discuss the importance of being more than just a "number cruncher" as you fulfill your actuarial duties.  Austin shares his experience working in the health consulting industry and provides lessons learned on how to leverage your actuarial background to gain trust and confidence with your clients and coworkers. 

Join us for a conversation dedicated to helping actuaries navigate the complexities of “managing up” in their profession. On this podcast, Tasha Boland, FSA and Morgan Zuidema, FSA will delve into practical strategies and insights for building effective relationships with managers, understanding leadership styles, and achieving career growth within actuarial teams. From communication techniques to goal-setting strategies, listeners will gain valuable tips to elevate their professional presence and excel in their actuarial careers. 

In the next installment in a series to further explore and differentiate the regulatory bodies and rating agencies overseeing the insurance industry, this podcast presents a conversation with Fred Anderson, Chief Life Actuary for the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Fred describes his role as the Chief Life Actuary for the state as well as the interaction between state insurance departments and the NAIC, current priorities at the NAIC, and a view on future regulatory changes and how they will affect financial reporting actuaries.

Join new host Nick Kocisak, ASA, and Mike McPhee Anderson, FSA, to learn about Mike's unique educational background and the importance of data science know-how in the actuarial world.  In this episode, Mike discusses some advantages of continuing education and dispels data science "dirty words" like Poisson distribution and decision tree in hopes that actuaries will embrace these advanced techniques and continue to drive the profession forward!

In this episode, Dave Dillon discusses some basics of gene and cell therapies with Marnie Bute of AON and Kristi Bohn of RGA, including a summary on the science, costs, as well as network and coverage concerns. 

In this episode Joe Alaimo interviews Joan Barret, Achilles Natsis and Tony Pistilli to discuss total risk analysis, a technique that provides a consistent methodology for answering questions like “what are the chances we will lose more than $1 million?”

Roger Loomis gets to know Mike Bergerson and learns about the upcoming webcast “LTC M&A—Are the Floodgates Opening?” The webcast is on May 23rd 2024 from 12:00 to 1:15 PM ET. Please register here: https://www.soa.org/prof-dev/webcasts/2024-ltc-floodgates/

Listen as host Jackie Lee discusses GLP-1s and their role in Weight Loss Management, with Tyler Engel. They discuss how these drugs are being used and what actuaries should consider when assessing their costs and implications. 

In the final episode of this mini-series, Shea and Anders cover the other common tree-based ensemble model, the Gradient Boosting Machine. Like Random Forests, GBMs make use of a large number of decision trees, but they use a “boosting” approach that cleverly makes use of “weak learners” to incrementally extract information from the data. After an explanation of how GBMs work, we compare them to Random Forests and go over a few examples where they have used GBMs in their own work.

Nichole Semprit, The Actuarial Foundation Senior Program Specialist and  Channy Cornejo, AP Calculus and AP Statistics Instructor at Santa Teresa High School discuss how the Foundation math competitions, Modeling the Future Challenge and The Hardest Math Problem Student Contest help students expand their skills, build confidence and win college scholarships.

Listen in as host Jackie Lee talks with Joan Barrett about the recent research paper, “Calculated Risk: Driving Decisions Using the 5/50 Research.” The discussion and report will help you answer key questions like “what are the chances we will lose more than $1million.”

In this podcast episode, Virginette Scott, The Actuarial Foundation’s Stem Stars/Math Motivators Program Specialist sets the spotlight on The Actuarial Foundation’s Math Motivators program. Virginette’s guests are Barry Jacobson, retired actuary and the visionary founder of Math Motivators, and Jill Geritano, the parent of a former and a current Math Motivators student, who both thrived in the program. We will delve into the history of the Math Motivators program with Barry and explore its transformative impact on the educational journeys of students who have participated.

Join us for another exciting YPAC podcast as host Shawn Stender, FSA, MAAA, discusses unique actuarial career journeys with Lana Marozava, ASA, CERA, and Joe Long, ASA, MAAA. This podcast will shed light on the numerous different paths that young professionals can take on their journey to become an actuary. Whether that means changing careers from a teacher, project manager, or data scientist or just taking the exams at your own pace—this podcast will help young actuaries understand that there is more than one way to be successful in actuarial work.  

Join Frank Yeager, FSA and Chris Smith, ASA for an insightful discussion about leadership, the future of actuarial consulting, and the value of strong relationships. Frank shares his advice for aspiring and early-career actuaries gleaned over the course of a two-decade long career at Mercer that has culminated in his latest role as US Health Actuarial and Financial Group Leader.

Listen as host Jackie Lee talks with SOA President and Chair, Tim Rozar. They discuss Tim’s actuarial and volunteer background and the SOA’s goals for the year to come. Be sure to check out Tim’s Presidential address here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BG0AhwX6Ic  

Podcast on the industry adoption of emerging data sets across the insurance value chain. The participants include recognized leaders from business, regulation, legal, and innovation. The discussion covers current adoption practices, business opportunity, regulatory  and legal considerations.

Building on the discussion of individual decision trees in the prior episode, Shea and Anders shift to one of today’s most popular ensemble models, the Random Forest. At first glance, the algorithm may seem like a brute force approach of simply running hundreds or thousands of decision trees, but it leverages the concept of “bagging” to avoid overfitting and attempt to learn as much as possible from the entire data sets, not just a few key features. We close by covering strengths and weaknesses of this model and providing some real-life examples.

Dave Dillion and Bryon Robidoux discuss the book Dare to Lead, which was the Joint Risk Management and Leadership & Development Sections book club selection for December. They discuss what it means for managers to be vulnerable. How to give and receive feedback from both a manager’s perspective and the direct report perspective. The end the podcast talking about actuaries can be more curious and innovative.

What is professionalism?  Is it just following the law?  The code/rules of professional conduct?  Is it more than both of those? Listen to our podcast where YPAC member Patrick Samborsky, ASA, MAAA discusses professionalism with Charly J Pazdor, FSA retired, who has written about professionalism for The Actuary magazine as well as being a course director and facilitator for the FAC. 

Shea and Anders dive into tree-based algorithms, starting with the most fundamental variety, the single decision tree. We cover the mechanics of a decision tree and provide a comparison to linear models. A solid understanding of how a decision tree works is critical to fully grasp the nuances of the more powerful ensemble models, the Random Forest and Gradient Boosting Machine. In addition, single decision trees can still be useful either as a starting point for building more complex models or for situations where interpretability is paramount.

Join host Jackie Lee and guest Colby Schaeffer as they delve into the recent SOA research paper, “Modeling the Impact of the Great Unwinding on State Medicaid Programs.” They explore the model presented in the research paper and discuss the societal and actuarial implications of the Great Unwinding. Tune in to learn more about this important topic.

Dave Dillon talks to psychologist Matt Fleischman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Neurofeedback Advocacy Project, and Charlie Doe, a retired group health actuary, about neurofeedback, infra-low frequency (ILF) neurofeedback, the data on over 500 clients who have completed 20 sessions of ILF neurofeedback, and the prospect to expand neurofeedback's availability. 

In this episode, we explore the rapidly evolving landscape of emerging risks and how they are impacting the world of marketing and distribution. From climate change and artificial intelligence to financial volatility and geopolitical landscapes, we'll dive deep into the key challenges and opportunities facing businesses today.

In the first of a series to further explore and differentiate the regulatory bodies and rating agencies overseeing the insurance industry, this podcast presents a conversation with Matthew Mosher, MAAA, FCAS, CERA, President and CEO of AM Best Rating Services. Matt presents an overview of the goals of and approaches taken to evaluate insurance companies with a focus on the important considerations for financial reporting actuaries and how they assist the relationship between AM Best and the companies under review.

Join Jim Cristallo, FSA and Chris Smith, ASA for an insightful discussion as they dive into the topics of entrepreneurship, blockchain, baseball cards, and - of course - tips and tools for early-career actuaries.

Roger Loomis interviews Stephanie Moench about her research supporting the exploration of a statewide Long Term Care insurance program in California.

This is the first episode in a new mini-series, “Return to Trees”. In this series, Shea and Anders will be covering tree-based algorithms, including single decision trees, Random Forests, and Gradient Boosting Machines. In this episode, we discuss the rationale for re-visiting these models, which were covered in older podcast episodes in the mid-2010s, as well as an overview of what’s to come in the remaining episodes of the mini-series.

Prepare for a dynamic conversation on the YPAC podcast as host Silver Zhou, FSA, engages in a rich discussion with special guest, Kelly Hennigan, FSA, CFA, a leader in business who transitioned away from traditional actuarial roles. From the impactful influence of mentors on career paths, navigating trust in the workplace, and the intricacies of working with non-actuaries, this episode promises special insights and perspective. Also, discover the secrets of staying motivated and dedicated to giving back to the profession as Kelly shares her experiences as a longtime volunteer.

Listen to Ashlee Borcan and Jennifer Howard of Milliman discuss the past, present and future of critical illness insurance.  This podcast is based on the article, “Critical Illness Turns 40!”, written by Ashlee and Jennifer.

Jeff Johnson, The Actuarial Foundation immediate past board chairperson talks with Andy Ferris, current board chairperson and incoming board chairperson, Sharon Robinson about the vital work being done by the Foundation. The group highlights how the Foundation’s advancement efforts positively influence the lives of our students and how the actuarial community drives our impact. Visit the https://actuarialfoundation.org/ for more information.

Dive deep into the world of healthcare data with industry experts discussing the groundbreaking machine-readable files, unraveling hospital charges, discounted cash prices, and negotiated rates with health plans. Learn about the positive applications and pitfalls within these extensive datasets, gaining valuable insights from experts who have navigated the complexities of transparency in coverage.

In this podcast, fast-rising leader in the reinsurance space, Stephen Abrokwah Ph.D, FSA, CERA, MAAA, shares some general knowledge about reinsurance and delves a bit more into his own career journey and experience as a client-facing reinsurance Actuary.

It's a new year and a new episode! Listen in as Ryan Wodarski, ASA, and host Chris Smith, ASA, discuss how to stand out to employers, transition successfully from the ASA to the FSA exam track, and plenty of other tips for early career actuaries.

In this podcast episode, Jonas Brobbey hosts Elizabeth Dietrich FSA, CERA, MAAA, who takes us through her career journey from Actuary to CFO and provides actionable tips on navigating and forging a successful career as an Actuary.   

Join Vy Le, FSA, CERA and Chris Smith, ASA for a great discussion of topics that include pursuing your passions (both at work and outside of it), the value of education and the SOA exam track, and - of course - tips and tools for early-career actuaries.

Join Roberto Gomez, ASA, and Kiu Yuen, FSA, as they explore the Actuarial world within Latin America with their expert panel in this two-part episode.

This discussion promises a rich conversation covering topics like the journey of becoming an actuary, the role of SOA in Latin America, and the myriad career paths that actuaries can embark upon. Whether you're an aspiring actuary or an industry professional, this episode is your gateway to understanding the nuances of being an actuary in Latin America.

Please enjoy our Spanish introduction by our Host, Roberto Gomez, ASA!

Discover the role that a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has in insurance product development in our two-part podcast series. Experts Joe Alaimo and Chris Siudzinski explore how MVP and agile software development can innovate insurance solutions.

Discover the role that a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has in insurance product development in our two-part podcast series. Experts Joe Alaimo and Chris Siudzinski explore how MVP and agile software development can innovate insurance solutions.

Are the many new biologic drugs that launch each year bringing the clinical innovation that patients desperately need or the financial doom that healthcare benefit plan sponsors and their members cannot afford?  Or both?  What are biosimilar drugs and how can they help?  This podcast and its related series of articles in Health Watch helps actuaries better understand the potential clinical and financial impact that the coming wave of biosimilars could have on our healthcare system and how plan sponsors can best leverage it for their populations.

In this podcast, Jackie Lee interviews Milliman Principal Gabriela Dieguez on the highlights of the Inflation Reduction Act and how it is shaping Medicare Part D, the largest prescription drug program in the world.

Join Jennifer Lang, FIAA and Chris Smith, ASA for a great discussion on this latest episode of the Actuary of the Future section’s podcast for aspiring actuaries. Topics include actuaries’ intersection with the field of data science, our role in helping manage the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and - of course - tips and tools for early-career actuaries.

Discover the role that a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has in insurance product development in our two-part podcast series. Experts Joe Alaimo and Chris Siudzinski explore how MVP and agile software development can innovate insurance solutions.

Discover the role that a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) has in insurance product development in our two-part podcast series. Experts Joe Alaimo and Chris Siudzinski explore how MVP and agile software development can innovate insurance solutions.

Join Roberto Gomez, ASA, and Kiu Yuen, FSA, as they explore the Actuarial world within Latin America with their expert panel within a two part episode. This discussion promises a rich conversation covering topics like the journey of becoming an actuary, the role of SOA in Latin America, and the myriad career paths that actuaries can embark upon. Whether you're an aspiring actuary or an industry professional, this episode is your gateway to understanding the nuances of being an actuary in Latin America.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 of this episode, releasing in December.

Please enjoy our Spanish introduction by our Host, Roberto Gomez, ASA!

After being in effect for over three years, the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) expired in May 2023. From the start of the PHE, state Medicaid programs applied continuous coverage (or non-termination) requirements to access additional federal matching funds provided through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 ended the Medicaid continuous coverage requirements in March 2023, disconnecting the federal match requirements from the PHE. This change was projected to result in millions of individuals losing their Medicaid coverage, raising questions about significant short-term and long-term impacts on state Medicaid programs and other health insurance markets.  During this podcast, our guests discuss where we are over a year into the unwinding of the continuous coverage requirements, as well as the projected effects on health coverage for the Medicaid population. Presenters also shared considerations for addressing the unwinding in Medicaid managed care capitation rate-setting.

Join Morgan Zuidema, FSA, and Bryon Robidoux as they take you into the world of SOA Sections. Uncover the practical insights, tools, and strategies that can help you leverage Sections to advance your professional journey through becoming a "Friend of a Section". Gain a comprehensive understanding of what Sections are, their tangible benefits, and how they can be a pivotal asset in shaping your career for success.

In this captivating podcast, Joe Alaimo, CEO of ProComp, sits down with ChatGPT, one of the most advanced AI models, to delve into the future of the actuarial profession.  ChatGPT provides thought-provoking insights and predictions on where the profession is headed, the challenges that lie ahead, and the opportunities that come with embracing innovation.

Whether you're a seasoned actuary, a student, or just someone fascinated by the intersection of AI and actuarial science, this podcast offers a fresh perspective unlike any other. Tune in to stay ahead of the curve and be part of the conversation shaping the next chapter of the actuarial world.

In the conclusion of a four-part series, Bruce Schobel and Geof Hileman discuss what lies ahead for the Social Security program. The trust funds are projected to be depleted around 2034, but what does that really mean for beneficiaries? And what can be done?

In Part 3 of a four-part series, Bruce Schobel and Geof Hileman dive deep into some of the finer calculation details related to Social Security benefits. If you don't know what a bend point or a COLA is, this episode is for you.