Time is not on your side when you are producing a bimonthly magazine — especially when there is late-breaking news to cover. As a bimonthly publication, Actuarial Review has nowhere near the punishing pace of a daily, weekly or even monthly publication. So, it is challenging when a big story disrupts the schedule.
You may have heard that the CAS and the SOA are talking about combining into one organization. In this issue of AR, we are covering the news story and including some opinions on the topic.
AR is committed to offering a balance of opinions; however, this issue features only one item advocating for the proposal and two pieces that do not: Respectively, these pieces are an addendum to the President’s Message by CAS President Brian Brown; an In My Opinion (IMO) column by AR’s Editor in Chief Grover Edie; and a From the Readers letter by longtime CAS member and former CAS Vice President-Administration Ken Quintilian.
In the best-case scenario, I would have another IMO to counter Grover Edie’s piece. My consolation for this deficiency, however, is that there are numerous resources promoting the combining of the two actuarial Societies. Over the past few weeks, CAS members have been informed through the CAS Weekly E-Bulletin, a virtual town hall with presidents of both Societies, in-person town halls and the Stronger as One website, strongerasone.net.
Should the proposal pass both CAS and SOA Boards in November, AR shall balance the equation in its January/February 2019 issue to include opinions for and against and possibly one neutral (if such a position exists).
At the end of the day, AR’s duty is to the members of the Casualty Actuarial Society. We take no position on the combination. We encourage all members to study the proposal and make up their own minds. Read the Actuarial Outpost and the Stronger as One website. Talk to your colleagues and CAS Board members.
On behalf of the CAS staff and the volunteers who put this magazine together, thank you for reading.
