Research Insights, A Society Of Actuaries Podcast

In the Mix for 2026: Research Goals and Personal Milestones from the Research Institute Kick off the new year with Part 2 of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Holiday Season podcast series, hosted by Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research. In this special episode, Dale is joined by a full panel of SOA researchers and team members—including Achilles Natsis, Joe Alaimo, Kara Clark, Lisa Schilling, Nicole Anagnos, Patrick Nolan, Philip Adams, Rob Montgomery, and Steve Siegel—as they look ahead to 2026. Each guest shares professional ambitions across key areas like health care, mortality, annuities, AI, climate, and retirement—along with a few fun personal resolutions for the year ahead. From expanding research on GLP-1s and longevity to launching new studies in mortality and long-term care, this episode is filled with energy, insights, and optimism for the actuarial profession in 2026.

In this special holiday episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights Podcast, host Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research, is joined by the full research team to reflect on the biggest developments of 2025. Featuring voices from across the Institute—including Achilles Natsis, Joe Alaimo, Kara Clark, Lisa Schilling, Nicole Anagnos, Patrick Nolan, Philip Adams, Rob Montgomery, and Steve Siegel—this festive episode highlights key research across areas such as artificial intelligence, climate risks, mortality and longevity, diversity and inclusion, health care trends, retirement, and more. The team shares personal reflections, professional milestones, and insights into some of the year's most impactful research projects—from the ACA@15 report and AI in health care, to experience studies and socioeconomic mortality trends. Major global and actuarial risks are also revisited, including climate events, geopolitical shifts, and the rise of advanced AI technologies.

In this December Classic episode of Research Insights, host Dale Hall revisits a timely and impactful conversation originally released on July 23, 2018. The episode explores the U.S. Human Mortality Database and highlights the critical value of long-term, reliable mortality records in understanding population health. As we mark Universal Health Coverage Day this December, this episode serves as a compelling reminder that strong health systems depend on strong data. From identifying mortality patterns to analyzing longevity trends, this discussion offers insights that are essential for designing equitable and sustainable health coverage for all. Listeners will hear how mortality data shapes policy and actuarial practice—and why it matters now more than ever.

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the SOA Research Institute, welcomes Geralyn Trujillo, Senior Director of Public Policy at the American Academy of Actuaries. Together, they provide an insightful recap of the 2025 NAIC Fall Meeting held in Hollywood, Florida, December 8-11, 2025. The discussion covers key takeaways from the meeting, including updates from the SOA on climate-related research such as climate-induced migration, sea level rise, and wildfires, as well as important developments in long-term care experience studies and global mortality experience studies from Canada and China. Tune in for a deep dive into the issues shaping regulatory, policy, and actuarial landscapes in the U.S. and globally.

Classic Replay: Medicaid Managed Care – Considerations in Calculating Margin In recognition of National Family Caregivers Month, we're re-releasing this classic episode from June 26, 2017. Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries, is joined by Steve Siegel, SOA Research Actuary, and Sarah Tepema of Health Care Service Corporation. The conversation explores the SOA's report "Medicaid Managed Care Organizations: Considerations in Calculating Margin in Rate Setting." Listeners will gain insight into how states structure capitation rates for MCOs, how margins are defined and used beyond just profit, and the real-world impacts these margins have on Medicaid programs—especially important for populations relying heavily on caregivers. For more information on this report visit:  https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2017/medicaid-margins/

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries, explores the 2019 Individual Life Insurance Mortality Experience Report with two expert guests: Jim Toole, FSA, CERA, MAAA, Chief Luminary at Aurora Actuarial, and Philip Adams, FSA, CERA, MAAA, Senior Experience Studies Actuary at the SOA Research Institute. They discuss the significant shifts in mortality trends from 2012 through 2019, including the dominance of level premium term insurance, the introduction of expanded preferred underwriting classes, and the increase in older age issue ages. The conversation also highlights the transition of data collection from MIB to the NAIC, and how predictive analytics like boosted decision trees and vine copulas were leveraged for data validation and insights. Actuaries will find insights into how these findings can support pricing, reserving, and risk management efforts, along with resources such as Tableau dashboards and downl

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, host Kara Clark, Senior Research Actuary at the SOA Research Institute, is joined by Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita. Together, they discuss Chapter 10: Catastrophes from the paper Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, authored by Yair Babad and Al Klein for the 2023 Living to 100 Symposium. This episode dives into the complex and varied effects that catastrophes—natural, man-made, and biological—have on mortality. Topics include wildfires, droughts, war, terrorism, pandemics, and the challenges actuaries face when modeling these unpredictable yet impactful events. This is the final chapter in the podcast series based on this important research paper. To explore the full series and access the original report, visit the landing page:  https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2025/longterm-drivers-futuremort-podseries/ 

Classic Replay: Takaful—An Alternative Approach to Insurance In recognition of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute is re-releasing a compelling episode from the Research Insights Podcast archive: “Takaful: An Alternative Approach to Insurance.” In this conversation, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the SOA Research Institute, sits down with consulting actuary and author Shariq Sikander, FSA, FPSA, CERA, to explore how Takaful—a Shari’ah-compliant, cooperative insurance model—embodies principles of ethical investing, surplus sharing, and community support. Together, they discuss how this values-based system not only aligns with cultural and religious beliefs but also promotes financial inclusion and poverty alleviation across global markets. As we reflect on the importance of economic empowerment and access to financial protection, this classic episode reminds us how innovation in insurance can help build more equitable systems—ones desig

In this episode of the Research Insights Podcast, host Kara Clark, Senior Practice Research Actuary, is joined by returning guests Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita. Together, they explore Chapter 9 of the SOA Research Institute’s paper, Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, which focuses on the environment’s influence on mortality. This compelling conversation unpacks how pollution, chemical exposure, and climate-related events such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts are shaping mortality risks—both today and in the future. With a focus on geographic disparities and socioeconomic vulnerability, the discussion also highlights the actuarial implications of these long-term environmental trends. This podcast is part of a special series supporting the SOA Research Institute paper Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality.

Classic Replay: Actuaries with Unconventional Second Acts In celebration of International Literacy Day, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute is re-releasing a standout episode from the Research Insights Podcast archive. This inspiring conversation features actuarial “rock stars” Greg Jacobs and Shane Chalke, who share their extraordinary career journeys and the second acts that followed. Greg found new purpose as a scuba instructor, while Shane transitioned into the world of jazz music! Hosted by Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, this episode explores how storytelling and life experiences contribute to professional literacy. Tune in for a fresh listen to this memorable episode that reminds us how actuaries can turn their analytical skills into creative, purpose-filled pursuits. Send us your feedback at ResearchInsights@soa.org

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, host Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research at the SOA Research Institute, welcomes Geralyn Trujillo, Senior Director of Public Policy at the American Academy of Actuaries. Together, they provide a timely and insightful recap of the NAIC Summer Meeting, held August 10–13, 2025, in Minneapolis. This episode highlights key regulatory discussions, actuarial research presented at CASTF, HATF, and LATF, and emerging issues such as climate-induced migration, the application of machine learning and high-resolution imagery in property insurance, and updated experience studies across disability, annuity, life, and long-term care lines. Listeners are encouraged to explore more details from the meeting once the recap is published by visiting the SOA Select Articles from E-Newsletters landing page.  Tune in for expert insights on where actuarial science meets public policy! Send us your feedbback at ResearchInsights@soa.org 

In this episode of the Research Insights Podcast, Kara Clark, Senior Practice Research Actuary at the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, is joined by Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita, to explore Chapter 8: Technological Advances from the paper Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality. This engaging conversation examines how emerging technologies — including wearable tech, bioelectronics, robotics, nanotechnology, predictive analytics, and artificial intelligence — are influencing longevity and reshaping the future of mortality forecasting. Through a lively and insightful discussion, the hosts highlight both the opportunities and challenges posed by technology. Topics range from health-monitoring wearables to ethical concerns around AI and equity of access. This episode provides valuable considerations for actuaries modeling the long-term impacts of rapidly evolving innovations. This podcast is part of a special series s

Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality – Medical Advances Guests: Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary, Milliman Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer, Club Vita In this episode of the Research Insights podcast, Kara Clark is joined by Al Klein and Erik Pickett to explore Chapter 7 of the report Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality. This chapter dives into the crucial role medical advances play in shaping future mortality trends. The discussion covers major 20th-century breakthroughs, today’s promising developments in genetics, biomedicine, medical technology, and electronic health records—and the barriers that could limit their impact. With a forward-looking perspective, the guests reflect on how actuaries can model mortality improvements while accounting for accessibility, adoption rates, and societal behavior.

This classic edition of the Research Insights Podcast, originally published in July 2020, revisits a timely discussion on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in actuarial work. Guest host Gwen Weng, FSA, speaks with the late Neil Raden—founder of Hired Brains and author of the featured report. We republish this episode in tribute to Neil’s thoughtful contributions to the profession. Neil Raden Obituary Questions or comments? Email us at researchinsights@soa.org  Report Landing Page:  Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence

In this special episode of the Research Insights Podcast, Dale Hall, Managing Director of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, honors the legacy of James C.H. Anderson—a pioneering actuary and visionary in the insurance world. Joining Dale are four esteemed guests who personally knew and worked with Jim: Jay Jaffe, FSA, MAAA, President of Reinsurance Administration, Ltd. Jim MacGinnitie, former Chief Economist of the American Council of Life Insurers Mike Tuohy, Managing Director at Tillinghast Ron Butkiewicz, CEO of First Penn Pacific Together, they reflect on Jim's groundbreaking contributions, including his revolutionary work in gross premium calculations, profit measurement, and the development of Universal Life products. From his early days at Abbey Life to influential consulting roles in London and Atlanta, Jim’s ideas reshaped insurance regulation, product development, and actuarial practice for decades to come. Further Resources to Explore James C. H. Anderson’s Legacy: Gross Premium Calcu

In Episode 6 of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute’s podcast series Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, Kara Clark is joined by Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita, to discuss the pivotal role of health care in shaping future mortality outcomes. Drawing from the SOA Research Institute report presented at the 2023 Living to 100 Symposium, this episode dives into Chapter 6, which examines health care systems across the globe—from universal government-funded models to private nonuniversal systems—and their implications for access, treatment, prevention, and long-term outcomes. The conversation explores technological innovation, systemic disparities, and the actuarial lens on future health care challenges.

In honor of National Safety Month, the Society of Actuaries is re-releasing its very first Research Insights podcast — a foundational conversation that still resonates today. Dale Hall, FSA, CERA, MAAA, Managing Director of Research, introduces the episode, which highlights the findings from the 2017 SOA report, "Analysis of Opioid Overdose Death Trends in the United States." This conversation explores key mortality trends, risk factors, and how actuarial analysis can support public health efforts, especially in tackling the opioid crisis. It’s a timely reflection during a month dedicated to reducing preventable harm. Explore the original report here: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2017/2017-opioid-overdose-deaths-us/ Send us your feedback at ResearchInsights@soa.org

In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Insights Podcast, Dale Hall, Managing Director of Research and Lisa Schilling, Director of Practice Research, at the SOA Research Institute, are joined by the 2025 Student Research Case Study Challenge champions from the University of Waterloo—William Zhang, Ki Yan Chan, and Kevin Jiang. These future actuaries—competing as Team Factuarial—share their winning experience, from initial exploration of complex flood insurance datasets to delivering clear, policy-relevant recommendations. They reflect on their challenges, the insights gained through expert mentorship, and how the competition has shaped their perspective on actuarial work beyond numbers and into public policy. Learn more about the competition, review finalist papers, and discover how to get involved in next year’s challenge by visiting the landing page:  https://www.soa.org/research/opportunities/2025-student-research-case-study-challenge/ Send us your feedback at ResearchInsights@soa.org

In the fifth episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's special podcast series on the Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, host Kara Clark, Senior Practice Research Actuary, is joined by Al Klein, Principal and Consulting Actuary at Milliman and co-author of the featured report, and Erik Pickett, Actuary and Chief Content Officer at Club Vita. This episode explores diseases as critical drivers of future mortality. Topics include chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer; mental health and neurodegenerative diseases; and the ongoing threats of infectious diseases and pandemics. The speakers highlight how evolving medical treatments, shifting demographics, and public health infrastructure influence mortality projections—and the implications these have for actuaries. This conversation is grounded in Chapter Five: Diseases from the report, Long-Term Drivers of Future Mortality, originally presented at the 2023 Living to 100 Symposium.