Technology and Risk Management

The Allianz Group is using Google Earth to aid their risk management process -- a wonderful way to gain insight into their geographic risk clusters.

- Rick

Life Securitization

A nice article from Business Week titled "Profiting from Mortality." Securitization is an evolving area on both the casualty and life sides of the insurance industry. There are lots of adjectives that different people might apply to this "death bond" concept: important, complex, macabre,... It's an area with which many actuaries will want to become more familiar.

- Rick

Tough Times for Quants

An article from the Washington Post on Wall Street quants, and the recent market volatilty.

- Rick

Dental Insurance Isn't Painless

Wow.

Several amazing aspects to this story... But make sure you fully appreciate the bottom line: the insurer not only had to cover the out-of-court settlement, but was also ordered to pay $750,000 to the dentist.

- Rick

The Road to Near-Reality

Think simulation and modeling capabilities are improving every day?

Here's some persuasive evidence: a Wired article about EA Sports' "NCAA 08 Football" video game, which now has the capability of feeding and factoring into the game the real-time weather conditions of the selected stadium.

- Rick