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Ethical Issues Forum

Learning Your ABCDs

Editor's Note: This article is part of a series written by members of the CAS Committee on Professionalism Education (COPE) and the Actuarial Board of Counseling and Discipline (ABCD). The opinions expressed by readers and authors are for discussion purposes only and should not be used to prejudge the disposition of any actual case or modify published professional standards as they may apply in real-life situations.

A section of the material used in the Course on Profes-sionalism Education (COPE) addresses the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline (ABCD). To date, however, only one-half of the CAS membership has taken the COPE. Test your knowledge by taking the following "exam" related to the operation and structure of the ABCD.

  1. The ABCD is part of which of the following organizations:
    1. American Academy of Actuaries
    2. Casualty Actuarial Society
    3. Society of Actuaries
    4. none of the above—It is an independent body
  2. The ABCD has authority to handle matters related to practice in the United States by Canadian actuaries.
    1. True
    2. False
  3. The ABCD has expelled casualty actuaries in the past.
    1. True
    2. False
  4. Prior to the ABCD, an actuary who was a member of more than one professional organization could be investigated:
    1. exclusively by the organization most related to the practice at question.
    2. exclusively by the American Academy of Actuaries
    3. by the Board of Actuarial Discipline
    4. by multiple organizations
  5. In order to uphold the reputation of the profession, all disciplinary recommendations are public; private reprimands are not an option.
    1. True
    2. False
  6. ABCD Members are:
    1. elected
    2. appointed by the Board of the American Academy of Actuaries
    3. appointed by a committee of president/president elects of the participating organizations.
    4. appointed by the United States Congress
  7. All requests for guidance from ABCD are brought before the full board to ensure consistency.
    1. True
    2. False
  8. The address of the official Web Site of the ABCD is:
    1. www.abcdboard.org
    2. www.wecanhelp.org
    3. www.abcdefgh.org
    4. www.throwthemout.org
  9. The ABCD only accepts complaints directly from which group?
    1. Credentialed actuaries
    2. Credentialed actuaries and actuarial students with at least three full exams.
    3. Officers of the participating organizations
    4. Anyone may file a complaint with the ABCD.

The answers are provided at the end of this article; grade yourself. If your score is:

8-9—You are exceptionally well informed and a credit to the CAS (and likely an ABCD member).

6-7—You are better informed about the ABCD than most of your peers.

< 6— You are a good candidate to visit the ABCD Web Site (remember www.abcdboard.org).

Answer Guide

1. D

2. A

3. B—The ABCD can not impose discipline, but only recommend it when appropriate.

4. D

5. B—A private reprimand option was added effective January 1, 1999 but is currently only an option for CAS members.

6. C

7. B

8. A—OK, this was a gimme.

9. D