Philadelphia to Host 2004 Ratemaking Seminar

by Robert F. Wolf, Chairperson, Committee on the Ratemaking Seminar

CAS members, actuarial students, and guests are invited to the 2004 Ratemaking Seminar in Philadelphia. The seminar will be held March 11-12 at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza, and boasts several "all-new" sessions and tracks with an international emphasis and an expanded introductory track.

The general sessions will discuss the underwriting cycle, how it affects pricing actuaries, and some tools that actuaries can use to combat its effects. The cycle phenomena as well as insurance crises of the past, present, and future will be included in the discussion. A panel discussion will be held during these times on whether the underwriting cycle is an inevitable part of doing business and if industry crises, such as the current crises in medical malpractice, are necessary components of the underwriting cycle. With greater scrutiny of accounting and actuarial projections now the norm, the 2004 Ratemaking Seminar promises to offer important information for actuaries and others interested in ratemaking.

The various concurrent sessions are rated according to the audience knowledge and experience levels. The expanded introductory track will cover standard ratemaking procedures, including an introduction to the use of generalized linear models. Intermediate and advanced sessions will cover topics related to emerging technology and data management; current financial and economic considerations relating to updated research on risk, return, and the cost of capital; and issues related specifically to ratemaking lines of business such as workers compensation, commercial lines, and personal lines. Tracks covering regulatory issues and reinsurance are also provided, and several papers from the 2004 Call for Ratemaking Discussion Papers will be presented.

Look for information on the CAS Web Site and in the mail in late December or early January. See you there!