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Deadline Extended: Call for Essays on Ratemaking Topics

The Casualty Actuarial Society is pleased to announce a peer-reviewed call for essays on ratemaking topics.

Ratemaking is a major area of expertise for casualty actuaries; therefore, we find developing and fostering timely, relevant, and high-quality research important. The Ratemaking Essay Program is offered to further these goals and to provide additional material for basic and continuing education purposes. We will review essays for acceptance based upon:

  1. Originality of ideas;
  2. Clear presentation of concepts;
  3. Contribution to the ratemaking literature;
  4. Thoroughness of ideas expressed; and
  5. Timeliness, relevance and applicability of research.

We may invite authors of published essays to present their work at the 2022 Ratemaking and Product Management (RPM) Seminar, depending on expected date of publication.  In addition, we will publish the essays in the CAS E-Forum, and we will also make them available on the CAS web site prior to the RPM Seminar. A total prize fund of $4,000 is available for essays submitted in response to the call. Both CAS members and non-members are invited to submit essays.

We welcome essays on any ratemaking topic, however, papers should focus on the Considerations listed in the CAS Statement of Principles Regarding Property and Casualty Ratemaking. Suggested ratemaking topics based on current events and topics that deserve new or continued research are listed below.

Modern analytical methods:

  • Detecting risk factors in unstructured data (telematics, photos, text, etc) using deep learning
  • Applying Deep Learning to Catastrophe Models
  • Using Alternative Risk Transfer methods in Catastrophe ratemaking
  • Explaining / interpreting ML Methods for Ratemaking
  • Measuring credibility of predictive models
  • Transitioning from non-GLM to GLM-based rating
  • Using neural networks for trend models (LSTM RNN’s, transformers)
  • Non-linear modeling techniques


Emerging risks:

  • Pricing and/or coverage terms for pandemic risk
  • Alternate risk transfer mechanisms for pandemic risk
  • Data pre-processsing techniques to de-bias ratemaking models
  • Measurement of disparate impact in ratemaking models
  • Applying lessons learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic response
  • Quantifying operational risk
  • Ratemaking for coverages with little or no data – cyber, autonomous vehicles, landlord rent default, the next pandemic

Deadline for Completed Essays is November 1, 2021
Each essay should be no more than three pages (approximately 2,000 words or less).

Essays will be published on the CAS website by December 2021, and authors may be invited to present their essay during a concurrent session at the 2022 RPM Seminar.

A group of reviewers will make the final determination of which essays are published, which authors are invited to present their essays, and whether any essays will be recognized with an award from the prize fund.

Please submit essays via email to Karen Sonnet at ksonnet@casact.org with the subject line “2021 Ratemaking Call for Essays”.