This is my profession. I work for an insurance company, using patterns from the past to predict the future. My job is to make sure that the rates are adequate. If my colleagues and I fail, some loss down the road could financially ruin my company. Does that sound like a lot of pressure? Well, it's not. My job is often considered to be one of the best in the country. There are very few actuaries, meaning high demand and high compensation. It is often low pressure, and at the same time, your job can expose you to so many departments in the company.
To become a full-fledged actuary, you must become a Fellow in a recognized society. In the USA, the two foremost of these are the Society of Actuaries and the Casualty Actuarial Society. (I'm presently pursuing the CAS track.) Both societies require you to pass a series of 8 - 10 tests. This process can take years. But with each exam you pass comes a sizeable pay raise.
Intrigued? Here's a website with more information: Be an Actuary.
Visit the Actuarial Rebel Outpost to engage in discussions with real actuaries. This is the busiest actuarial discussion forum in existence. Here, you can discuss all things actuarial, or you can shoot the breeze in Non-Actuarial Topics or Political Issues. Be sure to check out my Dead Thread in The Reef.
My Progress in the CAS: Exams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Modules VE, VF, VS
Seminar PC
I'm now studying for Exam 7 - Just one more exam to ACAS!!!
These are my study notes for Exam 7. Want to see what kinds of things actuaries have to study? Click on one of the following links and find out:
Master Outline - A list of the syllabus material, and the order the notes appear in the following files.
Exam7-A.doc - Background Law.
Exam7-B.doc - Regulation of Insurance.
Exam7-C.doc - Government and Industry Insurance Programs.
Exam7-D.doc - Financial Reporting and Taxation.
Old Material - This is stuff taken off the syllabus from last year, but may still provide useful information.