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Library notices

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) Library reports matters of current interest to IFoA students and members about the library service and member facilities at the IFoA offices:

eLibrary resources available while IFoA Libraries are closed

The IFoA has a policy in place in response to the Coronavirus outbreak, please read it regarding IFoA offices, operations and events during current changing circumstances and following new government and public health advice.

Both IFoA Edinburgh and IFoA London member lounges and library areas are currently closed, and the Libraries cannot lend printed books, with apologies for the inconvenience. Please consider existing books on loan issued to 31 July 2020.

Please read below for access to the IFoA eLibrary and Actuarial Knowledge Hub and routes to online resources for study, professional development and research. Follow links to 'eBook collection' and 'eBook Central', two providers of eBooks, or search the Hub for topic keywords to retrieve articles from subscribed journals.

 

Library resources for IFoA exams

The Curriculum from 2019 guides students to supporting resources for respective subjects as they prepare for IFoA examinations in the new syllabus. For most examination subjects, the IFoA Library offers 'Resources' pages listing suggested additional reading and references. These can complement subject syllabus study and there are also some textbooks that form core reading for examinations CB2 and SP9:

Resources for:  CB1 -- CB2 || CM1 -- CM2 || CS1 -- CS2 || CP2 ||

Resources for:  SP4 || SP5 || SP6 || SP7 || SP8 || SP9 ||

Resources for:  SA1 || SA2 || SA3 || SA4 || SA7 (now replaces former SA5 and SA6) ||

After member login to the Actuarial Knowledge Hub, IFoA members and students can follow 'Access ebook' links to book titles listed on the Resources pages for each exam subjects.

Staple Inn Actuarial Society papers. The SIAS website also offers a news page for students to find these SIAS papers suggested for additional reading for SA exam subjects. Click on the exam subject to reveal SIAS papers of interest.

The Economist country reports

By licence with The Economist Intelligence Unit, the IFoA Library offers access to the latest EIU country report for the United Kingdom, France, Germany, United States, China and Japan to support students preparing the IFoA SA7 exam with background reading on recent trends. All members can access the latest country report as issued after member login first to the IFoA website, and following the links to the respective reports that will show on the 'Resources for Subject SA7 Investment and Finance Advanced' page. There is no access to archived or previous country reports so it is advised to login regularly for the latest monthly or yearly report.

IFoA eLibrary and new 'Actuarial Knowledge Hub'

The eLibrary is now available to members and affiliates who login via the IFoA website with their IFoA member credentials here. Upon login, IFoA members open the 'Actuarial Knowledge Hub', an integrated research portal.  The Hub brings together several distinct sources of research in actuarial science in one search:

  • The online journals and ebooks available to IFoA members;
  • The valuable catalogue of over 30,000 abstracts and references from journals worldwide built up over many decades by library staff;
  • The IFoA library catalogue and its 20,000 records of hard copy holdings;
  • A complete index of Actuary magazine features;
  • The catalogue of historic rare books collected by the Faculty and Institute since their formation and added to this day on the history and development of actuarial science;
  • Thousands of relevant references from research databases across the world.

Among the journal collections available are archives of the Annals of Actuarial Science and British Actuarial Journal and also the European Actuarial Journal, the Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, the Journal of Risk and Insurance, the North American Actuarial Journal, and the Scandinavian Actuarial Journal.

Members also have access to over 300 eBooks, from titles to support exam reading to insurance, pensions, risk management and general business books. 

Upon request, the IFoA Library Service can set up individual 'Athens' accounts for non-members registered to sit the IFoA's next CM1 or SP9 exams for a limited period.

To find out more contact the library service at libraries@actuaries.org.uk or access the Knowledge Hub as a guest user at http://discovery.actuaries.org.uk. to find references for research on your subject enquiry.

IFoA Library catalogue

The Library Service now offers an upgraded online library catalogue which covers all library resources and now includes historical holdings published before 1901 that can be viewed at the Library by arrangement . Members and affiliates can send a 'Request' to the IFoA Library Service to borrow selected results of those printed resources available for loan or export selected catalogue references into a reading list. Access the Library catalogue at: http://library.actuaries.org.uk

The library offers search links to new additions to its catalogue by broad subjects. Alternatively this search of the catologue new publications finds added books and ebooks published since 2017.

External study: Arrangements for IFoA students to use external university and other local library facilities

IFoA students seeking alternative library study space can apply to local university libraries for a non-university library card subject to their admissions policy. The IFoA Library can provide a letter of introduction to support your application to a university or another library facility - please contact libraries@actuaries.org.uk.

Please note that university libraries prioritise access and study spaces for their students especially during busier university exam periods.

International Actuarial Association, Actuaries Without Borders – ‘Book drive’ donation scheme

Do you have textbooks no longer used from past exam study? The IAA has a ‘Book drive’ scheme inviting those wishing to pledge book titles listed as requested by overseas universities for their actuarial courses. Financial donations to the scheme are also welcome.

Contact Details

For any library enquiries please contact:

libraries@actuaries.org.uk

We try to respond to email queries within one working day. Researcher access to historical resources may require notice in advance of visit in order to retrieve items from storage.

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Events calendar

  • Finance on Trial: Climate Liability Risk and the coming Wave of Legal Challenges

    Webinar
    13 July 2020

    Spaces available

    This webinar is intended to raise awareness of the shifting landscape of climate liability risk and what it means for actuaries, including how it impacts on their professional and legal duties. Presentations will cover the legal risks around climate change for investment consultants and actuaries advising DB pension schemes as well as consideration of climate risk for insurers.

  • Finance and Investment Webinar: Incorporating Climate Change in Analytical Tools

    Webinar
    14 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Climate change risks are likely to become material for many risk management and investment decisions. This will require to incorporate explicitly climate change in the tools used for risk management and investment decisions. At present existing climate change tools are often too crude for decision making.

  • Current Issues in Life Assurance (CILA) Webinar series

    Webinar Series
    15 July 2020 - 3 August 2020

    Spaces available

    CILA is one of the pre-eminent events in the annual 'Life' calendar. Due to COVID-19 we are running the programme as a series of webinars covering topics aimed at practicing life actuaries from life offices, consulting firms and other employers of actuaries and those who work in or advise on, the life assurance market in the UK and Europe.

  • CILA Webinar - Growing Pains: Taking the Strain

    Webinar
    15 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Current Issues in Life Assurance

    For annuity writers, a key challenge is the need to fund capital-consumptive new business strain (NBS) as a consequence of writing the business intended to fund future distributions.

    Reinsurance, investment strategy and capital provision all have roles to play. Here, we:

  • CILA Webinar - 2020 Mortality Developments Across the Profession

    Webinar
    16 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Current Issues in Life Assurance

    Mortality in 2020 is now dominated by one thing, although – in our future-focused world – the pandemic is just one of many mortality considerations.  In this session, three well-regarded mortality/longevity specialists provide an overview of:

  • Webinar - Panel discussion: How banks are responding to the Covid-19 pandemic

    Webinar
    16 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Because of Covid-19, forecasters predict a severe recession in 2020, followed by a V or U-shaped recovery. This impacts both individuals and companies. However, compared to previous recessions, the impact on banks of higher credit losses should be mitigated to some extent by government actions. 

  • PHC Conference webinar: Impactability Modelling for Population Health Management

    Webinar
    20 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Part of the Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020 webinar series

    This session will provide an overview of the Population Health Management Working Party's research including defining impactability and impactability modelling, discussing some examples of specific modelling approaches, considering the practical challenges across the NHS as well as wider public perception and ethical issues.

  • Finance and Investment Webinar: A Career in Finance and Investment

    Webinar
    21 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Many actuaries consider career opportunities in the Finance and Investment practice area after having started off in more traditional actuarial roles such as valuations, capital management or pricing. This session is aimed at helping actuaries to better understand roles in Finance and Investment and how they can fine tune their skills to pursue such careers.

  • Mortality and Longevity Webinar Series 2020

    Webinar Series
    22 July 2020 - 10 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Due to COVID-19, we are running this programme via a series of webinars commencing 22nd July.

    This webinar series will provide topical and practical updates and discussion on the latest thinking and innovations in mortality and longevity, and is designed to be very accessible to a broad range of experience.

     

  • Mortality and Longevity Webinar: Towards Precision Insurance: dynamic hazards modelling in Big Data

    Webinar
    23 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Predictive risk assessment and risk stratification models based on postcode-level consumer classification are widely used for life insurance underwriting. However, these are socio-economic models not directly related to health information. Similar to precision medicine, precision life insurance should aim to tailor policy pricing/reserving to the individual health characteristics of each client.

  • Modelling Dangers – What to look out for in Terms of Poor Model Selection and Calibration

    Webinar
    27 July 2020

    Spaces available

    As insurers look towards their internal model calibration process for 2020 final year financials and statutory returns, actuaries need to deal with the complexity of adequately modelling their business in 2020 and beyond. This discussion will look at what poor model selection and calibration could look like – using inappropriate historical data; using incorrect 2020 mortality data; inappropriate stochastic model recalibration (or lack thereof). What about being prudent vs setting a best estimate? How do you allow for tail risks during a tail risk event?  This is the fourth webinar in the Extreme Mortality Events series presented by Chair of the Life Board of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, Colin Dutkiewicz. 

  • Finance and Investment Webinar: ESG forays into fixed income

    Webinar
    28 July 2020

    Spaces available

    This webinar has been re-scheduled from its original date of the 1st July. Although ESG has many buyers across the asset allocation community, from pension funds to sovereign wealth funds, it still hasn’t found its place within the core asset management strategy desks where the money is actually invested. The problem as well as the opportunity is Fixed Income. Plenty of strategies exist for incorporating ESG within Equities, from screening, integration to a combination. ESG has picked up relatively quickly within Equities with rating,indices created using ESG factors. This talk will discuss how we price a quantifiable ESG credit risk premium and make it alpha worthy in a strategy. 

  • PHC Conference webinar: Dementia and insurance: cognitive protection

    Webinar
    28 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Part of the Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020 webinar series

    With the rising prevalence of dementia, how can we manage this risk effectively and can insurance do more? Matt Singleton, Ageing Lead at Swiss Re, will cover these topics and demonstrate how insurance could help people address their concerns.

  • CILA Webinar - The Capital Management Toolkit

    Webinar
    29 July 2020

    Spaces available

    Current Issues in Life Assurance

    This talk will look at a range of such techniques (e.g. mass lapse risk transfer, contract boundaries, risk margin relief, non-standard longevity risk transfer) that have been applied or considered by UK and EU insurers, and the pros and cons of each.

     

  • CILA Webinar - Global Capital Standards – What does the Adoption of ICS v2.0 Mean?

    Webinar
    3 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Current Issues in Life Assurance.

    The International Association of Insurance Supervisors announced on 14 November 2019 the adoption of v2.0 of the global Insurance Capital Standard (ICS) which will undergo confidential reporting for 5 years starting from 2020. This session will include specific experiences from Legal and General (L&G) as well as global industry perspectives from EY.

  • CILA Webinar - Developing and Executing a Climate Risk Strategy

    Webinar
    3 August 2020 - 4 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Current Issues in Life Assurance

    This session will cover the PRA supervisory statement on financial impacts related to climate change, industry insights into PRA climate risk business plans, examples climate risk strategy setting out key workstreams and activity steps for successful execution, an overview of a climate risk strategy execution timeline and the future.     

  • PHC Conference webinar: Engagement and innovation for the next generation consumer

    Webinar
    5 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Part of the Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020 webinar series. Using new and unique research and data from the UK, US, Sweden and China, this presentation investigates how consumers use the internet through their insurance journey and analyzes the role culture and generation plays in their online behaviour. We use this research to show the online landscape for insurance sales in the UK and suggest ways to shape new products and effectively engage with the consumer who is buying them.

  • PHC Conference webinar: Gene Modification

    Webinar
    6 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Gen Re Life/Health Research and Development, Dr John O'Brien, will discuss the impacts of Gene Modification for life/health insurance. 

  • Mortality and Longevity Webinar: Beyond control - what could be our next big health threat?

    Webinar
    10 August 2020

    Spaces available

    As an industry, it has been important to be able to look to the future to identify the next quantifiable risk. In this session, I will explore some of the less tangible, but none-the-less concerning risks to future health, such as the health risks associated with exposure to pesticides, ingestion of plastic in the food chain, and the hazards of indoor air pollution through exposure to volatile organic compounds.

  • Mortality and Longevity Webinar: The IFoA diabetes working party - our journey so far

    Webinar
    10 August 2020

    Spaces available

    The working party will help the industry to update and enhance how potential risk from diabetes and excess mortality is considered, including the need to understand the underwriting implications as treatments improve, and potentially to develop new products that are tailored to those with diabetes.

  • PHC Conference webinar: Cancer morbidity risk modelling – regional variation over time

    Webinar
    12 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Part of the Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020 webinar series. Modelling the structure and trends of cancer morbidity risk is important for pricing and reserving in related health insurance fields such as critical illness insurance and care provision. We model the dynamics of cancer incidence over time in different regions in England, using 1981-2016 ONS data. The modelling allows estimation of cancer rates at various age, year, gender and region levels, following a Bayesian setting to account for statistical uncertainty. Our analysis indicates significant regional variation in cancer incidence rates. 

  • PHC Conference webinar: Learnings from our first climate-change related disclosures (TCFD)

    Webinar
    13 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Part of the Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020 webinar series. In this talk we will outline the steps Aviva took in pulling together our first large-scale disclosures on the exposure of our business to climate change published in March 2019; in line with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. After touching on why insurers have such an important role in climate change, we'll cover a brief “how-to” guide for those who have not yet embarked on thinking about these topics before giving a case study of how the learnings from a TCFD disclosure exercise can be applied to investment portfolios.

  • PHC Conference webinar: Can we manage Diabetes risk for healthier outcomes

    Webinar
    17 August 2020

    Spaces available

    Part of the Protection, Health and Care Conference 2020 webinar series. 

    The insurance industry currently underwrites customers with diabetes based on a range of factors, medical expertise and various medical studies. The work undertaken by the Diabetes Working Party would help the industry to approach this using current research findings to update and enhance how potential risk from diabetes is considered. This includes the need to understand the underwriting implications as treatments improve, and potentially to develop new products that are tailored to those with diabetes. This webinar will present our latest findings in the management of this important chronic condition which will include research in collaboration with the ARC.