American Academy of Actuaries: Contingencies Magazine January/February 2003

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Now you can search for articles in back issues of Contingencies from July/August 2000 to the present. Simply type in subject words, author's name, or article title in the box at right and click Search.

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Life insurance actuaries: If you have questions about the CSO tables, this Q&A by Andrew Erman might give you a few pointers.

One-Armed Bandit or Robin Hood?

Once you drop your money in the slot and pull the lever, there's no going back. But there is a way to improve your chances that what comes out is more than broken dreams.
by Michael Shackelford

Do betting systems work?
Nope, they're "mathematical voodoo," says Michael Shackleford, the Wizard of Odds.

How Las Vegas came to be
The city's first builders were Mormons, not mobsters, notes this historical sketch from Lonely Planet.

Do you have a gambling problem?
These 20 questions from Gamblers Anonymous might help answer that.

When Worlds Converge

Debt protection products blur the line between banking and insurance, while analysis of their protected events blurs the actuarial lines between life, health, and property & casualty insurance.
by Gary Fagg

Dialing While Driving
Are Cell Phones a Highway Risk?

Statistics that prove using a cell phone while driving leads to accidents are hard to come by. But several states have already outlawed their use.
by Susan A. Ferguson

The Art of the Deal
Pricing Life Settlements

In the growing life settlements market, providers purchase life insurance policies from impaired or elderly policyholders. Key considerations are the mechanisms and approaches used to quantify the economics of such a transaction.
by Dan Zollars, Scott Grossfeld, and Deborah Day