Research Insights, a Society of Actuaries Podcast

RPEC 2026 Mortality Improvement Update: What Actuaries Need to Know
What do the latest U.S. mortality trends mean for retirement plans and longevity assumptions?
In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights Podcast, host Kara Clark, Senior Research Actuary, welcomes Patrick Wiese, ASA, Modeling Researcher at the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, and Martin W. Hill, FSA, MAAA, FCA, Chairperson of the Retirement Plans Experience Committee (RPEC) Mortality Improvement Subcommittee, to discuss findings from the RPEC 2026 Mortality Improvement Update.
The conversation explores the continued decline in excess mortality following the COVID-19 pandemic, why MP-2021 is considered a reasonable best-estimate mortality improvement scale for ages 65 and older, and why RPEC does not plan to release a new mortality improvement scale in 2026.
Listeners will also gain insights into mortality differences across age groups, emerging trends in mortality improvement, and how international approaches may help inform future actuarial assumptions.
Listen to the episode to discover what these findings mean for pension actuaries, plan sponsors, and professionals evaluating retirement obligations.
Explore the full RPEC 2026 Mortality Improvement Update: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2026/rpec-mortality-improvement-update/  
Visit www.SOA.org for additional mortality and longevity research from the Society of Actuaries Research Institute.

Can an AI model deliver strong predictive accuracy while still relying on biased or distorted data?
In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights podcast, host Lisa Schilling, Director of Practice Research, welcomes researchers Hong Li, FSA, ACIA, and Jiangang He to discuss their report, Evaluating Bias Mitigation Strategies in AI Models for Insurance Pricing and Risk Assessment.
The conversation explores how measurement distortions and indirectly associated variables can affect insurance risk predictions, even when sensitive group labels are excluded from model training. Drawing on synthetic simulations across five insurance applications—life, auto, credit, mortgage and health—the researchers compare traditional generalized linear models, standard neural networks and adversarial neural networks designed to mitigate potential bias.
Listeners will discover why predictive accuracy alone may not be sufficient, how adversarial learning can help reduce group-level disparities, and why evaluating model performance at real-world decision thresholds is essential for effective model validation and governance.
Listen to the episode to learn how actuaries can strengthen AI model validation while balancing predictive performance, fairness and responsible risk assessment.

In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this episode of the Research Insights Podcast revisits a Research Insights Classic exploring cyber risk and its connection to insurance, financial exposure, and risk management.
The discussion examines how cyber risks can be measured and modeled, and how these insights help inform insurance pricing, coverage decisions, and risk management strategies. As cyber threats continue to evolve, understanding their potential financial and operational impacts remains an important consideration for insurers, businesses, and organizations.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights the importance of recognizing and preparing for digital threats. This conversation offers a timely opportunity to revisit how cyber risk extends beyond technology to create financial, operational, and insurance challenges, and why effective risk assessment and management continue to matter.
Listen now to revisit this Research Insights Classic and explore the connections between cybersecurity, insurance, and the evolving landscape of cyber risk.

What happens when the retirement benefits employees value most are compared with what those benefits actually cost employers?
In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights Podcast, host Lisa Schilling, Director of Practice Research, welcomes Timothy Geddes, FSA, EA, FCA, MAAA, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Ian Raver, EA, FCA, MAAA, Actuarial Manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Building on earlier research into employee retirement preferences, the discussion explores how plan sponsors can balance employee satisfaction with financial sustainability. Topics include the cost-effectiveness of survivor and legacy benefits, surprising opportunities involving 20-year certain annuities, the expense of inflation protection, disability coverage, retirement eligibility ages and employee cost-sharing arrangements.
Discover how understanding both employee preferences and employer costs can help plan sponsors make more informed retirement plan design decisions and potentially deliver greater value without significantly increasing spending.
Explore the research: What Retirement Plan Features Do Employees Really Want?

In recognition of World Environmental Health Day, this episode of the Research Insights Podcast revisits a Research Insights Classic exploring climate change and its connection to health, risk, and decision-making.
The discussion examines how climate-related changes—including shifts in air quality, extreme heat, severe storms, and displacement—can affect health outcomes, economic stability, and the risks individuals, communities, and organizations may need to consider and plan for.
World Environmental Health Day highlights the important relationship between the environment and human health. This conversation offers a timely opportunity to revisit how changing environmental conditions can translate into real-world challenges and why understanding these interconnected risks continues to matter.
Listen now to revisit this Research Insights Classic and explore the connections between climate change, health, and risk.