2023 Call for Ratemaking Research Papers
The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) and the Ratemaking Working Group (RMWG) is pleased to extend a call for discussion papers on ratemaking topics, with a goal to facilitate the publication of accessible and practical papers on ratemaking topics.
The Ratemaking Working Group will review papers for acceptance based upon:
- Originality of ideas;
- Clear presentation of concepts;
- Contribution to the ratemaking literature;
- Thoroughness of ideas expressed; and
- Timeliness, relevance and applicability of research.
We may invite authors of accepted papers to present their work at the 2023 Ratemaking, Product and Modeling (RPM) Seminar, depending on expected date of publication. In addition, we will publish the papers in the CAS E-Forum, and we will also make them available on the CAS web site prior to the Seminar. A total prize fund of $10,000 is available for papers submitted in response to the call, with up to $5,000 awarded to the best paper(s) and up to $5,000 awarded to the most practical paper(s). Both CAS members and non-members are invited to submit proposals for papers.
We welcome papers on any ratemaking topic. Suggested ratemaking topics based on current events and topics that deserve new or continued research are listed below.
- Underwriting
- Exploring machine-based underwriting versus traditional underwriting methods
- Impacts and changes from prohibitions of credit scores (or other rating factors) in underwriting
- Predictive modeling and model implementation
- Bias mitigation techniques and measuring unfair bias in data or models
- Evaluating responsiveness to unexpected events (e.g., climate change, pandemic, inflation, supply chain, etc.)
- Ratemaking
- Territorial factors
- Credibility
- Specialty products or coverages, or products for niche segments
- Cyber insurance
- Pricing and considerations for new coverages or unique accounts
- Loss and / or exposure trends
- Handling inflationary impacts on claims and exposure bases
- Trends in catastrophe losses and/or reinsurance prices
- Enterprise risk management
- Measuring the impact of inflation on risk tolerance
- Dealing with increased variability of risk
Review of Papers
Each author whose proposal is accepted will be assigned two or three members of the Ratemaking Working Group who will serve as reviewers. Reviewers will read drafts, give feedback, and provide assistance to the author as he or she works toward producing a final draft. The goal of the review process is to help the author submit a final paper that is acceptable for publication in the E-Forum. If the paper presents interesting concepts but isn’t appropriate for the E-Forum, reviewers will help the author find a more suitable medium for publication.
Awards
All papers submitted and accepted in response to the call and meeting the minimum standards established by the Ratemaking Working Group will be eligible for a cash prize.
Timetable
- Deadline for Proposals
By April 8, 2022, authors should submit a one- to two-page proposal including the paper title, a short description of the topic(s) to be addressed, the approach to be taken, and a survey of existing actuarial literature on the subject (title and abstract of a maximum of the five most relevant papers). Proposals should be submitted electronically via email to Karen Sonnet at the Casualty Actuarial Society at ksonnet@casact.org. Please put “2023 Ratemaking Call Paper Proposal” in the subject line of the email message. - Acceptance of Proposals
The Ratemaking Working Group will make a decision to accept or reject each proposal. The number of accepted proposals may be limited. RWG will contact authors by April 29, 2022 regarding their proposals. - Monitoring Progress
As mentioned above, a review team will be assigned to work with each author whose proposal is accepted. The author and review team will establish a mutually agreeable schedule for the production of interim drafts. By August 1, 2022, a first draft of the completed paper (including an abstract of no more than 200 words) should be submitted to the review team. A draft version of the companion practical tool, if any, should also be submitted at this time. Each paper will be screened by the review team to assure its quality of exposition, relevance to the call and to reserving research, and adherence to format requirements described below. The review team may require rewriting of the paper to bring it to an acceptable standard.
By August 31, 2022, the review team will send comments on the first draft to the author. - Completion Date
By November 1, RMWG must receive the completed paper (and tool, if any) for its review.
- Approving the Completed Paper
By December 2, all authors will be notified as to the acceptability of their final submitted paper. Accepted papers will be published in the CAS E-Forum. Authors will be required to upload their final paper electronically in the ScholarOne system.
RWG may reject papers that are submitted late, do not align with the accepted proposal, do not follow the research paper template, do not incorporate material suggestions from the review team, or contain deficiencies in clarity, substance, style, or grammar. - Presenting the Paper
Authors may be invited to present their papers at the 2023 RPM. - Submission Guidelines
Papers should be no more than 10,000 words and should be prepared in accordance with the procedures in the Guide for Submission to CAS E-Forum on the CAS website.
Authors will be required to upload an electronic copy of the paper and will be asked to sign the “Permission to Publish" form, which formally grant the CAS permission to publish the paper.
The Ratemaking Working Group looks forward to receiving proposals in response to the call and is happy to respond to inquiries from interested parties. Questions may be addressed to Karen Sonnet at ksonnet@casact.org. Your participation in this effort will contribute to the written body of knowledge of the CAS and to the success of the 2023 Ratemaking Call Paper Program.
