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STUDENT NOTICEBOARD
Are two actuaries better than one?
A patient was at her doctor's office
after undergoing a complete physical
examination. The doctor said, "I
have some very grave news for you.
You only have six months to live."
The patient asked, "Oh doctor, what
should I do?" The doctor replied, "Marry
an actuary."
"Will that make me live longer?" asked
the patient. "No," said the doctor, "but it
will seem longer."
Having recently married a fellow member
of the actuarial profession, I am now no
longer faced with the question of "so what
is an actuary?". Instead, I now find myself
having to explain why two actuaries are
better than one.
It is commonly stated that you are most
likely to meet your ideal partner when
you settle into your career. I can see the
logic in this argument, given that you are
often surrounded by people with common
interests and a like-minded approach to
life. However, given that I know of at least
10 actuarial couples, I felt I owed it to the
critics to see if these actuarial pairings are
more down to the lack of social life that
comes with sitting exams and, therefore,
the lack of alternative options -- or does
an actuarial relationship have something
else to offer?
After carrying out general research
and prying into some colleagues'
personal lives, I found that the common
`additional extras' you find with an
actuarial partner are: the benefit of a
sympathetic study companion/mentor,
free advice when you want to bounce
around some work ideas, someone who
appreciates why you work longer hours
as a `year-end' approaches and who
knows what you are talking about when
you mention longevity (even if life and
pensions actuaries have different views on
the subject).
There may also be less appealing
consequences -- it can be harder to
switch off from work when you leave
the office if you ask "How was your
day?", since you actually understand your
partner's response. Also, if a competitive
nature exists between you and your
partner, there is the added pressure of
who manages to qualify first. For example,
if my wife passes the `communications'
exam before me... well the less said about
that the better!
Based on my not so extensive research,
the conclusion I have reached is that all
successful relationships are a blessing
but when you find one that comes with
`additional extras' to make life that little bit
easier, it really can't be a bad thing.
So, for all those people who dwell that
bit longer at the coffee machine for that
special someone to walk by, take the chance
and ask them out -- by all accounts, two
actuaries are better than one.
Ross Fleming
Love, actuarially
With exams out of the way, it's time for some lighthearted reading.
This month, we investigate the wonders of actuarial dating
It has often struck me that the actuarial profession is a rather incestuous one, in that
you often find actuaries dating or married to fellow actuaries. This leads me to wonder
-- how much actuarial theory carries over into the world of romance? Imagine this...
Your eyes meet over the golden edge of the formulae and tables book and you bond
over the complexities of an annuity function. You both take a leaf out of the actuarial control
cycle and, after specifying your purpose (to see if you find each other mutually acceptable),
you develop a solution (let's go on a date to find out). You then monitor the experience
(over several dates), and over time, you fine-tune your solutions (she likes surprises, he
hates coffee). After taking into account the lifestyle and business environment (families
and friends, work colleagues), you consider the advantages and disadvantages of your
relationship, including all risks. Upon thorough analysis, projecting all outcomes, you find that
the present value of emotional cash flows is, in fact, hugely positive, thereby prompting you
to contemplate your preference for a single or joint life existence. Sound familiar?
I've been told that approximately 10% of the entire UK Life practice at Deloitte &
Touche have actuarial partners. Therefore, I'll leave it to Ross Fleming, a manager at
Deloitte in Glasgow, to tell all (before my writing gets any more nauseating)...
Jean
Student page Jen & Jean
www.the-actuary.org.uk42 October 2008
Ross and Kathryn Fleming on their wedding day

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