Actuarial Science and Risk Management Insurance (RMI) Resources
Engaging with different types of resources will help you understand your industry on a deeper level.
Caution
When using resources on this guide, continue to evaluate credibility and relevance for your audience. A resource can be considered credible in one situation but questionable in another, or its quality can suddenly degrade. Additionally, credible resources can still contain problematic content like content marketing, inaccurate opinion pieces, flawed research, or misrepresented evidence.
Professional Organizations
Professional organizations and trade associations promote their industries and provide networking opportunities to members. Their websites offer information and educational materials for professionals in the industry.
The following examples are professional organizations for actuaries:
Trade Publications
Trade journals or trade magazines provide industry-specific insights, giving prospective professionals an insider’s view of the field.
The following examples are trade publications with a focus on actuarial science and RMI:
This trade journal should not be confused with the scholarly journal of the same name – Risk – which is published in the United Kingdom.
Ratings and Data
Professionals in this field often consult the following types of resources:
- AM Best Ratings
- Fitch Ratings – Insurance
- Moody’s (Also available via library journal search as “Moody’s Ratings Announcements“)
- S&P Global Insight Daily Analysis (Available via library journal search; most recent articles embargoed)
Popular Magazines
Popular magazines, although aimed at a general audience, can be useful for understanding an industry in a larger context or from a consumer’s point of view.
Popular magazines that might be useful to actuaries include:
- Barron’s
- Bloomberg Businessweek
- Economist
- Harvard Business Review Digital
- Harvard Business Review Print
- MIT Sloan Management Review
Note, this publication is ending it’s print version in the fall of 2026.
Newspapers
Newspapers cover current events relevant to professionals in all fields.
Newspapers with useful coverage for actuaries include:
Most recent month is embargoed
UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library
UW-Madison students can create a free personal account through the library
Podcasts
Most industries have reputable experts who podcast about their chosen field, providing an insider’s look. These types of information resources vary widely and require vetting, but can be credible.
The following resource offers useful perspectives on actuarial science as an industry:
Books
Most industries have notable books that insiders find useful or that have had an influence on that industry. Asking insiders is the best way to find out which books are considered essential in your field.
Here are a few examples of influential books for actuaries:
- The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)
- When All Else Fails: Government as the Ultimate Risk Manager (David A. Moss)
- Insurance and Behavioral Economics: Improving Decisions in the Most Misunderstood Industry (Howard C. Kunreuther, Mark V. Pauly, and Stacey McMorrow)
- Numbers Rule Your World: The Hidden Influence of Probability and Statistics on Everything You Do (Kaiser Fung)
Scholarly Journals
Scholarly journals publish in depth research, usually conducted by professors.
The following resources offer useful perspectives on actuarial science, risk, and insurance:
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More information
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