Special issue on Actuarial Statistics

This special issue of AStA aims to offer an overview of some relevant problems in actuarial science, involving statistical aspects. For centuries, the function of (re)insurers has been to sell risk coverage. Insurance companies charge premiums for covering these risks. The premiums are collected in advance while claim amounts are known only later. In most cases, the amount of premium is fixed so that the insurer cannot counteract adverse experience by charging additional premiums. The liabilities of insurance companies have, thus, to be carefully assessed in order to ensure solvency and to achieve profitability. The increasing complexity of insurance policies (sometimes covering several perils or catastrophic events, or running over decades in a changing environment) requires sophisticated risk theory models and advanced statistical methods, such as those presented in this special issue.