Guide · Matching service

Hire an actuary.

You already know you need one. This page is for the next question: who, on what terms, and how to tell a good proposal from a polished one. Fill the intake and we'll hand-match you to one to three reviewers from our network who actually work your line of business and program type.

Scope of work this page covers

We match on reserve and reserve-adjacent engagements. If your need is outside this list, send a note anyway — we'll point you somewhere useful.

Credentials, in one line each

For a Statement of Actuarial Opinion on a U.S. insurer or captive, the signing actuary must also be a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) and meet the Academy's qualification standards for the line at issue. Ask who is signing, and ask whether the signing actuary is also the working actuary.

FCAS: Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society. Default credential for U.S. casualty reserve work.
ACAS: Associate of the CAS. Passed reserving; less advanced ratemaking and ERM than the fellow.
MAAA: Member, American Academy of Actuaries. Required to sign U.S. Statements of Actuarial Opinion.
FSA / ASA: Society of Actuaries fellow / associate. Health plan IBNR, stop-loss, life and pension work.
EA: Enrolled Actuary. Required for ERISA-covered pension liability work.

Firm types

The reserve actuary market has three rough tiers, and the right choice depends on the program, not the price.

Global consulting firms
Deep benches, formal peer review, multi-line capability, and the brand auditors and rating agencies recognize without a second question. Higher fee floors. Best when the program is large, complex, or under heavy external scrutiny.
Mid-size specialty firms
Often founded by partners from the global firms. Senior attention on every file, usually still with formal peer review. Best when the program is material to the entity but not unusually complex, and the buyer wants the signing actuary on the phone without escalation.
Boutique & independent
One or two credentialed actuaries with twenty-plus years of line experience. Lower fees, faster turnaround, no committee. Best for single-line self-insured programs, second opinions, and captives where the board wants direct contact with the analyst.

What an engagement looks like

A typical reserve review runs four to ten weeks from kickoff to signed report. The actuary requests loss data (paid, case, claim counts, exposure), reconciles it to the program records, fits development patterns, applies two or three methods, builds a range, selects a central estimate, and writes a report that an auditor and a board can both follow.

Fees are usually fixed-price by line and program type. A single-line workers comp review for a mid-size self-insured employer runs in the low five figures; a multi-line captive SAO with reinsurance and several legal entities runs higher. Hourly billing and retainers exist for ongoing advisory work and litigation. Ask for a written scope and a not-to-exceed before signing.

Questions worth asking before you sign

Who is the signing actuary, and are they also the working actuary?
How many programs of this exact line and program type have you signed in the last three years?
What is your peer-review process, and who performs it?
Will you provide a written scope, a not-to-exceed fee, and a deliverable list?
What data will you request, and what happens if it arrives late or incomplete?
Will the report withstand an auditor's questions without a follow-up engagement?
Are you carrying current professional liability coverage, and at what limit?
What are your independence considerations relative to our broker, TPA, or carrier?

Tell us what you need

We reply within a few business days with one to three reviewers who fit the line, program type, and timeline. No fee to the buyer for the introduction. Reviewers pay a flat listing fee disclosed on theeditorial methodology page.

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