News and insights

Mega Trends 2: Longevity becomes a tradeable commodity

Read our second mega trend blog where Nick Chadwick discusses longevity becoming a tradeable commodity.

Mega Trend 1: UK longevity inequality will grow

Read our first mega trend blog where Douglas Anderson discusses UK longevity inequality.

Choice overload – the paradox of too much choice

Would you like a piece of cake? Would you prefer carrot cake or tiramisu? Or would you prefer cheesecake? Or fruit cake? Or chocolate cake? Or red velvet cake, Boston cream pie, Battenburg, Black Forest gateau, lingonkaka, pineapple upside-down cake? Or maybe a flourless chocolate torte?

COVID-19: The latest picture as a 10th March 2021

In this week’s update on emerging COVID-19 data, there are additional encouraging signs as both overall and COVID-19 deaths have fallen once again.

VitaMins: The CMI_2020 Mortality Projections Model

The CMI have released the latest version of their mortality projections model, which includes England & Wales population data up to 2020.

COVID-19 longevity scenarios: a bump in the road or a catalyst for change?

A bump in the road or a catalyst for change?

The Narrative Effect – the power of a good story

The narrative effect is the reliance on a connecting story to interpret a series of events. It is a very powerful effect both in business and pleasure, but is not without it's pitfalls!

COVID-19 The latest picture as at 24th February 2021

In this week’s update on emerging COVID-19 data, there are further encouraging signs as COVID-19 deaths have fallen by around 22%, although they remain at a high level.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 28th January 2021

In the latest weekly update on emerging COVID-19 data, Conor finds that a rise in COVID-19 deaths has offset a broadly equivalent fall in non COVID-19 linked deaths in the latest week, resulting in similar numbers of death registrations to last week.

Top Charts 21-10: Excess deaths in England & Wales: 2020 compared to history

In this edition of Top Charts, Chuyi Yang looks at excess deaths in England & Wales and compares the extreme experience in 2020 to previous years back to 1900.

VitaMins: Life on pause

Late in 2020, Conor and Steven wrote an article on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on broader medical services in the UK that was included in the Longevity Bulletin on COVID-19 published by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. The key points are summarised here, but we recommend reading the full article for further details (as well as the other articles).

Reasons to be cheerful

A Scotsman on Hogmanay morning should be planning the New Year party. Not this year. I’m holed up in my study soberly digesting the latest grim diet of COVID statistics, whilst escaping my children’s depression at the prospect of weeks more separation from their friends. We could all do with an injection of optimism: some reasons to be cheerful.

Cognitive miserliness – I’m too busy to think about that!

In his latest blog, Erik Pickett looks at the concept of cognitive miserliness, which is the tendency to avoid (or reduce) mental effort when making decisions.

VitaMins Health: Physical activity – are you sitting comfortably?

Sedentary lifestyles are on the rise. More and more people are sitting down on the commute, sitting down at work and sitting down for leisure.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 24th November 2020

In the latest weekly update on emerging UK COVID-19 statistics, Conor finds that COVID-19 deaths have continued to rise steadily, resulting in total deaths in the most recent week being some 19% higher than the average. We also explore the latest figures for case numbers, hospital admissions and deaths, which show some potentially encouraging signs.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 17th November 2020

In this week’s blog, we explore the latest data on weekly deaths in the UK. Total weekly deaths have unfortunately continued the steady rise seen over the past few weeks, driven by the resurgence of deaths which mention COVID-19 on the death certificate.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 10th November 2020

England has now brought in national restrictions, while Wales and Northern Ireland may be coming to the end of their own nationwide restrictions, and Scotland retains its own tiered alert system.

COVID-19: Case-Watch as at 29th October 2020

This week, a number of areas have (or will soon) move to higher levels of England’s 3-tier lockdown system and Scotland has announced details of its own tiered approach coming into force next week.

Top Charts 20-10: COVID-19 compared to other leading causes of death

In this edition of Top Charts, Erik Pickett examines how the numbers of COVID-19 deaths compare to other leading causes of death in the UK, US and Canada.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 27th October 2020

In the latest weekly update on emerging UK COVID-19 statistics, Conor finds that, whilst total deaths remain close to average levels, COVID-19 deaths have continued their recent upward trend.

VitaMins: Representativeness of data

With most of the world still in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, much attention is now focused on the development of a safe and effective vaccine. Never in our memories have clinical trials received so many column inches and the subject of representativeness of sample data is top of many minds.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 29th September 2020

In the latest weekly update on emerging COVID-19 statistics in the UK, Conor looks at how weekly deaths are close to average seasonal levels, while COVID-19 deaths creep upwards.

COVID-19: Latest developments in cases at 25th September 2020

Following several weeks of local restrictions impacting more areas, this week saw the introduction of restrictions across the UK, including a 10pm curfew on our hospitality industry. The hope is that this will help slow and supress transmissions, including cluster events/super-spreaders.

COVID-19: The latest picture as at 22nd September 2020

In this week’s blog we explore the latest data on weekly deaths, which are once again above seasonal norms. Both COVID-19 and non COVID-19 deaths have increased in the latest reported week.

COVID-19: Cases continue to rise across the UK

We explore the latest regional data on case numbers for local areas across the UK, highlighting areas of particular concern, as well as areas which appear to be currently more successful in restricting the spread.

Club Vita’s response to tPR’s consultation on the Defined Benefit Funding Code of Practice

As-if thinking – does Batman use Zoom?

In his latest blog, Erik Pickett looks how his former life as a street performer has helped him in his professional life, and asks, does the same experience still help in the age of Zoom?

Covid-19: On the case…. (Part II)

Last week, our analysis of daily new COVID-19 cases highlighted 15 local authorities for whom, although they were not on the watchlist at time of publication, the growth in new cases and/or the number of new cases had been high, and potentially of concern.

COVID-19: On the case

Against the backdrop of evolving government guidance, Steven and Conor look at how daily new COVID-19 cases have been gradually increasing. They consider what has driven local lockdowns to date, whether other areas are at risk of greater restrictions, and how we might be able to spot early warnings of any second national lockdown.

Top Charts 20-08: Life expectancy doesn’t tell the whole story

In this edition of Top Charts, Erik Pickett explains why there's more than meets the eye when it comes to life expectancy.