Massachusetts Commissioner of Insurance Nonnie Burnes will bethe keynote speaker next month at the annual Ratemaking Seminar ofthe Arlington, Va.-based Casualty Actuarial Society, theorganization said.

CAS said Ms. Burnes will give her view of the current regulatoryissues in Massachusetts, including the sweeping reforms of thepersonal automobile insurance market, coastal property insuranceavailability and affordability, and the status of the new mandatoryhealth insurance program for Massachusetts residents.

The CAS event is scheduled for March 17-18, at the Royal SonestaHotel in Boston.

Insurance Information Institute President Robert P. Hartwig willprovide a comprehensive overview of the cyclical forces driving theproperty-casualty insurance industry during the seminar's generalsession.

Among the key factors to be reviewed by Mr. Hartwig are trendsin profitability, underwriting performance, ratings and financialstrength, investment volatility, the tort system, and developmentsin the regulatory and legislative arena.

The Ratemaking Seminar provides a forum for the presentation anddiscussion of ratemaking methods, concepts and issues.

Sessions are available for insurance professionals withratemaking knowledge levels that vary from limited to advanced, andthe seminar provides an opportunity for actuaries, underwriters andother insurance professionals to further their continuingeducation, CAS said.

Over 50 different sessions are listed covering data managementand technology, workers' compensation, personal and commerciallines, predictive modeling, regulatory issues, reinsurance,underwriting, and risk and capital management.

Both CAS members and nonmembers may register. Registrationinformation is online at www.casact.org.

The Casualty Actuarial Society lists its mission as theadvancement of actuarial science through a focus on research andeducation. Its 4,500 members include experts in property-casualtyinsurance, reinsurance, finance, risk management and enterpriserisk management.