Profile
Matt Shepherd
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About Me:
I live in Banbury, but my girlfriend’s Spanish so we take regular holidays in Spain.
We had a daughter 3 years ago, so the majority of my time is spent running around after her!
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I like outdoor activities such as paddleboarding, snowboarding, and kite-flying. I’m attempting to combine the kites with the boards, but at the minute I spend most of my time on my backside / in the water!
I graduated in 1999 (it was easier back then without smartphones distracting us every 30 seconds!) and worked in a bit of a mix of jobs prior to becoming an actuary. I’ve built cars in a factory, worked in restaurants and pubs, and worked night shifts in a warehouse.
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My pronouns are:
he/him
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How I use Maths in my work:
My work involves a lot of Excel, so understanding the basics of how formulae work is essential. Algebra and rearranging equations needs to be second-nature.
I deal with future cashflows, taking into account future inflation, investment returns, and mortality experience. Being able to sum a geometric series that takes account of these factors is part of my daily work.
Higher level Maths is used less in day-to-day work, but is necessary to understand some of the economic theory that underpins my work. Advanced calculus helps me understand the reason behind certain assumptions.
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My Work:
I work as an Actuary (don’t worry, I’d never heard of it either, until I decided to become one!)
I assign a monetary value to future uncertain payments to members of pension schemes. -
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A pension scheme may promise its members a certain amount of money at their retirement, increased by inflation each year, and with a certain proportion going to their spouse if they pass away. The scheme needs to know how much to invest now to be able to afford these benefits.
I attempt to calculate how much money is required to pay for all these pensions, although the true amount needed will only be known after all payments have been made. An actuary will rarely calculate the exact amount, but we aim to be close!
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My Interview