Ben Armstrong, FCAS, MAAA is Consumer Watchdog’s Staff Actuary. In this role, he analyzes Property & Casualty insurers’ rate filings and develops independent assessments of rate adequacy. He participates in discussions with insurers and the CA Department of Insurance to ensure that rates are calculated in a way that is fair and transparent to consumers. Additionally, he has been working to develop solutions to issues of insurance affordability and availability stemming from the increased risk of loss due to wildfires.
Ben got into the actuarial field later than most, after unsuccessfully attempting to become a professional musician during a four-year stint living in Chicago. A native and current resident of Lincoln, NE, Ben worked as an actuary in the insurance industry for 11 years before starting with Consumer Watchdog in 2023. Prior to that, he held jobs in fundraising for a progressive nonprofit, retail sales, manufacturing, and vacuum cleaner repair.
He still finds time to make music, playing drums, keyboards, mandolin, guitar, and bass with several bands. Ben graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 2011, with a B.A. in Actuarial Science and minors in English and German. He attained Fellowship in the Casualty Actuarial Society in 2019, following completion of the notoriously rigorous actuarial exams.
