Nate is a consultant and actuary at Cowden in the actuarial practice, having joined the company in May 2015. He contributes to a variety of actuarial projects at Cowden for both corporate and municipal clients, including many union plans. He provides data analysis, completes actuarial valuations, government forms, benefit calculations, assists with plan design and termination analysis, and the strategic planning that is signature to Cowden. He enjoys partnering with clients to help them achieve the best outcomes, which starts with taking the initiative to understand their overall objectives.
As part of a Cowden team working with a client during labor negotiations, Nate was responsible for constructing a predictive analytics model that determined the expected baseline cost of compensation, benefits, and retirement packages to be negotiated and then to communicate the features and output of the dynamic model, which fluidly adjusted for a variety of scenarios. This tool facilitated finding the right balance of competitive and cost effective wage packages for the client.
In the wake of recent market volatility conditions, pension plans that were not overfunded experienced significant cash contribution increase requirements. Understanding corporate pressures for cash flow, Nate assisted with analyzing and implementing an asset smoothing technique, which reduced required contributions by 25%. The method also reduces the volatility of future contributions, supporting better predictability.
Nate graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in actuarial mathematics as well as economics. He is an Enrolled Actuary (EA), Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA). As an active player in the Pittsburgh Forge Rugby Club, Nate also serves on its finance committee.