Illustration actuary is the credentialed actuary responsible for certifying that a life insurerTMs policy illustrations comply with applicable regulations and actuarial standards, such as the NAIC Life Insurance Illustrations Model Regulation and relevant ASOPs. The illustration actuary reviews assumptions, testing, and systems used to generate illustrations to ensure they are not misleading and that scales are supportable. Their annual certifications help regulators and company management oversee the integrity of illustrated values presented to consumers.

Advisors rarely interact directly with illustration actuaries but are affected by their work through company illustration rules, maximum allowable rates, and disclosure formats. Product and compliance teams rely on illustration actuaries when adjusting assumptions or responding to regulatory changes. Understanding the role of the illustration actuary helps advisors appreciate why illustration guidelines can be strict and why systemic changes sometimes alter projected values even when a clientTMs policy has not changed.