Gary has assisted many lenders in developing their original DPP programs and continues to assist in monitoring on-going benefit experience and evaluating program enhancements. GAP has been a significant part of his recent activities. He hopes to bring the DPP concept to all lenders and then lead the creation of a non-insurance payment waiver environment.

Gary is a writer, teacher, and consultant who happens to be an actuary. He began his actuarial career as a life insurance actuary, but he gradually developed expertise in P&C insurance matters. Over the years, he has even wandered out of the insurance world altogether at times. He now describes his expertise as that of a consultant on credit protection products and service contracts, and on the transfer of those risks from consumers to obligors/insurers/reinsurers. He also prices many of the cell phone service contracts in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Gary has extensive experience providing expert testimony, testifying at regulatory hearings, and serving as an arbitrator.

A 1972 graduate of the University of North Carolina, Gary first worked as a consulting actuary and lecturer at Booke and Company—an actuarial consulting firm primarily known for its seminars on annual statement preparation and taxation. From 1977-90, he served in various senior management and consulting capacities at The Credit Life Insurance Company. From 1982-88 he owned and operated a successful Arizona reinsurance company and has operated Credit Reassurance Corporation, Ltd., a Nevis-domiciled insurer/reinsurer, since 1991.

Keith Nelson is Vice President and Actuary for the Individual Assurance Corporation (IAC), located in Prairie Village, Kansas. IAC is a multi-line life insurance company that offers debt protection products/services and a variety of insurance products to banks, thrifts, credit unions and other lenders. IAC is a customer focused company which uses its FourPointTM Technology to implement debt protection solutions quickly and administer them efficiently.

Prior to joining IAC, Keith worked for 3 years with CreditRe as a credit insurance and debt protection consultant sharing and advancing his expertise with loan protection products for banks, credit unions, and auto dealers. Prior to CreditRe, he served credit unions for 28 years while working for the CUNA Mutual Group (CMG) in numerous roles ranging from actuarial, product management, general management/administration, and regulatory advocacy.

Keith has over 32 years experience in the loan protection business including 12 years experience with debt protection products. He was introduced to debt protection in about 1995 and quickly recognized these products as the future for loan protection business in credit unions. He was instrumental in lobbying for acceptance of DPP within CMG and supporting the external lobbying efforts with the NCUA and state regulators. He served as Product Manager for the development of the CMG debt protection program and led the implementation of the first debt protection program for credit unions at Alliant Credit Union in 2001.

Keith has written numerous white papers and articles on debt protection products and has given presentations in a number of industry forums to teach others about the topic.