Solve Your Toughest Insurance Challenges with Confidence

We help carriers, distributors, and insurtech startups turn complex problems into market-ready solutions.

Welcome to Problem Solving Enterprises

Every insurance organization runs into roadblocks—projects so messy or complex that they slow innovation and drain internal resources. At PSE, we call these “dirty jobs.”

For more than 30 years, we’ve stepped in when carriers, distributors, and insurtech startups face the work no one else wants to tackle—whether it’s ambitious product development, untangling legacy systems, navigating regulatory hurdles, or reviving projects that have stalled.

Our team blends deep actuarial and industry expertise with hands-on execution—spanning product and software development, marketing strategy, and administrative solutions—so those tough jobs get done and your biggest ideas can move forward.

Our Services

We offer expertise in four core service areas, designed to help you overcome barriers and focus on what matters most:

Actuarial Consulting

With 40+ years of actuarial experience, we help carriers, distributors, and insurtech startups navigate complex risks, design and price innovative products, and accelerate speed-to-market. Our insight turns complicated analysis into confident business decisions.

Administrative Solutions

We take on the time-consuming administrative work that stalls progress. From process design to day-to-day execution, we streamline operations to cut costs and free your team to focus on higher-value initiatives.

Software Development

Whether you need a custom tool or a fully integrated platform, we build software that fits your workflow and fuels innovation. More than code, our solutions create lasting capabilities that drive measurable results.

Marketing Consulting

Marketing shouldn’t be a bottleneck. We help you define your message, reach the right audience, and execute campaigns with precision—whether you need a complete strategy or targeted, project-based support.

Your Edge for Innovation and Execution

We Take on the Dirty Jobs

Every organization has projects that stall progress—complex, messy, or simply too time-consuming for internal teams. We step in to tackle these challenges, from ambitious product development and regulatory hurdles to legacy system upgrades and operational bottlenecks—so your team can keep moving forward.

We Clear the Path for Innovation

Each problem we solve creates room for what matters most: growth and innovation. By removing obstacles and delivering end-to-end solutions, we free your people to focus on building better products, serving customers, and scaling your business.

We Bring Decades of Proven Expertise

With 30+ years in the insurance industry—and 40 years of actuarial depth—we’re more than consultants. Our team blends actuarial science, operations, technology, and marketing know-how to deliver the right solution for every challenge and the insight to make it stick.

We Stay Through Execution

Our role doesn’t stop at the whiteboard. From planning through launch and beyond, we work alongside your team to implement, test, and refine—ensuring the strategy we create together delivers measurable results long after it’s put into action.

We Open Doors Across the Industry

Over four decades, PSE has built trusted relationships across the insurance industry. When you work with us, you gain more than our expertise—you tap into a proven network of carriers, distributors, insurtech leaders, and seasoned professionals that can accelerate solutions and open opportunities.

How We Turn Strategy into Action

Discovery

We start by digging into your challenges, goals, and hidden roadblocks—so we’re solving the right problem from the start.

Solution Design

We map out a practical plan that fits your timeline and resources, blending strategy and technical know-how.

Execution

We roll up our sleeves and work alongside your team to deliver—handling the tough, messy work that slows most projects down.

Ongoing Support

We stay engaged after launch, adapting as needs change and ensuring results stick.

Projects We’ve Managed

Carriers

Innovative product design: Created and priced patented term life products with accelerated underwriting.
Legacy block remediation: Solved complex regulatory and administrative issues for closed blocks from the 1980s–1990s.
System conversions: Guided development of a new UL administrative system and conversion of 100,000+ policies.
Cost-saving process redesign: Overhauled variable performance reporting—saving hundreds of thousands in admin costs for 15+ years.
Compliance & illustrations: Supported multiple carriers with post-issue illustration and actuary requirements.
New market entry: Designed, priced, and filed an entire life insurance product portfolio for a company new to the life market.
Dividend scale modeling: Reverse-engineered three-factor dividend formulas to revise closed-block scales.
Specialized workarounds: Built 7702/7702A, compensation system, and new-product processing solutions.

Distributors

Prototype product development: Helped brokerage organizations bring new life insurance concepts to carriers.
Worksite innovation: Partnered with a leading worksite marketer to launch patented products.
Multi-carrier applications: Created universal applications for large direct-marketing organizations to streamline sales.
Post-issue sales tools: Enabled administration companies to provide post-issue illustration capabilities.

Insurtech

Carrier negotiations: Guided several start-ups through critical carrier partnerships.
Financial modeling: Helped an underwriting vendor quantify the economic value of its offering.
Product evaluation: Assessed unique short-term insurance products for an innovative insurtech.
Mentorship & growth: Participated in the Society of Actuaries mentoring program for insurtech founders.
M&A and IPO support: Evaluated products and business models for acquisitions and supported a founder through an IPO for a financial modeling platform.
Operations & software: Managed software development and insurance operations for a mid-market RIA financial planning firm.

The Team

Chuck Ritzke, FSA, MAAA

Founder

Chuck has over 40 years of actuarial experience working in life insurance. His work has focused on product development, marketing, software development, actuarial consulting, and general problem-solving for insurance organizations. Prior to founding Problem Solving Enterprises in 1995, Chuck held various actuarial, marketing, and administration management roles at Zurich Life and Bankers Life and Casualty.

Chuck is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and he is actively involved in committee work. Chuck is also currently on the Board of Directors of the Intercompany Marketing Group (ICMG).

Chuck attended Rockford College (B.S. Math), LSU (Math Grad Work), and University of Illinois (M.S. Math).

Doug Robbins, FSA

Consulting Actuary

Heidi Zona, ASA

Consulting Actuary

Barb Ritzke

New Business and Client Relations

Deb Howver

Compliance Analyst

Kim Schuring

Business Administration

The results speak for themselves

“Chuck is one of the most creative and brilliant life insurance product minds in our industry. At Fidelity Life, we’ve worked with Chuck and his team for almost two decades, and he was instrumental in helping us conceive and develop both of our industry leading products. Just as important as the output he delivers, the process of working with Chuck is always such a pleasure. It’s working with friend.”

- Jim Harkensee, Fidelity Life

"Some projects require an actuarial perspective. Some require a financial perspective. All projects require someone with a deep understanding of the strategic goals of the project. A creative problem solver. Someone who can think outside of the box. Someone making sure the project is going to be profitable. Chuck Ritzke checks all of these boxes and more."

- Ron Butkiewicz, Life Co CEO (retired)

Schedule A Call

Let’s chat about your challenges—no pressure, no obligations. Just a quick conversation to explore how we can help.

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