You can study Act Sci and learn (depending on your electives) almost as much Finance as or even more Finance than most actual Finance students. But not everyone knows what Act Sci is and you may have to explain that sometimes (yes, this level of ignorance still persists even in big banks).

So you can cover the Finance knowledge side of things... it's only about whether or not you can demonstrate it. Whatever job someone with a BEcon or BFin can get, unless it is serious Economics research related (as in you must have sufficient knowledge and expect to pursue a graduate degree in Econ), any BAct graduate can also get, based on qualifications alone.

Not all BFin students actually study Banking... it's more about securities, pricing, markets, strategies, theories, because Finance is not all about Banking. Banks just operate within Finance. Unless BEcon students learn Financial Economics they don't really touch Finance... but that's not to say their knowledge of market structures, Econometrics, behaviour, and Management is not useful, even if it can be theoretical.

There is an ample supply of BAct graduates... to consider that there could be a shortage of Fellows is probably more rational.

There are things common to Actuarial Science and Engineering. Both Actuaries (or professionals with Actuarial knowledge/training) and Engineers may be hired to build financial or mathematical or statistical models for whatever purposes.

But someone with a BAct can't do what someone with a BEng/MEng can, although for the reverse, the BEng/MEng would just need to learn basic Economics, Finance, and Accounting, and Insurance Maths.

I get that you're struggling to pick a subject. If you take Engineering and want to work in a bank if you do not become an Engineer, that probably isn't a problem. But it's better if you have a real interest in the subject you do. That helps even if you don't end up as an Engineer.

Many universities are old. They follow the old ways. They teach boring stuff. In boring ways. Using PowerPoint doesn't change a thing. Having online portals doesn't make it any more tolerable. Whether it's Statistics, Finance, Economics, or Accounting. You'll have to go with your gut on this one. Do you prefer to work out in the field, or in design? Because working in Actuarial isn't too different from a non-Sales banking job (not trading, but Investment Banking), or as an Engineer with a computer. The differences in studying are only in the details.

Versatility. Yes. That's what would attract many students even though traditionally or conventionally Actuarial students aren't exactly seen as being very versatile. Many Actuarial students also go on to consulting or Accounting/Auditing roles (like Econ or regular Business/Commerce graduates). They aren't limited to banks and the realm of finance and insurance. Statistical work is also applicable to many other fields. Risk is also applicable across many facets of industry and life. Most of these jobs can be performed by some BEcon grads, just that Econ has a different focus and maybe only a little Statistics, while Actuarial has an insurance focus and doesn't pay attention to Economics except for indicators and models/assumptions of behaviour/choice and the economy/markets (like Finance).

I don't know how accurate this information from the ASM is but according to them, at the beginning of last year, there were 86 Fellows and 41 Associates. So unless 76 Fellows have fled since then (because in industry "qualified" refers to Fellows, although Associates are also actuaries by qualification), we have much more than 10 qualified actuaries, and (it is likely the number has grown), over 127 actuaries.

The central bank couldn't even find a decent position for an Actuarial graduate... ??!! I guess that is the setback of a bond. I mean, there are any number of things an Actuarial graduate could do at the central bank... customer relations or any customer facing support role just sounds ridiculous.

Agree, statisticians will probably be more suitable. Actuaries don't really care for demographics, that is for the students haha.

Possibly. If you can sell your skills. People from Business/IT, Management/Comp Sci etc have been able to go into trading (I assume that's what you're referring to in general), so even if certain degrees are ideal or better (Mathematics, Finance/Quantitative Finance, Statistics, maybe Engineering/Physics or Economics/Econometrics), they certainly are not required.