Description: An overview of the retirement schemes across various Asia markets, looking at each of the 5 pillars of the retirement model. As a result of ageing workforce and increasing life expectancy, retirement savings gap is becoming a major social issue for many countries. An effective retirement systems require all stakeholders including the government, employers, retirement services providers and individuals to understand the risks involved, their roles and responsibilities, and to commit to do their part in tackling the retirement savings gap issue. This presentation will point out where improvements can be made from each stakeholder's perspectives, with a focus on the Asia markets which contain a mix of some of the most populous countries in the world and countries with very small population, developed economies as well as emerging markets, young and old labor force, and finally different cultures, all of which affects how people view and prepare for retirement.

Description: Pension accounting standards continue to evolve across the globe with objectives, methods and assumptions varying, sometimes substantially, from one jurisdiction to the next. The presenters will compare the primary global pension accounting standards (US GAAP and IFRS), review recent developments and address whether or not the current standards adequately serve stakeholders such as plan participants, investors, management and regulators.

Description: Panelists discuss current pension issues and ways in which the modeling process can be used to assist plan sponsors in addressing those issues. From the 1988 Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 14, No. 1.

Description: Argues that defined benefit plans do a much better job than 401ks in providing lifetime retirement income and points out other drawbacks of corporations switching plan types.

Description: This presentation from Session 109 of the SOA May 2004 Anaheim Spring Meeting discusses how to improve the manner in which the funding of a defined benefit pension plan reacts under adverse economic conditions using asset-liability projections. Investigating the utility of hedge funds and other investment products in the risk management of pension plans is also discussed. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 1.

Description: This presentation is an open forum, session 11OF, from the 2004 Spring Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held May 19-21 in Anaheim, CA. The panelists note that defined benefit [DB] pension actuaries are finding themselves working in new and expanded roles in the new millennium, and discuss the answers to challenging questions raised by working in this environment, such as what additional training is recommended, and what the unique challenges and rewards are. The panelists look at the future with respect to the DB actuary, with respect to less traditional roles in that area as well as opportunities in the area of defined contribution plans. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 1.

Description: This presentation from Session 34 of the SOA May 2004 Anaheim Spring Meeting discusses retirement plan governance- ERISA and Department of Labor requirements, the actuary’s role in aiding the plan sponsor, and pitfalls along the road to good governance. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 1.

Description: Proposals and ideas are discussed with regard to pension accounting standards. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 30, No. 3.

Description: This article provides an update on various legislative and regulatory activities including, allowing individual variable annuities, federal standard for fiductiary responsibitlity with respect to pensions, policy loan interest rate and credit insurance issues.

Description: Practitioners in the pension field have come to recognize that there are four broad sub-specialties: small plans also known as tax-shelters, larger corporate plans, governmental plans, and Taft-Hartley jointly trusteed programs. Knowledge and even expertise in one specialty is not necessarily transferable to the others.