Description: Replacement rates have historically been a tool to determine the adequacy of retirement income to maintain an individual’s standard of living. Numerous conceptual and methodological issues lie, however, beneath its simple exterior. The purpose of this paper is to examine these underlying issues for the benefit of retirement security stakeholders, pension plan sponsors, advisors, financial product providers, and individuals planning for retirement.

Description: This paper presents a new perspective on three basic financial quantities: assets, liabilities and surplus. The new perspective is developed through a re-examination of the fundamental concepts inherent in these quantities. This re-examination clarifies the difference between the concept and the various rules commonly used to establish their numerical value. With the benefit of this clarification, an alternate approach to the development of surplus is presented. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1993, VOL. 3.

Description: The purpose of this survey was to gather data on how a sampling of the life insurance industry makes decisions involving lab tests. This most significant conclusions were that protective value was the biggest driving force and the chief underwriter played the biggest role.

Description: A report summarizing key points made during an online discussion on issues related to dementia and cognitive decline.

Description: This paper explores the considerations involved in the merger of mutual life insurance companies, with emphasis on the unique problems of maintenance of equity between the various policy owners affected. The paper written by Howard Kayton and Robert Tookey is followed by a discussion from several people

Description: The purpose of this paper was to examine the job and compensation of the ordinary life insurance agent in relation to commissions and expense regulation and to examine how well the industry responds to customer needs, and consider how the system might be changed. The paper establishes some criteria for evaluating appropriateness of systems of both agent compensation and expense regulation. The paper is followed by submitted discussion papers

Description: Research report describing the results of an Emerging Risks Survey conducted in 2010. This survey attempts to track the thoughts of risk managers about emerging risks across time. The new top five are: 1. Fall in value of US Dollar. 2. International terrorism. 3. Chinese economic hard landing. 4. Oil price shock. 5. Failed and failing states.

Description: This papers considers the effects of taxing nominal rather than real returns from short term deposits. A system for taxing real returns is developed. The possible results from a change in the method of taxation, to the one proposed in the paper are discussed. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1991, VOL. 1.

Description: This paper provides a summary of the Dec. 2012 summit of the Natural Resource Sustainability Group and invited experts.

Description: India is in the process of updating to a more risk-based capital framework. The article provides a high level introduction of the development and discusses some of the key design and implementation considerations.