Description: Elizabeth Wells describes the fundamental underpinnings and processes that can help reduce the risk of inequitable division of retirement benefits between divorcing couples.

Description: In this article, the authors focus on the disparities for women and minorities in retirement security with emphasis on issues that may be of particular interest to actuaries. From Pension Section News, October 2011, Issue No. 75.

Description: When building stress tests, modelers need to consider worst cases that are plausible. The most useful and robust scenarios begin qualitatively, with a narrative or story. Consistent quantitative relationships are then developed.

Description: This paper reviews state and federal regulation of investment advisers as it applies to personal actuaries and advocates action steps.

Description: Life and annuity markets around the world have seen increasingly complex investment-combined products, including universal life, fixed indexed annuities, variable annuities with a wide variety of guaranteed benefits, indexed variable annuities, etc. Insurance companies are facing unprecedented exposure to financial risks in addition to traditional mortality and longevity risks. The risk assessment and modeling for such complex designs by conventional methods often focus heavily on their market competitiveness and profitability. However, there seems to be a lack of quantifiable and systematic approach to assess investment risks associated with investment combined products. The objective of the proposed work is to develop a framework for quantifying and analyzing various forms of contractual designs and showcase different techniques to assess the trade-off between competitive contractual designs and their practical implications with regard to the difficulty of risk management.

Description: The article summarizes implications of rising interest rates on U.S. GAAP and statutory financial reporting for life insurers, highlighting potential tailwinds from steady increases and headwinds from sharp increases. We further provide insights into how insurers can leverage ALM programs and interest rate risk hedging practices to favorably position themselves in a rising rate environment

Description: This article addresses how the ARPA has lessened the financial burden on sponsors of corporate defined benefit plans.

Description: Discusses the paper on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS, entitled “AIDS, HIV Mortality and Life Insurance,” by Michael Cowell and Walter Hoskins, and the potential impact of AIDS on the insurance industry in North America. Also solicits comments from other SOA members about the issue.

Description: Chairperson of the LTC Section reflects on his three-year term on the LTC Section Council.

Description: Feature article discussing how technology is affecting the reinsurance business.