Description: This report 1970 covers age-adjusted death Rates for leading causes of death in the United States for the years 1950 through 1967.

Description: After a sustained period of mortality improvement, U.S. population mortality improvement has stagnated in recent years. The presenters will discuss mortality improvement trends in the U.S. population and the causes of death contributing to these trends. U.S. population cause of death trends will be analyzed and compared to trends in the insured population. Mortality rates for major causes of death will be compared between the U.S. population and the insured population. In addition, assumption setting for both older age and later duration mortality as well as mortality improvement will be covered.

Description: Planning for retirement is at the top of many minds. How do I save? When is the right time? What are my plans? But what are the impacts of your health on retirement? Learn more about the effects of a healthy lifestyle on retirement in order to maximize life span. Review more in-depth findings from a recent report sponsored by the SOA Research Institute’s Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program and conducted by the Vitality Group, as well as other expert insights.

Description: This is a report that provides an analysis using data submitted by participating companies evaluating the impact of valuation mortality tables proposed for use in the life insurance industry. This study was designed to help “field test” the proposed tables on calculations for ordinary life insurance statutory reserves under VM-20 and tax reserves, nonforfeiture values, and IRC 7702/7702A.

Description: Future mortality improvement has been a common assumption in life insurance and annuity pricing and forecasting for many years. However, experience over the last decade suggests this might be an assumption that merits reconsideration in the United States. This article will take a closer look at factors that impact mortality improvement trends and discuss why insurers may want to reevaluate product designs to better manage the associated mortality risk. We then introduce a product idea with this in mind, where premiums are based on a life expectancy index and insurers share the risk (and opportunity) or mortality improvement with policyholders.

Description: This paper applies the research in Prospect Theory of Kahneman and Tversky to explain why sales of annuities lag sales of life insurance products. The author theorizes that life insurance is easier to sell because customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of losses, while potential annuity customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of gains. Kahneman and Tversky showed us that people are mostly risk averse in the domain of gains and risk seeking in the domain of losses. Purchase of an annuity or life product is a risky investment. Customers will find it easier to take the risk in the life insurance domain of losses than the annuity domain of gains. The author then proposes a hybrid life annuity product that might address both mortality and longevity risk in one product that would allow both products to be more competitive than stand-alone products.

Description: The paper describes a cost-benefit analysis to determine the value of electronic health records (EHRs) in life insurance accelerated underwriting programs. Sample cases from a carrier were underwritten pre-EHR and post-EHR and the mortality savings estimates from risk class changes using EHRs was compared to procurement costs. Results were developed to cover a range of scenarios. Factors to consider for carriers evaluating the cost-effectiveness of using EHRs in their own accelerated underwriting programs are also described.

Description: This article details different methods for calculating mortality impact associated with new underwriting programs. A common simplified calculation is compared and contrasted with two first principles approaches. The strengths and weaknesses of both approaches are discussed.

Description: This is Section 1. Table of Uniform Seniority for Joint Life Calculations based upon the 1958 CSO and CET Mortality Tables. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1959, Vol. 11, No. 31.