Description: The Society of Actuaries’ Investment Section and Committee on Finance Research and Investment Section is pleased to make available a research report using a comprehensive attribution analysis to identify meaningful relationships between market volatility and potential causes. Also included for educational purposes are the open-source codes used to perform the analysis.

Description: This article discusses the impact of rising interest rates on annuity writers and life insurers and the risk management challenges it presents. Falling interest rates were addressed as well.

Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) has partnered with LIMRA and the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) to conduct a series of ‘sprint’ surveys on the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impacts on the insurance industry. Because market conditions greatly impact the value of insurance companies’ assets and liabilities, one of these “sprint” surveys focused on best practices around asset and liability management (ALM). The survey was directed at actuaries, investment managers, and risk managers directly involved in assessing the impact of recent events on ALM. Responses to the survey were collected between August 17-31, 2020. Twenty-six companies responded to the survey.

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic infection has greatly affected the economy, resulting in volatile market conditions. Because market conditions greatly impact the value of insurance company’s assets and liabilities, the fourth survey in this series focused on best practices around asset and liability management (ALM). The survey was directed at actuaries, investment managers and risk managers directly involved in assessing the impact of recent events on ALM. Responses to the survey were collected between April 22-28, 2020. Thirty-two companies responded to the survey.

Description: This paper evaluates the current practice of operational risk management in the insurance sector. Operational risk is nothing new in insurance, but, because of regulatory requirements, companies have initiated computation of risk capital for their operational losses. The current effort to manage operational risk is not a naturally evolving phenomenon, and operational risk, in the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s Basel II definition, is unlikely to be a significant cause of insurers’ failure. In addition, the current Basel II definition of operational risk is not suitable for the insurance sector. Consequently, the invention of models and tools based on the definition is incomplete and illusionary. My findings are based on the analysis of dozens of interviews with insurance industry professionals. I demonstrate the way operational risk is quantified in practice, show that the result obtained from this computation is of littl e use in managerial decision making and propose a set of policy recommendations illustrating the characteristics of operational risk in insurance. This study can be used as a platform for launching dialogues to initiate fresh thinking about operational risk in insurance beyond the current artificial and narrow boundaries.

Description: This webcast presents findings from a recent report sponsored by the Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program that explored the savings and retirement planning of 35- to 45-year-olds through a series of focus groups. The motivation for this effort was to gain insight into the attitudes, beliefs, and other factors that influence this age group’s savings and retirement planning. Along with findings from the report, additional context and perspectives on the broader implications of the report will be presented. These implications include its connection to other research sponsored by the Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program and the current retirement landscape. The perspectives of different stakeholders will be considered.

Description: The pandemic and other current events have greatly impacted the risks that individuals face during retirement. Join us to explore this topic as the results of the Society Actuaries 2021 Retirement Risk Survey are presented. Discover the findings regarding retirement concerns, preparedness and understanding individuals in the U.S. nearing retirement or those who are already retired. This marks the 11th iteration of this biennial survey completed through the SOA Research Institute’s Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program.

Description: RFP for Alternative Investments in Asia Pacific Markets

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA New York City Meeting covers liquidity including the external view of liquidity, the internal view of liquidity and liquidity ratios and an actual liquidity stress situation. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 2.

Description: Panelists at this session of the SOA 2003 Washington, DC Spring Meeting discuss operational risk for companies in the asset management business and the operational considerations for mitigating that risk. A specific case of operational failure is explored.