Description: The valuation of illiquid assets is a vast topic, which is very much in a state of development. Based on comments made by investment professionals during the preparation of the proposal, this is a very challenging area of research. Generally, the investment industry will look with great interest on the outcome of this research. The research proposal was restricted in two ways. The literature review was focussed on the valuation of private placement debt PPD and real estate. The case study was limited to analyzing valuation methods with respect to PPD. Sponsored by CAS, CIA, SOA Joint Risk Management Section.

Description: Excerpts from Yee's presentation on the S-Curve reserve for Universal life. The S-Curve represents a distribution of amount of assets needed under 550 scenarios which, together with future premiums, will fund all future policy benefits and expenses. The reserve is a specific point on the Curve.

Description: In this paper, a general multivariate duration analysis is introduced that does not depend on a mathematical formulation of the way in which a yield curve moves. A discussion of the paper follows. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1991, Vol. 43.

Description: Prepared for the Society of Actuaries by STATLAB at the University of Western Ontario, this report contains the results of a cash flow testing, ‘CFT,’ software survey performed in 2004. The results were based on the responses of 110 life insurance companies in the U.S. and Canada. The goal of the survey was to produce a report that will serve as a reference for comparing the available CFT packages and lead to better software and modeling techniques. CFT refers to analysis which is used to support both the Asset Adequacy Analysis for the Actuarial Opinion for U.S. companies, and the ALM Provision for Adverse Deviations in applying the Canadian Asset Liability Method to determine reserves for Canadian companies.

Description: The excess spread approach introduced in this paper addresses the true economic profitability of investment oriented products by looking at the spread between the earnings rate on the assets and the rate required to be earned on the assets to satisfy the liabilities. For many products, an important part of the liability cost is the value of interest rate options embedded in the policies. The excess spread approach incorporates an option-pricing technique that is sufficiently flexible to handle different interest rate environments.

Description: This study aimed to study primarily the impact of market performance on a pension plan’s ability to meet its obligations.

Description: This paper investigates how the concepts of asset-liability matching can be used to shape investment strategy. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1980, Vol. 32.

Description: This paper presents the probabilistic concepts underlying measurement of asset adequacy in a simplified way. Discussions of this paper are included.

Description: This paper discusses extending the general nonparallel shift approach to duration analysis developed previously and explores the immunization model within the multivariate context. A discussion of the paper follows. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1991, Vol. 43.

Description: This study is intended to educate insurance professionals on historical insurer impairments and insolvencies and possible future prevention indicators.