Description: This study seeks to understand what has already been done to date to determine how many people are at risk, how great that risk is, and what can be done to minimize it. In addition, this report explores solutions that may lay in changing individual behaviors. Since much of what happens in preparation for and during retirement is up to an individual, we want to understand what we know about individual behaviors and how we can influence them. In addition, it should also be recognized that solutions might lie in new public or employer policies or in new products for the marketplace. Although there have been some new products entering the market in recent years—like late retirement, or so-called longevity insurance—the development of new solutions has been slow and may be hampered by complex government regulations.

Description: The author incorporates inflation-indexed bonds into the retiree asset allocation problem and illustrates how Liability Driven Investing LDI can be applied to individual investors. From the 2011 Enterprise Risk Management Symposium, March 2011.

Description: The SOA is pleased to make available a report updating the 2012 risk assessment performed by Porteous et al. The report also provided an economic capital analysis for a stylized US plan with the same member profile and the USS provisions modified to reflect a typical US DB plan.

Description: This report studies the interrelationships between the general levels of unemployment in the economy and the sale and persistency of insurance products. The report explores whether insurance products have reduced sales and persistency as the level of unemployment increased in a given economic environment.

Description: Many retirement actuaries have experience developing, implementing, and monitoring Liability Driven Investing (LDI) strategies for plan sponsors. These strategies typically involve modifying a plan’s investment strategy to remove a significant portion of the investment and interest rate risk now or at some point in the future when specific triggers are met. The tactics often involve the use of fixed income assets to cash flow and/or duration match the liabilities. In the spirit of helping actuaries expand their roles in an evolving defined contribution world, this article explores the application of LDI and derisking strategies within defined contribution and individual retirement accounts. The economic theory behind this approach is called the lifecycle hypothesis, or lifecycle finance. The benefits of the lifecycle finance method are that it provides a safe approach to save for retirement and a secure source of floor income during retirement. Similar to pension plans, each individual has his or her own idiosyncratic needs, wants, and risks that should be considered. Actuaries are uniquely situated to help defined contribution plan sponsors, individuals, and even themselves implement the lifecycle finance approach by developing and distributing tools and methods that focus on income (rather than wealth), LDI strategies, and personalization.

Description: This article discusses the need for a better strategy for defined benefit pension plans. While pension costs per se can be considered independently of investment strategy, the volatility of costs cannot. Many defined benefit plan sponsors are acutely aware of this volatility and are freezing or terminating their defined benefit pension plans. From Pension Section News, September 2006, No. 62.

Description: This report investigates the financial consequences of delaying CPP payments. The intent is to provide a quantitative basis to better inform the take-up decisions of Canadians for whom delaying CPP benefits might provide improved financial outcomes and greater retirement income security.

Description: The SOA and the CIA are pleased to make available a research report assessing the impact of Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) enhancements.

Description: This research report summarizes current research on retirement adequacy and compares different measures.

Description: This essay explores the role that the emerging defined contribution retirement system may be playing in the growth of wealth inequality in the United States. The current system leaves many Americans with little or no retirement savings. Those with higher accumulation levels appear to invest proportionally more in equities, which may have an exponential effect of balances over long time periods. The author hypothesizes that willingness to take investment risk involves the relationship between the amount an investor has accumulated and what she/he needs in order to cover basic costs of living. This is one reason that investors with greater accumulation levels may be able to earn higher rates of return. The essay concludes by suggesting that the U.S. defined contribution system should include all workers and provide additional fiduciary guidance. Examples reforms, both in the U.S. and other countries, are provided.