Description: Discusses the trend for insurance companies to become primarily annuity companies - partly due to settlement options - and the financial implications of this, the probable course of annuitant mortality, and what characteristics of the various group pension methods tend to solve the problem of improved mortality among annuitants.

Description: This is a discussion about new product developments, supplementary benefits - Accidental Death, Guaranteed Insurability and automatic inclusion of supplementary benefits rather than optional, product expense trends, considerations in setting commissions for policies with different characteristics, and analyzing and entering new markets.

Description: Presented at May 1996 Spring Meeting. Considers many ways product distribution might evolve in the future. Discussion compares traditional forms in place today with some expected and even some unexpected forms of tomorrow. The impact of distribution on product development and design is also explored.

Description: Presented at April 1985 Spring Meeting. This session discussed: Products - design, policy provisions, impact from changes in the health care system, Marketing - traditional and alternative distribution systems and concept of product brokerage, and Administration - cost effectiveness, group trust mechanisms, use of technology, regulatory environment.

Description: Presented at the April 1985 Spring Meeting. More agents are becoming independent. Discussion covers how to support and do more for them, and their impact on product design.

Description: Discusses cost-benefit decision-making for acquiring electronic data-processing equipment and installation issues, ability of small companies to compete in pension trust arena, effectiveness of various agency compensation programs in stimulating sales and improving persistency, success of sales to substandard risks and rating methods, and pricing, reinsurance and experience with individual hospital and medical policies.

Description: Discusses the reasons for changing emphasis on reserve strengthening programs and looks at methods adopted to emphasize the reserve character of undistributed surplus.

Description: Discusses basic principles which should be observed in the selection of risks for individual health insurance, substandard underwriting, and how sales policies and claim administration practices are related to underwriting.

Description: This discussion reviews changes in practices and procedures which have been made with resulting reduction of expense in connection with the following: Administration and valuation of supplementary contracts, collection of monthly premiums, underwriting of new applicants, and preparation and printing of rare books and policies.

Description: Presented at May 2005 Spring Meeting. Explores work to study the mortality experience of the older ages, the mortality costs to the insurer if the absolute level and shape of the pricing mortality curve is incorrect and the value of underwriting with regard to select vs. ultimate mortality.