Description: The article gives background on the Brazilian insurance market and summarizes the newly released regulations which deal with revised reserving guidelines and new capital requirements. Additional capital requirements are promulgated for credit, market, legal, underwriting and operational risks.

Description: Canada has been proactive in establishing governance frameworks for reinsurance transactions. Initiatives from individuals, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions OSFI and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries CIA have addressed concerns about and scrutiny of reinsurance transactions from worldwide securities and insurance regulators, rating agencies and the media. It is important to note that actuaries have played a vital role in identifying and developing these initiatives and will continue to have a major influence in further development of governance standards and in providing education. From The Actuary Magazine June 2007

Description: This article examines the changes in U.S. regulatory reserve and risk-based capital requirements that will significantly impact the insurance industry and practicing actuaries. It summarizes activity related to principles-based reserves and risk-based capital initiatives during 2005.

Description: This article gives details of the demutualization process of The Equitable Life Assurance Society, highlighting the decision process, actuarial issues and regulatory challenges.

Description: Highlights parts of the exposure draft and concludes that it contains suggestions that actuaries may find useful in internal control design and in documentation for themselves, other management, and auditors.

Description: This article describes the shortcomings of a rules–based valuation system and the benefits of a principles–based valuation system. It discusses the concerns that have arisen since the introduction of Canadian GAAP and Canada's current direction toward a principles-based valuation of insurance liabilities.

Description: Article from The Actuary, November 1985 – Volume No. 19, Issue No. 9 that discusses the changing role of the valuation actuary.

Description: This article discusses value at risk, VaR, and VaR modeling of the bank's portfolios that would recognize diversity and hedging. This article also covers the differences between classical VaR and the longer horizons required by the insurance industry and the feasibility of extending VaR to the insurance industry.

Description: In determining a company's general purpose financial statement earnings in conformity with the Audit Guide for Stock Life Insurance Companies the Audit Guide, it is necessary to consider what basis may be deemed appropriate for establishing claim reserves on health insurance policies. The bases for determining the other values taken into a general purpose financial statement have been considered elsewhere. This articel briefly considers the difference in reserves calculated for statutory reporting verses those same reserves calcualted for other purposes such as GAAP.

Description: This article looks at the recent trend of mergers and acquisitions between very large organizations. The driving forces, issues involved and keys to success are discussed. The role of the actuary in this process is also reviewed.