Description: This is a discussion of the title paper by Raymond F. Houseman, which provides some practical aspects of various funding methods. The paper is critiqued, and some alternative methods are discussed.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the points to be considered in arriving at a method of making cost estimates and funding calculations and their practical application.

Description: In March this year a charter for the new corporation, the College Retirement Equities Fund, was granted by the State of New York and it is expected that within a few months the Fund will begin operations as a supplement to TIAA annuities. The purpose of this paper is to describe this rather novel type of corporation, which presents some unusual and interesting actuarial problems. Comparisons of the performance of fixed annuities vs. variable annuities are provided.

Description: Discussion of the use of traditional individual insurance products for pension plans of employers with small numbers of employees. Also discusses the new products in use, or under development for such plans. Also discusses the pros and cons of shifting individual policy funded plans to some other basis when the number of participants becomes larger. Finally, a discussion of products and methods under development in contemplation of enactment of a Keogh-type bill to provide retirement benefits for the self-employed?

Description: Description of a group annuity contract with a separate investment account designed to provide the flexibility in the type of investment used for advance funding sought by many pension buyers without the complete loss of insurance company guarantees to an individual once he has retired. Followed by 2 discussion papers submitted.

Description: This is a discussion about group annuity contracts issued for a very small number of lives and how it affected new sales of individual pension-trust policies.