Description: This article examines the impact of a changing smoking rate on population-level mortality improvement and the importance of taking this driver into account.

Description: The most popular term product, guaranteed level premium term typically, with level premiums for 10, 20 or 30-years has basic reserves under 1980 CSO that are significantly larger than needed. The 2001 CSO may provide substantial relief from these excess reserves. This article discusses how much impact on profits this relief may provide.

Description: The heart of a reinsurance arrangement is that a loss by the direct writer will be covered. The risk that coverage may be lost can be managed—practical steps can be taken to ensure that the ceding company and reinsurer remain in agreement about what business is and is not covered under the terms and conditions of the reinsurance agreement.

Description: discussion of risk management and proper pricing of life insurance products.

Description: The Effects of Triple-X on Product Design by Mary Bahna-Nolan from Product Development News, August 2000, Issue No. 50.

Description: The second part of a two-part Canadian Corner article on Segregated Fund Guarantees. Part I ran in the June 1998 issue of Product Development News.

Description: Relationship of IRR to ROI on a Level Term Life Insurance Policy

Description: Discussion of topics addressed at pricing methodologies seminar,including a review of the results of the Tillinghast Pricing Methodology Survey. This survey covers the most popular profit measures for various companies within various product lines. The concept of market consistent embedded value was also discussed, as well as a review of pricing indexed products. Finally, there were case studies presented on pricing Universal Life with Secondary Guarantees, Return of Premium Term and Variable Annuities with Living Benefits

Description: Discussion of a direct writer survey and a reinsurer survey conducted in the fall of 2002 by the Society of Actuaries. The surveys asked a number of questions about underwriting criteria needed to qualify for preferred risk. They also asked questions about the percentage of issues in each underwriting category and the mortality assumptions for the different categories.

Description: This paper will show that the result of using the 1975-80 select/ultimate table, as opposed to the more modern 1990-95 select/ultimate table, can be a significant understatement of future mortality and hence anticipated profits may prove to be illusory.