Description: Regulatory change and increased focus on internal risk management are driving a renewed interest in model efficiency. In this session, we will review several new and existing tools, that show significant promise for advanced modeling of equity linked products. These include: • Clustering • Use of unique--and potentially a different number of--scenarios for each policy • Semi Monte Carlo (SMC) – this is a proprietary technique that is similar to a combination of Monte Carlo and numeric integration • Using a neural network approach to optimize some of the more complex and manual aspects of clustering and improve the fit of the clustered model • Combining SMC with the use of unique scenarios per policy

Description: Insurance is a technically demanding, risk-based, capital intensive business. It is therefore not surprising that the industry is fertile ground for the development of technical models used to measure and price risk and manage capital. This session presents the forces which have significantly influenced the evolution of risk and capital management techniques and organization in the insurance industry, including regulatory changes, financial market instability, enlightened self-interest and ultimately a focus on shareholder value creation. Combining over 20 years in the industry in risk and finance roles with a rigorous academic approach, the presenter will provide insights into the most important business questions which insurers face today and the technical tools and frameworks used to answer them.

Description: Often actuarial practitioners are faced with working with data that is less than ideal. The data may be observed with gaps in it, a model may suggest variables that are observed at different frequencies, and sometimes predictive analytic results are very fragile to the inclusion or omission of just a few observations in the sample. Data, particularly big data, are often "messy" and something must be done about it. What is the actuary to do about these very practical matters? These types of questions are what this presentation is intended to address. Concerns on missing data, outliers, nonlinearity, mixed-frequency, cross-correlations are illustrated using real datasets in the Asia-Pacific countries. Some possible solutions to the messy data problems will be discussed.

Description: This session will include a brief outline of the origin of the tontine from when it was first introduced by the government of England in the 17th century through its disappearance in the early 20th century. As we explore the history of tontines, we will discuss their multiple references throughout English (and French) literature, often vilified by most authors using them as their subject, and how they bear little resemblance to the insurance product that many contemporary financial scholars advocate as a viable annuity concept for today and the future. The presenters will cover the practicality of reintroducing a modernized version of these longevity pooling arrangements (i.e., where aggregate longevity risk is shared among a group and not incurred by the issuer) as a retirement savings vehicle. They will also touch upon different aspects of tontines, such as risk management and regulatory issues.

Description: In this session, attendees will learn about the state of the developing reinsurance market for Pension Risk Transfer/Group Annuities in the United States. Discover fundamentals of the primary (group annuity) market and evaluate market forces influencing the lack of significant reinsurance volume of the same nature. This will include a compare and contrast to the PRT and PRT reinsurance markets in other regions that have seen material secondary market volume (such as the UK).

Description: 1992 SOA Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. The stated purpose of this session was to discuss specifically how a company can manage and improve its financial performance as measured by the statutory financial statement. Eleven strategies to improve performance were addressed.

Description: Panelists discussed the implications of the growing trend in Canada toward demutualization of mutual companies into stock companies. Topics covered include: 1. The Canadian demutualization process and some interesting differences between companies and across borders. 2. How is eligibility determined? 3. What process is being used to determine allocation of shareholder value? 4. What mechanisms are in place to protect policyholders' reasonable expectations? 5. What internal and financial structural changes are driven by demutualization? 6. How financial markets assess stock value for companies operating internationally.

Description: Mr. Rallis will discuss trends in the market for risk transfer of defined benefit plans in the US. He will also address implications of increasing longevity.

Description: Managed strategies as underlying investments in VA/FIA products have seen spectacular growth since the financial crisis. The speakers of these sessions will share their views on the development of this market and what is expected to unfold over the next 12 months in regard to the next generation of products and fund-based strategies.

Description: This session will provide an overview of the evolution of equity-based guarantees (e.g. VA, FIA, etc.) over the last few years and discuss the current lay of the land as it relates to the regulatory, issues, capital markets (e.g. Department of Labor, Dodd-Frank) environment in which these products are offered.