Description: The failure of a few large life insurers in the early 1990's led to public concern about the safety of annuities purchased by qualified retirement plans. As a result, the Department of Labor issued guidelines, known as the 'Safest Annuity Rule,' for selecting annuity providers. This study examines whether the Safest Annuity Rule is significantly changing the market for insured annuities issued to tax-qualified pension plans, particularly upon the termination of defined benefit plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1997-98 Reports.

Description: This paper concentrates on the issue of determining interest rates for pricing the guaranteed purchase rates at time of retirement under a group annuity contract, but the technique developed can also be applied to possible variations from expected mortality. A discussion of this paper is included.

Description: This is the 1975 report of mortality on group annuity lives broken down by time of retirement as measured against the normal retirement date.

Description: This paper looks at using an age adjustment to provide for anticipated future mortality improvements based on Ga-1951 Male Table. The use of a simple setback in age to provide for improving mortality has proven to be quite satisfactory and eliminates the expense of calculation and maintenance of voluminous projected tables. Followed by several discussion papers submitted

Description: 1959 SOA Regional Meetings in Atlanta and San Francisco. These discussions on pensions examined the advantages of funding deferred profit sharing plans through a life insurance company and the problems involved in final average retirement plans.

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: 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: This is a discussion about employee benefit plans: -Group Life - What has been the effect of the new law taxing employer contributions in excess of $50K? What special underwriting problems have occurred, what underwriting techniques used, what has the mortality experience been? -Group Health - What are special considerations where premium rates are guaranteed for greater than one year? Are any additional reserves established? What are the current developments in Group dental? Have any experience studies been made? What is the potential market for group dental? -Group Annuities - What volume of business has been written on separate accounts or segregated funds? What problems have arisen in administering this type of plan? -Miscellaneous- What has been the experience on high limit accidental death and dismemberment benefits? In pension plans has there been an increase in joint and survivorship options? Has there been an increase in disability benefits under retirement plans? To what extent is the new money concept being adopted in fields other than group annuities? What is the current outlook with regard to reducing or eliminating the difference in taxes imposed on insured employee benefit plans vs self-insured plans? From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1964, Vol. 16 Pt. 2

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: This report presents the formal recommendation for a new mortality basis for individual annuity valuations. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1981, Vol. 33.