Description: The article summarizes implications of rising interest rates on U.S. GAAP and statutory financial reporting for life insurers, highlighting potential tailwinds from steady increases and headwinds from sharp increases. We further provide insights into how insurers can leverage ALM programs and interest rate risk hedging practices to favorably position themselves in a rising rate environment

Description: In this article, we collected data from the companies’ roll-forward disclosures related to calendar years 2021 and 2022 on Market Risk Benefit and shared a high-level summary of the Market Risk Benefit volatility that a focus group of companies incurred and summarized the most common ways to mitigate volatility.

Description: Review of modeling of impact of proposed GAAP changes and commentary on preparedness based on company survey.

Description: Actuaries are accustomed to considering how much conservatism is appropriate in their estimates, whether made for pricing or for mea- surement of liabilities. In the proposals for a new standard on accounting for insurance contracts, this conservatism is referred to by the International Accounting Standards Board IASB and the Financial Accounting Standard Board FASB of the United States as the risk adjustment.

Description: This article is aimed to cover the following: 1) Provides an assessment of income volatility under Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) for several key types of long duration contracts along with select illustrations, and compares against those under current GAAP, 2) Discuss areas where accounting policies or methodologies can influence income volatility, and 3) Show how a company's management reporting can be adapted to help explain income variances under LDTI.

Description: This article reviews why financial reporting controls are relevant to actuaries. It also discusses the impact of LDTI on controls and the strategic decisions that insurers need to make.

Description: Description of the discussion of the International Actuarial Association who met in Nassau, the Bahamas. Discussions included: IFRS and corresponding issues, Solvency II, ComFrame, and upcoming publications.

Description: The latest draft ORSA Guidance Manual was released on Oct. 14, 2011. An overview of the requirements from a qualitative, quantitative and governance perspective was provided in the December edition of the Financial Reporter. Several trade associations and com- panies commented on the draft.

Description: December 2015 issue of The Financial Reporter

Description: The Financial Accounting Standards Board FASB, which promulgates accounting standards under US GAAP, and the International Accounting Standards Board IASB, which promulgates accounting standards for many countries outside the United States, have been working for several years on a joint project on accounting for insurance contracts. The boards agree on many aspects of the proposed accounting model. However, as of December 2011, there are a number of key areas where they do not. This article summarizes the boards’ views on the key areas where they disagree.