Description: Explains the more granular breakout of bond RBC factors proposed to the NAIC. Evaluates alternative asset allocation choices for insurers under the new rules.

Description: Provides an update in the April - Sept 2015 contest organized by the section

Description: Argues renewable energy will displace fossil fuels, leading to investment opportunities and risks

Description: Recaps April 2015 seminar on derivatives use for fund managers and insurers in China. Describes growth in Chinese derivatives market including CSI 300 futures

Description: Describes session at the 2015 Life and Annuity Symposium on a new electronic exchange for equity securities, IEX. The exchange rules limit the potential for high frequency traders to front-run customer orders.

Description: Describes outlook for inflation, generally higher in the US and lower in Japan/Europe. Enumerates macroeconomic drivers of inflation, and comments on the pace of inflation-linked debt issuance globally.

Description: Previews the investment sessions at the October 2015 SOA annual meeting in Austin, TX.

Description: The author notes that “insurance companies have been in the business of risk management for hundreds of years. The latest trend towards risk management in banks is both new to insurance companies and very old hat—new because it applies new techniques at least new to the last half century and old hat because many risk management techniques are so old hat to insurance companies that they are almost unconsciously performing them.”

Description: Comments on how US insurers have compensated for low interest rates by investing in a range of less liquid and lower quality assets.

Description: This articles explores the notion of whether the old rules and paradigms of investment strategy and caution may no longer be applicable in today’s financial environment, because things were “different this time.”