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Primer on Retirement Income Strategy Design and Evaluation

Authors

Adam Butt, PhD, FIAA
Guarav Khemka, PhD, FIAA, CERA
William Lim, AIAA
Geoff Warren, PhD

Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics
Australian National University

Description

The SOA Research Institute is pleased to make available material for Primer on Retirement Income Strategy Design and Evaluation. This 'handbook' covers a wide range of aspects around retirement income strategies including: member attributes that matter; types of income objectives; nature of income risk; approaches to investing and drawing down on available assets; stochastic modelling; and the use of utility and metrics to characterize outcomes and identify a suitable retirement strategy. The analysis is supported by excel models that are available to download. The Primer is based around the idea of three types of income objectives – an income floor, income target and income optimization – and shows how this framing flows into both strategy selection and evaluation with each objective calling for different strategies and a different set of metrics.

Materials

Primer on Retirement Income Strategy Design and Evaluation
Income Target Objective Model
Income Optimization Objective Model

Thank You

The SOA Research Institute’s Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program would like to thank the following individuals for their input throughout this project:

R. Evan Inglis (Chair), FSA, MAAA, EA, FCA
Adrian Cox, FSA, MAAA
David Cantor, ASA, EA
Faisal Siddiqi, FSA, FCIA
Jeffery Rykhus, FSA, MAAA
Jing Fritz, FSA, MAAA, CERA
Joseph Goodman, FSA, MAAA, CERA
Kailan Shang, FSA, ACIA
Larry Pollack, FSA, MAAA, EA, FCA
Paula Hogan, CFP, CFA
Ruth Schau, FSA, EA, FCA
Barbara Scott, Senior Research Administrator
Steven C. Siegel, Senior Practice Research Actuary

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Disclaimer for Software

Important: This Excel Model ("Software") is the property of the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute and is protected under U.S. and international copyright laws.

The Software has been developed for the benefit of actuaries FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY, although others may find it useful. SOA Research Institute and the authors make the Software available to individual users for their personal use on a non–exclusive basis. No commercial use, reproduction or distribution is permitted whatsoever.

SOA Research Institute and the authors make no warranty, guarantee, or representation, either expressed or implied, regarding the Software, including its quality, accuracy, reliability, or suitability, and HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY REGARDING THE SOFTWARE'S MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SOA Research Institute and the authors make no warranty that the Software is free from errors, defects, worms, viruses or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties. In no event shall SOA Research Institute or the authors be liable for any damages (including any lost profits, lost savings, or direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or other damages) in connection with or resulting from the use, misuse, reliance on, or performance of any aspect of the Software including any instructions or documentation accompanying the Software. SOA Research Institute and the authors make no representation or warranty of non–infringement of proprietary rights of others with respect to the Software. The entire risk as to the uses, outputs, analyses, results and performance of the Software is assumed by the user. This Disclaimer applies regardless of whether the Software is used alone or with other software.

The model, accompanying documentation, and methodologies contained herein do not represent an official position, statement, or endorsement on behalf of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute or its members, nor should the material be construed to do so. It is the product of a research effort commissioned by the Society of Actuaries Research Institute to add to the library of resource tools. The model is neither intended to preclude the use of other methodologies for any purpose nor provide a statement or position on the use, application, or preferability of other methodologies as compared to the methodology described herein.