Description: The industry sees extreme value in predictive modeling and its ability to help us meet customer demands and remain profitable, but do customers and regulators look at this as a favorable addition to our process? Hear from a dynamic panel of industry experts who will tackle a variety of issues and questions from the state of the regulatory environment to the responsibilities of the carrier.

Description: As accelerated underwriting continues to evolve, it is a delicate balance to ensure these programs are managed effectively for both short- and long-term results. And there's debate about whether these programs are getting too aggressive. Join panelists as they share their viewpoints on the state of accelerated underwriting, the data sources, models, tools and techniques commonly used, how the landscape is destined to change with more dynamic approaches in underwriting, and how best to monitor these programs, and the impacts of these programs to carriers and the industry as a whole.

Description: The old adage 'insurance is sold not bought' has been used to dismiss digital insurance and support the old agent model of distribution. However, modern distribution systems address this with personalization. This is not simply a customized application form based on age or gender. Personalization is much more dynamic and happens in real-time. It's about tailoring the end-to-end experience to meet the needs and expectations of the specific applicant. The core tools to achieve this are AI learning and nudges from behavioral science.

Description: New digital data known as alternative data is everywhere. Our industry has seen the financial, and hi-tech industries leverage new digital data to expand their key offerings and core services. From the lens of the global life and health industry, new digital data is still searching to be further understood. Risk assessment is a current focus area for using alternative data. A key question is even though risk assessment has always been data-driven, can it now move to the next level with the arrival of this alternative data. Can we use alternative data to make the risk assessment process quicker, cheaper, or faster thereby driving more sales and better conversion rates. It is an exciting time! With the increased adoption of health and well-being apps, data such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and mental wellness is now readily available. Expanded data such as digital biomarkers, IoT data, electronic health records and many more can also be accessed. However, how to effectively implement alternative data remains a challenge across the industry. We firmly believe it is, and will continue to be, imperative to take a structured approach to alternative data through a set of key considerations and a framework of principles.

Description: Future mortality improvement has been a common assumption in life insurance and annuity pricing and forecasting for many years. However, experience over the last decade suggests this might be an assumption that merits reconsideration in the United States. This article will take a closer look at factors that impact mortality improvement trends and discuss why insurers may want to reevaluate product designs to better manage the associated mortality risk. We then introduce a product idea with this in mind, where premiums are based on a life expectancy index and insurers share the risk (and opportunity) or mortality improvement with policyholders.

Description: With long duration targeted improvements in the U.S., and IFRS 17 in other countries, the insurance industry is currently undergoing the adoption of two of the most significant accounting changes in recent history. While the scale of these specific events are infrequent, change is the norm in the world of insurance and life of an actuary. We live in a dynamic environment that will continue to bring challenges in how companies make decisions in order maximize their value and return on capital. Capital management requires an ability for insurance companies to take corporate actions and understand the impact this will have on both the current and future available capital. Being able to make optimal decisions when the goal posts are subject to frequent and material shifts in accounting regulation is a difficult process. It requires holistic consideration of all tools available to manage capital and how KPIs can shift in their measurement under new regimes. By attending the session, you will: Discuss the challenges that companies have in managing capital in an ever evolving environment, what steps they have taken in managing the current scope of accounting change, and how they can be prepared for adjustments in the future.

Description: Non-guaranteed elements are parameters of life insurance and annuity polices that are not fixed when the policy is issued but may be changed from time to time by the insurance company. They emerged in the United States and other countries as features of Universal Life and similar products designed to make insurance more competitive in an environment where fully guaranteed products did not have sufficient flexibility to respond to rapidly changing conditions. This overview covers professional guidance, regulations and practical issues with reviewing and revising non-guaranteed parameters.

Description: A literature review was performed on mortality improvement, socioeconomic differences in mortality and their links to specific causes of death, and methods for analysis. It highlighted the fact that socioeconomic status (e.g., income and education) is closely linked to differences in mortality and that the longevity gap between socioeconomic groups is growing over time. It also informed the selection of key variables and the need to view mortality improvement as a complex interaction between specific causes of death.

Description: As results emerged showing the influence of COVID-19 on recent mortality, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute’s Mortality and Longevity Strategic Research Program Steering Committee (MLPSC) began to ponder what it means for the future. Was the coronavirus pandemic just a temporary shock to U.S. mortality with mortality quickly returning to prepandemic levels upon its conclusion or a lingering factor in future U.S. mortality from the potential occurrence of new coronavirus variants, post-COVID-19 conditions (“long COVID”), deferral of needed health care treatment, a fatigued health care system and other elements? Only time will provide the answers to these questions.

Description: An overview of how the VM-31 requirements for documenting PBR approaches and assumptions can/should reflect the Actuarial Standard of Practice on Modeling, ASOP No. 56

Description: A discussion on technology improvements in establishing compliance with sections 7702 and 7702A. The Internal Revenue Code defines life insurance using actuarial tests that limit the investment in a life insurance contract as compared to the death benefit. Inadvertant failures of the actuarial tests can be uncovered by testing in order to enable remediation.

Description: This study and report have the following primary purposes: 1. Evaluate recent mortality experience relative to standard industry mortality tables, at a broad level. 2. Observe general trends in mortality experience by key policy characteristics. Where possible, provide insights into the industry changes contributing to the observed trends. 3. Provide the underlying data in spreadsheet pivot table format for further investigation by qualified actuaries. Provide data also in a delimited text file and Tableau dashboards for use with other software tools.

Description: This report provides an educational background on the process of building predictive models, as well as a detailed presentation of the model results. Predictive models provide a method to capture variation by multiple variables and understand the relationship between these variables. This allows for a deeper understanding of key variables than is possible under a traditional approach.

Description: For over a decade, life insurers have been challenged by a low interest rate environment, making it difficult to find investments with adequate yield, manage corporate spreads, and offer competitive products to consumers. While interest rates are still low compared to the early 2000’s, volatility in rates over the past year, during which the 10-year U.S. Treasury rate has increased by nearly 100 basis points, could indicate a longer-term trend of rising rates. What would a rising rate environment imply for life insurance writers? Insurers able to react to interest rate changes with agility can remain relevant in an evolving economy, protecting themselves and their policyholders. This article addresses risks and considerations faced by insurers with respect to in-force retention, pricing and product mix, and reinsurance and mergers & acquisitions.

Description: This article is the final installment of our three-part series on economic scenario generators (“ESGs”). Part I and II were published in the November 2019 and August 2020 issues of The Modeling Platform. Part III contextualizes the framework for selecting, building, and validating ESGs and focuses on the Academy Interest Rate Generator (“AIRG”), the most commonly used real-world ESG for US actuaries

Description: With many complex regulatory changes on the horizon as well as pressures to ensure model accuracy from auditors, regulatory requirements and new actuarial standards of practice, the importance of robust model validation is coming to the forefront of actuaries’ minds. What was previously a day-two task for many companies is becoming just as important as model development! In this session, you will hear from those that have been deeply involved in building model validation frameworks and tools in responses to regulatory changes GAAP Long Duration Targeted Improvements (“LDTI”) and Principles Based Reserves (“PBR”).

Description: The presenters in this classic session will explore protection and accumulation products as well discuss the current state of the hybrid Life/LTC market. They will also examine the latest trends and the challenges to innovation and highlight key factors impacting the product actuary including the impact of technology, regulation and competitive environment. 

Description: Read the April 2020 issue of Product Matters! published by the Product Development Section. Newsletters provide practical information for the working actuary, articles on trends that impact sections and news about section activities.

Description: Since the outbreak began in January, numerous research groups throughout the world have developed models to forecast the number of deaths that could result from COVID-19.

Description: Institutional investors such as pension plans and insurance companies have enjoyed strong equity returns for a length of time with few historical precedents. Nearly a decade after the end of the financial crisis, strategies to provide downside protection remain expensive and the performance of traditional risk-managed funds has disappointed investors.

Description: Over the last few years, many direct companies have started inforce management programs and are now navigating what actions can be taken to optimize the business. At the same time, the legal, compliance, and regulatory environments are also changing. The presenters will explore the development and implementation of programs such as changing non-guaranteed elements or efforts to improve experience while considering the changing compliance environment, including New York Regulation 210, ASOP2 and litigation challenges.

Description: Near the end of a pension plan's lifespan, after benefit accruals have ceased and the plan has reached fully funded status, a plan sponsor has the option to begin the plan termination process immediately or to maintain the plan for an extended period of time (often referred to as 'hibernation' as an alternative to termination). While immediate termination appeals to some plan sponsors, others choose hibernation for a number of reasons, including paternalism, fiduciary obligations, perceived cost differentials or simple inertia.

Description: This session meets the needs of life insurance actuaries who are focused on experience studies, assumption setting, and/or product development. The presenters will use industry data to illustrate how policyholders react to product design, such as premium jumps in the PLT period and UL with high interest rate illustration, and trends in the life insurance market, including the introduction of smoking distinguished rates and the shift towards an increasing number of preferred underwriting classes.

Description: Hear an overview of InsurTech trends and challenges globally. Then, presenters will dive deeper to talk about InsurTech's application in insurance product distribution via smartphones and insurance company's risk selection, risk evaluation, risk control and the related challenges brought to actuaries. Specific applications and cases will be presented.

Description: The Smaller Insurance Company Section, the Committee on Life Insurance Research and the Product Development Section announce the release of a new report on the impact mortality credibility has on principle-based reserves.

Description: Global megatrends in technology are disrupting the life insurance industry.

Description: The Canadian Institute of Actuaries and Society of Actuaries Committee on Life Insurance Research, the Product Development Section and the Financial Reporting Section, sponsored this study investigating how the Canadian life insurance industry is utilizing predictive modelling.

Description: The Society of Actuaries are once again offering a seminar that investigates all aspects of life insurance, annuity and long term care product tax compliance. Developed by the Taxation Section, participants will be brought up-to-date on recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and learn about the newest tax issues related to product design and administration. Legal, IRS and product development experts will provide vital insights into the challenges of developing and administering products within the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), and allow ample opportunities for networking, questions and information exchange.

Description: Provide high level summary of predictive modelling.

Description: This abstract describes a paper that provides a quantitative framework in which two risk management strategies are mathematically formulated.

Description: This paper summarizes the results of a survey of waiver of premium/monthly deduction rider assumptions and experience.

Description: This report examines options for analyzing periodic changes in VM-20 reserve amounts.

Description: This research report is the result of a second phase examination of the impact of VM-20 on life insurance product development.

Description: This report considers a hybrid portfolio that combines life and general insurance aspects.

Description: This report is a summary based on current actuarial practices around the development and use of policyholder behavior assumptions including the use of dynamic modeling approaches. The research team surveyed and evaluated current practices in the industry; and highlighted current thinking on modeling human behaviors outside the life insurance industry. This project was sponsored by the SOA’s Financial Reporting Section and the Committee on Life Insurance Research.

Description: This SOA research report produced by Kamakura Corporation helps illuminate credit risk modeling techniques within the life insurance industry. It includes a review of available research on the subject from academic and industry sources, the development and distribution of a survey on actual techniques used within the industry, and all associated analysis. The finance and economics literature review provides a historical review of academic research on credit modeling with Altman Z-scores, Merton’s structural model and more recent “reduced form models” The industry literature includes discussions of the various credit modeling techniques, factor-based approaches, credit migration models, structural models, reduced form models, hybrid models, actuarial models and credit scoring models. As credit risk modeling is an extremely broad topic, the scope of the survey is narrowed to particular asset classes and functions. There were 22 responses in total to the survey from locations in Canada, Europe and the United states.

Description: This report explains the concept and construction of the Market Consistent Embedded Value (MCEV) measure, as well as its usefulness as a profit/risk measure relative to other profit/risk measures currently used by insurance companies for various products. The knowledge from this research will assist actuaries, corporate leadaers, risk management professionals and others in understanding, implementing and comparing MCEV to current risk assessment tools utilized by insurance companies.

Description: The Required Minimum Distribution (“RMD”) Working Group of the Society of Actuaries’ Taxation Section has completed new research identifying considerations for actuaries and annuity insurers in determining the actuarial present value of additional benefits for computing required minimum distributions under a deferred annuity contract. The paper discusses types of benefits covered under Treasury Regulation Section 1.401 (a)(9)–6, Q&A–12 as well as possible assumptions and methods for calculating the actuarial present values of additional benefits provided under an annuity contract. The appendices show examples for a variety of additional benefit types. EXCEL spreadsheets for the appendices are also provided. The discussion presented in the paper and the examples are provided for educational purposes and are not to be viewed as an authoritative interpretation of Q&A–12.

Description: The interaction of section 7702 cash value accumulation test [CVAT] and state nonforfeiture laws [SNFL] create a dual limitation on traditional life insurance contratcs. CVAT limiting the maximum permissible cash value and SNFL requiring a minimum cash surrender value. This article examines these dual limitations.

Description: This research report on the effect of deflation or high inflation has six sections: 1. The first section provides background on inflation, describes some problems in measuring inflation, and explains some of its effects on an economy. 2. The second section reviews historical inflation rates. 3. The third section examines the effect of inflation or deflation on the property-liability and life insurance industries. 4. The fourth section proposes risk mitigation strategies for insurers to cope with either deflation or high inflation rates. 5. The fifth section describes a publicly available model that can be used to develop inflation/deflation projections under a regime switching format that can readily be adjusted to reflect current financial uncertainty. 6. The sixth section provides conclusions.

Description: New chairperson’s column discussing his goals for the Product Development Section.

Description: This paper discusses some of the models used to quantify risk, note some areas where improvements in standard methods are needed, and in some cases suggest alternative approaches for risks in Property and Casualty Insurance and Life Insurance.

Description: An interview with Jim Toole, lead researcher for SOA's pandemic research project. The project examines pandemic influenza and its implications to the life and health insurance industry.

Description: This article discusses the implications of a principle-based reserve PBR system with respect to federal income taxation of life insurance companies, particularly with respect to tax reserves and their deductibility for tax purposes. The article discusses potential problems with existing tax rules for reserve deduction, what courses of action the IRS could take, and suggestions for design features of a PBR approach that would make it more consistent with current tax rules. Life insurance product tax implications are also discussed.

Description: This is an article about debt protection and credit insurance as products. From Small Talk Newsletter, November 2005, Issue No. 25.

Description: 2004 SOA Annual Meeting and Exhibit, New York. This discussion looked at individual life insurance and annuity products and the risks these guarantees carry, such as: 1. Extended maturity benefits. 2. Secondary guarantees. 3. Guaranteed insurability. 4. Guaranteed minimum living and death benefits in VA.

Description: Panelists discuss statutory valuation issues associated with life insurance premium guarantees. Topics include actuarial opinion and X-factor analysis, 2001 CSO and mitigation strategies such as product design, reinsurance and securitization, session 30OF of the 2004 Valuation Actuary Symposium.

Description: This presentation is a panel discussion, session 54PD, from the 2004 Spring Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held June 14-15 in San Antonio, TX. This session covers the impact of segmentation and underwriting on expected mortality and morbidity. Panelists discuss the importance of data mining and customer selection on ultimate experience, setting up direct marketing applications with the right type of questions to maximize responses but limit risk, the use of prescription drugs and other databases, and industry practices for obtaining customer information. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 2.

Description: This article presents the author's views on how direct writers of term insurance should view and monitor their reinsurance.

Description: This session from the 2003 SOA Orlando Meeting focuses on WL and UL insurance products offered in the U.S. and Canada, market and regulatory differences and similarities, the comparison of product offerings and an overview of current issues in product development. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 29, No. 3.

Description: Panelists at this session of the SOA 2003 Washington, DC Spring Meeting discuss how changes in interest rates affect the assets and liabilities of a life insurance company and what a company can do to prepare. This session examines historical trends in interest rates and how companies have reacted to both sudden and gradual changes.

Description: The panel at this session of the SOA 2003 Washington, DC Spring Meeting look at the product development process with a focus on improving the success rate for new products and process improvement strategies.

Description: This session of the SOA 2003 Washington, DC Spring Meeting discusses the emergence of the life settlement market. Panelists present an overview of the market, typical transactions, implications for life companies and longevity risk takers, and regulatory issues.

Description: Presented at May 2002 Spring Meeting. Discusses the status of the second phase of the AAA C-3 Risk project. This project is leading to an updated NAIC filing requirement and is a step toward fair value. The specific focus is on equity risk and bond funds in the distribution tails. Products covered include variable life and annuities.

Description: Presented at May 2002 Spring Meeting. The panel identifies the risks in various life products and the product development actions that can enable an insurer to manage the risks.

Description: Presented at May 2002 Spring Meeting. Discusses products sold outside the United States and Canada, the inherent interest/equity-based risks and the tools available for dealing with the changing economic environment.

Description: Presented at May 2002 Spring Meeting. Discusses the nature of the risks associated with equity-based and equity-linked products, and how those products can be managed with the use of capital market instruments.

Description: Presented at May 2002 Spring Meeting. This session provides an overview of the various methods used to manage the risks from guarantees of equity-based life and annuity products. Discussion includes the use of reinsurance, self-insurance and static/dynamic hedging.

Description: Discusses the current activities of the Life Liquidity Risk Working Group of the NAIC.

Description: This presentation was session number 32PD at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 15-18 in Chicago. This session provides an overview of recent and potential developments and future developments in statutory reserving for life insurance products. Topics include Regulation XXX, variable and equity-indexed universal life reserves, state variations, tax considerations, offshore reinsurance, unified valuation systems, American Academy of Actuaries Extended Maturity Option Work Group developments, Actuarial Opinion and Memorandum revisions, new Commissioners' Standard Ordinary mortality tables, and trends in valuation interest rates and the Applicable Federal Interest Rates. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 26, No. 3.

Description: Presented at October 2000 Annual Meeting. Discusses the marketing of voluntary benefits to employee groups and addresses key success factors for distribution, product, and technology associated with the work-site marketing distribution channel.

Description: A discussion of an alternative valuation methodology which addresses many of the shortcomings of the current valuation system for U.S. life and health insurers one of which is the proliferation of undesirable variations in state requirements. Issue No. 37

Description: This paper expands on the traditional three-factor interest, mortality, and expenses dividend contribution formula to propose a new dividend structure. The structure and formula are derived from the most generalized equation of equilibrium, and each dividend class is treated as an ongoing microcosm. From Society of Actuaries Financial Reporting Monograph, M-AS99-1.

Description: 1999 Valuation Actuary Symposium, Los Angeles. This session focused on how the industry has responded to the financial management challenges associated with Equity-Indexed products. Topics included: 1. Investment hedging and market volatility. 2. Product modeling. 3. Participation rate competition. 4. Product evolution. 5. GAAP for Derivatives - FAS 133.

Description: From session 63 PD at the Spring regional meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24-25, 1999, panelists discuss current issues including adoption status and proposals for various regulations critical to product development efforts. Impact of XXX on product design and reserves is also discussed. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 25, No. 1.

Description: From session 74PD at the Spring regional meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24-25, 1999. Panelists explore the features, uses, and market for buyers of survivorship life products.

Description: From session 77IF at the Spring regional meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24-25, 1999, panelists explore the workings of the Actuarial Standards Board.

Description: In session 51CS of the Maui I Spring Meeting the Panel describes what every actuary should know about mergers and acquisitions in the life and health insurance business. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 1.

Description: Panelists at the SOA 1998 Maui I Spring Meeting discuss new regulations for sales illustrations and the various technical and operational challenges they present to actuaries.

Description: 1996 Valuation Actuary Symposium. In this teaching session on liability modeling, the panelists discussed the key aspects of identifying and gathering the data required to construct models, the model building process including objectives and considerations, and the modeling process from the standpoint of policyholder and company behaviors.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Boston Meeting covers an update on the current status of the proposed new standard non-forfeiture law for life insurance. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4a.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Boston Meeting covers usage, sales methods, and design of COLI products and their many variations. Presenters will discuss market potential, distribution systems, risks, product features, pricing implications, and tax issues. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4b.

Description: This paper explores the flexibility of kernel estimation as a means of nonparametric graduation and relates it to moving-weighted-average graduation. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1995, Vol. 47.