Description: Trends in mortality have a huge impact on the insurance industry and its products, risks and profitability. Worldwide, life expectancy has increased continuously over the past decades. However, this progress—even without considering the Covid-19 pandemic—has been subject to strong fluctuations. In recent years, an increase in volatility can be observed. Various aspects—medical science, environment, lifestyle—have influenced the trend in the past. How can the life and health industry move forward in these uncertain conditions? In this article, we examine what has gone before and what can be learned from a closer analysis. What are the main drivers of the historical increase in life expectancy? What characterizes the dynamics of the recent past? How can mortality be projected into the future? How good are our methods of prediction and what are the risks? What risk management options are available?

Description: This video from Ben Keslowitz explains the concept of reinsurance, which is a financial arrangement where insurance companies transfer portions of their risk portfolios to other parties, known as reinsurers. This helps insurers manage large or catastrophic claims and optimize their risk components. The video also covers different types of reinsurance, such as proportional liability reinsurance, non-proportional reinsurance, and quota share coinsurance, each serving different purposes in risk management. Additionally, it discusses the reasons insurers might choose to reinsure their business, including liability risk mitigation, investment risk transfer, and entering new markets.

Description: This article summarizes insights from a 2021 survey of more than 40 life insurance companies with a focus on trends in reinsurand and in-force management. While reinsurance objectives and methods have remained steadfast in a sea of economic and regulatory impacts, life companies still are looking at different solutions to make improvements in profitability, stability, and scale.

Description: The second of two parts of a roundtable discussion, by conference call, on the state of life reinsurance today in North America. This part focused more on emerging types of capital approaches to life reinsurance.

Description: The article investigates the reasons behind non-zero financial implications for fully reinsured businesses within the regulatory frameworks of US GAAP Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 17. It helps companies grasp the nuances of these standards, thereby enhancing their risk management strategies, improving regulatory compliance and optimizing their decision-making processes.

Description: Two previous issues of The Actuary reported on panel discussions, in two parts, about life reinsurance from the perspective of the reinsurers. This is the first of two parts on life reinsurance from the perspective of the ceding companies.

Description: This article highlights emerging accelerated underwriting (AUW) monitoring trends and best practices that carriers can implement for monitoring their own AUW programs. It includes high-level mortality slippage findings based on a reinsured study population comprised of both pre- and post-issue auditing methods (random holdouts and post-issue audits) conducted on over 33,000 AUW applicants over the past decade.

Description: Highlights the key takeaways from the 2021 published SOA PLT study on lapse and mortality experience of US term plans in the post level term period. This article explains the new insights in the latest study including a comparison of PLT experience between Jump to ART and Graded structures. The important variables driving PLT experience and the relationship between lapse and mortality experience are also discussed.

Description: Summary of the results from the SOA Reinsurance Section's survey of individual and group life reinsurance business assumed in 2023.

Description: The first of two parts of a roundtable discussion, by conference call, on the state of life reinsurance today in North America.