Description: Mandatory implementation of life principle-based reserves (PBR) is just around the corner, and there is no shortage of work to do, as most products have yet to be moved to PBR. Oliver Wyman recently completed its 2019 PBR survey, with more than 40 participants covering 85 percent of the individual life market, including 23 of the top 25 life writers and five reinsurers. This article will expand on the key survey findings including implementation status and model simplifications.

Description: Hear from the chairperson on themes in the February 2018 issue of Product Matters published by the Product Development Section.

Description: SOA Product Development Section Contest Winning Article. Contest was to provide a creative article on future technology for the life insurance industry.

Description: Life insurance carriers increasingly enhance their product offerings with combination products, aka hybrid or combo products, or living benefits. Presenters will discuss the growth in this market, consumer perception and distribution needs, highlight the key features of long-term care (and chronic illness) and critical illness benefits, and posit what the future of this market will bring.

Description: As product development professionals, we know that getting customer feedback is a key component of the product development process. If crafted carefully, these sessions can uncover true unmet needs, unlock the next product innovation, and create market share gains, all while creating something that contributes to society. As quoted during one of our last focus groups, “Magic stuff happens here.” When designing your research, are you doing all that you can to promote inclusive thinking? By focusing on the design of your study—through overall theme and by paying attention to the details in the process—you can uncover new perspectives that you may not have considered, if not for being deliberate in your actions. Instead of just avoiding structures that create biases, we need to actively incorporate inclusivity. Our team performed a study titled “Designing Solutions to Empower Women,” which focused on women’s viewpoints and how those could be incorporated into life insurance product development. I would love to share some of my experiences and tips collected along the way.

Description: Family structures have expanded in recent decades and so have some beneficiary forms in insurance, banking and investment accounts. This essay includes suggestions for further expansion of those little-discussed but very important forms.

Description: Follow up of Illustration testing published in October 2015 on AG 49

Description: This article contains a summary of some of the Product Development Section presentations given at the 2017 SOA Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Boston this past October.

Description: Presenting the customer a measurable value of life insurance that makes the advice process transparent to both the customer and adviser.

Description: Compares how other industries (in this case, Fast Food) researches and tests new products. Provides examples of how the insurance industry can efficiently research and test new product concepts before going to market.