Description: This presentation is a Teaching Session, number 46TS, from the 2002 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held September 19-20 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. In this session, the instructor discusses simple tools and guidelines to ensure that correct inferences are drawn. The material is presented without using complex mathematical formulas. Topics include application of a normal distribution—when it is appropriate and when it is not, drawing inferences about and creating confidence intervals around tail percentile, and Monte Carlo Simulations for Regulation XXX.

Description: There are three commonly used methods for compiling exposure and death data for use in obtaining crude mortality rates. They are lives, policies and amounts of insurance. This paper investigates the properties of estimators based on lives, amounts and robust alternatives. It is concluded that lives provide the best estimator, even when there is a moderate dependence of mortality rates on amounts of insurance. Presented at the Fourteenth Actuarial Research Conference, lowa City, lowa, September 6, 1979.

Description: Results of an industry survey on life insurance companies' efforts to implement the recently adopted Life Risk-Based Capital Phase II Instructions, which include new requirements for variable annuity contracts. Adopted by the NAIC on October 14, 2005, the new requirements are effective for year-end 2005. Also discusses a summary of the requirements set forth in the instructions.

Description: View the complete issue for the August 2014 Reinsurance News newsletter.

Description: This is a presentation From 38th Annual Actuarial Research Conference 8/9/2003, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Pricing health insurance presents numerous statistical problems. This paper develops a non-parametric method for handling these problems. This method involves kernel density estimation of the charge level distribution and also kernel smoothing between the reimbursement function derivatives. It derives some properties of the estimates so obtained. It illustrates the method with some dental data and compares the results to some other simpler estimation techniques.

Description: Following up on recent articles on claim reserves and retrospective testing, this article examines some data quality and methodology issues related to calculating LTCI claim reserves.

Description: Presentation from the 2006 41st Actuarial Research Conference focusing on the declining usage of expert opinions in the actuarial profession.

Description: Comparison of open code and closed code actuarial modeling systems, focusing on advantages and disadvantages of each group.

Description: This article discusses techniques for modeling credit risk, including discussion of default assumptions and recovery rates.