Description: Discusses a one day seminar in Shanghai, China held on August 25, 2011 by the SOA and the China Regional Committee on variable annuities.

Description: This article discusses a new procedure for correcting inadvertent failures to satisfy the diversification requirements applicable to variable annuity and life insurance contracts under section 817h of the Internal Revenue Code.

Description: Regulatory change and increased focus on internal risk management are driving a renewed interest in model efficiency. In this session, we will review several new and existing tools, that show significant promise for advanced modeling of equity linked products. These include: • Clustering • Use of unique--and potentially a different number of--scenarios for each policy • Semi Monte Carlo (SMC) – this is a proprietary technique that is similar to a combination of Monte Carlo and numeric integration • Using a neural network approach to optimize some of the more complex and manual aspects of clustering and improve the fit of the clustered model • Combining SMC with the use of unique scenarios per policy

Description: Discusses PLR 201105012, the investor control doctrine, and how the IRS concluded that shares of a Lifecycle Fund, available only through a life insurance company's separate account, still can be considered owned by the insurer and not the policyowner for federal income tax purposes even if it at least partly invests in shares of public funds.

Description: This study of mortality on deferred Variable annuities over the period 1991-1995 was designed to test the adequacy of the 1994 MGDB Valuation Mortality Table to cover presumed extra mortality on Variable annuities VAs with Substantial Minimum Guaranteed Death Benefits MGDBs as compared with VAs with Minimal MGDBs. A parallel study of Fixed Annuity experience was carried out as a control. Expected deaths were computed also on the Annuity 2000 Table. The results raise questions as to its continuing safety as a valuation table for individual annuities. The study also shows that mortality levels on Qualified NonPension Trust business are significantly lower than on Nonqualified business.

Description: The article summarizes several recent private letter rulings from the IRS addressing the "investor control" doctrine in the context of funds of funds.

Description: Important tools used in property & casualty P&C insurance—predictive modeling and data mining—can be applied to more effectively model policyholder behavior risks in variable annuity VA contracts. In this article, a case study is used to demonstrate how a predictive modeling approach can improve upon traditional methods used to model VA lapse behavior.

Description: This article discusses tax and accounting issues that arise under a recently-issued Chief Counsel Advice in which the IRS applied a life insurance company tax rule to a nonlife company that issues life insurance products

Description: This article gives a summary of a presentation given by John Antliff before the Chicago Actuarial Club on April 24, 1967 focusing on the current status of variable annuities.

Description: This panel discussion, which occurred at the May 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Colorado Springs, presented a discussion on life and annuity equity products of the 1980's. Topics included: 1. Product design 2. Taxes 3. Investment policy 4. Regulations 5. Marketing and sales 6. Effect of general account business