Description: The article gives background on the Brazilian insurance market and summarizes the newly released regulations which deal with revised reserving guidelines and new capital requirements. Additional capital requirements are promulgated for credit, market, legal, underwriting and operational risks.

Description: In Canada, the actuarial considerations involved in developing financial reporting and disclosure principles have for some years been under active study by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries CIA and others, with a goal of moving toward one system of financial reporting for all users. The author discusses current proposals starting with a 1974 report released by the CIA, and the work of an Advisory Committee with members from the actuarial and accounting professions, industry, and Provincial Insurance Departments, appointed by the Federal Superintendent of Insurance, which completed its work in the form of a written report.

Description: Discussion of the Buol Report, dealing with international solvency standards for life insurance companies

Description: This article examines the changes in U.S. regulatory reserve and risk-based capital requirements that will significantly impact the insurance industry and practicing actuaries. It summarizes activity related to principles-based reserves and risk-based capital initiatives during 2005.

Description: In determining a company's general purpose financial statement earnings in conformity with the Audit Guide for Stock Life Insurance Companies the Audit Guide, it is necessary to consider what basis may be deemed appropriate for establishing claim reserves on health insurance policies. The bases for determining the other values taken into a general purpose financial statement have been considered elsewhere. This articel briefly considers the difference in reserves calculated for statutory reporting verses those same reserves calcualted for other purposes such as GAAP.

Description: Discusses efforts and accomplishments of first 3 years of the Financial Reporting Section and new undertakings.

Description: This article describes the Investment Year Method for allocation of general portfolio investment income and demonstrates the equivalence of a fixed index or declining index system.

Description: “It is an irony of existing regulation that, if the life insurance industry in the United States were required to file financial statements according to the statutory rules of the United Kingdom, most companies would be insolvent and if the life insurance industry of the United Kingdom were required to file financial statements on the basis of statutory requirements in the United States, most companies also would be insolvent.”

Description: A British actuaries perspective on what could happen should two reserve/accounting basis exist that could lead to reducing the strength of statutory accounting and perhaps the financial strength of North American insurance companies. Some might find similarities to what might happen during the transition to principles based statutory accounting.

Description: This article looks at the recent trend of mergers and acquisitions between very large organizations. The driving forces, issues involved and keys to success are discussed. The role of the actuary in this process is also reviewed.