Description: Essay reforming healthcare where participants have a vested interest in reaching the best answer.

Description: This paper proposes guiding principles for a simpler, more effective pension funding system that would better serve plan sponsors, their participants, the regulating agencies, and the general public. The objective of the new system would be to have plan assets funded at termination liability over a reasonable period of time. From The Future of Pension Plan Funding and Disclosure Monograph, M-RS05-1.

Description: A Towers Perrin proposal for pension funding reform.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to explore a methodology for choosing among techniques for managing contribution volatility in defined- benefit pension plans. A frequently used – and as often criticized – method for managing contribution volatility is to base actuarial cost on smoothed assets. Our goal in this paper is to develop a methodology for measuring and evaluating the quantitative impact of competing asset smoothing policies. We proceed by investigating a series of basic pension metrics, evaluating the characteristics of each using a simulated pension plan. We then use normalized and weighted combinations of these metrics to determine an optimal smoothing policy.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to explore pension plan metrics— – measuring the behavior of a defined- benefit pension plan in an uncertain environment. Our goal is to measure and evaluate the quantitative impact of competing policy choices. We proceed by investigating some basic pension metrics, evaluating the characteristics of each using a simulated pension plan. We find that some typical metrics— – such as the mean and standard deviation— – are useful only in certain circumstances and that other less traditional measurements are sometimes better suited to evaluating policy choices.

Description: The methods of pension funding are generally understood, but references in the actuarial literature are rather sparse. This paper attempt, in some measure, to get at least the fundamentals of pension funding into the actuarial literature. From Society of Actuaries 50th Anniversary Monograph, M-AV99-1.

Description: From the Future of Pension Plan Funding and Disclosure Monograph, held July 14-15, 2005 in Washington, DC.

Description: Paper that discusses a new funding method that would make the recommended contribution for funding purposes for public DB plans subject to an overriding minimum contribution OMC calculation.

Description: Presented at the Living to 100 Symposium, January 2011. This paper looks at issues with regard to long life and managing risk by individuals. It focuses on how structuring of payouts interacts with issues related to long life, and also discusses cash benefits and health-related benefits.

Description: This paper talks about the Swedish pension system reform.