Description: The Financial Accounting Standards Board FASB, which promulgates accounting standards under US GAAP, and the International Accounting Standards Board IASB, which promulgates accounting standards for many countries outside the United States, have been working for several years on a joint project on accounting for insurance contracts. The boards agree on many aspects of the proposed accounting model. However, as of December 2011, there are a number of key areas where they do not. This article summarizes the boards’ views on the key areas where they disagree.

Description: Responsibilities Of The Actuary For Communicating Sarbanes-Oxley Control in accordance With Actuarial Standards of Practice

Description: Article discusses valuation and Risk Based Capital results for a sample variable annuity block of business. The valuations were performed under the current rules and guidelines in effect until Dec. 31, 2009 and also under Actuarial Guideline 43 which is effective Dec. 31, 2009. The RBC was determined using the C-3 Phase II methodology. The article also presents analyses of the impact to AG 43 results from extending projection periods and from utilizing alternative economic scenario sets.

Description: The use of Other Comprehensive Income OCI is receiving its moment in the sun. It is being considered for housing some of the earnings volatility in the International Accounting Standards Board IASB current approach to measuring insurance contracts’ performance.

Description: Stochastic DAC Unlocking for Variable Annuity Products by Alastair Longley-Cook, Dick Shaw, Mike Sherrill, and Jay Vadiveloo from The Financial Reporter, March 2001, Issue No. 45.

Description: If you’ve been reading my columns for a while, you have no doubt recognized that I tend to be consis- tently optimistic when it comes to the insurance contracts project meeting deadlines. I am constantly disappointed as the International Accounting Standards Board IASB and Financial Accounting Standards Board FASB fail to meet their own deadlines for producing exposure drafts or other papers. But this time is different.

Description: The International Accounting Standards Board issued a Discussion Paper, Preliminary Views on Insurance Contracts, discussing the many issues surrounding accounting for insurance contracts and presenting current views in a number of areas. The SOA published a research report on the impact of these Preliminary Views - which is summarized chapter-by-chapter in this article.

Description: Article discussing financial reporting topics discussed at the International Actuarial Association meeting in Washington D.C. in April.

Description: This article will focus on introducing where IFRS17 differs from US GAAP conceptually, and key aspects of this paradigm shift from actuaries’ perspective.

Description: Review of modeling of impact of proposed GAAP changes and commentary on preparedness based on company survey.