Description: Article discusses recent changes in the IRS LB&I Division's examination practices and approach that may affect the work-flow of company actuaries and may present opportunities to resolve tax issues for companies

Description: An update from the ACLI staff to keep readers informed about the organization's work on tax issues affecting the life insurance industry.

Description: A summary of a preliminary report from the Committee on Valuation and Related Problems, on guidelines for quantifying balance sheet items in an insurance enterprise.

Description: On July 14, 2005, the FASB issued an Exposure Draft of a proposed Interpretation, Accounting for Uncertain Tax Positions—an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109. If adopted, the proposed Interpretation is the most significant tax accounting guidance the FASB has issued since FASB Statement No. 109 “Accounting for Income Taxes,” FAS 109 in 1992.

Description: This article explores the complexities and potential problems with respect to tax reserves that could result from a retroactive application of a principle-based reserves PBR approach for life insurance reserves.

Description: Discusses how companies must ensure that significant and necessary product development, and administrative and compliance system changes, have been completed and tested in time to accommodate new requirements.

Description: Written from a regulatory perspective, the article covers the purpose of regulation and some regulatory expectations. The topics include the appointed actuary's involvement in corporate governance, reasonability of results when compared to prior results, data quality, familiarity with the company's annual statement and applicable statutes, and areas where appointed actuaries can add value though services provided to smaller life insurance companies.

Description: This article calls to attention the more modest needs of smaller companies contained in the PBA Implementation Guide.

Description: Introducing the Respresentative Scenarios Method, the Motivation and Goals, how the methodology works, and what key information can be derived.

Description: FASB's Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 97 contains wide-sweeping changes to the preparation of GAAP financials for insurance companies. The focus of this article will be on the ramifications of the interest rate FASB has decided to use to amortize deferred acquisition costs.