Description: Investment opportunities are driven by events in the economy and how participants in the financial markets react to those events. This keynote address will highlight current economic themes and their impact on investment opportunities.

Description: 1994 SOA Spring Meeting, Orlando. This session focused on the possible impacts of a return to higher interest rates and explored risk management strategies that may be appropriate.

Description: The primary focus of this 1997 presentation from the 32nd Actuarial Research Conference is the adaptation of the representative scenario method such that the distribution of the primary rates used for product pricing, are consistent, regardless of the initial random number seed. A preliminary question is how many stochastically generated scenarios are required for consistency. This presentation looks at the implications of: the use of antithetic random normal deviates upon the scenario process, ways of modifying the candidate list, and the choice function within the representative scenario process.

Description: On October 30, 2006, the UK government's Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change made startling claims about the present value today of climate change effects predicted to emerge primarily 150 years or more in the future. The ensuing debate included challenges to and defenses of the particular methodology used and parameter values selected to perform the discounting of future values. Noticing an overlooked faux pas in the Stern Review, this presentation uncovers the likely motivation for choosing the most mystifying of the parameters values, and provides a lesson on the underpinnings of the basic tool of actuarial science.

Description: In this session, we will explore investment solutions that aim to maintain the long-term viability of a pension plan, with considerations on hedging interest rates, credit, inflation, longevity and other risks, while accounting for the many particularities associated with underlying liabilities and their corresponding ramifications.

Description: The effects of climate change have been widely documented. Whether it’s rising temperatures, more frequent and violent storms or disruption to wild life, there is a consensus in the scientific community that these effects are real. What are the risks and opportunities that climate change brings to an investment portfolio? As society transitions to more sustainable sources of energy and tries to find more sustainable ways to consume, there will be winners and losers. In this presentation, speakers will discuss their process to identify winners in this changing world and highlight the risks to various industries.

Description: This panel discussion session presents social indicators using a variety of statistical approaches and relates them to societal changes. The concept of using mortality data as a social indicator is also discussed.

Description: This presentation is a panel discussion, session number 44PD, from the 2002 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held September 19-20 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The panelists share their perspectives concerning the current economic environment. They address the impact on the valuation environment and the appointed actuary, statutory and GAAP implications, and the increasing value of actuarial expertise. Topics covered include demographic considerations, rising health-care expenditures, increased investor scrutiny, and the cost of regulation, NAIC developments, solvency and liquidity, and investment opportunities and challenges in the current economic environment. Discussion from participants is included.

Description: This presentation at the SOA 1990 Dallas Spring Meeting is about the importance of good customer service and how taking care of the customer leads to a good bottom line.

Description: This session discusses potential developments in the 1980's with regards to: the impact of the force of competition on price levels and profit margins, growth in the market for life insurance and annuities, profit squeeze on stock companies due to continued high level of inflation, problems which will affect smaller stock companies abilities to compete and/or survive, changes in permanent versus term pricing practices and profit margins during the 1980's, changes in sources of profit and uses of free surplus, and continued attractiveness of insurers as acquisition targets.