Description: This session at the SOA 2001 Annual Meeting looks at issues associated with historically low interest rates from the perspectives of new product development, an investment professional and a corporate view. Included is a discussion of alternative investments ane their risk/return trade offs.

Description: Time Track: Analyzing Historical Asset Returns by Richard Q. Wendt from Risks and Rewards Newsletter, September 2000, Issue No. 35.

Description: Bond Prices, Yields, and Convexity by Macroeconomic Advisers from Risks and Rewards Newsletter, April 2000, Issue No. 34.

Description: The author discusses how the use of a weighted average dollar duration book yield, WADD, rather than the more traditional book yield determined by book value or market value weighting, can provide a better basis for determining the crediting rate on the liabilities.

Description: This discussion is on asset management for an insurance company, including issues of varying investment strategies for different product lines through various asset segmentation approaches, management of the assets supporting surplus, and asset/liability risk management considerations

Description: This Guide lists sources that the actuary may use to gain knowledge on investments and asset/liability management. Its purpose is to make available a preliminary road map for the actuary seeking direction to enhance his or her knowledge in these areas.

Description: 1994 SOA Spring Meeting, Orlando. The first report on a study of bond investment results of life insurance companies with high-yield bond portfolios was presented at this session. The study, covering years 1986-92, was commissioned by the Society of Actuaries Ufe Insurance Practice Research Committee.

Description: The investment grade corporate bond market continues to expand in size and is now nearing record levels. The Bloomberg Barclay’s U.S. Corporate Bond Index, representative of the U.S. corporate bond market, now measures over $5 trillion, nearing its all-time high compared to its $2 trillion mark in 2008. The BBB-rated segment of the index has experienced significant growth, and now represents more than 50% of the corporate bond market. Corporate bond market risk has increased beyond what the ratings indicate. Today's investing landscape of relatively low yields, higher corporate leverage and a later-stage credit cycle presents challenges for both insurance and pension portfolios where corporate bonds are a core investment. <br> <br>With representation from a U.S. portfolio manager, Canadian portfolio manager and an investment consultant, attendees will get a full perspective of the North American environment and how to apply this information when making client recommendations.

Description: This article discusses how FHLB advances, i.e. low cost loans, can supply valuable risk management benefits. By carefully structuring an advance to mature coincident with the anticipated premium inflows generated by insurance products, a company can largely eliminate future net cash flows and consequently the need to invest them in uncertain capital markets.

Description: Financial Accounting Standard Number 91 deals with the calculation of investment income and amortized cost for mortgage backed securities, as well as whole mortgages and callable bonds. The method described in this paper uses a Taylor series to eliminate the storage of all past cash flows, while still providing an accurate FAS 91 adjustment. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1993, VOL. 3.