Description: An overview of the NAIC Variable Annuity Reforms, including a discussion of perceived positives and challenges associated with the reforms.

Description: This article is a discussion about the trends and changes affecting the life insurance industry by impacting product growth. Read how today's ideas can become tomorrow's successes.

Description: Recently the interest rates have been slowly trending up from the lowest point in August 2020. The focus of this article is on current market trends for long-duration products —including life insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance —following an extended period of low interest rates, and lessons carriers can learn from similar historical periods of rising interest rates. Innovative and flexible product features will continue to be essential, as the current interest trend may not substantially increase insurers’ portfolio rates. When designing or modifying product features, insurers should consider profitability in a wide breadth of interest rate scenarios and be particularly mindful of the impact that crediting rates and asset durations will have on earnings.

Description: Two-and-a-half years ago the British Government started to issue index-linked securities-the redemption value and coupon both increase with the UK Consumer Price Index, but the value before redemption is determined by the stock market. Initially this was done in a small way and offered to a restricted group of investors pension funds, but now anybody can hold these securities. This article discusses the possibility of insurance companies using these securities to issue annuities that would increase with the UK Consumer Price Index.

Description: Discusses the events of the inaugural Life and Annuity Symposium held May 17 and 18, 2010.

Description: This paper gives a brief description of the New Mortality Basis for Annuities, shows statistics on recent decreases in mortality rates and supplies projection scales and factors for future mortality decreases. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1949, Vol. 1, No. 1.

Description: New York’s Regulation 126 effectively requires all companies doing business in New York to file an actuarial opinion and memorandum on their annuity and GIC business. This article attempts to answer 13 of the most commonly asked questions about this regulation.

Description: The Actuary Vol. 22, No. 7. This article discusses the activities and goals of the Product Development Section of the SOA. Future activities will include joint sessions with other sections since product development issues sometimes relate to financial reporting. reinsurance, investments and nontraditional marketing.

Description: A jurisdiction’s regulatory regime can make some insurance products capital intensive to write. This can increase incentives for insurers to enter into risk transfer arrangements, such as reinsurance, to support their business and growth objectives.

Description: Provides in-depth discussion of IRS Rev. Proc. 2008-24, including tax background of partial annuity exchanges. Then discusses partial annuitizations and “modified endowment contracts.”