Description: The panel discussed the accounting profession's attempts to codify an area that has long been subject to a wide variety of practice. Topics covered: 1. Accounting under the various methods of acquisitions: pooling of interests, purchase of stock, assumption reinsurance, indemnity reinsurance. 2. Benefit reserve approaches under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 60 within the context of defined-valuation premium approach versus defined-initial reserve approach. 3. Approaches to determination of discount rate for the present value of future profits and purchase date 4. Effect of differing levels of goodwill on earnings accretion versus dilution.

Description: Article discussing the International Actuarial Association's meeting in November 2008.

Description: Relates actuarial discussions at a special meeting of the Insurance Accounting Committee of the IAA in Toronto in September regarding the IASB’s exposure draft, Insurance Contracts.

Description: This article provides illustrations of an approach to presentation of income and expenses that may be applied to long duration contracts, i.e., those that are measured by the building blocks approach for the emerging new standard on insurance contracts.