Description: There is no “industry standard” approach to managing the vega (volatility) risk inherent in Variable Annuity Guarantees, Fixed Indexed Annuities and other equity-linked obligations. In this session, we will introduce and analyze a range of reinsurance solutions, including full vega risk retention, full vega risk transfer and more sophisticated or custom structures that split the vega risk between the insurer and the reinsurer in various ways. We will also explore other approaches in bespoke risk coverage and show the impact of different assumptions on a generic “VA Guarantee Cost Estimate” that has been developed by Munich Re.

Description: In this session, a company will share its experience on managing risks underlying the equity-linked insurance guarantees and what lessons were learned over these years as it adapted its strategies to suit the current market environment.

Description: This general discussion looks at mortality experience with the advent of CSO tables, annuity premium tax, termination dividends, classes of agents included under Social Security, and conditions affecting companies entering the fields of disability income, accident, health, hospitalization and medical insurance.

Description: This paper applies the research in Prospect Theory of Kahneman and Tversky to explain why sales of annuities lag sales of life insurance products. The author theorizes that life insurance is easier to sell because customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of losses, while potential annuity customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of gains. Kahneman and Tversky showed us that people are mostly risk averse in the domain of gains and risk seeking in the domain of losses. Purchase of an annuity or life product is a risky investment. Customers will find it easier to take the risk in the life insurance domain of losses than the annuity domain of gains. The author then proposes a hybrid life annuity product that might address both mortality and longevity risk in one product that would allow both products to be more competitive than stand-alone products.

Description: An overview of guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWB) on registered index-linkedannuity (RILA) products and a stochastic analysis of market risks.

Description: Like it or not, variable annuity (VA) liabilities are inextricably linked with the equity markets. Generally, up markets reduce the excess benefit liability and increase fee income, while down markets increase the excess benefit liability and reduce fee income. Given the volatility, most VA writers will hedge to meet their needs. In this session, the presenters will discuss the need for hedging, regulatory requirements and how companies ultimately determine their hedging strategies.

Description: Panelists at this session of the SOA 2003 Washington, DC Spring Meeting discuss how changes in interest rates affect the assets and liabilities of a life insurance company and what a company can do to prepare. This session examines historical trends in interest rates and how companies have reacted to both sudden and gradual changes.

Description: This 1977 panel discussion focused on effective product management of life insurance. Topics included: 1. Definition of effective product management 2. Internal organization required 3. Establishment of objectives for a product line 4. Coordination of company activities with respect to initial design 5. Monitoring

Description: This is a discussion of the paper, 'A Convenient Method of Providing for Mortality Improvement Based on the a-1949 Table' by James E. Hoskins. Discusses seriousness of errors that can develop under certain circumstances, provides a formula for adjusting by modes of payment, discusses circumstances in which differences between Hoskins' method and Projection B is greater than in the example used in the paper, etc.

Description: This paper presents a relatively simple method for calculating approximate annuity values on a mortality basis that provides for future improvements in mortality. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1950, Vol. 2, No. 3.