Description: Presented at June 1996 Spring Meeting. This session presents an overview of the SOA cosponsored conference on fair value of insurance liabilities, including a comparison of some of the methods presented. The session also provides a status update of recent industry and professional activities and what the future may hold for the use of fair value of insurance liabilities in insurance company financial statements.

Description: This paper illustrates a procedure for analyzing the sources of profit under FAS 97 and suggests an analytical procedure for reflecting actual experience and revised future assumptions in the recalculation of the estimated gross profit defined by FAS 97.

Description: The article is based on a study of causes of insolvency and decisions made by management, regulators, and policyholders over the life cycle of the insolvency.

Description: Many top-performing businesses aren’t just risk aware, but rather risk intelligent. Such a posture helps prepare companies for a major event and can demonstrate to a regulator or auditor that an appropriately strong control framework is in place. Better still, companies gain real strategic value from a “risk adjusted” understanding not only of their threats and vulnerabilities, but also the upside opportunities associated with various risks. It starts with having both qualitative and quantitative information to identify, assess and manage risks. Strategic risk management, at its core, is about creating value by increasing transparency and accountability, and quality of information. More than a mere compliance exercise, effective risk management enables more informed strategic decision making, increased accountability and transparency, a greater likelihood of organizational success, and – ultimately – competitive advantage, as borne out by many studies that correlate risk management and financial results.

Description: This paper examined two interrelated aspects of federal income taxation of life insurance companies. First, a common-sense approach to the Life Insurance Company Income Tax Act of 1959 was developed. Second, marginal tax rates for Phase III companies was developed.

Description: Digests of following discussions: 1. Mutual life insurance companies - their objectives and operating philosophy 2. State, provincial, and municipal employee pension plans - financing and other problems 3. Mortality and underwriting of individual policies for large amounts 4. Investing during the 1970's 5. Long-range viability and regulation of corporate pension plans 6. Forecasting the environment for business 7. Liabilities and surplus in the 1970's 8. Changing modes of family life - work and income over the life cycle 9. The role of the actuary in collective bargaining 10. Health insurance in the United States 11. Adjusted earnings

Description: Discussion of issues of particular interest to small insurance companies. Includes the following topics: A. Considerations governing the mortality bases used in determining for ordinary insurance for nonparticipating premium rates and for dividends. Mortality studies available to assess the suitability of available mortality tables or modifications of them. B. Advantages and disadvantages of special termination dividends or special quinquennial dividends. C. Desirability and feasibility of having separate dividend scales for policies which include disability benefits, double indemnity benefits or both. D. Relative advantages of a three-factor dividend system versus an experience premium system. Discussion of how the latter is applied.

Description: This panel discussed studies of the risk of loss due to changes in the interest rate environment. It addressed why the C-3 risk is important and how inflation and stability in interest rates can affect the financial soundness of life insurance companies. There was also a discussion of the theoretical work being carried out to calibrate the C-3 risk of variation in interest rates and to what extent the valuation actuary can properly recognize the risk of loss from changes in the interest rate environment within the framework of valuations laws and regulations.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. This session discussed: Overview of tax changes for different types of life insurers, Product impact by type of product, Implementation issues - calculating tax reserves, Tax planning implications.