Description: Statistical properties of interest, annuity and insurance functions are examined when mortality and interest are treated as having a random component. Several special models of interest rate fluctuation are examined in detail. It is hoped that such theory will be useful in developing fluctuation reserves and premium margins. Presented at the 13th Annual Actuarial Research Conference, Ball State University, August 31st. September lst, 2nd. 1978.

Description: This paper introduces a rich stochastic modeling framework for understanding risks in multiple-decrement contracts. The example in the paper is a 20-year Term insurance contract. Not only are mortality and lapsation considered stochastic, but the parameters governing them are. For example, mortality risk is composed of four risk elements, including error generated in the underwriting process, volatility around the best estimate, catastrophic events that impact mortality, and the trend in mortality improvement or deterioration. When stochastically modeled, the relative contribution and risk profile of each risk element can be evaluated. Generating stochastic mortality results provides a distribution of results that an organization faces and the severity and incidence of the tail events.

Description: The article and guidebook of the same name use a stochastic simulation model to examine potential impacts of public pension plan risk-sharing policies on government employers and plan members. Policies examined include simple policies such as COLAs and employee contributions that are contingent upon investment returns or funded ratios, and more-complex policies similar to those used in the Wisconsin Retirement System.

Description: This paper discusses the binominal financial and insurance models. In addition, the paper expands the discussion to the martingale probabilities measures for insurances, annuities, endowment insurances, and equity-linked products.

Description: This is the abstract of the article 'A Proposed Unified Valuation System'. This article will briefly describe some analytical examples of a stochastic modeling of risk use to illustrate the S-curve approach to valuation, but more importantly describe key additional area of research and theory, which need to be developed. The focus of this presentation is an invitation for additional research to support a new approach to statutory valuation of life and health risk that can result in better management and regulatory information.

Description: Feature article discussing how insurers have reflected volatility in asset return assumptions when determining capital requirements, but have largely disregarded the impact of mortality volatility on their liability assumptions when performing stochastic analysis.

Description: In December 2007, Goldman Sachs launched a product called QxX index swap, which is designed to allow market participants to hedge or gain exposure to longevity and mortality risks. This presentation offers a quantitative analysis of this brand new financial innovation. First of all, the presentation sets up a risk-neutral framework to price QxX index swaps. This framework, which is based on the dynamics of death rates under a two-factor stochastic mortality model in a risk-adjusted probability measure, yields prices [spreads] that are fairly close to the spreads that Goldman Sachs currently offers. The presentation then explores the uncertainty involved in this model-based pricing framework. Specifically, it studies parameter risk by using Markov Chain Monte Carlo [MCMC] and model risk by examining structural changes in mortality dynamics. The results indicate that both model risk and parameter risk are significant. Actuaries should therefore be aware of these issues when placing a value on a longevity index swap.

Description: A paper entitled “A Regime-Switching Model of Long-Term Stock Returns” appears in the April 2001 issue of the North American Actuarial Journal. In it, Dr. Mary Hardy describes a model for future equity returns and some reasons why that model might better reflect real equity price movements than the often-used lognormal model. The purpose of this article is to apply a two-regime model to variable annnuity GMDB pricing and compare the results to those from a lognormal model.

Description: Several previous papers treat the rate of interest as a stochastic process in the determination of values of insurances and annuity functions. None of these papers consider the current interest rate as a starting point in the model. In this paper, autoregressive interest models, which are conditional upon current and past interest rates, are developed. It is shown how these models may be applied to the evaluation of moments of interest, insurance and annuity functions. Numerical results are also given.

Description: More Efficient Monte Carlo Simulations for Mortality Assumption Testing