Description: Accelerated underwriting programs continue to evolve at a rapid pace. Triage systems have become a key element in many of the newer accelerated underwriting programs in the market. Depending on the criteria used at the triage point, these programs can have residual effects on class prevalence and mortality which in turn affect the profitability of these programs. In this article we will explore some potential impacts on mortality and prevalence within these programs.

Description: The article discusses the continued popularity of indexed UL insurance and possible reasons why a company's actual indexed UL earnings may be below their original pricing expectations for the product. The article discusses several key items that may be the source of that underperformance (e.g., hedge ineffectiveness, policyholder behavior) and the need to monitor earnings and perform analyses to better understand those potential sources.

Description: A commentary on whether or not the Illustrations Regulation has been successful.

Description: This article Provides a description of an IRS Directive that provides a safe harbor tax reporting position for computing tax reserves for pre-2018 tax years for annuity contracts subject to AG43 and VM-21 and life insurance contracts subject to VM-20 Principal Based Reserves methods. The safe harbor is required to be implemented on the 2017 tax return, with certain spread amounts in some cases to future tax years starting in 2018.

Description: This article describes the effect of different valuation interest rates and levels of surplus on income tax paid by life insurance companies via Phase 1 of the Federal Income Tax Act of 1959.

Description: This article poses the question, why doesn't the teaching of life contingencies start with the premise that the rate of investment income is a random process in a similar manner to the random nature of the time until death? The article suggests some methods for doing so.

Description: The Actuary Vol. 22, No. 3. This article discusses how the advantages of the General Agency system which existed prior to the 1970s have diminished materially. Therefore, European companies should be very cautious with any attempts to emulate the North American-type agency distribution system of the late 1980s.

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: This panel discussion focuses on valuation and nonforfeiture developments. Topics covered include purpose of Society's Committee on Valuation and Related Problems, current valuation regulatory developments, industry studies in the United States, report of the Society's Special Committee on Nonforfeiture Laws, annuity nonforfeiture values, and sex-distinct mortality tables for valuation and nonforfeiture purposes.