Description: One of the most important influences on the development of an insurance market and on the development of professions, such as the actuarial profession, is the nature of regulation. This paper looks at four main economic models of regulation: 1. Market socialism, 2. Freedom with publicity, 3. Public interest, and 4. Public choice theory. The role of profession and other sophisticated products of the market order are also analysed.

Description: From a session at the Spring regional meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24-25, 1999 Panel examined the failure of three major life insurance companies in North America: Executive Life, Mutual Benefit, and Confederation Life, changes that have taken place in the aftermath of these failures, and the likelihood of future failures.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Boston Meeting explores reinsurance from the ceding company's perspective including a view from a large, medium and small insurance company. Topics include reasons to reinsure, factors in the reinsurance process, how to select a reinsurer and changes in the process. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4b.

Description: This presentation, session number 103PD, took place at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 17-20 in San Francisco. The panelists review the history of credit insurance, discussing credit insurance regulation, changing consumers’ attitudes toward credit insurance, changes in the products and marketplace, and how the Consumer Credit Insurance Association has evolved since its founding in 1951. The panelists then discuss where the credit insurance industry is heading with respect to new product development and marketing methods, consumer attitudes, and further changes in regulation. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 25, No. 3.

Description: This 1980 session is about effect of government actions and consumerism on product design and pricing. Areas addressed: 1. What have been the most important regulatory and consumerist actions in the past decade as related to products, their marketing and the overall operation of a life insurance company? 2. What will be the most important actions in these arenas in the next decade? 3. What specific impact have these regulatory and consumer actions had on companies in the past decade and will they have in the coming decade? 4. What true value has accrued to consumers and the public because of these actions, and what impact will they have in the next decade? 5. Is there an acceptable relationship between the value of these benefits and the cost to the companies of providing them?

Description: When regulators examine financial institutions, one of the most important areas on which they focus is capital requirements. This essay argues that we can’t push for neither too high nor too low default probabilities. Regulate too high and you introduce rigidity to the system: you choke the economy. Regulate too low and you introduce softness in your foundations: they cannot for long sustain the economy. Therefore, regulation should be set to provide a 'window for business'.

Description: A discussion of the political, economic, and demographic environment in Europe and its impact on the life insurance industry.

Description: This 1977 panel discussion focused on the implications of proposed revisions of the standard valuation and nonforfeiture laws. Areas discussed included: 1. A regulator's perspective 2. Applications to Life and Annuities 3. applications to Pensions

Description: Increased attention was paid to regulatory capital with the global financial crisis in 2008. Whilst companies may not have the incentives to retain a large amount of capital in the absence of regulatory capital requirements, overcapitalized entities can have drawback such as its impact on competitiveness. There are other weaknesses in the regulatory capital model such as its limitation in facilitating risk-based decisions as regulatory capital does not necessarily reflect the economic reality and risks an entity faces. Nonetheless, there are ways for regulators and/or companies to handle the weaknesses in the regulatory capital model. For instance, granularity can be introduced in determining regulatory capital. Economic capital can be used to encourage entities to implement risk management controls and facilitate risk-based business decisions (e.g., risk-adjusted performance assessment and risk-based capital allocation). Ultimately, hav ing effective risk management and risk-based capital determination are ways to prevent company failures and bankruptcies.

Description: 1993 SOA Annual Meeting, New York. This session is about Market-Value Accounting. Topics included: 1. Where market-value accounting came from. 2. An historical perspective on the issue. 3. The mechanics of MVA. 4. How companies may change their investment strategies as a result of SFAS 115.