Description: This paper studies a smoothing spline Poisson regression model for the analysis of mortality data. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 2006, Vol. 1.

Description: This paper introduces actuaries to the concept of 'copulas,' a tool for understanding relationships among multivariate outcomes. A copula is a function that links univariate marginals to their full multivariate distribution. Recently, there has been a rapidly developing literature on the statistical properties and applications of copulas. This paper explores some of these practical applications, including estimation of joint life mortality and multidecrement models. In addition, the paper describes basic properties of copulas, their relationships to measures of dependence and several families of copulas that have appeared in the literature. This paper will also be useful to those who wish to use copulas for statistical inference. Statistical inference procedures are illustrated using insurance company data on losses and expenses. For this data, the paper shows how to fit copulas and describes their usefulness by pricing a reinsurance contract and estimating expenses for pre-specified losses.

Description: This paper describes how Markov chain Monte Carlo and related methods recently presented in the statistical literature can be used to quickly and efficiently simulate random draws from distributions with log-concave or nearly log-concave densities. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1995, Vol. 47.

Description: This paper studies the joint distribution of the time of ruin, the surplus immediately before ruin, and the deficit at ruin. The classical model is generalized by discounting with respect to the time of ruin. The authors show how to calculate an expected discounted penalty, which is due at ruin, and may depend on the deficit at ruin and the surplus immediately before ruin.

Description: In this paper, Bivariate Schuette graduation is applied to mortality rates among black male retired workers [Social Security data] at ages 70 to 83. Graduated values for various choices of the parameters are compared. The Schuette method is also adapted to calculate regression quantiles, providing upper and lower envelopes for the graduated values.

Description: This paper derives a formula for approximating the ruin function of collective risk theory. Use of the ruin function to determine the amount of initial capital needed for a new line of business is discussed. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1969, Vol. 21, Pt. 1, No. 59 AB.

Description: This paper explores the use of linear programming as a tool to guide policyholders in getting the most value out of their combined insurance and investment programs. Concentrating on flexible premium universal life within the tax environment of the United States, several linear programming models are developed that can be used at the point of sale, to select the most cost effective policy from those available in the marketplace, and after issue to maximize the present value of future cash flows on the policy of an insured who is in ill-health. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1991, VOL. 3.

Description: The attached report presents the results of a survey conducted by the Society of Actuaries Mortality and Underwriting Survey Committee in July of 2008 under the following categories: 1. Modeling Mortality Risk. 2. Use of Reinsurance to Manage Mortality. 3. Retention / Large Case Management. 4. Catastrophe Reinsurance. 5. Mortality Concentration of Risk. 6. Catastrophic Bonds.

Description: U.K. life insurers writing participating business are required by the Financial Services Authority to value their assets and liabilities on a market-consistent basis. The purpose of this paper is to: • Explain the valuation approach based on market-consistent values and its rationale. • Set out the issues faced by life insurers in implementing the regime. • Explain how insurers addressed these issues. • Explain the importance of the modeling techniques they used.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to present a parsimonious parametric model that explains the pattern of mortality for select and ultimate mortality tables. Specifically, the author modeled the combined rates found in the 1965-70 ALB Basic Tables. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, VOL. 1.