Description: The SOA Investment Section is holding a three-part Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Investment Considerations Webcast Series in September and October, which will cover the challenges and implementation. This series is suited for actuaries, consultants, plan sponsors and asset managers that work with insurance companies or pension funds and want to learn more about the latest in ESG. The increasing focus on climate change and recent social movements witnessed globally brought many institutional investors to further think about and perhaps reevaluate, the way they integrate ESG factors into their investment decisions. This new reality raises many questions: what's next for ESG in the institutional space? What will be the challenges? How will institutional investors go beyond the basics? What are current and future ESG needs and who will meet them? This will be the first of three educational sessions aimed at taking the conversation on ESG integration to the next level. During this webcast, you will hear from a panel of various types of asset owners who will share their perspectives, challenges and learnings in the journey to implementing their ESG views, including in the context of a pandemic. The discussion will start broadly, and narrow down to some of the most pressing topics today with the focus on climate change resilience and adaptation of assets.

Description: Inspired by the 2023 Living to 100 Symposium, take an incisive look with us at the potential for increased healthy lifespans and the implications for retirement. Issues covered include housing, working longer, running out of money and other risks. Explore results from recent SOA-sponsored research, including a guide to making related decisions late in life. Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn more about the SOA Research Institutes' Aging and Retirement and Mortality and Longevity Strategic Research Programs and to help shape future efforts. You will learn about the latest SOA research on living longer, some of the latest developments in aging research and the decisions individuals may face as they prepare for retirement.

Description: In the U.S., public pension plans vary dramatically in size, complexity, funding position and more. The discussion will start by going over the current status of public plans within the U.S. You will then quickly dive into case studies on two systems, the South Dakota Retirement System and the Wisconsin Retirement System. Both systems use variable benefits or risk sharing measures to control contributions and achieve long term sustainability in a purposeful and stable fashion. During this webcast, you will learn about: The funding approach Historic success Future perspectives of the two retirement systems

Description: Explore how certain actuarial roles should be reserved under defined benefit plans for more than 50 years during the Reserved Roles for Actuaries in Defined Contribution Plans webcast. This online event will be focused on actuaries and defined contribution (DC) plan actuaries and how they have been spotlighted by the pension industry due to their roles. Join us to discover which roles under DC plans could be reserved for actuaries by plan sponsors or through legislation.

Description: Hear from two economists and two actuaries based at high-profile organizations and consulting firms as they explore how expected future inflation will play a critical role with pension valuation assumptions. Join us for the Inflation - Effects, Forecasts, and Role in Pension Valuations webcast and dive into how inflation interacts with investment returns, interest rates and wages. Also, come discover how inflation forecasters develop their projections and who to contact when it's time for professional inflation forecasts relevant to pension valuations. This webcast will address if the current high levels of inflation will affect valuation assumptions and investment returns, cost of living increases and salary increases.

Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute's Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program has released a collection of essays addressing the impact of inflation on retirement and retirement-related issues. Join us as we explore the content of these essays and other findings from the ongoing SOA research project about inflation and retirement.

Description: The pandemic and other current events have greatly impacted the risks that individuals face during retirement. Join us to explore this topic as the results of the Society Actuaries 2021 Retirement Risk Survey are presented. Discover the findings regarding retirement concerns, preparedness and understanding individuals in the U.S. nearing retirement or those who are already retired. This marks the 11th iteration of this biennial survey completed through the SOA Research Institute’s Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program.

Description: Dedicated to those interested in the approaches of long-term pension assets, the How Should Long-Term Pension Assets Be Invested? A Debate webcast allows you to focus on where to devote your pension attention. Participants in this panel concentrate on perspectives and opinions on the direction of long-term pension assets. Expand your viewpoint on the investment of long-term pension assets by discovering other ideas about the industry. Determine how to handle your association with these assets and how to make the best move for the retirement business.

Description: This session will bring together the results of SOA work focusing on what employees prefer in retirement. The work includes a survey on the provisions that employees prefer in retirement plans, the results of a series of focus groups conducted with individuals prior to retirement and at various stages of during retirement, and highlights of 20 years of SOA sponsored surveys on retirement risk. The panel will discuss major findings and their implication for retirement resource program structures, design and planning.

Description: This webcast presents findings from a recent report sponsored by the Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program that explored the savings and retirement planning of 35- to 45-year-olds through a series of focus groups. The motivation for this effort was to gain insight into the attitudes, beliefs, and other factors that influence this age group’s savings and retirement planning. Along with findings from the report, additional context and perspectives on the broader implications of the report will be presented. These implications include its connection to other research sponsored by the Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program and the current retirement landscape. The perspectives of different stakeholders will be considered.