Description: This is an essay on the measurement of the reasonableness of each individual non-economic actuarial assumption. From the Pension Section News, September 2008, Issue No. 68.

Description: This is a summary of a new research paper entitled: “Determining Discount Rates Required to Fund Defined Benefit Plans” by John Turner and three other economists, which describes a new way to look at pension funding for ongoing plans that is a variant of using expected returns (currently used in public plans) that takes into account the risk that contributions will be needed in the future for this year’s benefit accruals.

Description: Article discussing an alternative method to calculate the PBA deterministic reserve called the “Direct Iteration” method.

Description: Comments from Eric Friedman on “The Debate over Applying FE Principles to the Funding on Public Pension Plans: A Transition Proposal and Other Ideas,” by Thomas Lowman

Description: The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87. Employers’ Accounting for Pensions, became effective in 1987. This is an accounting/actuarial standard with significant income statement and balance sheet implications. This article discuses the results of a survey of selected affected companies regarding the impact of this standard.

Description: The mathematical relationship between the interest rate and salary scale in pension valuations.

Description: A review of the book 'Indexation of Pensions and Other Benefits' by Robert J. Myers, which deals with the indexing of Social Security and government employee pension plans in the U.S., Canada, and other countries, as well as private pension plans, for which the author advocates the voluntary adoption of automatic indexing.

Description: The Evolution Of Averaging Mechanics Used In The Actuarial Asset Valuation Method Of The New York City Retirement Systems. From The Pension Forum, August 2001, Volume 13, Issue No. 1.

Description: The author discusses the relationship between turnover rates and compensation levels. From The Pension Forum, January 2003, Volume 15, Issue No. 1.

Description: This article analyzes and confirms the circumstances where a change in the mortality assumption does and does not have a significant impact on pension valuations.