Description: This article discusses equity risk premium, what it is, how it should be measured, if a constant risk premium provides the best model and what are reasonable expectations for the future.

Description: Introduction to option pricing, with special attention to issues in applying these tools to price equity-linked insurance products. Clear, accessible explanation of key results of mathematical finance including risk-neutral valuation.

Description: This article is a summary of a November 1981 actuarial club presentation by Robert D. Shapiro. It begins with the rise of Universal Life in 1981 with the climate of high interest rates and minimization of company federal income tax and then discusses the year 1982 with declining interest rates and the changes made to UL.

Description: Discussion rebutting the Dec. 2004 issue of The Financial Reporter article titled, “On the Fair Value of Insurance Liabilities,” authored by Don Solow. That article expressed disagreement with the position of the International Accounting Standards Board and the Financial Accounting Standards Board to reflect the value of “own credit risk” in the fair valuation of insurance liabilities.

Description: Chairperson’s column addressing the changes the new year will bring.

Description: The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) met on May 21,2015 to discuss it ongoing project to make targeted improvements to accounting for long-duration insurance contracts. This article discusses those improvements and their ramifications.

Description: The euro, the single European currency, can significantly change the way the world does business and will have some important implications on the ability of the United States and its currency to dominate the world's political and financial system.

Description: This article provides an overview of the different types of real world interest rate scenarios that practitioners use in the life insurance industry and explores different approaches to building those generators.

Description: This article gives insight into the economic atmosphere in the Netherlands after the financial collapse in the United States.

Description: Models are useful in illustrating various facets of complex phenomena, but they are inherently limited.