Description: This article reports on a session at an underwritering meeting in which the panel included an actuary, an underwriter and a marketer. Each presented his point of view about the status of the insurance business and the difficulties of increasing production.

Description: Discussion of a direct writer survey and a reinsurer survey conducted in the fall of 2002 by the Society of Actuaries. The surveys asked a number of questions about underwriting criteria needed to qualify for preferred risk. They also asked questions about the percentage of issues in each underwriting category and the mortality assumptions for the different categories.

Description: Discussion of UL products with secondary guarantees and how they are similar to and different from traditional life insurance products. Discussion of possibility they are lapse supported in their pricing.

Description: 1994 SOA Spring Meeting, San Francisco. The panel discussed current issues in participating, UL, and non-guaranteed element products. Topics of discussion included product design, regulatory issues, implementation, pricing issues, and compensation.

Description: Presented at September 1994 Valuation Actuary Symposium. Discusses the differences in modeling separate account products vs. general account products.

Description: This 1979 session is about Life Company performance measures and pricing. Topics included: 1. What are appropriate performance criteria? a. In terms of financial results b. In terms of growth 2. How are goals established? a. For Mutual companies b. For Stock companies 3. What measurement tools do we use? a. Comparison of actual to expected results b. Compound growth rates c. Rules of thumb for various performance ratios d. Analysis of source of earnings 4. How are results used in pricing? a. Pricing consistent with goals are goals consistent with projections? b. Problems relating to allocation by line

Description: This report summarizes the results of a mortality and pricing survey. It indicates significant differences between the mortality assumptions for different product lines and even between different companies within a single product line. Widespread differences in mortality expectations between products may give individuals an advantage by acting on inefficiencies in the financial services market.

Description: The article discusses the continued popularity of indexed UL insurance and possible reasons why a company's actual indexed UL earnings may be below their original pricing expectations for the product. The article discusses several key items that may be the source of that underperformance (e.g., hedge ineffectiveness, policyholder behavior) and the need to monitor earnings and perform analyses to better understand those potential sources.

Description: This session at the SOA 1990 San Francisco Spring Meeting is about improving the product development process, in particular, getting the proper product to the proper market as quickly as possible. Macro-pricing is explained and discussed.

Description: In an effort to build a bridge between epidemiological and actuarial modeling, this paper analyzes possible financial arrangements made against expenses resulted from medical treatments given to insured patients. Based on classical compartment models, the first part of this paper designs insurance policies for susceptible participants facing the risk of infection and formulates the financial obligations of both parties using actuarial methodology. For practical purposes, the second part employs a variety of numerical methods for calculating premiums and reserves. The last part illustrates the methods by designing insurance products for the Great Plague in Eyam and the SARS Epidemic in Hong Kong.