Description: As product development professionals, we know that getting customer feedback is a key component of the product development process. If crafted carefully, these sessions can uncover true unmet needs, unlock the next product innovation, and create market share gains, all while creating something that contributes to society. As quoted during one of our last focus groups, “Magic stuff happens here.” When designing your research, are you doing all that you can to promote inclusive thinking? By focusing on the design of your study—through overall theme and by paying attention to the details in the process—you can uncover new perspectives that you may not have considered, if not for being deliberate in your actions. Instead of just avoiding structures that create biases, we need to actively incorporate inclusivity. Our team performed a study titled “Designing Solutions to Empower Women,” which focused on women’s viewpoints and how those could be incorporated into life insurance product development. I would love to share some of my experiences and tips collected along the way.

Description: This article discusses challenges in innovation, governance, and balancing the tension that naturally arises between them. Company culture is often a driver of success or failure in innovation. This article outlines a new dynamic to address this challenge.

Description: Article discusses the findings of the SOA International Experience Survey on embedded-value financial assumptions. It is intended to provide international actuaries with benchmark assumption data.

Description: This article contains a summary of some of the Product Development Section presentations given at the 2017 SOA Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Boston this past October.

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: Describes the results of the 2015 Product Development section council election as well as providing background on the new committee members.

Description: Column describing the events of a recent Product Development Symposium 2009.

Description: Discussion of topics addressed at pricing methodologies seminar,including a review of the results of the Tillinghast Pricing Methodology Survey. This survey covers the most popular profit measures for various companies within various product lines. The concept of market consistent embedded value was also discussed, as well as a review of pricing indexed products. Finally, there were case studies presented on pricing Universal Life with Secondary Guarantees, Return of Premium Term and Variable Annuities with Living Benefits

Description: Comments from the Chair - Leaving a Legacy

Description: Hot topics and emerging trends in assumption development in US life insurance companies