Description: This is an in-depth look at the root causes of the subprime mortgage crisis and ways actuaries can eliminate the problems. From the Actuary Magazine, April/May 2010 – Volume 7 Issue 2.

Description: A risk map is an effective and dynamic tool in helping companies develop a broader view of their risks.

Description: This note is labeled actuarial because it deals extensively with the force of interest, a concept which is characteristically of concern to the actuarial community. The authors’ personal point of view is that we should modify the basic definition of the compound interest.

Description: This paper establishes a framework to analyze the volatility of corporate profits as a result of variability in accounting for pension plans. It models a Canadian corporation that maintains a defined-benefit pension plan and that has adequate cash flow to fully fund the pension plan, should it wish. Volatility of corporate profits is important because many senior executives have some component of their compensation directly related to corporate profitability and consequently do not want any surprises with respect to actual profits compared to expected profits. The volatility management techniques considered are investment policies for the pension plan, funding the pension plan, and an alternative plan design. The analysis is timely since changes are proposed to the accounting standards to eliminate most smoothing techniques. The results suggest that, depending on the investment environment, reduced volatility may be accompanied by by enhanced return, which is a result that few would expect.

Description: From a session at the 2002 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, September 19–20, 2002 Session topics included model hierarchy, statistical deterministic and stochastic models, real-life situations, how to organize a model effectively, structuring the model to fit the project or report data, sources/integrity techniques documentation, and constraints and limitations on models.

Description: This panel discussion, which occurred at the May 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Colorado Springs, led a discussion related to employer's accounting for pensions and other post-employment benefits. Topics included: 1. Present accounting rules and background in connection with pension plans 2. The purposes for pension accounting rules in general 3. The nature of pension arrangements and the implication of their character for: a. Corporate liabilities and net worth h. Periodic charges to corporate income on account of pensions 4. Effect of actuarial gains and losses and the relationship of non-penslon post-retirement benefits to pensions, from an accounting viewpoint

Description: Analysis of consequences of investment risk taking by public pension plans.

Description: Presented at October 1985 Annual Meeting. Discusses the paper 'Select and Ultimate Financial Assumptions In Pension Plan Valuations: An Analysis Of The Issues' by the Society's Committee on Pension Principles and Related Research - TSA Volume 37 1985. The paper addresses the pros and cons of select and ultimate assumptions.

Description: Article The Actuary Revealed by Dinney in The Actuary, May 1979, Volume 13, Number 3

Description: Over the past few years, the Internal Revenue Service has issued two private letter rulings waiving the failure of certain fixed-premium universal life insurance FPUL contracts to satisfy the guideline premium test GPT under section 7702 of the Internal Revenue Code [see PLR 200328027 Apr. 10, 2003 and PLR 200230037 Apr. 30, 2002].