Description: Public DB plans have fatal designs such as basing benefits on a few years of earnings. Redesigning DB to be similar to SS will alleviate solvency challenges.

Description: In this article about the then in 1981 newly developed Universal Life Insurance, the author concludes the product is here to stay, and that it will be good for the consumer as it evolves in response to the changing economic and social conditions. The article discusses the challenges still to be faced, including federal income tax treatment and regulation by state insurance departments.

Description: Recent advances in mortality modeling have enabled applicant-specific quantification of mortality risk in life insurance applicants using laboratory and physical measurements. Relative to more conventional underwriting, this approach identifies a small population of significantly under-priced policy and a much larger, cross-subsidizing group whose risk is presently overestimated. Applicants placed in the highest percentile by this scoring methodology are more than 10X as likely to die in a given period as their demographic peers, and represent approximately 5% of short-term claims. Implications for product design are substantial in both the short- and long-term, as the possibilities for adverse selection grow, and the opportunity for fully individualized pricing raises the more distant prospect of products with as many rate classes as applicants.

Description: This paper examines actuarial pension models and the methodologies those models offer, and introduces a new liability concept that eliminates certain inconsistencies that exist in the models. From Current Pension Actuarial Practice in Light of Financial Economics Symposium, M-RS04-1.

Description: A discussion of the recent announcement from FASB that certain reinsurance agreements, such as modified coinsurance arrangements, contain an embedded derivative that must be accounted for in accordance with FASB 133

Description: This article summarizes recent proposed changes to the Valuation Manual that might take effect for 2019 valuations for PBR business.

Description: Article on mutual life companies inclusion in adjusted statutory earnings developments.

Description: Report of quarterly IASB Discussions

Description: Feature article describing the events of the Valuation Actuary Symposium in Indianapolis, In.

Description: Over the last decade, the actuarial career has gained significant attention of entry level job-seekers as it continues to be one of the consistently top rated jobs in the market. There are different avenues to break into the profession, but one of the most common is through an Actuarial Student Program, where a company formally supports the exam progress of individuals through paid study materials, exam fees, and time off to study. Most programs also include an emphasis on development of leadership and communication skills. As the recruiter for MassMutual’s Actuarial Student Program, I get the opportunity to regularly share with candidates why I believe a student program is such a powerful springboard for a successful actuarial career. Profiled in the article is two actuarial students and one recent actuarial student program “graduate” to highlight the value a student program can bring to one’s professional development.