Description: This paper describes a typical consumer credit transaction, shows how the rule of 78 works, identifies its degree of accuracy, and discusses issues raised by its use, including federal truth-in-lending implications. Followed by several discussion papers submitted

Description: Existing actuarial literature does not provide a consolidated comparison of the available alternatives for accounting for universal life. This paper will analyze the similarities and differences between the existing prescribed method and the proposed alternatives. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1987, Vol. 39.

Description: Traditional discounting is hazardous to corporate health unless, as this paper demonstrates, it is turned on its head and insurance managers adopt the methods of prudent bankers. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1987, Vol. 39.

Description: The author proposes the concept of a risk-free equivalent rate of return on shareholders' equity, or ‘REROSHE,’ as a means of helping business managers make decisions involving risk. The author defines REROSHE as ‘that certain return on an investment of u that will generate the same expected value of utility as will earnings on a line of business supported by surplus u.’ Includes discussion and author’s review of discussion. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1983 Volume 35.

Description: The author, noting the inadequacy of traditional ‘rules of thumb’ used for profit objectives, demonstrates that, assuming a stock life insurance company’s objective is to maximize its current value, the profit objective can be expressed as maximizing ‘the present value of book profits per unit of limiting constraint.’ Includes discussion and author’s review of discussion. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1983 Volume 35.