Description: This article describes a simplified problem in pension plan financing and presents two questions about how it can be modeled. Answers to these questions will be discussed and their implications for traditional actuarial models will be presented in Part 2 of the article in the following issue of the newsletter.

Description: Part 2 of an article which presents simplified problem and and presented alternate models. Answers are presented in this article. The author's final question is: If traditional actuarial models stumble over these issues, can we get it right for real world funding pension plans and funding practices?

Description: Chairperson’s Corner Smo-o-th! by Paul Angelo from Pension Section News, August 2002, Issue No. 49.

Description: New On-line CE Program Asks: Are You Experienced? by John Riley from Pension Section News, August 2002, Issue No. 49.

Description: This article summarizes participant responses from the Retirement Implications of Demographic and Family Change project.

Description: This article reviews the new standard of practice, ASOP 6, and its impact on the actuarial assumptions that actuaries use for valuations of retiree group medical and life benefits.

Description: This column summarizes research initiatives underway. From Pension Section News, September 2004, Issue No. 56.

Description: This section describes the basic methodology and assumptions used in the estimates for the HI trust fund under the intermediate assumptions. In addition, projections of HI and SMI costs under two alternative sets of assumptions are presented. From Pension Section news, September 2004, Issue No. 56.

Description: In the U.S. in the late 1980’s, the Internal Revenue Service was taking steps to try to institute explicit boundaries for the actuarial assumptions being used in 'funding' valuations to determine the appropriate contribution levels for small pension plans. This article was written in the context of that environment, to defend the rights of actuaries to their professional judgement. The courts eventually supported this perspective.

Description: SOA’s recently completed research project related to long term projects of health care cost trends for use in post retirement medical valuations.