Description: Many retirement actuaries have experience developing, implementing, and monitoring Liability Driven Investing (LDI) strategies for plan sponsors. These strategies typically involve modifying a plan’s investment strategy to remove a significant portion of the investment and interest rate risk now or at some point in the future when specific triggers are met. The tactics often involve the use of fixed income assets to cash flow and/or duration match the liabilities. In the spirit of helping actuaries expand their roles in an evolving defined contribution world, this article explores the application of LDI and derisking strategies within defined contribution and individual retirement accounts. The economic theory behind this approach is called the lifecycle hypothesis, or lifecycle finance. The benefits of the lifecycle finance method are that it provides a safe approach to save for retirement and a secure source of floor income during retirement. Similar to pension plans, each individual has his or her own idiosyncratic needs, wants, and risks that should be considered. Actuaries are uniquely situated to help defined contribution plan sponsors, individuals, and even themselves implement the lifecycle finance approach by developing and distributing tools and methods that focus on income (rather than wealth), LDI strategies, and personalization.

Description: Over a short span of two weeks, the financial system has observed the collapse of two mid-sized U.S. commercial banks, California-based Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) and New York-based Signature Bank, and a takeover of troubled Credit Suisse by a rival in Europe. Other banks that serve a similar demographic as SVB, such as First Republic Bank and PacWest Bancorp, have also experienced an elevated level of customer deposit withdrawals while their stock prices plummeted. The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) quickly stepped in and guaranteed all deposits from the failed banks to prevent a broader crisis in the banking system. The current turmoil in the financial system is a stark reminder of the importance of effective risk management and regulation.

Description: This session covers the current interest rate environment, the outlook for interest rates and fixed-income return, the outlook for domestic and foreign equity returns, and the financial strategies based on a plan's funded status. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 20, No. 3A.

Description: June 2012 issue of (RL) Bond Market Watch

Description: This session discussion is about asset/liability matching, risk tolerance versus yield determination and role of insurance company products and investment services. From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 14, No. 1.

Description: This paper examines the characteristics of an ideal product and the type of institution that would be well positioned to offer the ideal product which would allow a housing asset to be a viable retirement asset.

Description: This presentation discusses investment policy for pension plans. From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 10, No. 3.

Description: This paper advocates a broader role for actuaries in the proactive investment strategy of a pension fund by utilizing quantitative techniques and feedback analysis.

Description: June 2012 issue of (RL) Asset/Liability Watch.

Description: This panel discussion session focuses on approaches to investing pension assets including real estate, foreign investment, gold, and allocation of assets to various investment categories. From Record of Society of Actuaries 1980, Vol. 6, No. 4.