Description: The FASB is contemplating a joint project with the IASB on a new comprehensive accounting standard for insurance based on its Preliminary Views on Insurance Contracts. This article suggests that the best way to achieve the IASB objective of market-consistent valuation of liabilities is to use an explicit liquid/illiquid economic valuation and reporting paradigm.

Description: Just about everything that took place on the international front this quarter was influenced to some degree by the subprime crisis. Article discusses April - June developments in the creation of fair value accounting regulations, which progresses in spite of concerns that using a fair value accounting basis for financial instruments lacking a deep trading market makes does not make sense.

Description: This article describes changes to financial reporting for variable annuities under US GAAP, IFRS and Statutory regulations, and implications for hedging.

Description: Discussions of alternative approaching to setting ascribed premiums for market risk benefits under FASB targeted improvements.

Description: Here we are led to draw a distinction between “wild” markets and “free” markets. A wild market is unregulated and unscrutinized. Information flows are purposely impeded for competitive reasons and reduced to trickles from rumor and espionage. No one knows what anyone else is doing, and pricing is blind and haphazard. In such a market, there are no safeguards against anticompetitive behavior and no guarantees that the market will clear. The only guarantee is that there will be liquidity crises.

Description: The paper explores developments through 2006 in the application of market-consistent concepts to the measurement of fair values of liabilities for financial reporting purposes. A set of criteria is presented that should be useful in the evaluation of proposed fair value measurement approaches where inputs based on prices observed in an active market with reliable transaction prices are not available. Based on these criteria, one approach is examined that might serve as a basis for the fair value measurement of the liability of life insurance contracts and other financial instruments issued by insurers.

Description: 1995 Valuation Actuary Symposium. This session covers various approaches to determining fair value of liabilities, Financial Accounting Standard 115, and other GAAP-related matters.

Description: This paper presents a theoretical framework for moving from book value accounting toward market value accounting. From Actuarial Research Clearing House 1993. VOL. 1.

Description: A summary of a scientific paper written to address the differences and similarities between the option pricing method now more commonly known as fair valuation and the actuarial appraisal method.

Description: This article discusses actuarial appraisal value and explores the relationship between cost of capital, market fair value of assets and liabilities, and the option pricing method.