Description: This article summarizes the Reinsurance Section's recent research efforts.

Description: In setting future mortality assumptions for pricing, the actuary needs to consider not only recent results and recent annualized mortality improvements, but also must look at the possible impact of possible shocks epidemics, wars, etc.

Description: Feature article discussing one of the themes of last year’s Living to 100 Symposium; socio-economic differences in mortality.

Description: Feature article discussing the current state of reinsurance for the variable annuity market.

Description: New digital data known as alternative data is everywhere. Our industry has seen the financial, and hi-tech industries leverage new digital data to expand their key offerings and core services. From the lens of the global life and health industry, new digital data is still searching to be further understood. Risk assessment is a current focus area for using alternative data. A key question is even though risk assessment has always been data-driven, can it now move to the next level with the arrival of this alternative data. Can we use alternative data to make the risk assessment process quicker, cheaper, or faster thereby driving more sales and better conversion rates. It is an exciting time! With the increased adoption of health and well-being apps, data such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and mental wellness is now readily available. Expanded data such as digital biomarkers, IoT data, electronic health records and many more can also be accessed. However, how to effectively implement alternative data remains a challenge across the industry. We firmly believe it is, and will continue to be, imperative to take a structured approach to alternative data through a set of key considerations and a framework of principles.

Description: Trends in mortality have a huge impact on the insurance industry and its products, risks and profitability. Worldwide, life expectancy has increased continuously over the past decades. However, this progress—even without considering the Covid-19 pandemic—has been subject to strong fluctuations. In recent years, an increase in volatility can be observed. Various aspects—medical science, environment, lifestyle—have influenced the trend in the past. How can the life and health industry move forward in these uncertain conditions? In this article, we examine what has gone before and what can be learned from a closer analysis. What are the main drivers of the historical increase in life expectancy? What characterizes the dynamics of the recent past? How can mortality be projected into the future? How good are our methods of prediction and what are the risks? What risk management options are available?

Description: Full version of Reinsurance Section News, September 1999, Issue No. 46.

Description: Book review of the latest edition (4th) of Life, Health, and Annuity Reinsurance by John Tiller, Jr and Denise Fagerberg Tiller

Description: Munich American’s annual survey, which is conducted on behalf of the Statistical Research Committee of the Reinsurance Section, covers Canadian and U.S. ordinary and group life reinsurance new business production and in force. The ordinary numbers are further subdivided into: recurring reinsurance1—conventional reinsurance covering an insurance policy with an issue date in the year in which it was reinsured portfolio reinsurance—reinsurance covering an insurance policy with an issue date in a year prior to the year in which it was reinsured, or financial reinsurance, and retrocession reinsurance—reinsurance not directly written by the ceding company. Complete survey results are available from the authors upon request. These results may also be obtained at Munich American’s Web site at www.marclife.com search Research.

Description: Chairperson’s Corner by Robert W. Beal from Reinsurance Section News, May 2001, Issue No. 48.