Description: Since solvency assessment depends on a financial reporting framework, one needs risk metrics for use in financial reporting. The essay argues that conceptually, the cost of capital is the appropriate metric for reserves, while a probability level is the appropriate metric for capital. Then the essay advocates stress testing on specific scenarios as a better practical approach to ORSA.

Description: This is the first of two articles discussing the model laws governing minimum reserves and non-forfeiture values that the NAIC adopted in December 1980. The author, Chairman of the NAIC Technical Task Force on Valuation and Nonforfeiture Value Regulation, in this first article describes the objectives of the revision, which include updating assumptions, increasing flexibility, and improving the ability to deal with new types of products, the cooperative effort entailed, the actuary’s role and responsibilities in doing business under the new law, and the financial impact.

Description: A high level review of IRR methodology, common issues in calculation, and IRR applications in insurance.

Description: A discussion of maturity extension riders and the related pricing and nonforfeiture issues.

Description: As stochastic modeling has evolved, it has divided down two paths—real-world and risk-neutral. This article discusses this division and shows how these paths may be re-united through the use of deflators.

Description: Author discusses the treatment of current life insurance reserves under the tax code in determining a life insurer's taxable income, and what challenges are ahead in the era of principles-based reserves.

Description: Under non-Aristotelian logic, there are multiple values, or shades of gray. Indeed, there may even be unexpected results from logical combinations, like “both” and “neither.” This article discusses how this insight should be applied to the current debate between formula-driven reserves with limited assumption flexibility and the reserve principles approach. For reserve standards, we do need both actuarial judgment grounded in reserving principles and restrictive formula methods or safe harbors.

Description: The NAIC approved the 2012 Individual Annuity Reserve table as the standard for computing reserves for individual annuity contracts and developed a model law regulation for states to adopt. On February 17th, 2015, ACLI submitted a letter to Alexis MacIvor, Chief of the Insurance Branch in the IRS Office of Chief Counsel, notifying her that as of December 24, 2014, 26 states had approved the 2012 IAR Table as the reserve standard for immediate annuity contracts issued on or after January 1, 2015. The letter thus confirms that the 2012 IAR Table is the Prevailing Commissioners' Standard Table for purposes of computing life insurance reserves under section 807(d) of the Code for individual annuity contracts.

Description: In this article, taken from the author’s remarks at LIMRA's 1980 Annual Meeting, the theme is that the “new generation” of permanent life insurance products, including Universal Life, do meet policyholders’ needs, and that life insurance products, far from being static, evolve to suit the markets they serve and the public's needs. An editor’s note at the end also refers the reader to another article, which presents a “distinctly different viewpoint.”

Description: Presented at October 1986 Annual Meeting. This session discusses new forms of compensation that are being utilized, the impact on product design, and the impact on company profitability.