Description: 1993 SOA Spring Meeting, Boston. This presenters in this session discussed the impact of lower interest rates. In 1993 the Moody's Aaa Corporate Yield were near 8%. Questions raised: • Are lower interest rates here to stay? • What are the product development implications? • What are the market share implications? • Are we recognizing the disintermediation risk?

Description: This paper evaluates the current practice of operational risk management in the insurance sector. Operational risk is nothing new in insurance, but, because of regulatory requirements, companies have initiated computation of risk capital for their operational losses. The current effort to manage operational risk is not a naturally evolving phenomenon, and operational risk, in the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s Basel II definition, is unlikely to be a significant cause of insurers’ failure. In addition, the current Basel II definition of operational risk is not suitable for the insurance sector. Consequently, the invention of models and tools based on the definition is incomplete and illusionary. My findings are based on the analysis of dozens of interviews with insurance industry professionals. I demonstrate the way operational risk is quantified in practice, show that the result obtained from this computation is of littl e use in managerial decision making and propose a set of policy recommendations illustrating the characteristics of operational risk in insurance. This study can be used as a platform for launching dialogues to initiate fresh thinking about operational risk in insurance beyond the current artificial and narrow boundaries.

Description: In session 4 PD of the Montreal Spring Meeting panelists discuss the complexities and timing issues involved in determining an earned interest rate. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 23, No. 2.

Description: 1999 SOA Regional Meeting, Atlanta. In this session on financial performance measurement in life insurance companies, the panelists discussed: 1. Value-added financial analysis. 2. Performance management using transfer pricing. 3. Investment benchmarking.

Description: This article lays out a generic framework on how to hedge a European call option on a non-dividend paying stock using futures in a stochastic interest rate environment.

Description: This article suggests ways for small insurance companies to obtain modeling information on more intricate assets, such as collateralized mortgage obligations [CMO], at a low cost.

Description: This session at the SOA 1998 Maui I Spring Meeting focuses on creating shareholder value from the standpoint of two rating agencies and a securities firm. Factors that influence shareholder value are discussed.

Description: This article discusses the new Investment Section. The initial targeted areas are expected to be: Modeling, Corporate Finance, Capital Management and Investment Instruments.

Description: This session at the SOA 1990 Hartford Spring Meeting presents an overview of asset backed securities including the various types available - many based on auto loans and credit cards, their return characterisitics, and the credit risk aspects of this market.

Description: This session at the SOA 1990 Annual Meeting looks at default risks and yield curve risk including discussion of historical experience, NAIC proposals for MSVR, duration leverage, and asset/liability management in a total return environment.