Description: Overview of a recently published paper that explains how credibility theory can be applied to develop mortality assumptions for defined benefit plans.

Description: Exploration of sources of volatility in retiree health valuations, noting how volatility arises and might be mitigated, with discussion of valuation parameters more problematic for retiree health benefits than for pensions. Three significant influences on retiree health valuation volatility are covered-- changes in benefit level, fluctuations in cost level, and alterations in eligibility for, or duration of, benefit – and attention focused on the last two. Specific conclusions result in recommendations, which are supported by practical examples contrasting volatile measurement results with those likely from the recommended practices. Theoretical discussion includes health claim variation, health trend usage, financial economics, option pricing, discount rates, and deterministic vs. stochastic modeling.

Description: Response to David Kausch’s comments on the paper.

Description: The tables were developed from data collected for 2010–2014. The central year of the data is 2012, hence the name. These tables are intended to be adjusted with a mortality improvement scale. The Pri-2012 Mortality Tables update the RP-2006 Mortality Tables , which were developed from data collected for years 2004–2008.

Description: Authors’ response to comments by Ryan Labs Asset Management on paper by James J. Rizzo Krzysztof M. Ostaszewski Piotr Krekora.

Description: Comments by Ryan Labs Asset Management on paper by James J. Rizzo Krzysztof M. Ostaszewski Piotr Krekora.

Description: Report on the second in a series of studies conducted jointly by LIMRA International and the SOA Long-Term Care Experience Committee. The study examines longterm care insurance LTCI industry persistency experience by reporting on changes in both voluntary lapse and total termination activity for all participating companies during calendar years 2002 through 2004. Overall, the results indicate that LTCI persistency continues to increase. However, recent increases have occurred on the group side of the business more than the individual side.

Description: This is a study of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) mortality experience. The study consists of data furnished by the PBGC for the time period of September 30, 2009 through September 30, 2014. All of the data come from single-employer pension plans taken over by the PBGC in a distress termination. This is the SOA’s first study of PBGC experience and provides another comparison point of retirement plans mortality experience for work performed by pension actuaries.

Description: The first in a series of articles exploring the improvement in retiree life expectancies and ways the improvement can be incorporated into actuarial estimates of annuity and pension plan reserves.

Description: Actuaries may soon be required to select assumptions that are individually reasonable when measuring pension obligations. This is the core meaning of a proposed amendment to the Actuarial Standard of Practice #4 in addition to the proposed ASOP on economic assumptions.