Description: Discussion that reinsurance regulation is driving the amount and hence the cost of capital and hence the ability of reinsurers to price products competitively

Description: This article discusses a paper entitled, “Looking at Canada in 1980.” The author of this article, editor of The Actuary, notes that the paper’s author, A. Peter Hardy, F.I.A., who had called upon his own experiences in Canada in 1976-79 to write it, provided a copy, excerpts from which are included in the discussion. Three of the areas Mr. Hardy addressed for comparison between Canada and UK practice are discussed in this article: taxation, guaranteed cash surrender values, and life insurance commission and the field force.

Description: The author provides an overview of the symposium and highlights the material of particular interest to pension actuaries. From the Pension Section News, September 2008, Issue No. 68.

Description: In this article the editor of International Section News, May 2000, Issue No. 22, provided a brief summary of the issue's articles. Articles described include ones on Australia's tax system changes, a review of the December conference of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, a discussion of the unit-linked business in Europe, mention of the opening up of India's insurance business and the insurance business in Georgia.

Description: Brief discussion about the prior years International Section meetings and the upcoming meeting in 2004.

Description: The first preliminary results on international experience studies on mortality and persistency for the pilot countries of Taiwan, Mexico and South Korea are discussed and future expansion of the studies are explained.

Description: Brief discussion about the changing membership of the SOA International Section Council. Also covered were requests for suggestions future initiatives.

Description: Recently, we have seen renewed interest in the international (or “offshore”) pension plan. An international plan typically provides benefits for internationally mobile workers of a multinational employer, but can also be used for certain other workers. The plan is usually located in a respected international finance centre.

Description: The international presence of SOA-designated actuaries is on the increase, and the International Section will be aligning many of its activities to complement those of the SOA’s International Committee while continuing current successful activities and initiatives.

Description: In the winning article in the International Section’s annual country feature article competition, the author recounts his experience of living in Zurich, Switzerland, and compares U.S. and Swiss cultural influences on health care.