Description: From a session at the Spring regional meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24-25, 1999 Panel examined the failure of three major life insurance companies in North America: Executive Life, Mutual Benefit, and Confederation Life, changes that have taken place in the aftermath of these failures, and the likelihood of future failures.

Description: This study examines reductions in retirement benefits from the decline in defined benefit plans and increases in defined contribution plans during the past 20 years and what effect this has on workforce management. In particular how this change is affecting older workers’ decisions to retire and what effect this could have on companies. An underlying assumption implicit in evaluating the benefit of retirement of older workers is that productivity declines in old age while pay does not, leading to a pay productivity gap that could have an adverse effect on the employer from delayed retirement. The validity of this assumption was also examined.

Description: From a session at the annual meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Chicago, Illinois, October 15-18, 2000 Discussion of indexed guaranteed separate accounts, typically issued to defined-benefit pension plans. Contract terms, risks, marketing, financial reporting, reserves, and investment strategies are discussed. Risk-based capital and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Model Regulation for Separate Accounts with Guarantees are also discussed. A hypothetical indexed separate account is analyzed for return on capital and economic risk.

Description: Full version of Risks and Rewards Newsletter, March 1999, Issue No. 32.

Description: This is a research project on possible replacement indices for the 30 year treasury rates used to value current liability for defined benefit pension plans in the US.

Description: Full version of Risks and Rewards Newsletter, September 2000, Issue No. 35.

Description: This paper analyzes which of the factors that affect retirement mortality determined in Phase I of the FARM project should be added to the existing mortality studies of the Society of Actuaries. Some factors were added or modified and two were dropped from those in Phase I.

Description: This session discusses two recent SOA research initiatives called FARM I and FARM II. From Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 30, No. 3.

Description: Full version of Risks and Rewards Newsletter, February 2001, Issue No. 36.