Description: Panel discusses the selection of both economic and demographic assumptions in funding pension plans. They include the impact on selection of economic assumptions from the recently released Actuarial Standard of Practice [ASOP] No. 27, 'Selection of Economic Assumptions for Measuring Pension Obligations.' From the 1997 Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 23, No. 3.

Description: This panel discussion session reported on the status and content of the Actuarial Standards Board standard dealing with the selection of assumptions. The discussion covers what the effects would be on practitioners.

Description: Panelists develop a framework for analyzing the diverse family of deferred recognition methods for assets under a pension plan. Using this framework, attendees learn how to assess the reasonableness of a method from both a client and a regulatory perspective – that qualify under IR Code Section 412[c][2][A] – including a case study of the evolution of smoothing methods used by a particular group of plan sponsors. From the 2002 Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 28, No. 2. Session 76PD of the San Francisco Spring Meeting.

Description: This paper examines the valuation of assets and poses the following questions: A. What bases, other than cost or market, are in use for valuing pension trust assets and acceptable under the Internal Revenue Code and Rulings? and B. How can a retirement plan having assets valued on a book or cost basis utilize existing unrealized appreciation for purposes of improving benefits or reducing current funding costs without changing to a market value basis? From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1961, Vol. 13, Pt. 2.

Description: Presented at April 1985 Spring Meeting. Discusses: Large plan actuarial assumptions, Small plan actuarial assumptions, Conflict between explicit assumptions and plan sponsor's objectives, and Immunization effect on the interest assumption.

Description: This presentation of the panel discussion from the 1977 Record of the SOA Vol. 3 No. 4 examines pension valuation and assumptions particularly assumption setting for Social Security Benefits, assumptions and methods for smaller plans, early retirement assumptions and funding of supplementary benefits, gain/loss and valuation assumptions.