Description: The actuarial profession and our stakeholders in the insurance industry are in a unique position to help quantify and mitigate environmental risks via pricing and benefit incentives. Property insurance prices and benefits can encourage responsible and sustainable development. By developing insurance markets and making various types of insurance available in developing regions, which are disproportionately affected by environmental risks and hazards, we can provide protection that is critical for economic development. In spite of the risks posed by environmental issues to actuaries and our stakeholders, and in spite of the opportunities for actuaries and our stakeholders to address environmental risks, actuarial literature is limited with respect to such topics as: environmental risks, including natural disasters, pollution, clean air and water, degradation of the natural and human environment, resource depletion and sustainability, climate change and its consequences; local, national, regional and global efforts to address environmental risks; methods and models used by the scientific community to study environmental risks; methods and assumptions used to quantify the economic or financial risk associated with environmental hazards. This webcast will feature three of the papers addressing these topics that have been published so far in this series of twelve papers. The authors of the papers will present their topics and attendees will be able to participate with questions and answers.

Description: How do unpredictable short-term mortality shocks due to the Coronavirus impact assumptions for pension valuations? What impact does this have in reviewing a plan's experience and can an actuary justify making adjustments? What portions of the population were most impacted by COVID-19? Find out all this and more during this discussion. This webcast will cover: Current research relating to COVID-19 mortality statistics The MP-2020 improvement scale and the MIM-2021 framework Perspectives on emerging longevity trends

Description: This webcast provides an overview of the key provisions of the recently enacted SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which significantly changed the rules that apply to qualified retirement plans and IRAs. The presenters will examine a history of the legislation and focus on some of the key provisions of the Act. In particular, we will discuss provisions that give individuals more flexibility on how they will contribute to their retirement accounts and provisions that provide new ways for individuals to save. Explore certain significant structural changes to the rules such as the automatic enrollment for new plans and the elimination of lifetime RMDs for designated Roth accounts. The panel will also focus on the provisions that provide greater access to retirement funds through new distribution exceptions and how this might affect a company’s reporting obligations. Come learn about some of the relief provisions included in SECURE 2.0, including an expanded EPCRS program to cover errors relating to IRAs.

Description: As the Federal Reserve's recent interest rate hikes increase potential asset yields, an expected rate increase to products offered by insurance companies of all sizes, including annuities, can be seen in the current economic landscape. The increased market volatility and high inflation create insurance company performance complications, which can lead to a disproportionate impact for smaller insurance companies. Discover the current status of the market environment and explore suggestions and possible solutions for smaller insurance companies as they deals with complications like a lack of access to higher-yielding investment strategies and limits made by risk management policies from owning unrated asset claims. There will also be a discussion on the recently adopted Actuarial Guideline on Asset Adequacy Testing and the implications for insurance companies.

Description: Discover a comparison of U.S. and international mandated leave programs which mandate employers to provide a minimum level of benefits to employees for qualifying leaves of absence, such as parental leave or medical leave.

Description: The Special Financial Assistance (SFA) program included in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will provide grants to some of the more troubled multiemployer plans. While this is a welcomed relief for many multiemployer plans facing insolvency, plenty of challenges remain in the implementation of the funds and ability to maintain solvency after the SFA funds are fully utilized. Explore the challenges and opportunities from the pension relief provisions.

Description: Join us for the Recent Trends in the Competitive Landscape webcast where you'll find an exploration of the how the insurance industry is rapidly evolving. Discover various structures and reinsurance strategies that will improve a competitive position in the insurance landscape. Come learn about the latest structures used by insurers in the market, which will focus on asset strategies that create a growing segment of the Life and Annuity insurer landscape. Indicate the key components of asset strategies that result in significant changes to the insurance investment landscape.

Description: Explore the value and cost of prescription drugs, how they should be defined and measured and the effects various stakeholders in the pharmacy ecosystem can have on these factors in the latest webcast. You'll investigate the impact of coverage, formulary and rebate negotiations and related benefit design. Find out how actuaries can answer questions related to the prescription drug industry, in addition to improving the access, quality and affordability of prescription drugs in the United States. Join us for this webcast and come learn about value-based contract design, negotiations, implementation and administration for prescription drugs.

Description: How do we take a Minimum Viable Products (MVP) approach to launch new insurance products? Join this moderated discussion and focus on three key development aspects: Distribution, Systems, and the design and pricing of the Insurance product itself. Come discuss reasons to choose an MVP approach and how it solves many of the product launch challenges.

Description: Join us to explore a variety of ways that COVID-19 has impacted retirement and how those impacts may extend into the future. Material from a series of research reports published through the SOA's Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program will be presented as well as other relevant work. This content was originally presented at the 2021 SOA ImpACT Conference.