Description: Various methods of accounting for a block of in-force business acquired at the time of purchase have been proposed and used. This paper describes nine such methods, analyzing each by the use of a very simple model office. Followed by submitted discussions of the article

Description: Discussion of the sensitivity of GAAP reserves to certain assumptions made and methodologies used. Followed by a discussion paper

Description: Examination of how mean reserve factors can best be calculated in light of the new accounting reporting requirements for the earnings of stock life insurance companies. Also examines some methods of expense amortization, including the reserve factor method, and also attempt to show an informative comparison of how reported calendar-year earnings can be expected to emerge with statutory mean reserve factors, natural mean reserve factors, and assorted expense amortization methods. Followed by several submitted discussion papers

Description: The report begins with Tan's paper Source-of-Earnings Analysis under FAS97 Universal Life Accounting that defines a procedure for analyzing the sources of profit. This paper extends the analysis to consider the effect of actual experience varying from expected and the effect of those variances on assumptions for the future. Also the paper illustrates examples of the effect of changing future assumptions or unlocking on the magnitude and incidence of profits and amortization. A discussion of the paper follows. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1990, Vol. 42.

Description: This report summarizes the results of a research project undertaken by the Society of Actuaries to study the possible effects of the International Accounting Standards Board’s IASB Discussion Paper describing its Preliminary Views on Insurance Contracts on nine representative U.S. life, health and annuity products.

Description: This section presents book reviews and summaries of recent publications. Reviews: '1975 Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASDI Trust Funds...' by the US Congress, 'Providing Adequate Retirement Income' by Schulz, Carrin, Krupp, Peschke, Sclar and Steenberge, 'Ernst & Ernst GAAP - Stock Life Companies' by Posnak, 'Reports of the Quadrennial Advisory Council on Social Security' by US Government, 'Fundamentals of Private Pensions' by McGill. Digests also included.

Description: The purpose of this paper note is to highlight the similarities of results from the amortization of initial life insurance acquisition costs by means of an acquisition cost amortization schedule similar to that used by accountants versus a set of actuarial-type acquisition cost natural reserve factors appropriately applied to beginning and ending in-force units.

Description: This paper illustrates a procedure for analyzing the sources of profit under FAS 97 and suggests an analytical procedure for reflecting actual experience and revised future assumptions in the recalculation of the estimated gross profit defined by FAS 97.

Description: This paper demonstrates some of the basic principles and concepts inherent in the use of natural reserves to adjust earnings and to demonstrate differences in earning patterns obtained by several alternative approaches to a pure natural reserve adjustment of earnings.

Description: This paper examines five alternative valuation methods - prospective, retrospective, global, intermediate, and static - for the proper application of GAAP to Medicare supplement insurance. The focus of this paper is on the changes to expected future claim costs due to changes in the Medicare deductibles.