Description: After years of discussion and debate, PrinciplesBased Reserving (PBR) is finally a reality. Small insurance companies have a unique opportunity to decide between electing for the company-wide exemption or adopting the PBR methods. This article discusses the benefits and challenges of the options available to small insurers under VM-20 as well as best practices that have been found along the way.

Description: The valuation manual is a living document that continues to evolve. As more companies adopt Principle-Based Reserving (PBR) and file PBR Actuarial Reports, regulators have observed gaps and inconsistencies across the industry. As a result, PBR reporting requirements (VM-31) have expanded significantly in 2020 and still continue to evolve. This session will provide attendees with everything they need to fill out their PBR reports for both Life business and Variable Annuity business. We will dig into the new changes effective for 2020 reporting and approved changes for 2021, and compare and contrast the Life and VA requirements to help companies identify areas that can be leveraged between the two. In addition, we will share insights from regulators, consultants, and company actuaries on what to include or exclude in your report.

Description: Institutional investors such as pension plans and insurance companies have enjoyed strong equity returns for a length of time with few historical precedents. Nearly a decade after the end of the financial crisis, strategies to provide downside protection remain expensive and the performance of traditional risk-managed funds has disappointed investors.

Description: The article discusses recently-issued regulations under section 807 of the Internal Revenue Code, concerning the computation and reporting of reserves. The provisions addressed generally relate to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Description: This article summarizes the key changes to VM-31 requirements in the 2020 version of the Valuation Manual for both life and variable annuities, and compares and contrasts the requirements for each. In addition, the article offers insights into common issues and recommendations for VM-31 reports from the viewpoints of a regulator, consultant, and company actuary.

Description: The presenters will cover the latest research undertaken by the Individual Life Experience Committee (ILEC). With several years of very robust individual life insurance experience data accumulated through the mandatory Statistical Agent data calls, this vast amount of data allows for various deeper dives into specific segments of business, such as large face amount, older age or juvenile. Speakers will cover studies the committee is currently involved in, future planned efforts, and results from a variety of sub-segments of business. Attendees will learn about emerging statistical techniques in scrubbing data, more refined quintile-grouped data segments, and interesting ways of conceptualizing how A/E results have changed from year to year. There will be something for everyone!

Description: One of the most fundamental concepts in actuarial practice is the time value of money. For any work in which future cash flows are allowed for, such as reserving or pricing, it is natural to discount to present values so that an appropriate amount of money can be set aside today, allowing for future investment returns. This article discusses yield curve extrapolation methods along with the benefits and drawbacks of these methods.

Description: Regulators observed a wide range of practice from early adopters of PBR in regard to the treatment of non-guaranteed reinsurance and adopted a formulaic solution on an interim basis for the 2020 Valuation Manual. A field test, supplemented with additional analysis performed using a model-office approach with representative models, is being performed over the first half of 2020 to inform regulators as they select a longer-term solution. This session will provide an update on this important issue as well as perspectives on how the resolution of this issue was approached and lessons learned for the future from those intimately involved in this work.

Description: On June 17, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service published Final Regulations implementing changes to loss reserve discounting under section 846 of the Internal Revenue Code made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This note addresses changes made in the Final Regulations, particularly modification of rules for determining the interest rate used for discounting, in response to comments from taxpayers on the proposed regulations.