Description: After a summary of FASB decisions in their GAAP Targeted Improvements project, this article describes several issues that will need to be resolved either by the board or in actuarial practice and argues for seeking solutions that provide meaningful results without overly complicating valuation processes.

Description: Discusses the top concerns of U.S. insurers regarding the recent IASB Exposure Draft entitled Insurance Contracts and the FASB Exposure Draft entitled Preliminary Views on Insurance Contracts.

Description: Article discussing how U.S. insurance company financial reporting will undergo an unprecedented level of change within the next several years, including a convergence of US GAAP with international accounting standards. Communication to the public issues are emphasized

Description: The article summarizes implications of rising interest rates on U.S. GAAP and statutory financial reporting for life insurers, highlighting potential tailwinds from steady increases and headwinds from sharp increases. We further provide insights into how insurers can leverage ALM programs and interest rate risk hedging practices to favorably position themselves in a rising rate environment

Description: Update of FASB's tentative decisions on revising the accounting for long-duration insurance contracts, now that decisions on measurement are substantively complete.

Description: This article examines employee stock option ESO cost accounting, the characteristics of ESO schemes, the requirements and recommendation of FAS 123R and SAB 107. It also explains why the lattice model is probably the best approach to measuring the cost of stock option grants.

Description: This article is aimed to cover the following: 1) Provides an assessment of income volatility under Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) for several key types of long duration contracts along with select illustrations, and compares against those under current GAAP, 2) Discuss areas where accounting policies or methodologies can influence income volatility, and 3) Show how a company's management reporting can be adapted to help explain income variances under LDTI.

Description: Study Note Corner from Pension Section News, October 2000, Issue No. 44.

Description: Release is imminent of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's tentative conclusions on its project, Employers' Accounting for Pensions and Other Post-employment Benefits. This article highlights the conclusions, open issues and implications of the project.

Description: View the complete issue for the August 2014 Reinsurance News newsletter.