Description: Update to the SOA's longitudinal analysis of contributions among state-based and large-city pension plans in the U.S.

Description: Updated longitudinal study of metrics for measuring whether US corporate pension plan contributions paid down unfunded liabilities or met regulatory benchmarks.

Description: This study explores whether public pension plans have contributed enough to reduce unfunded liabilities, absent other influences such as investment returns.

Description: Metrics for measuring pension plan contributions against benchmarks for achieving specific financial funding goals.

Description: This annual update to the RPEC_2014 model and corresponding mortality improvement scales reflects historical U.S. population mortality experience through 2016.

Description: This annual update to the RPEC_2014 model and corresponding mortality improvement scales reflects historical U.S. population mortality experience through 2016.

Description: Based on work performed by Bob Howard, a former member of RPEC, the SOA developed a spreadsheet-based program that allows users to create a customized mortality improvement scale using the RPEC_2014 model. The RPEC_O2_v2018 model found here utilizes the same projection methodology underpinning the RPEC_2014 model except that the historical rates have been developed using “order-2” Whittaker-Henderson graduation rather than “order-3”. Similar to the RPEC_2014_v2018 model, this tool reflects historical U.S. mortality experience through 2016 and can be used to model different assumption sets.

Description: The Society of Actuaries is pleased to make available a research report that investigates defined benefit retirement plan de-risking activities for U.S.-based companies and the relative impact of various implemented strategies.

Description: The two basic considerations in a pension plan valuation are the choice of actuarial cost methods and actuarial assumptions. This paper deals with the assumptions. The concern in this regard is what actuaries are doing and why. There are explicit criteria why particular assumptions are chosen, and these have often been discussed in the pension literature. However, there also are implicit criteria, which, while seldom discussed in the literature, can dominate the valuation. The goal of this paper is to quantify some of these criteria, and thereby provide a basis for further discussion and research.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to sketch the mathematical functions which are needed in valuing the benefits of a self-insured plan, and to study certain problems that arise in connection with the valuation of these plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1950, Vol. 2, No. 2.