Description: This article from the Digest of Informal Discussion, Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1955 Volume 7, Number 17, identifies the participants and summarizes their comments. Discussion topics include: whether changes in ordinary insurance mortality are significant enough to consider preparing a more up-to-date mortality table for reserve purposes problems involved in constructing and securing statutory approval of annuity reserve tables with built in mortality improvement factors extent to which differences between current premium rate mortality assumptions and CSO mortality contribute to problems with deficiency reserves and arguments for and against the adoption of a different actuarial basis for deficiency reserves.

Description: A. Discusssion of the practical considerations involved in deciding whether or not to adopt projected mortality rates in connection with individual annuities, settlement options, retirement income policies, and the various forms of group annuities. B. In view of increased administrative expenses, discussion of the arguments for and against imposing limitations on the granting of settlement options with respect to size of policy, including the practicality of providing for the expense of administering supplementary contracts other than through the use of conservative mortality and interest assumptions.

Description: This paper was presented at the 1955 Society of Actuaries Eastern Spring Meeting, held March 24-25 in New York City. Noting that traditionally, group life insurance has been financed on a yearly renewable term basis, the author discusses the reasons for development of group permanent life insurance and the different funding methods. The author also presents certain analogies with the funding of pension plans, and discusses employee taxability issues under current tax law for the various funding methods. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1955 Volume 7, Number 18.

Description: This discussion looks at ways non-government actuaries have served their government, the methods followed for recruitment of actuarial personnel for government service, recently developed mortality experiences and/or tables under government insurance, insurance department reviews of valuations, pensions plans and medical/hospital organization, and benefits for government actuaries.

Description: This article is part of the Digest of Informal Discussion, which took place at the 1956 Society of Actuaries Eastern Spring Meeting, held April 19-20 in Hartford, CT. It identifies the participants and summarizes each person’s comments. The participants discuss various underwriting topics, including larger amounts of insurance and higher limits on premium waiver and accidental death benefits, larger non-medical limits, impairments, substandard underwriting classes, and aviation risks. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1956 Volume 8, Number 21.

Description: Discusses potential of imminent war, magnitude of risk, opinions regarding exclusion vs. inclusion of coverage in life policies, and anti-selection issues.

Description: This is the presidential address by former President of the Society of Actuaries, Malvin E. Davis. His topic was the current position of the American United States and Canadian life insurance actuary, the problems that face him and the Society of Actuaries, and what the Society should do to address those problems.

Description: Discusses a variety of regulatory issues relative to pension plans, the professional responsibilities of pension consultants, and criteria which should be applied for determining assumptions, actuarial cost method and modifications in evaluating disability benefits. Also discusses determination of qualified actuary to represent client before the IRS.

Description: Discusses reasons for recent extensive industry changes in premium rates and expected trends, merits of different types of federal income tax treatment in financial statements, and discussion of merits of proposed state regulations regarding classification and allocation of income and expenses.

Description: Presented at November 1952 Annual Meeting. Discusses some societal issues affecting the insurance business: war hazard, inflation, and taxation. Also discusses efforts to explain the profession and the prior year's activities within the profession.