Description: The Federal Employees' Retirement System 'FERS', enacted into law on June 6, 1986, covers civilian employees of the U.S. Government who were hired after 1983. FERS supplements Social Security with a basic annuity plan and a thrift-savings plan. The Civil Service Retirement System 'CSRS' remains in effect for employees hired before 1984 who do not elect to transfer to FERS. Besides discussing the benefit changes, this paper covers the following related subjects of broader interest: 1. The federal legislative process, including the roles of interest groups, the Congress and the Administration, and the actuaries assisting them, 2. Investments in stocks and bonds by the new thrift plan, and why these use index funds, and 3. How FERS serves as a model for other large public retirement systems, using a defined contribution plan to help meet its retirement objectives and giving the private sector opportunities to provide benefit services. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1988, Vol. 40, Pt. 1.

Description: This discussion is about how plan sponsors and actuaries deal with the newly permitted disparity regulations and Section 401a4. From Record of Society of Actuaries Vol. 16, No. 1.

Description: This is a discussion about employee benefit plans: -Group Life - What has been the effect of the new law taxing employer contributions in excess of $50K? What special underwriting problems have occurred, what underwriting techniques used, what has the mortality experience been? -Group Health - What are special considerations where premium rates are guaranteed for greater than one year? Are any additional reserves established? What are the current developments in Group dental? Have any experience studies been made? What is the potential market for group dental? -Group Annuities - What volume of business has been written on separate accounts or segregated funds? What problems have arisen in administering this type of plan? -Miscellaneous- What has been the experience on high limit accidental death and dismemberment benefits? In pension plans has there been an increase in joint and survivorship options? Has there been an increase in disability benefits under retirement plans? To what extent is the new money concept being adopted in fields other than group annuities? What is the current outlook with regard to reducing or eliminating the difference in taxes imposed on insured employee benefit plans vs self-insured plans? From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1964, Vol. 16 Pt. 2

Description: This article contains reviews of the following books: 1. 'Fundamental Mathematics of Life Insurance' by Floyd S. Harper and Lewis C. Workman, 2. 'Mathematics of Compound Interest' by Marjorie V. Butcher and Cecil J. Nesbitt, 3.'Compound Interest and Annuities-Certain' by D. W. A. Donald, 4. 'Demography' by P. R. Cox, 5. 'The Spirit and the Uses of the Mathematical Sciences' edited by Thomas L. Saaty and F. Joachim Weyl, 6. 'Ethics, Morality, and Insurance' by John D. Long, 7. Reports of the 1971 Advisory Council on Social Security, 8. 'Medical Care at Public Expense' by Mark V. Pauly 9. 'Eleventh Actuarial Valuation of the Assets and Liabilities under the Railroad Retirement Acts as of December 31, 1968, with Technical Supplement' by the Railroad Retirement Board, 10. 'Nouvelles tables-types de mortalité' by Sully Ledermann, 11. 'A Table of Expected Working Life for Men, 1968' by Howard W. Fullerton, 12. 'Disability-Determination and Evaluation' by Henry H. Kessler, 13. 'Industrial Safety Statistics: A Re-examination' by Jerome B. Gordon, Allan Akman, and Michael L. Brooks, 14. 'Pensions and Severance Pay for Displaced Defense Workers' by Hugh Folk and PauI Hartman, 15. 'Trends and Variations in Fertility in the United States' by Clyde V. Kiser, Wilson H. Grabill, and Arthur A. Campbell, 16. 'Benefit Plans in Junior Colleges' by Francis P. King, 17. 'The Consumer's Guide to Insurance Buying' by Vladimir P. Chernik, and 18. 'Private Pension Scheme Finance' by Sylvia and Leslie Tutt. Notices of other studies and articles are also included. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1971, Vol. 23, Pt. 1, No. 67.

Description: The failure of a few large life insurers in the early 1990's led to public concern about the safety of annuities purchased by qualified retirement plans. As a result, the Department of Labor issued guidelines, known as the 'Safest Annuity Rule,' for selecting annuity providers. This study examines whether the Safest Annuity Rule is significantly changing the market for insured annuities issued to tax-qualified pension plans, particularly upon the termination of defined benefit plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1997-98 Reports.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Boston Meeting focuses on recent legislative and regulatory developments in the U.S. including new IRS regulations, the Department of Labor, the SEC, the new CPI table and court decisions. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4b.

Description: This paper describes the actuarial valuation method for pension plans, the formulas and assumptions used, and the way these assumptions might be chosen. A case study is presented. Followed by several discussion papers submitted

Description: In light of the Executive Life insolvency, this panel discusses the current situation regarding insurance company guaranteed products and retirement plans. Also addressed is what the DOL, IRS, PBGC, Congress and the insurance industry have done. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 18, No. 1B.

Description: Article Public Hearings Of Social Security Advisory Council by Schreitmueller in The Actuary, June 1979, Volume 13, Number 6

Description: Discusses the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and the limits taking effect in 1989 relative to Social Security integration, final- and career-average and offset plans, and defined-contribution plans. From the 1988 Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 14, No. 4B.