Description: This presentation is from session number 4, presented at the 1999 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held September 23-24 in Los Angeles. Noting that under U.S. GAAP, setting assumptions and accounting practices can have a significant impact on the earnings process [i.e., actual results, sources of earnings, and the earnings analysis process], the panelists address options available to the actuary for setting assumptions and defining practices for specific product types [both FAS60 and FAS97], the advantages, disadvantages, and practical considerations associated with each approach, and specific examples of the effect of the different approaches on earnings. Discussion from participants is included.