Description: Insurance companies utilize derivatives in a variety of ways to manage and mitigate risks that are inherent in their investment or liability portfolios. They can be characterized by three main features: medium long-term duration; large volumes; and significant market risk exposure. Given the persistent low interest rate environment across the curve since the 2008 financial crisis, large companies need to hedge their liabilities, as illustrated by the significant recent increase from $786 billion as of fiscal year 2010 to $1,885 billion as of FY 2014 by insurance companies.As the Variable Annuities (VA) guarantees embedded within those liabilities hold a strong convex risk profile with respect to the underlying stock, VA carriers need to buy some convex hedge assets such as options to match the liability risk profile to improve hedge effectiveness, implying the growing cost of hedging. Such market impact of the quantity on the cost of hedging is further magnified in the recent period with the short-lived, but sharp transitions from low volatility to high volatility, when market volatility suddenly increases, even when there were no well-known fundamental catalysts. This partially stems from the growing managed volatility funds embedded within VA ($bn 400).VA carriers willing to trade a large quantity of options will see such market impact as an important dilemma, as the cost of placing one large order to close position will be far greater than the sum of infinitely small orders differed in time. In that context, managing market impact requires introducing an explicit market impact function, the influence of which the agent will try to minimize. The effect on hedge asset prices significantly depends on whether there is or not significant delta hedging activity. In case of no significant delta hedging activity, the risk appetite has a significant influence on the optimal execution strategy. If there is significant delta hedging activity, the optimal trading involve

Description: This session from the 2003 SOA Orlando Meeting focuses on the actuary's role and responsibility in the financial reporting process. It covers peer-review standards in Canada, Sarbanes-Oxley and the implementation of both in financial reporting. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 29, No. 3.

Description: This session from the 2003 SOA Orlando Meeting covers the paramount importance of professionalism and also provides a cautionary tale about its disappearance from corporate life. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 29, No. 3, Session 110gs.

Description: Presented at 1995 Valuation Actuary Symposium. Presents updates from the NAIC and its Life & Health Actuarial Task Force, and the Actuarial Board for Counseling and Discipline.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA New York City Meeting examines ethics from the standpoint of the actuary. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 2.

Description: This session discussion is about fellowship admissions course, what it is, when will it happen and to whom does it affect? From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 15, No. 3B.

Description: The approach of the year 2000 creates a millennial fascination which causes man to ponder his past, to assess his present, and to peer into his future. This study of the actuarial profession looks upon those design-steering aspects which can lead to a greater future. Although this work adopts the standpoint of a life company actuary, it views the entirety of the profession. All actuaries are bound up in essentially the same future. This study may have special interest to a young person contemplating the actuarial profession as a career. Consequently, an effort is made to consider the subject over the projected career of such a person- roughly to the year 2020. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1974, Vol. 26, Pt.1, No. 76.

Description: This panel discussion was devoted principally to the following two papers commissioned for the Society of Actuaries 25th anniversary meeting: 1.'The Future of the Actuarial Profession as Viewed in A.D. 1974' by John M. Bragg, and 2. 'Consulting Actuaries in Canada and the United States' by Samuel Eckler and Wendell A. Milliman. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1974, Vol. 26, Pt. 2D, No. 76.