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: A discussion of insurance claims processing and payment systems, and how to achieve the minimum possible number of errors.

Description: NewsDirect article that discusses the benefits of automating the underwriting process. Underwriting speed, the east of case submission and sales support stand out as the most important factors.

Description: Presented at October 1996 Annual Meeting. This session presents a forecasting model of economic assumptions that are inputs to projections of the Social Security system. Social Security projections are made to help policymakers understand the financial stability of the system.

Description: Presented at June 1996 Spring Meeting. This session presents an overview of the SOA cosponsored conference on fair value of insurance liabilities, including a comparison of some of the methods presented. The session also provides a status update of recent industry and professional activities and what the future may hold for the use of fair value of insurance liabilities in insurance company financial statements.

Description: Presented at September 1995 Valuation Actuary Symposium. This session talks about the Long-Term Care Insurance Valuation Task Force report.

Description: This paper illustrates a procedure for analyzing the sources of profit under FAS 97 and suggests an analytical procedure for reflecting actual experience and revised future assumptions in the recalculation of the estimated gross profit defined by FAS 97.

Description: Presented at October 19895 Annual Meeting. This session is about statutory, GAAP and management reporting for new life insurance and annuity products and nontraditional distribution systems.

Description: Presented at October 1985 Annual Meeting. Discusses 3 papers: 'Report on Reserve Standards for Individual and Group Health Insurance Contracts' by the AAA Committee on Health, 'Reserve Principles for Individual Health Insurance' by the Committee for Accident and Health, and 'Structure for Consideration of Health Coverage Valuation Standards' by an NAIC Health Subcommittee of Standing Technical Advisory Group.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. This session discussed: Overview of tax changes for different types of life insurers, Product impact by type of product, Implementation issues - calculating tax reserves, Tax planning implications.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. This session discussed: Applicable American Academy of Actuaries financial reporting recommendations, Techniques used in establishing margins, Appropriate margins under internal replacement programs, GAAP earnings impact of various methods for establishing margins for adverse deviation, Special considerations for interest-sensitive and lapse-sensitive products.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. This session discussed: Capital gains and losses accounting, Internal sales of investments among portfolios, Equity investment accounting, Internal stripping of securities, Internally manufactured puts and calls, Allocation of taxes and investment expenses among portfolios, Accounting systems needed.

Description: Presented at May 1985 Spring Meeting. This session discussed: Applicable accounting rules, Replaced policies' unamortized acquisition costs, Capitalizing additional acquisition costs for new policies, Anti-selection on mortality experience of residual block, New policies' appropriate lapse, mortality and interest assumptions, Loss recognition testing, Differences in accounting treatment between the United States and Canada.

Description: This panel discussed studies of the risk of loss due to changes in the interest rate environment. It addressed why the C-3 risk is important and how inflation and stability in interest rates can affect the financial soundness of life insurance companies. There was also a discussion of the theoretical work being carried out to calibrate the C-3 risk of variation in interest rates and to what extent the valuation actuary can properly recognize the risk of loss from changes in the interest rate environment within the framework of valuations laws and regulations.

Description: This paper presents multiple book reviews: Reports from Staff of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Reports in Connection with Social Security Legislation 1975-77, 'Statement on Cost Comparisons of Individual Life Insurance Policies', by Canadian Institute of Actuaries, 'Investment Activities of Life Insurance Companies' from Huebner Foundation Lectures, 'The Life Insurance Industry's Marketing Dilemma' by Johns, 'The Future of Social Security' by Munnell, 'Social Security - Today and Tomorrow' by Ball, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'The Crisis in Social Security - Problems and Prospects' by Boskin, 'A History of Interest Rates' by Homer, 'Indexation of Pensions and Other Benefits' by Robert Myers, 'Life Insurance Accounting' by Strain, '1978 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund...' by US Congress. Brief summaries of additional readings are also included.

Description: This section presents book reviews and summaries of recent publications. Reviews: '1975 Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASDI Trust Funds...' by the US Congress, 'Providing Adequate Retirement Income' by Schulz, Carrin, Krupp, Peschke, Sclar and Steenberge, 'Ernst & Ernst GAAP - Stock Life Companies' by Posnak, 'Reports of the Quadrennial Advisory Council on Social Security' by US Government, 'Fundamentals of Private Pensions' by McGill. Digests also included.

Description: Digests of following discussions: 1. Mutual life insurance companies - their objectives and operating philosophy 2. State, provincial, and municipal employee pension plans - financing and other problems 3. Mortality and underwriting of individual policies for large amounts 4. Investing during the 1970's 5. Long-range viability and regulation of corporate pension plans 6. Forecasting the environment for business 7. Liabilities and surplus in the 1970's 8. Changing modes of family life - work and income over the life cycle 9. The role of the actuary in collective bargaining 10. Health insurance in the United States 11. Adjusted earnings