Description: Have you wondered: - As a U.S. insurer, should I try to understand the implication of International Financial Reporting Standard 17 (IFRS 17) on global insurers? - As a pricing actuary, do I need to learn about the financial evolution brought about by IFRS 17 and Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI)? - As my organization's CFO, I have invested in the arduous implementation of the new standards. How do I get the best return on my investment?If the answer to any of the above is 'Yes,' then this session is for you!

Description: Best-in-class analytics allow companies to quickly understand results and dynamically manage their business. When enhancing analytics, we can learn from companies that have recently deployed new dashboards for Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI), International Financial Reporting Standards 17 (IFRS17) and principle-based reserving (PBR). Data transformations and new software tools provide significant opportunities, but many companies are grappling with an actionable path forward to implementing new analytics.

Description: Much has been published about the increased financial statement volatility under U.S. GAAP Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI). Discover more about tools and techniques that actuaries and other financial reporting professionals can use to reduce volatility risk and understand the relationships between certain risks and volatility. By attending the session, you will learn to identify sources of financial statement volatility under LDTI and methods to manage or reduce the volatility.

Description: GMxB riders under ASU 2018-12 are now classified as market risk benefits' (MRBs). There are several acceptable approaches for calculating the MRB balance on a block of GMxBs. Depending on the product provisions, certain approaches may be more desirable than others. This session will examine different strategies for calculating the MRB liability for GMxB riders under Long Duration Targeting Improvements (LDTI).At the end of this session, you will understand the pros and cons of the several approaches permitted for calculating the MRB balance on a block of GMxBs.

Description: What learnings and challenges did 2023 Long Duration Targeting Improvement (LDTI) adopters experience? What's ahead for 2025 adopters? And how do companies leverage LDTI to improve data and analytics and benefits operations? Join the session for a deep dive into what's next on the horizon.

Description: "Over the past few years, there have been significant changes in the indexed and variable universal life insurance market. These changes have been driven by a variety of factors, including advancements in technology, changes in consumer preferences and shifts in the regulatory environment. Join us as we discuss some of the most important recent changes in the universal life insurance market, specifically: - Advances in underwriting: With the help of big data analytics and artificial intelligence, underwriting has become more efficient with minimal loss in accuracy. - Changes in product design and evolving markets: Over the past few years, there have been several notable product trends. Hear panelists discuss some shared aspects of these product launches and updates, spanning both retail and institutional markets. - The impact of changing interest rates: Many insurance companies have had to adjust their pricing and product offerings in response to the dynamic economic environment. Panelists will discuss how interest rates and volatility have impacted the universal life market and what insurers are doing to adapt and prepare for further changes. - Regulatory changes: Finally, our conversation will turn toward some of the most important recent regulatory changes that have impacted the universal life insurance market, including revisions to Actuarial Guideline 49A (AG49A), Long Duration Targeting Improvement (LDTI) accounting standards and other regulatory initiatives. Learning Outcome: You will better understand the trends and drivers of product changes in this core life insurance market. TRACK: Pricing/ Product Development (Underwriting, ULSG, Etc.)"

Description: Long Duration Targeting Improvement's (LDTI's) roll-forward disclosure requirements include line items for the impact of actual variances from expected experience (A/E) for both net premiums and benefits. These aggregate A/E amounts provide some insight into how actual experience is emerging relative to expectations, but they do not provide insight into either the drivers of the deviations or their significance.

Description: Adjusting GAAP reinsurance reserves to account for reinsurance protection against the events that trigger direct reserve constraints (such as NPR capping or LFPB flooring) can be a challenge any time. Ceding a block of business that is already in force increases the challenge—especially if one of those constraints was already present at inception of the reinsurance. This article builds on previous work (published in the July 2022 and June 2023 issues) to show how to measure initial reinsurance reserves in a way that complies with AICPA guidance and prepares for effective measurement of subsequent changes in the effects of the constraints.

Description: The article discusses the critical role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) within insurance companies, particularly amidst changes in accounting regimes like USGAAP Long-Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17 and implications of these changes on FP&A activities.

Description: With Chapter 20 of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Valuation Manual (VM-20), the expansion of accelerated underwriting programs and digital distribution, new accounting standards under GAAP long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17, along with a changing interest rate environment, companies may be looking for efficient reinsurance solutions to help address these ever changing and varied challenges. Hear highlights on how reinsurance can be utilized to address the challenges associated with managing new business strain and product competitiveness, earnings and risk management, and capital allocation efficiency. At the conclusion of the session, you will understand the various challenges being faced by direct writing companies today and where reinsurance can be leveraged to improve the returns and competitiveness of product offerings, provide flexibility in capital and tax planning, as well as balancing risk appetite and underwriting profit retention.

Description: Gain a high-level understanding on how long-duration targeted improvement (LDTI) impacts insurance products and earnings. Explore highlights on secondary impacts to companies due to additional complexity of LDTI, such as a need for a source of earnings analysis. Then dive into the details and hear an explanation on how earnings emergence differs for each type of life and annuity product impacted by LDTI. Finally, discuss the impact -to-earnings volatility under LDTI for each product type. Close the session by connecting how the investor story changes with all the impacts discussed during the session.You should walk away with a good understanding of LDTI earnings emergence, which is a topic that has very limited thought leadership available today.

Description: Guarenteed Minimum Benefits of type x (GMxB) riders under ASU 2018-12, the Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) guidance, are now classified as Market Risk Benefits (MRBs). There are several acceptable approaches for calculating the MRB balance on a block of GMxBs. Depending on the product provisions, certain approaches may be more desirable than others. IThis session will give you the opportunity to examine different strategies for calculating the MRB liability for GMxB riders under LDTI.By the end of the session, you will understand the pros and cons of the several approaches permitted for calculating the MRB balance on a block of GMxBs.

Description: For actuaries, finance and IT professionals, the long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI) implementation has been a career milestone. These projects were often the most significant undertaking of individuals’ careers, with respect to scale, complexity and duration. Join this session and participate in small groups, with consideration given to ensure each group has representation from both 2023 and 2025 filers., with moderators presenting questions to encourage small group discussion.

Description: Under U.S. GAAP long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI), some non-VA annuity products contain features scoped in as 'market risk benefits' (MRBs), which are required to be measured at fair value. For U.S. insurers, the question becomes 'How does the emerging principle-based reserving framework for non-variable annuities compare to the fair value framework for MRBs under LDTI?' See a comparison between these two new measurement models, highlighting some of the key considerations due to the added complexity of these calculations, to help companies strategically plan for their future state.

Description: Take part in a practical and forward-looking discussion for long duration targeted improvements (LDTI) implications on financial planning and analysis (FP&A). This session will provide an update on emerging industry practices and considerations for reflecting LDTI in FP&A, including operational headwinds and new opportunities.

Description: The introduction and effective application of US GAAP LDTI have increased the scrutiny of those reviewing the updated financial results. That is because LDTI has resulted in significant changes in actuarial reserving and deferred acquisition cost (DAC) models for long-duration contracts, including significant changes to data, assumptions and required disclosures. In light of the changes, greater reliance has been put on companies’ model risk management (MRM) teams and model validations to assess the conceptual soundness and accuracy of their companies’ actuarial models and to assess that the underlying data and process utilized are suitable and appropriate. This article covers a brief background on model validation, walk through a sample LDTI-focused model validation framework/test plan, then provide insights on common LDTI-related validation observations based on the authors' prior validation experience.

Description: Valerie Tsang and Jessica Kirkwood are both senior consultants with Ernst & Young LLP (EY UK) and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) respectively, who also have something else in common—they both have recently moved to a new country and are now immersed in a different market. Here, they discuss the quick-changing landscape of actuarial work and regulations and the importance of being aware of the key issues both in the countries they work in and globally, as well as some of the differences they have seen between the UK and US markets.

Description: In this article, we collected data from the companies’ roll-forward disclosures related to calendar years 2021 and 2022 on Market Risk Benefit and shared a high-level summary of the Market Risk Benefit volatility that a focus group of companies incurred and summarized the most common ways to mitigate volatility.

Description: The time has arrived for ASU 2018-12, otherwise known as Long-Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI). For health insurance products, the ASU will require considerable efforts to make the necessary changes to valuation systems, procedures, assumptions, and/or methodologies in order to be in compliance. Learn about LDTI implications specific to carriers of long-term care and supplemental health products, including the impact of combining active life reserves and claim reserves in Liability for Future Policy Benefits (LFPB), changes to how attained age rated products will be approached, allocating and discounting the claim liability (IBNR), and how the treatment of Profits Followed by Losses (PFBL) will evolve under LDTI.

Description: Adjusted earnings has long been a fundamental KPI for investors to assess the core financial performance of a company. As a non-GAAP measure, there is a divergence in practice of how individual companies define adjusted earnings and what activities management views as “core” to their business. The arrival of US GAAP LDTI has led insurers to revisit their existing adjusted earnings framework as the new standard introduces additional “accounting noise” that if left unadjusted obscures the true underlying drivers of performance. This article provides key insights on the influence US GAAP LDTI has had to the adjusted earnings calculation, highlights changes from the pre-LDTI framework, and showcases key themes observed from public insurers 2023Q1 10-Q filings.

Description: Latest development in IFRS 17 including a first look at companies disclosures and financial impacts, as well as a discussion of some of the run time issues that companies face.

Description: LDTI requires that reinsurance recoverables be recognized in a manner consistent with the liabilities of underlying direct contracts. Consider implications of multiple ceded reinsurance contracts (e.g., coinsurance and YRT on the same business) and how this impacts the calculation of the net premium ratio (NPR) and other related approximations. Explore different options when only some of the policies within a cohort are reinsured. Multiple interpretations of the components of the NPR formula exist. Two main approaches will be presented-standalone and integrated approach. Other considerations to be discussed include implications of closed-block reinsurance transactions at transition and subsequent to transition, contra-DAC, market risk benefits. Finally, explore the short-duration YRT approximation (1/2 Cx) compared to the long-duration calculation.

Description: 2023 Questionnaire for Nazir Valani

Description: Actuaries can leverage cluster modeling to reduce model runtime and cloud compute costs, which can be a real concern as companies transition from an on-premise grid to a scalable cloud solution. We consider practical considerations associated with clustering, through both US statutory and US GAAP lenses. Lastly, the results from a variable annuity liability clustering case study are presented.

Description: The Federal funds rate increased by 4.25% in 2022 with further increases in 2023, which have already resulted in a liquidity crisis for a few banks. As the rapid increase of the interest rates pushed the new money rates above the yields of many life insurers’ investment portfolios, insurance companies are facing a dilemma between compressed margins from peer pressure and the concern with liquidity shortfalls and realized capital losses should mass surrenders happen. This paper discussed main emerging risks under rising interest rate environment, and several ways to mitigate these risks.

Description: This article helps companies better understand the currently proposed upcoming VM-22 regulation by comparing the VM-22 measurement model to LDTI MRBs. The article highlights key considerations as companies plan for adoption of these two measurement models. These considerations should help inform a company’s strategy related to the business impacted by these standards.

Description: Sustainable operations under changes in accounting principles and solvency standards

Description: Update on IFRS 17 including news, how IFRS 17 is impacting companies financials, comparisons to LDTI, and KPIs.

Description: With long duration targeted improvements in the U.S., and IFRS 17 in other countries, the insurance industry is currently undergoing the adoption of two of the most significant accounting changes in recent history. While the scale of these specific events are infrequent, change is the norm in the world of insurance and life of an actuary. We live in a dynamic environment that will continue to bring challenges in how companies make decisions in order maximize their value and return on capital. Capital management requires an ability for insurance companies to take corporate actions and understand the impact this will have on both the current and future available capital. Being able to make optimal decisions when the goal posts are subject to frequent and material shifts in accounting regulation is a difficult process. It requires holistic consideration of all tools available to manage capital and how KPIs can shift in their measurement under new regimes. By attending the session, you will: Discuss the challenges that companies have in managing capital in an ever evolving environment, what steps they have taken in managing the current scope of accounting change, and how they can be prepared for adjustments in the future.

Description: It is time to'go live with ASU 2018-12, otherwise known as long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI). For companies that have single premium limited payment contracts, additional work will be necessary under LDTI if the contracts are currently utilizing a break-even discount rate to defer the excess of the gross premium over the net premium, i.e. the deferred profit liability. This is mainly driven by requirements under LDTI to update for actual experience and review assumptions at least on an annual basis. This session is designed to cover LDTI implications specific to carriers of single premium limited payment contracts, including changes to how deferred profit liabilities are calculated going forward under LDTI and their impact to financial statements. By attending the session, you will: - Identify the LDTI implementation issues impacting their immediate annuity business. - Determine how balances will be established at transition. - Describe the explicit DPL calculations required going forward under LDTI, and their impact to financial statements.

Description: The ASU 2018-12 guidance, otherwise known as long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI), establishes a significant new category of benefit features called market risk benefits (MRB) that protect the contractholder from other-than-nominal capital market risk and expose the insurer to that risk. Insurers will have to measure market risk benefits at fair value. There are a few examples of MRB, Including the most common one— MGxBs on variable and indexed annuities. This change may bring significant volatility to earnings of these GMxB policies that are currently valued under the insurance accrual model (such as SOP 03-1). How to analyze the changes in volatility in MRBs became the natual question for many companies that haven't been valuing them on fair value basis. Besides the GMxBs, have you wondered when or if the guaranteed annuitization options offered by your company have other-than-norminal risk? By attending the session, you will: · Understand different types of MRBs. · Learn about ways to analyze the changes in volatility in MRBs from SOP 03-1. · Understand the accounting of MRB change for a contract under reinsurance going through spread and liability assumption updates. · Understand when the guaranteed annuitization options become MRB and how to evaluate that.

Description: Statutory and GAAP metrics are useful for regulators, investors, and other external parties who require a consistent basis for viewing snapshots of companies at a point in time, however their uses are more limited for managers who are tasked with making strategic decisions. Many insurers are turning to internally developed metrics such as embedded value (EV), value of new business (VNB), and economic capital (EC) for better insights toward applications such as capital allocation, pricing, and risk management. At the same time, GAAP changes are underway via long duration targeted improvements (LDTI), and few have set their plan for non-GAAP adjusted earnings. Momentum from LDTI might have an extended influence, leading to changes in non-GAAP measures. Discuss motivations and techniques for developing internal reporting metrics. Begin with a brief overview of EV, VNB, and EC concepts andexplore specific shortcomings of Stat and GAAP, and how those shortcomings are addressed by alternative metrics.onclude with some implementation case studies. By attending the session, you will: - Understand basic EV/VNB/EC concepts and the motivations behind them. - Understand the key changes LDTI introduces for non-GAAP earnings. - Identify quick wins and longer-term considerations for enhancing financial reporting capabilities

Description: Long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI) will have unique consequences for long-term care and disability income. Discuss how to address these issues and learn more aboutboth standalone and combination LTC contracts. Understand the impact of LDTI on DAC, policies which previously held zero active life reserves, and allocation of IBNR to cohorts. By attending the session, you will: - Be able to create and defend accounting policies and to implement actuarial models consistent with the new U.S. GAAP accounting rules.

Description: Examine initial insights on LDTI modeling best practices, as well as high-level principles that enable successful LDTI model implementation, during this GAAP webcast. Many companies are finalizing their LDTI reporting before their "go live" date of January 1, 2023, and this LDTI Modeling Lessons Learned from AXIS, Prophet and Polysystems webcast details what they've discovered during implementations. Learn about key principles for LDTI modeling, in addition to useful functionalities from AXIS, Prophet and Polysystems software. Explore the AXIS US GAAP Historical Database for ways to import, store and manage historical data for LDTI calculations, Polysystems suite of data tools and software to support LDTI and the Prophet Disclosure Library and LDTI Toolkit that allows self-contained calculations of disclosure entries for LDTI balances.

Description: After more than a decade of a prolonged low interest rate environment, long-term Treasury rates have started to increase with higher volatility. While it is generally agreed that a modest increase in interest rates and inflation is beneficial to the life insurance industry, interest rate risk remains a significant challenge for life insurance industry to manage its long duration liabilities, especially under volatile interest rate environments. Learn how to proactively manage interest rate risk and improve capital efficiency through the cash flow based strategic asset allocation (SAA) framework. Discover practical examples of how to combine asset allocation with derivatives to manage tail risk and liability convexity.

Description: The time has arrived for ASU 2018-12, otherwise known as Long-Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI). For health insurance products, the ASU will require considerable efforts to make the necessary changes to valuation systems, procedures, assumptions, and/or methodologies in order to be in compliance. This session is designed to cover LDTI implications specific to carriers of long-term care and supplemental health products, including changes to how attained age rated products will be approached, allocating and discounting the claim liability (IBNR), and how the treatment of Profits Followed by Losses (PFBL) will evolve under LDTI. By attending this session, you will be able to: • Understand LDTI’s key impacts on long-duration health insurance products. • Recognize the treatment of attained age rated products under LDTI. • Comprehend the requirements of allocating the claim liability to cohorts. • Grasp the requirements pertaining to the discounting of the claim liability. • Understand how PFBL will evolve under the new standard.

Description: GAAP's elimination of gross profit as a basis for amortization of deferred acquisition costs enables the accounting for reinsurance of universal life contracts to better reflect the economic protection provided by reinsurance. It also makes it easier to assess the effectiveness of different techniques. Building on the analysis of an earlier article, "A Fresh Look at Accounting for Reinsurance of Universal Life," this article presents a practical approach to estimating the ineffectiveness of several existing techniques at accounting for the economic protection provided by reinsurance. The article ends with a summary of what a company might do to improve the effectiveness of its reinsurance accounting.

Description: In this fifth issue of International News of 2022, we feature the following contributions: (1) Ruben John John Callo, FSA, FIAA, FLMI, and the SOA’s Ambassador to Australia under the Ambassador Program , presents an illustrative study aimed at helping consumers choose life insurance products using the “customer value per dollar” methodology, and although examples included relate to the Australian market, the methodological principles can be adopted in other markets; (2) Shirley Z. Song, FSA, MAAA, Member of the International Section Council, Josh Dobiac, MS,CAIA, and Yang Jing, deal with the Targeted Improvements to the Accounting of Long-Duration Contracts (LTDI), and the fact that both IFRS and US GAAP frameworks are evolving into a new financial reporting framework. The implications for US insurers are discussed.

Description: The ILA track will reduce from 12 hours to 10 hours by removing material from the Life Financial Management and Life Product Management exams. Material is added to the Life ALM and Modeling exam. There are no changes to the modules in the ILA track.

Description: One major feature of the OECD's two-pillar regime is that MNEs would base the calculation of taxes due on book-based financial statements. The article provides a summary of how these rules operate along with suggested actions insurers can take today to prepare for timely compliance.

Description: GAAP's elimination of gross profit as a basis for amortization of deferred acquisition costs enables the accounting for reinsurance of universal life contracts to better reflect the economic protection provided by reinsurance. This article takes a fresh look at the standards of accounting for universal life contracts and for reinsurance, then puts them together to find the techniques that best account for that protection.

Description: S&P Global released its initial version of proposed changes regarding its Insurer Risk-Based Capital Adequacy methodology and assumptions on Dec. 6th, 2021. Unlike prior guidance notes or criteria releases, the proposed changes comprehensively updated the current S&P rating criteria released in 2010. These updates would directly impact many insurers. S&P Global anticipates that 10 percent of existing ratings in the insurance sector would be impacted and the change would lead to more positive rating implications than negative impact. This article focuses on the proposed changes on the S&P risk-based capital (RBC) vs. the current model, then simulate impacts to a representative U.S. life insurer through an illustrative case study.

Description: A jurisdiction’s regulatory regime can make some insurance products capital intensive to write. This can increase incentives for insurers to enter into risk transfer arrangements, such as reinsurance, to support their business and growth objectives.

Description: This article is about small business changes and challenges before and after COVID.

Description: This article discusses key considerations and differences in measurement requirements between IFRS 17 and LDTI, leveraging a term insurance example to illustrate potential impacts on liabilities and, ultimately, earnings emergence.

Description: As a follow-up to a previous five-part series on accounting for ceded reinsurance under LDTI, this article focuses on one issue that has, until now, been left without a general solution—how to measure the reinsured portion of a direct loss from capping a net premium ratio or flooring a liability. After acknowledging limited guidance on the issue, the article describes the various events that can lead to a loss, how reinsurance protects against loss, and how that is translated into formulas for measuring the reinsured portion of a loss.

Description: French version of article.

Description: This article highlights the fact that new requirements for disclosure of average liability duration and interest rates could lead to diversity in practice. It also recognizes that elements of the new disclosure requirements will enable financial statement users to perform their own crude estimates of these averages in ways that could help them to better understand the liabilities and to compare companies using consistent methods. Finally, the article describes how companies might also find value in such crude estimates.

Description: In this article, a numerical comparison of two commonly used FIA valuation methodologies is conducted to help insurers decide on the best methodology to use under GAAP LDTI and VM-22. We compared two modeling approaches to project the future index credits with the annual point-to-point crediting formula: Tthe stochastic equity crediting model and the deterministic option budget crediting model. The analysis is then extended to different levels of option budgets and the monthly average crediting formula. The advantages and disadvantages of the two equity return projecting approaches are also highlighted and will be discussed later in the report.

Description: Discount rate curve construction has been a topic of renewed interest following recent changes in financial reporting standards. Interpolation is a key component of curve construction and can be conducted via an assortment of methods. This article explores six popular interpolation techniques and assesses how they perform with regards to desirable features of such methods: continuity of forwards, stability and locality, simplicity, and market consistency.

Description: Just in the recent two years, COVID-19 has demonstrated very impressively that a pandemic is not something for which one can fully prepare. However, what makes a pandemic so special and difficult to manage compared to other low frequency and high severity events such as volcanic eruptions or tsunami damage? Frank Schillerexplains what makes a pandemic so different, viz, information uncertainty, exponential growth, and time lags.

Description: Actuaries can play an active role in social impact toby helping vulnerable communities access otherwise inaccessible insurance that can help increase their climate change resilience and improve their living conditions by lowering the risks that they face.

Description: In this session, the presenters will discuss implementation challenges with US GAAP Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) for life and annuity products, and methods and changes to actuarial models their organizations use to overcome the challenges. Presenters will specifically discuss the following topics: The current GAAP reporting framework can create challenges with transparency for annuity insurers. Many annuity insurers report on adjusted earning measures in addition to US GAAP, believing the adjusted measures more accurately reflect earnings. Using a variable annuity framework, presenters will discuss key differences between GAAP and adjusted earnings measures, key challenges and their solutions for LDTI implementation, and the potential for LDTI to reduce the need for adjusted earnings measures and increase transparency. For FAS 60 based life products, insurers need to update and modernize the assumption setting process. Presenters will cover methods and the decision process whether to use existing data or new experience studies to review product experience and set assumptions. There is a lack of clarity and guidance for development and implementation of LDTI in a reinsurance framework. For reinsured life products, LDTI guidance is clear on the direct side of the financial statements, but the guidance is less clear on reinsurance ceded values. Presenters will discuss methods and changes to actuarial financial models that are needed in order to ensure the direct and ceded values are consistent.

Description: Businesses across the board have been drastically impacted by the effects of COVID-19 over the course of 2020, and insurance was not immune. Perhaps most relevant to this industry’s current capital and liquidity concern is the prevailing low interest rate environment. This has been a global trend in the last decade, and treasury rates in much of the developed world are at or near zero. Reduced investment returns limit an insurer’s ability to achieve their desired return on equity, eliminating previously profitable strategies that depended on the leverage of life and annuity balance sheets. Focus and activity have instead shifted to other methods to counteract the low interest rate markets and accompanying capital strain. Examples include increased mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity within the insurance industry and an increasing focus by private equity firms in the insurance market for asset-intensive products, both of which reflect the goal of increasing yield rates on capital.

Description: Recently the interest rates have been slowly trending up from the lowest point in August 2020. The focus of this article is on current market trends for long-duration products —including life insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance —following an extended period of low interest rates, and lessons carriers can learn from similar historical periods of rising interest rates. Innovative and flexible product features will continue to be essential, as the current interest trend may not substantially increase insurers’ portfolio rates. When designing or modifying product features, insurers should consider profitability in a wide breadth of interest rate scenarios and be particularly mindful of the impact that crediting rates and asset durations will have on earnings.

Description: For over a decade, life insurers have been challenged by a low interest rate environment, making it difficult to find investments with adequate yield, manage corporate spreads, and offer competitive products to consumers. While interest rates are still low compared to the early 2000’s, volatility in rates over the past year, during which the 10-year U.S. Treasury rate has increased by nearly 100 basis points, could indicate a longer-term trend of rising rates. What would a rising rate environment imply for life insurance writers? Insurers able to react to interest rate changes with agility can remain relevant in an evolving economy, protecting themselves and their policyholders. This article addresses risks and considerations faced by insurers with respect to in-force retention, pricing and product mix, and reinsurance and mergers & acquisitions.

Description: Interview (Q&A) with Charlie Shamieh, Chairman of Gen Re, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 Pandemic and its impact on Re/Insurance

Description: Actuarial Process Optimization is a framework for using technology to support the actuary of the future. In this article, we discuss the capabilities of new technologies and explore examples where they can be used to aid with providing strategic business direction, optimizing skillsets and use of technology, and maintaining governance, control, and risk frameworks.

Description: Hear about modernized reporting capabilities and technical analysis, which is enabled through access to deep actuarial and financial planning data. The webcast will focus on a real post-Long Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) source of earnings analysis and on a high-level LDTI forecasting capability.

Description: Importance of non-GAAP operating earnings

Description: In this article, we summarize inflationary factors that may result in a sharp increase in interest rates and implications for life insurer convexity risk exposure, most notably to dynamic policyholder lapsation. We further provide insights into potential ALM strategies to mitigate this convexity risk. Due to the prolonged low-interest rate environment and low minimum interest rate guarantees offered to policyholders, liability convexity is higher than prior historical periods, which results in life insurers’ ALM positions being extremely vulnerable to short-term interest rate spikes. Convexity mismatches cause issues for life insurers under both rising and declining interest rate scenarios. This means that life insurers are not compensated for taking convexity risk and, therefore, convexity matching should always be considered in the asset optimization process. There are mixed signals from policymakers and financial markets regarding potential inflationary and sharply rising interest rate scenarios. The key takeaway is that life insurers are not compensated for taking convexity risk and it is the right time for insurers to review convexity exposure. There are different approaches available to mitigate convexity exposure through rebalancing of asset positions and hedges within each life insurer’s risk limits.

Description: As of September 2021, there are 8 recorded webinars available for free to Modeling Section members. Each of the 8 are described, as well as how to access them. There are other Modeling Section-related materials also pointed out (podcasts & newsletter)

Description: Variable annuity (VA) writers are facing many challenges in today's economic environment. Equity market volatility and low interest rates make guaranteed benefits increasingly expensive to hedge. Both GAAP Long Duration Targeted Improvements and the recent VM-21 changes will drive the need to manage the VA business under a new set of lenses. During this session, the presenters will explore the various in-force management tools VA writers have available and comment on their effectiveness.

Description: In 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) adopted significant revisions to the U.S. GAAP insurance accounting literature, via Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-12. The title of ASU 2018-12 is “Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts,” and as a result a common acronym for ASU 2018-12 is LDTI (long-duration targeted improvements).

Description: Accounting Standards; Valuation Actuary

Description: In 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) adopted significant revisions to the U.S. GAAP insurance accounting literature, via Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-12. The title of ASU 2018-12 is “Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts,” and as a result, a common acronym for ASU 2018-12 is LDTI (long-duration targeted improvements).

Description: A review of model inputs, suggested methods to getting comfortable with the data that your model is using, and data validation lessons

Description: This article is the final installment of our three-part series on economic scenario generators (“ESGs”). Part I and II were published in the November 2019 and August 2020 issues of The Modeling Platform. Part III contextualizes the framework for selecting, building, and validating ESGs and focuses on the Academy Interest Rate Generator (“AIRG”), the most commonly used real-world ESG for US actuaries

Description: Discussion on modeling Medicare Supplement insurance and the considerations when choosing an Actuarial Modeling Software (AMS). Focuses on model risk management, key modeling assumptions and inputs, and the complex interactions between modeling assumptions and why its critical to have a model that can handle that complexity. This article also touches on the incorporation the of accounting and regulatory regimes into the model, including Statutory, GAAP (Legacy and LDTI), and Tax regimes, and the modeling considerations for sensitivity testing and capital planning. Lastly, the article highlights the capabilities to look for when choosing an AMS for Medicare Supplement

Description: This is the final article in a five-part series about accounting for reinsurance under GAAP Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts (LDTI). It looks at some concerns that arise when new reinsurance is purchased to cover previously-issued contracts. The article describes what formal guidance is available. Where that guidance leaves off, the article presents practical solutions to achieving performance objectives.

Description: The article summarizes implications of rising interest rates on U.S. GAAP and statutory financial reporting for life insurers, highlighting potential tailwinds from steady increases and headwinds from sharp increases. We further provide insights into how insurers can leverage ALM programs and interest rate risk hedging practices to favorably position themselves in a rising rate environment

Description: French version of article

Description: Living benefits (GLWBs) in fixed index annuity products are typically accounted for under SOP03-1 under current GAAP guidance. LDTI requires companies to classify these riders as Market Risk Benefit (MRB). This webcast focuses on challenges and considerations of the MRB implementation. Industry practices of the reserving approach will be shared during this webcast, as well as hedging and pricing implications.

Description: This article focuses on the market risk benefit (MRB) measurement model and will examine a generic guaranteed minimum death benefit (GMDB) in the context of LDTI and its impact from both the ceding entity and the reinsurer standpoints.

Description: Tracy Choka is managing director and regional head business management at Swiss Re. Tracy has spent her career in L&H reinsurance, working across multiple areas that include pricing, valuation, operations, client solutions, deal development, and mortality and underwriting research. In her tenure, Tracy has headed Applied Research and Development, Products, and since 2014, Business Management for U.S., Canada and Latin America.Tracy shares her thoughts on how the pandemic has accelerated trends in underwriting and the challenges - and the silver lining- in managing professional relationships during COVID-19