Description: This paper advocates a broader role for actuaries in the proactive investment strategy of a pension fund by utilizing quantitative techniques and feedback analysis.

Description: RL Asset Liability Watch, July 2013 Resource for Pension Section members

Description: The RL Asset Liability Watch for December 2012. A resource for Pension Section members.

Description: Many retirement actuaries have experience developing, implementing, and monitoring Liability Driven Investing (LDI) strategies for plan sponsors. These strategies typically involve modifying a plan’s investment strategy to remove a significant portion of the investment and interest rate risk now or at some point in the future when specific triggers are met. The tactics often involve the use of fixed income assets to cash flow and/or duration match the liabilities. In the spirit of helping actuaries expand their roles in an evolving defined contribution world, this article explores the application of LDI and derisking strategies within defined contribution and individual retirement accounts. The economic theory behind this approach is called the lifecycle hypothesis, or lifecycle finance. The benefits of the lifecycle finance method are that it provides a safe approach to save for retirement and a secure source of floor income during retirement. Similar to pension plans, each individual has his or her own idiosyncratic needs, wants, and risks that should be considered. Actuaries are uniquely situated to help defined contribution plan sponsors, individuals, and even themselves implement the lifecycle finance approach by developing and distributing tools and methods that focus on income (rather than wealth), LDI strategies, and personalization.

Description: This paper examines the so called 1/n investment puzzle which has been observed in defined contribution plans whereby some participants divide their contributions equally among the available asset classes. It has been argued that this is a very naive strategy since it contradicts the fundamental tenets of modern portfolio theory. We use simple arguments to show that this behavior is perhaps less naive than it at first appears. We show that when we account for estimation error the 1/n rule has some advantages in terms of robustness and we demonstrate this with numerical experiments. From The Actuarial Research Council, Volume 38, No. 1.

Description: Is the New CPI Different? The article discusses the changes made to the CPI, whether it is an accurate measure of inflation and the implications for pension plans.

Description: This presentation discusses techniques and considerations in beginning an investment strategy to develop a cash flow pattern appropriate for the liabilities being funded. The role of the actuary, the liabilities to be addressed, suitable investments, dedication vs annuities, techniques for asset selection, and the valuation of assets and liabilities are covered. From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 10, No. 3.

Description: This discussion looks at developments which may be expected from the introduction of proposed Canadian legislation which would permit life insurance companies to operate special investment accounts for pension plans. The panel also reviews problems encountered in implementing legislation of this type in the U.S. and other recent developments expected to affect the relative competitive position of insured and trusteed plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1961, Vol. 13, Pt. 2.

Description: In today's atmosphere, the high returns available on bonds have attracted much investor interest, and it is only natural that fixed income investors look for ways to assure the maintenance of high returns on their bond portfolios. This paper explains how bond immunization offers that potential.

Description: This paper examines the characteristics of an ideal product and the type of institution that would be well positioned to offer the ideal product which would allow a housing asset to be a viable retirement asset.