Description: The abstract for a paper that describes the history of traditional topics like actuarial cost methods and assumptions, the history of past inquiries into the dynamic and stochastic nature of pension costs, and the perceptions and concerns of pension actuaries of the past. Presented at The Future of Pension Plan Funding and Disclosure symposium held July 14-15, 2005 in Washington, DC.

Description: What is the 'best' post-retirement financial strategy for a particular participant of a defined contribution plan? The answer to this question must accommodate a number of risks, the most obvious of which are related to longevity, inflation, investment, and health. Moreover, what makes this question especially intriguing is that its solution must be molded to the wealth, features and agenda of a particular individual and/or family. Many of the constraints and goals are qualitative, and standard market and population metrics may have limited significance. This is the abstract of a paper that deals with implementation issues, qualitative goals and constraints, and tailor-made solutions.