Description: This presentation is a panel discussion from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The panelists discuss how some products have evolved in such a way that they are more compatible with available investments, that is the product design translates to a feasible investment strategy, which provides not only sufficient yield but also acceptable performance in various interest-rate environments. The panelists consider whether the trend will continue, and discuss the role of regulation, implications on educational activities for actuaries to understand better the asset side, and other issues. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4A.

Description: The excess spread approach introduced in this paper addresses the true economic profitability of investment oriented products by looking at the spread between the earnings rate on the assets and the rate required to be earned on the assets to satisfy the liabilities. For many products, an important part of the liability cost is the value of interest rate options embedded in the policies. The excess spread approach incorporates an option-pricing technique that is sufficiently flexible to handle different interest rate environments.

Description: Panelists discuss: [1] a way to study interest-rate risk using stochastic methods, [2] a conceptual framework needed to evaluate the suitability of an investment strategy for insurance liabilities, and [3] how one company [Capital Holding] develops investment strategies and asset/liability management policies. From the 1988 Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 14, No. 2.