Description: An article from The Actuary that highlights the strategic importance of inter-company mortality studies. Broad-based mortality studies form the backbone of the life actuarial profession. However, few companies have sufficient exposure or deaths to construct their own mortality table. Even is some large companies have enough data, there is still a vast majority of companies that do not. Historically, the void has been filled by means of inter-company studies.

Description: Discusses the market, demographic, and macroeconomic factors that affect actuaries' choices for the assumptions they use in the pricing and valuation of many insurance products.

Description: This is the first article in a four-part series. In this series of articles, analysis of the U.S. life insurance industry's customers, products, distribution system and regulatory and tax environment will be given. This first part of the series focuses on the customer and the changing product mix of the life insurance industry.

Description: Securitization of mortgage pools was one of the great financial innovations of modern times. Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMO), which took this innovation one step further, are a classic example of what we understand today by the term "financial engineering." Together, these instruments brought liquidity to the real estate mortgage market by attracting new sources of funding for real estate loans. From The Actuary Magazine October 2007

Description: Article discussing the use of ERM in today’s economy.

Description: This is the second article in a four–part series. In this article, the industry's products are examined.

Description: Outlines a generic business model for a life insurance company and concludes with thoughts on future trends and prospects.

Description: Examines the trends affecting the distribution system for the industry's products, and the regulatory and tax environment in which life companies operate. Also looks briefly at the state of competition in the industry.