Description: Enhanced or impaired annuities are life annuities underwritten to reflect annuitants' actual mortality. They are not currently prevalent in the U.S. or Canada, where life annuities assume low mortality and are thus unfair for impaired lives. This paper looks at the present annuity marketplace in the United States and Canada. It also reviews the underwriting and marketing of life annuities in the United Kingdom where “enhanced” life annuities are available for a broader cross section of the marketplace. It also reviews the use of P&C risk classification techniques and how they might apply to the annuity marketplace as well as potential legal constraints on broader risk classification for life annuities.

Description: The Canadian Institute of Actuaries held a panel discussion on product innovation at its June 1981 meeting. This article consists of edited excerpts from a document that was distributed in advance to stimulate discussion, and some remarks on the discussion that took place. This article discusses some of the products developed in response to the current high and volatile interest rate environment, such as flexible premium policies annuities and insurance and adjustable single premium policies.