Description: In the winning article in the International Section’s annual country feature article competition, the author recounts his experience of living in Zurich, Switzerland, and compares U.S. and Swiss cultural influences on health care.

Description: In setting future mortality assumptions for pricing, the actuary needs to consider not only recent results and recent annualized mortality improvements, but also must look at the possible impact of possible shocks epidemics, wars, etc.

Description: Departing chairman’s column recapping past accomplishments and describing future section initiatives.

Description: This article explores why life insurance sales have not increased dramatically during the worst pandemic in 100 years, and what affect this is having on the reinsurance industry.

Description: This article discusses the use of mortality catastrophe bonds as a risk mitigation tool.

Description: Obesity is poised to overtake smoking as the leading preventable cause of death. What parallels can be drawn between public and reinsurance industry responses to these two lifestyle choices? Swiss Re investigates.

Description: Life reinsurers have done a relatively good job in competing with banks for market share of structured solutions, yet one might conclude that life reinsurers have not done a good job competing with an even bigger and more powerful competitor- the client company’s own retention limit. This article addresses the question: Is there anything a life reinsurer can do to change its business model to serve the needs of a large-retention life insurance company?

Description: Chairman’s letter comparing risk management profile of the games of Craps and Life Settlements

Description: The author explores reasons why blocks of business may become legacy blocks and discusses ways to decrease the likelihood of legacy blocks in the future.

Description: Summary of the ReFocus 2018 Conference, jointly sponsored by the American Council of Life Insurers and the SOA.