Description: This report compares the CIA pricing method for estimating group annuity closeout pricing to methods used in the US.

Description: From a session at a meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in San Diego, CA, June 22-23, 2000 A discussion of liquidity management for life insurance companies marketing institutional clients, in particular with respect to GIC contracts and Funding agreements. Topics included: · What happened at General American with their defaults on funding agreements. Why did the regulators and rating agencies miss the problems? · What was the impact of reinsurance? · What is the effect of adding institutional business such as putable funding agreements on liquidity management? · Are there prudent levels of this business that can be beneficial? · What is the effect of funding agreements with downgrade provisions on liquidity risks, and do such provisions create a preference for sophisticated institutional contract holders?

Description: Presenters at session 115PD of the New York Annual Meeting provide an overview of structures used for credit enhancement of GICs as well as an understanding of how financial guarantees work in the GIC market. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 3.

Description: Full version of Risks and Rewards Newsletter, October 1998, Issue No. 31.

Description: This is a summary of a new research paper entitled: “Determining Discount Rates Required to Fund Defined Benefit Plans” by John Turner and three other economists, which describes a new way to look at pension funding for ongoing plans that is a variant of using expected returns (currently used in public plans) that takes into account the risk that contributions will be needed in the future for this year’s benefit accruals.

Description: This session looks at a number of other structures that can be used to package more exotic investments. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 27, No. 2, Session 44PD of the Toronto Spring Meeting.

Description: This study examines reductions in retirement benefits from the decline in defined benefit plans and increases in defined contribution plans during the past 20 years and what effect this has on workforce management. In particular how this change is affecting older workers’ decisions to retire and what effect this could have on companies. An underlying assumption implicit in evaluating the benefit of retirement of older workers is that productivity declines in old age while pay does not, leading to a pay productivity gap that could have an adverse effect on the employer from delayed retirement. The validity of this assumption was also examined.

Description: This presentation, session number 55PD, took place at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 15-18 in Chicago. The panelist look at a variety of capital market structures used to replace maturing guaranteed investment, ‘GIC,’ contract liabilities from accounting, regulatory, rating agency, and investor viewpoints. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Volume 26, No. 1.

Description: This article provides an update on the development of model regulations for synthetic GICs and guaranteed separate account products.

Description: From a session at a meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in San Diego, CA, June 22-23, 2000 Topics in this discussion include: 1 An overview of the municipal reinvestment market—size, current players, and historical development, 2 A comparison of muni-guaranteed investment contracts to stable value guaranteed investment contacts 3 Types of funds and contracts issued in this market, including contract provisions and risks 4 Roles that life insurers currently play in this market and 5 Use of structured companies or parent-supported subsidiaries.