Description: After years of discussion and debate, PrinciplesBased Reserving (PBR) is finally a reality. Small insurance companies have a unique opportunity to decide between electing for the company-wide exemption or adopting the PBR methods. This article discusses the benefits and challenges of the options available to small insurers under VM-20 as well as best practices that have been found along the way.

Description: Summary of the recommendations of the Society of Actuaries Mortality Study Working Group, whose purpose was to re-evaluate the scope and content of the Society’s mortality experience studies and to develop long term strategic direction.

Description: This article discusses the benefits of inter-company mortality tables. From Small Talk Newsletter, June 2005, Issue No. 24.

Description: The article is Part 1 of two articles that provide a case study for the development of a profitability and risk dashboard. The sample dashboard provides distilled information regarding actual to expected (A/E) ratios for key risks, agent quality scores and customer value scores. The dashboard would also provide the value of new business written, surplus strain, debit balances, and expected losses on debit balances at different levels, down to the agent level. A product mix index is provided, together with visual comparisons of key metrics to the company's business plan. The Part 2 article will add information to the dashboard regarding risk margins, target capital, and company value.

Description: Describes a process for identifying relevant industry experience to credibility-weight with relevant company experience to set modeling assumptions and margins.

Description: The article talks about how Small Insurance Companies can make significant use out of experience studies, not to just to comply with PBR or other regulatory requirements, but also in managing their business.

Description: A continuation of the discussion on modeling mortality in life insurance applicants first discussed in the January 2012 edition of the Small Talk newsletter.

Description: Written from a regulatory perspective, the article covers the purpose of regulation and some regulatory expectations. The topics include the appointed actuary's involvement in corporate governance, reasonability of results when compared to prior results, data quality, familiarity with the company's annual statement and applicable statutes, and areas where appointed actuaries can add value though services provided to smaller life insurance companies.

Description: Discussion of the development of a new Preneed Valuation Mortality Table

Description: This article addresses the 2001 CSO Mortality Table and the implications for preneed insurance, for which the table has been deemed inadequate. The article explores interim measures such as additional reserves, treatment as substandard, and tax implications. There is also discussion of a model NAIC regulation which would mandate the use of 1980 CSO mortality for preneed as well as efforts to eventually establish a new preneed mortality table for valuation and nonforfeiture purposes.