Description: Feature article discussing the 2009 price action - periods of extreme distress and incredible euphoria across the global financial markets. The reversals experienced from asset class lows to their highs have not been seen in decades.

Description: Role of the Actuary: One of the most complicated tasks an actuary can perform is large-scale corporate modeling in an attempt to shed light on the relationship between value, performance and risk. In specialized situations such as mergers and acquisitions, it may be appropriate to have external actuaries perform the work rather than attempt the task with internal resources. From Actuarial Considerations in Insurance Mergers and Acquisitions, M-FI03-1.

Description: Discussion of the diversification activities of a number of life insurance companies. This includes the formation of, or acquisition of, property and casualty insurers, variable annuity companies, mutual fund management companies, banks, finance companies, leasing companies, real estate development companies, televisions and radio stations, newspapers, software consultants and other corporate enterprises. Discussion includes: 1. Activities really compatible with the llfe insurance product. 2. Activities otherwise compatible with corporate objectives or offering potentially large profit centers. 3. Activities which can be an excessive drain on corporate earnings and executive manpower 4. The actuary's role in these diversification activities. Then the discussion goes into a discussion of corporate planning models

Description: This presentation is an open forum, session 58OF, from the 2004 Spring Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held June 14-15 in San Antonio, TX. The panelists present both theoretical and practical perspectives of the role of assumed asset returns and credit spreads in determining the fair value of policyholder liabilities. They cover financial economics, how other financial service companies value liabilities, what factors go into determining an appropriate discount rate for insurance liabilities, and issues currently being debated by the International Accounting Standards Board [IASB], and the Financial Accounting Standards Board [FASB]. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 2.

Description: 1993 SOA Meeting, Quebec. This session is about life company solvency. The speakers discussed whether they believe the industry has stabilized and gave us their perceptions on what the future holds and what companies can do to remain solvent. Topics included: 1. A quick solvency review. 2. Summary of the Duff & Phelps rating process. 3. The key issue facing the life insurance industry today - real estate. 4. How a rating agency views and uses RBC. 5. How to use ratings or, basically, what ratings are and what they aren't. 6. The future of the life, health, and annuity industry with respect to solvency. 7. The capital markets generally and their view of the life sector specifically.

Description: This paper on bancassurance in India discusses some of the salient developments of banks in India, how the lack of coordination between bank regulation and insurance regulation created confusion in the development of bancassurance, the main problems facing banks in India, and some of the long term drivers of bancassurance in India. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2006.

Description: This article highlights 13 attributes shared by various groups of companies that landed in trouble. The companies are identified, and the attributes are described.

Description: The SOA Investment Section is holding a three-part Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Investment Considerations Webcast Series in September and October, which will cover the challenges and implementation. This series is suited for actuaries, consultants, plan sponsors and asset managers that work with insurance companies or pension funds and want to learn more about the latest in ESG. The increasing focus on climate change and recent social movements witnessed globally brought many institutional investors to further think about and perhaps reevaluate, the way they integrate ESG factors into their investment decisions. This new reality raises many questions: what's next for ESG in the institutional space? What will be the challenges? How will institutional investors go beyond the basics? What are current and future ESG needs and who will meet them? This will be the first of three educational sessions aimed at taking the conversation on ESG integration to the next level. During this webcast, you will hear from a panel of various types of asset owners who will share their perspectives, challenges and learnings in the journey to implementing their ESG views, including in the context of a pandemic. The discussion will start broadly, and narrow down to some of the most pressing topics today with the focus on climate change resilience and adaptation of assets.

Description: This paper examines different objectives in managing credit concentration risk. The suitability of different measures and presentation techniques is discussed and illustrated in the context of a case study.

Description: This article discusses some 'standard' methods of foreign expansions. Strategic decisions for expansion in foreign countries require more than qualitative discussions about foreign expansion. It requires hard numbers on the benefits of such strategic expansion plans and is illustrated here with the example of MetLife's 2002 purchase of Ahisa [Aseguradora Hidalgo]. With that purchase, more than 70% of the Mexican insurance market is in the hand of foreign companies.