Description: 1998 Valuation Actuary Symposium. In this open forum questions were fielded by the panel of experts. Some of the questions: 1. How do you pick spreads for use in your reinvestment strategy? 2. What's generally being done in terms of dynamically modeling policyholder lapsation? 3. How do companies treat riders and dump-in premiums and estimated gross profits for GAAP? 4. What impact does the current interest environment have on testing you are going to do this year? 5. Are there any suitable techniques for trying to aggregate the variable products with the fixed products?

Description: This presentation is a panel discussion, session number 2PD, from the 2002 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held September 19-20 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The panelists introduce major life and annuity statutory and GAAP valuation issues, which are covered in depth at subsequent sessions. There is also a brief update on activities of the International Accounting Standards Board [IASB]. Statutory topics include the draft National Association of Insurance Commissioners [NAIC] Actuarial Guideline MMMM for variable products with guaranteed living benefits, amendments to the Actuarial Opinion and Memorandum Regulation [AOMR], Regulation XXX mortality factors, and codification update, potential changes to the Standard Valuation Law, risk-based capital, and adoption of the 2001 CSO Mortality Table for valuation. GAAP topics include Statement of Financial Reporting Standards [SFAS] 133, 141, and 142, and two draft AICPA Statements of Position [SOP], one on nontraditional, long-duration products and another on internal replacements. Discussion from participants is included.