Description: Latest development in IFRS 17 including a first look at companies disclosures and financial impacts, as well as a discussion of some of the run time issues that companies face.

Description: Update on IFRS 17 including news, how IFRS 17 is impacting companies financials, comparisons to LDTI, and KPIs.

Description: The implementation of the IFRS 17 insurance accounting standard has brought significant changes to the financial reporting landscape of insurance companies. With new disclosure requirements and altered profit analysis, understanding and interpreting future profitability have become a topic of concern for the industry. While stability remains a key objective for insurance companies, the earning patterns might become more volatile especially when the contractual service margin (CSM) is exhausted, and a loss component (LC) needs to be established. Reinsurance, a common risk mitigation tool, can play a pivotal role in managing earnings volatility and minimizing losses for onerous measurement units. In this article, we propose a new key performance indicator (KPI) called “loss recoverability” to assess the performance of reinsurance treaties in achieving these objectives. We explain how this KPI can be utilized in multiple scenarios to evaluate the effectiveness of reinsurance strategies and pursue stability in earning patterns.

Description: Sustainable operations under changes in accounting principles and solvency standards

Description: IFRS 17 and US GAAP LDTI represent the biggest accounting changes for life insurers in decades and both become effective starting January 1, 2023. While many are familiar with the forthcoming changes under either IFRS 17 or LDTI, users of financial statements will need to be able to translate between the two accounting models (or at minimum, understand both models) when reviewing the financials of multi-national insurers. Learn about earnings expectations under both accounting models and compare and contrast product features performance, measurement requirements (including key policy decisions), and financial statement presentation under IFRS 17 and LDTI for traditional life insurance products. Explore illustrative examples as well as anecdotes from first-hand implementation experience to solidify the key themes and insights. By attending the session, you will:•Understand the impacted components of the financial statement for both IFRS 17 and LDTI as well as be able to translate between the two different presentations.•Describe the key methodology differences between IFRS 17 and LDTI and how those differences will impact earnings.•Describe the advantages and disadvantages of accounting for an insurance product under IFRS 17 versus LDTI.•Describe expected earnings impacts for traditional life products under both IFRS 17 and LDTI.

Description: IFRS 17 will be effective as of 1 Jan 2023 and provide opportunities as well as challenges to both Direct Writers and Reinsurers across the insurance industry. If the new framework is not fully understood, an implementation can elevate the risk of problems in financial reporting, product development, investment management and more. The transition to IFRS provides an opportunity for companies to optimize the financial position of the enterprise by implementing mitigating strategies to reduce the risks and challenges that IFRS brings to the table.

Description: Following the success of our first webcast on IFRS 17 implementation in the GCC, we are excited to announce the second installment, which will take place on September 26. This time, we will have a new panel of experts representing the actuarial, finance, and IT functions. The journey towards IFRS 17 implementation has been complex, but it has also brought these three functions closer together, creating a true team effort. The SOA has been a committed partner in this journey, providing in-depth technical support to the industry. Our IFRI Certificate program has been well-received around the world, and we have also delivered several webcasts on the topic, including a three-part series with simultaneous translation to Arabic. This webcast is the second part of our three-part series on the implementation of IFRS 17, which went into effect on January 1, 2023. The series will focus on the lessons learned, challenges, and best practices that have been experienced in the GCC. The third and final discussion will take place in person during the SOA's Regional Symposium in Riyadh on November 19-20. We hope you will join us for this important discussion.

Description: The article “IFRS 17, Economic Volatility, and Reinsurance” (IFRS 17, Economic Volatility, and Reinsurance | SOA) was designated the best article published in Reinsurance News in 2022. It looks at providing industry insights on preparing for the new global accounting standard. The article was submitted by Paul Sauvé (RGA) and it appeared in the June 2022 issue.

Description: Reunite with members and non-members in the China actuarial community to discuss recent topics and related issues in areas such as macroeconomic sharing, IFRS 17, product strategy, cross-border communication and discussion, and more. Advance your career through learning and networking opportunities, and share your experiences in the finance and insurance industries, as well as other fields related to actuarial science.

Description: With long duration targeted improvements in the U.S., and IFRS 17 in other countries, the insurance industry is currently undergoing the adoption of two of the most significant accounting changes in recent history. While the scale of these specific events are infrequent, change is the norm in the world of insurance and life of an actuary. We live in a dynamic environment that will continue to bring challenges in how companies make decisions in order maximize their value and return on capital. Capital management requires an ability for insurance companies to take corporate actions and understand the impact this will have on both the current and future available capital. Being able to make optimal decisions when the goal posts are subject to frequent and material shifts in accounting regulation is a difficult process. It requires holistic consideration of all tools available to manage capital and how KPIs can shift in their measurement under new regimes. By attending the session, you will: Discuss the challenges that companies have in managing capital in an ever evolving environment, what steps they have taken in managing the current scope of accounting change, and how they can be prepared for adjustments in the future.