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: This article helps companies better understand the currently proposed upcoming VM-22 regulation by comparing the VM-22 measurement model to LDTI MRBs. The article highlights key considerations as companies plan for adoption of these two measurement models. These considerations should help inform a company’s strategy related to the business impacted by these standards.

Description: The article discusses recently-issued regulations under section 807 of the Internal Revenue Code, concerning the computation and reporting of reserves. The provisions addressed generally relate to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Description: Variable life insurance asset shares involve, in general, both the separate account and the general account. This paper develops, for both accounts, under the New York Life design, the annual asset share equations of equilibrium for the separate account asset share, for the general account asset share, for the basic reserve, and for the surplus and also derives the individual expressions for the interest and mortality contributions to the surplus. Followed by discussion papers submitted by several authors.

Description: On June 17, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service published Final Regulations implementing changes to loss reserve discounting under section 846 of the Internal Revenue Code made by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This note addresses changes made in the Final Regulations, particularly modification of rules for determining the interest rate used for discounting, in response to comments from taxpayers on the proposed regulations.

Description: S&P reissued a second Request for Comment (RFC) in May 2023 that proposed changes to their insurer capital adequacy methodology and assumptions, and suggested these proposed changes may become effective at the end of 2023. This paper is to highlight the notable changes between the current capital model criteria and the proposed model. We also discuss major changes from the first RFC and the second RFC, as well as several key items that still require enhanced guidance and clarification. Our analysis is based on information gathered from S&P's public comments, conversations with industry participants, and publications released by S&P Global as of July 2023 when this paper was written. Most U.S. life insurers are rated by S&P using their U.S. Life Statutory Capital model, while other insurers use the GAAP/IFRS Capital Model. Statutory financials will remain the starting point for U.S. life insurers under the proposed model, however there will be additional adjustments made to these numbers in an effort to create consistency and comparability with other accounting and solvency regimes.

Description: Regulators observed a wide range of practice from early adopters of PBR in regard to the treatment of non-guaranteed reinsurance and adopted a formulaic solution on an interim basis for the 2020 Valuation Manual. A field test, supplemented with additional analysis performed using a model-office approach with representative models, is being performed over the first half of 2020 to inform regulators as they select a longer-term solution. This session will provide an update on this important issue as well as perspectives on how the resolution of this issue was approached and lessons learned for the future from those intimately involved in this work.

Description: One of the most fundamental concepts in actuarial practice is the time value of money. For any work in which future cash flows are allowed for, such as reserving or pricing, it is natural to discount to present values so that an appropriate amount of money can be set aside today, allowing for future investment returns. This article discusses yield curve extrapolation methods along with the benefits and drawbacks of these methods.

Description: Designing and Pricing LTCI Combination Products by Carl L. Friedrich from Long-Term Care Newsletter, December 2004, Issue No. 13.

Description: A recommendation for a set of improvement factors that vary by gender and attained age to be used in conjunction with the 2008 Valuation Basic table or the 2015 Valuation Basic table for AG-38 purposes.