Description: Summarizes, in tabular form, mortality improvement rates referring to recently released report from CDC based on 2003 death rates.

Description: Highlights the key takeaways from the 2021 published SOA PLT study on lapse and mortality experience of US term plans in the post level term period. This article explains the new insights in the latest study including a comparison of PLT experience between Jump to ART and Graded structures. The important variables driving PLT experience and the relationship between lapse and mortality experience are also discussed.

Description: To understand the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and mortality, RGA investigated a national, health-related, mortality-linked data set provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). RGA Strategic Research Actuary Julianne Callaway discusses the company's findings.

Description: The observations and methodologies demonstrated in this article can help actuaries further analyze population mortality trends by causes of death and by socioeconomic status.

Description: Indexed variable annuities (IVAs)—also known as “structured” or “buffer” annuities—are a relatively new product that have drawn interest both among insurers and investors.

Description: Provide high level summary of Indexed Variable Annuities.

Description: This article presents the results of the survey interviews, examining best practices as well as those areas that still remain challenging.

Description: The Retirement Plans Experience Committee RPEC of the Society of Actuaries SOA is a standing committee that monitors pension plan mortality experience. Most recently, the committee developed the RP-2000 mortality table. This table was the first published North American mortality table based solely upon private sector pension plan mortality experience. Previous tables developed by the RPEC such as GAR-94 and UP-94 were based primarily on a combination of group annuity, and U.S. federal employees and retirees mortality experience. From Pension Section News, April 2006, Issue No. 61.

Description: The United States has received severe negative press the last several years regarding its massive U.S. federal government debt, currently estimated as of April 2007 at about $8.9 trillion. This article looks at the U.S. debt relative to other countries and also explores the impact on U.S. investments.

Description: The article summarizes a survey conducted by the Pension Section's Research Team. Nearly 2,400 actuaries responded with answers that ranged from abolishing the system to expanding the program to include all workers. The question, What changes, if any, should be made to the current system? is recapped.