Description: This paper outlines the limitations inherent in current actuarial pricing techniques and describes a product development process that can produce optimal decisions in competitive environments. From Product Development Section Monograph, M-AS99-3.

Description: This paper sets the task of pricing insurance products in the larger framework of company planning and management. A generalized description of the pricing function, applicable to any insurance company project.

Description: This article is a response to the article Current U.S. Ordinary Life Mortality by Doug Doll and Mike Jones. The author offers his interpretation of the mortality improvements observed between 1980-85 and 1983-88.

Description: In this Forward to the Product Development Section Monograph M-AS99-3, the authors reflect on the changes that have occurred during the first 50 years of the SOA and introduce the selected articles that reflect the forces of change in product development work.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to examine the various profit objectives used in the development of a new product for a stock life insurance company. From Product Development Section Monograph, M-AS99-3.

Description: This paper uses a simple example to examine the relationship between the pricing objective of ROI and the corporate profit measure of ROE. Additionally, this paper examines the effect on ROI and ROE of growth in the amount of new business. From Product Development Section Monograph, M-AS99-3.

Description: This report explores ratemaking, examines the relationship of gross premiums and profit margins, suggests criteria for measuring contingency and profit margins, discusses the types of assumptions suitable for calculating nonparticipating rates and presents the mathematical technique to determine the premium. A discussion of the paper follows.