Description: This session discussion is about the government fiscal policies and the budget deficit. From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 15, No. 2.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Boston Meeting presents a political version of risk assessment and risk analysis. The presenter looks at the politics and the political economy in place, some of the trends, parallels and potential problems. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4a.

Description: The importance of financial wellness has been increasingly recognized in the last few years. More organizations are sponsoring programs to assist people in different stages of their life.

Description: Investment risk management has become a core competency of insurance companies, and much has been discussed on this topic. This session examines the current investment risk management practices such as product line specific hedging and macro hedging, with a focus on what still remains to be addressed—whether the tradeoff of addition risk management is worthwhile.

Description: Investment opportunities are driven by events in the economy and how participants in the financial markets react to those events. This keynote address will highlight current economic themes and their impact on investment opportunities.

Description: The presenters will discuss the current interest rate market environment and what insurance companies can do to best protect themselves from interest rate risk. The presenters, industry leaders in financial risk management, will explore how different products and strategies—including swaps, options, and other derivatives—are being used in today’s market. The discussion will include how to model and measure interest rate risk, how to quantify hedge effectiveness, and how to improve hedging operations.

Description: In this session, we will explore investment solutions that aim to maintain the long-term viability of a pension plan, with considerations on hedging interest rates, credit, inflation, longevity and other risks, while accounting for the many particularities associated with underlying liabilities and their corresponding ramifications.

Description: The effects of climate change have been widely documented. Whether it’s rising temperatures, more frequent and violent storms or disruption to wild life, there is a consensus in the scientific community that these effects are real. What are the risks and opportunities that climate change brings to an investment portfolio? As society transitions to more sustainable sources of energy and tries to find more sustainable ways to consume, there will be winners and losers. In this presentation, speakers will discuss their process to identify winners in this changing world and highlight the risks to various industries.

Description: This panel discussion session presents social indicators using a variety of statistical approaches and relates them to societal changes. The concept of using mortality data as a social indicator is also discussed.

Description: This presentation is a panel discussion, session number 44PD, from the 2002 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held September 19-20 in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The panelists share their perspectives concerning the current economic environment. They address the impact on the valuation environment and the appointed actuary, statutory and GAAP implications, and the increasing value of actuarial expertise. Topics covered include demographic considerations, rising health-care expenditures, increased investor scrutiny, and the cost of regulation, NAIC developments, solvency and liquidity, and investment opportunities and challenges in the current economic environment. Discussion from participants is included.