Description: The failure of a few large life insurers in the early 1990's led to public concern about the safety of annuities purchased by qualified retirement plans. As a result, the Department of Labor issued guidelines, known as the 'Safest Annuity Rule,' for selecting annuity providers. This study examines whether the Safest Annuity Rule is significantly changing the market for insured annuities issued to tax-qualified pension plans, particularly upon the termination of defined benefit plans. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1997-98 Reports.

Description: The Society of Actuaries' Committee on Life Insurance Research, Product Development Section and Reinsurance Section are pleased to make the following report available. Authored by Allen Klein and Karen Rudolph of Milliman, this paper presents the results of research that identifies laboratory tests that are not widely used in the life insurance industry but could have potential benefits for use in the life insurance underwriting process. In addition, the authors have provided an Excel workbook illustrating the calculation for determining mortality savings.