Description: Results of survey conducted in July 2006 about the methods used by insurers to develop their pricing mortality assumptions for fully underwritten life insurance in the U.S. The objective was to understand how companies adjust base mortality tables and whether mortality improvement was assumed.

Description: In our rapidly changing world, it is becoming hopeless to try to arrive at a satisfying description of future conditions, even in the short run. Yet prices for new life insurance must somehow reflect one’s view of events even in the far distant future. futurism

Description: In an effort to build a bridge between epidemiological and actuarial modeling, this paper analyzes possible financial arrangements made against expenses resulted from medical treatments given to insured patients. Based on classical compartment models, the first part of this paper designs insurance policies for susceptible participants facing the risk of infection and formulates the financial obligations of both parties using actuarial methodology. For practical purposes, the second part employs a variety of numerical methods for calculating premiums and reserves. The last part illustrates the methods by designing insurance products for the Great Plague in Eyam and the SARS Epidemic in Hong Kong.

Description: Discusses the reasons for, and the economic impacts of, the backdating of life insurance policies, and what changes in the industry might evolve to address them.

Description: The author uses a reprint of an article from the very first edition of the “News from the Individual Life Insurance and Annuity Product Development Section” and assistance from the Taxation Section Council and Friends of that Council to decipher the changes between the life insurance tax environment back in the 1980s compared to today.

Description: The article highlights key considerations as companies begin to reserve for their IUL products under PBR.

Description: This discussion looks at the main trends in substandard insurance, including: changes in medical impairments subject to substandard ratings or declination, increased availability of substandard insurance and reinsurance, changes in occupational and special hazard ratings, and progress with offerings of substandard individual health and accident coverages.

Description: Informative discussion about pricing techniques, including: [1] uses of return on investment [ROI], GAAP return on equity [ROE], and universal life [UL] and other profit measures, [2] scenario testing, [3] expenses, [4] target surplus, and [5] federal-income-tax considerations. From the 1988 Record of Society of Actuaries, Vol. 14, No. 2.

Description: Article The U.S. Government Cost Disclosure Report by Moorhead in The Actuary, June 1979, Volume 13, Number 6

Description: In physics and engineering education, Fermi problems require solutions based on good approximate calculations with little or no actual data, involving making justified guesses and deducing bounds without using sophisticated tools. The idea of Fermi problems are of particular relevance to today's actuaries, as pricing, reserving, and financial reporting involve more and more complex stochastic components. The paper discusses some approximate solutions developed in academia in the spirit of Fermi problems.