Description: This paper presents multiple book reviews: Reports from Staff of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Reports in Connection with Social Security Legislation 1975-77, 'Statement on Cost Comparisons of Individual Life Insurance Policies', by Canadian Institute of Actuaries, 'Investment Activities of Life Insurance Companies' from Huebner Foundation Lectures, 'The Life Insurance Industry's Marketing Dilemma' by Johns, 'The Future of Social Security' by Munnell, 'Social Security - Today and Tomorrow' by Ball, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'The Crisis in Social Security - Problems and Prospects' by Boskin, 'A History of Interest Rates' by Homer, 'Indexation of Pensions and Other Benefits' by Robert Myers, 'Life Insurance Accounting' by Strain, '1978 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund...' by US Congress. Brief summaries of additional readings are also included.

Description: From a panel discussion session at the Spring regional meeting of the Society of Actuaries held in Atlanta, Georgia, May 24-25, 1999 Panelists discuss two of the measurements actuaries are using to evaluate direct response products: customer lifetime value and embedded values.

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: These were discussion papers on the paper, 'The Korean War Hazard' by James T. Phillips.

Description: This informal general discussion session was centered around ordinary insurance, the size of ordinary policies, mode of premium payment, and juvenile policies.

Description: This meeting session was presented at the SOA's 1980 Spring Meeting in Minneapolis. It discusses a report of the Federal Trade Commission issued in 1979 related to insurance company practices and business with regards to life insurance. The report lists four consumer problems: low return on savings element, loss of money due to early lapse, high variation in costs of policies among companies suggesting inadequate price competition, ordinary insurance is expensive relative to death protection provided. The report also provided recommendations to correct these issues.

Description: Discussion of issues of particular interest to small insurance companies. Includes the following topics: A. Considerations governing the mortality bases used in determining for ordinary insurance for nonparticipating premium rates and for dividends. Mortality studies available to assess the suitability of available mortality tables or modifications of them. B. Advantages and disadvantages of special termination dividends or special quinquennial dividends. C. Desirability and feasibility of having separate dividend scales for policies which include disability benefits, double indemnity benefits or both. D. Relative advantages of a three-factor dividend system versus an experience premium system. Discussion of how the latter is applied.

Description: This session reviewed the distinctions and blurring of those distinctions between group and individual life insurance. Topics include differences in underwriting, legal constraints, marketing and distribution, and the nature of guarantees provided

Description: Discusses how competitive pressures are dramatically altering the distribution process for life insurance. Product pricing and client service are cornerstones in the changes to distribution.

Description: Chairperson’s column discussing the recent activities of the SOA’s Reinsurance Section.