Description: The SOA added a new title to its book offerings: International Financial Reporting for Insurers (IFRI) (available in print and digital editions). The article describes the salient features of the work, which presents a comprehensive analysis of the fundamentals outlined in key International Financial Reporting Standards® (IFRS®).

Description: Actuarial activity in Azerbaijan commenced in 2008 with the enactment of the insurance law. The Actuarial Association of Azerbaijan was created in that year. The insurance law prescribes an official roster of actuaries who qualify after passing an exam. There is also the position of “appointed actuary” who reports directly to the board of directors of the insurance company. However, due to the relatively fast development of the insurance market, there is an urgent need of qualified actuaries. Actuaries Without Borders and the International Actuarial Association have thus helped in the capacity building process. This article describes the workshop that was held in Baku, in December 2019.

Description: In this fifth issue of International News of 2022, we feature the following contributions: (1) Ruben John John Callo, FSA, FIAA, FLMI, and the SOA’s Ambassador to Australia under the Ambassador Program , presents an illustrative study aimed at helping consumers choose life insurance products using the “customer value per dollar” methodology, and although examples included relate to the Australian market, the methodological principles can be adopted in other markets; (2) Shirley Z. Song, FSA, MAAA, Member of the International Section Council, Josh Dobiac, MS,CAIA, and Yang Jing, deal with the Targeted Improvements to the Accounting of Long-Duration Contracts (LTDI), and the fact that both IFRS and US GAAP frameworks are evolving into a new financial reporting framework. The implications for US insurers are discussed.

Description: Review of the sessions sponsored by the International Section at the 2018 Annual Meeting.

Description: Despite the slowdown in the economy, premium growth in emerging markets fared relatively well compared to advanced insurance markets. Yet, there exists an enormous range in premium density and penetration between emerging and advanced markets. The presenters explore the demand side and attempt to lay out possible solutions to narrow the protection gap.

Description: Digital is the main reason over half of the companies on the Fortune 500 have disappeared since 2000." (CEO Accenture). We cannot be sure how global technology megatrends will disrupt the life insurance industry, but we can be certain that the future will not look like today. As large quantities of available data are no longer owned by insurance companies and statistical techniques become more accessible to non-statisticians, the pressure to keep up with technological advancement increases. Life actuaries must think critically about and be prepared for the coming changes and position themselves as leaders in an industry lagging behind in new technology adoption.