Description: This report provides a framework of analyses and methods that can be use to compare and assess strategies for developing lifetime retirement income.

Description: This paper presents some preliminary observations from a study that investigates and models the fuzziness inherent in post-retirement financial strategies. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2011.

Description: Protecting oneself in older age from risks is the sine qua non of retirement planning. But far too many people don’t approach retirement (or retirement planning) well. From a policy perspective, we know about half the senior population will have some sort of long-term care event. We need to recognize that long-term care risk is a component not just of aging but of retirement. Placing long term care solutions in the retirement space is critical to reaching the bulk of the population. Combined with the additional element—recognition of risk—this would be both a powerful protection but also a natural one for individuals to understand.

Description: This article discusses the need for a better strategy for defined benefit pension plans. While pension costs per se can be considered independently of investment strategy, the volatility of costs cannot. Many defined benefit plan sponsors are acutely aware of this volatility and are freezing or terminating their defined benefit pension plans. From Pension Section News, September 2006, No. 62.

Description: This essay explores the role that the emerging defined contribution retirement system may be playing in the growth of wealth inequality in the United States. The current system leaves many Americans with little or no retirement savings. Those with higher accumulation levels appear to invest proportionally more in equities, which may have an exponential effect of balances over long time periods. The author hypothesizes that willingness to take investment risk involves the relationship between the amount an investor has accumulated and what she/he needs in order to cover basic costs of living. This is one reason that investors with greater accumulation levels may be able to earn higher rates of return. The essay concludes by suggesting that the U.S. defined contribution system should include all workers and provide additional fiduciary guidance. Examples reforms, both in the U.S. and other countries, are provided.

Description: The report studies the impact of unemployment and underemployment on insurance business, introducing concepts, theoretical background, and patterns of both.

Description: Discussant comments for “Requirements to Make the Housing Asset a Viable Retirement Asset.” This paper examines the characteristics of an ideal product and the type of institution that would be well positioned to offer the ideal product which would allow a housing asset to be a viable retirement asset. Discussant provides comments from a US perspective.

Description: This article discusses Life-Cycle Saving and Investing for retirement. The article reviews how actuaries can add to the discussion of what is wanted and needed in retirement and how traditional replacement ratios can be linked with consumption targets.

Description: The speaker of this session will discuss some common difficulties one encounters when dealing with exotic equity linked derivatives. In particular, a study of a Monthly Sum Cap (MSC) will be presented. Pricing issues, along with dynamic hedging, as well as projections of MSC into the future will also be discussed. Time permitting, some aspects of historical performance will also be addressed

Description: This study seeks to understand what has already been done to date to determine how many people are at risk, how great that risk is, and what can be done to minimize it. In addition, this report explores solutions that may lay in changing individual behaviors. Since much of what happens in preparation for and during retirement is up to an individual, we want to understand what we know about individual behaviors and how we can influence them. In addition, it should also be recognized that solutions might lie in new public or employer policies or in new products for the marketplace. Although there have been some new products entering the market in recent years—like late retirement, or so-called longevity insurance—the development of new solutions has been slow and may be hampered by complex government regulations.