Description: This meeting session, which occurred at the April 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Orlando, presented a discussion of U.S. Social Security issues. Questions discussed included: 1. What is the financial status of the Social Security program? 2. What changes have been recently adopted and what changes have been proposed? 3. How would these changes affect the private pension system costs and plan design? 4. What is the proper role of the actuarial profession regarding the Social Security program? Included discussion of the paper, Constant Replacement Ratios in Retirement: A Theoretical Approach,' by Barnet N. Berin and Anthony B. Richter.

Description: 1992 SOA Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. This session addressed changes being seen and anticipated in the pension arena over the coming years. Topics discussed included: 1. An overview of some demographic and economic trends. 2. Cash-balance plans, and the trend from defined benefit to defined-contribution plans. 3. Nondiscrimination. 4. Canadian perspective.

Description: This panel discussion, which occurred at the May 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Colorado Springs, presented a discussion on retirement age issues, trends, and assumptions related to pension plans. Also a discussion of factors that affect early retirement elections. Includes discussion of: I. Trends in experience, especially as they may be influenced by: a. Changes in Social Security b. Government regulation, such as Age Discrimination in Employment Act c. Early retirement incentives, such as bonuses or subsidized early retirement factors and d. Cost-of-living supplements to retirees. 2. Plan design for early and postponed retirement. 3. Effects of deferred retirement on actuarial costs. 4. Trends in actuarial assumptions Detailed historical data on UAW, teachers, and Bell company employees' retirement trends is presented.

Description: 1992 SOA Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. This session on mergers and acquisitions discussed the impact of pensions, post-retirement costs and fringe benefits on acquisitions as well as the special problems that arise when the parties in a transaction are globally diverse.

Description: Presentation of asset liability management techniques to better manage interest rate risk by matching the anticipated cash flows from assets with that of the companies liabilities. Some alternative perspectives/techniques from Canadian insurers are discussed. Article discusses the varying asset/liability management issues pertinent to life insurance companies and defined benefit plan sponsors