Description: This session will provide an overview of the evolution of equity-based guarantees (e.g. VA, FIA, etc.) over the last few years and discuss the current lay of the land as it relates to the regulatory, issues, capital markets (e.g. Department of Labor, Dodd-Frank) environment in which these products are offered.

Description: The speaker of this session will provide a bottom up analysis and categorization of the $200 billion of volatility control funds related investments while recapping volatility control fund trading around volatility spikes (including Aug. 2015 and June 2016). The assessment of potential market impact of the volatility control funds’ rebalancing activity will also be discussed.

Description: Reinsurance has been available for VA Guarantees for over 20 years. During that time, the reinsurance market for VA Guarantees has undergone frequent and sometimes violent transformations. Where does the market stand today? What forms and structures of reinsurance are available? Which VA Guarantee designs and features are easier to reinsure? Is reinsurance offered on both newly issued policies as well as in force/legacy books, and which vintages are difficult to reinsure? In an age of sophisticated hedging programs, what role does a reinsurer play in helping a VA writer manage this highly volatile risk? In this session, we will hear from a reinsurer that is actively writing new VA Guarantee reinsurance treaties in the U.S. and around the world, and from a VA writer that has successfully partnered with a reinsurer to enhance its VA product offering

Description: 1959 SOA Regional Meeting in Atlanta. This discussion covered the advantages and disadvantages of entering the pension field through Ordinary policies or Group Annuities. The panel also discussed considerations in entering the Accident and Sickness field.

Description: This research report analyzed the effects of different types of informational interventions on annuity-related behavioral intentions and beliefs, such as estimated retirement age and life expectancy.

Description: The objective of this presentation was to evaluate the different pricing techniques as to their effectiveness in capturing and quantifying the varied risks associated with the sale and administration of life insurance and annuity products. The results of a 2002 company survey about pricing were presented in support of this objective.

Description: This research report on the ability to influence annuity purchases found the following contrast: • Pre-retirees’ intentions to buy a life income annuity appear to be impacted by the interventions tested in this research. There were stronger effects when pre-retirees were provided with basic information, such as life expectancy, and anecdotal evidence. • Retirees’ annuity purchase intentions do not appear to be impacted by the interventions used in the study.

Description: There will be no easy resolution to the current trade friction between the U.S. and China. If anything, the motivations for increasing protectionism are set to intensify. What are these motivations? Where is this trade war headed? And what impact could this have on economies and financial markets?