Description: One of the most fundamental concepts in actuarial practice is the time value of money. For any work in which future cash flows are allowed for, such as reserving or pricing, it is natural to discount to present values so that an appropriate amount of money can be set aside today, allowing for future investment returns. This article discusses yield curve extrapolation methods along with the benefits and drawbacks of these methods.

Description: T3: TAXING TIMES TIDBITS

Description: The article addresses treatment of products with indirect participating features (e.g. declared credited rates) under IFRS 17. Some of the questions that are answered include classification, stochastic modeling requirements, application of the illiquidity premium, methods to systematically allocate between P&L and OCI, and use of locked in discount rates for CSM purposes.

Description: In this article, we explore key insights from Oliver Wyman's 2020 Life PBR Emerging Practices Survey, which provides a broad industry perspective with more than 50 companies participating representing 95 percent of the individual life market (by written premium). Insights include the impact of PBR on reserves and profitability in addition to emerging practices related to product design, assumption development, and methodology decisions.

Description: The article discusses recently-issued regulations under section 807 of the Internal Revenue Code, concerning the computation and reporting of reserves. The provisions addressed generally relate to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Description: This article Provides a description of an IRS Directive that provides a safe harbor tax reporting position for computing tax reserves for pre-2018 tax years for annuity contracts subject to AG43 and VM-21 and life insurance contracts subject to VM-20 Principal Based Reserves methods. The safe harbor is required to be implemented on the 2017 tax return, with certain spread amounts in some cases to future tax years starting in 2018.

Description: This article describes the effect of different valuation interest rates and levels of surplus on income tax paid by life insurance companies via Phase 1 of the Federal Income Tax Act of 1959.

Description: This article discusses the charge for the new SOA/COVARA AIDS Task Force. This new task force will examine and report on the principles and techniques for the financial recognition of AIDS for insurance companies, recognizing both statutory and GAAP accounting.

Description: This panel discussion focuses on valuation and nonforfeiture developments. Topics covered include purpose of Society's Committee on Valuation and Related Problems, current valuation regulatory developments, industry studies in the United States, report of the Society's Special Committee on Nonforfeiture Laws, annuity nonforfeiture values, and sex-distinct mortality tables for valuation and nonforfeiture purposes.

Description: This article discusses the calculation of mean reserves in certain cases where terminal reserves are negative and proposes a minimum reserve formula which produces adequate mean reserves in all cases.