Description: From a session at the 2000 Valuation Actuary Symposium held in Washington DC, September 14-15, 2000 The National Association of Insurance Commissioners NAIC Valuation of Life Insurance Policies Model Regulation XXX sets forth the valuation requirements for life insurance with nonlevel premiums or nonlevel benefits, including term insurance and universal life with certain underlying guarantees. Panelists discussed the issues around implementation of the requirements. The issues discussed include: • Determination of X factors when no credible company mortality exists • Proper treatment of secondary guarantees in universal life insurance • Preparation of the mortality assumption opinion requirements • Impacts on product development and design

Description: Illustrates key differences, in earnings for a segment of term insurance, between current GAAP standards and GAAP targeted improvements (based on tentative board decisions preceding the release of an exposure draft).

Description: General discussion session which included the following topics: A. Non-medical limits B. Deficiency reserves for individual life insurance

Description: The article highlights key considerations as companies begin to reserve for their IUL products under PBR.

Description: Formulas for changes in GAAP liabilities and liability accrual rates are shown for three assumption update methods—retrospective, prospective and immediate.

Description: A change in the way in which statutory life insurance and annuity reserves are determined in the United States is heading toward adoption. Currently, the Actuarial Opinion and Memorandum Regulation AOMR combines formulaic factor-based minimum reserves with reserve adequacy testing. The American Academy of Actuaries Academy is working with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners NAIC to finalize the basic framework of a principles-based reserve PBR methodology, based on a gross premium valuation, for life insurance products. The NAIC Life and Health Actuarial Task Force LHATF has also been considering Actuarial Guideline VACARVM that would introduce a PBR method for the valuation of variable annuity contracts.

Description: The paper explores developments through 2006 in the application of market-consistent concepts to the measurement of fair values of liabilities for financial reporting purposes. A set of criteria is presented that should be useful in the evaluation of proposed fair value measurement approaches where inputs based on prices observed in an active market with reliable transaction prices are not available. Based on these criteria, one approach is examined that might serve as a basis for the fair value measurement of the liability of life insurance contracts and other financial instruments issued by insurers.

Description: Presents a practical solution to some of the distortion caused by a typical application of the retrospective assumption update (unlocking) method.

Description: Section 818c of the Life Insurance Company Income Tax Act of 1959 provides, for companies holding other than net level premium reserves, a choice of two methods: exact revaluation or approximate revaluation to this basis. This paper discusses the impact of the choice on the level of a company's tax reserves. A discussion paper follows.

Description: Under non-Aristotelian logic, there are multiple values, or shades of gray. Indeed, there may even be unexpected results from logical combinations, like “both” and “neither.” This article discusses how this insight should be applied to the current debate between formula-driven reserves with limited assumption flexibility and the reserve principles approach. For reserve standards, we do need both actuarial judgment grounded in reserving principles and restrictive formula methods or safe harbors.