Description: Exploration of sources of volatility in retiree health valuations, noting how volatility arises and might be mitigated, with discussion of valuation parameters more problematic for retiree health benefits than for pensions. Three significant influences on retiree health valuation volatility are covered-- changes in benefit level, fluctuations in cost level, and alterations in eligibility for, or duration of, benefit – and attention focused on the last two. Specific conclusions result in recommendations, which are supported by practical examples contrasting volatile measurement results with those likely from the recommended practices. Theoretical discussion includes health claim variation, health trend usage, financial economics, option pricing, discount rates, and deterministic vs. stochastic modeling.

Description: From the 1985 Valuation Actuary Symposium. A discussion of the principles that should be part of a life insurance valuation. Also discussion of emerging actuarial professional standards of practice and regulatory requirements with respect to methodology for assessing reserve adequacy.

Description: A study of claims cost variation by policy duration fo rindividual medical insurance. The report presents results for single vs. family contracts with long-form underwriting, based on approximately $1.3 billion in incurred claims data provided by seven carriers, for incurral years 2001 through 2003.

Description: This panel discussion session reported on the status and content of the Actuarial Standards Board standard dealing with the selection of assumptions. The discussion covers what the effects would be on practitioners.

Description: Feature article discussing the complexity of financial markets.

Description: Presented at June 1996 Spring Meeting. This discussion looks at redirecting the traditional role of the actuary into new areas such as working with doctors to deal with medical management issues, dealing and negotiating with providers and how to help the company develop a provider payment strategy. Employers negotiating directly with providers is also discussed.

Description: A discussion on how, as some have worried, we are entering uncharted territory for countries such as the United States and the Eurozone, as large amounts of money are being expended to stave off major global financial crises.

Description: A review of 'Life Contingencies' by Alistair Neill, to be used as a textbook for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries examinations.

Description: The costly, time-consuming and complicated process of enterprise risk management (ERM) can be improved in many companies and made less tedious for managers by using reasonable data and templates obtained from peer group entities. The models used to calculate economic capital (EC) often underestimate its value because they do not consider decision-maker perception about risk. We assume here that managers, as the decision-makers, have appropriate business understanding and they can provide substantial information about risk characteristics regarding all business processes. Therefore we are focused, in this paper, on collecting data from managers across the different businesses to derive the appropriate knowledge about risky events, the importance of particular types of risk, the relationship between the risk outcomes and the level of risk control in a particular industry. We conclude that the collected data has a high potential for use as a benc hmarking reference and analysis for improving ERM models for individual businesses.

Description: From the 1986 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held in Washington DC in October 1986 Discussion of the process for setting assumptions for cash flow testing of interest sensitive products for reserve valuation analysis under statutory accounting in the USA and Canadian GAAP.