Description: This is the abstract of the paper A Space Marching Finite Difference Algorithm for Valuing American. In this paper, the author considers the problem of valuating American options written on assets that pay continuous dividends with unknown optimal exercise boundary. The numerical solution of the associated free boundary value problem is investigated. This research has been partialy supported by the actuarial faculty fund at the Ohio State University.

Description: The initial risk reserves in collective risk models vary according to the underlying claim distribution, and a suitable level of ruin probability. A thorough analysis of the needed initial surplus for various ruin probability levels is provided in eight meaningful examples. The claim distributions are drawn from various fields of insurance, including property damage and liability insurance.