Description: This general session features the keynote speaker from the 1991 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held May 16-17 in New York. The theme of the session looks to the future in addressing the issues facing the economy, the insurance industry, and actuaries. Discussion from the floor is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 2.

Description: In this “nontraditional” general session from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto, the panelists, a “judge,” a “defendant,” and a “prosecutor” present a humorous “trial” to explore what the boundaries of “traditional” actuarial work are. A theme of the session is that some of what we call “nontraditional” is an expansion of traditional actuarial work, and that we owe it to our public to broaden our horizons. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4A.

Description: This panel discussion is from the 1991 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held June 3-5 in Colorado Springs. The panelists debunk myths, the conventional wisdom that actuaries have no place in the public policy arena, whether because the profession is too small to influence public policymakers, or legislators just don't want to hear from professionals whose work is so technical in nature and specialized in its application, or that It's not really necessary to become too involved in public policymaking, because what goes on in legislatures just doesn't affect actuaries’ day-to-day working lives. The panelists provide insights on lending actuarial expertise to policymaking debates. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 3A.

Description: This panel discussion is from the 1991 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held May 16-17 in New York. The panelists start their discussion with an overview of the history of actuarial standards, and the operations of the Actuarial Standards Board, ‘ASB,” the autonomous body responsible for setting standards of practice. The discussion covers standards affecting insurance company actuaries and consultants, and the value and impact of standards on the actuary's work. Panelists also suggest areas where additional standards are needed. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 2.

Description: This presentation is a panel discussion from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The panelists discuss the duties and responsibilities of appointed actuaries, including compliance with qualification standards and actuarial standards of practice. They discuss the United States, where new regulations were recently adopted by the National Association of insurance Commissioners [NAIC], developments in Canada, where new legislation is expected to pass, and also world practice, looking at Europe and the U.K. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4B.

Description: This presentation is an open forum from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The focus from the panelists is on emerging trends and issues as they relate to the current market environment, discussing new products on the horizon, including market-value adjusted products, income products, and variable products, the importance of due diligence, and in-force annuity management. The panelists emphasize the importance of the public’s perception of and confidence in the insurance industry. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4B.

Description: This presentation is an open forum from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The panelists present the preliminary report of The Society of Actuaries Task Force for Research on Life Insurance Sales Illustrations, summarizing the results of the task force’s work to date. Acknowledging the near universal belief that current sales illustration practices are inadequate, the panelists, members of the task force, discuss the alternatives to current illustration practices that the task force identified. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4A.

Description: This panel discussion is from the 1991 Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held May 16-17 in New York. The panelists debunk myths, the conventional wisdom that actuaries have no place in the public policy arena, whether because the profession is too small to influence public policymakers, or legislators just don't want to hear from professionals whose work is so technical in nature and specialized in its application, or that It's not really necessary to become too involved in public policymaking, because what goes on in legislatures just doesn't affect actuaries’ day-to-day working lives. The panelists provide insights on lending actuarial expertise to policymaking debates. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 2.

Description: This presentation is an open forum from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The panelists discuss the current public image of the life insurance industry, and whether life insurers meet or are able to meet public expectations. They examine the differences between the public’s outside view and the actuary's view from the inside, how they differ, and what the actuary can do to improve the industry’s image, as an educator and communicator. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4B.

Description: This presentation is an open forum from the 1991 Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held October 20-23 in Toronto. The speakers, members of the Pension Committee of the Actuarial Standards Board [ASB], present an update on the ASB’s exposure drafts of actuarial standards of practice intended to provide detailed guidance on setting economic assumptions for pension plans. The session is concerned with selecting actuarial assumptions, specifically economic assumptions, for measuring pension obligations. The speakers note that in addition to providing guidance to actuaries, the standards are designed to help users of our work product understand what actuaries consider in determining their assumptions. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 17, No. 4B.