Description: This paper presents multiple book reviews: Reports from Staff of U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, Reports in Connection with Social Security Legislation 1975-77, 'Statement on Cost Comparisons of Individual Life Insurance Policies', by Canadian Institute of Actuaries, 'Investment Activities of Life Insurance Companies' from Huebner Foundation Lectures, 'The Life Insurance Industry's Marketing Dilemma' by Johns, 'The Future of Social Security' by Munnell, 'Social Security - Today and Tomorrow' by Ball, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'Mortality Table Construction' by Batten, 'The Crisis in Social Security - Problems and Prospects' by Boskin, 'A History of Interest Rates' by Homer, 'Indexation of Pensions and Other Benefits' by Robert Myers, 'Life Insurance Accounting' by Strain, '1978 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund...' by US Congress. Brief summaries of additional readings are also included.

Description: This panel discussion looks at answering the following questions: What methods are used in computing Incurred but Unreported Claims? To what extent are approximations used in determining items for the Analysis of Increase in Reserve? What records can be closed out early to facilitate annual statement preparation? From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1960, Vol. 12, No. 33.

Description: This paper discusses three methods for the amortization of deferred acquisition expenses, DAC and the results when actual experience differs significantly from that assumed. The methods include a static approach with prescheduled amortization, a dynamic technique called the expense reserve factor method, and an aggregate or accumulated premium revenue method. A discussion follows the paper. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1978, Vol. 30.

Description: This is a short response to the paper, 'Group Conversion Charges - Accounting for Annual Statement' by Dickinson C. Duffield, which discusses an alternative way to account for group conversion charges.

Description: This paper presents a surplus-ratio goal that is appropriate for group accident and health insurance and discusses growth, the sources of gains and losses, ways to improve operating gain and tracking results against expectations. A discussion of the paper follows. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1977, Vol. 29.

Description: This paper discusses adjustable life insurance and certain theoretical problems of these policies. It also covers how the Commissioners Reserve Valuation Method, CRVM, may be extended to cover adjustable life policies and defines formulas for the additional expense allowance at the time of change. A discussion of the paper follows. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1979, Vol. 31.

Description: This paper argues by means of a mathematical demonstration that: 1. Natural reserves are not appropriate for adjusting earnings of mutual life insurance companies under GAAP. 2. Adjusted earnings developed by using statutory net level premium reserves together with a nonadmitted asset equal to the present value of unamortized variable acquisition expenses, and, if material, possibly with the reserves for terminal dividends, should bc accepted under GAAP, provided that dividend scales are suitably designed. 3. Other approaches which are essentially equivalent to that in bullet #2, such as those involving historical asset share funds, should likewise be acceptable.

Description: These are three papers- - Government Pension Plans in Canada - This paper reviews the initial Act from 1952 which was a flat benefit plan and the impending changes to the program to incorporate a contributory earnings-related pension plan. - Current Status of Medicare Proposals - This report provides an update of the dozens of bills pending on the issue. - Relationship of Actuaries and Certified Public Accountants - This paper presents the issues facing insurance companies and accountants where their accounting practices are at variance. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1964, Vol. 16, No. 45.

Description: The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods upon which the computations of policy reserves and related annual statement terms for the family policy issued by the company with which the author is connected are based. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1958, Vol. 10, No. 26.

Description: This section presents book reviews and summaries of recent publications. Reviews: '1975 Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the Federal OASDI Trust Funds...' by the US Congress, 'Providing Adequate Retirement Income' by Schulz, Carrin, Krupp, Peschke, Sclar and Steenberge, 'Ernst & Ernst GAAP - Stock Life Companies' by Posnak, 'Reports of the Quadrennial Advisory Council on Social Security' by US Government, 'Fundamentals of Private Pensions' by McGill. Digests also included.