Description: The authors explore major points of the exposure draft (ED) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). At the same time, they explain the differences between the FASB ED and the ED published nearly simultaneously by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).

Description: The purpose of the article is to summarize the results and conclusions of the C-1 Risk Task Force Report prepared for the Committee on Valuation and Related Areas. A key question: Is the risk to insurance companies of defaults on junk bonds sufficient to justify increasing required surplus levels?

Description: Demographic changes around the world may present actuaries with an opportunity to tackle product development, risk management and asset allocation challenges involving financial and investment variables.