Description: The Asian insurance landscape is undergoing significant change, with Japan experiencing a surge in reinsurance activity. This webcast will explore the factors driving this growth and provide insights into the current state and future direction of the Japanese reinsurance market. We'll delve into the unique characteristics of the Japanese market, examining the specific reinsurance needs of Japanese life insurers and how partnerships with US and offshore reinsurers are evolving. Looking ahead, we'll analyze the expected trajectory of the market, including the types of business and products likely to see increased demand. We'll also discuss how emerging economic factors and regulatory changes will shape future needs and the competitive landscape. Join us to gain valuable insights into this dynamic market and its future potential.

Description: The article discusses the critical role of Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) within insurance companies, particularly amidst changes in accounting regimes like USGAAP Long-Duration Targeted Improvements (LDTI) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 17 and implications of these changes on FP&A activities.

Description: Review the archived Spring 2024 FSA Exam Book List

Description: An interview with Weili Lu, the president of ARIA

Description: Stefanos Orfanos shares his perspective and priorities for this year as the incoming chair of the SOA Education and Research Section.

Description: Latest in series of articles exploring the adaptation of Buddhist philosophy to actuarial practice. This installment examines the challenges for actuaries in dealing with pain points in actuarial work, and how to best manage these forces so that the work remains aligned with professional standards.

Description: To provide high level information on a book selected and discussed during the December book club session, The Ten Commandments of Risk Leadership. In addition, this article serves as a promotion of the SOA book club as well as the upcoming sessions.

Description: Risk management techniques do not include system science. System science requires that the uncertainty of the world is incorporated into the results. The articles explains the difference between risk and uncertainty. Learn how risk practices create an overoptimistic view of future outcomes.

Description: The landscape of the reinsurance industry is evolving amid profound changes in the insurance sector. Innovation is vital for reinsurers as risks become more complex and insurers transition from a role of "protection" to "prevention." Successful reinsurers are responding to market dynamics, particularly through open innovation – collaboration with startups.

Description: Join actuarial professionals and thought-leaders to uncover new insights and valuable opportunities at the 2024 SOA Virtual ImpACT Conference, taking place November 13-14.

Description: The article discusses the continued popularity of indexed UL insurance and possible reasons why a company's actual indexed UL earnings may be below their original pricing expectations for the product. The article discusses several key items that may be the source of that underperformance (e.g., hedge ineffectiveness, policyholder behavior) and the need to monitor earnings and perform analyses to better understand those potential sources.

Description: This article delves into the transformative realm of Business Intelligence (BI) tools. We explore the fundamental functionality and structure of these tools, and through case studies illustrate how they offer valuable insights into carrier experience and underwriting dynamics. From real-time data visualization to in-depth data analysis, discover the essential features that empower businesses to make better informed decisions.

Description: This is a continuation of an article published for the speculative future contest in 2023. It mentions how the collapse of China would cause a global recession in 2029 due to the current and predicted geopolitical climate in 2023.

Description: This article is the result of the Leadership & Development book club on Dare Lead. The article talks about major themes in the book and relates them to other podcasts and authors thought on those themes.

Description: How insurers can include a liquidity score and liquidity stress scenarios as part of their asset liability management (ALM) protocol.

Description: Providing ways to master the art of soft skills and embracing agility to propel actuarial success in today's market.

Description: In this article, we collected data from the companies’ roll-forward disclosures related to calendar years 2021 and 2022 on Market Risk Benefit and shared a high-level summary of the Market Risk Benefit volatility that a focus group of companies incurred and summarized the most common ways to mitigate volatility.

Description: View the Fall 2023 FSA Exam Book List.

Description: Celebrate the SOA’s 75th anniversary at the largest actuarial conference of the year! Network with industry leaders, employers, actuarial professionals and thought leaders and find solutions to your profession’s most complex challenges.

Description: Plan ahead to attend the 2023 SOA ImpACT Conference in Indianapolis, IN, October 22–25. Come together to experience innovative events, new insights and valuable opportunities in the actuarial profession.

Description: In today’s market of post-pandemic consolidation and org chart streamlining, we’ve observed significant changes to actuarial career development and advancement opportunities. But, those changes aren’t occurring in equal measures across the arc of the actuarial career. Our focus is on the impact felt by experienced reinsurance actuaries.

Description: Join our expert panel of three influential actuaries with diverse backgrounds for a dynamic seminar on mastering trust-building strategies that will transform your personal and professional life. In today's rapidly changing business landscape, trust has become more crucial than ever before, affecting everything from relationship-building to team dynamics and organizational culture. You'll leave ready to elevate your leadership impact and influence, both in and out of the office.

Description: How can we maintain our sanity while staring at the same screen all day, clicking into and bouncing out of meetings? To be successful in today's (remote) world, we must learn how to relate to individuals virtually. Topics include: How can we best establish a professional and dynamic presence while working remotely? How can we develop rapport with our virtual colleagues as well as with those working in the office? What is considered to be appropriate etiquette when interacting with a co-worker via a computer screen? How can we effectively collaborate while working from home? What is the best way to present to senior management without the ability to be in the room to read their body language? Hear from a panel of actuaries discuss their perspectives and lessons learned over the last few years on how to optimize our communication effectiveness in the virtual work environment.

Description: How can we maintain our sanity while staring at the same screen all day, clicking into and bouncing out of meetings? To be successful in today's (remote) world, we must learn how to relate to individuals virtually. Join us for this 'Choose Your Own (Virtual) Adventure' session during which the webinar attendees will direct the subtopics to be addressed by the remote panelists (i.e., polling will be enabled in real time during the session). You will participate in topics based on the audience vote, some of which include: How can we best establish a professional and dynamic presence while working remotely? How can we develop and maintain solid rapport with our virtual colleagues as well as with those working in the office? What is considered to be appropriate etiquette when interacting with a co-worker via a computer screen? How can we effectively collaborate on technical and non-technical content while working from home? What is the best way to present to senior management without the ability to be in the room to read their body language? Hear from a panel of actuaries discuss their perspectives and lessons learned over the last few years on how to optimize our communication effectiveness in the virtual work environment.

Description: ALM and hedging can reap significant benefits from innovation in computation and operations research. Explore applications of static and dynamic optimization in two different ALM and hedging use cases. Insurers are increasingly moving offshore by establishing Bermuda captive reinsurers. In calculating the Bermuda Best Estimate Liability ('BEL'), reinsurers will need to segment assets to support liabilities in each treaty. A Linear Programming ('LP') problem can be formulated to tactically select assets in a way that minimizes the BEL and consequently the total asset requirement. Learn more about what US Variable Annuity Insurers face with the regulatory requirement to reflect 'future hedging strategy' in their statutory funding calculation. The traditional numerical method of finding the optimal hedging target and then allocating assets may encounter the curse of dimensionality with expanding product and economic environment complexity. A Reinforcement Learning algorithm may well fit this problem and provide insurers a solution for dynamic hedging.

Description: The industry sees extreme value in predictive modeling and its ability to help us meet customer demands and remain profitable, but do customers and regulators look at this as a favorable addition to our process? Hear from a dynamic panel of industry experts who will tackle a variety of issues and questions from the state of the regulatory environment to the responsibilities of the carrier.

Description: As accelerated underwriting continues to evolve, it is a delicate balance to ensure these programs are managed effectively for both short- and long-term results. And there's debate about whether these programs are getting too aggressive. Join panelists as they share their viewpoints on the state of accelerated underwriting, the data sources, models, tools and techniques commonly used, how the landscape is destined to change with more dynamic approaches in underwriting, and how best to monitor these programs, and the impacts of these programs to carriers and the industry as a whole.

Description: The old adage 'insurance is sold not bought' has been used to dismiss digital insurance and support the old agent model of distribution. However, modern distribution systems address this with personalization. This is not simply a customized application form based on age or gender. Personalization is much more dynamic and happens in real-time. It's about tailoring the end-to-end experience to meet the needs and expectations of the specific applicant. The core tools to achieve this are AI learning and nudges from behavioral science.

Description: This article provides an overview of critical illness insurance: history, product description, and the three primary ways to offer critical illness coverage in the United States. This article also contains an illustration of an issue age premium rate calculation, as well as product features and rating applications specific to the various types of critical illness coverage.

Description: Learn what the Julia of the Julia-Python-R combination JuPyteR notebooks are named after! Julia is a programming language with several modern features to make actuaries' lives easier. It is highly capable for many tasks, whether you use it for modeling, data science, communicating results through interactive notebooks, or creating high-quality visualizations. It is a dynamic, interactive language that enables very fast computation while being as easy to learn and write as Python. Discover more about the programming language already used by the Federal Reserve, large banks, NASA, and many other industries. Julia Dive into an interactive walkthrough of the Julia ecosystem and how Julia is gaining adoption within the insurance space, while also using a range of open-source actuarial packages. You will explore how to elevate your analysis across different dimensions and distillg simpler ways to compose your actuarial models and analysis.

Description: Trends in mortality have a huge impact on the insurance industry and its products, risks and profitability. Worldwide, life expectancy has increased continuously over the past decades. However, this progress—even without considering the Covid-19 pandemic—has been subject to strong fluctuations. In recent years, an increase in volatility can be observed. Various aspects—medical science, environment, lifestyle—have influenced the trend in the past. How can the life and health industry move forward in these uncertain conditions? In this article, we examine what has gone before and what can be learned from a closer analysis. What are the main drivers of the historical increase in life expectancy? What characterizes the dynamics of the recent past? How can mortality be projected into the future? How good are our methods of prediction and what are the risks? What risk management options are available?

Description: New digital data known as alternative data is everywhere. Our industry has seen the financial, and hi-tech industries leverage new digital data to expand their key offerings and core services. From the lens of the global life and health industry, new digital data is still searching to be further understood. Risk assessment is a current focus area for using alternative data. A key question is even though risk assessment has always been data-driven, can it now move to the next level with the arrival of this alternative data. Can we use alternative data to make the risk assessment process quicker, cheaper, or faster thereby driving more sales and better conversion rates. It is an exciting time! With the increased adoption of health and well-being apps, data such as physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and mental wellness is now readily available. Expanded data such as digital biomarkers, IoT data, electronic health records and many more can also be accessed. However, how to effectively implement alternative data remains a challenge across the industry. We firmly believe it is, and will continue to be, imperative to take a structured approach to alternative data through a set of key considerations and a framework of principles.

Description: As the insurance industry continues to evolve due to a pandemic and rapidly changing economic and regulatory conditions, the role of data scientists and actuaries has become increasingly important. In an interview with the Atidot data science and actuarial team, we discuss what it is like to work at an InsurTech, how data scientists and actuaries can collaborate, and look at some concrete technical examples of where the innovation is having an impact. This article explores what collaboration can look like and how the role of data science and actuary may evolve in the InsurTech industry in the future.

Description: This article studies the syllabus as a dynamic, interactive teaching tool that informs and is informed by both solutions of complex course problems and student difficulties with these problems.

Description: Future mortality improvement has been a common assumption in life insurance and annuity pricing and forecasting for many years. However, experience over the last decade suggests this might be an assumption that merits reconsideration in the United States. This article will take a closer look at factors that impact mortality improvement trends and discuss why insurers may want to reevaluate product designs to better manage the associated mortality risk. We then introduce a product idea with this in mind, where premiums are based on a life expectancy index and insurers share the risk (and opportunity) or mortality improvement with policyholders.

Description: 2023 Questionnaire for Daniel S. Pribe

Description: 2023 Board Member Candidate Page for

Description: 2023 Questionnaire for Dave Dillon

Description: 2023 Board Member Candidate Page for Han Henry Chen

Description: 2023 Questionnaire for Ying Zhao

Description: Discover how to reacquaint professionalism with the actuarial science profession in this 75-minute webcast focused on the provision of dynamic standards that evolve with products and regulations. Listeners will learn about the future challenges in their ongoing work that professionalism skills will assist with. For actuaries in the US and Canada, come define ASOPS and professionalism entering 2023. This webcast will be interactive, providing several case studies with real life ethical issues where the audience will vote and discuss the appropriate course of action.

Description: Actuaries can leverage cluster modeling to reduce model runtime and cloud compute costs, which can be a real concern as companies transition from an on-premise grid to a scalable cloud solution. We consider practical considerations associated with clustering, through both US statutory and US GAAP lenses. Lastly, the results from a variable annuity liability clustering case study are presented.

Description: Actuary Dave Dillon describes his role volunteering his time as a teacher in higher education, including the rewards and challenges that teaching offers. He discusses the importance of being attentive to his audience’s pre-existing knowledge and adapting his presentations accordingly. His work as a teacher typically encompasses three distinct domains: 1) acquainting young students with the actuarial profession, 2) educating non-actuaries about public policy issues related to health insurance (including the Affordable Care Act), and 3) instructing current actuaries on advanced methodologies and principles within the field. Recently he taught a health insurance course for actuarial science graduate students at Georgia State University and lectured at Boise State University’s master's program in Population & Health Systems Management. In every teaching and mentoring opportunity, actuaries can contribute to the expansion and prosperity of the profession and are encouraged to pursue these endeavors.

Description: The Federal funds rate increased by 4.25% in 2022 with further increases in 2023, which have already resulted in a liquidity crisis for a few banks. As the rapid increase of the interest rates pushed the new money rates above the yields of many life insurers’ investment portfolios, insurance companies are facing a dilemma between compressed margins from peer pressure and the concern with liquidity shortfalls and realized capital losses should mass surrenders happen. This paper discussed main emerging risks under rising interest rate environment, and several ways to mitigate these risks.

Description: An overview of guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWB) on registered index-linkedannuity (RILA) products and a stochastic analysis of market risks.

Description: Dovel Technologies started as a two-person company, and by the time we sold to Private Equity in late 2019, Dovel had more than 1,200 people on its payroll. In this article, the authors (and cofounders of Dovel) describe two concepts that helped Dovel grow that actuaries can apply to help grow their firms.

Description: Spring 2023 FSA Exam Book List

Description: The cyber insurance market looks like it’s growing—rapidly, in fact. However, there’s more to the cyber insurance market than the outward appearance of strong growth. Worldwide aggregate premium’s upward trend may even be cause for alarm. The increase in premium against a flat rate of insured exposure is a key sign that the market could turn from growth to constriction if a solution isn’t found in the near future. If the cyber insurance sector hopes to reach such lofty goals as exceeding $30 billion in global premium by 2028, it’s going to need more capital. Whether directly into the insurance sector or via support from reinsurance and retrocession, fresh capital should help insurers achieve greater market penetration, build a broader foundation for ongoing expansion, and chart a course for long-term sustainable profitable growth. The same sources capital insurers have used since the early days of the market won’t be enough, though. Thankfully, the insurance linked securities (ILS) market seems poised to help, particularly with several promising recent transactions. New sources of capital could bolster the foundation for future cyber re/insurance growth.

Description: With long duration targeted improvements in the U.S., and IFRS 17 in other countries, the insurance industry is currently undergoing the adoption of two of the most significant accounting changes in recent history. While the scale of these specific events are infrequent, change is the norm in the world of insurance and life of an actuary. We live in a dynamic environment that will continue to bring challenges in how companies make decisions in order maximize their value and return on capital. Capital management requires an ability for insurance companies to take corporate actions and understand the impact this will have on both the current and future available capital. Being able to make optimal decisions when the goal posts are subject to frequent and material shifts in accounting regulation is a difficult process. It requires holistic consideration of all tools available to manage capital and how KPIs can shift in their measurement under new regimes. By attending the session, you will: Discuss the challenges that companies have in managing capital in an ever evolving environment, what steps they have taken in managing the current scope of accounting change, and how they can be prepared for adjustments in the future.

Description: Oliver Wyman will share results from their recent Fixed and Index Annuity experience studies. Discuss fixed annuity dynamic lapse experience and learn about cross impacts of mortality and lapse on GLWB utilization. By attending the session, you will: - Understandg industry experience trends. - Comprehendindustry dynamic lapse experience for fixed and index annuity products. - Learn about areas of cross impacts of mortality, lapses and GLWB utilization.

Description: Discuss policyholder behaviors that evolve throughout the life cycle of a typical VA annuitant, with supporting data from industry-level experience studies during this interaction session. The following behavior assumptions and their implication under accounting/regulatory requirements will be covered: - Separate account/fixed account allocation and transfers - Deposits - Surrenders - Withdrawals - Income utilization - Mortality By attending the session, you will: - Identify policyholder behaviors that would transform at different stages of life cycle. - Understand key aspects of industry-level policyholder behavior experience. - Form a dynamic view in the assumption setting.

Description: Christine Hofbeck began her actuarial career in retirement consulting, but after a few decades, a few practice areas, a bestselling book and a stint on a reality television show, she found herself in the world of reinsurance. Reinsurance News talked with her to learn more about her background, her advice to other actuaries, and her outlook on the future of the profession.

Description: Compound Weather Extremes/Cascading Events research proposal request 2023.

Description: Join us for the Pandemics & Paradigm Shifts: ERM in an Intensely Dynamic World panel discussion, where industry and regulatory perspectives will help provide insight into a number of topics. Expect interactive dialogue opportunities based on the conversation between the panelists and the audience. Key topics that will be conversed about, but the panel is not limited to, include a brief review of historical paradigm shifts and subsequent insurer failures, best practices and an outlook on the ultra-dynamic world of today and consideration of a company's enterprise risk management framework as it affects ratings and insurance department examinations.

Description: Discover the rapidly developing health and wellness industry during the Use of Health and Wellness Data in L&H Risk Assessment webcast. Our discussion includes the maximization of data usage through several different means, including current risk selection, creation of a dynamic ongoing assessment offering or substitution of traditional underwriting information to shorten the underwriting process. Come explore these different approaches as they affect the health and wellness industry. We will express the importance of a constantly changing data usage environment in order to better prepare insurers to maximize their data and drive health and wellness forward.

Description: A listing of professional development opportunities in the recent past that have relevance to general insurance actuaries.

Description: Chairperson's summary of Joint Risk Management Section (JRMS) Council accomplishments during the 2021-2022 Section Council year, as part of the December 2022 Risk Management newsletter. Includes an introduction to new council members, appreciation to those departing the Council, and introduces the new JRMS Council Leadership. Discusses the accomplishments made, areas of focus and activities underway which benefit JRMS Section members.

Description: Chairperson's summary of Joint Risk Management Section (JRMS) Council accomplishments during the 2021-2022 Section Council year, as part of the December 2022 Risk Management newsletter. Includes an introduction to new council members, appreciation to those departing the Council, and introduces the new JRMS Council Leadership. Discusses the accomplishments made, areas of focus and activities underway which benefit JRMS Section members.

Description: The article presents the opportunities and benefits of collaborations between Insurtechs and traditional insurance companies. The article also tackles the challenges and pitfalls of said collaborations. It provides a framework of topics to address prior to entering a collaboration between the two parties as well as a list of pitfalls for all stakeholders to be aware of as the collaboration materializes.

Description: 1332 State Innovation Waivers have been in place for a number of years and allow states to implement programs that increase access and affordability of health care coverage. While nearly all waiver programs in effect in 2021 employ a reinsurance program, a number of states have been exploring other ways to structure a waiver program, including an introduction of a public plan option in ACA individual market. A public option plan aims to further increase access to coverage and affordability by offering a new qualified health plan, typically with a lower premium relative to existing plans. Wakely looked at states where a new issuer entered a market as a low cost plan, to better understand plan enrollment migration (how many members switch to the low cost carrier), competitors’ reactions, and the reduction in premium needed to incentivize members to take up coverage. This market dynamic closely mimics the effect of a public option plan that offers lower premiums. The analysis showed mixed effects of a low cost plan introduction in ACA markets, with minimal impact on the uninsured, but with improved affordability, particularly for the unsubsidized. Find out more about detailed observations from this analysis. After the session, you will be able to: •Understand the implications lower cost/public option plans have on market enrollment (subsidized and unsubsidized), number of uninsured, plan metal mix changes, premiums (gross and net of subsidies), and issuers’ profitability in the individual market. •Discuss considerations around introducing new lost cost plans, whether in the form of new commercial carriers or a public option plan, to an area.

Description: A non-technical review of two recent general insurance articles published in the SOA's North American Actuarial Journal. The articles reviewed analyze Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance and Usage-Based Insurance.

Description: SCHAUMBURG, Ill. and WINDSOR, Conn. December 15, 2022 – The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute and LIMRA today announced the launch of their new Experience Studies Pro series.

Description: Many start-up companies have certain elements in common: Most are still developing a profitable, working business model, there is little to no hierarchy or management structure, and everyone is in it together. A typical challenge is an ability to retain and/or attract strong leaders due to lack of resources needed to compete in the higher compensated talent markets. This article introduces The Equity Bonus Plan, which can help entrepreneurs attract and retain talent.

Description: Why is adventure travel important to entrepreneurial actuaries? This article will address the question, and perhaps it will incentivize some of you, setting you on a journey of adventure travel. We certainly hope it will as we know the rewards.

Description: View the 2022 FSA Exam Book List

Description: Interview with Sara Teppema showing her career journey and leadership philosophy.

Description: Can quiet actuaries inspire others and get things done just as well as their louder, more social colleagues? This isn’t just a question that plagues quiet actuaries, of course. For the over half of us that identify as quiet people and wish to lead, it’s easy to second guess and doubt ourselves. This doubt sometimes holds us back from reaching for that promotion, or starting that new organization. Some quiet actuaries may try to adapt extravert behaviors, however those efforts can be draining and short-lived. This article shows how quiet actuaries can authentically lead and leverage their strengths.

Description: The Society of Actuaries Research Institute, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the Casualty Actuarial Society are pleased to present a report examining how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the auto insurance industry. In this report, we will examine the effects of the pandemic on auto losses using dynamic linear models. We examine which predictors best describe the trends, and the impact the pandemic has on predicted future claims.

Description: Candidate Questionnaire for Christine Hofbeck

Description: An overview of how the VM-31 requirements for documenting PBR approaches and assumptions can/should reflect the Actuarial Standard of Practice on Modeling, ASOP No. 56

Description: A look at the near future and far future of various elements of Actuarial Models as defined through ASOP 51. What is driving the complexity for inputs, calculations, and outputs. Howe will actuaries handle these challenge?

Description: ACA risk adjustment is intended to "bridge the gap" between allowed rates and actuarial rates. If risk adjustment methodology is not bridging that gap & becomes an additional input to pricing formulae, it is not serving its intended purpose.

Description: This is the second of a two-part article introducing and elaborating an “Adaptor” strategy for ERM. Such a strategy is intended to fulfil two purposes: first, switching among four styles of risk-coping strategies in order to track qualitative changes in a business’s risk environment; and, second, to support the business in navigating with resilience through all the seasons of a business-economic cycle, i.e., of boom, bust, moderate, uncertain. This latter requires careful study of the nature of resilience, the familiar idea of bounce back, and the less familiar idea of bounce forward. Part I of our article is underpinned therefore by a supplementary document (available from https://riskviews.wordpress.com/adaptor-exceptionalism/), which addresses the issue of structural change in a business or economy. It draws heavily on ideas taken from the discipline of control engineering, as well as some from ecology, social anthropology, and economics. The entire two-part article is thus an exercise in cross-disciplinary Systems Thinking.

Description: The paper demonstrates that the most popular rationalization for evolving glide paths is flawed and should be discarded. The paper also demonstrates that glide paths should generally evolve for investors that endeavor to optimize outcomes and reevaluate their portfolios regularly.

Description: The article describes the factors that should determine the asset allocation of an employer's QDIA, especially Target Date Funds, and suggests that in general QDIAs have insufficient equity in retirement asset allocations.