Description: In this paper, chapter V of the 1987 Valuation Actuary Handbook, the authors start with a discussion of how the recent economic environment with volatile interest rates has changed the valuation and surplus management process to one more dependent on actuarial judgment. In a discussion of surplus policy, the authors identify four “layers” of surplus which have been identified by scenario testing. These surplus layers, along with policy reserves, are based on specific invested assets. The paper discusses implications for the future and notes the actuary’s ability to advise management on surplus adequacy is a basic tool of risk management.

Description: Discussion of solvency problems and the actuary's role in addressing them in the life insurance industry.

Description: ongoing discussion of the proper interest rate to use in discounting liability cash flows to reflect credit risk of the insurer in a fair value accounting system

Description: Discusses the recent developments with RBC requirements. At the forefront of the RBC changes is the stochastic exclusion test.

Description: Comments on how US insurers have compensated for low interest rates by investing in a range of less liquid and lower quality assets.

Description: Update on accounting and capital/RBC issues subsequent to tax reform.

Description: A discussion of life insurance securitizations and how they can be structured to provide surplus relief associated with onerous reserve requirements.

Description: Update on tax reform

Description: In this article, the author discusses the report on Insurance Holding Companies recently published by the New York Insurance Departmentconcerning surplus levels. The author questions whether a complicated mathematical approach using risk theory will produce a better result than traditional rules of thumb and experience.

Description: This article notes that life insurance companies have long used sophisticated techniques for appraising capital investment, and explores the question of whether these techniques can be applied to other industries.