Description: As results emerged showing the influence of COVID-19 on recent mortality, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute’s Mortality and Longevity Strategic Research Program Steering Committee (MLPSC) began to ponder what it means for the future. Was the coronavirus pandemic just a temporary shock to U.S. mortality with mortality quickly returning to prepandemic levels upon its conclusion or a lingering factor in future U.S. mortality from the potential occurrence of new coronavirus variants, post-COVID-19 conditions (“long COVID”), deferral of needed health care treatment, a fatigued health care system and other elements? Only time will provide the answers to these questions.

Description: A literature review was performed on mortality improvement, socioeconomic differences in mortality and their links to specific causes of death, and methods for analysis. It highlighted the fact that socioeconomic status (e.g., income and education) is closely linked to differences in mortality and that the longevity gap between socioeconomic groups is growing over time. It also informed the selection of key variables and the need to view mortality improvement as a complex interaction between specific causes of death.

Description: Non-guaranteed elements are parameters of life insurance and annuity polices that are not fixed when the policy is issued but may be changed from time to time by the insurance company. They emerged in the United States and other countries as features of Universal Life and similar products designed to make insurance more competitive in an environment where fully guaranteed products did not have sufficient flexibility to respond to rapidly changing conditions. This overview covers professional guidance, regulations and practical issues with reviewing and revising non-guaranteed parameters.

Description: The VBT Analysis Subgroup (“Subgroup”) of the Joint Academy Life Experience Committee and SOA Preferred Mortality Oversight Group (“Joint Committee”) recommends the approach documented in this report for determining when there is sufficient change in the emerging actual mortality experience relative to the current VBT to warrant changes to the table.

Description: The purpose of this status report is to advise practitioners about subsequent research and analysis conducted by the Advisory Group regarding these items. At this time, there are no new enhancements to the MIM-2021 tools.

Description: This paper concerns policyholder dividends on traditional participating life insurance products in regulatory contexts similar to those in the United States and Canada. This paper also touches on annuity products. It was prepared for use in the educational curriculum of the Society of Actuaries. Dividend actuaries seeking references to writings on policyholder dividends to refresh their perspective may also find it useful.

Description: This report was prepared for use in the educational curriculum of the Society of Actuaries. It describes the main features of structured settlement annuities in North America and current actuarial practices and issues related to this product. It draws upon a study note on the same topic authored by Roger Harbin, FSA in 1991. Perspective on the Canadian structured settlement market was provided by Robert (Bob) Nigol, B.A., M.A., Managing Partner of EPS Settlements Group of Canada.

Description: LIMRA, Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), the Society of Actuaries (SOA), and TAI have collaborated on an ongoing effort to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the individual life insurance industry’s mortality experience and share the emerging results with the insurance industry and the public. The Individual Life COVID-19 Project Work Group (Work Group) was formed as a collaboration of LIMRA, RGA, the SOA, and TAI to design, implement, and create the study and to produce and distribute a variety of analyses. This report is the fifth public release from this collaboration and contains the results of a cause of death analysis focused on how the rates of death for various causes were impacted throughout the pandemic period through the first quarter of 2021.

Description: View the Social and Other Determinants of Life Insurance Demand

Description: This report models and forecasts future mortality improvements in China, by geographical regions, as well as by causes of death. Deaths and population exposures data provided by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention was used for the period 2004–2019.