Description: This article reviews the new standard of practice, ASOP 6, and its impact on the actuarial assumptions that actuaries use for valuations of retiree group medical and life benefits.

Description: This article discusses the current state of the Pension Section Council and whats needed for the continuing success of the Pension Section.

Description: This column summarizes research initiatives underway. From Pension Section News, September 2004, Issue No. 56.

Description: This section describes the basic methodology and assumptions used in the estimates for the HI trust fund under the intermediate assumptions. In addition, projections of HI and SMI costs under two alternative sets of assumptions are presented. From Pension Section news, September 2004, Issue No. 56.

Description: This article describes the basic methodology and assumptions used in the estimates for the SMI trust fund under the intermediate assumptions. From Pension Section News, September 2004, Issue No. 56.

Description: Employers and investors have suffered recently from taking too much investment risk inside their defined benefit DB plans, producing calls for more transparent accounting. Some employers have tried to eliminate this pension risk by moving to defined contribution DC plans. From Pension Section News, January 2005, Issue No. 57. However, this is not the only, or even the best, option available. From Pension Section News, January 2005, Issue No. 57.

Description: This paper is a follow-up to the papers in the January and April 2005 editions of the Pension Forum, which focused on the interest assumptions to be used in pension funding. This paper focuses on the other assumptions used to calculate pension liabilities—mortality, early retirement and expense. From Pension Section News, April 2006, No. 61.

Description: In the U.S. in the late 1980’s, the Internal Revenue Service was taking steps to try to institute explicit boundaries for the actuarial assumptions being used in 'funding' valuations to determine the appropriate contribution levels for small pension plans. This article was written in the context of that environment, to defend the rights of actuaries to their professional judgement. The courts eventually supported this perspective.

Description: SOA’s recently completed research project related to long term projects of health care cost trends for use in post retirement medical valuations.

Description: This article highlights the value of Enterprise Risk Management to an organization and provides a link for more information about the CERA credential. From the Pension Section News, September 2008, Issue No. 68.