Description: This paper discusses mathematical modeling and pricing of 'Stable Value' financial products offered to pension plan providers. These products target a risk-averse population of investors who have a significant preference for a stability of returns. The paper offers a quantitative methodology that reflects a decision making process applicable in the situation of incomplete markets where traditional arbitrage free arguments are invalid.

Description: From June 11 through August 3, 2007, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [UIUC] hosted a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates on the topic 'Stochastic Modeling in Actuarial Science and Financial Mathematics.' This Experience, provided to 6 undergraduate mathematics students from universities across the United States, was directed by Professor Rick Gorvett, the Director of the UIUC Actuarial Science Program. This report summarizes the program and describes the research projects undertaken.

Description: The Society's Group Disability Insurance Experience Committee has completed their study of termination experience for the period 1997-2006.

Description: The Society of Actuaries Product Development Section, the Modeling Section, the Reinsurance Section and the Financial Reporting Section announce the release of a new research report that introduces a novel framework for leveraging the "architecture" of an industry mortality table within a company's predictive analytics-based insured mortality analysis.

Description: The monograph walks the reader through the hindsight, insight and foresight building process while discussing theoretical and practical issues supporting the building of valid forecasts with provenance for each of these schema examples. That is, the analyst can document the iterative ‘profiling change processes’ mindscape and landscape elements by which and through which the successful forecast is built. This kind of forecast construction ameliorates the ‘black box’ problem of generating pattern output without an understanding of the pattern’s creation or contextual meaning that is often seen when using other methods, particularly machine learning and artificial intelligence. This issue is discussed, referencing appropriate thought leaders.

Description: This is the sixth Intercompany Study of Long–Term Care Insurance. This report combines and analyzes data received from 35 insurers. Available data was collected on policies issued between January 1, 1984 and December 31, 2007. Claims incurred on policies during this same timeframe were followed from claim inception through the earlier of claim termination or June 30, 2008.

Description: This report presents the results of a survey conducted by the Older Age Underwriting Practices Survey Subcommittee. The purpose of this survey was to elicit feedback regarding underwriting guidelines, requirements and practices utilized in the assessment of older age applicants.

Description: This report studies the various benchmarks for analyzing the option-adjusted spreads of the major fixed income asset classes of life insurance companies. In addition, this report analyzes the historical benchmark performance against default rates for the asset class being benchmarked.

Description: Authored by a MIB Solutions team of Tom Rhodes, Stuart Klugman, Marianne Purushotham and Stacy Gill, the report summarizes the results of a study on the application and adoption of credibility theory within the life insurance and annuity industry. In addition to the report, numerical examples related to the application of credibility to company mortality and lapse data are provided in the four Excel files. This excel spreadsheet is a numerical example relating to the application of Credibility for mortality. Please see the SOA website research section for the complete report on Credibility Theory Practices.