Description: Author’s response to discussant comments for the 2009 Housing Wealth monograph paper, “Home Equity and At-Need Annuities—A Dynamic Long-Term Care Funding Duo”. The paper describes the prevalence of the still uninsured long-term care financial risk, and how the at-need annuity/home equity combination can address long term care needs.

Description: The goal of this paper is to help financial professionals and plan sponsors recognize that retirement planning is being influenced by new factors and suggests ways they can readjust retirement planning strategies.

Description: Discussant comments for the 2009 Housing Wealth monograph paper, “The Houston Experience: FHA Originations During 1981-1984.”

Description: Discussant comments for the 2009 Housing Wealth monograph paper, “Modigliani, Miller and Mortgages.” The paper is about the genesis of the credit crisis. The discussant finds the paper makes some interesting points but leaves too much out of the story.

Description: This paper explores comparative trends in home ownership versus renters, the associated levels of housing expenditures, and the extent of equity borrowing. The goal is to stress the need in retirement to cover basic housing needs and the risks of using housing for other purposes.

Description: Chapter 5 explores the data suggesting that not only is the mortality rate greater for men, but that the rate is greater for men at all age groups. From Why Men Die Younger: Causes of Mortality Differences by Sex, M-LI01-1.

Description: Chapter 8 states that there is great difficulty in projecting future mortality levels - the changing sex mortality differential is only one of the uncertainties. Some widely varying opinions for the future are offered. From Why Men Die Younger: Causes of Mortality Differences by Sex, M-LI01-1.

Description: Chapter 9 conclusions suggest that males have higher mortality throughout the world, at all ages, and for the vast majority of diseases. Evidence also suggests that there are significant biological reasons for the sex mortality differential, but these can be masked by environmental and behavioral factors. The author looks to the Human Genome Project for further understanding of this question. From Why Men Die Younger: Causes of Mortality Differences by Sex, M-LI01-1.

Description: This paper looks at the actuarial implications of a gradual retirement scheme from the employer's point of view in terms of the normal cost and also from the employee's side, the total income he would receive under various gradual retirement scenarios.

Description: The author finds that misperceptions and lack of an appropriate context are the reason that illiquid investments - in particular annuities- have been the less desirable component of a retirement plan. The paper also suggests several catalysts that could spark a dramatic reversal of the current situation. From the 2011 Enterprise Risk Management Symposium, March 2011.