Description: Poisson regression models are commonly used in actuarial science to model count data e.g., the number of claims and covariates. The standard parametric formulation assumes that the response to covariates is constant across the population under study. Additionally, the shape of the posterior distribution is rather inflexible. In practice, however, the response to covariates may depend on a latent class and the posterior distribution may be highly nonparametric. This paper proposes a Bayesian nonparametric model in which a Dirichlet process prior on the regression coefficients leads to a clustering of observations into groups having the same response to covariates. This paper illustrates the utility of this approach with an example dataset of diabetes deaths.

Description: The theme of this presentation relates to solving portfolio selection problems using linear and fractional programming. Two key contributions: 1. Generalization of the CVaR linear optimization framework. 2. Equivalences among four formulations of Coherent Distortion Risk Mearures optimization problems. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2012, Vol. 1.

Description: The attached report presents the results of a survey conducted by the Society of Actuaries Mortality and Underwriting Survey Committee in July of 2008 under the following categories: 1. Modeling Mortality Risk. 2. Use of Reinsurance to Manage Mortality. 3. Retention / Large Case Management. 4. Catastrophe Reinsurance. 5. Mortality Concentration of Risk. 6. Catastrophic Bonds.

Description: The purpose of this survey was to gather data on how a sampling of the life insurance industry makes decisions involving lab tests. This most significant conclusions were that protective value was the biggest driving force and the chief underwriter played the biggest role.

Description: This research report is the result of a second phase examination of the impact of VM-20 on life insurance product development.

Description: Chapter 10 of the Models for Retirement Policy Analysis. This chapter describes the Macroeconomic-Demographic Model of the U.S. Retirement Income System used to investigate alternative approaches to investment of the OASDI trust funds.

Description: The Health Section Council HSC of the Society of Actuaries approved and funded a project to study the cost impact on plan sponsor retiree pharmacy costs when Medicare Part D is implemented in 2006. Actuarial & Health Care Solutions, LLC AHCS was retained by HSC to perform the project. This report provides estimated savings for several of the options that will be available to plan sponsors after implementation of the Medicare prescription drug program.

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. This excel spreadsheet is a numerical example relating to the application of Credibility for lapses. Please see the SOA website research section for the complete research report on Credibility Theory Practices.

Description: The Committee on Finance Research makes available a research report exploring the mechanics and implementation of economic capital programs for life insurance companies. Discussion items include common methods for calculating economic capital advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Description: The Potential Impact of Pandemic Influenza on the U.S. Life Insurance Industry pandemic model tool. This tool is used to project a Life Insurance companies potential losses from an influenza pandemic. Please see the SOA website for complete instructions on how to use this excel spreadsheet tool. Also see the website for the complete research report: www.soa.org/research/research-projects/life-insurance/research-impact-pan-influ-life-ins.aspx. The core of the paper is quantifying the potential impact of selected pandemic scenarios on the Life Insurance industry.