Description: In order to better meet the needs of the Society of Actuary members, a new special interest group is being formed that will deal with employee benefits. In preparation of forming this group, feedback was solicited through a survey as well as a brainstorming session open to all meeting participants during the June 2009 Health Spring Meeting. This presentation summarizes the results of the survey.

Description: This presentation relates to determining the next standards applicable for pension plan valuation in Canada, depending upon further decisions to be made by the Actuarial Standard Board-Conseil des norms actuarielles.

Description: This presentation studies the mortality prediction performance of the Lee-Carter model.

Description: A presentation that summarizes and analyzes the risks catastrophe bond investors are exposed to and have to be aware of.

Description: This article addresses the difficulties of risk modeling in a poor economic environment. The problems include imperfect vendors of data, facing events that have never occurred before, unpredictable consumer behavior, conflicting data sources, and AAA credit doesn't always mean AAA.

Description: Starting with a review of recent VA and FIA industry policyholder behavior experience, this session will explore several critical elements in developing a sustainable and coherent framework to translate this complex experience data to assumption models, particularly for guarantee features such as GLWBs. The discussion will include the use of industry- and company-level data in building customized predictive models, and integrating models across behaviors such as income utilization and surrenders.

Description: Reinsurance has been available for VA Guarantees for over 20 years. During that time, the reinsurance market for VA Guarantees has undergone frequent and sometimes violent transformations. Where does the market stand today? What forms and structures of reinsurance are available? Which VA Guarantee designs and features are easier to reinsure? Is reinsurance offered on both newly issued policies as well as in force/legacy books, and which vintages are difficult to reinsure? In an age of sophisticated hedging programs, what role does a reinsurer play in helping a VA writer manage this highly volatile risk? In this session, we will hear from a reinsurer that is actively writing new VA Guarantee reinsurance treaties in the U.S. and around the world, and from a VA writer that has successfully partnered with a reinsurer to enhance its VA product offering.

Description: Over the last few years, many direct companies have started inforce management programs and are now navigating what actions can be taken to optimize the business. At the same time, the legal, compliance, and regulatory environments are also changing. The presenters will explore the development and implementation of programs such as changing non-guaranteed elements or efforts to improve experience while considering the changing compliance environment, including New York Regulation 210, ASOP2 and litigation challenges.

Description: Innovation has become a buzz word for insurers in recent years, with boards demanding more innovation and a trend to establish innovation teams and chief innovation officers.

Description: The presenters will provide an update on recent developments impacting U.S. retirement plans, such as regulatory guidance, new legislative proposals, recent court cases and recent trends. Experienced pension actuaries will share their perspectives on these issues and discuss how plan sponsors are being impacted.