Description: On January 12, 2023, the Arizona Blockchain Applied Research Center (AZ BARC) and the SOA Research Institute jointly ran a workshop on the use of blockchain technology in insurance and financial industries. The workshop included presentations focused on academic research in the blockchain space by Arizona State University, AZ BARC and an industry expert panel assembled by the SOA Research Institute. This document summarizes the research highlights and the discussions that occurred during the two-hour workshop.

Description: In the fourth quarter of 2022, publicly traded life insurers reported on their financial and operational activities, which included a downturn in income from alternative investments, the continuing impact of COVID, the impact of equity market returns on variable annuity products, and growth trends related to pension risk transfer transactions.

Description: Sales of index-linked annuities such as FIAs and RILAs have been setting new records while sales of traditional VAs have been declining. This webcast will survey the latest generation of FIA and RILA products, examining the impact of the current market environment and how the landscape is expected to change when the FED starts cutting interest rates.

Description: Data call soliciting information on Credit Risk Study Loss Experience Study: Private Placement bonds and credit risk events for 2003-2010.

Description: Corrections to table in 1986-98 Credit Risk Loss Experience Study relative to S&P default and average loss rates by credit rating.

Description: A report providing a high-level review of the literature that addresses the relationship between bond prices/yields and demographic variables, a deep dive into one of the papers, and empirical analysis starting with the methodology of that paper and extending to the stability of the relationship over time, to longer-dated bonds, and to the sovereign bonds of various countries

Description: The Society of Actuaries’ Committee on Finance Research is pleased to make available a research report covering the extent to which investment sectors have been contagiously affected by major disasters.

Description: New tools for managing insurance risk have particularly emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, usually with roots in the financial markets. A strong motivating factor has been the record number of natural catastrophes and their impact in insured losses. New organization or joint ventures have been created to meet this demand. From Securitization of Insurance Risk: The 1995 Bowles Symposium, M-FI97-1.

Description: This paper on bancassurance in India discusses some of the salient developments of banks in India, how the lack of coordination between bank regulation and insurance regulation created confusion in the development of bancassurance, the main problems facing banks in India, and some of the long term drivers of bancassurance in India. From Actuarial Research Clearing House, 2006.

Description: This article series highlights the growing impact of climate change on health, property, and financial institutions, emphasizing the need for actuaries and risk analysts to evaluate and adapt their practices to manage evolving climate-related risks.