Description: Discover investing trends across the life and health industry as insurers seek to navigate rapidly changing rate and market environments. BlackRock will present results from its Peer Risk Study, which models industry holdings based on statutory filings at the CUSIP level. Through the Aladdin risk modeling software, expect a production of deep insights into insurer portfolio risk and return characteristics, as well as exploring how they have evolved. Keep an eye out for a partner to present on the evolution from their perspective. Start learning about what is happening on the asset side of the balance sheet across the industry.

Description: Dive into the released enhancements of MIM-2021, including a run through of its purpose and evolution, during this webcast. The Mortality and Longevity Strategic Research Program plans to release these updates in October. You will leave this webcast with an understanding of how to create a mortality improvement scale using the necessary steps and tools. Learn how to use MIM-2021 through instruction and demonstration that will properly prepare you to utilize this tool. There will be time for questions where you can ask about the projection process or provide feedback.

Description: This session will examine bias from a social science perspective. It will discuss the three types of systemic biases using the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) model. The NIST model details the three types as historical bias, societal bias, and institutionalbias. The session will also provide several examples of each type to provide a framework for identifying the social structure of bias.

Description: Gain an overview of the requirements for the new asset adequacy Actuarial Guideline 53 (AG53) guideline for complex assets. You will discover helpful insights and considerations for multi-scenario testing and sensitivity testing as well as approaches to developing attribution analyses for complex assets. You will also receive insights from any published regulatory materials that help describe what worked well and what needs improvement based on the initial AG 53 submissions from year-end 2022.

Description: LDTI's roll forward disclosure requirements include line items for the impact of actual variances from expected experience (A/E) for both net premiums and benefits. These aggregate A/E amounts provide some insight into how actual experience is emerging relative to expectations, but they do not provide insight into either the drivers of the deviations or their significance.

Description: Delves into the impact of rising interest rates on annuity product management, with a focus on the challenges of disintermediation and implications to hedging. Learn about in-force management actions, best practices for managing annuities in a changing environment and associated risks. Explore how companies are revising their hedging strategies to adapt to shifting market conditions and regulatory framework changes. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the relation between rising interest rates and disintermediation, its financial and business impacts, and strategies for managing business and setting assumptions during periods of high disintermediation. Come away with practical strategies for optimizing returns, minimizing risks, and navigating the challenges and opportunities associated with annuity product management in the current interest rate environment.

Description: The rapid evolution of life insurance underwriting has created pricing and operational challenges and raised new questions about established approaches to assumption development, both of which demand a fresh perspective. As underwriting methods evolve, we find ourselves navigating uncharted territory. In this session, we delve into accelerated underwriting, focusing on two critical areas. First, we explore assumption setting in this new world, where numerous interaction effects can make it feel like we’re asked to consider everything, from every angle, all at once. Considerations for assumption setting must encompass early performance indicators—what signals inform our assumptions? Additionally, we address novel underwriting approaches and how to adapt assumptions for these paradigms. Furthermore, in the context of post-COVID claims experience, we discuss distinguishing meaningful insights from noise. Second, we examine declinable risks and their impact on mortality. In this new world ushered in by accelerated underwriting, previously excluded risks—low-frequency, high-severity declinable cases—are now part of the landscape. Quantifying their mortality impact challenges us, as historical data lacks systematic tracking. To quantify declinable risks, we draw upon research findings from analyzing 27 million life insurance applicants, providing valuable insights for attendees to navigate this dynamic landscape and make informed assumptions for pricing and risk management.

Description: The Smaller Insurance Company Section Buzz Groups at the Valuation Actuary Meetings and the SOA Annual Meetings have always generated great discussions, ideas, and opportunities to hear about topics that affect the actuarial work of small companies. Join us for the Smaller Insurance Company Section Buzz Group to discuss the issues affecting Smaller (and larger) Insurance Company actuaries during these emerging changes. Bring your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and participation to discuss our special concerns.

Description: Life insurance products have evolved over time from the early mutual aid societies paying benefits when members died to comprehensive products covering a range of financial needs over an individual’s lifecycle. While some life insurance benefit riders have been offered for decades and are well-established, recent years have seen a number of accelerated benefit riders being introduced by carriers for a growing range of covered triggers. Join us as we discuss these acceleration and extended benefit riders, trends and innovations in the space, and discuss challenges and actuarial considerations in designing, pricing, and modelling them. We will also explore issues carriers have experienced, how to consider the interactions between these benefits and the underlying mortality coverage, reinsurance considerations, and more!

Description: Come discuss modeling costs and its governance, as well as introduce some platforms for more granular asset modeling.