Description: Appendix C to SOA Research Report: Models for Retirement Policy Analysis. The description and evaluation of each model in this report includes an assessment of its suitability to address several specific policy issues. This appendix describes the illustrative policy issues selected for this assessment.

Description: Chapter 4 of Models for Retirement Policy Analysis. The PRISM Pension and Retirement Income Simulation Model is a dynamic microsimulation model designed to simulate the retirement income and long term care utilization and financing of the elderly population. The strengths and limitations of the approach are addressed as well as accessibility and ease of use.

Description: We devise an approach, using tobit models for modeling annuity lapse rates. The approach is based on data provided by the Society of Actuaries’ Risk Management Task Force. Kim [2005a] models annuity lapse rates using a logit model and the same US data (he also used Korean data separately). We find that the tobit model is a more than suitable approach for all levels of the explanatory variables including interest rates, unemployment rates, and GDP growth rates. Specifically, policyholder behavior in the tail of the distribution of lapse rates is explained as well as it is in the normal range of lapse rates.

Description: This is a research project on possible replacement indices for the 30 year treasury rates used to value current liability for defined benefit pension plans in the US.

Description: This research report analyzes approaches for the required discount rate to determine adequate funding for DB pension plans.

Description: The comments of DxCG about their participation in the SOA study A Comparative Analysis of Claims-Based Tools for Health Risk Assessment.

Description: This analysis provides an overview of the functional components of the managed care system. It discusses the market forces underlying the United States’ system for health care financing and delivery and suggests how market forces impact the health care industry. The analysis focuses on societal goals for health care delivery and on managed care’s effectiveness in enabling achievement of those goals. The analysis develops and uses an innovative model developed to summarize the complex interplay among the many stakeholders, or participants, in the health care system. The model provides a framework for analysis of the many relationships among stakeholders. The analysis also highlights current issues in managed care, particularly the barriers that impede collaboration among stakeholders.

Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute are pleased to present the results of new research on the retirement market in China.

Description: This is the second report in a series on the current state and future opportunity of the retirement market in China. In this report, edition two of the series, you will see results stratified according to city tier and location landscape. Also included in this edition is a description of the differences in retirement age between men and women, and those from different educational backgrounds. This is the Simple Chinese translated version of the report.

Description: The purpose of this research project was to survey professionals in the viatical and life settlement a.k.a. secondary insurance industry to discover how actuaries could best serve this particular business.