Description: Recently the interest rates have been slowly trending up from the lowest point in August 2020. The focus of this article is on current market trends for long-duration products —including life insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance —following an extended period of low interest rates, and lessons carriers can learn from similar historical periods of rising interest rates. Innovative and flexible product features will continue to be essential, as the current interest trend may not substantially increase insurers’ portfolio rates. When designing or modifying product features, insurers should consider profitability in a wide breadth of interest rate scenarios and be particularly mindful of the impact that crediting rates and asset durations will have on earnings.

Description: To understand the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and mortality, RGA investigated a national, health-related, mortality-linked data set provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). RGA Strategic Research Actuary Julianne Callaway discusses the company's findings.

Description: In this video, Malika Visram, a life valuation actuary, explains the differences between term life, whole life, and universal life insurance products. She also discusses the actuarial aspects of pricing and risk management for these products. Watch the video to learn more about the world of life insurance and the role of actuaries in it. Contributors: Malika Visram; Scott Allen, FSA, MAAA; Razi Hasnain, ASA, ACIA; Jon Forster, ASA, MAAA

Description: Summary of a survey conducted by Milliman of 28life insurers on the impact of AG49 and AG49-A on their Indexed Universal Life products.

Description: Discussion of a new product concept in life insurance: Registered Indexed Variable Universal Life (RIVUL). A product idea based on the sales success of Registered Indexed Life Annuities (RILA), but applied to life insurance. The article discusses the pros and cons of the product idea and the ability of it to provide a company with something different relative to existing universal life insurance products.

Description: In collaboration with the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, RGA’s Behavioral Science team designed two experiments with U.S.-based participants to explore how behavioral science techniques can improve comprehension in life insurance purchasing journeys. The first experiment aimed to increase understanding of term life insurance via simulated online digital journeys. Building on the findings of the first, the second experiment investigated the effects of using both human and AI-generated videos. While the research focused on digital delivery of term life insurance, the relevance of tested techniques extends further, providing insights for improving information presentation for other insurance products and in non-digital formats.

Description: Written in reaction to the AG49-A "quick-fix" passed, this article covers the history of IULillustration regulation. It begins by covering major product development and regulationmilestones to date, with numerical examples to show their impacts on illustrations. It thenexplains how the "quick-fix" works and what its impact on illustrations is. Lastly, the articlelooks forward to what could be in store in the future for IUL illustrations.

Description: Milliman was engaged by the SOA to conduct two Accelerated Underwriting (AU) surveys, one of direct companies and another of reinsurers. The surveys explored actual results from 2019–2021 and expected results from 2022.

Description: The article discusses the impact of changes made to Internal Revenue Code Section 7702 by the ConsolidatedAppropriations Act, 2021. The Consolidated Appropriations Act made changes to the interest rates used calculatethe Section 7702 premium and cash value funding limitations for life insurance contracts

Description: The paper describes a cost-benefit analysis to determine the value of electronic health records (EHRs) in life insurance accelerated underwriting programs. Sample cases from a carrier were underwritten pre-EHR and post-EHR and the mortality savings estimates from risk class changes using EHRs was compared to procurement costs. Results were developed to cover a range of scenarios. Factors to consider for carriers evaluating the cost-effectiveness of using EHRs in their own accelerated underwriting programs are also described.