Description: This paper applies the research in Prospect Theory of Kahneman and Tversky to explain why sales of annuities lag sales of life insurance products. The author theorizes that life insurance is easier to sell because customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of losses, while potential annuity customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of gains. Kahneman and Tversky showed us that people are mostly risk averse in the domain of gains and risk seeking in the domain of losses. Purchase of an annuity or life product is a risky investment. Customers will find it easier to take the risk in the life insurance domain of losses than the annuity domain of gains. The author then proposes a hybrid life annuity product that might address both mortality and longevity risk in one product that would allow both products to be more competitive than stand-alone products.

Description: AG 49 pertains to illustrated life insurance products with a crediting rate tied to an index. The guideline discusses the maximum illustrated credited rate and format changes to illustrations.

Description: The article highlights key considerations as companies begin to reserve for their IUL products under PBR.

Description: This paper applies the research in Prospect Theory of Kahneman and Tversky to explain why sales of annuities lag sales of life insurance products. The author theorizes that life insurance is easier to sell because customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of losses, while potential annuity customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of gains. Kahneman and Tversky showed us that people are mostly risk averse in the domain of gains and risk seeking in the domain of losses. Purchase of an annuity or life product is a risky investment. Customers will find it easier to take the risk in the life insurance domain of losses than the annuity domain of gains. The author then proposes a hybrid life annuity product that might address both mortality and longevity risk in one product that would allow both products to be more competitive than stand-alone products.

Description: Over the past few years, the Internal Revenue Service has issued two private letter rulings waiving the failure of certain fixed-premium universal life insurance FPUL contracts to satisfy the guideline premium test GPT under section 7702 of the Internal Revenue Code [see PLR 200328027 Apr. 10, 2003 and PLR 200230037 Apr. 30, 2002].

Description: Reworking The ABC’s of XYZ by Tom Kalmbach from Small Talk Newsletter, November 2002, Issue No. 19.

Description: This article asks the question, Is It appropriate to underwrite changes to UL death benefit options?

Description: This article reviews the topics discussed at the December 2004 meeting of the Life and Health Actuarial task force. The covered topics include Actuarial Guideline 38 and Reserves for Variable Annuities C-3 Phase 2 reserves.

Description: This article provides a summary of the results from a recent Milliman survey. Survey results provide UL/IUL carriers with a benchmark to evaluate their practices relative to those prevalent in the industry.

Description: This article examines potential impacts of old age mortality and how it affects maturity extension riders for universal life.