Description: This paper uses data from two longitudinal surveys to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and financial well-being of older women and men, with specific interest in differences by marital status and duration of widowhood. The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study WLS provides a look at the consequences of relatively early widowhood. The Health and Retirement Study HRS has interviewed a representative sample of individuals 50 and older over the last two decades. We use the data from that survey to examine the adjustment to widowerhood over a larger age range, but with likely less precision to measure differences among women of a single age.

Description: The purpose of this research project was to identify challenges encountered by smaller insurers in obtaining life reinsurance, learn about challenges and opportunities life reinsurers face in servicing these companies, and consider some possible solutions that might help to resolve the challenges encountered.

Description: A research project defining relevant and actionable consumer segments among middle-income/mid-level net worth households.

Description: The Committee on Finance Research is pleased to make available a research report summarizing the results of a survey exploring market risk practices at insurance companies.

Description: A research report providing a primer on the mechanics and uses of the Hidden Markov Model for actuarial and financial applications.

Description: This is a report on the results of a survey, conducted during July and August 2008, on the current practices and reactions related to life settlements. A life settlement is a financial transaction in which a policy owner possessing an unneeded or unwanted life insurance policy, sells the policy to a third party for more than the cash value offered by the life insurance company at the time of sale.

Description: With the credit interest rate floor of a cash balance plan—a simple type of option identified by the Project Oversight Group—as a model, this research uses three valuation and risk analysis approaches to explore the existing techniques to value embedded options on an economic basis.

Description: This research summarizes interviews of individuals 85+ years old, looking at how habits and behaviors from earlier in life affect the later years of retirement.

Description: This research report is a summary of an online survey and follow-up discussions with survey respondents on the current state of actuarial modeling controls within U. S. and Canadian life insurance and annuity companies. The current state was then compared to the results from the 2012 survey on this topic to examine the evolution in actuarial model controls and governance. The report also provides an industry assessment and proposes considerations for enhancing the current state towards a well-controlled governance framework.

Description: This article will clarify valuation issues for the waiver of premium benefit in Accident and Health products.