Description: The SOA has developed a new “tool” using Microsoft Access/Excel for international actuaries to conduct mortality and persistency studies in conjunction with the SOA’s international experience study initiative. Professionally programmed, this new tool facilitates the work of international actuaries.

Description: Continuation of article from previous issue. This article illustrates the practical and financial implications of applying nested stochastic techniques to a sample product.

Description: This is a summary of the NAIC meeting held in September of 2008.

Description: Shows why predictive modeling should be a necessary tool for the life actuary, identifies examples of various limitations in traditional mortality experience analyses, and also posits various predictive modeling techniques as a means of avoiding these constraints.

Description: Article discusses the findings of the SOA International Experience Survey on embedded-value financial assumptions. It is intended to provide international actuaries with benchmark assumption data.

Description: This article is based on an excerpt from a Milliman Research Report on universal life insurance with secondary guarantees, ULSG. It discusses stochastic profit analysis and the impact of investment volatility of two common variants of ULSGs - level specified premium and single-fund shadow account designs.

Description: This article describes considerations that reinsurers take into account when pricing for term conversions and gives suggestions regarding items that the writing company may want to take into account.

Description: This article was written to increase the knowledge and insights of both the direct writer and reinsurer in optimizing the reinsurance negotiation process. It should help the reinsurer offer a more competitive quote and hence win a share in a reinsurance pool while simultaneously helping the direct writer obtain lower reinsurance costs helping their product pricing and bottom line.

Description: This article focuses on these Key Points - The Situation: Mortality Improvement assumption is not a simple equation. What Could Happen: Any mortality improvement assumption is a bit of a ‘bet’ relative to the ongoing penetration of known developments and the introduction of new developments, such as the appearance of the AIDS epidemic. What Needs to Happen: Better understanding of Mortality Improvement assumption, final assumption, and best estimate approach.

Description: The success of SOA events hinges on the contributions of its volunteers. This article outlines a few of the significant contributions of those donating of their time and expertise.