Description: The author, head of Alternatives Investment Specialists at Fortis Investments, recently presented a research paper on the potential benefits and possible pitfalls of investing in illiquid assets. This newsletter provides a brief summary of that paper. The full paper is available upon request.

Description: Feature article discussing the newly developed Build America Bonds BABs.

Description: Is Risk/Return a sound tool for decision-making? No. It is not consistent, not objective, distorts decision and degrades governance. Why? What shall we do then?

Description: This article presents new funding instruments for equity-indexed life insurance and annuity products.

Description: The article is based on a study of causes of insolvency and decisions made by management, regulators, and policyholders over the life cycle of the insolvency.

Description: The author discusses how the use of a weighted average dollar duration book yield, WADD, rather than the more traditional book yield determined by book value or market value weighting, can provide a better basis for determining the crediting rate on the liabilities.

Description: 1999 Market Triathlon Results by Frank M. Grossman from Risks and Rewards Newsletter, September 2000, Issue No. 35.

Description: Feature article discussing arithmetic means.

Description: The Long and Short (Runs) of Investing in Equities by Peter Yoo from Risks and Rewards Newsletter, March 1999, Issue No. 32.

Description: This article discusses how FHLB advances, i.e. low cost loans, can supply valuable risk management benefits. By carefully structuring an advance to mature coincident with the anticipated premium inflows generated by insurance products, a company can largely eliminate future net cash flows and consequently the need to invest them in uncertain capital markets.