Description: This session will discuss the regulatory environment for life and annuity products. The ever-changing landscape of the regulatory environment makes life and annuity product development and management more complicated. Federal developments, including the DOL fiduciary rule and Algorithmic accountability, as well as State developments such as AI and challenges to underwriting are just a few of the topics covered in this session.

Description: Insurers have long relied on scenario analysis to understand the long-term impacts of potential business decisions, but the advent of rapidly changing market environments and a growing desire to optimize capital has spurred business leaders to leverage new tools in order to explore potential options.

Description: 2023 was a year of continued change for the annuity market as interest rates stayed high. The rapid growth of RILA products stalled as FIA and MYGA products saw a significant increase in market share, with bonus products being extremely popular. The impact of ASOP 2 and the higher rate environment are continuing to be realized in experience, in-force management, product design and more. Learn more about the retail annuity market with a focus on the impacts of the current interest rate environment. Session materials will draw on experience studies, sales results, product changes, and more, which will examine how higher interest rates have altered the annuity market. At the conclusion of this session, you will understand recent trends in the annuity market, including emerging experience, new product designs, regulatory changes, and the impact of high interest rates.

Description: Join our exciting panel of health actuaries, ready for any challenge! Got an ACA puzzle? We've got the answers! Tackling a valuation dilemma? We're here to crack it! Facing a professionalism quandary? We'll navigate the complexities! Dealing with regulatory worries? We're your guiding light! Every question is welcome - there's no such thing as a silly question! Learning Outcomes: - Attendees will have the opportunity to get answers to their questions.

Description: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) introduced major changes to the Part D program. This session will unpack the impact of IRA's benefit redesign in 2025 premiums, costs, and beneficiary choices, and the implication of drug price negotiation in 2026. We will discuss how Part D plans are adapting to these changes, lessons learned from the 2025 bids, and what we can expect in 2026 after the price negotiation of the top ten Part D drugs.

Description: In this session, we will explore the opportunities and challenges of leveraging AI tools to support valuation actuaries in their work. We will begin by introducing the concept of large language models (LLMs), discussing their capabilities, limitations, and potential errors. We will then delve into case studies that demonstrate how LLMs can be effectively utilized to reference actuarial documents.

Description: Becoming a great actuary is a journey, and a key part of that journey is learning from those who have walked the path before you. Mentorship provides an unique opportunity to do this, but it takes skill and deliberate effort to craft an effective mentor-mentee relationship that works for you. Join us for this panel discussion as we hear successful actuarial mentors and mentees share how mentorship impacted their career as well as their tips for building a robust mentoring relationship. This engaging session promises real-world anecdotes, actionable strategies, and the invaluable wisdom of those who have navigated the actuarial landscape with the guidance of mentors. During this session, attendees will: - Learn how to find the right mentor for your career goals - Delineate between the role of a mentor versus a mentee - Hear about common pitfalls that can occur in a mentorship - Navigate how to effectively end a mentorship - Discuss how to build a culture of mentoring in your workplace

Description: While we are eight miles from Capitol Hill and a week away from the 2024 presidential election, actuaries and health policy experts will discuss the campaign platforms of the major parties and presidential candidates and the potential health policy implications in the next four years. Focus will be on the changing dynamics within ACA marketplaces with the knowledge benefit of both major party candidates having presidential administrative experience in the ACA environment. Session attendees will be well-equipped to discuss the post-ACA health policy implementation of Presidents Biden and Trump, recent policy proposals from both sides of the political aisle, and potential legislative/regulatory changes on the horizon.

Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute dedicates a portion of its research to exploring issues unique to various dimensions of population diversity that involve an aspect of actuarial practice. In this session, attendees will hear presentations of two recent reports from the SOA Research Institute focused on aging and retirement issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The reports include an exploration of how retirement savings are unequally distributed by race and ethnicity and the current state of research studies on LGBTQ+ issues related to aging and retirement.

Description: Join members of the multiple diversity and affinity groups associated with the actuarial profession (for example, the Joint Committee for Inclusion, Equity and Diversity (JCIED), SOA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee (DEIC), and participating External Affinity Actuarial Partners) in a conversation about the important work taken on by these groups in their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) journey. Each panelist will discuss aspects of their organization's origin, mission, reach, near term goals, and vision for the future.