Description: This paper concerns policyholder dividends on traditional participating life insurance products in regulatory contexts similar to those in the United States and Canada. This paper also touches on annuity products. It was prepared for use in the educational curriculum of the Society of Actuaries. Dividend actuaries seeking references to writings on policyholder dividends to refresh their perspective may also find it useful.

Description: The Society of Actuaries’ Aging and Retirement Strategic Research Program and LIMRA’s Secure Retirement Institute are pleased to release a report summarizing a series of interviews with retirement plan recordkeepers and subject matter experts regarding industry practices in financial crimes and fraud prevention.

Description: This report describes the main features of structured settlement annuities in North America and current actuarial practices and issues related to this product. It was prepared for use in the educational curriculum of the Society of Actuaries.

Description: In the third quarter of 2022, publicly traded life insurers reported on their financial and operational activities, which included a downturn in income from alternative investments, the continuing impact of COVID, the impact of equity market returns on variable annuity products, and growth trends related to pension risk transfer transactions.

Description: SECURE 2.0 included provisions that improve the ability of insurers to serve those who own qualified annuities. Several previously disallowed distribution methods are now allowed. These changes should increase the availability and desirability by contract owners to choose a payout annuity compared to required minimum distributions. An insurer considering enhancing qualified annuitization offerings might follow the approach outlined to potentially increase qualified annuitization sales and assist contract owners in protecting their principal more directly than previously.

Description: This research summarizes surveys of individuals 85+ years old, and children of individuals 85+ years old looking at post-retirement experiences.

Description: The SOA is making changes to the ASA curriculum to meet employer and market demand for actuarial education.

Description: The Actuarial Innovation & Technology Program Steering Committee (AITPSC) is seeking researchers to produce a report that discusses the life cycle of innovation and how to keep up with the increasing pace of change in our field. Research format should include interviews and case studies from across the actuarial profession.

Description: To help familiarize actuaries in industry with statistical methods for imputing or modeling race and ethnicity in the U.S., the Institute’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Research Program is seeking a researcher to outline the various methods, including their strengths and weaknesses. The project intent is a methodology review rather than original thinking. The review should assume that the user will be working with structured datasets in an insurance context, for example, data associated with an in-force life or health insurance product.

Description: A call for proposals for research projects exploring recent insurance product innovations and their impacts on the industry. It outlines the background, purpose, objectives, proposal requirements, selection process, submission details, conditions, and conflict of interest disclosures.