Description: This article discusses the recent low interest rate environment and the asset-liability management challenges it presents for insurers. With respect to products such as deferred annuities, universal life and settlement options, it introduces the more robust duration measure called effective duration, which is the product of option-adjusted analysis OAA.

Description: This article takes a look at how defined benefit (DB) pension plan financials ended the third quarter of 2023 on a solid footing, improving the capacity to take meaningful de-risking actions; as DB plans look to de-risk at reasonable costs, they may find it beneficial to consider a broad range of investment options; and completing a core bond allocation with private credit and income-oriented alternative strategies can help achieve important savings over other frequently pursued de-risking approaches, without materially increasing the funded status volatility or downside risk