Description: The National Center For Health Statistics recently came out with preliminary 2006 U.S. population mortality statistics—showing lower mortality and a record life expectancy!

Description: The purpose of this survey is to provide international actuaries with benchmark assumption data.

Description: Technology now supports customized non-level death benefits which help consumers optimize their coverage and cost. Creating individual policies and individually pricing them for a level premium quote is the start of personalizing and optimizing coverage and cost for consumers and pricing life insurance policies at the individual consumer level --- a revolution for actuaries.

Description: This article discusses the characteristics of companies dedicated to being leaders in the Term market and the role that reinsurers play.

Description: New Chairperson’s Corner

Description: Credit Card Approach to Pricing by Ralph H. Gorter from Product Development News, August 2000, Issue No. 50. Examines the pricing of annuities including any bonus features.

Description: In actuarial work, we are frequently confronted with problems with more than one apparently reasonable answer. This article deals with one of these, where the Federal DAC cost can be applied in an apparently reasonable, but incorrect, manner.

Description: This article highlights the interaction between pricing and corporate. There is a move toward principle-based reserving standards in the United States.

Description: The Canadian Institute of Actuaries CIA recently updated its studies of lapse experience under universal life UL level cost of insurance COI and term-to-100 T100 policies. These studies can help U.S. actuaries set lapse assumptions for other lapse-supported products where no or little ultimate lapse experience exists, such as return of premium ROP term and UL with no lapse guarantees. The financial implications of overestimating ultimate lapse rates for these products can be significant.