Description: This paper responds to the comments on the Total Career Benchmark Model, consistent with Retirement 20/20 principles, focuses on reconstructing and maintaining a consistent and reasonable sharing of risks and rewards amongst the four stakeholders: Individuals, Society, Employers and the Markets. Modern technology provides the necessary tools. A series of benchmarks are used for tax limits, target pensions, accrual to date etc. The self adjusting, consistent benchmarks under the TCB Model, means that all stakeholders speak the same language. Individuals and Employers can easily compare what they have to what they need – and more importantly can see how to accrue what is needed. An individual’s ability to tax shelter income over a career is not dependent on the design of any employer pension plan. All funds allocated to an individual remain the individual’s and are not used to subsidize another person – except for the inherent risk sharing of an annuity – by hidden transfers of value.

Description: The article reviews recent investment performance of stable value compared to other low risk alternatives, discusses current criticisms of the option, and concludes that they are not well founded. Criticism reflects a lack of openness to the full range of stable value contracts available and manager bias against traditional GICs, not a real lack of wrap capacity. Stable value continues to be the pareto superior low risk option.

Description: Highlights a new research paper on determining discount rates for pension plans, by John Turner. The paper breaks new ground on deciding on the appropriate discount rate for untradeable benefit obligations, with a comprehensive summary of the field.

Description: The article makes reference to how the intervention by government agencies and institutions into the financial marketplace are creating distortions. This artificial tampering into market mechanisms will likely result in major financial dislocations down the road as natural economic forces (coined by the term "invisible hand") eventually are allowed to come into play.

Description: This article discusses Actuarial Guideline CCC and its impact on ROP Term.

Description: This article discusses the pending Pension Protection Act and the opportunity it presents for products that combine LTC and Annuities.

Description: Read the Sept. 2017 issue of Small Talk published by Smaller Insurance Company Section. Practical information on trends that impact sections and activities.

Description: This work investigates the use of a statistical approach to calculate the incurred but not reported IBNR reserve directly. This allows for the reserve to be estimated in one step, without completion factors, and it provides a confidence interval around the estimate of IBNR as well.

Description: Many of the innovations and methods required to improve retirement security exist, but have not been pulled together into an integrated solution at scale.

Description: This paper illustrates the calculation of embedded value of an insurance company. The principles should be applicable to similar calculations for other companies.