Description: The Society of Actuaries (SOA) has partnered with LIMRA and the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) to conduct a series of ‘sprint’ surveys on the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impacts on the insurance industry. Because market conditions greatly impact the value of insurance companies’ assets and liabilities, one of these “sprint” surveys focused on best practices around asset and liability management (ALM). The survey was directed at actuaries, investment managers, and risk managers directly involved in assessing the impact of recent events on ALM. Responses to the survey were collected between August 17-31, 2020. Twenty-six companies responded to the survey.

Description: The Society of Actuaries’ Committee on Post-Retirement Needs and Risks (CPRNR) commissioned Linda Koco to write this guide that employers can use when considering advice options for a company retirement plan. The guide includes information about the nature and timing of decisions, ongoing decisions after retirement, and advice considerations. The guide is intended to be unbiased toward any particular approach or organization’s product. This guide does not provide advice for specific situations and should not be construed as doing so. It is an information tool for considerations related to advice. The guide is not intended to provide legal guidance or recommendations.

Description: The Casualty Actuarial Society, the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, the Society of Actuaries Joint Risk Management, Reinsurance and Financial Reporting Sections are pleased to make available key findings from the 2022 Emerging Risks Survey, the sixteenth in the series. Conducted by Max J. Rudolph of Rudolph Financial Consulting LLC, the survey incorporated a set of Emerging Risks defined by the World Economic Forum as the basis for several of the questions. The survey also included questions related to current risk management topics.

Description: The Society of Actuaries Research Institute’s Catastrophe and Climate Strategic Research Program is pleased to release the following essay addressing current and potential uses for the Actuaries Climate Index.

Description: Constant maturity credit default swaps [CMCDS] are useful as hedging tools. In intensity model approach, the default time is defined as the first arrival time of the Poisson process. From the market quotes of CDS forward rates and bonds, we are able to numerically compute the default probabilities. Approximating CMCDS price depends largely on CDS forward rates’ volatilities and their correlations. This paper implements the price algorithm based on Brigo’s work [2006]. Starting with current market data such as CDS forward rates and nondefaultable bond prices, the paper describes steps involved to obtain the price CMCDS. The paper demonstrates the impact of convexity on the CMCDS price structure.

Description: We derive formulas for calculating the premiums that should be charged on policies in a discounted cash flow model with tax reserves and required assets that are determined by regulation. We also determine the unique division of required assets into “reserves” and “capital” that allows the product profitability to be correctly evaluated. That is, the profit after capital charges is zero if the product achieves the return assumed in pricing. We illustrate the concepts using whole life insurance and guaranteed minimum death benefit examples.

Description: This paper introduces actuaries and others to dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models, a type of macroeconomic model. Authored by Kailan Shang, the paper illustrates how DSGE models can be used in economic scenario generation to reflect the cause and effect relationships that occur in the economic system.

Description: This report covers credit risk loss experience during the period 2003 through 2015 on non-Rule 144A private placement securities (and, with limited exceptions, some specific types of Rule 144A bonds) held by participating companies of the life insurance industry.

Description: This document discusses the process of obtaining regulatory approval for actuarial innovations in the United States. It includes information on the research project conducted by the Society of Actuaries and Milliman, insights from interviews with actuaries and regulators, as well as advice for presenting and defending innovative ideas.