Description: The Society of Actuaries and LIMRA have sponsored a Variable Annuity Guaranteed Living Benefit Utilization Study. This study is an annual update of earlier investigations conducted since 2006.

Description: LIMRA, Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), the Society of Actuaries (SOA), and TAI have collaborated on an ongoing effort to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the individual life insurance industry’s mortality experience and share the emerging results with the insurance industry and the public. The Individual Life COVID-19 Project Work Group (Work Group) was formed as a collaboration of LIMRA, RGA, the SOA, and TAI to design, implement, and create the study and to produce and distribute a variety of analyses. This report is the fifth public release from this collaboration and contains the results of a cause of death analysis focused on how the rates of death for various causes were impacted throughout the pandemic period through the first quarter of 2021.

Description: View the Social and Other Determinants of Life Insurance Demand

Description: The Required Minimum Distribution (“RMD”) Working Group of the Society of Actuaries’ Taxation Section has completed new research identifying considerations for actuaries and annuity insurers in determining the actuarial present value of additional benefits for computing required minimum distributions under a deferred annuity contract. The paper discusses types of benefits covered under Treasury Regulation Section 1.401 (a)(9)–6, Q&A–12 as well as possible assumptions and methods for calculating the actuarial present values of additional benefits provided under an annuity contract. The appendices show examples for a variety of additional benefit types. EXCEL spreadsheets for the appendices are also provided. The discussion presented in the paper and the examples are provided for educational purposes and are not to be viewed as an authoritative interpretation of Q&A–12.

Description: LIMRA, Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), the Society of Actuaries (SOA) Research Institute, and TAI have collaborated on an ongoing effort to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the individual life insurance industry’s mortality experience and share the emerging results with the insurance industry and the public. This report documents a high-level analysis of the claims that have been reported.

Description: The report discusses using behavioral science in redesigning life insurance underwriting questionnaires to improve disclosure rates. It includes an experimental study, industry survey insights, and discussions on application forms, behavioral science application, and organizational engagement with behavioral science in the insurance industry.

Description: The Mortality Improvement Life Working Group released a recommendation for a set of improvement factors that vary by gender and attained age to be used in conjunction with the 2008 Valuation Basic table or the 2015 Valuation Basic table for AG-38 purposes.

Description: This research report is the result of a second phase examination of the impact of VM-20 on life insurance product development.

Description: This report is a summary based on current actuarial practices around the development and use of policyholder behavior assumptions including the use of dynamic modeling approaches. The research team surveyed and evaluated current practices in the industry; and highlighted current thinking on modeling human behaviors outside the life insurance industry. This project was sponsored by the SOA’s Financial Reporting Section and the Committee on Life Insurance Research.

Description: The Marketing and Distribution Section initiated a multi-phase research effort to better understand the middle market for life insurance and to identify segments that would allow the industry to better target customer needs. Supported by the Committee on Life Insurance Research, Product Development and Reinsurance Sections, the phase one research examined young families between the ages of 25 and 40 with household income of $35K-$125K and who have individual life insurance or financial dependents. This summarizes the results of this study and is authored by Dr. Walter Zultowski of WZ Research + Consulting and Dr. Brian Perlman of Mathew Greenwald & Associates.