Description: Join us for discussion about the tax implications for direct writers ceding annuity blocks. The presenters will describe the mechanics and consequences for both onshore and offshore reinsurance arrangements. This will introduce the audience to the tax consequences, with the risk transfer of annuity features and guarantees to reinsurers to reinsurers that are US-based and not US domiciled.

Description: We devise an approach, using tobit models for modeling annuity lapse rates. The approach is based on data provided by the Society of Actuaries’ Risk Management Task Force. Kim [2005a] models annuity lapse rates using a logit model and the same US data (he also used Korean data separately). We find that the tobit model is a more than suitable approach for all levels of the explanatory variables including interest rates, unemployment rates, and GDP growth rates. Specifically, policyholder behavior in the tail of the distribution of lapse rates is explained as well as it is in the normal range of lapse rates.

Description: The Required Minimum Distribution [RMD] Working Group of the SOA Taxation Section has completed research identifying considerations for actuaries and annuity insurers in determing the actuarial present value of additional benefits for computing the RMD under a deferred annuity contract. This is the Appendix I spreadsheet for determining the Actuarial Present Value of an annuitization bonus. Please see the SOA website research for the full report and other associated spreadsheets.

Description: The Required Minimum Distribution [RMD] working group of the Taxation Section has completed research in determining the actuarial present value of additional benefits for computing RMD under deferred annuity contracts. This is Appendix H spreadsheet for persistency bonus calculations for this research project. Please see teh SOA website research section for the complete report and excel spreadsheets for other appendices.

Description: This article discusses the proper slope of mortality tables, especially at the high attained ages.

Description: Chairperson’s column describing activities the Product Development section has undertaken to date.

Description: This webcast will walk through several statistical methods for imputing race and ethnicity from U.S. datasets, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses, talking about how to use them and evaluating their accuracy, and telling you where you can get code packages as well as a free dataset to try the methods out.