Description: With the halfway point of the transition period in the rear view mirror, many companies are well underway with their VM-20 implementation and analysis efforts. Beyond attempting to master the new rules of the road, actuaries have discovered new effects of product design and assumption setting. Panelists in this session will discuss their experiences with VM-20 reserves for various products and designs, their applications of actuarial judgement and the areas where even they don’t have all the answers. The audience is encouraged to bring their questions and also to share their insights.

Description: Full version of International Section News, March 2006, Issue No. 38.

Description: Article from International News Section, March 2006, No. 38, on the International Association of Black Actuaries (IABA), the world's premiere actuarial organization dedicated to shaping diversity by influencing industry and elevating the status of black actuaries.

Description: Discusses the reception sponsored by the International Section at the SOA 2005 Annual meeting held in New York City.

Description: This article is a recap of the Conference to Promote Diversity in the Actuarial Profession Worldwide that preceded the International Congress of Actuaries ICA 2010.

Description: The growing aging population presents unique challenges and opportunities, especially for the financial services industry. Presenters will explore the issues with particular focus on demographic challenges, such as age dependency ratios and implications for sovereign debt and public policy. They will also compare and contrast private sector offerings across the globe. In particular, as an example of a super-aging society, presenters will describe how Japanese insurers and pension funds tackle longevity risk.

Description: Principle-based reserving requires modeling assets and liabilities across a range of scenarios to assess the sufficiency of assets when determining reserves, a major shift from the current formulaic framework. These changes will require valuation actuaries to evolve their skill set by heightening their focus on creative analysis, gaining deeper understanding of complex projections and clearly communicating drivers of reserve movements to stakeholders in order to influence strategic decision-making. The panelists will discuss the way that they see the role of the valuation actuary changing in response to the change in focus in reserving requirements. They will also discuss successful characteristics along with best practices for understanding and explaining results in the new paradigm. The audience will be given the opportunity to interact through polling and facilitated discussion of their stories, experiences and observations.

Description: The article describes my career in Diversity, starting at the workplace, and continuing during my current service on the Board. Readers should get ideas as to how they too can work towards improving Diversity and Inclusion in our workplaces and our profession.

Description: An overview of John Robinson's experience at the recently concluded annual meeting of the Caribbean Actuarial Association in Trinidad.

Description: While most actuaries work for companies and have as a primary objective the financial success of their employers, regulatory actuaries primarily serve the public interest. In part one of this presentation, we will explore the role of actuaries whose priority is to serve the public interest. Regulation is developed by a deliberative process that includes regulators, the American Academy of Actuaries, trade associations and the companies that will be affected by the regulation. In part two of this session, we will present a series of vignettes each focusing on recent updates to the Valuation Manual. At the conclusion of the session, attendees will have a deeper appreciation of what goes on behind the scenes in the development of regulation.