Description: A pension actuary and a life actuary collaborate to express public pension liability and asset issues in terms and figures that an insurer would use

Description: Hot Topics in Setting Pension Return Assumptions is the third in a series, following Mathematics of Pension Return Assumption and Inflation, focusing on Effects, Forecasts, and Role in Pension Valuations. What time horizon is more appropriate for Capital Market Assumption (CMA) forecasts: mid-term or long-term time horizon, or a blend of both? How do we map the asset classes of a plan's own investment policy to the asset classes of investment forecasters' CMAs? If we use asset-smoothing for valuation assets, should we use market-driven expected returns or smoothed/average versions of them?

Description: With large public filers having adopted LDTI in 2023, company practices are continuing to evolve as it relates to experience monitoring, assumption unlocking, as well as both internal and external communication and disclosures related to assumptions. In this diverse session featuring representatives from both insurance companies as well as industry analysts, we'll explore how companies approach emerging experience in a given year through a case study approach. The moderator will explore various topics such as off-cycle experience monitoring, experience outliers, simplifications and approximations, and materiality considerations. Each 'what-if' scenario will start with a prompt from the moderator, discussion among the industry panelists as to how they would approach the situation within their own organization, followed by commentary from the analysts as to how they might expect companies to respond in each case. Audience participation will be encouraged to explore potential alternative approaches in an engaging, interactive session.

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

Description: A statement about the article peer-review process for the newsletter, and a disclaimer about interpreting any article content as tax, legal, or other advice.

Description: LDTI’s introduction has forced many insurers to examine their existing operations and technologies. They must determine how to optimize compliance efforts while balancing data, analytics and system modernization considerations to achieve maximum value. This article will examine the four key facets—the data, technology, processes, and people—essential to any successful LDTI exercise. It will also touch on the various approaches for tackling LDTI and how a modernization mindset can help insurers realize much greater transformation for the business.

Description: The SOA textbook related to US GAAP for insurers has been updated. It incorporates the recent GAAP changes, including Long Duration Targeted Improvements, and now covers both life and non-life insurers. This is an essential updated for anyone working with US GAAP financial statements, whether you are an actuary or other finance professional.

Description: A discussion of Actuarial Aspects of Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley

Description: Learn from panelists from different companies as they come together to discuss their experiences.

Description: In the fourth quarter of 2022, publicly traded life insurers reported on their financial and operational activities, which included a downturn in income from alternative investments, the continuing impact of COVID, the impact of equity market returns on variable annuity products, and growth trends related to pension risk transfer transactions.