Description: Presented at May 2005 Spring Meeting. Panelists discuss currently available data standards, forecasts about the future uses of data standards, and standards being adopted by Information Technology departments.

Description: A review of 'Life Contingencies' by Alistair Neill, to be used as a textbook for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries examinations.

Description: A discussion on investment strategies and long-term financial planning techniques.

Description: Feature article discussing the complexity of financial markets.

Description: Presented at June 1996 Spring Meeting. This discusses the effect on pension plans of mergers and divestitures and looks at the importance of due diligence as part of the process. The discussion also presents the reality of actuaries on trial for negligence.

Description: From the 1985 Valuation Actuary Symposium. A discussion of the principles that should be part of a life insurance valuation. Also discussion of emerging actuarial professional standards of practice and regulatory requirements with respect to methodology for assessing reserve adequacy.

Description: From the 1986 Valuation Actuary Symposium, held in Washington DC in October 1986 Discussion of the process for setting assumptions for cash flow testing of interest sensitive products for reserve valuation analysis under statutory accounting in the USA and Canadian GAAP.

Description: Notes the seminars were almost totally revamped this year with a focus on developments towards Phase II of IFRS. These were held in Hong Kong, Manila and Taipei.

Description: Exploration of sources of volatility in retiree health valuations, noting how volatility arises and might be mitigated, with discussion of valuation parameters more problematic for retiree health benefits than for pensions. Three significant influences on retiree health valuation volatility are covered-- changes in benefit level, fluctuations in cost level, and alterations in eligibility for, or duration of, benefit – and attention focused on the last two. Specific conclusions result in recommendations, which are supported by practical examples contrasting volatile measurement results with those likely from the recommended practices. Theoretical discussion includes health claim variation, health trend usage, financial economics, option pricing, discount rates, and deterministic vs. stochastic modeling.

Description: This discussion seeks to answer what reserves are required for individual accident and sickness policies, looks at the actuary's responsibility for experience analysis, discusses product development and policy change problems, and examines the major current developments affecting individual accident and sickness insurance.