Description: Examines the mortality experience of charitable annuities and compares the mortality rates of the beneficiaries to the Annuity 2000 Mortality Table Basic. The analysis includes mortality by sex, duration, age and type of charitable organization.

Description: The following paper, authored by Brian A. Jones and copyrighted in 2008, was the result of an invitation by the SOA's Pension Section Research Team to explore the current state of defined benefit plans in Canada and future visions of them.

Description: As part of its ongoing effort to provide useful information on COVID-19, the Society of Actuaries issued a brief survey to its Investment Section members to gain insight as to how COVID-19 is impacting investment professionals. The survey results are intended to help members compare their thinking and future expectations of COVID-19 with their peers.

Description: Z-factor analysis under a principles-based approach for U.S. life insurance products. Under PBA, the Z-Factor is a measure of margin in excess of the best estimate assumptions embedded in the statutory reserves of a life insurance product or block of business. Specifically, our assignment was to explore the applicability of the Z-Factor calculation when considering the risk margins and minimum required capital under PBA.

Description: Twelve companies field tested the proposed principle-based valuation manual for four different product lines: term life, universal life, whole life and deferred annuity. This report compares the reserves and C3 capital amounts under PBA versus current formulaic standard and discusses practical aspects in applying the proposed methodology.

Description: The goals of this project are to describe the impact on assets and liabilities if nominal interest rates remained low for an extended period of time. In addition, several other questions were considered that provide insights to the reader: • Is a long-term low interest rate scenario possible? • What could cause a long-term low nominal interest rate scenario and should this be presented to management? • What strategies should insurers and others providing oversight consider in response to an extended low interest rate scenario?

Description: The PBITT working group issued a survey that gathered the range of assumptions actuaries use in pricing, reserving, and risk management of UL with Secondary Guarantees. The result of the survey can be accessed using the link to the right.

Description: Research project that reviewed and inventoried the range of quality and efficiency measures currently available.

Description: This report examines the impact on risk scores in risk adjustment models when there are timing differences for model updates and risk factor mappings.

Description: The devastation wrought by opioid related deaths is national news. This article looks at the details behind the statistics.