Description: Modeling Approaches and Challenges focuses on approaches to real world simulation and the challenges and considerations in real world simulation. Topics include: A frequency domain approach to build realistic multi-horizon scenarios. (Ortec approach) Cascade models structure linking models for major asset classes and economic variables. (Moody’s approach) Overview of models, calibrations & approaches within the context of different use cases. Deterministic & stochastic approaches. Importance of model re-calibration flexibility. We will also discuss specific insights into considerations and challenges in real world simulation, which include topics like: Setting capital market assumptions and/or calibration targets. Assumptions about correlation and causality. Calibrating the model to capital markets assumptions. Validating the model against capital market assumptions. Role of history, market data and stylized facts. Importance of back testing. Calibrating the model to multiple investment horizons. Inclusion of alterative asset classes such as private equity, infrastructure, and direct real estate. Associated issues of limited data, illiquidity and greater uncertainty about calibration targets.

Description: Emerging Applications of ESG Methods offers ground-up insights on cutting edge applications of economic scenario generation. The course will focus on the incorporation of climate change risk in scenario modeling and investment applications of ESGs. The following topics will be covered: Approaches to climate risk modeling. Climate risk is very different than classical financial economic risk. Radical uncertainty is amenable to scenario analysis and lack of data. Building special deterministic scenarios that go beyond NGFS requirements as well as bespoke scenarios. Holistic Approach to Climate Risk Modeling. Overview of different Climate Risk Modeling Applications. Use of ESG scenarios for Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA). Liquidity risk management.

Description: Under long-duration targeted improvements (LDTI), there are a few insurance liability balances that now are required to be fair valued, market risk benefit (MRB). The session will start from all the applicable balances that are required to be fair valued under LDTI ((i.e., MRB, financial accounting statement (FAS) 133, value of business acquired (VOBA) upon business combination)). The session will use a case study to discuss some of the nuances and general considerations for an MRB, FAS 133 and VOBA balances for a business combination for an fixed indexed annuity (FIA) contract. The case study will discuss some MRB fair value considerations and followed by FAS 133 fair value techniques. It will go over VOBA fair value estimation by using actuarial appraisal method with a few twists (e.g., using market yield in generating distributable earnings is better than using book yield and adjusted to bring it to fair value later on).

Description: Suited for students, newly minted ASAs/FSAs, or those venturing into the realm of reserving, as well as seasoned actuaries in need of a recap, this session is a gateway to the mysteries of IBNR reserving, unraveling various methods and assumptions. Embark on a journey through the construction of claims triangles and the crafting of completion factors, delving into the enigmatic realms of seasonality, trend analysis, and outlier claims. Harness the principles unveiled to dissect a myriad of case studies spanning diverse products like major medical inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, Medicare Supplement, dental, and critical illness. This session is your guide through the intricate world of reserving!

Description: Actuaries can leverage cluster modeling to reduce model runtime and cloud compute costs, which can be a real concern as companies transition from an on-premise grid to a scalable cloud solution. We consider practical considerations associated with clustering, through both US statutory and US GAAP lenses. Lastly, the results from a variable annuity liability clustering case study are presented.

Description: This article outlines how Bermuda advanced in global tax compliance through the enactment of the Bermuda Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Act of 2023, which will take effect for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025. The Bermuda CIT rules incorporate key foundational definitions from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Pillar Two GloBE model rules, while also exhibiting significant differences from Pillar Two. The article discusses the various elections available for taxpayers, key mechanics of the CIT, and the latest administrative guidance released by the Government of Bermuda.

Description: In this article, we collected data from the companies’ roll-forward disclosures related to calendar years 2021 and 2022 on Market Risk Benefit and shared a high-level summary of the Market Risk Benefit volatility that a focus group of companies incurred and summarized the most common ways to mitigate volatility.

Description: Join us for this popular annual webcast covering the latest considerations for the year's U.S. statutory financial reporting work. Always informative and occasionally entertaining, this webcast offers a chance to hear from three expert speakers, who will discuss asset adequacy testing and this year's New York and California holiday letters, the impact of recent interest rate changes, potential changes to statutory financial reporting due to climate change, and recent proposal(s) impacting asset adequacy testing for reinsured business.

Description: The Inflation Reduction Act represents the most significant changes to the Part D program since its inception 20 years ago. The implications will not only alter the benefits offered by Medicare Advantage (MAPD) and Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) but will alter the Part D cash flows and the seasonality of such amounts for interim reporting periods. In this session, we will provide a brief overview of the IRA changes and dive into how the changes could impact the 2008 Medicare Part D Accounting Practice Note.

Description: As companies have reported their latest financials for 2023, LDTI is in its full swing for the public companies. Under US GAAP reinsurance accounting methods can be daunting. Add onto this legacy practices related to reinsurance reporting and this may lead to significant unwinding and implementation efforts. This session will discuss industry practices commonly applied to US GAAP reinsurance reported balances such that LDTI adopters can gather deeper insights into the LDTI impact. Specifically, the session will explain the two most popular methods to value reinsurance under LDTI, methods applying a direct measurement of the reinsurance net cost and a method that recognizes ceded asset balances and a cost of reinsurance (“CoRe”). The session will present simplified direct and ceded models to demonstrate how the actuarial balances under LDTI impact GAAP book profits for different underlying products and reinsurance types.