Description: This session 5PD of the 1998 SOA Annual Meeting panel examines the recent developments and emerging thinking on efforts to explore and develop a fair value or market value based accounting approach. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 24, No. 3.

Description: “It’s interesting to note that, given the past year’s reversal of fortunes in the stock markets, all the media rap about heated inquiries around back-dating options has stopped.”

Description: This presentation is an open forum, session 58OF, from the 2004 Spring Meeting of the Society of Actuaries, held June 14-15 in San Antonio, TX. The panelists present both theoretical and practical perspectives of the role of assumed asset returns and credit spreads in determining the fair value of policyholder liabilities. They cover financial economics, how other financial service companies value liabilities, what factors go into determining an appropriate discount rate for insurance liabilities, and issues currently being debated by the International Accounting Standards Board [IASB], and the Financial Accounting Standards Board [FASB]. Discussion from participants is included. From the Record of Society of Actuaries, Volume 30, No. 2.

Description: One major feature of the OECD's two-pillar regime is that MNEs would base the calculation of taxes due on book-based financial statements. The article provides a summary of how these rules operate along with suggested actions insurers can take today to prepare for timely compliance.

Description: Since solvency assessment depends on a financial reporting framework, one needs risk metrics for use in financial reporting. The essay argues that conceptually, the cost of capital is the appropriate metric for reserves, while a probability level is the appropriate metric for capital. Then the essay advocates stress testing on specific scenarios as a better practical approach to ORSA.

Description: Since the adoption of FAS 157, there has been much concern about the use of a company's own credit risk in the valuation of liabilities. To fully assess the implications of this requirement, the author argues that more research will be required.

Description: Discusses new thinking in regards to risk margins, in the context of fair value and principle-based reporting.

Description: Update on research projects sponsored by the Financial Reporting Section.

Description: The following Executive Summary is an excerpt from a report by Chris O’Brien entitled, “Market-Consistent Valuations of Life Insurance Business: The U.K. Experience.” The purpose of this article is to explain the new valuation approach, set out the issues with implementation and explain how insurers have addressed these issues.

Description: Certain fair value measurements involving actuarial work may not have been required to conform to FAS 157 until late 2008 or early 2009. The purpose of this article is to discuss those items and propose possible methods for actuaries to consider when performing the necessary valuations, from an actuarial standpoint only.