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: June 2024, AG54 will begin for new RILA sales. This guidance requires companies to determine an interim value that is more aligned with the market value of the position on a daily basis. This discussion will talk through companies adoption of AG54, lessons learned, approaches and integration with the administration system. Additionally this session will discuss how AG54 impacts new product design, reserving and capital implications.

Description: This panel discussion will focus on how companies have been able to take advantage of the new US GAAP requirements, to develop and refine other performance indicators that provide additional insights into their business.

Description: Learn how modernization of data, models, and technology are influencing workflows. This webcast will address how workflows are changing in response to new regulatory requirements and the impacts the changes have on modeling and end-to-end future state operating models. Industry leading actuaries will discuss: How team collaboration can increase quality and speed of reporting to internal and external stakeholders How to strengthen controls and compliance frameworks across finance and actuarial departments How to modernize actuarial input/output for strategic analysis and insights How to attract and retain top talent by improving opportunities for actuaries There will also be dedicated time to ask questions of those who have made the transition.

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: June 2024, AG54 will begin for new RILA sales. This guidance requires companies to determine an interim value that is more aligned with the market value of the position on a daily basis. This discussion will talk through companies adoption of AG54, lessons learned, approaches and integration with the administration system. Additionally this session will discuss how AG54 impacts new product design, reserving and capital implications.

Description: This session will address the risk management, reserving and capital issues associated with index-linked annuities including financial reporting considerations for FIAs and RILAs, benefits of combining VA and RILA hedging and reserving under VM-21, current and future challenges with FIA reserving under VM-22, potential capital redundancy for FIAs, RILA interim values under AG 54, NAIC economic scenario reform, asset modeling, fund mapping and more!