Description: Discussion of a New York Times article dealing with the arbitraging of policy loan proceeds by investing them in money market instruments whose yields were well above the policy loan interest rate.

Description: This article discusses the value of policy update programs for life insurance to reflect more current assumptions. One Update program was featured and the article shows the lapse experience of those that accepted the update and those that rejected the update confirm the value of UPDATE programs.

Description: An editorial on the insurance crisis with regards to liability insurance, and the breakdown of the liability system.

Description: As the retirement system has shifted to a greater focus on defined contribution plans and personal responsibility, post-reitrement risk management has grown in importance. This report covers the study of the process of retirement.

Description: This essay explores the role that the emerging defined contribution retirement system may be playing in the growth of wealth inequality in the United States. The current system leaves many Americans with little or no retirement savings. Those with higher accumulation levels appear to invest proportionally more in equities, which may have an exponential effect of balances over long time periods. The author hypothesizes that willingness to take investment risk involves the relationship between the amount an investor has accumulated and what she/he needs in order to cover basic costs of living. This is one reason that investors with greater accumulation levels may be able to earn higher rates of return. The essay concludes by suggesting that the U.S. defined contribution system should include all workers and provide additional fiduciary guidance. Examples reforms, both in the U.S. and other countries, are provided.

Description: The author briefly describes a hypothetical example of several unconscious biases in the workplace, drawing upon the behavioral economics work of Kahneman and Tversky. He presents data to refute the snap judgments that are all too common in human interaction.

Description: Argues public plans should only hold bonds, on the basis of tax and finance arguments.

Description: This paper will focus on default distributions and why they are important.

Description: The is the abstract for a paper that discusses retirement planning information and the signals it provides. It focuses on the issue of communicating lump sum versus income benefits. It discusses challenges in communicating income benefits and provides some alternatives.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA Boston Meeting presents an interview with financial industry experts on the ways in which consumers allocate investment and insurance dollars, looking at the annuity market, mutual funds and banks. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4b.