Description: The article analyzes Private Letter Ruling 202031008, which considers how Internal Revenue Code sections 72(q) and (u) apply to an annuity contract issued to a trust. In particular, the Ruling interprets the terms “taxpayer,” “holder” and “held by” in those Code sections in situations where a non-qualified deferred annuity contract is issued to a grantor trust or a non-grantor trust. The Ruling’s analysis and conclusions differ in some respects depending on which of these types of trusts is involved. In addition, although the Ruling does not address sections 72(s) or 72(e)(4)(C), the Ruling has potential implications under those provisions because they also use the term “holder” and “holds,” respectively.

Description: This overview shows considerations for consumers when reviewing the Life and Annuity Living Benefit Riders study.

Description: Discuss recent pricing trends and best practices related to the hottest selling deferred annuity product. Understand how and why pricing methodologies and approaches have changed over recent years given the steep rise in interest rates, how the risk landscape has changed due to the market environment, and where shortcomings may still exist.

Description: This paper applies the research in Prospect Theory of Kahneman and Tversky to explain why sales of annuities lag sales of life insurance products. The author theorizes that life insurance is easier to sell because customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of losses, while potential annuity customers perceive themselves to be in the domain of gains. Kahneman and Tversky showed us that people are mostly risk averse in the domain of gains and risk seeking in the domain of losses. Purchase of an annuity or life product is a risky investment. Customers will find it easier to take the risk in the life insurance domain of losses than the annuity domain of gains. The author then proposes a hybrid life annuity product that might address both mortality and longevity risk in one product that would allow both products to be more competitive than stand-alone products.

Description: An overview of guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits (GLWB) on registered index-linkedannuity (RILA) products and a stochastic analysis of market risks.

Description: This article summarizes a recent session at an SOA meeting that presented tips on improving and speeding the product filing process.

Description: In this session, presenters will share the impacts of transition to IFRS 17 on equity and various KPIs across insurance companies (Life & P&C), as well as share some observations of what the IFRS 17 landscape looks like across different global regions. The session will conclude with lessons learned and expectations for emerging practices under IFRS 17 globally.

Description: Join a discussion on the tax implications for direct writers ceding annuity blocks for both onshore and offshore reinsurance arrangements. Get an introduction to the tax consequences of the risk transfer of annuity features and guarantees to reinsurers to reinsurers that are U.S.-based and not U.S. domiciled.

Description: Gain a high-level understanding on how long-duration targeted improvement (LDTI) impacts insurance products and earnings. Explore highlights on secondary impacts to companies due to additional complexity of LDTI, such as a need for a source of earnings analysis. Then dive into the details and hear an explanation on how earnings emergence differs for each type of life and annuity product impacted by LDTI. Finally, discuss the impact -to-earnings volatility under LDTI for each product type. Close the session by connecting how the investor story changes with all the impacts discussed during the session.You should walk away with a good understanding of LDTI earnings emergence, which is a topic that has very limited thought leadership available today.

Description: Have you heard of Prospect Theory, the Nobel-winning concept from psychologists Kahneman and Tversky, which is the inspiration for much of behavioral economics? Come examine this concept that focuses on how people sometimes make irrational and logically inconsistent decisions depending on the framing of the question. You'll also explore how Prospect Theory applies in the world of insurance and how it offers an explanation for why selling retirement income products is more challenging than selling life insurance. Leave this session with ideas on how to design and market retirement income products that are likely to be more successful. The presentation will be largely based upon this paper: https://www.soa.org/sections/joint-risk-mgmt/joint-risk-mgmt-newsletter/2023/february/rm-2023-02-reynolds/