Description: Value of new business (VNB) is being used by many companies for various purposes including: internal and external financial reporting, incentive compensation, pricing, capital management, and comparing products, distribution channels or regions on a consistent basis. Presenters will discuss how and why value of new business is used within their companies including: the various methodologies considered, some of the benefits and challenges related to implementing VNB, integrating VNB within their business as usual processes, and managing to VNB.

Description: Indexed universal life (IUL) continues to be the most popular universal life (UL) product with sales reaching $1B in Q4 2023, according to LIMRA. There is little long-term experience for IUL and many companies value and model IUL just like UL, but there are material potential differences that need to be considered for valuation and projection purposes.

Description: The article discusses the continued popularity of indexed UL insurance and possible reasons why a company's actual indexed UL earnings may be below their original pricing expectations for the product. The article discusses several key items that may be the source of that underperformance (e.g., hedge ineffectiveness, policyholder behavior) and the need to monitor earnings and perform analyses to better understand those potential sources.

Description: Adjusting GAAP reinsurance reserves to account for reinsurance protection against the events that trigger direct reserve constraints (such as NPR capping or LFPB flooring) can be a challenge any time. Ceding a block of business that is already in force increases the challenge—especially if one of those constraints was already present at inception of the reinsurance. This article builds on previous work (published in the July 2022 and June 2023 issues) to show how to measure initial reinsurance reserves in a way that complies with AICPA guidance and prepares for effective measurement of subsequent changes in the effects of the constraints.

Description: Global trends in both technology and regulation are causing US insurers to reflect deeper on their model risk management frameworks. The world has seen a rapid proliferation of AI-based tools accompanied with an overall increased usage of machine learning models, exacerbating model risk and reducing transparency in an unprecedented manner. This rising tide of AI means that it is imperative for US-based insurers to address these emerging risks within their Model Risk Management (MRM) frameworks. Regulation also continues to evolve in this space: in Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) revised Guideline E-23 to instill more detailed model risk management standards; in Bermuda, the Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA) has published CP2 to add increased scrutiny on the data and models used by insurers. Insurers must react: MRM frameworks require prudent revisions to reflect these ever-changing landscapes of risk. Reassessing the core pillars of MRM frameworks - risk measurement, model development, validation, monitoring, and governance – is key to understanding the consequences of these evolving market changes on insurers’ risk profile. Overall, the inclusion of these new tools into the world of insurance necessitates a thorough examination of insurers’ MRM frameworks in order to align these new risks with core MRM principles. In this session we will: - Reflect on recent drivers of change and how they should be considered in the context of MRM - Explore best practices as it relates to MRM frameworks in the context of current global trends - Describe challenges, success stories, and lessons learned relating to recalibrating and embedding MRM frameworks

Description: There are a variety of regulatory changes that are being contemplated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) that have the potential to materially impact actuarial, statutory reporting and disclosure requirements relating to reinsurance. This session will provide an introduction to these changes, explaining both the motivation as well as the potential impact these proposed changes may have on US ceding companies. The focus of the presentation will be primarily on changes affecting Asset Adequacy Testing and statutory risk transfer for combination Coinsurance / Yearly Renewable Term agreements. An update will be provided regarding industry responses to proposed changes and the potential timing for implementation of these new requirements.

Description: Even though the 2018 Tax Cut and Job Act significantly simplified the tax valuation methodology, taxation can impact the valuation outcomes and financial decisions. This presentation will start with an overview of the key taxation topics relating to valuation work, and then dive into more complex topics, such as the deferred tax asset/liability handling and reinsurance implications.

Description: An analysis of US population mortality trends and the impact of COVID.

Description: Valerie Tsang and Jessica Kirkwood are both senior consultants with Ernst & Young LLP (EY UK) and Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) respectively, who also have something else in common—they both have recently moved to a new country and are now immersed in a different market. Here, they discuss the quick-changing landscape of actuarial work and regulations and the importance of being aware of the key issues both in the countries they work in and globally, as well as some of the differences they have seen between the UK and US markets.