Description: Inspired by the Wall Street Bets / GameStop stock episode in January 2021, this article outlines the market mechanics and risk considerations that lead to market failure. The consequences of unfilled buy orders, unfilled short sell orders, and more short shares than long shares are all explained. Also, some steps to protect a financial institution that has been caught shorting a popular company are explored.

Description: This article discusses the trend toward outsourcing of insurance assets to third party money managers which has grown steadily as insurers face increasing market challenges. Insurers are finding that a strategic approach to outsourcing investments is critical to enhancing value within both liability reserves and surplus portfolios.

Description: At the conclusion of the first part, attendees will be able to describe sources of reserve redundancy for products under Principle Based Reserve (PBR) and products under Commissioners' Annuity Reserve Valuation Method (CARVM). Such products include Term Life, Whole Life, Universal Life, and Fixed Annuity with and without rider. We will also review sources of capital redundancy from the C-1 factor under Risk-Based Capital (RBC) and assets such as Unrated Asset Credit Fund can have high C-1 factor even if its risks are limited. At the conclusion of the second part, the attendees will learn about potential Reserve Relief reinsurance solutions. Such solutions can provide Reserve Relief for annuity and term life businesses, as well as potential innovative asset-side solutions. Asset managers can structure assets that the C-1 factor aligned with the corresponding risk.

Description: This webinar will discuss and illustrate professionalism standards in an interactive case study format. The session will begin with a lightning round discussion with audience polling on professionalism topics and standards of investment practice. Participants will then work through several case studies in an investment context, each of which will have its own specific professionalism considerations. Audience polling and discussion will be included as part of each case study.

Description: Impact of low and negative interest rates on various aspects of insurer operations including product management, investment management and capital management.

Description: This Chairperson's Corner article discusses the SOA becoming the pre-eminent risk management profession. The Chairman's message is that actuaries have the inside track on risk management positions in the insurance industry and have a basis for competing for similar positions in the broader financial services industry.

Description: This article describes an initiative of the Chief Risk Officer Forum to perform a study to benchmark internal models, so as to discuss the admissibility of these models for regulatory purposes in the context of Solvency II. The results of and reactions to that study are discussed.

Description: Update on accounting and capital/RBC issues subsequent to tax reform.

Description: Retirees and their advisors should construct diversified portfolios of retirement income, allocating among various retirement income classes that include Social Security, annuities, and systematic withdrawals from invested assets. This essay discusses the pros and cons of various retirement income generators and the issues with constructing retirement income portfolios.

Description: Investment Correspondent's report for the Opening session of the 2017 Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, MA.