News

Over 2,000 years after Aristotle argued that the earth is not flat, similar discussions are taking place (sort of!) for actuarial valuations. In a webinar on 30th June, organised by the UK Actuarial Profession, Hewitt's John Coulthard and Roger Moring will discuss the merits of using term-dependent assumptions for valuations from a corporate and trustee perspective respectively and will share some practical lessons learned.

The UK Actuarial Profession wishes to commission research in the area of modelling and understanding heterogeneity in mortality and morbidity risk which has an impact in areas of actuarial interest.

The Financial Regulator has published a consultation paper on "Corporate Governance Requirements for Credit Institutions and Insurance Undertakings".

The paper attempts to align corporate governance requirements with recent international regulatory initiatives in the governance field and proposes minimum standards that credit institutions and insurance undertakings will be expected to meet in this area.

The Minister for Social and Family Affairs has approved certain changes to the actuarial assumptions set out in Appendix 1 of ASP Pen-4, Funding Proposals under the Pensions Act.  These changes will come into effect at 1st April 2010.

The main changes are as follows:

Actuaries broadly welcome the National Pensions Framework.  See announcement from Department of Social and Family Affairs here.

See below for the Press Release from SAI.

Click here to listen to Aisling Kennedy's interview on Morning Ireland - 4th March 2010

The Society welcomes an announcement from Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin, that the National Pensions Framework will be published next Wednesday, 3rd March, at 2.30pm.

Mr Bill Prasifka, currently Chairman of the Competition Authority, has been appointed as Financial Services Ombudsman.  He replaces Mr Joe Meade, who retired last month.

It is expected that Mr Prasifka will take up his appointment by the end of March 2010 or soon thereafter. Mr PJ Fitzpatrick will remain as Interim Ombudsman until then.

The Pensions Board has published its Review of 2009  – a fact sheet and commentary giving an overview of the pensions sector and the Board’s activities for 2009. 

The Chief Executive of the Pensions Board, Brendan Kennedy, gave a presentation recently to the IAPF Trustees Forum on “What the Pensions Board expects of Trustees” .  He pointed out that, while trustees are not expected to be pension professionals, they must put in the effort needed to acquire a basic knowledge of the I

The Minister for Social & Family Affairs has approved a change in the Society’s Actuarial Standard of Practice on Retirement Benefit Schemes Transfer Values.  The pre-retirement discount rate in the standard transfer value basis set out in the ASP will reduce from 7.75% to 7.5% per annum with effect from 1st March 2010. 

The Government announced last year that a Pensions Insolvency Payments Scheme would be established “to assist employees and former employees of companies where the employer becomes insolvent and the defined benefit pension fund is in deficit.

The Society of Actuaries in Ireland carried out a study of annuitant mortality during 2008/'09, based on data contributed by a number of life assurance companies.  The results are set out in the attached report.  The Society would like to thank the participating companies for their assistance with this study.