News

04 Jul 2014

Retirement Benefit Schemes Transfer Values: Mortality Basis Review

The Demography Committee has prepared a report and recommendations following a review of the mortality assumptions prescribed for use in calculating retirement benefit schemes transfer values. This report has been endorsed by Council and is available on the website here.


Actuarial Standard of Practice PEN-2 “Retirement Benefit Schemes transfer values” (“ASP Pen-2”) sets out the requirements relating to the calculation of individual transfer values payable under the Pensions Act 1990.

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17 Sep 2013

CMI publishes 2013 mortality projections

The CMI has published CMI_2013, an updated version of the Mortality Projections Model.  It is accompanied by Working Paper 69, which illustrates the impact of incorporating the latest England and Wales population mortality dataset into the Model.

The Working Paper also summarises the responses to the recent consultation on the future of the Model and the CMI Library of Mortality Projections and outlines the Committee’s reaction and planned next steps.  An updated version of the User Guide has also been issued.

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23 Aug 2013

International Actuarial Association Mortality Working Group - first report

The International Actuarial Association Mortality Working Group (IAAMWG) has published its first report.

The IAAMWG is a group of volunteers who study mortality and monitor studies completed by other organisations worldwide, focusing on the impact on insurance products (including life, pension and living benefits) or on government or world organisation (such as WHO and the UN) sponsored programs.  Mortality experience studies of general populations, insured life and other population subsets are within in the scope of the MWG.

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17 Jun 2013

Results of EIOPA Long-Term Guarantee Assessment

EIOPA Press Release:

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25 Apr 2013

EIOPA publishes Survey of EU practice on default investment options

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has published its Survey of EU practice on default investment options.

The survey was conducted as a follow up to EIOPA advice to the European Commission on the review of the IORP Directive, which stated that:

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28 Mar 2013

EIOPA consults on Guidelines on preparing for Solvency II

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) has launched a public consultation on Guidelines on preparing for Solvency II.

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21 Mar 2013

Not shopping for an annuity could cost British retirees £237m this year

According to Association of British Insurers’ figures 50% of the 400,000 people a year who purchase an annuity do not search the market for the best deal. The consultancy’s analysis of annuity data found that, based on the difference between the average and best annuity rates available on an average £40,000 pension pot, these people would be missing out on income worth over £237m in total over a 22-year retirement.

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21 Mar 2013

Britain ‘not ready for ageing population’

Britain is ‘woefully underprepared’ for the consequences of an ageing society and could face a series of age-related crises, a House of Lords committee has warned.

The committee’s report, “Ready for ageing”, suggests that private sector employers, government and the financial services industry must work together to tackle the ‘serious deficit’ in defined contribution pensions.
It called on the government to work with the financial sector to support the growth of a ‘safe, easy-to-understand equity release market’.

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21 Mar 2013

Changes to the Continuous Mortality Investigation

The CMI, supported by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, has a long history of providing authoritative and independent mortality and sickness rate tables for UK life insurers and pension funds. The CMI tables have underpinned the prudential and financial reporting of almost all these institutions.

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22 Jan 2013

Pensions Board publishes investment guidelines

The Pensions Board has published investment guidelines for trustees of defined contribution pension schemes. These guidelines aim to help trustees in deciding which investment choices to make available for scheme members.

Commenting on the guidelines, the Chief Executive of The Pensions Board, Brendan Kennedy, said:

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10 Jan 2013

Groupe Consultatif publishes comparison of regulatory approach in insurance and banking

The Groupe Consultatif Actuariel Européen has published a paper titled “Comparison of the Regulatory Approach in Insurance and Banking in the Context of Solvency II”.  The principal author is Mairead O’Shea, a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland. 

“Executive Summary

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11 Dec 2012

Institute & Faculty of Actuaries publishes Longevity Bulletin

Issue four of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries Longevity Bulletin explores the data that evidences that we are all living longer but questions how healthy we are during those extra years.

From Philip Scott, President of the Institute and Faculty:

"In the past longer life was generally driven by better health. However data collected over the last twenty years highlights that life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are not one and the same.

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