Ruark Insurance Advisors, Inc. (RIA) specializes in the design and risk management of ancillary product features such as Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefits, Earnings Enhancement Benefits, Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefits, Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefits, Guaranteed Minimum Account Value Benefits, and Guaranteed Payout Annuity Floors.
Many of our unique reinsurance programs are tailored specifically to the variable market. One example is the Deferred Stop Loss program (DSL) for which a patent is pending. This program recognizes the long-term nature of the guaranteed minimum death benefits, the inherent volatility of the equity markets, and the need for direct writers to avoid large fluctuations in earnings.
Ruark Consulting, LLC held its fourth client conference on
May 13 -15, 2008. Attached below are copies of the presentation material.
Click on the report date to access a pdf version of the report.
| Report Date | Topics | | |
| March 2008 | First RCL Variable Annuity Industry Mortality Study | Third Annual RCL Dental PPO Network Study | Indexed Annuity GMWB - Pricing Considerations & Reinsurance |
| Feb. 2007 | VA Hedging Execution Risks | Solving the Dental Network Puzzle with Competitive Intelligence | --- |
| Sept. 2006 | GMDB Lapse Experience | What's New in RCL's Dental Practice? | Capital-Efficient Design Considerations |
| March 2006 | Variable Annuity Mortality - Minding Your P's and Q's | RCL Continues to Study Dental Industry with ASO Fee Survey | --- |
| Oct. 2005 | First Ever Dental PPO Network Survey | C3 Phase 2 Practical Insights for this Year-End | --- |
Negotiation has been a critical skill for me for most of my career. I’ve worked as a product actuary, represented a major distributor, and now I’m a reinsurance intermediary.
Technical actuarial skills were never my strength. However, I’m often able to get parties
with differing goals to find a common ground, enabling a project to be completed to everyone’s satisfaction. The parties may not, and if fact should not, end up feeling like the sole winner, but they don’t come out feeling like a loser either.
There are common tactics I’ve used in my negotiations. They are:
Early in the life cycle of indexed annuity living benefits, Rich Tucker presents pricing considerations and reinsurance alternatives for GMWB. Originally in our July 2007 newsletter.
Indexed Annuity GMWB – Pricing Considerations & Reinsurance.pdf
As capital market hedging programs were becoming popular for variable annuity guarantees, Rich Tucker summarizes the execution risks that need to be recognized when developing such a program. Originally presented in our July 2007 newsletter.
VA Hedging Execution Risks.pdf
Describes how the risk attributes of variable annuity guarantees and indexed annuities act in opposite directions. Hence, managing the risks in aggregate is more efficient than managing each individually. From the July 2005 newsletter, by Rich Tucker.
Can Index Annuities and VA’s Complement Each Other.pdf
Rich Tucker discusses the different ways to select an arbitration panel in a reinsurance treaty. Originally appeared in our February 2005 newsletter.
How Neutral is an Arbitration Panel.pdf
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