Casualty Actuarial Society Credentials (ACAS/FCAS) Exam 6 (US) — Regulation and Financial Reporting (United States) Flashcards

24 sample cards from the Exam 6 (US) — Regulation and Financial Reporting (United States) deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. Distinguish the statutory (trade) basis combined ratio from the financial/IEE basis combined ratio.

   The trade (statutory) basis uses earned premium for losses but written premium for the expense ratio. The financial (IEE) basis uses earned premium consistently for all components. The financial basis is preferred for true profitability measurement.

2. What is the key SAP requirement that ceded reinsurance must satisfy to receive reinsurance accounting (vs. deposit accounting)?

   The reinsurance contract must transfer significant insurance risk — both underwriting risk and timing risk — with a reasonable possibility that the reinsurer may realize a significant loss (the '10-10' rule of thumb: 10% chance of a 10% loss). Otherwise it is accounted for as a deposit.

3. How does ceded reinsurance appear on the statutory balance sheet (gross vs. net presentation)?

   SAP reports the P&C balance sheet net of reinsurance — ceded unearned premium and ceded loss reserves reduce the gross liabilities directly. (GAAP, by contrast, reports reinsurance recoverables as a gross asset and shows liabilities gross.)

4. What is the 'provision for reinsurance' in Schedule F?

   A statutory liability/surplus penalty charged for amounts recoverable from unauthorized (non-admitted) reinsurers that are not collateralized, and for reinsurance recoverables that are overdue (in dispute or past due), reflecting collectibility risk.

5. Define retroactive reinsurance and its distinctive SAP accounting treatment.

   Retroactive reinsurance covers losses from past (already-occurred) events (e.g., loss portfolio transfers). Under SAP, the gain is not recognized in underwriting income; instead it is recorded as a special surplus item (segregated 'special surplus from retroactive reinsurance') until the underlying recoveries are realized, to prevent surplus manipulation.

6. What is a Loss Portfolio Transfer (LPT)?

   A retroactive reinsurance transaction in which an insurer cedes an entire block of existing (incurred) loss reserves to a reinsurer, transferring both the reserves and the associated investment/timing risk, typically in exchange for a premium equal to the discounted value of the reserves.

7. Under the IRC, how are P&C insurer loss reserves treated for federal income tax — discounted or undiscounted?

   For tax purposes, P&C loss reserves must be DISCOUNTED using IRS-prescribed interest rates and loss payment patterns (per the Tax Reform Act of 1986). This increases taxable income relative to the statutory undiscounted reserves.

8. What is the unearned premium reserve 'revenue offset' (20% rule) for tax purposes?

   For tax, an insurer must include in taxable income 20% of the change in the unearned premium reserve (the '20% haircut'), reflecting the deferred acquisition expenses already deducted. Only 80% of the UEPR is treated as a deductible liability.

9. What is the corporate Alternative Minimum Tax concept as it historically applied to insurers, and what role did the ACE/AMT adjustment play?

   The AMT ensured corporations with large book-tax differences paid a minimum tax. The Adjusted Current Earnings (ACE) adjustment added back items like tax-exempt municipal bond income (proration) so that highly tax-favored insurers still paid a baseline tax. (The corporate AMT was repealed by the 2017 TCJA.)

10. What is the 'proration' rule for tax-exempt interest and dividends received by P&C insurers?

    To prevent double tax benefit, a P&C insurer must reduce its loss reserve deduction by 15% of its tax-exempt interest and the deductible portion of dividends received (the company is treated as funding reserves partly with tax-favored income), effectively taxing a portion of otherwise-exempt income.

11. Under U.S. GAAP, how are short-duration (P&C) contracts distinguished from long-duration contracts?

    Short-duration contracts (most P&C) are typically one-year, with premium earned over the coverage period and losses recognized as incurred. Long-duration contracts (most life/health) extend over many years with level premiums and benefit reserves established using assumptions locked in at issue.

12. Under GAAP, when must a premium deficiency reserve be recognized for short-duration contracts?

    A premium deficiency reserve is recorded when the sum of expected losses, LAE, unamortized DAC, and maintenance expenses exceeds the related unearned premium plus expected investment income. DAC is written off first, then a liability is established for any remaining deficiency.

13. How does GAAP differ from SAP in accounting for deferred income taxes?

    GAAP fully recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for all temporary differences (with a valuation allowance as needed). SAP (SSAP No. 101) admits deferred tax assets only subject to realization limits and a surplus/RBC-based admissibility cap, making statutory DTAs more restricted.

14. What are the three components of the formula linking change in policyholders' surplus over a year?

    $$\Delta \text{Surplus} = \text{Net Income} + \text{Unrealized Capital Gains} + \text{Other Surplus Adjustments} - \text{Dividends to Stockholders}$$ where other adjustments include changes in non-admitted assets, deferred taxes, provision for reinsurance, and contributed capital.

15. How is investment income generally allocated between policyholders and shareholders in ratemaking?

    Investment income earned on policyholder-supplied funds (loss reserves and unearned premium) is typically credited to policyholders by being reflected in the rate (lowering the underwriting profit provision), while investment income on surplus is regarded as a return to shareholders.

16. Distinguish realized from unrealized capital gains under SAP and where each flows.

    Realized capital gains/losses (from actual sales) flow through net income (income statement). Unrealized capital gains/losses (changes in carrying value of still-held assets, e.g., common stock at fair value) bypass income and are recorded directly as a change in surplus.

17. What is the purpose of the Statement of Actuarial Opinion (SAO), and who must sign it?

    The SAO is a required statement, signed by a Qualified Actuary (Appointed Actuary), expressing an opinion on whether the carried loss and LAE reserves make a reasonable provision for the insurer's unpaid claim obligations. It accompanies the Annual Statement.

18. List the five possible types of opinion an Appointed Actuary may render in a P&C SAO.

    Reasonable, Inadequate/Deficient, Excessive/Redundant, Qualified (a particular item cannot be opined on), and No Opinion (actuary cannot reach a conclusion).

19. What is the 'range of reasonable estimates' and 'point estimate' relationship the Appointed Actuary uses in the SAO?

    The actuary forms an actuarial central estimate (point estimate) and/or a range of reasonable estimates; the carried reserve is 'reasonable' if it lies within the range (or is reasonably close to the point estimate). The opinion compares the company-carried reserve to the actuary's estimate/range.

20. What is the Actuarial Opinion Summary (AOS) and how does it differ from the SAO?

    The AOS is a confidential, regulator-only supplement to the SAO containing the actuary's point estimate and/or range, the company carried amount, and a comparison, plus the one-year reserve development history. The SAO itself is part of the public Annual Statement; the AOS is filed separately and confidentially.

21. What is RMAD in the context of the SAO, and why must it be disclosed?

    Risk of Material Adverse Deviation — the Appointed Actuary must identify the materiality standard used and disclose the major risk factors that could cause actual unpaid claims to deviate materially (adversely) from the carried estimate, alerting regulators to reserve uncertainty.

22. What is the relationship between Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOPs) and the Code of Professional Conduct?

    The Code of Professional Conduct sets the ethical/professional obligations of actuaries (e.g., act with integrity, competence, qualification). ASOPs, promulgated by the Actuarial Standards Board (ASB), provide binding guidance on how to perform specific actuarial work; following applicable ASOPs is a Code obligation.

23. What does ASOP No. 36 (Statements of Actuarial Opinion regarding P&C Loss and LAE Reserves) govern?

    It provides guidance to the actuary issuing a written SAO on P&C unpaid claim/LAE reserves — covering reasonable provision determination, ranges/point estimates, risk of material adverse deviation, reliance on data, and required disclosures in the opinion.

24. Name the principal federal social insurance programs and the primary risk each addresses.

    Social Security/OASDI (retirement, survivors, disability income), Medicare (health care for the aged/disabled), Unemployment Insurance (income during joblessness, federal-state), and Workers' Compensation (work-related injury, state-mandated). Each pools a social risk that the private market underserves, generally with mandatory participation and benefits not tied strictly to individual risk.

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Exam 6 (US) — Regulation and Financial Reporting (United States) flashcards FAQ