Novel pricing method for equity-indexed annuities under uncertain volatility and stochastic interest rate.
problem Pricing equity-indexed annuities with early surrender risk under uncertain market conditions.
method Advanced financial modeling techniques, including uncertain volatility framework and Hull-White model for interest rate dynamics. Numerical algorithm using tree-based framework with local volatility optimization.
result High effectiveness of the proposed numerical algorithm compared to machine learning-based methods.
The paper values variable annuities using complex stochastic models and deep learning.
problem Valuation of variable annuities with early surrender options under non-Markovian models.
method Developed a deep signature Least Squares Monte Carlo approach to handle path-dependent continuation values.
result Fair fees increase with Hurst parameters of stock volatility and mortality force.
In this paper, we consider the pricing of derivative products that involve dynamic hedging strategies and payments within the planning horizon. Equity-indexed annuities (EIAs), Guaranteed investment certificate (GIC), American and Barrier options are typical examples of these products. Our exploration involves evaluati…
This paper proposes a paradigm shift in the valuation of long term annuities, away from classical no-arbitrage valuation towards valuation under the real world probability measure. Furthermore, we apply this valuation method to two examples of annuity products, one having annual payments linked to a mortality index and…
In this paper we consider the pricing of variable annuities (VAs) with guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefits. We consider two pricing approaches, the classical risk-neutral approach and the benchmark approach, and we examine the associated static and optimal behaviors of both the investor and insurer. The first model …
We find the minimum probability of lifetime ruin of an investor who can invest in a market with a risky and a riskless asset and who can purchase a reversible life annuity. The surrender charge of a life annuity is a proportion of its value. Ruin occurs when the total of the value of the risky and riskless assets and t…
Amid the current financial crisis, there has been one equity index beating all others: the Shanghai Composite. Our analysis of this main Chinese equity index shows clear signatures of a bubble build up and we go on to predict its most likely crash date: July 17-27, 2009 (20%/80% quantile confidence interval).
Paper proposes decentralized annuities for better retirement security.
problem Current pension systems' limitations and fairness issues.
method Theoretical models and fairness concepts analysis.
result Decentralized annuities offer enhanced flexibility and social welfare.
We find the minimum probability of lifetime ruin of an investor who can invest in a market with a risky and a riskless asset and can purchase a deferred annuity. Although we let the admissible set of strategies of annuity purchasing process to be increasing adapted processes, we find that the individual will not buy a …
The paper analyzes GMWB annuities in low interest rate environments.
problem Valuation of GMWB annuities in low interest rate conditions.
method Dynamic programming and Hull-White interest rate model.
result Low interest rates increase the fair value of GMWB annuities.
Investigates optimal life insurance and annuity decisions in inflationary economies.
problem Optimal consumption and investment decisions in an inflationary economy with money illusion.
method Formulated as a random horizon utility maximization problem, derived optimal strategy.
result Money illusion increases life insurance demand for young adults and reduces annuity demand for retirees.
The paper studies pricing of insurance products focusing on the pricing of annuities under uncertainty. This pricing problem is crucial for financial decision making and was studied intensively, however, many open questions still remain. In particular, there is a so-called "annuity puzzle" related to certain inconsiste…
Study proposes a new model for joint survival annuity valuation.
problem Valuation of joint survival annuities and options.
method Linear-rational Wishart mortality model based on stochastic matrix affine process.
result Derives closed-form expression for joint survival annuity and option.
Insurance companies often include very long-term guarantees in participating life insurance products, which can turn out to be very valuable. Under a guaranteed annuity options (G.A.O), the insurer guarantees to convert a policyholder's accumulated funds to a life annuity at a fixed rated when the policy matures. Both …
The paper examines variable annuities pricing and risk management using the Black-Scholes model and identifies key risk drivers.
problem Model risk in pricing and managing variable annuities using the Black-Scholes model.
method Derives a model-free decomposition of variable annuity prices and investigates hedging strategies.
result The spot price risk can always be eliminated by the BS-based hedging strategy, but there is gradual slippage and instantaneous leakage.
This paper examines the optimal annuitization, investment and consumption strategies of a utility-maximizing retiree facing a stochastic time of death under a variety of institutional restrictions. We focus on the impact of aging on the optimal purchase of life annuities which form the basis of most Defined Benefit pen…
Analyzes how many people can receive stable income in a pooled annuity fund.
problem Quantifying the trade-off between income stability and the number of members in a pooled annuity fund.
method Investment returns held constant, systematic longevity risk omitted. Derived an analytical expression for income stability.
result The number of fund members who receive stable income is independent of the mortality model.
Existence of Radner equilibrium proven with growing population.
problem Analyzing Radner equilibrium in a model with population growth.
method Proved existence of equilibrium for growing population using mathematical analysis.
result Equilibrium exists for a growing population, with effects on annuity prices.
It is known that the decision to purchase an annuity may be associated to an optimal stopping problem. However, little is known about optimal strategies, if the mortality force is a generic function of time and if the `subjective' life expectancy of the investor differs from the `objective' one adopted by insurance com…
Paper presents deep LSMC method for efficient variable annuity pricing.
problem Efficiently pricing variable annuities with guarantees using simulation methods.
method Modifies least-squares Monte Carlo (LSMC) algorithm for optimal stochastic control problems.
result Deep LSMC provides more stable and robust pricing performance for higher-dimensional problems.
We derive measure change formulae required to price midcurve swaptions in the forward swap annuity measure with stochastic annuities' ratios. We construct the corresponding linear and exponential terminal swap rate pricing models and show how they capture the midcurve swaption correlation skew.
Refundable income annuities offer a money-back guarantee, now the majority of sales.
problem The complexity and market neglect of refundable income annuities.
method Explained the pricing, duration, and money's-worth-ratio of refundable IAs, proving a counterintuitive price behavior.
result The market price of cash-refund IAs is not a declining function of age, and older buyers might pay more than younger ones.
Study examines volatility-based strategy for Chinese ETF options, improving returns in volatile markets.
problem Lack of effective trading strategies in volatile Chinese equity markets.
method Volatility forecasting using GARCH models to dynamically adjust positions and exposures.
result Dynamic adjustment of positions and exposures enhances returns in volatile markets.
This paper assesses the hedge effectiveness of an index-based longevity swap and a longevity cap. Although swaps are a natural instrument for hedging longevity risk, derivatives with non-linear pay-offs, such as longevity caps, also provide downside protection. A tractable stochastic mortality model with age dependent …
In this article we investigate a state-space representation of the Lee-Carter model which is a benchmark stochastic mortality model for forecasting age-specific death rates. Existing relevant literature focuses mainly on mortality forecasting or pricing of longevity derivatives, while the full implications and methods …
Historical tontines promised enormous rewards to the last survivors at the expense of those who died early. While this design appealed to the gambling instinct, it is a suboptimal way to manage longevity risk during retirement. This is why fair life annuities making constant payments -- where the insurance company is e…
Study on pooled annuity funds and how initial savings affect income stability.
problem Analyzing the stability of income payments in pooled annuity funds.
method Examining the influence of initial savings on income fluctuations and developing a criterion for pooling funds.
result Identification of a term, the 'implied number of homogeneous members', linking initial savings to income fluctuations.
We develop a theory for valuing non-diversifiable mortality risk in an incomplete market. We do this by assuming that the company issuing a mortality-contingent claim requires compensation for this risk in the form of a pre-specified instantaneous Sharpe ratio. We apply our method to value life annuities. One result of…
The paper analyzes Variable Annuities with surrender charges, providing a pricing formula and optimal exercise boundary.
problem Analyzing Variable Annuities with surrender charges and early termination rights.
method Formulated as an optimal stopping problem with a discontinuous payoff, non-monotonic optimal stopping boundaries are proven continuous and regular.
result A rigorous pricing formula and optimal exercise boundary for surrender options are derived.
Enhances valuation of variable annuities with stochastic interest rate models.
problem Valuation and optimal surrender strategies for variable annuities in Lévy models.
method Hybrid numerical method combining tree methods for interest rate modeling and finite difference techniques for asset price.
result Influence of stochastic interest rates on surrender decisions and contract design.
In this paper, we study the price of Variable Annuity Guarantees, especially of Guaranteed Annuity Options (GAO) and Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefit (GMIB), and this in the settings of a derivative pricing model where the underlying spot (the fund) is locally governed by a geometric Brownian motion with local volatil…
Proposes GLWB-LTC for enhanced life care annuities with dynamic withdrawal strategies and stochastic interest rates.
problem Improving life care annuity features and pricing methods.
method Introduces GLWB-LTC with dynamic withdrawal strategies and stochastic interest rates. Solves the stochastic control problem using a robust tree method.
result Optimal withdrawal strategies vary over time with policyholder's health status, highlighting the advantage of flexibility.
Paper proposes a deep RL method for hedging variable annuities, outperforming misspecified models.
problem Model miscalibration in variable annuity contracts with GMMB and GMDB riders.
method Two-phase deep reinforcement learning approach: training phase in a controlled environment, online learning phase in real market.
result Trained reinforcement learning agent hedges equally well as correct Delta in training phase and outperforms misspecified Deltas.
This paper proposes a market consistent valuation framework for variable annuities with guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit, death benefit and surrender benefit features. The setup is based on a hybrid model for the financial market and uses time-inhomogeneous Lévy processes as risk drivers. Further, we allow for d…
The discrete sum of geometric Brownian motions plays an important role in modeling stochastic annuities in insurance. It also plays a pivotal role in the pricing of Asian options in mathematical finance. In this paper, we study the probability distributions of the infinite sum of geometric Brownian motions, the sum of …
A variable annuity is an equity-linked financial product typically offered by insurance companies. The policyholder makes an upfront payment to the insurance company and, in return, the insurer is required to make a series of payments starting at an agreed upon date. For a higher premium, many insurance companies offer…
The paper examines short-term volatilities in equity indexes using a ranking procedure.
problem Understanding short-term behaviors of implied volatility in equity markets.
method Using a ranking procedure to model equity index dynamics, the paper investigates the short-term volatilities of derivatives written on indexes.
result The models reconcile the long memory of volatilities and power law of ATM skews in equity markets.
The purpose of this article is twofold. First, we motivate the need for a new type of stand-alone retirement income insurance product that would help individuals protect against personal longevity risk and possible "retirement ruin" in an economically efficient manner. We label this product a ruin-contingent life annui…
We introduce a simple model for equity index derivatives. The model generalizes well known Lèvy Normal Tempered Stable processes (e.g. NIG and VG) with time dependent parameters. It accurately fits Equity index implied volatility surfaces in the whole time range of quoted instruments, including small time horizon (few …
Maximizing withdrawal success in a pooled annuity fund with multiple annuitants.
problem Optimizing withdrawal success in a pooled annuity fund with homogeneous annuitants.
method Maximizing the probability of completing withdrawals until death over portfolio weight functions.
result Increasing the number of annuitants can significantly increase the maximum probability of withdrawal success.
In this paper we investigate price and Greeks computation of a Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit (GMWB) Variable Annuity (VA) when both stochastic volatility and stochastic interest rate are considered together in the Heston Hull-White model. We consider a numerical method the solves the dynamic control problem due…
Tontines were once a popular type of mortality-linked investment pool. They promised enormous rewards to the last survivors at the expense of those died early. And, while this design appealed to the gambling instinc}, it is a suboptimal way to generate retirement income. Indeed, actuarially-fair life annuities making c…
Variable annuities, as a class of retirement income products, allow equity market exposure for a policyholder's retirement fund with electable additional guarantees to limit the downside risk of the market. Management fees and guarantee insurance fees are charged respectively for the market exposure and for the protect…
We study the optimal investment-consumption problem for a member of defined contribution plan during the decumulation phase. For a fixed annuitization time, to achieve higher final annuity, we consider a variable consumption rate. Moreover, to have a minimum guarantee for the final annuity, a safety level for the wealt…
Study analyzes fees linked to VIX index in annuity contracts.
problem Impact of VIX-linked fees on annuity contract surrender strategies.
method Two-layer continuous-time Markov chain approximation for fund value process.
result Optimal surrender strategy is more robust to VIX-linked fees.
In this paper we present a numerical valuation of variable annuities with combined Guaranteed Minimum Withdrawal Benefit (GMWB) and Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit (GMDB) under optimal policyholder behaviour solved as an optimal stochastic control problem. This product simultaneously deals with financial risk, mortali…
Who {\em values} life annuities more? Is it the healthy retiree who expects to live long and might become a centenarian, or is the unhealthy retiree with a short life expectancy more likely to appreciate the pooling of longevity risk? What if the unhealthy retiree is pooled with someone who is much healthier and thus f…
We prove the global existence of an incomplete, continuous-time finite-agent Radner equilibrium in which exponential agents optimize their expected utility over both running consumption and terminal wealth. The market consists of a traded annuity, and, along with unspanned income, the market is incomplete. Set in a Bro…