Accounting Commons^™

Top 10 Audit Deficiencies, Mark S. Beasley, Joseph V. Carcello, Dana R. Hermanson

Faculty Articles

The article focuses on financial statement fraud based on cases wherein the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sanctioned auditors for their association with fraudulent financial statements. All of the cases involved public companies, most of which engaged ill fraudulent financial reporting. Only a few engaged in misappropriation of assets or defalcation. The most common problem, alleged in 90% of the cases, was the auditor's failure to gather sufficient evidence. In some instances, this failure was pervasive throughout the engagement while in other instances the allegations were more specific. For example, many of the cases involved inadequate evidence in the areas …

Fitting Loss Distributions In The Presence Of Rating Variables, Farrokh Guiahi

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper focuses on issues and methodologies for fitting alternative statistical models-parametric probability distributions-to samples of insurance loss data. The interactions of loss distributions, deductibles, policy limits, and rating variables in the context of fitting distributions to losses are discussed. Fitted loss distributions serve an important function in pricing insurance products. The methodology developed in this paper is applied to a sample of insurance loss data that has the lognormal as the underlying loss distribution.

Linear Empirical Bayes Estimation Of Survival Probabilities With Partial Data, Mostafa Mashayekhi

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

In this paper we consider linear empirical Bayes estimation of survival probabilities with partial data from right-censored and possibly left-truncated observations. Such data are produced by studies in which the exact times of death are not recorded and the length of time that each subject may be under observation cannot exceed one unit of time. We obtain asymptotically optimal linear empirical Bayes estimators, with respect to the squared error loss function, under the assumption that the probability of death under observation in a unit time interval is proportional to the length of observation. This assumption is sometimes implied by Balducci's …

A Sensitivity Analysis Of The Premiums For A Permanent Health Insurance (Phi) Model, Ben D. Rickayzen

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper presents an analysis of the parameters used in a multi-state model for permanent health insurance (PHI). The model is a simplification of that used in the United Kingdom. To avoid using duration dependent probabilities, the model splits the sick state into several sub-states to act as a proxy for duration spent in a particular state. This enables a Markov approach to be adopted. Lapses are incorporated within the model, and the net premium for a particular policy is tested for sensitivity to the various parameters used, including their interaction with the lapse rate. One of our conclusions is …

Controlling The Solvency Interaction Among A Group Of Insurance Companies, Alexandros Zimbidis, Steven Haberman

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Pooling of risks is an efficient risk management technique used by large employee benefit schemes of multinational companies to self-insure their retirement and other benefit obligations. This technique forms a basis for formulating a general control theoretic model for the interaction between insurance companies within a pooling network. The objective of these insurance companies is to avoid insolvency yet maintain stable premium and surplus processes. A general control system of equations that is used as a model for the interaction of m insurance companies within the network is first analyzed. An analytic solution is provided. Questions concerning the stability and …

Exponential Bonus-Malus Systems Integrating A Priori Risk Classification, Llufs Bermudez, Michel Denuit, Jan Dhaene

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper examines an integrated ratemaking scheme including a priori risk classification and a posteriori experience rating. In order to avoid the high penalties implied by the quadratic loss function, the symmetry between the overcharges and the undercharges is broken by introducing parametric loss functions of exponential type.

Premium Earning Patterns For Multi-Year Policies With Aggregate Deductibles, Thomas Struppeck

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

MUlti-year policies with large aggregate deductibles or multiple triggers raise some interesting issues about the correct amount of unearned premium reserve that a company should carry. Examples in this paper illustrate some of the difficulties that arise when trying to establish such reserves. The basic approach taken here is that the pure premium portion of the unearned premium reserve should always be adequate to cover the remaining risk. This approach, however, can lead to some unusual and controversial earning patterns; there are even situations where a negative premium is earned. In addition, the earning pattern for a particular loss scenario …

Analyzing Management Fees Of Pension Funds: A Case Study Of Mexico, Tapen Sinha

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Though the rates of return for public pension funds have been high over the past two decades, one critical aspect of the financing of this type of fund is often overlooked: high management fees. As a result, the rates of return for workers who have invested in these funds have not necessarily been high. Management fees charged on pension funds in Mexico result in a leakage of funds in the order of 20-30% of the fund. That is, the amount at retirement would have been 20-30% higher had there been no fees. A model is developed that includes all the …

Journal Of Actuarial Practice, Volume 9 (2001), Colin Ramsay , Editor

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

(The complete issue, including) ARTICLES

Analyzing Management Fees of Pension Funds: A Case Study of Mexico • Tapen Sinha 5

Premium Earning Patterns for Multi-Year Policies with Aggregate Deductibles • Thomas Struppeck 45

Exponential Bonus-Malus Systems Integrating A Priori Risk Classification • Lluis Benmidez, Michel Denuit, and Jan Dhaene 67

Fitting Loss Distributions in the Presence of Rating Variables • Farrokh Guiahi 97

Linear Empirical Bayes Estimation of Survival Probabilities with Partial Data • Mostafa Mashayekhi 131

Controlling the Solvency Interaction Among a Group of Insurance Companies • Alexandros Zimbidis and Steven Haberman 151

A Sensitivity Analysis of the Premiums …

A Comparison Between Eva And Conventional Accounting Performance Measures For Listed Companies In Malaysia, Sow Chen Wong

Student Works (2000-2009)

This research was carried out with two primary objectives namely to investigate the relationship between Economic Value Added (EVA) and stock returns and how it compares with conventional accounting measures in explaining stock returns. The results indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between EVA and stock returns. Although the relationship is positive, it is relatively weak. All the accounting performance measures also exhibit a positive relationship with stocks. With regards to the ability of EVA in explaining stock returns, It was better compared to any of the accounting performance measures. The best accounting measure was price earnings ratio. …

Capital Structure, Financing Patterns And Financial Performances Of Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (Klse) Companies, Jin Ken Kam

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study has three main objectives. Firsttly, It examines how the capital structure or public listed companies in Malaysia differ accross time and industry. The companies are grouped acccording to KLSE's classification of companies. Secondly, the study looks into whether the financing of fixed assets is matched by long-term debt or covered by long-term capital. Thirrdly, it examines lhe effect of leverage on the performance of public listed companies in Mataysia over the past 10 years. The study uses the total debt to total asset ratio ta measure leverage. Financing patterns of companies are examined by using the total capitalization, …

Preventing Fraudulent Financial Reporting, Mark S. Beasley, Joseph V. Carcello, Dana R. Hermanson

Faculty Articles

Provides information on a study conducted by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations regarding the detection and prevention of financial fraud. Discussion on the nature of financial frauds; Characteristics of unreliable financial reporting; Views on the role of auditing firms in the prevention of fraud.

Journal Of Actuarial Practice, Volume 8, Nos. 1 And 2 (2000) -- Masthead & Contents, Colin Ramsay , Editor

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Contents

Editorial Policy: Topics suitable for this journal include AIDS, annuity products, asset-liability matching, cash-flow testing, casualty rate making, credibility theory, credit insurance, disability insurance, expense analysis, experience studies, FASB issues, financial reporting, group insurance, health insurance, individual risk taking, insurance regulations, international issues, investments, liability insurance, loss reserves, marketing, pensions, pricing issues, product development, reinsurance, reserving issues, risk-based capital, risk theory, social insurance, solvency issues, taxation, valuation issues, and workers' compensation

Review Process

Editor - Colin Ramsay, University of Nebraska

Associate Editors: Robert Brown, University of Waterloo ○ Cecil Bykerk, Mutual of Omaha ○ Ruy Cardoso, …

Financial Information Resources For Special Librarians, Di Su

Publications and Research

Speed has always been a competitive factor and corporate asset in business world. The growth of the Internet has created an equal opportunity for information service professionals in both big and small companies to improve their efficiency. The prominent advantages of Web source are currency, accessibility, and thus, the speed. You are provided with instant updates on issues like rules, official statements, interpretations, statistics, etc., and these documents can be accessed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. There are so many valuable Web sites on the Internet that it is impossible to include them all in this article, …

The Performance Of The 1999 Federal Government Budget, An Appraisal, Edet B. Akpankpan

Bullion

The annual budget is a key instrument for implementation of Government projects, programmes and policies. This paper attempts to explain the fact that the annual budget serves three important purposes, namely; as a tool for accountability and transparency; as a tool of management, and as an instrument of economic policy. The paper conclude that Despite the macrocosmic achievement of this, Administration, basic structural imbalances persist. These include the lingering problems of import dependence, reliance on a single economic sector-oil, weak industrial base, low level of agricultural production, a weak Private sector, high external debt overhang, inefficient public utilities, low quality …

Data Generation In The Nigerian Environment: The Cbn Experience., A. A. Sere-Ejembi

Bullion

The paper examines data collection activities of the statistical services division in collaboration with its Lagos liaison office as well as the zonal research units. The paper analyzes the survey methods applied by them. The task of easing data collection should be regarded as a continuous process. This is relevant even to the most developed economies with sophisticated technology for data collection and processing. Finally, with an improvement in the literacy level and overall appreciation of the role of reliable statistics in the country, it is believed that the public would embrace data generation and availability of relevant statistics will …

Journal Of Actuarial Practice, Volume 8, Nos. 1 And 2 (2000), Colin Ramsay , Editor

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Complete volume, includes ARTICLES:

Realistic Pension Funding: A Stochastic Approach • Shih-Chieh Chang 5

Risk Sources in a Life Annuity Portfolio: Decomposition and Measurement Tools • Mariarosaria Coppola, Emilia Di Lorenzo, and Mari/ena Sibillo . .43

A Comparative Study of the Performance of Loss Reserving Methods through Simulation • Prakash Narayan and Thomas Warthen 63

Concentration in the Property and Liability Insurance Market by Line of Insurance • Edward Nissan and Regina Caveny 89

Safe-Side Requirements in Life Insurance: A Corporate Perspective • Annamaria Olivieri and Ermanno Pitacco 115

Actuarial Analysis of Retirement Income Replacement Ratios • Robert Keng Heong …

Modeling Corporate Bond Default Risk: A Multiple Time Series Approach, Wai-Sum Chan

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

A multiple time series approach is used to forecast the short-term u.s. corporate bond default level. These time series have two auxiliary economic variables: U.S. price inflation and U.S. GNP growth rate. Actual U.S. data from the turn of the century to the present are used to estimate the parameters of multivariate time series model. Diagnostic checks are performed to examine adequacy of the model. The model's forecast for the aggregate U.S. bond default level in 2000-2001 are 0.42% and 0.56%, respectively, while the forecast for the speculative-grade default rate in 2000 is 3.6%, which is more pessimistic than some …

Actuarial Analysis Of Retirement Income Replacement Ratios, Robert Keng Heong Lian, Emiliano A. Valdez, Chan Kee Low

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

A measure of level of post-retirement standard of living is the replacement ratio, i.e., percentage of final salary received as annual retirement income derived from savings. The replacement ratio depends on many factors including salary, salary increases, investment returns, and post-retirement mortality. Elementary life contingencies techniques are used to develop a replacement ratio formula and analyze its sensitivity to these factors.

Life Contingencies With Stochastic Discounting Using Moving Average Models, Steven Haberman, Russell Gerrard, Dimitrios Velmachos

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper offers simplified procedures for calculating moments of functions in life contingencies when the random force of interest is modeled using an unconditional moving average process of order q, MA(q). It extends the MA(l) model that has been used for stochastic discounting. Using the more general MA(q) model allows actuaries to better capture the auto correlation between successive interest rates in a time series.

Independent Claim Report Lags And Bias In Forecasts Using Age-To-Age Factor Methodology, Stewart Gleason

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper finds that when report lags are assumed to be independent, the age-to-age factor method produces biased estimates when applied to claim count development data. Two distributions are considered as models for the ultimate number of claims for an accident period: (0 a Poisson distribution, and (ii) a negative binomial distribution. In the Poisson case, the assumption of independent report lags implies the independence of the total number of claims reported in any two periods. In the negative binomial case, however, assuming that report lags are independent does not imply that increments are independent, and a somewhat different argument …

Concentration In The Property And Liability Insurance Market By Line Of Insurance, Edward Nissan, Regina Caveny

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

This paper uses an National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) 1995 data set to examine the concentration of property and liability insurance by line of insurance in the U.S. The primary measure of concentration used is the Herfindahl index. The largest 100 affiliates are divided into three largest sets of 20, 30, and 50. We find that the homeowners line is the most concentrated line and commercial auto physical damage is the least concentrated line, with the top 20 affiliates commanding the largest between-set and within-set contributions.

Risk Sources In A Life Annuity Portfolio: Decomposition And Measurement Tools, Mariarosaria Coppola, Emilia Di Lorenzo, Marilena Sibillo

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

The paper considers a model for a homogeneous portfolio of whole life annuities immediate. The aim is to study two risk factors: the investment risk and the insurance risk. A stochastic model of the rate of return is used to study these risk factors. Measures of the insurance risk and the investment risk for the entire portfolio are suggested. The problem of the longevity risk is presented, and its consequences with different projections of the mortality tables are analyzed. The model is applied to some concrete cases, and several illustrations show the importance of the two components of the riskiness …

A Comparative Study Of The Performance Of Loss Reserving Methods Through Simulation, Prakash Narayan, Thomas Warthen

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Actuaries are often asked to provide a range or confidence level for the loss reserve along with a point estimate. Traditional methods of loss reserving do not provide an estimate of the variance of the estimated reserve, and actuaries use various ad hoc methods to derive a range for the indicated reserve. We use a Monte Carlo simulation method to compare various loss reserve estimation methods, including traditional methods and regression-based methods of loss reserving.

Safe-Side Requirements In Life Insurance: A Corporate Perspective, Annamaria Olivieri, Ermanno Pitacco

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

Safe-side requirements concern the assumptions used to calculate premiums in relation to a set of more realistic assumptions. Roughly, safe-side requirements express the capability of premiums to generate positive margins. In a strictly actuarial framework, safe-side requirements are given in terms of some notion of expected profit, calling for assumptions that let such profit be non-negative. An expected profit of zero, however, is not a realistic aim for the insurer. We investigate the notion of conservative assumptions by adopting a unconventional approach. Our focus is the management of the financial resources coming both from premiums and from shareholders' capital. This …

Realistic Pension Funding: A Stochastic Approach, Shih-Chieh Chang

Journal of Actuarial Practice (1993–2006)

The process funding pension plans is viewed as a dynamic control process. Two performance measures are introduced to evaluate the effectiveness of plan contributions: the cost-induced performance measure (CIPM) and the ratio-induced performance measure (RIPM). A dynamic programming approach is used to determining the optimal contributions with the objective of minimizing the performance measure. The methodology developed is applied to a sample of members of Taiwan's Public Employees Pension Plan (Tai-PERS). We show that RIPM produces more stable results than those using CIPM.

Performance Comparison Between Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (Bimb) And Conventional Banks, 1989-1999, Chiu Sian Nee Alison

Student Works (2000-2009)

This is an empirical study which compares the performance of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) with seven commercial banks for the period 1989-1999 in terms of growth, profitability, liquidity, solvency, credit risk, earnings risk and sectoral contribution to the economy. BIMB's performance during the period of the financial crisis 1997-1999 is also compared with fifteen commercial banks. Ratio analysis is used in these comparisons. This report is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the fundamental principles and mode of operations of both conventional and Islamic banks. Chapter 2 reviews the literature pertaining to the performance of Islamic banks in …

Relationship Between Risks And Return In The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, Keat Chye Khoo

Student Works (2000-2009)

Results of empirical tests on the relationship between stock returns and arious risk factors of sixty stocks in the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange over the eriod 1979-1998 are presented in this study. Overall the applicability of the capital sset pricing model in Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange using monthly data is absent. 1arket risk alone or with another risk factors are unable to explain the variation in verage returns. However, there is a significant non-linear relationship between verage returns of individual stocks and market risk in two test periods 1983-86 and 995-98. This study also finds that other risk factors are …

Seasonality Effects Of Finance Stocks On The Kuala Lumpur Exchange, Foon Lee Ng

Student Works (2000-2009)

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the seasonality effect or calendar anomalies of Finance stocks on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) over the period of January 1992 to June 1999. Among the calendar anomalies investigated in this study are the day-of-the-week effect, the pre-holiday effect, the end-of-the-month effect and the firm size effect. Empirical results reveal that there is an existence of the day-of-the-week effect in the financial stocks for the entire sample period. The results are consistent with those previous studies in which Monday's returns are significantly negative whilst Friday's returns are positive. In particular, …

A Study Of Stock Market Efficiency In Malaysia, Shook Chern Lee

Student Works (2000-2009)

This study examines the behaviour of the stock market in Malaysia and its implication on the weak form efficiency of the Efficient Market Hypothesis. Daily data of the number of stocks advancing, declining or remaining unchanged in price and the closing levels of the stock market indices of the Main Board, seven main sectors of the Main Board and the Second Board of the KLSE were used in this study. The period covered was from January 1994 to December 1998, a total of 1233 trading days. The results using the Theil-Leenders test indicates that there is some dependence in successive …