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Are Flexible Premium Variable Annuities Under-Priced?

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  • Chi, Yichun
  • Lin, X. Sheldon

Abstract

A variable annuity (VA) is a deferred annuity that allows an annuitant to invest his/her contributions into a range of mutual funds. A separate account termed as sub-account is set up for the investment. Unlike a mutual fund, a VA offers a guaranteed minimum death benefit or GMDB and often offers a guaranteed minimum living benefit or GMLB during the accumulation phase of the VA contract. Almost all the research to date has focused on single premium variable annuities (SPVAs), i.e. it is assumed that an annuitant makes a single lump-sum contribution at the time of issue. In this paper, we study flexible premium variable annuities (FPVAs) that allow contributions during the accumulation phase. We derive a valuation formula for guarantees embedded in FPVAs and show that the delta hedging strategy for an FPVA is substantially different from that for an SPVA. The numerical examples illustrate that the cost in the form of mortality and expense (M&E) fee for an FPVA in many situations is significantly higher than the cost for a similar SPVA. This finding suggests that the current pricing practice by most VA providers that charges the same M&E fee for both should be re-examined.

Suggested Citation

  • Chi, Yichun & Lin, X. Sheldon, 2012. "Are Flexible Premium Variable Annuities Under-Priced?," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(2), pages 559-574, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:astinb:v:42:y:2012:i:02:p:559-574_00
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Seyed Amir Hejazi & Kenneth R. Jackson, 2016. "A Neural Network Approach to Efficient Valuation of Large Portfolios of Variable Annuities," Papers 1606.07831, arXiv.org.
    2. Runhuan Feng & Xiaochen Jing & Jan Dhaene, 2015. "Comonotonic Approximations of Risk Measures for Variable Annuity Guaranteed Benefits with Dynamic Policyholder Behavior," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 15-008/IV/DSF85, Tinbergen Institute.
    3. Seyed Amir Hejazi & Kenneth R. Jackson & Guojun Gan, 2017. "A Spatial Interpolation Framework for Efficient Valuation of Large Portfolios of Variable Annuities," Papers 1701.04134, arXiv.org.
    4. Mussa Juma & Min Cherng Lee & Seong Tah Chin & Kian Wah Liew, 2017. "Evaluation of variable annuity guarantees with the effect of jumps in the asset price process," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1326218-132, January.
    5. Hejazi, Seyed Amir & Jackson, Kenneth R., 2016. "A neural network approach to efficient valuation of large portfolios of variable annuities," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 169-181.
    6. Kouritzin, Michael A. & MacKay, Anne, 2018. "VIX-linked fees for GMWBs via explicit solution simulation methods," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1-17.
    7. Gan, Guojun & Lin, X. Sheldon, 2015. "Valuation of large variable annuity portfolios under nested simulation: A functional data approach," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 138-150.

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