On the Comparative Reserves of Life Assurance Companies, according to various Tables of Mortality, at various rates of interest

Abstract

It is not proposed in the present paper to take up any original investigation, the main object being to bring up to date the papers submitted to the Institute in 1876 and 1877, and which appeared in J.I.A., xix, p. 381, and xx, p. 233. These papers were written not very long after the publication of the Twenty Offices' Experience, with the Monetary Tables based thereon, and to it they were almost entirely devoted. The peculiar rates of mortality prevailing amongst assured lives were investigated, by means of ten mortality tables calculated for central ages at entry, tables which were called by name “Analyzed.” That name has since been superseded by the name “Select”, and the tables themselves, together with the annuity tables based upon them, have become obsolete, their place having been taken by Dr. Sprague's much more complete, and much better, “Select” Tables. The Analyzed Mortality Tables, however, served their purpose, as the main object in taking the matter up was, to estimate the reserves of life offices when the mortality of lives assured is kept separate according to age at entry.