Time Restrictions on Life Annuity Benefits: Portfolio Risk Profiles

Abstract

Due to the increasing interest in several markets in life annuity products with a guaranteed periodic benefit, the back-side effects of some features that may prove to be critical either for the provider or the customer should be better understood. In this research, we focus on the time frames defined by the policy conditions of life annuities. While the payment phase coincides with the post-retirement period in the traditional annuity product, arrangements with alternative time frames are being offered in the market. Time restrictions, in particular, could be welcomed both by customers and providers, as they result in a reduction in expected costs and equivalence premiums. However, due to the different impact of longevity risk on different age ranges, time restrictions could increase risks to the provider, at least in relative terms. On the other hand, time restrictions reduce the duration of the provider’s liability, which should therefore be less exposed to financial risk. We focus on this issue, examining the probability distribution of the total portfolio payout resulting from alternative time frames for life annuity arrangements, first addressing longevity risk only, and then including also financial risk. The discussion is developed in view of understanding whether a reduction in the equivalence premium implied by time restrictions should be matched by higher premium loading and required capital rates.