Actuarial approaches to risk management and decision making in a defined benefit pension scheme case study: teachers service commission

Abstract

The trustees and sponsors of defined benefit schemes rely heavily on the advice of the scheme actuary to make important decisions concerning funding of the scheme, the investment of its assets and the use of surplus assets to improve benefits. These decisions have to be made in the face of considerable uncertainty about financial and demographic factors that will affect the future experience of the scheme. The traditional actuarial valuation combined with actuarial judgment has played an important role in decision making in certain crucial areas and in particular the financial risk management of defined benefit schemes. This work attempts to highlight various actuarial approaches towards decision-making and risk management in a defined benefit pension scheme, Teachers Service Commission superannuation Pension Scheme is used as a case study