U.S. Public Pension Actuary

2 sequenced courses

RET 101
Retirement Plan Design ▼
  • Benefit Plan Structure, Features and Investments: The candidate will understand how to analyze different types of retirement plans and retirement plan investments.
  • Participant Risks: The candidate will understand how to analyze the risks faced by retirees and the participants of retirement plans.
  • Sponsor Risks: The candidate will understand how to analyze the risks faced by sponsors of retirement plans.
  • Benefit Plan Design Recommendation: The candidate will understand how to evaluate sponsors’ goals for the retirement plan, evaluate alternative plan types and features, and recommend a plan design appropriate to address those goals.
RET 201
Retirement Plan Valuation ▼
  • Assumes knowledge from RET 101
  • Methods: The candidate will understand how to apply/synthesize the methods used to value pension benefits for various purposes.
  • Actuarial Assumptions: The candidate will understand how to analyze/synthesize the factors that go into selection of actuarial assumptions used in pension valuations.
  • Accounting Standards: The candidate will understand how to perform valuations and prepare disclosure information for retirement income plans under applicable accounting standards.
  • Investment Risk Management: The candidate will recognize and appropriately reflect the role of retirement plan investments in managing plan sponsor risk and make recommendations.
  • Funding Policy: The candidate will understand the general principles applicable to the funding of retirement income plans and recommend a funding policy.

2 additional courses

INV 101
Portfolio Management ▼
  • The candidate will understand portfolio management objectives in the context of institutional liabilities.
  • The candidate will understand the nature and the variety of asset classes that can be used in constructing a portfolio.
  • The candidate will understand portfolio construction and assessment.
  • The candidate will understand the best practices of investment risk management.
CP 351
Asset Liability Management ▼
  • The candidate will understand the objectives of Asset Liability Management (ALM).
  • The candidate will understand the risk drivers of assets and liabilities.
  • The candidate will understand and be able to apply tools and strategies of ALM.