Trading mortality

Abstract

This dissertation sets out to describe a set of financial instruments whose cash flows are driven by the movements in some underlying population's mortality rates. For example, a longevity bond where the coupons are determined with reference to the proportion of the initial population that are alive at the coupon date. Other examples include mortality swaps and mortality swaptions which are analogous to interest rate swaps and interest rate swaptions. It also aims to show there are risks associated with mortality and that these mortality driven instruments can be used to manage some of these risks. These instruments should also enable portfolios that replicate mortality driven cash ows to be constructed. This would in turn allow the market consistent valuation of these cash flows. To construct a pricing framework for these mortality based instruments a stochastic mortality model is needed. In this dissertation the stochastic mortality model used was the Lee-Carter model. The Lee-Carter model in essence models mortality rates per age by calendar year or cohort year using Time Series techniques. Copyright