Export Variable Properties and Formulas for Model Documentation
Users can now extract a list of their variables with the properties, tags, documentation, formula, last modified date and user to provide model documentation for audits, regulators, internal review and troubleshooting. Learn more here.
This is an example of the Product Variables tab on the export.
The ‘Export Documentation’ button is found in the ‘Go To’ Menu of the Model Development Module.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Slope users can now setup multi-factor authentication (MFA) without having to be on Single Sign On. To configure MFA, click the user menu in the top right of the application > Administration > Privacy and Security tab.
Clicking the Set Up button found on the Privacy and Security tab will walk you through enabling MFA.
New API Endpoints
Copy Projection Endpoint: Allows users to copy an existing projection ID instead of having to create a projection template.
Get Decrement Table Endpoint: Allows users to get the decrement tables on their model including the ID, name, type, improvement year and select period frequency.
Read more about the available Slope API Endpoints here.
Enhancements
Use Annual Effective Rate for Short-Term Interpolation on Scenario Tables
Users can now specify how the short-term spot rates (durations 0-5 months) on scenario tables are calculated. In the past, the short term interpolation method was always from zero. Now users can select to interpolate from zero or use the annual effective rate.
All existing scenario tables will remain set to ‘from zero’ but newly created tables will have ‘Use annual effective rate’ selected by default.
NOTE: This parameter will be added to the Post and Patch Scenario Table endpoints on the API in the future. In the interim, the API will default to using the annual effective rate for the short term interpolation method.
Additional Enhancements
A model copy performance improvement was made to reduce the time users need to wait for their model to finish copying.
Only the headers and elements with errors on the validation details screen will show in red to prevent users from thinking there are errors on objects that do not have any errors.
The model point default value will be used when the column does not exist in the model point file and the field is not required on the model point file definition.
Fixes
API users will no longer get a 500 error when uploading the same model point filter on two products at once.
Resolved a ‘No data table found’ error on some projections with long running static products.
Resolved a ‘Failed to start’ error on projections when the scenario structure does not have any yield curve points on it.
Resolved a model copy issue that was resulting in the copy hanging when projection templates were included.
Data table headers are no longer case sensitive on import.
Extra columns in a file are again being ignored when uploading a data table.
High Performance Mode Available for Projections with New Business
High Performance Mode (HPM) now supports projections that include New Business so that users can dynamically issue new sales (model points) in their projection when running in HPM. For more information on High Performance Mode and which projections are supported, visit our support article here.
Users will now be able to select a Sales Allocation on their portfolio when running in High Performance Mode.
Enhancements
Variable List Now Shows Error Count
Users will now see an error counter at the top of the variable list to indicate the number of variables that have errors on them.
API Update: GET Projection Endpoint Additions
API users will now be able to get the following portfolio and product information from the GET Projections endpoint:
API Update: GET Data Tables/List Endpoint
API users will now be able to get a list of data tables either for a specific table structure or model ID. Learn more on our API documentation page.
Reporting: Repeat Row Labels
Users can now format pivot tables with multiple pivot rows to repeat row labels within their workbook element.
Found under the Element Format (brush) icon. This screenshot shows a pivot table without row labels repeated.This screenshot shows a pivot table with the row labels repeated.
Reporting: Placeholder Text in Control Elements
Users can now customize the placeholder text for any input-based control elements (List Values, Text Input, Number Input, Date, and Date range) to provide context about the expected input.
Select your element > Element Format icon (brush) > General and update the Placeholder field
Merge Differences in Tags on Variables
The model governance module will now show tag differences between two variables (with the same name) and allow the user to merge the tag to the target variable.
Fixes
Debug view is now updating the formula with a different formula per array value for the second dimension of 2 dimensional arrays.
Reduced Failed to Start Errors resulting from AWS request denials.
Improved run log and debug tab loading performance.
Again showing ‘Out of Memory’ message when a projection runs out of memory while finishing the inserting of results.
Model point filters will apply the correct filter field when duplicating a projection and filtering on a field that is not the first field.
Variables only referenced by a sales allocation variable will again display in the output.
Now showing the correct result for projections run in Cores when forward projecting a company array variable with a Single Value (formula) aggregate that relies on a two dimensional aggregate variable.
Updated Experience Study Library 2024.05 and Documentation
We have published a new version of the Experience Study Library Model, named “Experience Study 2024.05”, which includes the following updates and fixes:
Updates
Can now filter inputs by status codes in addition to Plan and Policy IDs
Added a full set of generic rate inputs for Claim Incidence in addition to the existing mortality and lapse rate inputs. This can be used for any measurement of claims incidence rate such as disability or other policyholder election rates.
Fixes
Fixed calculations that sometimes resulted in slightly more/less exposure being attributed to a policy year in leap years for policies issued in the month of February.
Corrected an issue in the conversion from annual to monthly factors for mortality and lapse rates.
Additional Documentation
Additionally, we have published three new articles for Experience Studies on the Slope support site:
A new “Bermuda Capital” workbook has been published to show the details of the Bermuda Solvency Capital at a Company level.
This workbook is available in the Slope System workspace under the Bermuda folder.
Note that this workbook does not yet support additional requirements from the Bermuda Consultation Paper dated July 28, 2023 (CP2). An updated version of this workbook will be published alongside upcoming updates to the Life Library to calculate these additional requirements.
You can now re-run a projection using a new model. This is often done to try and reproduce or compare results after making updates to a model copy. When switching a model, Slope will attempt to map the settings, scenario table, variable scoping controls, portfolios, sales allocations, investment strategies, products and data tables using the name. Learn more here.
Enhancements
Mass Merge Decrement Tables
The governance module now allows users to select multiple or all decrement tables from one model and merge them into another mode.
Miscellaneous
The target model in the governance module will now show the full name upon hover.
Fixes
Assumption sets will again allow the user to view and change the table selected in the assumption set.
Debug view will no longer erroneously show ‘No Result Available’ when a result is available.
Corrected an issue in which an error message was not providing the correct error source for a Calculated Range where the start and end values were matching.
Debug view is now showing products that are not directly configured on a portfolio (e.g. investment products)
A behind the scenes update to data tables was made to improve performance loading data tables, copying models with data tables and running projections with data tables.
Product Aggregate performance improvements have been made to High Performance Mode (HPM) projections to help further reduce runtimes.
Improved performance of Core projections with very large arrays.
Two-Dimensional Array Enhancement
Two-dimensional arrays can now be created with a product level data table array and a product output grouping array.
Fixes
The ‘Always Calculate’ setting is now staying enabled when the ‘Global’ variable setting is enabled.
Switching the static array used in a two-dimensional array is now updating the array value tabs for a formula using the array and set to ‘formula per array value’.
When a variable directly references a two-dimensional array there will no longer be an erroneous ‘Invalid Array Aggregation Type’ error message.
Using a product data table array in a two-dimensional array will no longer result in a projection error.
The Governance module is now detecting different dimensions for two-dimensional arrays.
When the result of a complex array lookup cannot be determined in the debug view, we are again showing ‘??????’.
We have introduced a new Slope Academy video series course “Building Reports in Workbooks” to help users understand the structure of the Slope data model and build reports in Workbooks. You can find the course in Slope Academy in this link.
Updated Slope Life Library
ALM Example
Added an example setup to showcase how a user can set up a run incorporating interaction between assets and liabilities. You can find the following in the Assumptions Development section illustrating this:
Investment/Disinvestment module – several example Investment Strategies and example reinvestment Asset Allocations covering non-callable bonds and equities
A few workbooks that are useful to review for such calculations include: ALM, Portfolio Summary, and Asset/Purchase Sale Details.
For more detailed information on how to utilize investment and disinvestments, please refer to our support site.
Other Updates
Updated Life Onboarding Model to be consistent with 2024.03 Life Library model
Added additional parameters to the Whole Life product to provide additional pre-built logic around different death benefit patterns
Modified several Whole Life product variables and added an additional table “US STAT AG25 Rates” to enhance modeling capabilities around US STAT AG25 for Pre-need products
Renamed all product variables and table columns from Smoker Status to Tobacco Status
Updated all references to Smoker/Tobacco Status to reference a Tobacco Status array, with the status options referencing a limited set of options for consistency across the library model. Different tobacco statuses coming in from user inputs are mapped to this limited set in the “Data Mapping – Tobacco” table.
Updated all references to Mortality Age Basis to reference an Age Basis basis array with possible values Age Last Birthday and Age Nearest Birthday to maintain consistency across the library model.
Indexed Annuity US STAT Reserve can now be set as a choice between the Account Value or Cash Surrender Value
Modified the Indexed Annuity Plan Code table column names to clarify that specific columns are related to US GAAP or US STAT
Renamed specific Indexed Annuity US STAT Valuation Method array values to clarify that their usage is for AG35
“Asset Type” column in the Externally Projected Assets table structure has been split into two columns: “Asset Type” and “Calculate Market Values from Cash Flows?”. Format also moved from integer to a dropdown list with text descriptions for each option to make the options more intuitive throughout the library model.
Portfolio Summary workbook now has an additional field in the tooltip showing total invested assets for the period across all asset products
ALM workbook now has a “View By” frequency control to dynamically switch the results view between Annual, Quarterly, and Monthly periods.
Added minor enhancements and clarifications to the Indexed Annuity workbook around per policy calculations vs. decremented calculations.
Fixes
Company Cash Flow Allocation company variable no longer has the Tax tag, which wasn’t consistent with the current usage of this variable
Added missing US GAAP and US Stat product variable tags to a small number of corresponding US GAAP and US Stat related variables
Externally Projected Asset product variable Time of Maturity now correctly references an optional Maturity Date model point file field instead of product variable “Term in Months”. If this field is not provided in the model point file, Time of Maturity defaults to 1200 (i.e. 100 years from projection start date).
Externally Projected Liability product variable and table structure column “Risk Adjustment” renamed to “Market Value Spread” to avoid confusion with other uses of the term Risk Adjustment. This column’s intent is to specify the spread over risk free rates when calculating market value metrics.
Whole Life product variable “Death Benefit Ratio Guaranteed” now references Issue Age product variable field rather than the model point field, allowing the calculation to work when a user provides Date of Birth rather than Issue Age in the model point file.
Long Term Care model point field Tobacco Status set to not required which is consistent with the design of the library calculations.
Portfolio Summary workbook no longer double counts results in the Invested Assets by Product visual when product output groupings are used in a projection.
New Workbooks
The following workbooks can now be found in the Slope System folder within sub-folder “Liability Products”.
Universal Life
Universal Life Single Policy Details
Whole Life
Whole Life Single Policy Details
Coming Soon
Various onboarding initiatives to make it easier for users to find what they need as well as get up to speed with how to work in SLOPE
Two-dimensional arrays allow users to reference values from two different arrays within a single formula. This allows for the use of a single formula to calculate complex logic that varies by two different dimensions. Two-dimensional arrays help reduce the need for duplicated model logic and maintenance.
To learn how to setup and utilize two-dimensional arrays in your model, please review our support documentation here.
Portfolio Level Calculated Range Array Indexes
Calculated Range Array indexes can now be set using portfolio level variables to allow for more flexibility and minimize the need for extra array variables at the model point level.
A new ‘Portfolio’ option is available when creating and editing arrays. Selecting ‘Portfolio’ allows the user to set a portfolio variable for the indexes or index step.
Enhancements
Validation Updates
The following validation has been added in order to help our customers build and maintain more accurate models. Validation is added to prevent and alert our customers to invalid setups or configuration that could give incorrect or unexpected results.
Variables that contain the ‘Projection Time Index’ system variable must have the ‘Force Recalc’ setting enabled.
Cross level variables contained in a formula cannot reference different arrays (e.g. Product Variable formula references another product variable that uses one array as well as another portfolio variable that uses a different array).
A standard variable cannot reference a post projection variable at another level.
A non-time indexed variable cannot reference a time-indexed variable at another level.
Fixes
Projection list loading times have been improved
When uploading a new version of a file that is being used by an allocation, an error will no longer display.
Output is now being written when an investment strategy errors after trying to sell more assets than are available.
Now showing a descriptive error response on the Post Reports API endpoint when a workbook or element is not found
The Governance module now allows users to merge multiple arrays at once so that each array does not have to be individually merged. Users can use the checkboxes next to the arrays to merge select arrays or all arrays.
Projection Optimizations
We have made several optimizations to projection runs. First, we are better handling runs with a large number of scenarios and ensuring that projection statuses and scenario statuses are updated accurately.
We have also optimized the “Prepare” step of projections, so that models with large numbers of decrement tables run successfully.
Fixes
Slope now provides a descriptive error message when a projection cannot be duplicated due to the model permissions.
The formula builder is now loading without intermittent slowness or freezing.
Data tables will again successfully import when an account has a significant number of files.
Previous versions of the Slope Pension Library have been renamed to the “Slope Pension (Governmental) Library” to distinguish and prepare for the public release of the private sector pension plan library.
Fixes
Corrected references to 415(b) limit inputs in global variables so that the table is nested in Plan Definition Table and not a separate reference in the projection inputs
Corrected Annuity calculations to coordinate COLAs during guarantee periods
Corrected the interpolation of missing years of compensation history
Version 2024.01 of the Slope Governmental Pension Library has been unpublished so our users do not mistakenly utilize these invalid setups. If you require a copy of this version prior to the fixes, please contact support@slopesoftware.com.
