The parameters of this topic tell ProVal how to determine the age and sex of inactive members. The record’s age and sex at each valuation date are then used to look up mortality probabilities, as well as to group the results for reports. You may check the box to Use Census Specifications. If this option is selected, then you will be required to select Census Specifications for each database included under the Databases & Census Specifications topic of the Experience Study. When the Experience Study is run, ProVal will look at the appropriate Census Specifications to determine which fields are used to determine age and sex. (For more information about these fields, see the Inactive Data - pension modes or the Inactive Data - OPEB mode topics of the Census Specifications command.) Alternatively, instead of referring to Census Specifications, you may directly indicate the parameters to be used to determine Date of birth (or attained age), Date of decrement or decrement age) in OPEB mode, Sex and the codes for Male and Female. These fields are generally the same as in the Census Specifications for Valuations (and Core Projections). Note, however, that the sex field must be of the coded field type: a numeric field containing the percent male cannot be used.

Records with missing values at a valuation date (after applying Data Defaults, if selected under the Database & Census Specifications topic) for any of these data fields will be excluded from the study for the year beginning on the valuation date.

To avoid distortion of results, a record should have consistent entries in the age and sex fields in all databases. If, for example, a birth date has been corrected in the 1/1/1994 database of a study beginning at 1/1/1992, be sure to correct the record in the 1/1/1992 and 1/1/1993 databases also.

If you wish, you can also check the box to have ProVal Track beneficiaries that die before members (applicable to records representing two lives, such as, in the pension modes, records with a joint and survivor annuity form of payment and the member still alive). If you have elected to Use Census Specifications then no further coding is necessary. If not, then you must specify the beneficiary’s (or dependent’s, in OPEB mode) Date of birth (or attained age) and Sex and the codes for Male and Female. Note that, as for members, the beneficiary’s sex field must be of the coded field type. If the beneficiary’s age and sex are not missing, the beneficiary is assumed to be alive. The beneficiary is assumed to be dead if either the age or the sex of the beneficiary is missing.

Note: If the Track beneficiaries that die before members box is checked, the Actual Deaths column of reports labeled “Inactive mortality, Survivors & beneficiaries” will include all deaths of beneficiaries/dependents, regardless of whether the beneficiary/dependent is represented by a two life record or by a single life record with a survivor status code. If this box is not checked, the only deaths counted for the Actual Deaths column of such reports will be deaths of beneficiaries/dependents represented by a single life record.

You may choose a Headcount weight from the list of database fields in the current Project. Head counts are multiplied by the value in this field, which may contain age, annual pension benefit, an actuarial liability, etc. Note that if you weight by a field that is blank for inactive members (for example, salary, service), inactives will be excluded from the Experience Study.