Study for the SOA Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics (FAM) Exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions with detailed explanations. Get ready for your future as an actuary!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following correctly defines TVaRp(x) in terms of X and VaR_p?

Tail Value at Risk at level p is the average outcome in the tail beyond the p-quantile. It is defined as the conditional expectation of X given that X is at least the VaR at level p, so TVaR_p(x) = E[X | X ≥ VaR_p(x)]. This means you’re averaging only the worst outcomes, the losses that exceed the p-th percentile, rather than looking at the overall mean. This makes TVaR_p higher than VaR_p unless the tail is degenerate. It is not the unconditional mean E[X], and it is not simply a multiple of VaR_p, nor VaR_p itself. In continuous cases, you can also write it as E[X | X > VaR_p(x)].

Tail Value at Risk at level p is the average outcome in the tail beyond the p-quantile. It is defined as the conditional expectation of X given that X is at least the VaR at level p, so TVaR_p(x) = E[X | X ≥ VaR_p(x)]. This means you’re averaging only the worst outcomes, the losses that exceed the p-th percentile, rather than looking at the overall mean. This makes TVaR_p higher than VaR_p unless the tail is degenerate. It is not the unconditional mean E[X], and it is not simply a multiple of VaR_p, nor VaR_p itself. In continuous cases, you can also write it as E[X | X > VaR_p(x)].