Arkansas Code
Chapter 84 - Standard Valuation Law For Life Insurance And Annuities
§ 23-84-105. Minimum standard for valuation — Interest rates — Definitions

(a) Applicability of this Section. The interest rates used in determining the minimum standard for the valuation of the following shall be the calendar year statutory valuation interest rates as defined in this chapter:
(1) All life insurance policies issued in a particular calendar year, on or after the operative date of § 23-81-213(d);
(2) All individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued in a particular calendar year on or after the operative date of § 23-81-213(e);
(3) All annuities and pure endowments purchased in a particular calendar year on or after the operative date of § 23-81-213(e), under group annuity and pure endowment contracts; and
(4) The net increase, if any, in a particular calendar year after the operative date of § 23-81-213(e), in amounts held under guaranteed interest contracts.

(b) Calendar Year Statutory Valuation Interest Rates.
(1) The calendar year statutory valuation interest rates, I, shall be determined as follows and the results rounded to the nearer one-quarter of one percent (0.25%):
(A) For life insurance: (Click here to view Equation)
(B) For single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and from guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options:
(C) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options valued on an issue year basis, except as stated in subdivision (b)(1)(B) of this section, the formula for life insurance stated in subdivision (b)(1)(A) of this section shall apply to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guaranteed durations in excess of ten (10) years. The formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in subdivision (b)(1)(B) of this section shall apply to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guaranteed duration of ten (10) years or less;
(D) For other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in subdivision (b)(1)(B) of this section shall apply; and
(E) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a change in fund basis, the formula for single premium immediate annuities stated in subdivision (b)(1)(B) of this section shall apply.

(2)
(A) However, if the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for any life insurance policies issued in any calendar year determined without reference to this subdivision (b)(2)(A) differs from the corresponding actual rate for similar policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year by less than one-half of one percent (0.5%), the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such life insurance policies shall be equal to the corresponding actual rate for the immediately preceding calendar year.
(B) For purposes of applying subdivision (b)(2)(A) of this section, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies issued in a calendar year shall be determined for 1980 by using the reference interest rate defined for 1979 and shall be determined for each subsequent calendar year regardless of the operative date of § 23-81-213(d).

(c) Weighting Factors.
(1) The weighting factors referred to in the formulas stated in subsection (b) of this section are given in the following tables:
(A) Weighting Factors for Life Insurance:
(B) Weighting factor for single premium immediate annuities and for annuity benefits involving life contingencies arising from other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options:
(C) Weighting factors for other annuities and for guaranteed interest contracts, except as stated in subdivision (c)(1)(B) of this section, shall be as specified in tables (i), (ii), and (iii) of this subdivision (c)(1)(C), according to the rules and definitions in tables (iv) and (v) of this subdivision (c)(1)(C):

(d) (i) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue-year basis:
(i) “Issue-year basis of valuation” means a valuation basis under which the interest rate used to determine the minimum valuation standard for the entire duration of the annuity or guaranteed interest contract is the calendar year valuation interest rate for the year of issue or year of purchase of the annuity or guaranteed interest contract; and
(ii) “Change-in-fund basis of valuation” means a valuation basis under which the interest rate used to determine the minimum valuation standard applicable to each change in the fund held under the annuity or guaranteed interest contract is the calendar year valuation interest rate for the year of the change in the fund.

(e) Alternative Method for Determining Reference Interest Rates. In the event that the Monthly Average of the Composite Yield on Seasoned Corporate Bonds is no longer published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or in the event that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners determines that the Monthly Average of the Composite Yield on Seasoned Corporate Bonds as published by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., is no longer appropriate for the determination of the reference interest rate, then an alternative method for determination of the reference interest rate which is adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and approved by rules promulgated by the Insurance Commissioner may be substituted.
(Click here to view Equation)
where R 1 is the lesser of R and .09, R 2 is the greater of R and .09, R is the reference interest rate defined in subsection (d) of this section, and W is the weighting factor defined in subsection (c) of this section;
Guarantee Duration (Years) Weighting Factors 10 or less .50 More than 10, but not more than 20 .45 More than 20 .35
Click to view table.
For life insurance, the guarantee duration is the maximum number of years the life insurance can remain in force on a basis guaranteed in the policy or under options to convert to plans of life insurance with premium rates or nonforfeiture values, or both, which are guaranteed in the original policy;
.80
Guarantee Duration Weighting Factor for Plan Type (Years) A B C 5 or less: .80 .60 .50 More than 5, but not more than 10: .75 .60 .50 More than 10, but not more than 20: .65 .50 .45 More than 20: .45 .35 .35
Click to view table.
(ii) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change in fund basis, the factors shown in table (i) of this subdivision (c)(1)(C) increased by:
Plan Type A B C .15 .25 .05
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(iii) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue-year basis, other than those with no cash settlement options which do not guarantee interest on considerations received more than one (1) year after issue or purchase and for annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change-in-fund basis which do not guarantee interest rates on considerations received more than twelve (12) months beyond the valuation date, the factors shown in table (i) of this subdivision (c)(1)(C) or derived in table (ii) of this subdivision (c)(1)(C) increased by:
Plan Type A B C .05 .05 .05
Click to view table.
(iv) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, the guaranteed duration is the number of years for which the contract guarantees interest rates in excess of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies with guarantee duration in excess of twenty (20) years. For other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the guarantee duration is the number of years from the date of issue or date of purchase to the date annuity benefits are scheduled to commence;
(v) Plan type as used in the tables in this subdivision (c)(1)(C) is defined as follows:
Plan Type A: At any time, a policyholder may withdraw funds only:
(a) With an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer;
(b) Without such an adjustment but in installments over five (5) years or more;
(c) As an immediate life annuity; or
(d) No withdrawal permitted;
Plan Type B: Before expiration of the interest rate guarantee, a policyholder may withdraw funds only:
(a) With adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer;
(b) Without such an adjustment but in installments over five (5) years or more; or
(c) No withdrawal permitted. At the end of interest rate guarantee, funds may be withdrawn without such an adjustment in a single sum or installments over less than five (5) years; and
Plan Type C: A policyholder may withdraw funds before expiration of interest rate guarantee in a single sum or installments over less than five (5) years either:
(a) Without adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurer; or
(b) Subject only to a fixed surrender charge stipulated in the contract as a percentage of the fund.
(2)(A)(i) An insurer may elect to value guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options and annuities with cash settlement options on either an issue-year basis or on a change-in-fund basis.
(ii) Guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options and other annuities with no cash settlement options must be valued on an issue-year basis.
(B) As used in this chapter:
(d) Reference Interest Rate. The reference interest rate referred to in subsection (b) of this section shall be defined as follows: