Iowa Code
Chapter 521A - INSURANCE HOLDING COMPANY SYSTEMS
Section 521A.2 - Subsidiaries of insurers.

521A.2 Subsidiaries of insurers.
1. Authorization. Any domestic insurer, either by itself or in cooperation with one or more persons, subject to the limitations set forth herein or elsewhere in this chapter, may organize or acquire one or more subsidiaries engaged or registered to engage in one or more of the following businesses or activities:
a. Any kind of insurance business authorized by the jurisdiction in which it is incorporated.
b. Acting as an insurance producer for its parent or for any of its parent’s insurer subsidiaries or intermediate insurer subsidiaries.
c. Investing, reinvesting, or trading in securities and financial instruments as defined in section 511.8, subsection 22, for its own account, that of its parent, any subsidiary of its parent, or any affiliate or subsidiary.
d. Management of any investment company subject to or registered pursuant to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, including related sales and services.
e. Acting as a broker dealer subject to or registered pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as amended.
f. Rendering financial services or advice to individuals, governments, government agencies, corporations, or other organizations or groups.
g. Rendering other services related to the operations of an insurance business including but not limited to actuarial, loss prevention, safety engineering, data processing, accounting, claims, appraisal, and collection services.
h. Ownership and management of assets which the parent corporation could itself own and manage. However, the aggregate investment by the insurer and its subsidiaries acquired or organized pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed the limitations applicable to the investments by the insurer.
i. Acting as administrative agent for a government instrumentality which is performing an insurance function.
j. Financing of insurance premiums, agents and other forms of consumer financing.
k. Any other business or service activity reasonably ancillary to an insurance business.
l. Owning a corporation or corporations engaged or organized to engage exclusively in one or more of the businesses specified in paragraphs “a” through “k”.
2. Exception. Nothing contained in subsection 1 of this section shall prohibit a domestic insurer, either by itself or in cooperation with one or more persons, from investing amounts up to a total of ten percent of surplus in one or more subsidiaries or affiliates organized to do any lawful business.
3. Additional investment authority. In addition to investments in common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations and other securities permitted under all other sections of this subtitle, a domestic insurer may also:
a. Invest, in common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations, and other securities of one or more subsidiaries, amounts which do not exceed the lesser of ten percent of the insurer’s assets or fifty percent of the insurer’s surplus as regards policyholders, if after the investments the insurer’s surplus as regards policyholders will be reasonable in relation to the insurer’s outstanding liabilities and adequate to its financial needs. In calculating the amount of the investments, investments in domestic or foreign insurance subsidiaries shall be excluded and both of the following shall be included:
(1) Total net moneys or other consideration expended and obligations assumed in the acquisition or formation of a subsidiary, including all organizational expenses and contributions to capital and surplus of such subsidiary whether or not represented by the purchase of capital stock or issuance of other securities.
(2) All amounts expended in acquiring additional common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations, and other securities and all contributions to the capital or surplus, of a subsidiary subsequent to its acquisition or formation.
b. Invest any amount in common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations and other securities of one or more subsidiaries provided that each such subsidiary agrees to limit its investments in any asset so that such investments will not cause the amount of the total investment of the insurer to exceed any of the investment limitations specified in paragraph “a” of this subsection or in chapters 511, 515, 518A, and 520 applicable to the insurer. For the purpose of this paragraph, “total investment of the insurer” shall include both:
(1) Any direct investment by the insurer in an asset.
(2) The insurer’s proportionate share of any investment in an asset by any subsidiary of the insurer, which shall be calculated by multiplying the amount of the subsidiary’s investment by the percentage of the insurer’s ownership of such subsidiary.
c. With the approval of the commissioner, invest any greater amount in common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations, or other securities of one or more subsidiaries, if after the investment the insurer’s surplus as regards policyholders is reasonable in relation to the insurer’s outstanding liabilities and adequate to its financial needs.
d. Invest, reinvest, and trade in financial instruments as defined in section 511.8, subsection 22, for its own account, that of its parent, any subsidiary of its parent, or any affiliate or subsidiary.
4. Exemption from investment restrictions. Investments in common stock, preferred stock, debt obligations or other securities of subsidiaries made pursuant to subsection 3 of this section hereof shall not be subject to any of the otherwise applicable restrictions or prohibitions contained in the Code applicable to such investments of insurers.
5. Qualification of investment — when determined. Whether any investment pursuant to subsection 3 meets the applicable requirements of the subsection is to be determined before the investment is made by calculating the applicable investment limitations as though the investment had already been made, taking into account the then outstanding principal balance on all previous investments in debt obligations, and the value of all previous investments in equity securities as of the day they were made, net of any return of capital invested, excluding dividends.
6. Cessation of control. If an insurer ceases to control a subsidiary, it shall dispose of any investment therein made pursuant to this section within three years from the time of the cessation of control or within such further time as the commissioner may prescribe, unless at any time after such investment shall have been made, such investment shall have met the requirements for investment under any other section of the Code, and the insurer has notified the commissioner thereof.
[C71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §521A.2; 82 Acts, ch 1051, §3]
86 Acts, ch 1102, §3 – 8; 87 Acts, ch 115, §65; 91 Acts, ch 26, §48; 2001 Acts, ch 16, §11, 37; 2006 Acts, ch 1117, §113, 114; 2021 Acts, ch 76, §130
Referred to in §521A.5
Subsection 1, paragraph l amended