Nebraska Revised Statutes
Chapter 44 - Insurance
44-8907 - Life insurance; standards of valuation; policies issued on or after operative date of law; reserves required.

44-8907. Life insurance; standards of valuation; policies issued on or after operative date of law; reserves required.
(1) This section shall apply to only those policies and contracts issued on or after the operative date defined in section 44-407.07 (the Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance), except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section for all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after the operative date of such subsection (3) under group annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to such operative date defined in section 44-407.07. This section shall apply to all policies and contracts issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual designated in subsection (2) of section 44-8908, and sections 44-8908 and 44-8909 shall not apply to any such policies and contracts.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, the minimum standard for the valuation of all such policies and contracts issued prior to August 30, 1981, shall be that provided by the laws in effect immediately prior to such date. Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, the minimum standard for the valuation of all such policies and contracts shall be the Commissioners Reserve Valuation Methods defined in subsections (5), (6), and (9) of this section; five percent interest for group annuity and pure endowment contracts and three and one-half percent interest for all other such policies and contracts, or in the cases of policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts, issued on or after September 2, 1973, four percent interest for such policies issued prior to August 24, 1979, and four and one-half percent interest for such policies issued on or after August 24, 1979; and the following tables: (a) For all ordinary policies of life insurance issued on the standard basis, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies,—the Commissioners 1941 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table for such policies issued prior to the operative date of section 44-407.08 (Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance), the Commissioners 1958 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table for such policies issued on or after such operative date and prior to the operative date of section 44-407.24, except that for any category of such policies issued on female risks, all modified net premiums and present values referred to in this section may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured; and for such policies on or after the operative date of section 44-407.24 (i) the Commissioners 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, or (ii) at the election of the company for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, the Commissioners 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with Ten-Year Select Mortality Factors, or (iii) any ordinary mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; (b) for all industrial life insurance policies issued on the standard basis, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies,—the 1941 Standard Industrial Mortality Table for such policies issued prior to the operative date of section 44-407.09 (Standard Nonforfeiture Law for Life Insurance), and for such policies issued on or after such operative date, the Commissioners 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table or any industrial mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; (c) for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies,—the 1937 Standard Annuity Mortality Table, or at the option of the company, the Annuity Mortality Table for 1949, Ultimate, or any modification of either of these tables approved by the Department of Insurance; (d) for group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such policies,—the Group Annuity Mortality Table for 1951, any modification of such table approved by the Department of Insurance, or, at the option of the company, any of the tables or modifications of tables specified for individual annuity and pure endowment contracts; (e) for total and permanent disability benefits in or supplementary to ordinary policies or contracts—for policies or contracts issued on or after January 1, 1966, the tables of Period 2 disablement rates and the 1930 to 1950 termination rates of the 1952 Disability Study of the Society of Actuaries, with due regard to the type of benefit, or any tables of disablement rates and termination rates, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such policies; for policies or contracts issued on or after January 1, 1961, and prior to January 1, 1966, either such tables or, at the option of the company, the Class (3) Disability Table (1926); and for policies issued prior to January 1, 1961, the Class (3) Disability Table (1926). Any such table shall, for active lives, be combined with a mortality table permitted for calculating the reserves for life insurance policies; (f) for accidental death benefits in or supplementary to policies—for policies issued on or after January 1, 1966, the 1959 Accidental Death Benefits Table; for policies issued on or after January 1, 1961, and prior to January 1, 1966, either such table or, at the option of the company, the Inter-Company Double Indemnity Mortality Table; and for policies issued prior to January 1, 1961, the Inter-Company Double Indemnity Mortality Table. Either table shall be combined with a mortality table permitted for calculating the reserves for life insurance policies; and (g) for group life insurance, life insurance issued on the substandard basis and other special benefits—such tables as may be approved by the Department of Insurance.
(3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, the minimum standard for the valuation of all individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued on or after the operative date of this subsection, as defined herein, and for all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after such operative date under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall be the Commissioners Reserve Valuation Methods defined in subsections (5) and (6) of this section and the following tables and interest rates:
(a) For individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued prior to August 24, 1979, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts—the 1971 Individual Annuity Mortality Table, or any modification of this table approved by the Department of Insurance, and six percent interest for single premium immediate annuity contracts, and four percent interest for all other individual annuity and pure endowment contracts;
(b) For individual single premium immediate annuity contracts issued on or after August 24, 1979, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts—the 1971 Individual Annuity Mortality Table, or any individual annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such contracts, or any modification of these tables approved by the director, and seven and one-half percent interest;
(c) For individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued on or after August 24, 1979, other than single premium immediate annuity contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts—the 1971 Individual Annuity Table, or any individual annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such contracts, or any modification of these tables approved by the director, and five and one-half percent interest for single premium deferred annuity and pure endowment contracts and four and one-half percent interest for all other such individual annuity and pure endowment contracts;
(d) For all annuities and pure endowments purchased prior to August 24, 1979, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits purchased under such contracts—the 1971 Group Annuity Mortality Table, or any modification of this table approved by the Department of Insurance, and six percent interest; and
(e) For all annuities and pure endowments purchased on or after August 24, 1979, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits purchased under such contracts—the 1971 Group Annuity Mortality Table, or any group annuity mortality table, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that is approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance for use in determining the minimum standard of valuation for such annuities and pure endowments, or any modification of these tables approved by the director, and seven and one-half percent interest.
(4)(a) The calendar year statutory valuation interest rates as defined in this subsection shall be used in determining the minimum standard for the valuation of all life insurance policies issued in a particular calendar year, on or after the operative date of section 44-407.02; all individual annuity and pure endowment contracts issued in a particular calendar year on or after January 1 of the calendar year next following August 30, 1981; all annuities and pure endowments purchased in a particular calendar year on or after January 1 of the calendar year next following August 30, 1981, under group annuity and pure endowment contracts; and the net increase, if any, in a particular calendar year after January 1 of the calendar year next following August 30, 1981, in amounts held under guaranteed interest contracts.
(b)(i) The calendar year statutory valuation interest rates shall be determined as provided in subdivision (4)(b)(i) of this section and the results rounded to the nearer one-quarter of one percent: (A) For life insurance, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate shall be equal to the sum of (I) three percent; (II) the weighting factor defined in this subsection multiplied by the difference between the lesser of the reference interest rate defined in this subsection and nine percent, and three percent; and (III) one-half the weighting factor defined in this subsection multiplied by the difference between the greater of the reference interest rate defined in this subsection and nine percent, and nine percent. (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, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rates shall be equal to the sum of (I) three percent and (II) the weighting factor defined in this subsection multiplied by the difference between the reference interest rate defined in this subsection and three percent. (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 (4)(b)(i)(B) of this section, the formula for life insurance in subdivision (4)(b)(i)(A) of this section shall apply to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guarantee durations in excess of ten years, and the formula for single premium immediate annuities in subdivision (4)(b)(i)(B) of this section shall apply to annuities and guaranteed interest contracts with guarantee duration of ten 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 in subdivision (4)(b)(i)(B) of this section shall apply. (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 in subdivision (4)(b)(i)(B) of this section shall apply. (F) However, if the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for any life insurance policies issued in any calendar year determined without reference to this sentence differs from the corresponding actual rate for similar policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year by less than one-half of one percent, 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. For purposes of applying the immediately preceding sentence, the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for life insurance policies issued in a calendar year shall be determined for 1980 (using the reference interest rate defined for 1979) and shall be determined for each subsequent calendar year regardless of when section 44-407.24 becomes operative.
(ii) The weighting factors referred to in the formulas stated in this subsection are as follows: (A) For life insurance, with a guarantee duration of ten years or less, the weighting factor is .50; with a guarantee duration of more than ten years but not more than twenty years, the weighting factor is .45; and with a guarantee duration of more than twenty years, the weighting factor is .35. 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. (B) The 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 is .80. (C) The weighting factors for other annuities and for guaranteed interest contracts, except as stated in subdivision (4)(b)(ii)(B) of this section, are as follows, according to plan type as defined in this subdivision: (I) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on an issue-year basis with a guarantee duration of five years or less, the weighting factor is .80 for plan type A, .60 for plan type B, and .50 for plan type C; with a guarantee duration of more than five years but not more than ten years, the weighting factor is .75 for plan type A, .60 for plan type B, and .50 for plan type C; with a guarantee duration of more than ten years but not more than twenty years, the weighting factor is .65 for plan type A, .50 for plan type B, and .45 for plan type C; and with more than twenty years guarantee duration the weighting factor is .45 for plan type A, .35 for plan type B, and .35 for plan type C. (II) 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 year after issue or purchase, the weighting factors are the factors shown in subdivision (4)(b)(ii)(C)(I) of this section increased by .05 for all plan types. (III) For annuities and guaranteed interest contracts valued on a change in fund basis, the weighting factors are the factors as computed in subdivision (4)(b)(ii)(C)(II) of this section increased by .10 for plan type A, increased by .20 for plan type B, and not increased for plan type C. (IV) 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 months beyond the valuation date, the weighting factors are the factors as computed in subdivision (4)(b)(ii)(C)(III) of this section increased by .05 for all plan types. For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, the guarantee 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 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.
(c) Plan types used in this subsection are defined as follows: Under plan type A, at any time a policyholder may withdraw funds only with an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurance company, without such an adjustment but in installments over five years or more, or as an immediate life annuity, or no withdrawal may be permitted. Under plan type B, before expiration of the interest rate guarantee, a policyholder may withdraw funds only with an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurance company or without such an adjustment but in installments over five years or more, or no withdrawal may be permitted. At the end of interest rate guarantee, funds may be withdrawn without such adjustment in a single sum or installments over less than five years. Under plan type C, a policyholder may withdraw funds before expiration of the interest rate guarantee in a single sum or installments over less than five years either without an adjustment to reflect changes in interest rates or asset values since receipt of the funds by the insurance company, or subject only to a fixed surrender charge stipulated in the contract as a percentage of the fund.
(d) A company 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. Guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options and other annuities with no cash settlement options must be valued on an issue-year basis. As used in this subsection, an issue-year basis of valuation refers to 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 the change in fund basis of valuation refers to 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) The reference interest rate referred to in this subsection shall be defined as follows: (i) For all life insurance, the lesser of the average over a period of thirty-six months and the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year next preceding the year of issue, of the reference monthly average as defined in this subsection. (ii) 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, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or year of purchase, of the reference monthly average as defined in this subsection. (iii) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a year of issue basis, except as stated in subdivision (4)(e)(ii) of this section, with guarantee duration in excess of ten years the lesser of the average over a period of thirty-six months and the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of the reference monthly average as defined in this subsection. (iv) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a year of issue basis, except as stated in subdivision (4)(e)(ii) of this section, with guarantee duration of ten years or less, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of the reference monthly average as defined in this subsection. (v) For other annuities with no cash settlement options and for guaranteed interest contracts with no cash settlement options, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of issue or purchase, of the reference monthly average as defined in this subsection. (vi) For other annuities with cash settlement options and guaranteed interest contracts with cash settlement options, valued on a change in fund basis, except as stated in subdivision (4)(e)(ii) of this section, the average over a period of twelve months, ending on June 30 of the calendar year of the change in the fund, of the reference monthly average as defined in this subsection.
(f) The reference monthly average referred to in this subsection shall mean a monthly bond yield average which is published by a national financial statistical organization, recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, in current general use in the insurance industry, and designated by the Director of Insurance. In the event that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners determines that an alternative method for determination of the reference interest rate is necessary, an alternative method, which is adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and approved by regulation promulgated by the Department of Insurance, may be substituted.
(5)(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (6) and (9) of this section and section 44-8906, reserves according to the Commissioners Reserve Valuation Methods, for the life insurance and endowment benefits of policies providing for a uniform amount of insurance and requiring the payment of uniform premiums shall be the excess, if any, of the present value, at the date of valuation, of such future guaranteed benefits provided for by such policies, over the then present value of any future modified net premiums therefor. The modified net premiums for any such policy shall be such uniform percentage of the respective contract premiums for such benefits that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such modified net premiums shall be equal to the sum of the then present value of such benefits provided for by the policy and the excess of (i) over (ii), as follows: (i) A net level annual premium equal to the present value, at the date of issue, of such benefits provided for after the first policy year, divided by the present value, at the date of issue, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the first and each subsequent anniversary of such policy on which a premium falls due, except that such net level annual premium shall not exceed the net level annual premium on the nineteen year premium whole life plan for insurance of the same amount at an age one year higher than the age at issue of such policy; (ii) a net one year term premium for such benefits provided for in the first policy year.
(b) For any life insurance policy issued on or after January 1 of the fourth calendar year commencing after August 30, 1981, for which the contract premium in the first policy year exceeds that of the second year and for which no comparable additional benefit is provided in the first year for such excess and which provides an endowment benefit or a cash surrender value or a combination thereof in an amount greater than such excess premium, the reserve according to the Commissioners Reserve Valuation Methods as of any policy anniversary occurring on or before the assumed ending date defined herein as the first policy anniversary on which the sum of any endowment benefit and any cash surrender value then available is greater than such excess premium shall, except as otherwise provided in subsection (9) of this section, be the greater of the reserve as of such policy anniversary calculated as described in subdivision (5)(a) of this section, and the reserve as of such policy anniversary calculated as described in subdivision (5)(a) of this section but with (i) the net level annual premium calculated as described in subdivision (5)(a) of this section being reduced by fifteen percent of the amount of such excess first year premium, (ii) all present values of benefits and premiums being determined without reference to premiums or benefits provided for by the policy after the assumed ending date, (iii) the policy being assumed to mature on such date as an endowment, and (iv) the cash surrender value provided on such date being considered as an endowment benefit. In making the above comparison the mortality and interest bases stated in subsections (2) and (4) of this section shall be used.
(c) Reserves according to the Commissioners Reserve Valuation Methods for (i) life insurance policies providing for a varying amount of insurance or requiring the payment of varying premiums, (ii) group annuity and pure endowment contracts purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred compensation, established or maintained by an employer, including a partnership, limited liability company, or sole proprietorship, or by an employee organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, (iii) disability and accidental death benefits in all policies and contracts, and (iv) all other benefits, except life insurance and endowment benefits in life insurance policies and benefits provided by all other annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall be calculated by a method consistent with the principles of this subsection, except that any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards shall be disregarded in the determination of modified net premiums.
(6) This subsection shall apply to all annuity and pure endowment contracts other than group annuity and pure endowment contracts purchased under a retirement plan or plan of deferred compensation, established or maintained by an employer, including a partnership, limited liability company, or sole proprietorship, or by an employee organization, or by both, other than a plan providing individual retirement accounts or individual retirement annuities under section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Reserves according to the commissioners annuity reserve method for benefits under annuity or pure endowment contracts, excluding any disability and accidental death benefits in such contracts, shall be the greatest of the respective excesses of the present values, at the date of valuation, of the future guaranteed benefits, including guaranteed nonforfeiture benefits, provided for by such contracts at the end of each respective contract year, over the present value, at the date of valuation, of any future valuation considerations derived from future gross considerations, required by the terms of such contract, that become payable prior to the end of such respective contract year. The future guaranteed benefits shall be determined by using the mortality table, if any, and the interest rate, or rates, specified in such contracts for determining guaranteed benefits. The valuation considerations shall be the portions of the respective gross considerations applied under the terms of such contracts to determine nonforfeiture values.
(7)(a) In no event shall a company's aggregate reserves for all life insurance policies, excluding disability and accidental death benefits, be less than the aggregate reserves calculated in accordance with the methods set forth in subsections (5), (6), (9), and (10) of this section and the mortality table or tables and rate or rates of interest used in calculating nonforfeiture benefits for such policies.
(b) In no event shall the aggregate reserves for all policies, contracts, and benefits be less than the aggregate reserves determined by the appointed actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required by sections 44-420 to 44-427.
(8)(a) Reserves for all policies and contracts issued prior to August 30, 1981, may be calculated, at the option of the company, according to any standards which produce greater aggregate reserves for all such policies and contracts than the minimum reserves required by the laws in effect immediately prior to such date.
(b) Reserves for any category of policies, contracts, or benefits as established by the Department of Insurance, may be calculated, at the option of the company, according to any standards which produce greater aggregate reserves for such category than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided under the Standard Valuation Act, but the rate or rates of interest used for policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts, shall not be greater than the corresponding rate or rates of interest used in calculating any nonforfeiture benefits provided for therein.
(c) A company which adopts at any time a standard of valuation producing greater aggregate reserves than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided under the Standard Valuation Act may adopt a lower standard of valuation with the approval of the director, but not lower than the minimum standard provided under the act. For the purposes of this subdivision, the holding of additional reserves previously determined by the appointed actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required by section 44-8905 shall not be deemed to be the adoption of a higher standard of valuation.
(9) If in any contract year the gross premium charged by any life insurance company on any policy or contract is less than the valuation net premium for the policy or contract calculated by the method used in calculating the reserve thereon but using the minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest, the minimum reserve required for such policy or contract shall be the greater of either the reserve calculated according to the mortality table, rate of interest, and method actually used for such policy or contract, or the reserve calculated by the method actually used for such policy or contract, but using the minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest and replacing the valuation net premium by the actual gross premium in each contract year for which the valuation net premium exceeds the actual gross premium. The minimum valuation standards of mortality and rate of interest referred to in this subsection are those standards stated in subsections (2) and (4) of this section.
For any life insurance policy issued on or after January 1 of the fourth calendar year commencing after August 30, 1981, for which the gross premium in the first policy year exceeds that of the second year and for which no comparable additional benefit is provided in the first year for such excess and which provides an endowment benefit or a cash surrender value or a combination thereof in an amount greater than such excess premium, the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall be applied as if the method actually used in calculating the reserve for such policy were the method described in subsection (5) of this section, ignoring subdivision (5)(b) of this section. The minimum reserve at each policy anniversary of such a policy shall be the greater of the minimum reserve calculated in accordance with subsection (5) of this section, including subdivision (5)(b) of this section, and the minimum reserve calculated in accordance with this subsection.
(10) In the case of any plan of life insurance which provides for future premium determination, the amounts of which are to be determined by the insurance company based on then estimates of future experience, or in the case of any plan of life insurance or annuity which is of such a nature that the minimum reserves cannot be determined by the methods described in subsections (5), (6), and (9) of this section, the reserves which are held under any such plan must (a) be appropriate in relation to the benefits and the pattern of premiums for that plan, and (b) be computed by a method which is consistent with the principles of this section as determined by regulations promulgated by the Department of Insurance.
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