State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title38a > Chap700b > Sec38a-439

      Sec. 38a-439. (Formerly Sec. 38-130c). Minimum nonforfeiture benefits for life insurance policyholders who default in premium payments. Cash surrender value. (a) In the case of policies issued on and after the effective date specified in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of section 38-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, no policy of life insurance, except as stated in subsection (i) of this section, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless it contains in substance the following provisions, or corresponding provisions which in the opinion of the commissioner are at least as favorable to the defaulting or surrendering policyholder as are the minimum requirements hereinafter specified and are substantially in compliance with subsection (h) of this section: (1) A statement that, in the event of default in any premium payment, the company will grant, upon request by the policyholder made in accordance with the policy not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on a plan stipulated in the policy, effective as of the due date, of such amount as may be hereinafter specified. In lieu of the stipulated paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, the company may substitute, upon request by the policyholder made in accordance with the policy not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, an actuarially equivalent alternative paid-up nonforfeiture benefit which provides a greater amount or longer period of death benefits or, if applicable, a greater amount or earlier payment of endowment benefits; (2) a statement that, upon surrender of the policy within sixty days after the due date of any premium payment in default after premiums have been paid for at least three full years in the case of ordinary insurance or five full years in the case of industrial insurance, the company will pay, in lieu of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified; (3) a statement that a specified paid-up nonforfeiture benefit shall become effective as specified in the policy unless the person entitled to make such election elects another available option not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default; (4) a statement that, if the policy shall have become paid-up by completion of all premium payments or if it is continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit which became effective on or after the third policy anniversary in the case of ordinary insurance or the fifth policy anniversary in the case of industrial insurance, the company will pay, upon surrender of the policy within thirty days after any policy anniversary, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified; (5) in the case of policies which, on a basis guaranteed in the policy, provide for unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, a statement of the mortality table, interest rate, and method used in calculating the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy; in the case of all other policies, a statement of the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the cash surrender values and the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy, together with a table showing the cash surrender value, if any, and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, if any, available under the policy on each policy anniversary either during the first twenty policy years or during the term of the policy, whichever is shorter, such values and benefits to be calculated upon the assumption that there are no dividends or paid-up additions credited to the policy and that there is no indebtedness to the company on the policy; (6) a statement that the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy are not less than the minimum values and benefits required by or pursuant to the insurance law of the state in which the policy is delivered; an explanation of the manner in which the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits are altered by the existence of any paid-up additions credited to the policy or any indebtedness to the company on the policy; if a detailed statement of the method of computation of the values and benefits shown in the policy is not stated therein, a statement that such method of computation has been filed with the supervisory official of the state in which the policy is delivered; and a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender value and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy on any policy anniversary beyond the last anniversary for which such values and benefits are consecutively shown in the policy. Any of the foregoing provisions or portions thereof not applicable by reason of the plan of insurance may, to the extent inapplicable, be omitted from the policy. The company shall reserve the right to defer the payment of any cash surrender value for a period of six months after demand therefor with surrender of the policy.

      (b) Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be an amount not less than the excess, if any, of the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits which would have been provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, if there had been no default, over the sum of: (1) The then present value of the adjusted premiums as defined in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, corresponding to premiums which would have become due on and after such anniversary, and (2) the amount of any indebtedness to the company on the policy; provided that for any policy issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section, which provides supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits at the option of the insured and for an identifiable additional premium by rider or supplemental policy provision, the cash surrender value shall be an amount not less than the sum of such value for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such rider or supplemental policy provision and for a policy which provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such rider or supplemental policy provision; provided, further, that for any family policy issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section, which defines a primary insured and provides term insurance on the life of the spouse of the primary insured expiring before the spouse attains the age of seventy-one, the cash surrender value shall be an amount not less than the sum of such value for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance on the life of the spouse and for a policy which provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such term insurance on the life of the spouse. Any cash surrender value available within thirty days after any policy anniversary under any policy paid-up by completion of all premium payments or any policy continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be an amount not less than the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, decreased by any indebtedness to the company on the policy.

      (c) Any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be such that its present value as of such anniversary shall be at least equal to the cash surrender value then provided for by the policy or, if none is provided for, that cash surrender value which would have been required by this section in the absence of the condition that premiums shall have been paid for at least a specified period.

      (d) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (A) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (B) two per cent of the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or of the equivalent uniform amount, as hereinafter defined, if the amount of insurance varies with duration of the policy; (C) forty per cent of the adjusted premium for the first policy year; (D) twenty-five per cent of either the adjusted premium for the first policy year or the adjusted premium for a whole life policy of the same uniform or equivalent uniform amount with uniform premiums for the whole of life issued at the same age for the same amount of insurance, whichever is less. In applying the percentages specified in subparagraphs (C) and (D) above, no adjusted premium shall be deemed to exceed four per cent of the amount of insurance or uniform amount equivalent thereto. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date on which the rated age of the insured is determined; (2) in the case of a policy providing an amount of insurance varying with duration of the policy, the equivalent uniform amount thereof for the purpose of this subsection shall be deemed to be the uniform amount of insurance provided by an otherwise similar policy, containing the same endowment benefit or benefits, if any, issued at the same age and for the same term, the amount of which does not vary with duration and the benefits under which have the same present value at the date of issue as the benefits under the policy, provided in the case of a policy providing a varying amount of insurance issued on the life of a child under age ten, the equivalent uniform amount may be computed as though the amount of insurance provided by the policy prior to the attainment of age ten was the amount provided by such policy at age ten; (3) the adjusted premiums for any policy providing term insurance benefits by rider or supplemental policy provision shall be equal to: (A) The adjusted premiums for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance benefits, increased, during the period for which premiums for such term insurance benefits are payable, by (B) the adjusted premiums for such term insurance, the foregoing items (A) and (B) being calculated separately and as specified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection except that, for the purposes of subparagraphs (B), (C) and (D) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the amount of insurance or equivalent uniform amount of insurance used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums referred to in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision shall be equal to the excess of the corresponding amount determined for the entire policy over the amount used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision; (4) in the case of ordinary policies, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the bases of the Commissioners' 1958 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided such rate of interest shall not exceed five and one-half per cent per annum and provided, for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured; provided in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1958 Extended Term Insurance Table; and provided further, for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner; (5) in the case of industrial policies, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the basis of the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided such rate of interest shall not exceed five and one-half per cent per annum; provided, in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table; and provided further, for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculations of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner; and (6) the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any policy issued on or after the compliance date applicable to the issuing company as determined by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section.

      (e) The provisions of this subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of this subsection. (1) Except as provided in subdivision (7) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments or special hazards and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (A) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (B) one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and (C) one hundred twenty-five per cent of the nonforfeiture net level premium as hereinafter defined, provided that in applying the percentage specified in subparagraph (C), no nonforfeiture net level premium shall be deemed to exceed four per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined; (2) the nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of the guaranteed benefits divided by the present value, at such date of issue, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the date of issue of the policy and on each anniversary of such policy on which a premium becomes due; (3) in the case of policies which, on a basis guaranteed in the policy, provide for unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, the adjusted premiums and present values shall initially be calculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated at the date of issue of the policy. At the time of any such change in the benefits or premiums the future adjusted premiums, nonforfeiture net level premiums and present values shall be recalculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated by the policy immediately after the change; (4) except as otherwise provided in subdivision (7) of this subsection, the recalculated future adjusted premiums for any such policy shall be the uniform percentage of the respective future premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments and special hazards, and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the time of change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, of all such future adjusted premiums shall be equal to the excess of (A) the sum of: (i) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy and (ii) the additional expense allowance, if any, over (B) the then cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit under the policy; (5) the additional expense allowance, at the time of the change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, shall be the sum of (A) one per cent of the excess, if positive, of the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the change over the average amount of insurance prior to the change at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the time of the most recent previous change, or, if there has been no previous change, the date of issue of the policy; and (B) one hundred twenty-five per cent of the increase, if positive, in the nonforfeiture net level premium; (6) the recalculated nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the amount obtained by dividing (A) by (B) where (A) equals the sum of (i) the nonforfeiture net level premium applicable prior to the change, multiplied by the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium would have become due had the change not occurred, and (ii) the present value of the increase in future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, and (B) equals the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium becomes due; (7) notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection, in the case of a policy issued on a substandard basis which provides reduced graded amounts of insurance so that, in each policy year, such policy has the same tabular mortality cost as an otherwise similar policy issued on the standard basis which provides higher uniform amounts of insurance, adjusted premiums and present values for such substandard policy may be calculated as if it were issued to provide such higher uniform amounts of insurance on the standard basis; (8) all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated: (A) (i) For all policies of ordinary insurance on the basis of the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table or at the election of the company, for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, on the basis of the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with ten-year select mortality factors, or (ii) On or after January 1, 2005, until January 1, 2009, at the election of the company for any one or more specified plans of life insurance issued on or after January 1, 2004, on the basis of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, except that with respect to such plans issued before April 1, 2005, such mortality table shall be used solely for the basis of valuation and nonforfeiture and shall not be used to increase the previously agreed required premium; or (iii) For all policies issued on or after January 1, 2009, on the basis of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table; (B) for all policies of industrial insurance, on the basis of the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table; (C) for all policies issued in a particular calendar year, on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in that calendar year, provided, that: (i) At the option of the company, calculations for all policies issued in a particular calendar year may be made on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate, as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year; (ii) under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up dividend additions, any cash surrender value available, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be calculated on the basis of the mortality table and rate of interest used in determining the amount of such paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and paid-up dividend additions, if any; (iii) a company may calculate the amount of any guaranteed paid-up nonforfeiture benefit including any paid-up additions under the policy on the basis of an interest rate no lower than that specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values; (iv) in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1980 Extended Term Insurance Table for policies of ordinary insurance and not more than the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table for policies of industrial insurance; (v) for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on appropriate modifications of the aforementioned tables; (vi) any ordinary mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that are approved by regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with or without ten-year select mortality factors or the Commissioners' 1980 Extended Term Insurance Table; (vii) any industrial mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that are approved by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table or the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table; (9) the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum for any policy issued in a particular calendar year shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five per cent of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such policy as defined in the standard valuation law, rounded to the nearest one quarter of one per cent; (10) notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, any refiling of nonforfeiture values or their methods of computation for any previously approved policy form which involves only a change in the interest rate or mortality table used to compute nonforfeiture values shall not require refiling of any other provisions of that policy form; (11) on or after October 1, 1981, but prior to January 1, 1989, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection on or after a specified date and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to such company on or after such specified date, except that on or after January 1, 2005, but prior to January 1, 2009, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection on or after a specified date with respect to the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to such company. The provisions of this subsection shall apply to policies issued by any company on or after January 1, 1989, except that the provisions of this subsection with respect to the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table shall apply to policies issued by any company on or after January 1, 2009.

      (f) 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 which is of such nature that minimum values cannot be determined by the methods described in subsections (a) to (e), inclusive, then: (1) The commissioner must be satisfied that the benefits provided under the plan are substantially as favorable to policyholders and insureds as are the minimum benefits otherwise required by subsections (a) to (e), inclusive; (2) the commissioner must be satisfied that the benefits and the pattern of premiums of that plan are not such as to mislead prospective policyholders or insureds; (3) the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided by such plan must not be less than the minimum values and benefits required for the plan computed by a method consistent with the principles of this section, as determined by regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

      (g) Any cash surrender value and any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due at any time other than on the policy anniversary, shall be calculated with allowance for the lapse of time and the payment of fractional premiums beyond the last preceding policy anniversary. All values referred to in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section may be calculated upon the assumption that any death benefit is payable at the end of the policy year of death. The net value of any paid-up additions, other than paid-up term additions, shall be not less than the amounts used to provide such additions. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, additional benefits payable: (1) In the event of death or dismemberment by accident or accidental means; (2) in the event of total and permanent disability; (3) as reversionary annuity or deferred reversionary annuity benefits; (4) as term insurance benefits provided by a rider or supplemental policy provision to which, if issued as a separate policy, this section would not apply; (5) as term insurance on the life of a child or on the lives of children provided in a policy on the life of a parent of the child, if such term insurance expires before the child's age is twenty-six, is uniform in amount after the child's age is one, and has not become paid-up by reason of the death of a parent of the child; and (6) as other policy benefits additional to life insurance and endowment benefits, and premiums for all such additional benefits, shall be disregarded in ascertaining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits required by this section and no such additional benefits shall be required to be included in any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits.

      (h) This subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after January 1, 1985. Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be in an amount which does not differ by more than two-tenths of one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years, from the sum of the greater of zero and the basic cash value hereinafter specified and the present value of any existing paid-up additions less the amount of any indebtedness to the company under the policy. The basic cash value shall be equal to the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits which would have been provided for by the policy, excluding any existing paid-up additions and before deduction of any indebtedness to the company, if there had been no default, less the then present value of the nonforfeiture factors, as hereinafter defined, corresponding to premiums which would have become due on and after such anniversary; provided, that the effects on the basic cash value of supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits or of family coverage, as described in subsection (b) or (d) of this section, whichever is applicable, shall be the same as are the effects specified in subsection (b) or (d) of this section, whichever is applicable, on the cash surrender values defined in the applicable subsection. The nonforfeiture factor for each policy year shall be an amount equal to a percentage of the adjusted premium for the policy year, as defined in subsection (e) of this section. Except as is required by this subsection, such percentage shall be the same percentage for each policy year between the second policy anniversary and the later of (1) the fifth policy anniversary and (2) the first policy anniversary at which there is available under the policy, a cash surrender value in an amount, before including any paid-up additions and before deducting any indebtedness, of at least two-tenths of one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and shall be such that no percentage after the later of the two policy anniversaries specified in this subsection may apply to fewer than five consecutive policy years; provided, that no basic cash value may be less than the value which would be obtained if the adjusted premiums for the policy, as defined in subsection (d) or (e) of this section, whichever is applicable, were substituted for the nonforfeiture factors in the calculation of the basic cash value. All adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this subsection shall, for a particular policy, be calculated on the same mortality and interest bases as are used in demonstrating the policy's compliance with the subsections of this section. The cash surrender values referred to in this subsection shall include any endowment benefits provided for by the policy. Any cash surrender value available other than in the event of default in a premium payment due on a policy anniversary, and the amount of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment shall be determined in a manner consistent with those specified for determining the analogous minimum amounts in subsections (a), (b), (c), (e) and (g) of this section. The amount of any cash surrender values and of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits granted in connection with additional benefits such as those enumerated in subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection (g) of this section, shall conform with the principles of this subsection.

      (i) This section shall not apply to any reinsurance, group insurance, pure endowment, annuity or reversionary annuity contract, or to any term policy of uniform amount which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, or renewal thereof, of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, or to any term policy of decreasing amount, which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, on which each adjusted premium, calculated as specified in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, is less than the adjusted premium so calculated, on a term policy of uniform amount, or renewal thereof, which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits issued at the same age and for the same initial amount of insurance and for a term of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, or to any policy, which provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, for which no cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, at the beginning of any policy year, calculated as specified in subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this section, exceeds two and one-half per cent of the amount of insurance at the beginning of the same policy year or to any policy which shall be delivered outside this state through an agent or other representative of the company issuing the policy. For purposes of determining the applicability of this section, the age at expiration for a joint term life insurance policy shall be the age at expiration of the oldest life.

      (j) The provisions of sections 38a-77 and 38a-433 shall apply to ordinary and industrial policies issued by a company before the date of its election to comply with section 38a-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, or January 1, 1981, whichever occurred first. The provisions of section 38-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, shall apply to policies issued by a company on and after the date of such election or on and after January 1, 1981, whichever occurred first, and before October 1, 1981.

      (P.A. 78-312, S. 2; P.A. 81-170, S. 1; P.A. 90-243, S. 55; P.A. 05-162, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 81-170 permitted a life insurance company to substitute an actuarially equivalent alternative nonforfeiture benefit upon request of a defaulting policyholder, provided that certain life insurance policies shall contain a statement of the mortality table, interest rate and method used in determining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits, established a new formula for calculating cash surrender values and specified the interest rate and mortality tables used in calculating adjusted premiums and present value for various policies; P.A. 90-243 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); Sec. 38-130c transferred to Sec. 38a-439 in 1991; P.A. 05-162 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provisions re use of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, effective July 1, 2005.

      See Secs. 38a-77 and 38a-78 re Standard Valuation Law.

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title38a > Chap700b > Sec38a-439

      Sec. 38a-439. (Formerly Sec. 38-130c). Minimum nonforfeiture benefits for life insurance policyholders who default in premium payments. Cash surrender value. (a) In the case of policies issued on and after the effective date specified in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of section 38-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, no policy of life insurance, except as stated in subsection (i) of this section, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless it contains in substance the following provisions, or corresponding provisions which in the opinion of the commissioner are at least as favorable to the defaulting or surrendering policyholder as are the minimum requirements hereinafter specified and are substantially in compliance with subsection (h) of this section: (1) A statement that, in the event of default in any premium payment, the company will grant, upon request by the policyholder made in accordance with the policy not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on a plan stipulated in the policy, effective as of the due date, of such amount as may be hereinafter specified. In lieu of the stipulated paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, the company may substitute, upon request by the policyholder made in accordance with the policy not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, an actuarially equivalent alternative paid-up nonforfeiture benefit which provides a greater amount or longer period of death benefits or, if applicable, a greater amount or earlier payment of endowment benefits; (2) a statement that, upon surrender of the policy within sixty days after the due date of any premium payment in default after premiums have been paid for at least three full years in the case of ordinary insurance or five full years in the case of industrial insurance, the company will pay, in lieu of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified; (3) a statement that a specified paid-up nonforfeiture benefit shall become effective as specified in the policy unless the person entitled to make such election elects another available option not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default; (4) a statement that, if the policy shall have become paid-up by completion of all premium payments or if it is continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit which became effective on or after the third policy anniversary in the case of ordinary insurance or the fifth policy anniversary in the case of industrial insurance, the company will pay, upon surrender of the policy within thirty days after any policy anniversary, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified; (5) in the case of policies which, on a basis guaranteed in the policy, provide for unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, a statement of the mortality table, interest rate, and method used in calculating the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy; in the case of all other policies, a statement of the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the cash surrender values and the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy, together with a table showing the cash surrender value, if any, and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, if any, available under the policy on each policy anniversary either during the first twenty policy years or during the term of the policy, whichever is shorter, such values and benefits to be calculated upon the assumption that there are no dividends or paid-up additions credited to the policy and that there is no indebtedness to the company on the policy; (6) a statement that the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy are not less than the minimum values and benefits required by or pursuant to the insurance law of the state in which the policy is delivered; an explanation of the manner in which the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits are altered by the existence of any paid-up additions credited to the policy or any indebtedness to the company on the policy; if a detailed statement of the method of computation of the values and benefits shown in the policy is not stated therein, a statement that such method of computation has been filed with the supervisory official of the state in which the policy is delivered; and a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender value and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy on any policy anniversary beyond the last anniversary for which such values and benefits are consecutively shown in the policy. Any of the foregoing provisions or portions thereof not applicable by reason of the plan of insurance may, to the extent inapplicable, be omitted from the policy. The company shall reserve the right to defer the payment of any cash surrender value for a period of six months after demand therefor with surrender of the policy.

      (b) Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be an amount not less than the excess, if any, of the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits which would have been provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, if there had been no default, over the sum of: (1) The then present value of the adjusted premiums as defined in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, corresponding to premiums which would have become due on and after such anniversary, and (2) the amount of any indebtedness to the company on the policy; provided that for any policy issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section, which provides supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits at the option of the insured and for an identifiable additional premium by rider or supplemental policy provision, the cash surrender value shall be an amount not less than the sum of such value for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such rider or supplemental policy provision and for a policy which provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such rider or supplemental policy provision; provided, further, that for any family policy issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section, which defines a primary insured and provides term insurance on the life of the spouse of the primary insured expiring before the spouse attains the age of seventy-one, the cash surrender value shall be an amount not less than the sum of such value for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance on the life of the spouse and for a policy which provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such term insurance on the life of the spouse. Any cash surrender value available within thirty days after any policy anniversary under any policy paid-up by completion of all premium payments or any policy continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be an amount not less than the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, decreased by any indebtedness to the company on the policy.

      (c) Any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be such that its present value as of such anniversary shall be at least equal to the cash surrender value then provided for by the policy or, if none is provided for, that cash surrender value which would have been required by this section in the absence of the condition that premiums shall have been paid for at least a specified period.

      (d) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (A) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (B) two per cent of the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or of the equivalent uniform amount, as hereinafter defined, if the amount of insurance varies with duration of the policy; (C) forty per cent of the adjusted premium for the first policy year; (D) twenty-five per cent of either the adjusted premium for the first policy year or the adjusted premium for a whole life policy of the same uniform or equivalent uniform amount with uniform premiums for the whole of life issued at the same age for the same amount of insurance, whichever is less. In applying the percentages specified in subparagraphs (C) and (D) above, no adjusted premium shall be deemed to exceed four per cent of the amount of insurance or uniform amount equivalent thereto. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date on which the rated age of the insured is determined; (2) in the case of a policy providing an amount of insurance varying with duration of the policy, the equivalent uniform amount thereof for the purpose of this subsection shall be deemed to be the uniform amount of insurance provided by an otherwise similar policy, containing the same endowment benefit or benefits, if any, issued at the same age and for the same term, the amount of which does not vary with duration and the benefits under which have the same present value at the date of issue as the benefits under the policy, provided in the case of a policy providing a varying amount of insurance issued on the life of a child under age ten, the equivalent uniform amount may be computed as though the amount of insurance provided by the policy prior to the attainment of age ten was the amount provided by such policy at age ten; (3) the adjusted premiums for any policy providing term insurance benefits by rider or supplemental policy provision shall be equal to: (A) The adjusted premiums for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance benefits, increased, during the period for which premiums for such term insurance benefits are payable, by (B) the adjusted premiums for such term insurance, the foregoing items (A) and (B) being calculated separately and as specified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection except that, for the purposes of subparagraphs (B), (C) and (D) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the amount of insurance or equivalent uniform amount of insurance used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums referred to in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision shall be equal to the excess of the corresponding amount determined for the entire policy over the amount used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision; (4) in the case of ordinary policies, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the bases of the Commissioners' 1958 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided such rate of interest shall not exceed five and one-half per cent per annum and provided, for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured; provided in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1958 Extended Term Insurance Table; and provided further, for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner; (5) in the case of industrial policies, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the basis of the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided such rate of interest shall not exceed five and one-half per cent per annum; provided, in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table; and provided further, for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculations of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner; and (6) the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any policy issued on or after the compliance date applicable to the issuing company as determined by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section.

      (e) The provisions of this subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of this subsection. (1) Except as provided in subdivision (7) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments or special hazards and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (A) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (B) one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and (C) one hundred twenty-five per cent of the nonforfeiture net level premium as hereinafter defined, provided that in applying the percentage specified in subparagraph (C), no nonforfeiture net level premium shall be deemed to exceed four per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined; (2) the nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of the guaranteed benefits divided by the present value, at such date of issue, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the date of issue of the policy and on each anniversary of such policy on which a premium becomes due; (3) in the case of policies which, on a basis guaranteed in the policy, provide for unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, the adjusted premiums and present values shall initially be calculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated at the date of issue of the policy. At the time of any such change in the benefits or premiums the future adjusted premiums, nonforfeiture net level premiums and present values shall be recalculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated by the policy immediately after the change; (4) except as otherwise provided in subdivision (7) of this subsection, the recalculated future adjusted premiums for any such policy shall be the uniform percentage of the respective future premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments and special hazards, and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the time of change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, of all such future adjusted premiums shall be equal to the excess of (A) the sum of: (i) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy and (ii) the additional expense allowance, if any, over (B) the then cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit under the policy; (5) the additional expense allowance, at the time of the change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, shall be the sum of (A) one per cent of the excess, if positive, of the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the change over the average amount of insurance prior to the change at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the time of the most recent previous change, or, if there has been no previous change, the date of issue of the policy; and (B) one hundred twenty-five per cent of the increase, if positive, in the nonforfeiture net level premium; (6) the recalculated nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the amount obtained by dividing (A) by (B) where (A) equals the sum of (i) the nonforfeiture net level premium applicable prior to the change, multiplied by the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium would have become due had the change not occurred, and (ii) the present value of the increase in future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, and (B) equals the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium becomes due; (7) notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection, in the case of a policy issued on a substandard basis which provides reduced graded amounts of insurance so that, in each policy year, such policy has the same tabular mortality cost as an otherwise similar policy issued on the standard basis which provides higher uniform amounts of insurance, adjusted premiums and present values for such substandard policy may be calculated as if it were issued to provide such higher uniform amounts of insurance on the standard basis; (8) all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated: (A) (i) For all policies of ordinary insurance on the basis of the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table or at the election of the company, for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, on the basis of the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with ten-year select mortality factors, or (ii) On or after January 1, 2005, until January 1, 2009, at the election of the company for any one or more specified plans of life insurance issued on or after January 1, 2004, on the basis of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, except that with respect to such plans issued before April 1, 2005, such mortality table shall be used solely for the basis of valuation and nonforfeiture and shall not be used to increase the previously agreed required premium; or (iii) For all policies issued on or after January 1, 2009, on the basis of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table; (B) for all policies of industrial insurance, on the basis of the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table; (C) for all policies issued in a particular calendar year, on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in that calendar year, provided, that: (i) At the option of the company, calculations for all policies issued in a particular calendar year may be made on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate, as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year; (ii) under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up dividend additions, any cash surrender value available, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be calculated on the basis of the mortality table and rate of interest used in determining the amount of such paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and paid-up dividend additions, if any; (iii) a company may calculate the amount of any guaranteed paid-up nonforfeiture benefit including any paid-up additions under the policy on the basis of an interest rate no lower than that specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values; (iv) in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1980 Extended Term Insurance Table for policies of ordinary insurance and not more than the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table for policies of industrial insurance; (v) for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on appropriate modifications of the aforementioned tables; (vi) any ordinary mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that are approved by regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with or without ten-year select mortality factors or the Commissioners' 1980 Extended Term Insurance Table; (vii) any industrial mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that are approved by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table or the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table; (9) the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum for any policy issued in a particular calendar year shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five per cent of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such policy as defined in the standard valuation law, rounded to the nearest one quarter of one per cent; (10) notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, any refiling of nonforfeiture values or their methods of computation for any previously approved policy form which involves only a change in the interest rate or mortality table used to compute nonforfeiture values shall not require refiling of any other provisions of that policy form; (11) on or after October 1, 1981, but prior to January 1, 1989, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection on or after a specified date and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to such company on or after such specified date, except that on or after January 1, 2005, but prior to January 1, 2009, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection on or after a specified date with respect to the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to such company. The provisions of this subsection shall apply to policies issued by any company on or after January 1, 1989, except that the provisions of this subsection with respect to the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table shall apply to policies issued by any company on or after January 1, 2009.

      (f) 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 which is of such nature that minimum values cannot be determined by the methods described in subsections (a) to (e), inclusive, then: (1) The commissioner must be satisfied that the benefits provided under the plan are substantially as favorable to policyholders and insureds as are the minimum benefits otherwise required by subsections (a) to (e), inclusive; (2) the commissioner must be satisfied that the benefits and the pattern of premiums of that plan are not such as to mislead prospective policyholders or insureds; (3) the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided by such plan must not be less than the minimum values and benefits required for the plan computed by a method consistent with the principles of this section, as determined by regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

      (g) Any cash surrender value and any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due at any time other than on the policy anniversary, shall be calculated with allowance for the lapse of time and the payment of fractional premiums beyond the last preceding policy anniversary. All values referred to in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section may be calculated upon the assumption that any death benefit is payable at the end of the policy year of death. The net value of any paid-up additions, other than paid-up term additions, shall be not less than the amounts used to provide such additions. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, additional benefits payable: (1) In the event of death or dismemberment by accident or accidental means; (2) in the event of total and permanent disability; (3) as reversionary annuity or deferred reversionary annuity benefits; (4) as term insurance benefits provided by a rider or supplemental policy provision to which, if issued as a separate policy, this section would not apply; (5) as term insurance on the life of a child or on the lives of children provided in a policy on the life of a parent of the child, if such term insurance expires before the child's age is twenty-six, is uniform in amount after the child's age is one, and has not become paid-up by reason of the death of a parent of the child; and (6) as other policy benefits additional to life insurance and endowment benefits, and premiums for all such additional benefits, shall be disregarded in ascertaining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits required by this section and no such additional benefits shall be required to be included in any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits.

      (h) This subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after January 1, 1985. Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be in an amount which does not differ by more than two-tenths of one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years, from the sum of the greater of zero and the basic cash value hereinafter specified and the present value of any existing paid-up additions less the amount of any indebtedness to the company under the policy. The basic cash value shall be equal to the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits which would have been provided for by the policy, excluding any existing paid-up additions and before deduction of any indebtedness to the company, if there had been no default, less the then present value of the nonforfeiture factors, as hereinafter defined, corresponding to premiums which would have become due on and after such anniversary; provided, that the effects on the basic cash value of supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits or of family coverage, as described in subsection (b) or (d) of this section, whichever is applicable, shall be the same as are the effects specified in subsection (b) or (d) of this section, whichever is applicable, on the cash surrender values defined in the applicable subsection. The nonforfeiture factor for each policy year shall be an amount equal to a percentage of the adjusted premium for the policy year, as defined in subsection (e) of this section. Except as is required by this subsection, such percentage shall be the same percentage for each policy year between the second policy anniversary and the later of (1) the fifth policy anniversary and (2) the first policy anniversary at which there is available under the policy, a cash surrender value in an amount, before including any paid-up additions and before deducting any indebtedness, of at least two-tenths of one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and shall be such that no percentage after the later of the two policy anniversaries specified in this subsection may apply to fewer than five consecutive policy years; provided, that no basic cash value may be less than the value which would be obtained if the adjusted premiums for the policy, as defined in subsection (d) or (e) of this section, whichever is applicable, were substituted for the nonforfeiture factors in the calculation of the basic cash value. All adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this subsection shall, for a particular policy, be calculated on the same mortality and interest bases as are used in demonstrating the policy's compliance with the subsections of this section. The cash surrender values referred to in this subsection shall include any endowment benefits provided for by the policy. Any cash surrender value available other than in the event of default in a premium payment due on a policy anniversary, and the amount of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment shall be determined in a manner consistent with those specified for determining the analogous minimum amounts in subsections (a), (b), (c), (e) and (g) of this section. The amount of any cash surrender values and of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits granted in connection with additional benefits such as those enumerated in subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection (g) of this section, shall conform with the principles of this subsection.

      (i) This section shall not apply to any reinsurance, group insurance, pure endowment, annuity or reversionary annuity contract, or to any term policy of uniform amount which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, or renewal thereof, of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, or to any term policy of decreasing amount, which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, on which each adjusted premium, calculated as specified in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, is less than the adjusted premium so calculated, on a term policy of uniform amount, or renewal thereof, which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits issued at the same age and for the same initial amount of insurance and for a term of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, or to any policy, which provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, for which no cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, at the beginning of any policy year, calculated as specified in subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this section, exceeds two and one-half per cent of the amount of insurance at the beginning of the same policy year or to any policy which shall be delivered outside this state through an agent or other representative of the company issuing the policy. For purposes of determining the applicability of this section, the age at expiration for a joint term life insurance policy shall be the age at expiration of the oldest life.

      (j) The provisions of sections 38a-77 and 38a-433 shall apply to ordinary and industrial policies issued by a company before the date of its election to comply with section 38a-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, or January 1, 1981, whichever occurred first. The provisions of section 38-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, shall apply to policies issued by a company on and after the date of such election or on and after January 1, 1981, whichever occurred first, and before October 1, 1981.

      (P.A. 78-312, S. 2; P.A. 81-170, S. 1; P.A. 90-243, S. 55; P.A. 05-162, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 81-170 permitted a life insurance company to substitute an actuarially equivalent alternative nonforfeiture benefit upon request of a defaulting policyholder, provided that certain life insurance policies shall contain a statement of the mortality table, interest rate and method used in determining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits, established a new formula for calculating cash surrender values and specified the interest rate and mortality tables used in calculating adjusted premiums and present value for various policies; P.A. 90-243 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); Sec. 38-130c transferred to Sec. 38a-439 in 1991; P.A. 05-162 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provisions re use of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, effective July 1, 2005.

      See Secs. 38a-77 and 38a-78 re Standard Valuation Law.


State Codes and Statutes

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title38a > Chap700b > Sec38a-439

      Sec. 38a-439. (Formerly Sec. 38-130c). Minimum nonforfeiture benefits for life insurance policyholders who default in premium payments. Cash surrender value. (a) In the case of policies issued on and after the effective date specified in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) of section 38-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, no policy of life insurance, except as stated in subsection (i) of this section, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless it contains in substance the following provisions, or corresponding provisions which in the opinion of the commissioner are at least as favorable to the defaulting or surrendering policyholder as are the minimum requirements hereinafter specified and are substantially in compliance with subsection (h) of this section: (1) A statement that, in the event of default in any premium payment, the company will grant, upon request by the policyholder made in accordance with the policy not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on a plan stipulated in the policy, effective as of the due date, of such amount as may be hereinafter specified. In lieu of the stipulated paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, the company may substitute, upon request by the policyholder made in accordance with the policy not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, an actuarially equivalent alternative paid-up nonforfeiture benefit which provides a greater amount or longer period of death benefits or, if applicable, a greater amount or earlier payment of endowment benefits; (2) a statement that, upon surrender of the policy within sixty days after the due date of any premium payment in default after premiums have been paid for at least three full years in the case of ordinary insurance or five full years in the case of industrial insurance, the company will pay, in lieu of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified; (3) a statement that a specified paid-up nonforfeiture benefit shall become effective as specified in the policy unless the person entitled to make such election elects another available option not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default; (4) a statement that, if the policy shall have become paid-up by completion of all premium payments or if it is continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit which became effective on or after the third policy anniversary in the case of ordinary insurance or the fifth policy anniversary in the case of industrial insurance, the company will pay, upon surrender of the policy within thirty days after any policy anniversary, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified; (5) in the case of policies which, on a basis guaranteed in the policy, provide for unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, a statement of the mortality table, interest rate, and method used in calculating the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy; in the case of all other policies, a statement of the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the cash surrender values and the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy, together with a table showing the cash surrender value, if any, and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, if any, available under the policy on each policy anniversary either during the first twenty policy years or during the term of the policy, whichever is shorter, such values and benefits to be calculated upon the assumption that there are no dividends or paid-up additions credited to the policy and that there is no indebtedness to the company on the policy; (6) a statement that the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy are not less than the minimum values and benefits required by or pursuant to the insurance law of the state in which the policy is delivered; an explanation of the manner in which the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits are altered by the existence of any paid-up additions credited to the policy or any indebtedness to the company on the policy; if a detailed statement of the method of computation of the values and benefits shown in the policy is not stated therein, a statement that such method of computation has been filed with the supervisory official of the state in which the policy is delivered; and a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender value and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy on any policy anniversary beyond the last anniversary for which such values and benefits are consecutively shown in the policy. Any of the foregoing provisions or portions thereof not applicable by reason of the plan of insurance may, to the extent inapplicable, be omitted from the policy. The company shall reserve the right to defer the payment of any cash surrender value for a period of six months after demand therefor with surrender of the policy.

      (b) Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be an amount not less than the excess, if any, of the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits which would have been provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, if there had been no default, over the sum of: (1) The then present value of the adjusted premiums as defined in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, corresponding to premiums which would have become due on and after such anniversary, and (2) the amount of any indebtedness to the company on the policy; provided that for any policy issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section, which provides supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits at the option of the insured and for an identifiable additional premium by rider or supplemental policy provision, the cash surrender value shall be an amount not less than the sum of such value for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such rider or supplemental policy provision and for a policy which provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such rider or supplemental policy provision; provided, further, that for any family policy issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section, which defines a primary insured and provides term insurance on the life of the spouse of the primary insured expiring before the spouse attains the age of seventy-one, the cash surrender value shall be an amount not less than the sum of such value for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance on the life of the spouse and for a policy which provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such term insurance on the life of the spouse. Any cash surrender value available within thirty days after any policy anniversary under any policy paid-up by completion of all premium payments or any policy continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be an amount not less than the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, decreased by any indebtedness to the company on the policy.

      (c) Any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be such that its present value as of such anniversary shall be at least equal to the cash surrender value then provided for by the policy or, if none is provided for, that cash surrender value which would have been required by this section in the absence of the condition that premiums shall have been paid for at least a specified period.

      (d) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (A) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (B) two per cent of the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or of the equivalent uniform amount, as hereinafter defined, if the amount of insurance varies with duration of the policy; (C) forty per cent of the adjusted premium for the first policy year; (D) twenty-five per cent of either the adjusted premium for the first policy year or the adjusted premium for a whole life policy of the same uniform or equivalent uniform amount with uniform premiums for the whole of life issued at the same age for the same amount of insurance, whichever is less. In applying the percentages specified in subparagraphs (C) and (D) above, no adjusted premium shall be deemed to exceed four per cent of the amount of insurance or uniform amount equivalent thereto. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date on which the rated age of the insured is determined; (2) in the case of a policy providing an amount of insurance varying with duration of the policy, the equivalent uniform amount thereof for the purpose of this subsection shall be deemed to be the uniform amount of insurance provided by an otherwise similar policy, containing the same endowment benefit or benefits, if any, issued at the same age and for the same term, the amount of which does not vary with duration and the benefits under which have the same present value at the date of issue as the benefits under the policy, provided in the case of a policy providing a varying amount of insurance issued on the life of a child under age ten, the equivalent uniform amount may be computed as though the amount of insurance provided by the policy prior to the attainment of age ten was the amount provided by such policy at age ten; (3) the adjusted premiums for any policy providing term insurance benefits by rider or supplemental policy provision shall be equal to: (A) The adjusted premiums for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance benefits, increased, during the period for which premiums for such term insurance benefits are payable, by (B) the adjusted premiums for such term insurance, the foregoing items (A) and (B) being calculated separately and as specified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection except that, for the purposes of subparagraphs (B), (C) and (D) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the amount of insurance or equivalent uniform amount of insurance used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums referred to in subparagraph (B) of this subdivision shall be equal to the excess of the corresponding amount determined for the entire policy over the amount used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums in subparagraph (A) of this subdivision; (4) in the case of ordinary policies, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the bases of the Commissioners' 1958 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided such rate of interest shall not exceed five and one-half per cent per annum and provided, for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured; provided in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1958 Extended Term Insurance Table; and provided further, for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner; (5) in the case of industrial policies, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the basis of the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided such rate of interest shall not exceed five and one-half per cent per annum; provided, in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table; and provided further, for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculations of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the company and approved by the commissioner; and (6) the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any policy issued on or after the compliance date applicable to the issuing company as determined by subdivision (11) of subsection (e) of this section.

      (e) The provisions of this subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after the compliance date established by subdivision (11) of this subsection. (1) Except as provided in subdivision (7) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments or special hazards and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (A) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (B) one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and (C) one hundred twenty-five per cent of the nonforfeiture net level premium as hereinafter defined, provided that in applying the percentage specified in subparagraph (C), no nonforfeiture net level premium shall be deemed to exceed four per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined; (2) the nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of the guaranteed benefits divided by the present value, at such date of issue, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the date of issue of the policy and on each anniversary of such policy on which a premium becomes due; (3) in the case of policies which, on a basis guaranteed in the policy, provide for unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or which provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, the adjusted premiums and present values shall initially be calculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated at the date of issue of the policy. At the time of any such change in the benefits or premiums the future adjusted premiums, nonforfeiture net level premiums and present values shall be recalculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated by the policy immediately after the change; (4) except as otherwise provided in subdivision (7) of this subsection, the recalculated future adjusted premiums for any such policy shall be the uniform percentage of the respective future premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments and special hazards, and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the time of change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, of all such future adjusted premiums shall be equal to the excess of (A) the sum of: (i) The then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy and (ii) the additional expense allowance, if any, over (B) the then cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit under the policy; (5) the additional expense allowance, at the time of the change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, shall be the sum of (A) one per cent of the excess, if positive, of the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the change over the average amount of insurance prior to the change at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the time of the most recent previous change, or, if there has been no previous change, the date of issue of the policy; and (B) one hundred twenty-five per cent of the increase, if positive, in the nonforfeiture net level premium; (6) the recalculated nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the amount obtained by dividing (A) by (B) where (A) equals the sum of (i) the nonforfeiture net level premium applicable prior to the change, multiplied by the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium would have become due had the change not occurred, and (ii) the present value of the increase in future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, and (B) equals the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium becomes due; (7) notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection, in the case of a policy issued on a substandard basis which provides reduced graded amounts of insurance so that, in each policy year, such policy has the same tabular mortality cost as an otherwise similar policy issued on the standard basis which provides higher uniform amounts of insurance, adjusted premiums and present values for such substandard policy may be calculated as if it were issued to provide such higher uniform amounts of insurance on the standard basis; (8) all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated: (A) (i) For all policies of ordinary insurance on the basis of the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table or at the election of the company, for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, on the basis of the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with ten-year select mortality factors, or (ii) On or after January 1, 2005, until January 1, 2009, at the election of the company for any one or more specified plans of life insurance issued on or after January 1, 2004, on the basis of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, except that with respect to such plans issued before April 1, 2005, such mortality table shall be used solely for the basis of valuation and nonforfeiture and shall not be used to increase the previously agreed required premium; or (iii) For all policies issued on or after January 1, 2009, on the basis of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table; (B) for all policies of industrial insurance, on the basis of the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table; (C) for all policies issued in a particular calendar year, on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in that calendar year, provided, that: (i) At the option of the company, calculations for all policies issued in a particular calendar year may be made on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate, as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year; (ii) under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up dividend additions, any cash surrender value available, whether or not required by subsection (a) of this section, shall be calculated on the basis of the mortality table and rate of interest used in determining the amount of such paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and paid-up dividend additions, if any; (iii) a company may calculate the amount of any guaranteed paid-up nonforfeiture benefit including any paid-up additions under the policy on the basis of an interest rate no lower than that specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values; (iv) in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the Commissioners' 1980 Extended Term Insurance Table for policies of ordinary insurance and not more than the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table for policies of industrial insurance; (v) for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on appropriate modifications of the aforementioned tables; (vi) any ordinary mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that are approved by regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the Commissioners' 1980 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table with or without ten-year select mortality factors or the Commissioners' 1980 Extended Term Insurance Table; (vii) any industrial mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners that are approved by regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 by the commissioner for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the Commissioners' 1961 Standard Industrial Mortality Table or the Commissioners' 1961 Industrial Extended Term Insurance Table; (9) the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum for any policy issued in a particular calendar year shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five per cent of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such policy as defined in the standard valuation law, rounded to the nearest one quarter of one per cent; (10) notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes to the contrary, any refiling of nonforfeiture values or their methods of computation for any previously approved policy form which involves only a change in the interest rate or mortality table used to compute nonforfeiture values shall not require refiling of any other provisions of that policy form; (11) on or after October 1, 1981, but prior to January 1, 1989, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection on or after a specified date and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to such company on or after such specified date, except that on or after January 1, 2005, but prior to January 1, 2009, any company may file with the commissioner a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection on or after a specified date with respect to the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the provisions of this subsection shall apply to such company. The provisions of this subsection shall apply to policies issued by any company on or after January 1, 1989, except that the provisions of this subsection with respect to the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table shall apply to policies issued by any company on or after January 1, 2009.

      (f) 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 which is of such nature that minimum values cannot be determined by the methods described in subsections (a) to (e), inclusive, then: (1) The commissioner must be satisfied that the benefits provided under the plan are substantially as favorable to policyholders and insureds as are the minimum benefits otherwise required by subsections (a) to (e), inclusive; (2) the commissioner must be satisfied that the benefits and the pattern of premiums of that plan are not such as to mislead prospective policyholders or insureds; (3) the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided by such plan must not be less than the minimum values and benefits required for the plan computed by a method consistent with the principles of this section, as determined by regulations adopted by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

      (g) Any cash surrender value and any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due at any time other than on the policy anniversary, shall be calculated with allowance for the lapse of time and the payment of fractional premiums beyond the last preceding policy anniversary. All values referred to in subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section may be calculated upon the assumption that any death benefit is payable at the end of the policy year of death. The net value of any paid-up additions, other than paid-up term additions, shall be not less than the amounts used to provide such additions. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, additional benefits payable: (1) In the event of death or dismemberment by accident or accidental means; (2) in the event of total and permanent disability; (3) as reversionary annuity or deferred reversionary annuity benefits; (4) as term insurance benefits provided by a rider or supplemental policy provision to which, if issued as a separate policy, this section would not apply; (5) as term insurance on the life of a child or on the lives of children provided in a policy on the life of a parent of the child, if such term insurance expires before the child's age is twenty-six, is uniform in amount after the child's age is one, and has not become paid-up by reason of the death of a parent of the child; and (6) as other policy benefits additional to life insurance and endowment benefits, and premiums for all such additional benefits, shall be disregarded in ascertaining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits required by this section and no such additional benefits shall be required to be included in any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits.

      (h) This subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after January 1, 1985. Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be in an amount which does not differ by more than two-tenths of one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years, from the sum of the greater of zero and the basic cash value hereinafter specified and the present value of any existing paid-up additions less the amount of any indebtedness to the company under the policy. The basic cash value shall be equal to the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits which would have been provided for by the policy, excluding any existing paid-up additions and before deduction of any indebtedness to the company, if there had been no default, less the then present value of the nonforfeiture factors, as hereinafter defined, corresponding to premiums which would have become due on and after such anniversary; provided, that the effects on the basic cash value of supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits or of family coverage, as described in subsection (b) or (d) of this section, whichever is applicable, shall be the same as are the effects specified in subsection (b) or (d) of this section, whichever is applicable, on the cash surrender values defined in the applicable subsection. The nonforfeiture factor for each policy year shall be an amount equal to a percentage of the adjusted premium for the policy year, as defined in subsection (e) of this section. Except as is required by this subsection, such percentage shall be the same percentage for each policy year between the second policy anniversary and the later of (1) the fifth policy anniversary and (2) the first policy anniversary at which there is available under the policy, a cash surrender value in an amount, before including any paid-up additions and before deducting any indebtedness, of at least two-tenths of one per cent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and shall be such that no percentage after the later of the two policy anniversaries specified in this subsection may apply to fewer than five consecutive policy years; provided, that no basic cash value may be less than the value which would be obtained if the adjusted premiums for the policy, as defined in subsection (d) or (e) of this section, whichever is applicable, were substituted for the nonforfeiture factors in the calculation of the basic cash value. All adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this subsection shall, for a particular policy, be calculated on the same mortality and interest bases as are used in demonstrating the policy's compliance with the subsections of this section. The cash surrender values referred to in this subsection shall include any endowment benefits provided for by the policy. Any cash surrender value available other than in the event of default in a premium payment due on a policy anniversary, and the amount of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment shall be determined in a manner consistent with those specified for determining the analogous minimum amounts in subsections (a), (b), (c), (e) and (g) of this section. The amount of any cash surrender values and of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits granted in connection with additional benefits such as those enumerated in subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection (g) of this section, shall conform with the principles of this subsection.

      (i) This section shall not apply to any reinsurance, group insurance, pure endowment, annuity or reversionary annuity contract, or to any term policy of uniform amount which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, or renewal thereof, of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, or to any term policy of decreasing amount, which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, on which each adjusted premium, calculated as specified in subsections (d) and (e) of this section, is less than the adjusted premium so calculated, on a term policy of uniform amount, or renewal thereof, which provides for no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits issued at the same age and for the same initial amount of insurance and for a term of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, or to any policy, which provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, for which no cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, at the beginning of any policy year, calculated as specified in subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this section, exceeds two and one-half per cent of the amount of insurance at the beginning of the same policy year or to any policy which shall be delivered outside this state through an agent or other representative of the company issuing the policy. For purposes of determining the applicability of this section, the age at expiration for a joint term life insurance policy shall be the age at expiration of the oldest life.

      (j) The provisions of sections 38a-77 and 38a-433 shall apply to ordinary and industrial policies issued by a company before the date of its election to comply with section 38a-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, or January 1, 1981, whichever occurred first. The provisions of section 38-130c of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to 1981, shall apply to policies issued by a company on and after the date of such election or on and after January 1, 1981, whichever occurred first, and before October 1, 1981.

      (P.A. 78-312, S. 2; P.A. 81-170, S. 1; P.A. 90-243, S. 55; P.A. 05-162, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 81-170 permitted a life insurance company to substitute an actuarially equivalent alternative nonforfeiture benefit upon request of a defaulting policyholder, provided that certain life insurance policies shall contain a statement of the mortality table, interest rate and method used in determining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits, established a new formula for calculating cash surrender values and specified the interest rate and mortality tables used in calculating adjusted premiums and present value for various policies; P.A. 90-243 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); Sec. 38-130c transferred to Sec. 38a-439 in 1991; P.A. 05-162 amended Subsec. (e) by adding provisions re use of the Commissioners' 2001 Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, effective July 1, 2005.

      See Secs. 38a-77 and 38a-78 re Standard Valuation Law.