R.C.S.A. § 38a-459-14
Asset maintenance requirements for market value separate accounts supporting contracts other than index contracts
Cite as Conn. Agencies Regs. § 38a-459-14
other than index contracts
(a) An insurance company shall hold sufficient assets as a reserve in the general account,
separate account, or supplemental accounts, as appropriate, such that the market value
of the assets held in the separate account, plus the market value of any supplemental
account, plus assets held in the general account as a reserve for guaranteed contract
liabilities (valued in accordance with section 38a-78 of the Connecticut General Statutes),
less the deductions provided for in subsection (b) of this section, equals or exceeds
the value of guaranteed contract liabilities determined in accordance with subsection
(f) of this section.
(b) In determining compliance with the asset maintenance requirement and the reserve for
guaranteed contract liabilities, the insurance company shall deduct a percentage of
the market value of the separate account or supplemental account asset or an amount
attributable to a replicated (synthetic asset) transaction as follows:
(1) For debt instruments, the percentage shall be the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners asset valuation reserve “reserve objective factor,” as set forth in
the instructions for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Annual and
Quarterly Statement Blank, but the factor shall be increased 50 percent for the purpose
of this subdivision if the difference in durations of the assets and liabilities is
more than 184 days;
(2) For assets that are not debt instruments, the percentage shall be the National Association
of Insurance Commissioners asset valuation reserve “maximum reserve factor,” as set
forth in the instructions for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Annual and Quarterly Statement Blank; and
(3) For replicated (synthetic asset) transactions, the market value of the separate account
or supplemental account assets shall be decreased by an amount equal to the asset
valuation reserve for the transaction as if the transaction were occurring in the
general account, determined in accordance with section 38a-78 of the Connecticut General
Statutes; but to the extent that the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
asset valuation reserve maximum reserve factor, as set forth in the instructions for
the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Annual and Quarterly Statement
Blank, was not used in determining the amount of the deduction, the amount of the
deduction shall be increased 50 percent for purposes of this subdivision.
(c) To the extent that guaranteed contract liabilities are denominated in the currency
of a foreign country and are supported by separate account or supplemental account
assets denominated in the currency of the foreign country, the percentage deduction
for these assets shall be the percentage deduction for a substantially similar investment
denominated in the currency of the United States.
(d) To the extent that guaranteed contract liabilities are denominated in the currency
of the United States and are supported by separate account or supplemental account
assets denominated in the currency of a foreign country, and to the extent that guaranteed
contract liabilities are denominated in the currency of a foreign country and are
supported by separate account or supplemental account assets denominated in the currency
of the United States, the deduction for debt instruments and replicated (synthetic
assets) transactions shall be increased by 15 percent of its market value unless the
currency exchange risk has been adequately hedged, in which case the percentage deduction
shall be increased by one-half percent. No guaranteed contract liabilities denominated
in the currency of a foreign country shall be supported by separate account or supplemental
account assets denominated in the currency of another foreign country without the
approval of the insurance commissioner. For purposes of this subsection, the currency
exchange rate on an asset is deemed adequately hedged if:
(1) It is an obligation of a jurisdiction that is rated in one of the two highest rating
categories by an independent, nationally-recognized United States rating agency acceptable
to the insurance commissioner or other governmental unit of the jurisdiction, or is
organized under the laws of the jurisdiction; and
(2) At all times, the principal amount and scheduled interest payments on the principal
are hedged against the United States dollar pursuant to contracts or agreements that
are:
(A) Issued by or traded on a securities exchange or board of trade regulated under the
laws of the United States, Canada, or a province of Canada;
(B) Entered into with a United States banking institution that has assets in excess of
$5 billion and has obligations outstanding, or has a parent corporation that has obligations
outstanding, rated in one of the two highest rating categories by an independent,
nationally-recognized United States rating agency, or with a broker-dealer registered
with the Securities and Exchange Commission that has net capital in excess of $250
million;
(C) Entered into with any other banking institution that has assets in excess of $5 billion
and that has obligations outstanding, or has a parent corporation that has obligations
outstanding, rated in one of the two highest rating categories by an independent,
nationally-recognized United States rating agency and that is organized under the
laws of a jurisdiction that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by
an independent, nationally-recognized United States rating agency; or
(D) Entered into with an entity permitted under Title 38a of the Connecticut General Statutes
enumerating permitted counterparties for currency hedging transactions.
(e) All or a portion of the amount needed to comply with the asset maintenance requirement
may be allocated to one or more supplemental accounts. If the account contract or
applicable law provides that the assets in the separate account shall not be chargeable
with liabilities arising out of any other business of the insurance company, the insurance
company shall maintain in a supplemental account or the general account the amount
of any account assets in excess of the sum of the amounts contributed (net of withdrawals)
by the contract holder, and the earnings attributable to the amounts contributed (net
of withdrawals) by the contract holder.
(f) For purposes of this section, the minimum value of guaranteed contract liabilities
is defined to be the sum of the expected guaranteed contract benefits, each discounted
at a rate corresponding to the expected time of payment of the contract benefit that
is not greater than the maximum multiple of the spot rate supportable by the expected
return from the separate account and any supplemental account assets provided that
the rate used shall not exceed 105 percent of the spot rate, except that if the expected
time of payment of a contract benefit is more than 30 years, the expected guaranteed
contract benefits shall be discounted from the expected time of payment to year 30
at a rate of no more than 80 percent of the thirty year spot rate and from year 30
to the date of valuation at a rate not greater than 105 percent of the thirty year
spot rate, and shall accurately reflect expected investment returns (taking into account
any exchange risks) or as described in the actuarial opinion. In calculating the minimum
value of contract benefits, all guaranteed contract benefits potentially available
to the contract holder shall be considered in the valuation process and analysis,
and the reserve held shall be sufficient to fund the greatest present value of each
independent guaranteed benefit stream, including guaranteed annuitization options
available. To the extent that future cash flows are dependent upon the benefit responsiveness
features of an employer-sponsored plan, a best estimate or an estimate based on the
insurance company's experience shall be used in the projections of the future cash
flows. In addition, the valuation actuary shall periodically review the actual experience
under the contract to validate the assumptions used. In projecting cash flows for
contingent benefits involving mortality, mortality tables for these benefits prescribed
or authorized by applicable law shall be utilized.