GEORGIA STATUTES AND CODES
               		§ 33-11-51 - Definitions
               		
               		
               	 	
               	 	               	 	
               	 	
               	 	
               	 		
O.C.G.A.    33-11-51   (2010)
   33-11-51.    Definitions 
      For purposes of this article, the term:
      (1)  "Admitted  assets" means assets permitted to be reported as admitted assets on the  statutory financial statement of the insurer most recently required to  be filed with the Commissioner.
      (2)  "Asset-backed/mortgage-backed  securities" shall include single-class mortgage-backed/asset-backed  securities, multiclass residential mortgage-backed securities, and  multiclass commercial mortgage-backed/asset-backed securities.
      (3)  "Asset-valuation  reserve" means the reserve required to be computed and reported in the  annual and quarterly financial statements, adopted for use by the  Commissioner, which is designed to address the credit related and equity  risks of a domestic life or accident and sickness insurer's assets.
      (4)  "Cap"  means an option contract in which the cap writer (seller), in return  for a premium, agrees to limit, or cap, the cap holder's (purchaser's)  risk associated with an increase in a reference rate or index.
      (5)  "Collar"  means a combination of a cap and a floor (one purchased and one  written). A collar fixes the rate between two levels (the strike prices  of the cap and the floor).
      (6)  "Counterparty exposure amount" means:
            (A)  The  net amount of credit risk attributable to an over-the-counter  derivative instrument. The amount of credit risk equals:
                  (i)  The  market value of the over-the-counter derivative instrument if the  liquidation of the derivative instrument would result in a final cash  payment to the insurer; or
                  (ii)  Zero if the liquidation of the derivative instrument would not result in a final cash payment to the insurer;
            (B)  If  over-the-counter derivative instruments are entered into under a  written master agreement which provides for netting of payments owed by  the respective parties and the domiciliary jurisdiction of the  counterparty is either within the United States or, if not within the  United States, within a foreign jurisdiction listed in the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the NAIC Securities Valuation Office  as eligible for netting in accordance with procedures adopted by the  National Association of Insurance Commissioners and adopted by  regulation promulgated by the Commissioner or as otherwise prescribed by  regulation promulgated by the Commissioner, the net amount of credit  risk shall be the greater of zero or the net sum of:
                  (i)  The  market value of the over-the-counter derivative instruments entered  into under the agreement, the liquidation of which would result in a  final cash payment to the insurer; and
                  (ii)  The  market value of the over-the-counter derivative instruments entered  into under the agreement, the liquidation of which would result in a  final cash payment by the insurer to the business entity; and
            (C)  For  open transactions, market value shall be determined at the end of the  most recent quarter of the insurer's fiscal year and shall be reduced by  the market value of acceptable collateral held by the insurer or placed  in escrow by one or both parties.
      (7)  "Debt-like  preferred stock" means an investment with the structure of a preferred  stock that has the cash flow characteristics of a debt instrument.
      (8)  "Derivative instrument" means a cap, collar, floor, forward, future, option, swap, or warrant.
      (9)  "Derivative transaction" means a transaction involving the use of one or more derivative instruments.
      (10)  "Domestic  jurisdiction" means the United States, Canada, any state, any province  of Canada, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing.
      (11)  "Equity-like  preferred stock" means an investment with the structure of a preferred  stock that has the characteristics of an equity instrument.
      (12)  "Floor"  means an option contract in which the floor writer (seller), in return  for a premium, agrees to limit the risk associated with a decline in a  reference rate or index.
      (13)  "Forward"  means a contract in which there is an agreement (other than a futures)  between two parties that commits one party to purchase and the other to  sell the instrument or commodity underlying the contract at a specified  future date.
      (14)  "Future" means a  standardized forward contract traded on organized exchanges. Each  exchange specifies the standard terms of futures contracts it sponsors.  Futures contracts are available for a wide variety of underlying  instruments, including insurance, agricultural commodities, minerals,  debt instruments (such as United States Treasury bonds and bills),  composite stock indices, and foreign currencies.
      (15)  "Government sponsored enterprise" means a:
            (A)  Governmental agency; or
            (B)  Corporation,  limited liability company, association, partnership, joint-stock  company, joint venture, trust, or other entity or instrumentality  organized under the laws of any domestic jurisdiction to accomplish a  public policy or other governmental purpose.
      (16)  "Hedging transaction" means a derivative transaction which is entered into and maintained to reduce or manage:
            (A)  The  risk of a change in the value, yield, price, cash flow, or quantity of  assets or liabilities which the insurer has acquired or incurred or  anticipates acquiring or incurring; or
            (B)  The  currency exchange rate risk or the degree of exposure as to assets or  liabilities which an insurer has acquired or incurred or anticipates  acquiring or incurring.
      (17)  "High-grade  investment" means an investment rated 1 or 2 by the Securities  Valuation Office or any successor office in accordance with valuation  standards adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners  and adopted by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner or as  otherwise prescribed by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner.
      (18)  "Lower  grade investment" means an investment rated 4, 5, or 6 by the  Securities Valuation Office or any successor office in accordance with  valuation standards adopted by the National Association of Insurance  Commissioners and adopted by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner  or as otherwise prescribed by regulation promulgated by the  Commissioner.
      (19)  "Medium grade  investment" means an investment rated 3 by the Securities Valuation  Office or any successor office in accordance with valuation standards  adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and  adopted by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner or as otherwise  prescribed by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner.
      (20)  "Minimum asset requirement" means the sum of an insurer's liabilities and its minimum financial security benchmark.
      (21)  "Minimum financial security benchmark" means the amount an insurer is required to maintain under Code Section 33-11-52.
      (22)  "Multiclass  commercial mortgage-backed/asset-backed securities" means securities  which have been divided into two or more classes, which do not receive  proportionate payments of principal and interest, each of which  represents an ownership interest in instruments or cash flows, but not  including those secured by liens on one-family to four-family  residential properties, including:
            (A)  Defined  multiclass commercial mortgage-backed securities which have been  divided into two or more classes, which do not receive proportionate  payments of principal and interest, each of which represents an  ownership interest in instruments, directly or indirectly secured by a  first lien on one or more parcels of real estate upon which is located  one or more commercial structures, and rated in one of the two highest  generic rating categories established by a nationally recognized  statistical rating organization that is recognized by the Securities  Valuation Office in accordance with valuation standards adopted by the  National Association of Insurance Commissioners and adopted by  regulation promulgated by the Commissioner or as otherwise prescribed by  regulation promulgated by the Commissioner; and
            (B)  Other  multiclass commercial mortgage-backed/asset-backed securities which  have been divided into two or more classes, which do not receive  proportionate payments of principal and interest, each of which  represents an ownership interest in instruments or cash flows,  including, but not limited to, instruments secured by liens on one or  more parcels of real estate upon which is located one or more commercial  structures that are not first liens or, if secured by first liens, the  securities are rated below the two highest generic rating categories  established by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization  that is recognized by the Securities Valuation Office in accordance with  valuation standards adopted by the National Association of Insurance  Commissioners and adopted by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner  or as otherwise prescribed by regulation promulgated by the  Commissioner.
      (23)  "Multiclass  residential mortgage-backed securities" means mortgage-backed securities  which have been divided into two or more classes, which do not receive  proportionate payments of principal and interest, each of which  represents an ownership interest in instruments which are directly or  indirectly secured by liens on one-family to four-family residential  properties, including:
            (A)  Defined  multiclass residential mortgage-backed securities which are first liens  and are rated in one of the two highest generic rating categories  established by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization  that is recognized by the Securities Valuation Office in accordance with  valuation standards adopted by the National Association of Insurance  Commissioners and adopted by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner  or as otherwise prescribed by regulation promulgated by the  Commissioner; and
            (B)  Other  multiclass residential mortgage-backed securities which are not first  liens or, if secured by first liens, are rated below the two highest  generic rating categories established by a nationally recognized  statistical rating organization that is recognized by the Securities  Valuation Office in accordance with valuation standards adopted by the  National Association of Insurance Commissioners and adopted by  regulation promulgated by the Commissioner or as otherwise prescribed by  regulation promulgated by the Commissioner.
      (24)  "Option"  means a contract that gives the option holder (purchaser of the option  rights) the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a transaction  with the option writer (seller of the option rights) on terms specified  in the contract. A call option allows the holder to buy the underlying  instrument, while a put option allows the holder to sell the underlying  instrument.
      (25)  "Over-the-counter  derivative instrument" means a derivative instrument entered into with a  business entity other than through a qualified exchange, qualified  foreign exchange, or cleared through a qualified clearing-house.
      (26)  "Potential exposure" means the amount determined in accordance with the Annual Statement Instructions  adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and  adopted by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner or as otherwise  prescribed by regulation promulgated by the Commissioner.
      (27)  "Replication"  means a derivative transaction involving one or more derivative  instruments being used to modify the cash flow characteristics of one or  more investments held by an insurer in a manner so that the aggregate  cash flows of the derivative instruments and investments reproduce the  cash flows of another investment having a higher risk-based capital  charge than the risk-based capital charge of the original investments or  investments.
      (28)  "Single-class  mortgage-backed/asset-backed  securities" means pass-through certificates and other securitized loans  issued using only one class where the payment of interest or principal  or both of the security is directly proportional to interest or  principal or both received by the business entity from the loans  supporting the security.
      (29)  "Special  rated credit instrument" means an asset-backed/mortgage-backed security  authorized by paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section 33-11-55  where the investment is structured such that:
            (A)  The payments are the interest only portion of the underlying collateral;
            (B)  Such payments are reduced as the balance of the underlying collateral is reduced; and
            (C)  Such  reduction may cause a significant loss of the original investment. For  purposes of this subparagraph, "significant" shall mean a loss of 15  percent or more.
      (30)  "SVO listed mutual  fund" means a money market mutual fund or short-term bond fund that is  registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission  under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and that has been determined by  the Securities Valuation Office or any successor office in accordance  with valuation standards adopted by the National Association of  Insurance Commissioners and adopted by regulation promulgated by the  Commissioner or as otherwise prescribed by regulation promulgated by the  Commissioner to be eligible for special reserve and reporting treatment  other than as common stock.
      (31)  "Swap"  means a contract to exchange, for a period of time, the investment  performance of one underlying instrument for the investment performance  of another underlying instrument, typically without exchanging the  instruments themselves. An interest rate swap is a contractual agreement  between two parties to exchange interest rate payments (usually fixed  for variable) based on a specified amount of underlying assets or  liabilities (known as the notional amount) for a specified period. The  swap does not involve an exchange of principal. The result of these  transactions is to transform payments from a variable rate to a fixed  rate, from a fixed rate to a variable rate, or from one variable rate  index to another variable rate index.
      (32)  "Warrant"  means an instrument that gives the holder the right to purchase an  underlying financial instrument at a given price and time or at a series  of prices and times outlined in the warrant agreement.