48.18A.020 - Separate accounts authorized -- Allocations -- Benefits -- Limitations -- Valuation -- Sale, transfer, or exchange of assets. - Washington Statutes

Separate accounts authorized — Allocations — Benefits — Limitations — Valuation — Sale, transfer, or exchange of assets.

A domestic life insurer may, by or pursuant to resolution of its board of directors, establish one or more separate accounts, and may allocate thereto amounts (including without limitation proceeds applied under optional modes of settlement or under dividend options) to provide for life insurance or annuities (and other benefits incidental thereto), payable in fixed or variable amounts or both, subject to the following:

     (1) The income, gains, and losses, realized or unrealized, from assets allocated to a separate account shall be credited to or charged against the account, without regard to other income, gains, or losses of the insurer.

     (2)(a) Except as hereinafter provided, amounts allocated to any separate account and accumulations thereon may be invested and reinvested without regard to any requirements or limitations prescribed by the laws of this state governing the investments of life insurers: PROVIDED, That to the extent that the insurer's reserve liability with regard to (i) benefits guaranteed as to dollar amount and duration, and (ii) funds guaranteed as to principal amount or stated rate of interest is maintained in any separate account, a portion of the assets of such separate account at least equal to such reserve liability shall be invested under such conditions as the commissioner may prescribe. The investments in such separate account or accounts shall not be taken into account in applying the investment limitations applicable to the investments of the insurer.

     (b) With respect to seventy-five percent of the market value of the total assets in a separate account no insurer shall purchase or otherwise acquire the securities of any issuer, other than securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the United States, if immediately after such purchase or acquisition the market value of such investment, together with prior investments of such separate account in such security taken at market value, would exceed ten percent of the market value of the assets of such separate account: PROVIDED, That the commissioner may waive such limitation if, in his or her opinion, such waiver will not render the operation of such separate account hazardous to the public or the policyholders in this state.

     (c) Unless otherwise permitted by law or approved by the commissioner, no insurer shall purchase or otherwise acquire for its separate accounts the voting securities of any issuer if as a result of such acquisition the insurer and its separate accounts, in the aggregate, will own more than ten percent of the total issued and outstanding voting securities of such issuer: PROVIDED, That the foregoing shall not apply with respect to securities held in separate accounts, the voting rights in which are exercisable only in accordance with instructions from persons having interests in such accounts.

     (d) The limitations provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subsection shall not apply to the investment with respect to a separate account in the securities of an investment company registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940: PROVIDED, That the investments of such investment company shall comply in substance therewith.

     (3) Unless otherwise approved by the commissioner, assets allocated to a separate account shall be valued at their market value on the date of valuation, or if there is no readily available market, then as provided under the terms of the contract or the rules or other written agreement applicable to such separate account: PROVIDED, That unless otherwise approved by the commissioner, the portion, if any, of the assets of such separate account equal to the insurer's reserve liability with regard to the guaranteed benefits and funds referred to in subsection (2) of this section shall be valued in accordance with the rules otherwise applicable to the insurer's assets.

     (4) Amounts allocated to a separate account in the exercise of the power granted by this chapter shall be owned by the insurer and the insurer shall not be, nor hold itself out to be, a trustee with respect to such amounts. If and to the extent so provided under the applicable contracts, that portion of the assets of any such separate account equal to the reserves and other contract liabilities with respect to such account shall not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business the insurer may conduct.

     (5) No sale, exchange or other transfer of assets may be made by an insurer between any of its separate accounts or between any other investment account and one or more of its separate accounts unless, in case of a transfer into a separate account, such transfer is made solely to establish the account or to support the operation of the contracts with respect to the separate account to which the transfer is made, and unless such transfer, whether into or from a separate account, is made (a) by a transfer of cash, or (b) by a transfer of securities having a readily determinable market value: PROVIDED, That such transfer of securities is approved by the commissioner. The commissioner may approve other transfers among such accounts, if, in his or her opinion, such transfers would not be inequitable.

     (6) To the extent such insurer deems it necessary to comply with any applicable federal or state law, such insurer, with respect to any separate account, including without limitation any separate account which is a management investment company or a unit investment trust, may provide for persons having interest therein, as may be appropriate, voting and other rights and special procedures for the conduct of the business of such account, including without limitation, special rights and procedures relating to investment policy, investment advisory services, selection of independent public accountants, and the selection of a committee, the members of which need not be otherwise affiliated with such insurer, to manage the business of such account.

[2009 c 549 § 7078; 1973 1st ex.s. c 163 § 4; 1969 c 104 § 2.]