INS CH 8
11) Which of the following statements about the regulation of insurance company investments is (are) true? I. The purpose of regulating insurance company investments is to prevent insurers from making unsound investments which could threaten their solvency. II. Life insurers can invest an unlimited amount of their assets in common stocks. A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
A
13) Which of the following statements about state insurance guaranty funds is (are) true? I. They limit the amount that policyholders can collect if an insurer becomes insolvent. II. They are usually funded by general revenues of the states. A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
A
15) Under what type of rate regulation are insurers required to obtain approval of rates before using them if the rate change exceeds a specified predetermined range? A) flex-rating law B) prior-approval law C) file-and-use law D) use-and-file law
A
22) Which of the following is a principal method of ensuring the solvency of insurers? A) requiring submission of annual financial statements to state regulators B) tracking and investigating market conduct complaints against insurers C) disciplining agents of the insurer for illegal sales practices D) regulating the forms (applications and policies) employed by the insurer
A
27) Mutual Property Insurance Company has a surplus of $2 million. According to a conservative rule, how much in new net premiums can Mutual Property Insurance Company safely write? A) $2 million B) $8 million C) $10 million D) $20 million
A
28) Fly-By-Night Insurance Company had much larger losses than forecast. The company did not charge adequate premiums nor did the company purchase reinsurance. If Fly-By-Night becomes insolvent, which of the following will help pay the unpaid claims of the insurer? A) guaranty fund B) premium rebates C) risk-based capital D) admitted assets
A
3) The basis for current state regulation of insurance is A) the McCarran-Ferguson Act. B) Paul v. Virginia. C) the South-Eastern Underwriters Association case. D) the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
A
18) Which of the following is an advantage of federal regulation of insurance over state regulation of insurance? A) greater opportunity for innovation B) more effective treatment of systemic risk C) greater responsiveness to local needs D) more competent regulators
B
2) The right of the states to regulate the business of insurance was first established by A) the South-Eastern Underwriters Association case. B) the case of Paul v. Virginia. C) the Financial Modernization Act. D) the Sherman Act.
B
24) In which of the following did the Court decide that insurance was interstate commerce when conducted across state lines, and therefore was subject to federal regulation? A) Paul v. Virginia B) South-Eastern Underwriters Association case C) McCarran-Ferguson Act D) Financial Modernization Act
B
26) XYZ Mutual Insurance Company has total assets of $10 million. The policyholders' surplus is $2 million. What are XYZ Mutual's total liabilities? A) $4.0 million B) $8.0 million C) $10.0 million D) $12.0 million
B
4) All of the following statements about the methods of regulating insurance are true EXCEPT A) All states have insurance laws that regulate the operations of insurers. B) Insurers are totally exempt from regulation by federal agencies and laws. C) The courts regulate insurance in many ways, including the interpretation of policy clauses and provisions. D) State insurance commissioners, through administrative rulings, have considerable power over insurers doing business in their states.
B
6) An insurance company incorporated in another state has been licensed to operate in your state. In your state, the insurer would be considered a(n) A) nonadmitted insurer. B) foreign insurer. C) alien insurer. D) reciprocal insurer.
B
1) Reasons for regulation of insurance include which of the following? I. Maintaining insurer solvency II. Ensuring reasonable rates A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
C
10) Which of the following statements about the use of risk-based capital requirements is (are) true? I. Insurers must have a certain amount of capital depending on the riskiness of their investments and insurance operations. II. Insurers may be required to take certain actions depending on how much capital they have relative to their risk-based capital requirements. A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
C
20) A shortcoming of state regulation of insurance according to Congressional committees and the General Accounting Office is that state regulation A) leads to decentralized governmental power. B) provides opportunities for innovation. C) provides inadequate consumer protection. D) is more responsive to local needs.
C
21) The major reasons for insurer insolvency include which of the following? I. Inadequate pricing and loss reserves II. Rapid growth and inadequate surplus A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
C
23) The number of title insurance companies operating in State Z is relatively low. Recently, the largest of these companies (50 percent market share) acquired the second largest company (30 percent market share). Immediately after the acquisition, the insurer raised premiums by 75 percent. This scenario demonstrates which of the following rationales for the regulation of insurance? A) maintain insurer solvency B) prohibit unfair sales practices by agents C) ensure reasonable rates D) make insurance available
C
7) An insurance company chartered in another country has been licensed to operate in your state. In your state, the insurer would be considered a(n) A) nonadmitted insurer. B) foreign insurer. C) alien insurer. D) reciprocal insurer.
C
30) State X's premium tax rate is 2 percent. State Y's premium tax rate is 3 percent. State X insurers are required to pay the 3 percent rate on business written in State Y. State X requires insurers from State Y to pay a 3 percent premium tax on business written in State X, even though the premium tax rate is only 2 percent in State X. This practice is known as a A) tax tariff. B) guaranty fund assessment. C) risk-based capital requirement. D) retaliatory tax law.
D
8) Which of the following is considered a nonadmitted asset for an insurer? A) cash B) preferred stocks C) real estate D) office furniture
D
29) Grace is a life insurance agent. She is attempting to sell a large life insurance policy, but the prospective purchaser is having second thoughts. To persuade the prospective purchaser, Grace said, "I will earn a $1,000 commission if you buy this policy. I'll give you $500 of my commission if you buy the policy." In most states, what illegal sales practice will Grace be guilty of if she splits her commission with the purchaser? A) rebating B) churning C) twisting D) backdating
A
5) Which of the following statements about the licensing of insurance companies is (are) true? I. A new capital stock insurer must meet minimum capital and surplus requirements, which vary by state and line of insurance. II. The licensing requirements for insurance companies are less stringent than those imposed on most other types of firms. A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
A
9) The policyholders' surplus of an insurer is defined as the difference between its A) assets and its liabilities. B) premium income and its expenses. C) reserves and its liabilities. D) assets and its nonadmitted assets.
A
14) Under one type of rate regulation, insurers do not have to register their rates with state regulatory authorities. However, insurers may be required to furnish rate schedules and supporting data to state officials. A fundamental assumption underlying this type of rating law is that market forces will determine the price and availability of insurance, rather than discretionary acts of regulators. This type of rate regulation is called A) a flex-rating law. B) a prior-approval law. C) a file-and-use law. D) no filing required.
D
12) Which of the following statements about the regulation of life insurance companies is (are) true? I. The percentage of assets a life insurance company may invest in a specific type of asset (e.g., stocks or bonds) is generally limited by law. II. The purpose of limiting the accumulation of surplus is to prevent an insurer from increasing its surplus at the expense of policyowner dividends. A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
C
16) By misrepresenting the true facts, Gretchen was able to convince someone to replace an existing life insurance policy with another company and to purchase a new policy from the company that Gretchen represents. Gretchen has engaged in an illegal sales practice called A) bait and switch. B) rebating. C) retaliating. D) twisting.
D
17) Which of the following statements about premium taxes is (are) true? I. They are levied by the federal government as a result of the McCarran-Ferguson Act. II. Their primary purpose is to provide funds for insurance regulation. A) I only B) II only C) both I and II D) neither I nor II
D
19) Which of the following is an advantage of state regulation of insurance over federal regulation of insurance? A) uniformity of laws B) greater efficiency C) more effective in negotiating international agreements pertaining to insurance D) quicker response to local insurance problems
D
25) A life insurance company based in Canada was licensed to operate in Massachusetts. When operating in Massachusetts, the Canadian insurer would be considered a(n) A) domestic insurer. B) captive insurer. C) foreign insurer. D) alien insurer.
D