Life ins
Anyone who violates Ohio insurance law may be subject to what per violation fines?
$25k
Self-insurance is
-Practiced by organizations that establish reserves to protect themselves against loss -Is a legitimate method of insuring loss by establishing one's own reserve of funds
The free look or right to examine provision allows the policyowner the right to review and then return a policy for a full refund within no less than how many days?
10 days
What minimum percentage of eligible employees must be insured under a noncontributory group life policy?
100%. If employees do not contribute to the cost of their group life insurance, the insurance must be available to all members of the group or to all employees.
Agents are required to obtain at least how many hours of continuing education credits to renew their licenses?
24
Licensees must complete at least 24 hours of continuing education in each license renewal period. How many of these hours must consist of ethics training?
3
An agent who changes his residential address must notify the DOI of the change within:
30 days
An insurance agent must notify the Superintendent about any administrative action taken against the agent within
30 days
An insurer must notify the Superintendent of the termination of an agent's appointment within how many days?
30 days
The Superintendent's examination of an insurance company may be deferred for up to how many years?
5
The payment of claims provision states that an insurer will pay the death benefi within how many days after receiving notification of the claim
60 days
If a group insurance policy is contributory, what % of employees must participate?
75%
Market value adjusted annuities
A fixed annuity with a market value adjustment feature. Offers the flexibility of various guarantee terms combined with the potential for higher interest rates than traditional fixed investments. Guaranteed rate is only valid if the investment is held to maturity. Not a variable product.
Group Credit Life Insurance
A lender, or creditor, may sponsor a group life insurance plan for its group of debtors. Group credit insurance can be made payable to the sponsoring group and the amount of coverage is limited to each individual insured's remaining debt balance
The consideration clause
A part of the insurance contract that states that both parties must give something of value for the transfer of risk, and specifies the conditions of the exchange. Specifies the amount and frequency of premium payments that the policyowner must make to keep insurance in force
Estopel
Actions reasonably relied on by one party can't be denied by the party that accepted the same previously
Characteristics of insurance contracts
Adhesion Aleatory Unilateral Conditional Indemnity
When agent act on behalf of insurers, they are acting under which legal principle?
Agency
Universal life is distinguished from whole life ins in that...
partial withdrawals can be taken from the cash value account
Accelerated Death Benefits
An advance of death benefits. Written certification from a physician is required, diagnosing a qualifying even that will substantially decrease the insured's life span. Accelerated death benefits are tax exempt.
Who must sign endorsements, modifications, or any other changes to a life insurance contract?
An executive officer of the company
Factors in determining a life annuity payment amount
Annuitant's age, gender, payment guarantee, assumed interest rate
When the insured and the beneficiary in a life insurance policy die simultaneously, how must the proceeds of the policy be distributed?
As if the insured had survived the beneficiary
The Superintendent of Insurance has the duty to examine an insurer's records how often?
At least once every three years
Elements of a legal contract
CLOAC Consideration Legal Purpose Offer Acceptance Competent parties
Profit-sharing plan
Contributions made by employer Based on company profits Contributions not made every year Maximum contribution is 25% of total employee payroll
Each of the following would affect a license applicant's suitability to become licensed in Ohio:
Conversion Material misrepresentation Fraudulent actions
Annuities are included in gross estate if
Death occurs during accumulation- entire value including cost is included Death occurs during annuitization- present value of future payments is included
Making or permitting any inequalities between individuals of the same class with regard to premium rates charged best describes:
Defamation
Deferred annuity
Do not start an income stream immediately. Annuity owner chooses the premium amount and the frequency of premium payments. Accumulate funds may be withdrawn at any time, subject to a possible surrender charge. Owner is not required to annuitize the contract.
Simplified Employee Pension
Employer makes contribution on employee's behalf Higher contribution limits than Trad IRA Employees must be 100% vested
Which of the following would be considered a moral hazard in underwriting a health insurance risk? A hazardous occupation, excessive dieting, a family history of diabetes, a serious heart ailment
Excessive dieting. Moral hazards are habits or lifestyles of applicants that could pose additional risk for the insurer
What elements of an adjustable life policy are adjustable?
Face amount, cash value, premium
Two parties in insurance contract:
First is the insured, the second is the insurer or the insurance company
Buyer's Guide
Generic document that has been recommended for use by the national association of Insurance Commissioners. A company must use the current Buyer's Guide no later than six months after approval by the NAIC
Direct response marketing
Includes mail, newspapers, magazines, television, internet. No producer/agent involved, and insurance is sold directly to the public by the insurer
Joint-life-and survivor option
Insurer promises to make payments until the last survivor of two annuitants dies.
Master policy
Issued to the employer under a group plan; contains all the insuring clauses defining employee benefits.
What are powers or duties of the Superintendent of Insurance?
Issues cease and desist orders Collects fees and issues insurance licenses Regulates companies for solvency and most insurance rates
Insurers must certify their agent appointments to the superintendent each year by what date?
June 30
Standard life insurance dividend options:
Leaving the dividends with the insurer to accumulate at interest in a cash account. Taking the dividend as an income tax-free cash distribution from the insurer. Using the dividend to purchase a unit of paid-up whole life insurance
Uses of annuities
Life income, tax favored savings, funding IRAs, education funds.
Distributions at death to a beneficiary
Lump sum- all of gain is taxable Five year withdrawal- interest out first- no 10% penalty Annuity payments- taxed according to the exclusion ratio If spouse is beneficiary- transfer ownership to spouse with no tax consequences
Twisting
Making any misrepresentation or incomplete comparison of policies to any person for the purpose of inducing that person to lapse their current policy
All of the following are true regarding unfair trade practice penalties:
Maximum aggregate penalty of $35k in any 6-month period Civil penalty of up to $3500 for each violation Civil penalty of up to $10k for each violation of a Superintendent's cease and desist order
An agent may request an extension for license renewal for all of the following:
Military service Long-term medical disability Other extenuating circumstances
An agent who provides a policyholder with inaccurate information in order to induce that individual to lapse or surrender her current policy is engaged in:
Misrepresentation
Joint life, second to die
Must be legally married
Life with period certain
Pays income for as long as annuitant is alive, annuitant also selects a payment period and payments are guaranteed to be made for at least that number of years
Modified life
Premiums are generally lower in the first years of the policy and higher in the later years. This type of policy is designed for persons with limited financial resources who have the promise of higher resources in later years. The total over the period of the policy would be equivalent to the straight whole life policy.
Taxation of Group Life Insurance
Premiums paid by employer are tax deductible Premiums paid by employee are NOT tax deductible Death benefits to a named beneficiary are not taxable Premiums paid by employer for insurance above $50k is taxable income to the employee
The period of time a new employee has to wait before she may enroll in a group life insurance plan is called
Probationary period. Typically range from 1-12 months
Keogh plans
Qualified retirement plans set up by self-employed persons and non-incorporated businesses such as sole proprietorships and partnerships.
An insurance agent or broker offering any valuable consideration or inducement to a prospective insured that is not specified in a policy or contract is engaged in
Rebating
Statement of Good Health
Required if there is no premium with the application If the proposed insured's health has changed, agent can't deliver policy
What needs to be filed 30 days prior to use?
Riders Policy forms Premium rates
Withdrawals during accumulation period
Same treatment as a MEC. LIFO taxation. Interest out first. Income tax on interest. 10% penalty on interest if younger than 59.5
SIMPLEs
Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Employers with 100 employees or less Employees can contribute 100% immediate vesting for employer contributions All employees earing $5k or more per year must be allowed to participate 25% early withdrawal penalty for first two years of participation
Estate Taxes
Taxes due on transfer of wealth Life insurance death benefits are included as insured's gross estate if: -payable to the insured's estate -insured owns the policy at the time of death -insured transferred ownership within three years of death
What can an insured add to a permanent insurance policy which will provide additional coverage, yet cost less than purchasing a separate policy?
Term insurance rider. If the insured dies while the term rider is in force, the beneficiary will receive the death benefit from the permanent policy and the term policy.
Enrollment period
The amount of time an employee has to sign up for a contributory group health plan.31 days.
Tammy owns a participating whole life insurance policy for which she has selected the paid-up additions option. If the insurer declares a dividend of $500 in the current year, how will this amount be used with this dividend option?
The insured uses the $500 as if it were a single premium to purchase a unit of paid-up whole life insurance based on Tammy's attained age.
Describe facultative reinsurance
The reinsurer considers each risk before allowing the transfer to be made from the ceding company.
Cost-of-living-rider
Tied to an increase in the inflation index, most commonly the CPI. The COL rider provides for automatic increases in the policy death benefit in proportion to increases in the CPI.
Modified Endowment Contracts (MEC)
Too much premium paid in first seven years of policy- flexible premium universal life and single premium whole life Interest on cash values not taxed while in he policy Withdrawals or loans are taxed Interest out first 10% penalty on interest if withdrawn before age 59 1/2 unless insured is disabled Once a MEC always a MEC.
Which of the following risk management methods is used by insurance companies? Sharing, Retention, Reduction, Transfer
Transfer.
A contract agreement between a ceding insurer and reinsurer to underwrite certain classes of risks is known as
Treaty reinsurance
Surplus lines insurance is placed with a nonadmitted carrier by a surplus lines agent. T/F
True
Multiple Employer Trust (MET)
Trust formed by group of small employers in same or similar industries
Equity-indexed annuity (EIA)
Type of tax-deferred annuity whose credited interest is linked to an equity index- typically the S&P 500. Guarantees a min rate, typically between 1% and 3%, if held to the end of the surrender term and protects against loss of principal
Waiver
Voluntarily giving up a right
Express authority
Written agreement with the insurer. Specific wording in the contract that tells the producer what he can/cannot do
An insurance company who wants to do business in Ohio must obtain:
a certificate of authority
For group insurance policies, the covered individual receives proof of coverage in the form of
a certificate of insurance
A deferred compensation plan is
a nonqualified plan funded by the employer
Accumulation units
accumulated values of variable annuities, similar to shares purchased in a mutual fund. Value of an accumulation unit is found by dividing the total value of the separate account by the number of existing accumulation units.
An investigative consumer report is also called
an inspection report. This is a general report on an applicant's finances, character, hobbies, work, health, and other habits. The information is usually obtained through interviews with friends and associates
An insurance fraud warning must be on all
applications and claim forms
An agent may not charge the applicant a fee for any of the following except
if several conditions are met, including the consumer consenting to the fee
Life with refund option
if the annuitant dies and the total payments received are less than the amount paid for the annuity, the difference is paid to the beneficiary
The settlement option that will pay the largest amount to the beneficiary regardless how long he lives:
life only or straight life option
Refusal to issue or renew
means the decision of the Superintendent not to process either the initial license application or the renewal
Revocation
means the permanent termination of all authority to hold an agent's license
If a new license is issued to a person whose license was suspended, any appointment of the person to represent an insurer
must be made again in accordance with the requirements of the insurance code
Annuitization period
pay-out phase of the contract. Money in the contract is converted into a series of regular income payments that can continue for life or for a stated period of time.
Joint life
pays income until the death of the first of two or more annuitants
Immediate annuity
provides an individual with an income that may begin as soon as a month after a purchase, or may be delayed for up to one year. Funds accumulate on a tax-deferred basis
An agent who offers to share a commission with a prospective insured in return for the purchase of a life insurance contract has engaged in
rebating
Fixed period and fixed amount are types of
temporary annuities
Suspension
termination of all authority of any agent's license for a specified or indefinite period of time
Late license renewal may be applied for as late as
the last day of the second month following the license renewal date
Installment refund option
the same income payments continue to the secondary beneficiary after the primary bene dies, until the entire death benefit amount is paid
Surrender for cause
the voluntary termination of all authority to hold any agent'ss
Mutual insurers are owned by
their policyholders. Mutual insurers do not have stock or stockholders.
If an insurance company determines that it has sustained a cybersecurity event involving nonpublic information, it must notify the superintendent no later than:
three business days after the event is discovered
Buy-sell agreement
transfer the business from the owner to the other party at an agreed-upon price
At the state level, the government is involved in providing
unemployment insurance
Agent licenses renew
upon application every 2 years on the last day of the agent's birth month
Exclusion ratio
used to determine the nontaxable portion of each monthly payment. Annuity payments after annuitization are taxed according to the exclusion ratio. Premiums paid in / total of expected payments over life expectancy = percentage of payment not taxed
Accumulation Period
when an annuity is being funded, before a payout begins