View all text of Subchapter I [§ 80a-1 - § 80a-64]
§ 80a–28. Face-amount certificate companies
(a) Issuance or sale of certificates
(1) such company, if organized before March 15, 1940, was actively and continuously engaged in selling face-amount certificates on and before that date, and has outstanding capital stock worth upon a fair valuation of assets not less than $50,000; or if organized on or after March 15, 1940, has capital stock in an amount not less than $250,000 which has been bona fide subscribed and paid for in cash; and
(2) such company maintains at all times minimum certificate reserves on all its outstanding face-amount certificates in an aggregate amount calculated and adjusted as follows:
(A) the reserves for each certificate of the installment type shall be based on assumed annual, semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly reserve payments according to the manner in which gross payments for any certificate year are made by the holder, which reserve payments shall be sufficient in amount, as and when accumulated at a rate not to exceed 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually, to provide the minimum maturity or face amount of the certificate when due. Such reserve payments may be graduated according to certificate years so that the reserve payment or payments for the first certificate year shall amount to at least 50 per centum of the required gross annual payment for such year and the reserve payment or payments for each of the second to fifth certificate years inclusive shall amount to at least 93 per centum of each such year’s required gross annual payment and for the sixth and each subsequent certificate year the reserve payment or payments shall amount to at least 96 per centum of each such year’s required gross annual payment: Provided, That such aggregate reserve payments shall amount to at least 93 per centum of the aggregate gross annual payments required to be made by the holder to obtain the maturity of the certificate. The company may at its option take as loading from the gross payment or payments for a certificate year, as and when made by the certificate holder, an amount or amounts equal in the aggregate for such year to not more than the excess, if any, of the gross payment or payments required to be made by the holder for such year, over and above the percentage of the gross annual payment required herein for such year for reserve purposes. Such loading may be taken by the company prior to or after the setting up of the reserve payment or payments for such year and the reserve payment or payments for such year may be graduated and adjusted to correspond with the amount of the gross payment or payments made by the certificate holder for such year less the loading so taken;
(B) if the foregoing minimum percentages of the gross annual payments required under the provisions of such certificate should produce reserve payments larger than are necessary at 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually to provide the minimum maturity or face amount of the certificate when due, the reserve shall be based upon reserve payments accumulated as provided under preceding subparagraph (A) of this paragraph except that in lieu of the 3½ per centum rate specified therein, such rate shall be lowered to the minimum rate, expressed in multiples of one-eighth of 1 per centum, which will accumulate such reserve payments to the maturity value when due;
(C) if the actual annual gross payment to be made by the certificate holder on any certificate issued prior to or after the effective date of this chapter is less than the amount of any assumed reserve payment or payments for a certificate year, such company shall maintain as a part of such minimum certificate reserves a deficiency reserve equal to the total present value of future deficiencies in the gross payments, calculated at a rate not to exceed 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually;
(D) for each certificate of the installment type the amount of the reserve shall at any time be at least equal to (1) the then amount of the reserve payments set up under subparagraphs (A) or (B) of this paragraph; (2) the accumulations on such reserve payments as computed under subparagraphs (A) or (B) of this paragraph; (3) the amount of any deficiency reserve required under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph; and (4) such amount as shall have been credited to the account of each certificate holder in the form of any credit, or any dividend, or any interest in addition to the minimum maturity amount specified in such certificate, plus any accumulations on any amount or amounts so credited, at a rate not exceeding 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually;
(E) for each certificate which is fully paid, including any fully paid obligations resulting from or effected upon the maturity of the previously issued certificate, and for each paid-up certificate issued as provided in subsection (f) of this section prior to maturity, the amount of the reserve shall at any time be at least equal to (1) such amount as and when accumulated at a rate not to exceed 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually, will provide the amount or amounts payable when due and (2) such amount as shall have been credited to the account of each such certificate holder in the form of any credit, or any dividend, or any interest in addition to the minimum maturity amount specified in the certificate, plus any accumulations on any amount or amounts so credited, at a rate not exceeding 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually;
(F) for each certificate of the installment type under which gross payments have been made by or credited to the holder thereof covering a payment period or periods or any part thereof beyond the then current payment period as defined by the terms of such certificate, and for which period or periods no reserve has been set up under subparagraph (A) or (B) of this paragraph, an advance payment reserve shall be set up and maintained in the amount of the present value of any such unapplied advance gross payments, computed at a rate not to exceed 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually;
(G) such appropriate contingency reserves for death and disability benefits and for reinstatement rights on any such certificate providing for such benefits or rights as the Commission shall prescribe by rule, regulation, or order based upon the experience of face-amount companies in relation to such contingencies.
At no time shall the aggregate certificate reserves herein required by subparagraphs (A) to (F) of this paragraph, be less than the aggregate surrender values and other amounts to which all certificate holders may be then entitled.
For the purpose of this subsection, no certificate of the installment type shall be deemed to be outstanding if before a surrender value has been attained the holder thereof has been in continuous default in making his payments thereon for a period of one year.
(b) Asset requirements prior to sale of certificates
(c) Certificate reserve requirements
(d) Provisions required in certificateIt shall be unlawful for any registered face-amount certificate company to issue or sell any face-amount certificate, or to collect or accept any payment on any such certificate issued by such company on or after the effective date of this subchapter, unless such certificate contains a provision or provisions to the effect—
(1) that, in respect of any certificate of the installment type, during the first certificate year the holder of the certificate, upon surrender thereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash not less than the reserve payments as specified in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) and at the end of such certificate year, a value payable in cash at least equal to 50 per centum of the amount of the gross annual payment required thereby for such year;
(2) that, in respect of any certificate of the installment type, at any time after the expiration of the first certificate year and prior to maturity, the holder of the certificate, upon surrender thereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash not less than the then amount of the reserve for such certificate required by numbered items (1) and (2) of subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) hereof, less a surrender charge that shall not exceed 2 per centum of the face or maturity amount of the certificate, or 15 per centum of the amount of such reserve, whichever is the lesser, but in no event shall such value be less than 50 per centum of the amount of such reserve. The amount of the surrender value for the end of each certificate year shall be set out in the certificate;
(3) that, in respect of any certificate of the installment type, the holder of the certificate, upon surrender thereof for cash or upon receipt of a paid-up certificate as provided in subsection (f) hereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash equal to the then amount of any advance payment reserve under such certificate required by subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) hereof in addition to any other amounts due the holder hereunder;
(4) that at any time prior to maturity, in respect of any certificate which is fully paid, the holder of the certificate, upon surrender thereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash not less than the then amount of the reserve for such certificate required by item (1) of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) hereof, less a surrender charge that shall not exceed 2 per centum of the face or maturity amount of the certificate, or 15 per centum of the amount of such reserve, whichever is the lesser: Provided, however, That such surrender charge shall not apply as to any obligations of a fully paid type resulting from the maturity of a previously issued certificate. The amount of the surrender value for the end of each certificate year shall be set out in the certificate;
(5) that in respect of any certificate, the holder of the certificate, upon maturity, upon surrender thereof for cash or upon receipt of a paid-up certificate as provided in subsection (f) hereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash equal to the then amount of the reserve, if any, for such certificate required by item (4) of subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) hereof or item (2) of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2) of said subsection (a) in addition to any other amounts due the holder hereunder.
The term “certificate year” as used in this section in respect of any certificate of the installment type means a period or periods for which one year’s payment or payments as provided by the certificate have been made thereon by the holder and the certificate maintained in force by such payments for the time for which the same have been made, and in respect of any certificate which is fully paid or paid-up means any year ending on the anniversary of the date of issuance of the certificate.
Any certificate may provide for loans or advances by the company to the certificate holder on the security of such certificate upon terms prescribed therein but at an interest rate not exceeding 6 per centum per annum. The amount of the required reserves, deposits, and the surrender values thereof available to the holder may be adjusted to take into account any unpaid balance on such loans or advances and interest thereon, for the purposes of this subsection and subsections (b) and (c) hereof.
Any certificate may provide that the company at its option may, prior to the maturity thereof, defer any payment or payments to the certificate holder to which he may be entitled under this subsection, for a period of not more than thirty days: Provided, That in the event such option is exercised by the company, interest shall accrue on any payment or payments due to the holder, for the period of such deferment at a rate equal to that used in accumulating the reserves for such certificate: And provided further, That the Commission may, by rules and regulations or orders in the public interest or for the protection of investors, make provision for any other deferment upon such terms and conditions as it shall prescribe.
(e) Liability of holder to legal action for unpaid amount of certificate
(f) Optional right to paid up certificate in lieu of cash surrender value
(g) Application of section to company issuing certificates only to holders of previously issued certificates
(h) Declaration or payment of dividends
(i) Application of section to certificates issued prior to effective date of sectionThe foregoing provisions of this section shall apply to all face-amount certificates issued prior to the effective date of this subsection; to the collection or acceptance of any payment on such certificates; to the issuance of face-amount certificates to the holders of such certificates pursuant to an obligation expressed or implied in such certificates; to the provisions of such certificates; to the minimum certificate reserves and deposits maintained with respect thereto; and to the assets that the issuer of such certificate was and is required to have with respect to such certificates. With respect to all face-amount certificates issued after the effective date of this subsection, the provisions of this section shall apply except as hereinafter provided.
(1) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a), the reserves for each certificate of the installment type shall be based on assumed annual, semiannual, quarterly, or monthly reserve payments according to the manner in which gross payments for any certificate year are made by the holder, which reserve payments shall be sufficient in amount, as and when accumulated at a rate not to exceed 3½ per centum per annum compounded annually, to provide the minimum maturity or face amount of the certificate when due. Such reserve payments may be graduated according to certificate years so that the reserve payment or payments for the first three certificate years shall amount to at least 80 per centum of the required gross annual payment for such years; the reserve payment or payments for the fourth certificate year shall amount to at least 90 per centum of such year’s required gross annual payment; the reserve payment or payments for the fifth certificate year shall amount to at least 93 per centum of such year’s gross annual payment; and for the sixth and each subsequent certificate year the reserve payment or payments shall amount to at least 96 per centum of each such year’s required gross annual payment: Provided, That such aggregate reserve payments shall amount to at least 93 per centum of the aggregate gross annual payments required to be made by the holder to obtain the maturity of the certificate. The company may at its option take as loading from the gross payment or payments for a certificate year, as and when made by the certificate holder, an amount or amounts equal in the aggregate for such year to not more than the excess, if any, of the gross payment or payments required to be made by the holder for such year, over and above the percentage of the gross annual payment required herein for such year for reserve purposes. Such loading may be taken by the company prior to or after the setting up of the reserve payment or payments for such year and the reserve payment or payments for such year may be graduated and adjusted to correspond with the amount of the gross payment or payments made by the certificate holder for such year less the loading so taken.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d), (A) in respect of any certificate of the installment type, during the first certificate year, the holder of the certificate, upon surrender thereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash not less than 80 per centum of the amount of the gross payments made on the certificate; and (B) in respect of any certificate of the installment type, at any time after the expiration of the first certificate year and prior to maturity, the holder of the certificate, upon surrender thereof, shall be entitled to a value payable in cash not less than the then amount of the reserve for such certificate required by clauses (1) and (2) of subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a), less a surrender charge that shall not exceed 2 per centum of the face or maturity amount of the certificate, or 15 per centum of the amount of such reserve, whichever is the lesser, but in no event shall such value be less than 80 per centum of the gross payments made on the certificate. The amount of the surrender value for the end of each certificate year shall be set out in the certificate.
(Aug. 22, 1940, ch. 686, title I, § 28, 54 Stat. 829; Pub. L. 91–547, § 17, Dec. 14, 1970, 84 Stat. 1426; Pub. L. 100–181, title VI, §§ 620, 621, Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1262.)