Many life insurers are retooling universal life policies having secondary death benefit guarantees in response to Actuarial Guideline AXXX.
Implemented in 2003, AXXX has the potential for requiring higher statutory reserves. So, what might fixed ULs with secondary guarantees look like in the post-AXXX world? Lets see.
Secondary guarantees have been a fixture in many fixed ULs via provisions ensuring the UL will not lapse for a set number of years, provided actual cumulative premiums paid exceed a cumulative no-lapse premium target. Most such guarantees today run for periods of up to a lifetime.
The long lifetime options now available have spawned new issues as a result of the Valuation of Life Insurance Policies Model Regulation, or Guideline Triple-X, adopted by National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Kansas City, Mo., in 1999. Although Triple-Xs statutory reserve methodology for term insurance was well defined, uncertainty remained regarding secondary guarantees on fixed ULs. Now, fixed ULs issued after January 1, 2003, are subject to AXXX.
Whether a fixed UL with secondary guarantee remains in force (when actual policy value or cash surrender value is negative) is contingent upon the policyholder having met a defined set of funding requirements irrespective of the base UL account value. The requirements typically are one of the following types:
1) Specified Premium. To remain in force, ULs that define the secondary guarantee in terms of payment of specified premiums usually require actual cumulative premiums paid to be at least as large as the cumulative no-lapse specified premiums. Some companies define accumulation of both actual and target premiums to reflect interest (often at a 4%-5% annual rate).
2) Shadow Account. Shadow account designs use an account value mechanism to determine whether the secondary guarantee is in force. As long as the shadow account value is positive, the UL will not lapse, even if the base plans actual policy value is negative.
This auxiliary account often operates in a similar manner to the base ULs account value. It is calculated based on the actual amount and timing of the premiums. However, the load structure, cost of insurance charges and interest-crediting rate are all fixed at issue and are often different from comparable components on the base UL. The shadow account is normally used only to determine whether the secondary guarantee is in force; policyholders typically have no access to its funds.
Some insurers offer a catch-up provision with the above designs. Such provisions permit policyholders to re-engage the secondary guarantee after previously failing to meet the secondary guarantee criteria. In the case of specified premium ULs, owners exercise the catch-up by paying cumulative past premiums (plus interest penalty). In shadow account designs, owners pay sufficient premium to turn the shadow account positive.
Because the nature of the secondary guarantee is essentially the same under either structure, what factors might carriers consider when designing a secondary guarantee?
