Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 33. INSURANCE AND INSURANCE COMPANIES

CHAPTER 20. LIFE INSURANCE

Part 2. Standard Nonforfeiture Law Life Insurance

Additional Rules For Calculating Cash Surrender Values

33-20-210. Additional rules for calculating cash surrender values. (1) This section, in addition to all other applicable sections of this chapter, applies to all policies issued on or after January 1, 1987. Any cash surrender value available under the policy upon default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary is an amount that does not differ by more than 2/10 of 1% of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance is uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first 10 policy years subtracted from the sum of:

(a) the greater of zero and the basic cash value specified in subsection (2); and

(b) the present value of any existing paid-up additions less the amount of any indebtedness to the insurer under the policy.

(2) The basic cash value is equal to the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits that would have been provided for by the policy, excluding any existing paid-up additions and before deduction of any indebtedness to the insurer, if there had been no default less the then present value of the nonforfeiture factors, as provided in subsection (3), corresponding to premiums that would have fallen due on and after such anniversary date. However, the effects on the basic cash value of supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits or of family coverage, as described in 33-20-203 or 33-20-204, whichever is applicable, are the same as the effects specified in 33-20-203 or 33-20-204, whichever is applicable, on the cash surrender values defined in that section.

(3) The nonforfeiture factor for each policy year is an amount equal to a percentage of the adjusted premium for the policy year, as defined in 33-20-204 or 33-20-208, whichever is applicable. Except as is required by subsection (4), the percentage:

(a) must be the same percentage for each policy year between the second policy anniversary date and the later of the fifth policy anniversary date and the first policy anniversary date at which there is available under the policy a cash surrender value in an amount, before including any paid-up additions and before deducting any indebtedness, of at least 2/10 of 1% of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance is uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first 10 policy years; and

(b) must be such that no percentage after the later of the two policy anniversary dates specified in subsection (3)(a) applies to less than 5 consecutive policy years.

(4) No basic cash value may be less than the value that would be obtained if the adjusted premiums for the policy, as provided in 33-20-204 or 33-20-208, whichever is applicable, were substituted for the nonforfeiture factors in the calculation of the basic cash value.

(5) Adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section must, for a particular policy, be calculated on the same mortality and interest bases as are used in demonstrating the policy's compliance with the other sections of this part. The cash surrender values referred to in this section include any endowment benefits provided for by the policy.

(6) A cash surrender value available other than upon default in a premium payment due on a policy anniversary date and the amount of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment are determined consistently with provisions specified for determining the analogous minimum amounts in 33-20-202 through 33-20-204, 33-20-208, and 33-20-211. The amounts of any cash surrender values and of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits granted in connection with additional benefits such as those listed in 33-20-211(4) must conform with the principles of this section.

History: En. Sec. 9, Ch. 498, L. 1983.