Patent Publication Number: US-2022237705-A1

Title: Systems and methods for coordinating analysis of data streams for building a personalized permanent life insurance product

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/142,582, filed on Jan. 28, 2021, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to computing system management and more particularly to coordinating analysis of data streams for building a personalized permanent life insurance product. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The life insurance industry consists of permanent life insurance, term insurance, annuities and other qualified additional benefits such as disability income. Product designs evolved over the years to provide policy owners more choices on aspects such as premium flexibility, adjustable death benefits, crediting strategies linked to external indices, and guarantees on premiums and periodic withdrawals. A historical review of some important innovations will provide context for the significance of this invention. 
     Until the early 1980s, life insurance products basically consisted of whole life (herein referred as “WL”) and term insurance. WL products are often viewed as complex and inflexible since they impose high penalties for surrendering the policy for cash. Premiums and death benefits are typically fixed while cash values and dividends are communicated with little transparency how those benefits are derived. WL appeals to policy owners seeking a combination of lifetime guarantees on the death benefit and cash value for a guaranteed level premium. 
     In the early 1980s the industry responded to the demand for more transparency and flexibility with the creation of a permanent life insurance product known as universal life (herein referred to as “UL”). UL policy values are more transparent on contributions and expense deductions that create the account that earns interest (for fixed products) or is invested in market-based sub-accounts (for variable products). Policy owners have flexibility on the timing and amount of premium deposits, subject only to policy minimums and IRS maximum limits to preserve favorable tax treatment. The policy face amount can be increased (with evidence of insurability) or decreased as policy owner needs change. The original vision of UL combined lower cost term insurance with cash value growth in a permanent life product for better transparency, more flexibility, lower cost and tax efficiency. 
     Innovation soon emerged in the UL product&#39;s credited rate mechanism. Fixed products began offering credited rates linked to a stock market index while providing downside protection (e.g., credited rate can only be zero or positive). Variable UL products allow the policy owner to participate directly in markets with equity and bond sub-accounts, providing the potential for greater returns along with the risk of a market-based loss. Similar innovations were developing with annuity products. 
     Innovations on other guarantees emerged. UL products began offering level guaranteed premium features that mirrored WL&#39;s central benefit of a guaranteed level premium but at a substantially lower premium level. This was an important feature for policy owners since UL policies offer premium flexibility but also bring the risk of policy lapse if the cash value goes to zero. This “no lapse guarantee” premium provision provided the policy owner assurance the policy would not lapse provided they paid at least the stipulated premium level. 
     UL innovation on the “no lapse guarantee” evolved to allow customization. A UL policy could be designed by the policy owner to function like a level guaranteed term policy for a specified number of years (e.g., like a 30-year term policy, or “30YT”) or a lifetime guarantee premium like a WL policy. Innovation was blurring the distinction between insurance product categories with respect to premium guarantees to ensure coverage. 
     Annuity providers began providing guaranteed lifetime distribution benefits. Known as a guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit (“GMWB”), these annuities met the consumer need of lifetime income payments they could not outlive while still providing a death benefit and cash value. Fixed indexed deferred annuity providers innovated with the creation of “Income Accounts” whose sole purpose was to determine the available GMWB independent of the annuity&#39;s credited rate performance. Variable annuities offered versions of GMWBs that “stepped up” if the underlying performance of the cash value met specified performance targets. 
     More recently innovation on UL and annuity indexed crediting strategies has shifted from standard stock market indices like the S&amp;P 500 to alternative indices, such as hybrid stock and bond indices or custom-built “volatility controlled” indices. 
     While the annuity market created innovative solutions on GMWBs, permanent life insurance has not kept pace with innovative solutions regarding systematic distributions of cash value on a guaranteed basis. Due to a variety of hurdles, cash value distribution options from a permanent life insurance policy are usually offered on a non-guaranteed basis. Policy owners can take cash withdrawals or policy loans but such distributions are only available to the extent the policy has cash value. 
     Comparing Universal Life Vs. Combination Term and Annuity 
     The modern-day version of UL has evolved to an expensive version of non-guaranteed yearly renewable term insurance (“YRT”) with a cash value account.  FIG. 1  provides detail on a typical indexed UL policy issued to a male aged 45 for $1 million face amount. In this example, the death benefit is the $1 million face amount plus the policy&#39;s account value (known in the industry as option B death benefit). 
     The sample indexed UL policy in  FIG. 1  has five different types of expense charges. The cost of insurance deduction is not guaranteed at the illustrated level. Some expenses are a fixed amount while others are linked to the premium paid and the account value. Combining all five expense charges, this policy is expensive term insurance when compared to a typical 30YT policy that has a level guaranteed premium for all 30 years (far right side of  FIG. 1 ). Over the first 30 years, the UL&#39;s expenses are $206,303 vs. $65,400 for the 30YT policy for the same $1 million of life insurance coverage. In both examples in  FIG. 1  the total death benefit is $1 million plus the account value. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the UL&#39;s account value is illustrated or “projected” at 5.73% for five years, then 6.3% thereafter due to a bonus. In contrast, the policy owner buying the 30YT policy and putting the excess premium into a fixed indexed annuity credited rate is illustrated to earn 3.65%. The difference in illustrated credited rates relates to company and industry practices on index cap management practices between life insurance and annuities. Annuity rates are based on current investment conditions whereas UL policies are usually based on company portfolio yields (e.g., the company&#39;s yield on assets backing the product; in other words, bond yields available in the past 10-15 years). Over time the differences will likely converge as both products are investing new premium at similar yields. Many policy owners may not understand this practice. Buyers may compare the illustrated rates and assume the differential will always exist. 
     In other words, the UL policy&#39;s projected performance relies on the higher credited rate to cover the higher expenses. Even if the higher credited rate materializes, the illustration assumes the policy owner consistently pays the high premiums. A UL policy owner experiencing financial hardship and needing to lower the premium funding will end up with relatively costly insurance. In contrast, the policy owner purchasing the 30YT could put the excess premium into an annuity as they are financially able to do so.  FIG. 1  shows that the term and annuity combination can outperform the universal life policy for almost 20 years despite crediting a substantially lower earned rate on the account. 
     Higher agent commission is one reason for the higher costs in the UL policy vs. the 30YT.  FIG. 2  compares the typical sales costs for UL versus the 30YT and annuity combination. Life insurance companies typically pay the same or similar commission rate on a WL or UL product as they do on term products. In effect, the excess premium that builds cash value pays out substantially higher commissions on UL than premium paid to an annuity. The policy owner ultimately pays for these higher commissions as demonstrated by the UL policy expenses vs. the 30YT premiums in  FIG. 1 . 
     Other Policy Owner Benefits from Building Your Own Permanent Life Insurance Product 
     A policy owner using a lower cost term policy and annuity for cash value growth has several other advantages by unbundling the life insurance protection and cash value vehicles. The first advantage is life insurance optimization. The policy owner can purchase the best available term policy on the market that meets their needs, as well as the best available annuity product. Second, unbundling allows for diversification of carrier and/or product risk by spreading their purchases among several annuities and/or life insurance companies. Finally, unbundling allows for customization. The policy owner can build a portfolio of low-cost term life insurance and annuities that create the blend of premium and benefits, long term guarantees vs. current rates, and credited rate strategies that fit the policy owner&#39;s needs and objectives. 
     These advantages exist for the life of the policy. With no transaction cost to exchange term policies and significantly smaller surrender charges on annuities vs. UL products, policy owners have the flexibility to replace older policies for “new and improved” ones. Similarly, policy owner needs change as well as their ability to pay the premiums. By purchasing the term policy separate from the annuity, the policy owner can manage the cash value component of the plan independent of their health situation. Notwithstanding all the advantages of building a customized life insurance plan with term products and annuities, many policy owners still prefer the bundled UL and WL products. The favorable tax treatment granted UL or WL is a significant reason. 
     The next section describes the federal tax system as it applies to life insurance and annuities and the methods adopted by Congress and enforced by the IRS. These rules determine the applicable tax treatment for WL and UL policies, term insurance and annuities. 
     Tax Treatment for Life Insurance and Annuities 
     Congress granted favorable tax advantages to WL and UL policies with rules and limits to prevent abuse. Congress wanted to ensure that the life insurance policy does not have too much investment orientation (e.g., cash value) relative to the amount of death benefits. To accomplish this goal, Congress adopted Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) section 7702 in 1984 which created the “definitional limit” methods to determine when a policy classifies as life insurance for federal income tax purposes. Congress later adopted section 7702A in 1988 that created a separate set of “definitional limit” methods to determine when a life insurance policy&#39;s distribution should be taxed like an annuity. 
     UL, WL and annuities have one common tax advantage feature: tax deferred interest and/or market-related gains. One tax treatment difference applies upon death. Permanent life insurance death benefits are generally tax free including the accumulated interest and market-based gains on the cash value. This tax advantage applies to both level death benefit structures as well as increasing death benefit structures (e.g., death benefit is the sum of a specified amount and the cash value). Annuities paid out as a death benefit must report the accumulated interest and market-based gains as ordinary income. In spousal beneficiary situations, the spouse can take ownership of the annuity and defer the income tax. The government will eventually collect income taxes on the annuity gains when the spousal beneficiary takes cash out of the annuity or dies. 
     The other major tax difference is the tax treatment on cash distributions. For UL and WL, cash withdrawals are considered a distribution of principal first (e.g., known as FIFO—first in first out). Thus, the policy owner can withdraw all the premiums paid into the policy before incurring any income tax on the accumulated interest. Additionally, policy loans are not considered a taxable distribution so a policy owner could borrow against the cash value without triggering a taxable event even if all the premiums have already been withdrawn from the policy. Favorable treatment on loans is a reason why many WL and UL products are purchased for both life insurance protection and retirement income. The policy owner can withdraw the policy&#39;s cost basis and then take distributions in the form of a policy loan and not pay any income tax. If the policy is held until death, any outstanding policy loan will be netted against the death benefit and completely avoid paying taxes on the accumulated interest earned. 
     Distributions from annuities are taxed less favorably than permanent life insurance. Distributions from an annuity are deemed as income first for tax purposes (e.g., known as LIFO—last in first out). The policy owner cannot access any of the funds inside the annuity without paying income taxes due on the interest earned. In addition, policy loans are considered a distribution no matter if the policy loan is directly from the insurance company or a bank and the annuity is used as collateral. 
     Tax treatment on the cost of insurance is another important distinction between permanent life policies and term policies. With permanent life, the mortality charges and other expenses are deducted from the policy&#39;s cash value. If the policy owner ultimately incurs income tax on distributions from the policy, the taxable gain is reduced by the mortality charges and expenses. Effectively, the mortality charges and expenses are paid with pre-tax interest gains. In contrast, a standalone term insurance policy owner uses after-tax dollars to pay the term premiums. At a 30% tax rate, the term insurance policy owner is effectively paying an extra 30% for the same cost of life insurance as compared to a permanent life policy (assuming, of course, the permanent life policy earns enough interest and/or market gains over time on the cash value to cover the mortality and expense charges). 
       FIG. 4  provides a summary of the different tax treatment for various situations and products described. 
     Definitional Methods Overview for Complying with Section 7702 &amp; 7702A 
     As used herein, “definitional limit” refers to the generic reference to a policy&#39;s maximum cash value and/or premium to receive the favorable tax treatment Congress granted to life insurance and annuities. Furthermore, there are separate “definitional limits” with respect to premium paid to determine when a permanent life policy is taxed like an annuity for distributions. Each policy has its own unique set of definitional limits. The calculations are highly complex and dynamic as benefits change and premiums are paid. Failure to stay within the ever-changing definitional limits on an individual&#39;s permanent life insurance policy has significant tax consequences. 
     Congress created two tax compliance test methods for calculating a permanent life policy&#39;s definitional limit. The policy owner must make an irrevocable decision at time of purchase which compliance method to apply for the life of the policy. One option is the “Cash Value Accumulation Test” method (herein referred to as “CVAT”). The second method is the Guideline Premium Test (herein referred to as “GPT”) which has a premium test and a corridor test. 
     The CVAT method begins with an actuarial calculation to determine a policy&#39;s net single premium (herein referred to as “NSP”). The NSP is the actuarial present value of death benefits, costs for qualified additional benefits and endowment benefits. The CVAT method&#39;s definitional limit (the NSP) is compared to the cash value. Any changes in benefits are immediately reflected in the policy&#39;s NSP calculation. Congress spelled out specific rules on how to determine the assumptions used in the actuarial calculations and which benefits are eligible. Note that the CVAT method does not have a definitional limit on premium; the investment orientation is contained via the cash value limit. 
     The GPT has two compliance tests that must be passed: a cumulative premium test and a cash value test. The premium test compares actual cumulative premium paid to the GPT&#39;s definitional limit for that policy. The definitional limit is a combination of a single premium limit (herein referred to as the “GSP”) and an annual level premium (herein referred to as the “GLP”). Initially the definitional limit is the GSP. As the years progress the cumulative GLP becomes greater than the GSP and becomes the definitional limit. Changes in benefits will trigger a recalculation of the GPT&#39;s definitional limit. The change in the premium limit will be applied prospectively (effectively spreading out the impact of a change in benefits whereas the CVAT method immediately reflects the full impact). The second test, the cash value corridor test, defines the maximum cash value allowed relative to the current amount of death benefit for the insured&#39;s current age. 
     The third definitional limit method is the 7-pay premium (MEC) test which determines whether a permanent life insurance policy&#39;s distribution should be taxed like an annuity. Once a policy violates the MEC test it will forever be taxed like an annuity. As the name implies, the premium limit test is applied over a 7-year period. While simple in concept, the 7-pay period must be recalculated and restarted whenever there is a change in benefits, except if the policy passes a fourth definitional limit method is “Necessary Premium Test” (herein referred to as “NPT”). 
     While Congress intended to put strict limitations on premium limits to avoid being taxed like an annuity, Congress recognized the need to incorporate some flexibility around minor changes in benefits to avoid constantly restarting the 7-pay period. A policy&#39;s NPT calculation method mirrors its  7702  method (e.g., the selected CVAT and GPT method) but with potentially lower death benefits used in the calculation to help distinguish between “necessary premiums” and excess premiums. Basically, the NPT uses the lowest death benefit in the preceding 7 years to determine if the amount of premium paid is small enough to allow minor changes in benefits without recalculating the MEC premium and restarting the 7-year MEC test period. The administrative system must constantly track both the amount of premiums paid and the constantly changing NPT threshold. If a premium payment breaches the NPT threshold during the 7-pay tracking period, the 7-pay MEC period is restarted. 
     Actuarial Assumptions Overview for Calculating Definitional Limits 
     The actuarial calculations underlying each method are complex. Handling changes in benefits and tracking premiums and cash values relative to constantly changing definitional limits compound the complexity. The basic formulas for each test are summarized in  FIG. 5 . Those skilled in the art of administering the CVAT, GPT, MEC, and NPT methods will appreciate the complexity in administering the tax compliance for policies in general and especially for policies experiencing changes in benefits. The actuarial calculation complexity increases when variables are not uniform (such as unit expenses) or when the policy provides guarantees that are more favorable than the regulatory safe harbor standards. More favorable contractual guarantees must be incorporated into the actuarial calculations in every applicable policy year. The regulatory safe harbor standards are often tied to the policy&#39;s calendar year of issue. While anchoring the applicable safe harbor standard to issue year, the administrative complexity increases when certain changes trigger “new issue treatment” and the underlying safe harbor standards underlying all the actuarial definitional limit calculations must be reset to those safe harbor standards applicable to the calendar year that triggered the “new issue treatment”. 
     One such regulatory safe harbor is a policy&#39;s interest rate guarantee. If the guaranteed interest rate on the policy exceeds the regulation&#39;s safe harbor rate, the higher guaranteed rate must be used in the definitional limit calculations (i.e., the discount rate used in determining the present value). A policy with a strong contractual guaranteed rate will have lower definitional limits on premium and cash values as a result of calculation method using a higher discount rate due to the strong interest rate guarantee. From 1984 through 2020 the safe harbor limit was 4% for all definitional limit calculations except the GSP (which was 6%). Most compliance administrators do not have to deal with the added complexity of strong guaranteed rates violating the safe harbor limit since life insurance policies seldom offer interest rate guarantees greater than the safe harbor limit. 
     Recently, Congress passed Section 205 of the Consolidation Appropriations Act which updated Section 7702 by indexing the regulatory safe harbor interest rate limit to the calendar year of issue. Starting in 2021 the regulatory safe harbor limit changed from 4% to 2% and the rate is now indexed, potentially changing annually. The base rate is now known as the “Insurance Interest Rate” (herein referred to as the “IIR”). The IIR is the regulatory safe harbor rate for CVAT, GLP, and MEC calculations. The GSP safe harbor rate is the IIR plus 2%. 
     The other important regulatory safe harbor is the mortality charge which is linked to the applicable Commissioner&#39;s Standard Ordinary mortality table (herein referred to as “CSO”) during the policy&#39;s year of issue. Periodically the Society of Actuaries updates the CSO mortality tables due to changes in observed death rates. As the regulators of the individual states adopt the new CSO table, that table becomes the safe harbor standard for newly issued policies. If a policy&#39;s mortality charge in any year is guaranteed to be more favorable (lower) than the applicable CSO mortality rate, the definitional limit calculations must use the more favorable guaranteed mortality charge. Permanent life insurance policies rarely guarantee mortality charges to be more favorable than the CSO table which greatly simplifies the tax compliance administrative calculations. 
     In summary, both safe harbor limits used in all the definitional limits—the interest rate and mortality table—are linked to the policy&#39;s issue year starting in 2021. Embodiments disclosed herein provide the method and thresholds for determining “new issue treatment”—replacing the reference to a policy&#39;s actual year of issue for determining the safe harbor limits with the current year when “new issue treatment” was triggered. While changes in the CSO safe harbor rates can impact the definitional limits, changes in the discount rate can have significantly more impact. Now that the IIR is indexed to calendar year of issue, the impact of “new issue treatment” has increased the potential impact to a policy&#39;s definitional limit calculations. 
     Congress intended policies that undergo a “fundamental change in economic characteristics” to get ‘new issue treatment’ for tax purposes even though the policy is still the original contract under state law. Unfortunately, Congress did not define the method for determining or quantifying what constitutes a “fundamental change in economic characteristics”. Congress deferred such determination up to the IRS to examine the context of each situation. Perhaps Congress was viewing the situation from the lens of a bundled, permanent life product where the benefits are largely set at policy issue (and guarantees on interest rates and mortality charges are rarely more favorable than the safe harbor standards). 
     Regulatory &amp; Definitional Limit Calculation Context for the Invention 
     Consumers can purchase individual term policies and annuities and enjoy the flexibility, diversification and low-cost benefits relative to the insurance and cash value benefits offered by permanent life. However, the consumer does not receive the favorable permanent life tax treatment because they are considered separate policies under state law. The purpose of the invention is to create the administrative capability to apply the spirit and intent of 7702 and 7702A to a portfolio of individual term and annuities. The fundamental economics of term and annuities combined are no different than UL: the policy owner has life insurance protection and cash value. If the individual states update their statutes to allow separately purchased individual term and annuity policies to be considered a single, integrated contract (e.g., treat them like they currently treat a UL contract) when properly constructed and supported by this invention to be administered as such, consumers will be enabled to create their own permanent life product and enjoy the flexibility, low cost, and tax efficiency granted to cash value life insurance contracts by Congress. 
     Application of the concepts, regulatory intent and rules of CVAT, GPT, MEC and NPT methods to bundled individual permanent life insurance policies, is complex even with aspects simplified by product construction. Applying such concepts to a portfolio of individual term life insurance and individual annuities where any policy could be added to or withdrawn from the portfolio in the future greatly magnifies the complexity. With the goal of enabling greater flexibility for the consumer, such flexibility significantly increases the need for a test to determine whether the overarching policy meets the “significant change in fundamental economic characteristics” Congress intended to receive “new issue treatment”. In short, enabling the consumer to build their own permanent life policy using term and annuities greatly increases the need for a method and system to handle frequent resetting of the safe harbor standards and the consequential impact on all the definitional limit calculations. 
     Furthermore, using individual annuities for the master product&#39;s cash value presents an opportunity to utilize the recently passed legislation on the IIR safe harbor rate. Such indexing was passed by Congress to make the safe harbor guarantee more responsive to changes in interest rate conditions. The invention is uniquely suited to improve such responsiveness with a dynamic safe harbor interest rate guarantee —one based on each annuity policy&#39;s purchase year rather than the year the overarching policy product was established. As new premiums are contributed to annuities, or old annuities are exchanged for new ones, a weighted average of the safe harbor limit that is directly linked to the annuity portfolio&#39;s activity would better link the definitional limit calculations to interest rate market conditions when the premiums funding the annuities occur. 
     Consumers would benefit from the ability to purchase term policies with level premium guarantees or annuities with strong interest rate guarantees and/or lifetime GMWBs inside an overarching policy taxed as permanent life insurance. While such guarantees are attractive, the guarantees themselves will directly impact the definitional limit on how much premium they can put in the policy or the maximum cash value. Methods and systems must be flexible and dynamic to handle variables that are potentially changing frequently and be capable of accommodating future product designs yet to be created. 
     Regulatory approval of the following invention most likely requires several events. First, the IRS must confirm that the invention&#39;s methods follow the spirit and intent of Congress and the master product complies with the single, integrated contract test. Second, individual state statutes may need to be updated to clarify that a permanent life insurance policy may consist of individual term and annuity policies as enabled by this invention. Third, the IRS must determine if the dynamic IIR method proposed herein is allowed. Fourth, a method and threshold needs approved for determining when a master policy&#39;s changes have breached threshold for requiring new issue treatment. Finally, a benefit of the invention is enabling consumers to purchase annuities with GMWBs inside a permanent life insurance product. Administrative clarity is needed to define acceptable methods for determining the fair market value of such guaranteed benefits. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a computer system and method for managing and providing a portfolio of individual term life insurance and annuity policies to create a new overarching life insurance product on the same insured which combines the terms and benefits of all the included products and achieves the tax efficiency of a permanent life insurance product. This new, overarching life insurance product shall be referred to herein as the “master product.” Methods for determining compliance with federal tax law for life insurance and annuities as described in IRC section 7702 and 7702A are currently applied individual policies. Individual permanent life products are economically bundled versions of term insurance and annuities yet are more costly, more complex, and less flexible to accommodate changes in policy owner&#39;s needs after they purchase the product. Some embodiments include applying rules and congressional intent of IRC section 7702 and 7702A to ensure the master product qualifies as a permanent life insurance product regardless of the type and number of policies within the master product. 
     In one embodiment the policy owner establishes a master product that will be able to own one or more individual term life insurance policies, annuity policies, and qualified additional benefit products. The policy owner selects which compliance method will be applied to the master product for compliance with IRC section 7702 and 7702A. The computer system stores the election and applies the selected method in all compliance test calculations. 
     In one embodiment one or more policies are purchased from the same or different insurance companies by the policy owner. Such policies may include individual term life insurance, individual annuities, or qualified additional benefits such as disability income. The purchased policies are assigned to the master product, instructions and required data files are sent to the insurance companies administering those policies. The computer system registers the policies and performs compliance calculation tests to determine whether the portfolio of individual policies in the master product comply with IRC section 7702 and 7702A, stores the compliance limits, and manages the compliance process by reporting the definitional limits on premium and cash value, notifying when a compliance test has failed and identifying possible remediation alternatives. 
     In one embodiment a policy owner may add to or delete policies from the portfolio at any time. The computer system registers the change in benefits, premiums and/or cash value, performs updated compliance calculation tests to determine whether the portfolio of individual policies in the master product comply with IRC section 7702 and 7702A, stores the new compliance limits, and manages the compliance process by reporting the definitional limits on premium and cash value, notifying when a compliance test has failed and identifying possible remediation alternatives. 
     In one embodiment the computer system applies the CVAT method to the master product that is broadly defined to include a portfolio of term life insurance policies, annuities, and/or qualified additional benefit policies. The computer system receives periodic data feeds from the insurance companies administering the individual policies in the portfolio, applies the formulas to that portfolio of policies to process the compliance tests. 
     In one embodiment the computer system applies the GPT and corridor test to the master product that is broadly defined to include a portfolio of term life insurance, annuities, and qualified additional benefit policies. The computer system receives periodic data feeds from all the insurance companies administering the individual policies in the portfolio, applies the formulas to that portfolio of policies to process the compliance tests. 
     In one embodiment the computer system applies the MEC test to the master product that is broadly defined to include a portfolio of term life insurance policies, annuities and qualified additional benefit policies. The computer system also applies the NPT method to determine if the policy qualifies for deferring the restart of the 7-pay MEC period as a result of the change in benefits or restarting the 7-pay MEC period as a result of a premium payment exceeding the NPT definitional limit. The computer system receives periodic data feeds from the insurance companies administering the individual policies in the portfolio, applies the formulas to that portfolio of policies to process the compliance tests. 
     In one embodiment the computer system applies the new issue treatment test to the master product that is broadly defined to include a portfolio of individual term life insurance policies, individual annuities and qualified additional benefit policies. The computer system receives periodic data feeds from the insurance companies administering the individual policies in the portfolio, applies the methods and formulas to that portfolio of policies to determine if the master product meets the criteria for new issue treatment of the master product. If new issue treatment is required, the computer system resets all compliance tests and assumptions as if the master product has been newly issued in the current year and processes new definitional limits. 
     In one embodiment the computer system uses the selected safe harbor IIR method and interest rate guarantee in the individual annuity policies to determine the interest rates to be used in the respective compliance method calculations. For the static IIR method the computer system compares each annuity&#39;s interest rate guarantees to the IIR rate for the master policy (based on its year of issue) to determine the discount rates and performs the various calculations. For the dynamic IIR method the computer system segregates the annuity cash values by the policy&#39;s respective purchase year and each year&#39;s IIR rate, applies the safe harbor rates to each annuity to determine each annuity&#39;s discount rate and then calculates a weighted average discount rate to use in the definitional limit calculations. 
     In one embodiment the computer system sends reports to notify the policy owner of a failed compliance test. Management of the master product includes continuous or at least periodic compliance testing to determine whether the portfolio of policies in the master product comply with IRC section 7702 and 7702A. Individual circumstances will determine whether the policy owner can remedy the situation (e.g., request a premium be refunded on one of the individual policies in the portfolio or exercise the “free look” right to decline a new policy application), or whether the master product will lose its permanent life insurance tax benefits or be taxed as an annuity. For a compliant policy, the computer system applies the appropriate method(s) and performs calculations to notify the policy owner of the master product&#39;s definitional limits on premium and cash value capacity to stay compliant with section 7702 and 7702A compliance limits. 
     In one embodiment the computer system determines the present value of future death claims for each individual term life insurance policy, incorporating the stipulated rules and methods for each test including the impact of any guaranteed term premiums that are less than the safe harbor CSO mortality rates. The computer system shall utilize the discount rates calculated from the portfolio of individual annuity policy&#39;s interest rate guarantees, cash values, and applicable IIR safe harbor limits. The computer system processes this calculation for each individual term policy in the portfolio whenever the definitional limits are updated and whenever there is a change in benefits such as a policy being added, changed or deleted. 
     In one embodiment the computer system uses the present value of future death claims for each individual term life insurance policy to determine a weighted average present value of future benefits unit factor (e.g., NSP). The weighted average NSP is applied to the annuity policy death benefits in the definitional limit calculations when the policy owner has selected an increasing death benefit option (e.g., the total death benefit is the sum of the term policy death benefits and the annuity cash value). The computer system processes this calculation for the portfolio of policies periodically and whenever there is a material change in benefits such as a policy being added, changed or deleted. 
     In one embodiment the computer system applies a level death benefit methodology to the combination of a yearly renewable term (e.g., “YRT”) policy and a portfolio of individual annuity policies. The policy owner specifies a total death benefit and the computer system determines the face amount of the YRT policy based on the total death benefit and the aggregate cash value of the individual term policies. The computer system processes this calculation for the portfolio of policies periodically and whenever there is an annuity policy being added, changed or deleted. 
     In one embodiment the computer system determines the actuarial present value of future eligible expenses for the GPT. Such calculation is done for all individual term life insurance, annuity, qualified additional benefit policies, and the administration of the master product, incorporating the stipulated rules and methods. The computer system shall apply the applicable interest rates and mortality charges based on the selected IIR method, safe harbor interest rates and mortality tables, and each individual product guarantees. The computer system processes this calculation for the portfolio of policies periodically and whenever there is a material change in benefits such as a policy being added, changed or deleted. 
     In one embodiment the computer system determines a fair market value of an individual annuity policy with guarantees that cause the fair market value to exceed the annuity&#39;s stated cash value for purposes of performing cash value limitation tests in both the CVAT and GPT&#39;s corridor test. The computer system calculates the fair market value based on prescribed methods and assumptions. The computer system calculates an aggregate modified cash value and uses this value in all applicable definitional limit compliance tests for the master product. 
     There are many annuity products on the market today providing various types of guaranteed benefits to customers. The method described herein illustrates how to incorporate the fair market value concept of such guarantees into the CVAT and GPT process. The presence of a lifetime GMWB may have a fair market value that exceeds the policy&#39;s cash value. Policies with strong guaranteed benefit payments relative to the underlying cash value, age of the insured (e.g., life expectancy), and current interest rate environment (i.e., the present valuing mechanism) are most likely to have a fair market value exceeding the cash value. In these situations, the greater of the fair market value and the cash value must be reflected in the definitional limit compliance tests. For the CVAT method, the cash value limit is compared to the greater of the stated cash value and the fair market value. For the GPT method, the corridor test also uses the greater of the two values to determine the minimum death benefit required. There is not likely to be an active market for policies with such guarantees therefore a method and set of assumptions are needed to determine a policy&#39;s fair market value periodically for compliance testing purposes. The invention incorporates one such method to comply with the spirit and intent of IRC section 7702. 
     The calculations, formulas and general operation of a permanent life tax compliance system are inherently complex even for today&#39;s bundled product design. The invention&#39;s goal to apply the spirit and intent of IRC sections 7702 and 7702A definitional limit concepts and methods to a portfolio of individual term and policies and support adding or deleting new policies in the future which increase the complexity of the compliance system calculations. Furthermore, the invention&#39;s flexibility increases the need for another quantifiable compliance test and presents an opportunity to incorporate a procedural change in the IIR safe harbor recently passed by Congress. Both situations are discussed next. 
     First, the enhanced consumer flexibility increases the likelihood the regulator (i.e., IRS) may deem so much change in benefits since the policy issue that the changes fundamentally alter the economic characteristics of the master product so the product should get “new issue treatment”. The invention incorporates a decision-making framework in the method and processes to trigger such new issue treatment. The invention does not propose a specific, quantified material change threshold but rather includes the methodology in the overall decision-making framework. For example, the quantified threshold could be the percentage change in the total term policy face amount or aggregate death benefits since original issue. If a master product had an initial term policy face amount of $100,000 but eventually became $500,000, a 400% increase in face amount might be deemed a “fundament change in the economic characteristics” and thus require resetting the IIR and CSO safe harbors to the current year. All definitional limit calculations would be recalculated using the new safe harbors and treat the master product as a new product. 
     Second, the invention accommodates two methods for determining the safe harbor IIR rate. The traditional or “static” method locks in the IIR to the master product&#39;s year of issue unless the new issue treatment threshold is breached. Alternatively, the invention&#39;s flexibility accommodates a dynamic method that links the safe harbor IIR to the annuity purchase year. A weighted average discount rate for each prospective year in the present value calculation is then based on each annuity&#39;s discount rate and weighted by that annuity&#39;s current cash value. 
     The invention includes a computer system and method for managing and providing a permanent life insurance product wherein one or more life insurance policies, one or more annuity policies, and qualified additional benefit policies are combined into one product for the purpose of creating a new overarching permanent life insurance product on the same insured. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       To facilitate further description of the embodiments, the following drawings are provided in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a chart comparing the costs and values of a typical UL policy versus a 30YT and annuity combination, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a chart comparing typical sales commissions paid on a UL policy versus a comparable 30YT and annuity combination paying the same total premium, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a chart of the corridor factors by attained age for the GPT method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a chart summarizing the different federal tax treatment for permanent life products, permanent life contracts classified as MECs, term policies and annuities, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates actuarial formulas for the major definitional limit calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a chart illustrating the static and dynamic IIR methods for determining the interest rates used in the section 7702 and 7702A definitional limit calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7A  is a chart providing on overview of the entire compliance process covered in  FIGS. 6 through 13 , according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 7B  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for applying the material change threshold test for applying new issue treatment test and selection of the IIR method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for applying the CVAT, GPT and MEC tests to a portfolio of individual policies, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for applying the MEC test to a portfolio of individual policies, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for MEC&#39;s NPT under the CVAT method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for MEC&#39;s NPT under the GPT method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for applying the CVAT method to a portfolio of individual policies, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is a flow chart showing a method and process overview for applying the GPT method for a portfolio of individual policies, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a block diagram illustrating the components of a computing system connected to an electronic network, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a chart illustrating the MEC and CVAT calculations for a newly issued YRT policy to a male 45-year-old assuming the static IIR method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 16  is a continuation chart of  FIG. 15  illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations (level and increasing death benefit policies), according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 17  is a chart illustrating the impact of new issue treatment at age 60 for the example from  FIG. 15  with a hypothetically lower CSO safe harbor table and lower IIR under the static method.  FIG. 17  illustrates the MEC and CVAT calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 18  is a continuation of  FIG. 17  showing the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 19  is a chart illustrating the MEC and CVAT calculations for same individual from  FIG. 15  except it is a 30YT policy instead of a YRT policy, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 20  is a continuation of  FIG. 19  illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 21  is a chart illustrating the calculation of the discount rates for the definitional limit calculations for the static and dynamic IRR methods, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 22  is a chart illustrating the MEC and CVAT calculations for the newly issued 30YT policy under the static IIR Method using the example from  FIG. 19 , according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 23  is a continuation of  FIG. 22  chart illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 24  is a chart illustrating the MEC and CVAT calculations for the newly issued 30YT policy under the dynamic IIR method using the example from  FIG. 19 , according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 25  is a continuation of  FIG. 24  chart illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 26  is a chart illustrating the calculation of the static IIR and dynamic IIR method discount rates for the hypothetical 45-year-old individual 20 years later (now age 65) exchanging previously purchased annuities for new policies, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 27  is a chart illustrating the impact to the MEC and CVAT definitional limit calculations for the example from  FIG. 19  to a 45-year-old now age 65 that replaced an old annuity for a new one. This example assumes the static IIR method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 28  is a continuation of  FIG. 27  illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 29  is the same illustration as  FIG. 27  but using the dynamic IIR method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 30  is a continuation of  FIG. 29  illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 31  is the MEC and CVAT calculations for a YRT policy purchased at age 60 for the hypothetical case at age 65, using the static IIR method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 32  is a continuation of  FIG. 31  illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 33  is the same as  FIG. 31  except it assumes the dynamic IIR method, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 34  is a continuation of  FIG. 33  illustrating the GSP and GLP calculations, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 35  is an example of the fair market valuation calculation for a 65-year-old that purchased a deferred annuity with the GMWB, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 36  is a chart illustrating the application of the CVAT method for a hypothetical 65-year-old male&#39;s master policy, comparing the definitional limit calculations under the static and dynamic IIR methods, according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 37  is a chart illustrating the application of the GPT method to the same individual and portfolio of policies (e.g., master policy) in  FIG. 36 , according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 38  illustrates a flowchart for a method, according to certain embodiments. 
     
    
    
     For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements. 
     The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus. 
     The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the apparatus, methods, and/or articles of manufacture described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. 
     The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled together, but not be mechanically or otherwise coupled together. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. “Electrical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include electrical coupling of all types. The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable. 
     As defined herein, two or more elements are “integral” if they are comprised of the same piece of material. As defined herein, two or more elements are “non-integral” if each is comprised of a different piece of material. 
     As defined herein, “real-time” can, in some embodiments, be defined with respect to operations carried out as soon as practically possible upon occurrence of a triggering event. A triggering event can include receipt of data necessary to execute a task or to otherwise process information. Because of delays inherent in transmission and/or in computing speeds, the term “real time” encompasses operations that occur in “near” real time or somewhat delayed from a triggering event. In a number of embodiments, “real time” can mean real time less a time delay for processing (e.g., determining) and/or transmitting data. The particular time delay can vary depending on the type and/or amount of the data, the processing speeds of the hardware, the transmission capability of the communication hardware, the transmission distance, etc. However, in many embodiments, the time delay can be less than approximately one second, two seconds, five seconds, or ten seconds. 
     As defined herein, “approximately” can, in some embodiments, mean within plus or minus ten percent of the stated value. In other embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus five percent of the stated value. In further embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus three percent of the stated value. In yet other embodiments, “approximately” can mean within plus or minus one percent of the stated value. 
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF EMBODIMENTS 
     A number of embodiments can include a system. The system can include one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices storing computing instructions. The computing instructions can be configured to run on the one or more processors and perform: receiving a material change threshold to determine subsequent analysis for a master product; receiving a compliance analysis method corresponding to the master product; receiving an insurance interest rate (IIR) analysis method for the master product; preparing the master product based on (i) the material change threshold, (ii) the compliance analysis method, and (iii) the IIR analysis method; and analyzing the master product by coordinating analysis of data streams from separate computing systems communicatively coupled to different computing networks to determine compliance thresholds, the compliance thresholds corresponding to a level of compliance of the master product. 
     Various embodiments include a method. The method can be implemented via execution of computing instructions configured to run at one or more processors and configured to be stored at non-transitory computer-readable media. The method can comprise receiving a material change threshold to determine subsequent analysis for a master product; receiving a compliance analysis method corresponding to the master product; receiving an insurance interest rate (IIR) analysis method for the master product; preparing the master product based on (i) the material change threshold, (ii) the compliance analysis method, and (iii) the IIR analysis method; and analyzing the master product by coordinating analysis of data streams from separate computing systems communicatively coupled to different computing networks to determine compliance thresholds, the compliance thresholds corresponding to a level of compliance of the master product. 
     Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to coordinating analysis of data streams from different companies operating on different computing systems and/or different networks. The coordination of analysis of such data streams, as disclosed herein, provides an individual with a master product (e.g., master policy) that combines one or more individual term policies with one or more individual annuity policies and optionally other qualified benefit policies to create a personalized permanent life insurance product for federal income tax purposes. 
     Permanent Life Insurance Compliance Process for Federal Income Tax Treatment 
     Turning to  FIG. 7A , a flowchart is illustrated showing the overall process of the embodiments disclosed herein applying the various compliance tests to a portfolio of policies comprising a master policy.  FIG. 7A  is provided to understand the entire scope of the process described in  FIGS. 7 through 13 . The process begins with step (a) whereby the method and threshold for determining a policy&#39;s classification as a “material change” requiring new issue treatment to an existing policy for compliance testing calculations. Step (a) will be established before any master policies are issued under this invention, either by a regulatory pronouncement or company policy designed to be in compliance with Congressional intent (when regulatory guidance is absent). Step (b) is the compliance method selected by each master policy owner, an irrevocable decision unique to each policy. Step (c) is the insurance interest rate method, either selected by each master policy owner (if the option is given by the regulators when this invention is approved) or the method mandated by the regulators. With the calculation methods determined, a master policy may be established by a new customer in step (d). 
     Continuing with the process, step (e) involves the policy owner purchasing term and annuity policies to be included in the master policy. Step (f) involves the process to determine the assumption tables that will be used in calculating the “definitional limits” for compliance testing. With the methods and basis for assumptions established and a master policy complete with at least one term policy and one annuity policy, the daily cycle of compliance testing may begin in step (g). The system moves to step (h) to retrieve data on the policies and other relevant information to process the tests. In step (i) the system processes the overall material change threshold test. If the policy has breached the thresholds as determined in step (j), the system moves to step (k) to reset everything, treat the policy as if it were a newly issued policy and go back to step (f) to re-establish new calculation assumptions and restart the daily cycle processing (step (g) again). 
     If the policy has not experienced enough changes to breach the thresholds, it moves to step (L) to begin additional compliance testing. It starts with step (m) where it performs the MEC compliance testing. Part of the MEC testing is determining whether the Necessary Premium Tests (step n) need to be performed. If so, the system moves to step (o) and performs those tests using the methods consistent with the 7702 method election from step (b). 
     Once the MEC testing is complete, the system moves to step (p) to perform the 7702 compliance tests. If step (q) determines the policy owner elected the GPT method, the system moves to steps (r) and (s) to perform the premium and corridor tests, respectively. If the policy owner elected the CVAT test under step (b), the system moves to step (t) to compute the compliance tests using that method. This completes the daily compliance test cycle and then moves to step (g) to start the daily cycle of testing on the next day. 
     Turning to  FIG. 7B , a flowchart is provided showing exemplary steps of one embodiment of the invention. The steps may be carried out electronically by a computer which communicates with other computers over a computer network, such as the one shown in  FIG. 14  and described below in more detail. The flowchart starts with box  13  where the computer receives the instruction to begin the overall compliance testing. The system then moves to box  14  to retrieve the threshold and testing method that will be used to define if the master product has met the material change in benefits classification and require new issue treatment. Since the testing method might require actuarial calculations, the system moves to box  15  to determine the IIR method for this master product. If the IIR method is static the system branches to step  16  to retrieve the discount rate information under the IIR method. The system moves to step  17  to process the material change threshold test that would trigger new issue classification. If the threshold has not been breached, the system moves to box  18  which directs the system to begin normal compliance test processing beginning with box  26  in  FIG. 8 . 
     If the threshold has been breached in step  17  the master product undergoes new issue treatment. The system executes box  19  to reset the IIR safe harbor thresholds to the current calendar year and box  20  to reset the CSO safe harbor mortality table. The system then resets the existing MEC values to zero in box  21  in preparation for reestablishing new MEC limits. The system then moves to box  18 , signaling the completion of the flowchart for  FIG. 7B  and moving to  FIG. 8  to begin the normal compliance test routine as a newly issued policy. 
     The flowchart in  FIG. 7B  shows that if the IIR method in box  15  is the dynamic method then the system begins the cycle in step  22 . The system processes the decision step  23  to determine if the material change threshold has been breached. If not then the system proceeds to box  18 , signaling the end of the cycle in  FIG. 7B  and to begin normal compliance testing in  FIG. 8 . If the threshold has been breached in step  23  then the flowchart moves to box  24  to reset the safe harbor IIR. Since this is the dynamic IIR method the system will calculate the weighted average discount rates for the definitional limit calculations. The system will determine the IIR using the existing annuity&#39;s current cash values for weighting and use each annuity&#39;s issue year based IIR and interest guarantees. Due to the new issue treatment, the existing annuities will be treated as if issued in the current year and assigned the weighted average as their safe harbor IIR. Newly purchased annuities going forward will receive the applicable safe harbor IIR based on the published IIR for the calendar year of purchase. The flowchart moves to box  25  to reset all existing GPT values to zero in preparation for newly calculated definitional limits. The flowchart moves to box  20  to reset the CSO safe harbor table to the current year, box  21  to reset the MEC premium limits to zero and then move to box  18  to begin the normal compliance test routine as a newly issued policy. 
     The flowchart in  FIG. 8  shows the overall compliance testing process beginning in box  26  with establishing the master product that will ultimately include all the individual term life and annuity policies as well as any qualified additional benefit policies. Administration receives the master product application and uploads the policy owner information to the master data file as shown in box  32 . The policy owner (or their licensed agent) submits applications to one or more insurance carriers for one or more types of policies as shown in step  28  and informs administration the policies will be included in the master product. In step  27  administration amends the master data file (box  32 ) to prepare for incoming data on the policies to be added to the master product. The invention accommodates the ability to stagger the purchases of the individual policies, add multiple individual term life insurance policies and/or multiple individual annuity policies to the master policy. 
     Step  29  shows administration contacting each insurance company that is issuing a policy within the master product to establish data feeds on policy activity and information. The data feeds provide individual policy information to administration on a periodic basis, such as weekly, daily, or continuously in real time. Step  30  shows the policy owner paying premium to the respective insurance companies on the policies and generally notifying the insurance companies of any policy changes requested. 
     Insurance companies administering the underlying individual policies send data feeds periodically (e.g., daily) in step  31  to the master data file in box  32  on all necessary policy data information and activity including but not limited to premium paid, cash values, changes in benefits, interest rate guarantee and expense information needed to perform the compliance tests. 
     Step  33  represents the computer accessing the master data file to classify and identify information on all the active and previously active (e.g., terminated) individual policies assigned to a master product. Box  34  represents the computer selecting and storing the appropriate regulatory safe harbor CSO mortality table to be used in all actuarial definitional limit calculations. 
     In box  35  the computer cycles through all the individual life insurance policies to determine which policies qualify for inclusion in 7702 processing as permanent life insurance. In box  36  the computer identifies all other individual policies to determine which policies will be included in all compliance tests as qualified additional benefits. In box  37  the computer identifies which annuity policies have explicit cash value benefits and therefore will be needed to process calculations in boxes  42 ,  43 ,  44  and  46 . 
     In box  38  the computer reviews the guaranteed benefits and other features of all individual policies to determine which policies will require a fair market value calculation in box  43  processing. In box  39  the computer identifies all individual policies assigned to the master product that are no longer active (e.g., policies that once were part of the master product but now have been terminated). Identification of terminated policies will be needed in box  45  processing for calculating net premiums paid on those policies and including such values in the MEC, NPT and GPT tests. In box  40  the current master data file in box  32  is reviewed to determine if there has been any material change in benefits that will impact the compliance testing. 
     Processing in box  41  involves accessing the master data file and prior MEC and NPT testing in box  47  to identify the active MEC testing start date. Since certain events can cause the 7-pay testing period to start over, the system must identify the most current official starting date for MEC testing. Box  42  involves computing of the weighted average discount rates for all active individual annuity policies in the master product that have cash values (policies identified in box  37 ) utilizing each annuity policy&#39;s guaranteed credited rates and applicable IIR safe harbor rate. Box  43  involves computing the fair market values for all individual policies flagged in box  38 . Box  44  includes computing the aggregate cash value for all active annuity policies in the master product by retrieving current cash values (box  37 ) and fair market values (box  38 ), taking the greater of the two for each policy and storing that value for the cash value compliance testing in the CVAT method or the corridor test under the GPT method. 
     Box  45  represents the system computing the premiums paid on all the individual policies under the master product for all active and terminated individual policies (box  39 ). Box  46  represents computing the aggregate death benefit on all individual life and annuity policies under the master product on the effective date of the compliance test. Calculated data from box  46  processing will be used in box  47  (MEC) and box  48  (CVAT or GPT) processing. Box  47  represents the overall MEC test (including the NPT) and is covered in greater detail in  FIG. 9 . Within the MEC test, the NPT is processed in  FIG. 10  if the master policy is applying the CVAT method or  FIG. 11  if the master policy is applying the GPT method. Box  48  represents the overall  7702  test method and are covered in greater detail in  FIG. 12  (CVAT) and  FIG. 13  (GPT). Reports containing the results of all compliance tests are processed by the system in box  49 , stored in box  32  and communicated to the policy owner as needed. 
       FIG. 9  is a detailed flowchart showing the MEC processing on a portfolio of individual life, annuity and qualified additional benefit policies (i.e., the master product). The processing starts with box  50  wherein the system checks with the master product&#39;s current classification and whether the product has already been deemed a MEC. If so, the system stops and does not process any more steps in  FIG. 9 . 
     In step  51  the system looks to box  41  in  FIG. 8  to ascertain if a MEC start date has been established. If not, the system proceeds to step  52  to review the information from box  35  to determine if there is an active life insurance policy eligible for section 7702 qualification. If there is not an active policy, the system stops all processing for this MEC sub-routine. This situation could occur if an annuity has been purchased and assigned to the master product before a term life policy has been issued and assigned. If the answer is yes to step  52 , then the system moves to step  53  to determine if an individual annuity policy has been added to the master product. If the answer is no, then the system stops the sub-routine. The master product cannot be eligible as permanent life insurance until there is at least one term policy and one annuity policy. 
     In box  54 , the system sets the MEC start date to be the same as the issue date for the individual annuity purchased or otherwise added to the master product. In step  55 , the system retrieves the policy owner&#39;s decision on which section 7702 compliance method should be applied. If the policy owner selected GPT then the system sets the start date for the GPT method in step  56  to be the same as the MEC start date from box  54 . 
     The system moves to step  57  to determine if the current testing date is still within the required testing MEC testing period. If yes, the system proceeds to box  58  otherwise the MEC testing sub-routine stops and moves to box  48  in  FIG. 8  to begin the 7702 testing. 
     Box  58  involves the system retrieving the files on all active  7702  individual life insurance policies assigned to the master product from box  35 . In step  59  the system reviews the policy data file from box  58  and determines if the master product experienced any material change in benefits that would cause the MEC&#39;s 7-year testing period to start over. If a material change is identified, box  60  is instructed to process the NPT in  FIG. 10  if the master policy is operating under the CVAT method or  FIG. 11  if the master policy is operating under the GPT method. 
     The flowchart for the system to process the NPT under the CVAT method is described in  FIG. 10  starting with box  71 . For those skilled in the art of 7702 compliance rules will appreciate that the flowchart in  FIG. 10  describes a similar process as that described under  FIG. 12 . The difference is special rules for the NPT to allow small changes in benefits to defer and/or bypass the restart of the 7-pay MEC testing period if premium payments are low enough relative to the death benefits in the prior 7 years. If CVAT is the compliance test method and the NPT has been activated from box  60  the system moves to box  72  to identify the active  7702  life policies. The system processes for steps  73  through  76  are the same as steps  104  through  107  in  FIG. 12 . Step  77  is the unique test under NPT by computing the weighted average net single premium (NSP) for the lowest death benefits in the prior 7 years. Steps  78  through  81  are the same as steps  108  through  111  for the CVAT test in  FIG. 12 . Step  82  is unique to the NPT by instructing the system to calculate a “deemed cash value” since the master product was initially established and use the “deemed cash value” in the forthcoming NPT definitional limit test instead of the master product&#39;s actual aggregate cash value. In step  83  the system computes the necessary premium definitional limit from the values computed in steps  80 ,  81  and  82 . Step  84  compares the most recent premium paid to the definitional premium limit calculated by the system in step  83 . If the premium paid breached the NPT limit, the system moves to step  85  to compute the amount of the excess premium paid and the new 7-pay premium. The system moves to step  86  to restart the 7-pay MEC period. The change in the MEC start date gets logged in box  41 . 
     The flowchart for the system to process the NPT under GPT is described in  FIG. 11  starting with box  87 . The flowchart for  FIG. 11  mirrors the process in  FIG. 13  except for the special rules for NPT. Steps  88  through  91  are the same as steps  115  through  118  in  FIG. 13 . Step  92  is unique to the NPT because the system must examine the historical profile of the death benefits and use the lowest recorded amount in the prior 7 years, classifies and records these death benefits as the “NPT set”. Step  93  computes the guideline premium limit for the NPT set from step  92 . Step  94  computes the cumulative premium limit. Step  95  retrieves cumulative limits on terminated policies. Steps  96  and  97  retrieve premium paid information on active and terminated policies, respectively. Step  98  computes the aggregate premiums paid and the aggregate guideline premium limit for the NPT set. Step  99  compares the premiums paid to the NPT set limit. If the NPT premium threshold has not been breached, the system stops and does not restart the 7-pay MEC period. If the threshold has been breached, the system moves to box  100  to calculate the amount of excess premium paid and the new 7-pay premium limit. The system moves to step  101  to restart the 7-pay MEC period. The change in the MEC start date is recorded in box  41 . 
     Upon completion of any NPT testing, the system reverts to box  61  to retrieve the current weighted average discount interest rates on all cash value policies computed in box  42 . In box  62  the system computes the actuarial present value of death claims and maturity benefits for all active  7702  life insurance policies. Box  63  involves computing the 7-year annuity factor for all active and terminated eligible  7702  individual life policies using the respective discount rates computed in box  42 . In box  64  the system computes the MEC premium for compliance testing for each active and terminated  7702  eligible individual life insurance policy. The system adds up the MEC premium for every policy computed in box  64  to determine the aggregate MEC limit for the master policy in box  65 . 
     Box  66  represents the first step for the system to retrieve the actual premium paid on all individual policies ever assigned to the master product from box  45 . Next, the system retrieves all net premium paid on terminated policies in box  67  from the data calculated and stored in box  39 . The system combines the results from box  66  and  67  in box  68  to compute the aggregate premium for the master policy to be used for the MEC test. The system processes the MEC test in box  69  by comparing the aggregate premium paid from box  68  to the aggregate MEC premium from box  65 . If the test fails, the system moves to box  70  to flag the master policy as a MEC and notify the policy owner of the test failure and identify any potential remedies. If the test is successful in box  69 , the system stops the processing for the MEC testing. 
       FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing the method and process of the major steps to apply the CVAT method to a portfolio of individual policies in a master product. The process starts with step  102  to determine if the policy owner selected CVAT as the testing method. If not, the system stops CVAT method processing and moves to the GPT method processing starting with step  114  in  FIG. 13 . Processing the CVAT method begins in box  103  with the system retrieving information on all active  7702  individual life insurance policies assembled in box  35 . Next, the system moves to box  104  to retrieve the current weighted average discount rates on all active cash value policies from box  42  and then updates the system records for processing the actuarial calculations in box  105 . The system moves to box  106  to compute the NSP for each active qualifying life insurance policy using the updated discount rates from step  105 . Since the CVAT method is prospective looking only, any terminated policy that the master product once contained does not get included in this calculation. 
     Box  107  represents the system collecting the NSP per 1000 rates for all active  7702  eligible term life insurance policies from box  106  processing to determine a face-amount weighted average NSP per 1000 factor. Box  108  represents the system retrieving the aggregate death benefit for all active annuities from box  46 . In box  109  operations, the system computes the NSP for active annuities whose cash value is a death benefit that is additive to term policies (e.g., an increasing death benefit structure) by applying the weighted average NSP from box  107  to the active, applicable annuities from box  108 . The result from box  109  is the NSP contribution from annuities to the master product&#39;s aggregate compliance limit on cash value. In box  110  the system combines the results from box  106  (NSPs for all the active life insurance policies) with the NSP for the applicable annuity death benefits (box  109 ) to determine the aggregate NSP for the master product. 
     In box  111  the system retrieves the aggregate cash value for all active individual life and annuity policies from box  44 , modified appropriately for any policies with a fair market value exceeding its stated cash value (box  43 ). Step  112  involves comparing the aggregate cash value from all individual policies in the master product to the aggregate NSP from box  110 . If the master product fails the test, the system moves to box  113  operations to flag the master product as non-compliant, notify the policy owner of the situation (step  49 ) and identify any potential remedies. If the system determines the master product is compliant in step  112 , the compliance test cycle has been completed. 
       FIG. 13  is a flowchart showing the method and process of the major steps to apply the GPT to a portfolio of individual policies in a master product. The system processes more steps for GPT method than the CVAT method for two key reasons. First, GPT allows for certain expenses to be included in the definitional limit calculations whereas CVAT does not allow expenses. Second, the GPT method requires calculating both a GSP and GLP and then determine a cumulative definitional premium limit from these two inputs on the testing date. Finally, the GPT method also has the secondary cash value corridor test. 
     The GPT method process starts with step  114  to determine if the policy owner selected GPT as the testing method for its master product. If not, the system stops processing. If yes, the system moves to box  115  to identify all eligible active life insurance policies within the master product from box  35 . Next, the system moves to box  116  to retrieve the weighted average discount rates from box  42  that will be used to compute the definitional limit calculations. Once retrieved, the system moves to box  117  to update the interest rate vectors for the GSP and the GLP for every active, eligible term life insurance policy identified in box  115 . Next, the system moves to box  118  to retrieve the eligible expenses to be included in the definitional limit calculations. Boxes  119  and  120  represent the application of the concepts and formulas listed in  FIG. 5  to compute the GSP and GLP, respectively, for every eligible term life insurance policy in the master product. 
     The system combines the results from box  119  and box  120  in box  121  to calculate the definitional premium limit on every policy. The cumulative limit represents the greater of the GSP and GLP for every year the underlying life insurance policy has been in-force. The cumulative premium limit gets updated daily and will start increasing once the cumulative sum of the GLPs exceed the GSP. Once a policy is terminated, the cumulative guideline premium for the terminated policy is stored in the master data file and retrieved by box  39 . Box  122  operations involve retrieving the guideline premium information on terminated policies. 
     The system retrieves the cumulative premiums paid on all active life, annuity and qualified additional benefit policies in box  123  on the testing date from box  45 . Next, the system retrieves premium paid information from terminated policies in box  124 . In preparation for the definitional premium limit test for GPT, the system combines the results from box  123  and box  124  in box  125  to compute the total premiums paid into the master product and cumulative GP limits for all active and terminated policies. The system processes the comparison test in Step  126 . If the aggregate premiums paid exceed the aggregated cumulative guideline premiums from box  121  and  122  the master product fails the definitional limit test and moves to box  127  to flag the policy as non-compliant, notify the policy owner in box  127 , and identify any potential remedies. 
     If the master product passes the GPT in step  126 , the system moves to the box  128  to determine the minimum required death benefit for the master product to pass the corridor test. The system retrieves the aggregate cash value for all active policies from box  44  and multiplies that result by the corridor factor from  FIG. 3  for the insured&#39;s age. Box  129  represents retrieving the aggregate life and annuity death benefit from box  46 . Step  130  is the second test in the GPT method. If the aggregate death benefit exceeds the required minimum calculated in box  128 , the master policy is compliant with the 7702 limits. If not, the system moves to box  127  to flag the master product as non-compliant, notify the policy owner in box  49 , and identify any potential remedies. 
     It will be appreciated that each step of the present invention may be implemented with a computer or computer-based network. A computer processing unit represented by box  134  may be specifically programmed to carry out the steps described above and store information related thereto. For example, a computer may be used to store data related to the policy including data about the policy owner and beneficiary. Further, a computer is necessary to assist with most of the numerous calculations in the various steps in  FIG. 7A  through  FIG. 13 . Thus, embodiments within the scope of the present invention include program products comprising computer-readable media for carrying or having computer executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structure and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a computer, the computer properly views the connection as a computer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also to be included within the scope of computer-readable media. Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. 
     In addition to a system, the invention is described in the general context of method steps, which may be implemented in one embodiment by a program product including computer-executable instructions, such as program code, executed by computers in networked environments. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and program modules represent examples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions or associated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the functions described in such steps. 
     The present invention in some embodiments, may be operated in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers having processors. Logical connections may include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) that are presented here by way of example and not limitation. Such networking environments are commonplace in office-wide or enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that such network computing environments will typically encompass many types of computer system configurations, including personal computers, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. In one embodiment, users such as insurance agents, policy owners, and beneficiaries may be able to access the network to provide and receive information about the individual policies or master product. 
     The invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by local and remote processing devices that are linked (either by hardwired links, wireless links, or by a combination of hardwired or wireless links) through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. 
     An exemplary system for implementing the overall system or portions of the invention might include a general purpose computing device in the form of a conventional computer, including a processing unit, a system memory, and a system bus that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit. The system memory may include read only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM). The computer may also include a magnetic hard disk drive for reading from and writing to a magnetic hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk, and an optical disk drive for reading from or writing to removable optical disk such as a CD-ROM or other optical media. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computer. 
     Software and Web implementations of the present invention could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various database searching steps, correlation steps, comparison steps and decision steps. It should also be noted that the words “component” or “module” as used herein is intended to encompass implementations using one or more lines of software code, and/or hardware implementations, and/or equipment for receiving manual inputs. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates the components of a general purpose computing system connected to a general purpose electronic network (item  131 ), such as a computer network. The computer network can be a virtual private network or a public network, such as the Internet. As shown in  FIG. 14 , the computer system (item  132 ) includes a central processing unit (CPU) (box  134 ) connected to a system memory (item  136 ). The system memory (item  136 ) typically contains an operating system (item  135 ), a BIOS driver (item  138 ), and application programs (item  137 ). In addition, the computer system (item  132 ) contains input devices (item  139 ) such as a mouse or a keyboard (item  143 ), and output devices such as a printer (item  142 ) and a display monitor (item  141 ), and a permanent data store, such as a database (box  32 ). The computer system generally includes a communications interface (item  140 ) to communicate to the electronic network (item  131 ). Other computer systems (items  133 A and  133 B) also connect to the electronic network (item  131 ) which can be implemented as a Wide Area Network (WAN) or as an internetwork, such as the Internet. In some embodiments, the other computer systems (items  133 A and  133 B) can be other policy product companies. Data is stored either in many local repositories and synchronized with a central warehouse optimized for queries and for reporting or is stored centrally in a dual use database. This system is one example of a system that could execute the method steps set forth above. 
     EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 15 through 37  illustrate examples of the application of the CVAT, GPT and MEC tests to a portfolio of individual term life insurance and annuity policies. The basic computational formulas are described in  FIG. 5  upon which adjustments are made within the rules and spirit of IRC section 7702 for a portfolio of policies. The examples show the detailed calculations for computing the definitional limits such as the MEC premium, the cash value limits under the CVAT method, the GSP limit under the GPT method, the GLP under the GPT method for both a level and increasing death benefit structure, and the cumulative guideline premium limits by year assuming an increasing death benefit structure (e.g., the death benefit is the term policy face amount and the annuity cash value). 
     Note that in all these examples, cash value and account value are used interchangeably although in practice there is a difference to due surrender charges. For most annuities sold today, the death benefit is the account value. It is possible for an annuity death benefit to be the cash value after application of the surrender charge. 
     The examples were selected to illustrate a hypothetical 45-year-old male purchasing YRT and 30YT policies to observe the respective differences in the calculated definitional limits. Furthermore, many of the comparisons are shown applying both the static and dynamic IIR methods with assumed changes in the safe harbor IIR to observe the impact. The examples show different annuities purchased in different years with strong initial guaranteed credited rates to illustrate the impact on calculated definitional limits from different discount rates. 
     One example is provided to illustrate the recognition of a significant material change in benefits such that the new issue treatment applies. The example assumed a new CSO safe harbor mortality table had been adopted along with a change in the safe harbor IIR so the impact on definitional limits can be observed under the given assumptions. 
     One example is provided to illustrate an annuity with a GMWB and the potential impact on a fair market value that exceeds the stated cash value. The IRS rules on section 7702 do not define how to calculate “fair market value”. The patent application does not claim the example provided herein is the only method; the point is to illustrate how a fair market value (however determined) would be incorporated into the master product compliance testing. 
     The illustrations conclude by assuming the hypothetical 45-year-old male individual is now age 65 and the system is processing the CVAT and GPT methods on the master product. The example illustrates the original 30YT, a YRT policy purchased at age 60, a traditional deferred annuity and a deferred annuity with a GMWB. Each compliance test method is illustrated under both the static and dynamic IIR method. 
     The first example is a YRT policy using a static IIR method.  FIG. 15  shows yearly details of assumptions used to compute the various definitional limits.  FIG. 15  shows the MEC and CVAT method calculations while  FIG. 16  shows the GSP and two GLP calculations. Each column is described herein to better understand its role in the calculations, applying the formulas from  FIG. 5 . Examples in other figures will only highlight selected definitional limit calculations and the differences driving the results. 
     For YRT policies the premiums are typically not guaranteed to be less than the CSO safe harbor mortality table. Therefore, the policy&#39;s non-guaranteed premiums are not shown since they do not impact the definitional limit calculations. Column  144  shows policy expenses which are allowed in the GPT method calculations. Column  145  is the 2017 CSO safe harbor mortality rates for a nonsmoking male. Column  146  is the survival probability rate to the end of each year based on the mortality rates in column  145 . Column  147  is the discount rate used in all the calculations for the MEC, CVAT and GL tests. This discount rate ties to the IIR in this example and does not reflect any annuities with guaranteed rates higher than the safe harbor IIR. Column  148  is an interest rate factor applied to the expected death claims to adjust the discounted values for an immediate payment of claims assumption. Column  149  is the discounting factor back to current age 45. Columns  150  through  152  are the same as columns  147  through  149  except it uses the higher safe harbor IIR rate allowed for the GSP calculation. 
     The rest of the columns for  FIG. 15  show all the actuarial values used to compute the definitional limits for the MEC premium and CVAT cash value limits. Column  153  represents the actuarial present value of the guaranteed mortality charges. Column  154  is the actuarial present value of the presumed endowment amount for the policy&#39;s face amount at the beginning of age 95 (the earliest age allowed by the regulations). Column  155  is the calculation of the 7-pay annuity that is used to compute the 7-pay MEC premium. Item  156  utilizes the values in columns  153 - 155  to compute the 7-pay MEC premium. To compute the CVAT net single premium, the calculations use the present value of the mortality charges (column  157 ) and endowment benefit (column  158 ). At policy issue the maximum cash value allowed to qualify as life insurance is $247,339 (item  160 ) which is the sum of the values in column  157  and  158  (e.g., the actuarial present value of the mortality charges and the endowment benefit). 
     Each year&#39;s maximum cash value allowed is shown in column  159  —the NSP at that age which is the actuarial present value of future guaranteed mortality charges and the age 95 endowment benefit under the mortality assumptions from column  145  and the interest assumptions in columns  147 - 149 . Item  160 B is highlighted for a future example reference. The current age 60 maximum cash value allowed per 1000 of death benefit is $408.11. If the policy owner selected a level death benefit structure (e.g., the YRT policy&#39;s death benefit would decrease by the amount of the annuity cash value so the total death benefit was level) then the maximum allowed annuity cash value at age 60 would be $408,211 for a $1 million policy. If the policy selected an increasing death benefit structure (e.g., the YRT policy&#39;s death benefit would be a fixed amount and the annuity cash value would be an additional death benefit), the maximum annuity cash value would be (YRT face amount+annuity cash value)×$408.11/1000). 
       FIG. 16  is a continuation of  FIG. 15  showing the detailed calculations for all three GPT calculations. The GSP calculations are shown in columns  161 - 163  and the final GSP definitional limit is item  164 ; same process as the CVAT calculations except GSP uses the interest rate factors in columns  150 - 152  and GSP may use eligible expenses in the definitional limit calculation (column  162 ). In this example for the $1 million YRT policy to age male age 45, the GSP is $138,527. This represents the maximum amount of premium that could be paid into the policy in to qualify as life insurance until future years when the cumulative sum of the GLP becomes larger than the GSP. Note that if the policy owner paid this much premium in the first year, the $39,845 MEC premium would be breached so the policy would forever be flagged as a MEC, taxed like an annuity for distributions but still receive permanent life insurance tax treatment for death benefits. 
     Columns  165  through  168  show the details to calculate the GLP (item  169 ) for a level death benefit policy structure. Note that column  166  shows the present value of the eligible expenses from column  144 . Column  168  is the annuity factor used to calculate the GLP from issue age 45 to age 95 using the applicable mortality and interest rates. Columns  170  through  173  show the details to calculate the GLP for an increasing death benefit policy structure (item  174 ). Note that the level premium allowed for the increasing death benefit structure ($30,325) (item  174 ) is significantly higher than the level death benefit plan ($13,154) due to the higher expected mortality costs from the increasing death benefit structure. 
     Column  175  in  FIG. 16  illustrates the year-by-year GPT definitional premium limit assuming an increasing death benefit structure. As described in the formulas in  FIG. 5 , the cumulative premium limit is the greater of the GSP (item  164 ) and the GLP (item  174 ) multiplied by the number of years the policy has been in force. For example, item  175 B is the cumulative premium definitional limit after 6 years: greater of $138,527 or ($30,325×6=$181,947). Column  176  shows the corridor factor for each attained age to compute the corridor test required to pass the GPT method. For example, at age 55 (item  176 B) the GPT stipulates that the death benefit must be at least 150% of the aggregate policy cash value. The corridor test factors are the same for level or increasing death benefit plans. 
     The compliance process starts on  FIG. 7B  with the overall material change in benefits test in step  14  to determine if new issue treatment applies and the safe harbor limits are reset to the current year requirements.  FIG. 17  illustrates such a potential impact to the definitional limits from resetting the safe harbor CSO table to a new table with 15% lower mortality rates as well as the safe harbor IIR reset from 4% to 2%. The example assumes a YRT policy where the policy owner is now age 60. This example facilitates comparison to  FIG. 15  where the insured was age 45 at purchase but now is age 60 and the policy has the safe harbor references reset. For comparative simplicity it is assumed the death benefit is $1 million in both  FIGS. 15 and 17 . 
     The hypothetical new CSO mortality rates are shown in column  177 . The new safe harbor IIR rates are shown in item  178 . The first comparison is the MEC premium limit (item  179 ) of $94,218 vs. $138,527 before the new issue treatment. This policy&#39;s 7-pay MEC premium would restart due to new issue treatment. Item  180  is the age 60 maximum cash value per 1000 of death benefit ($613.301) which is materially higher than the amount in item  160 B ($408.211). The lower mortality table used in the definitional limit calculations decreased the definitional limits but the lower IIR safe harbor rate would increase the definitional limits. If the reverse had occurred (e.g., a new issue treatment resulting in the IIR increasing), the CVAT cash value limit would have decreased and potentially trigger a compliance violation if the master product had too much cash value. Remediation would be required by forcing distribution of cash value to stay under the revised definitional cash value limit. 
       FIG. 18  shows the revised definitional limits for GPT for this hypothetical YRT policy undergoing new issue treatment at age 60. Prior to the new issue treatment trigger, the cumulative GPT limit for age 60 was $485,192 (item  175 C). After the new issue treatment trigger, the age 60 limit is $393,437 (item  183 A) which is the GSP for a newly issued policy at this age (item  181 ). The revised GLP limits (item  182 B) does not begin increasing the cumulative GPT limits until age 65. 
       FIGS. 19 and 20  is identical to the example in  FIGS. 15 &amp; 16  except the underlying product is 30YT instead of YRT. The premium guarantees on 30YT impact the definitional limit calculations when the guaranteed level premium is less than the CSO safe harbor mortality rate. Column  184  shows the assumed premium that is guaranteed and level for 30 years. The MEC premium, item  185 , is $31,651 due to the guarantees vs. $39,845 (item  156 ;  FIG. 14 ). Similar reduction in definitional limit for the age 45 CVAT cash value is also observed: $196,474 (item  186 ), a decrease from $247,339 (item  160 ). The GSP is also lower: $106,209 (item  187 ) vs. $138,527 (item  164 ). The GLPs are also lower: $10,467 (item  188 ) vs. $13,154 (item  169 ) for the level death benefit structure, and $27,509 (item  189 ) vs. $30,325 (item  174 ) for the increasing death benefit structure. The cumulative premium limits for the GPT are shown in column  190 . By age 60 the cumulative definitional limit under GPT is $440,145 (item  190 B) for the 30YT vs. $485,192 (item  175 C) for the YRT policy. In this comparative case, the 30YT product has a $45,000 lower cumulative premium limit after 15 years (age 45 to age 60) due to the presence of the term premium guarantees being lower than the CSO safe harbor mortality rates in many years. 
     The charts in  FIG. 21  illustrate how the discount rates used in the definitional limit calculations are calculated when applying the static and dynamic IIR methods. The chart also illustrates the static and dynamic method for a master product that purchased two annuities in different calendar years when the safe harbor IIR changed. To illustrate the application of the methodology, the example assumes one annuity purchased in 2020 when the IIR was 4% (items  191  and  193 ) and a second annuity is purchased in 2021 when the IIR was 2% (items  192  and  194 ). Regulations require that the discount rate for any given duration (e.g., future year in the present value calculation) is the lessor of the policy&#39;s guaranteed credited rate that year and the applicable safe harbor IIR rate. These hypothetical examples assume guarantee rates higher than the safe harbor IIR. 
     The system calculates the discount rate for each prospective duration for each annuity using that annuity&#39;s guaranteed rate and the applicable safe harbor IIR. For the static IIR method (charts on the left side), the safe harbor IIR is based on the master product&#39;s purchase year. For the dynamic IIR method, the safe harbor IIR is based on each annuity&#39;s purchase year. A weighted average discount rate is then calculated by the computer based on each annuity&#39;s current cash value. As shown in  FIG. 21 , the IIR for items  191  and  192  are the same despite the annuities purchased in different years since the IIR is based on year 2020 when the master product was purchased. 
     For the dynamic IIR method the system examines the guarantees (item  193 C) and 2021 IIR (item  193 ) to compute the MEC, CVAT and GL discount rates for that annuity (item  193 B). For the annuity purchased in 2021 the system examines the guarantees on that annuity (item  194 C), the IIR for annuities purchased that year (item  194 ) to calculate the MEC, CVAT and GL discount rates for that annuity (item  194 B). The system calculates the weighted average set of discount rates from both annuities (item  196 ). The same process is applied in the static IRR method except the IIR safe harbor rate is the same for all annuities regardless of purchase year. The weighted average set of discount rates is shown in item  195 . Since the product guarantees are higher than the IIRs in the first three years, the discount rates derived from applying the dynamic method become different in years four and beyond due to the decrease in the IIR for 2021. 
       FIGS. 22 and 23  use the example in  FIGS. 19 &amp; 20  except the discount rates (item  197 ) from the two annuity purchases in  FIG. 21  reflect the impact from the interest rate guarantees on the annuities. This example assumes the static IIR method (item  195 ). As a result of the revised/higher discount rates in the first three years, the various definitional limits calculated decreased slightly. The MEC limit decreases from $31,651 (item  185 ) to $31,443 (item  198 ). The CVAT cash value limit decreased from $196,474 (item  186 ) to $190,977 (item  199 ) at age 45.  FIG. 23  shows the updated GPT calculations due to the revised discount rates. Similar to the MEC and CVAT definitional limitations, all three GPT premium limits decreased slightly in  FIG. 23  vs. comparable values in  FIG. 20 . 
     One item to note in the calculations is item  200  in  FIG. 22 , present value of guaranteed mortality charges at age 75. The significant jump at age 75 from age 74 is due to the original level premium guarantee ceasing. The longer the premium guarantee, and the lower the level premium guarantee relative to the CSO safe harbor, the more these items will impact the calculated definitional limits to keep the favorable tax advantages of permanent life insurance. 
     The definitional limit calculations in  FIGS. 24 and 25  use the same case study as  FIGS. 22 and 23  except the discount rates use the dynamic method (item  205 ) rates from  FIG. 21  (item  196 ). The primary difference is the lower IIR for 2021 which, due to an annuity representing 50% of the total annuity cash value in this example, has a meaningful impact on the definitional limits. A lower discount rate will increase the definitional limit. Since the weighted average discount rate is 1% lower for most future years, the impact is significant. For example, the MEC premium limit is $43,019 under the dynamic method scenario (item  206 ) vs. $31,443 (item  198 ). The age 45 CVAT cash value limit increased to $263,258 (item  207 ) vs. $190,977 (item  199 ). The GPT limits in this example (items  209 - 212  in  FIG. 25 ) show a 20-30% increase in allowable premium limits due to the use of a dynamic IIR method in a decreasing interest rate environment coupled with newly purchased annuities that represent a significant portion of the overall annuity cash values. 
     The invention&#39;s responsiveness to the interest rate environment is often beneficial to consumers: increasing the ability to pay more premium into annuities assigned to the master product when interest rates are lower compensates for the lower expected rate of return on the fixed annuity. 
     The chart in  FIG. 26  continues the case study but now the insured is age 65 and the policy owner exchanged the two original annuities from  FIG. 21  for two new annuities and also added significantly more premium to each annuity. For the static IIR method, the safe harbor IIR remains at 4% as shown in item  213  which is the applicable IIR for all annuity purchases regardless of when they are purchased. The first annuity has a strong 8% guarantee for three years which significantly impacts the weighted average discount rate (item  213 A). Furthermore, since annuity #1 represents 80% of the total annuity cash values, its discount rates will significantly influence the overall set of discount rates for the master product&#39;s definitional limit calculations (item  215 ). For the dynamic IIR method, both annuities utilize the assumed safe harbor IIR (item  214 ) for the calendar year they were purchased (e.g., the current year). The resulting discount rates (item  216 ) will be used in the following examples. 
       FIGS. 27 and 28  apply the revised discount rates from  FIG. 26  to the 30YT policy purchased at age 45 (the example in  FIGS. 22 and 23 ) for the static IIR method. The point of this illustration is to highlight the cumulative impact on the definitional limit calculations for this 30YT policy when the policy owner makes changes to the annuity policies and the annuities have strong interest rate guarantees relative to the safe harbor IIR rate. Given static IIR method the safe harbor IIR does not change. The only change to the discount rates come from the new annuity&#39;s guaranteed rates exceeding the IIR. The revised discount rates are noted in item  217 . 
     The definitional limit impact can be observed at age 65, the year of the annuity exchanges, in the CVAT method cash value limit. The new limit is $373.055 per 1000 of death benefit (item  218 ) compared to $394.81 in  FIG. 22  (item  199 B). In effect, exchanging the annuities into a strong rate guarantee for three years reduced the immediate cash value limit by 5.5%. A similar impact can be observed in the cumulative premium limit under the GPT method. At age 65 the new cumulative limit is $554,347 (item  219 ) compared to $576,515 (item  204 B), a 3.8% reduction. 
     It is important to note that today&#39;s conventional bundled UL products do not provide the ability to exchange or upgrade the cash value into vehicles with strong guarantees. The invention is more robust and dynamic. Even with the static IIR method, a purchase of strong guaranteed rate annuity products will cause a restatement of the cumulative definitional limits. The method and system must store historical values from original purchase as well as project forward many years to compute the revised definitional limits. 
       FIGS. 29 and 30  apply the revised discount rates from  FIG. 26  to the 30YT example in  FIGS. 24 and 25  for the dynamic IIR method. The process is the same in the prior figures except the system utilizes the appropriate discount rates (item  220 ). In this example it is assumed the dynamic IIR for MEC, CVAT and GL was 3% for most of the prior 20 years. The exchange of the old annuities for new policies when the current safe harbor IIR (age 65) is 2% will have a meaningful impact on the definitional limits. Item  221  shows the age 65 CVAT cash value limit increasing to $538.544 per 1000 of death benefit vs. $480.048 (item  208  in  FIG. 24 ). 
     The impact of the revised discount rates also impacts the GPT cumulative premium limits as shown in  FIG. 30 . The method and system incorporate both historical values and prospective assumptions to recompute the GSP and GLP back to the original issue date and then determine the new cumulative GPT definitional premium limit. In this example, the cumulative premium limit at age 65 increased to $867,739 (item  222 ) from $752,079 (item  212 B), a 15% increase. 
     In preparation to illustrate a master product compliance test for a portfolio of policies, it is assumed a hypothetical YRT policy was purchased by the consumer at age 60 (5 years prior to the compliance test date at age 65). The example assumes the static IIR method and the same annuity as described in  FIG. 26 . In  FIG. 31 , item  223  shows the face amount for this YRT policy to be $500,000. At age 65 the CVAT cash value limit for this policy $239.368 per 1000 (item  224 ). Note that the discount rates for this static IIR example is 4% for CVAT and others (item  223 B) which are based on the IIR safe harbor rates for the master product purchased at age 45.  FIG. 32  shows the cumulative GPT premium limits at age 65 for this policy, $196,357 (item  225 ). 
       FIGS. 33 and 34  is the age 60 YRT purchase in  FIGS. 31 and 32  applying the dynamic IIR method. The new annuity purchases at age 65 change the discount rates as shown in item  226 . The age 65 CVAT cash value limit is $312.649 per 1000 (item  227 ), considerably higher than the cash value limit from application of the static IIR method from  FIG. 31 , $239.368 per 1000 (item  224 ).  FIG. 34  shows the cumulative GPT premium limit at age 65 is $262,709 (item  228 ) for this YRT increasing death benefit policy, substantially higher than the $196,357 from the static IIR method in  FIG. 32 , item  225 . The substantial increase in the CVAT cash value definitional limit and the GPT cumulative premium definitional limit is due to the dynamic IIR method&#39;s responsiveness to the reduction in safe harbor IIR for new purchases and applying the new, lower IIR to the newly purchased annuities. 
       FIG. 35  illustrates the details of a fair market value calculation for a deferred annuity with a GMWB. This policy is the newly purchased annuity #4 from  FIG. 26 . The presence of a lifetime GMWB may result in a fair market value that exceeds the policy&#39;s cash value. In  FIG. 35 , box  229  contains two of the annuity&#39;s contract provisions that determine the amount of the annual lifetime withdrawal benefit when the policy owner activates the start of the guaranteed distribution benefits. Many such policies use a notional account called the “income account” as the basis for calculating the guaranteed distribution benefit upon activation. Upon activation by the policy owner, the annual benefit is determined from the income account value (column  229 B) and an age and sex-based payout rate (column  230 ). In this example, the income account increases 6% a year for 20 years and then the annual increase ceases. Column  231  shows the guaranteed withdrawal amount if activated at each age (column  229 B multiplied by column  230 ). The longer the policy owner waits to activate the benefit, the higher the amount once it starts. 
     Application of actuarial and present value calculations begin with column  232 . The general methodology is to determine the fair market value of the guaranteed benefits at each age in the future as if the policy owner elected to start receiving the benefits at that age. The amount of the annual benefit increases due to both the income account increasing at 6% per year as well as the age-based payout rate increasing every five years (column  230 ). To determine the fair market value at each future age, the computer applies actuarial mathematics using the applicable mortality table and interest rates. Column  232  is the prospective actuarial present value of future guaranteed benefits at each age per dollar of guaranteed benefit. The interest rate and mortality table (e.g., set as a percentage of the CSO safe harbor mortality table in this example; the mortality table to determine the fair market value could be an entirely separate mortality table) are shown in items  234 A and  234 B. 
     The fair market value of the GMWB at each future age is shown in column  233 . Columns  235  and  236  show the computer&#39;s application of the mortality rate and interest rate to calculate the survival rate to each age in the future, and the actuarial discount rate with interest (column  236 ). The system next determines the current fair market value at each age assuming the policy owner waited until that age to activate the benefit. The final fair market value determination, item  238 , is the highest current value of each potential fair market value for each activation age (age 80 in this example). For the example in  FIG. 35 , the $100,000 annuity has a fair market value of $139,245 at age 65 which will reduce the definitional limit capacity since the fair market value exceeds the stated cash value. 
     The last two figures bring these examples together to illustrate the overall compliance test on the master product.  FIG. 36  illustrates the process for the CVAT method under both the static and dynamic IIR method. The master product consists of four policies. Both the static and dynamic IIR methods are shown using inputs from  FIGS. 27, 29, 31, 33 and 35 . Item  239  shows that the master product consists of four policies: a 30YT, a YRT, a regular deferred annuity and a deferred annuity with the GMWB. Item  241  shows the cash value for each policy on the compliance testing date. The term policies do not have a cash value. Item  242  shows the fair market value for any policy that has guarantees requiring the assessment (policy #4). Item  243  shows the adjusted cash value for compliance testing, reflecting the excess of any fair market values over the policy&#39;s cash value ($539,245). 
     The CVAT method has one definitional limit: the maximum cash value. In  FIG. 36  for the static IIR method, the system compares the modified cash value (item  243 ) to the aggregate NSP (item  248 ). Computing the aggregate NSP requires the system to calculate the NSP for each active term policy (items  245  and  246 ) and computing a weighted average NSP per 1000 factor from the term policies to apply to any annuity death benefits. As detailed in prior exhibits, the different premium guarantees created different per unit NSP factors for the 30YT vs. the YRT. Since this is an increasing death benefit example, the system must apply a weighted average NSP factor to each annuity to determine the contribution to the maximum cash value limit. All annuities will receive the same NSP factor (item  247 ) which is the term death benefit weighted NSP factor. The system applies the NSP factor for each term and annuity policy death benefit to calculate the aggregate NSP. This is CVAT&#39;s definitional limit on the modified cash value as of the testing date (item  248 ), or $656,985. Since the modified cash value (item  243 ) is less than the aggregate NSP (item  248 ), the master product is compliant. 
     The bottom chart in  FIG. 36  is the same process except the system references the NSP factors for each policy on the testing date using the dynamic IIR method. Note that the dynamic IIR method has no impact on the cash value or fair market value calculation. The CVAT NSP factors in items  249 ,  250  and  251  are applied to the respective death benefits to calculate the aggregate modified cash value limit of $880,167 (item  252 ). 
     The charts in  FIG. 37  illustrate the application of the GPT method on the hypothetical master product for the same policies (items  253  and  254 ) as shown in  FIG. 36 . Both the static and dynamic IIR methods are shown using inputs from  FIGS. 28, 30, 32, 34 and 35 . The cash value and fair market values (item  255 ) are the same as the CVAT method. Item  256  is the corridor factor for the insured&#39;s age on the compliance testing date. This factor is used in the corridor test. Based on the stated cash value for all the policies and the 120% corridor factor, the minimum death benefit required to be compliant is $600,000 (item  263 ). Given an aggregate death benefit of $2,000,000 (item  264 ), the policy is compliant. 
     For the GPT method the system must calculate the cumulative definitional premium limit for each active term life policy (item  257  and  258  for the static method, active policies) as well as include the contribution to the premium limit from terminated policies (item  259 ). The total cumulative premium limit is $850,704 (item  260 ). The system then computes the actual cumulative premium paid on active life and annuity policies and terminated policies (item  261 ) to determine the total premium paid (item  262 ). The GPT method compares the premium paid to the definitional limit to assess compliance. In the static method example, since the cumulative premium paid (item  262 ) is less than the GPT limit (item  260 ), this policy is currently compliant. 
     The chart at the bottom of  FIG. 37  is identical to the top chart except all the definitional limit calculations apply the dynamic IIR method. As a result, the definitional premium limitations are different. Items  265  and  266  are figures obtained from prior exhibits. Item  267  is the limitation value from terminated policies (not shown in any other exhibits). The cumulative premium limit (item  268 ) is different than item  260  due to the different IIR methodology. This hypothetical master product passes the GPT (dynamic IIR method) on the compliance testing since the cumulative premium paid (item  269 ) is less than the aggregate definitional limit (item  268 ), and the master policy passes the corridor test (item  270 ). The policy passes the corridor test since the aggregate $2,000,000 death benefit exceeds the $600,000 minimum required based on the fair market value adjusted cash value and the 120% corridor factor for the insured&#39;s current age. 
     Turning ahead in the drawings,  FIG. 38  illustrates a flow chart for a method  3800 , according to an embodiment. Method  3800  is merely exemplary and is not limited to the embodiments presented herein. Method  3800  can be employed in many different embodiments or examples not specifically depicted or described herein. In some embodiments, the activities of method  3800  can be performed in the order presented. In other embodiments, the activities of method  3800  can be performed in any suitable order. In still other embodiments, one or more of the activities of method  3800  can be combined or skipped. In many embodiments, the system of  FIG. 14  can be suitable to perform method  3800  and/or one or more of the activities of method  3800 . In these or other embodiments, one or more of the activities of method  3800  can be implemented as one or more computer instructions configured to run at one or more processing modules and configured to be stored at one or more non-transitory memory storage modules. Such non-transitory memory storage modules can be part of a computer system such the computer system of  FIG. 14 . The processing module(s) can be similar or identical to the processing module(s) described above with respect to computer system in  FIG. 14 . 
     In many embodiments, method  3800  can comprise an activity  3810  of receiving a material change threshold to determine subsequent analysis for a master product. In some embodiments, the material change threshold and a method for determining the material change threshold comprise at least one of: a regulation established by a regulator, or an interpretation of the regulator&#39;s intent to establish a regulation. Further details are discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 7A-13 . 
     In many embodiments, method  3800  can comprise an activity  3820  of receiving a compliance analysis method corresponding to the master product. In some embodiments, receiving the compliance analysis method corresponding to the master product further comprises determining whether a guideline premium test (GPT) method or a cash value accumulation test (CVAT) method was selected by an owner of the master product. For example, a user may select which of the methods to utilize in subsequent processing. Further details are discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 7A-13 . 
     In many embodiments, method  3800  can comprise an activity  3830  of receiving an insurance interest rate (IIR) analysis method for the master product. In some embodiments, receiving the insurance interest rate (IIR) analysis method for the master product further comprises selecting a dynamic method or a static method based on a selection by an owner of the master product or a method established by a regulator. Further details are discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 7A-13 . 
     In many embodiments, method  3800  can comprise an activity  3840  of preparing the master product based on the material change threshold, the compliance analysis method, and the IIR analysis method. In some embodiments, preparing the master product further comprises receiving policy data and contract information on one or more term policies and one or more annuity policies obtained by an owner of the master product. Further details are discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 7A-13 . 
     In many embodiments, method  3800  can comprise an activity  3850  of analyzing the master product by coordinating analysis of data streams from separate computing systems communicatively coupled to different computing networks to determine compliance thresholds. In some embodiments, analyzing the master product to determine the compliance thresholds further comprises determining assumption information. The assumption information is utilized to determine definitional limits for compliance testing. The system also receives analysis information corresponding to policy information and definitional limit information corresponding to one or more compliance tests. 
     In some embodiments, analyzing the master product further comprises determining if the master product has satisfied the material change threshold, and in response to determining the material change threshold has not been satisfied: resetting one or more variables, determining new assumption information, and restarting compliance analysis. In some embodiments, in response to determining the material change threshold has been satisfied, the system performs compliance analysis on the master product for a first period of time. For example, the first period of time is 24 hours. That is, the compliance testing is performed on a daily basis. However, the system can perform compliance testing for any desired period of time (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). In some embodiments, the compliance analysis comprises performing a modified endowment contract (MEC) operation, and a 7702 operation and obtaining outputs from the MEC operation and the 7702 operation. Further details are discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 7A-13 . In some embodiments, the compliance metric is based on the outputs from the MEC operation and the 7702 operation. 
     In some embodiments, the method  3800  further comprises establishing data feeds with the separate computing systems across the different networks. For example, the system establishes data feeds with computing systems of different companies. In some embodiments, the data feeds comprise individual term policy information and individual annuity policy information. For example, the individual term policy information corresponds to a first network of a first company and the individual annuity policy information corresponds to a second network of a second company. Accordingly, embodiments disclosed herein coordinate analysis of data streams from different computing systems across different networks. 
     In some embodiments, the compliance thresholds correspond to definitional limits that are to maintain the master products satisfaction with tax regulations. Further details are discussed above in connection with  FIGS. 7A-13 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 14 , in several embodiments, the system of  FIG. 14  can at least partially perform the method  3800  of  FIG. 38 . 
     In many embodiments, the techniques described herein can provide a practical application and several technological improvements. In some embodiments, the techniques described herein can provide for coordinating the operation amongst different computing systems to create and maintain a master product. 
     In many embodiments, the techniques described herein can be used continuously at a scale that cannot be reasonably performed using manual techniques or the human mind. For example, processing millions of data points while a user is inputting information within milliseconds cannot be feasibly completed by a human. Further, coordinating the analysis of data streams cannot feasibly be completed by a human. 
     The embodiments disclosed herein improve upon previous systems by creating a master product of policy products that were previously unable to be combined. In particular, embodiments disclosed herein further analyze the master product to ensure the master product is in compliance with all the necessary codes and regulations. 
     Although systems and methods for coordinating data streams from different computing systems have been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure of embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the scope of the disclosure and is not intended to be limiting. It is intended that the scope of the disclosure shall be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims. For example, to one of ordinary skill in the art, it will be readily apparent that any element of  FIGS. 1-38  may be modified, and that the foregoing discussion of certain of these embodiments does not necessarily represent a complete description of all possible embodiments. For example, one or more of the procedures, processes, or activities of  FIG. 38  may include different procedures, processes, and/or activities and be performed by many different modules, in many different orders. 
     All elements claimed in any particular claim are essential to the embodiment claimed in that particular claim. Consequently, replacement of one or more claimed elements constitutes reconstruction and not repair. Additionally, benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described with regard to specific embodiments. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element or elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced, however, are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all of the claims, unless such benefits, advantages, solutions, or elements are stated in such claim. 
     Moreover, embodiments and limitations disclosed herein are not dedicated to the public under the doctrine of dedication if the embodiments and/or limitations: (1) are not expressly claimed in the claims; and (2) are or are potentially equivalents of express elements and/or limitations in the claims under the doctrine of equivalents.