2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 59A - Insurance Code › Article 20 - Life Insurance and Annuity Contracts › Section 59A-20-31 - Standard Nonforfeiture Law; life insurance.

A. In the case of policies issued on and after the operative date of this section, as defined in Subsection K of this section, no policy of life insurance, except as stated in Subsection J of this section, shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this state unless it shall contain in substance the following provisions, or corresponding provisions that in the opinion of the superintendent are at least as favorable to the defaulting or surrendering policyholder as are the minimum requirements hereinafter specified and are essentially in compliance with Subsection I of this section:
(1) that, in the event of default in any premium payment the insurer will grant, upon proper request not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on a plan stipulated in the policy, effective as of such due date, of such amount as may be hereinafter specified. In lieu of such stipulated paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, the insurer may substitute, upon proper request not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default, an actuarially equivalent alternative paid-up nonforfeiture benefit that provides a greater amount or longer period of death benefits or, if applicable, a greater amount or earlier payment of endowment benefits;
(2) that, upon surrender of the policy within sixty days after the due date of any premium payment in default after premiums have been paid for at least three full years in the case of ordinary insurance or five full years in the case of industrial insurance, the insurer will pay, in lieu of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified;
(3) that a specified paid-up nonforfeiture benefit shall become effective as specified in the policy unless the person entitled to make such election elects another available option not later than sixty days after the due date of the premium in default;
(4) that, if the policy shall have become paid-up by completion of all premium payments or if it is continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit that became effective on or after the third policy anniversary in the case of ordinary insurance or the fifth policy anniversary in the case of industrial insurance, the insurer will pay, upon surrender of the policy within thirty days after any policy anniversary, a cash surrender value of such amount as may be hereinafter specified;
(5) in the case of policies that cause on a basis guaranteed in the policy unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or that provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, a statement of the mortality table, interest rate and method used in calculating cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy. In the case of all other policies, a statement of the mortality table and interest rate used in calculating the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy, together with a table showing the cash surrender value, if any, and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, if any, available under the policy on each policy anniversary either during the first twenty policy years or during the term of the policy, whichever is shorter, such values and benefits to be calculated upon the assumption that there are no dividends or paid-up additions credited to the policy and that there is no indebtedness to the insurer on the policy; and
(6) a statement that the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits available under the policy are not less than the minimum values and benefits required by or pursuant to the insurance law of the state in which the policy is delivered; an explanation of the manner in which the cash surrender values and the paid-up nonforfeiture benefits are altered by the existence of any paid-up additions credited to the policy or any indebtedness to the insurer on the policy; if a detailed statement of the method of computation of the values and benefits shown in the policy is not stated therein, a statement that such method of computation has been filed with the insurance supervisory official of the state in which the policy is delivered; and a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender value and paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy on any policy anniversary beyond the last anniversary for which such values and benefits are consecutively shown in the policy.
Any of the provisions in this subsection or portions thereof not applicable by reason of the plan of insurance may, to the extent inapplicable, be omitted from the policy.
The insurer shall reserve the right to defer the payment of any cash surrender value for a period of six months after demand therefor with surrender of the policy.
B. Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary, whether or not required by Subsection A of this section, shall be an amount not less than the excess, if any, of the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits that would have been provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, if there had been no default, over the sum of:
(1) the then present value of the adjusted premiums as defined in Subsections D, E and F of this section, corresponding to premiums that would have fallen due on or after such anniversary; and
(2) the amount of any indebtedness to the insurer on the policy.
Provided, however, that for any policy issued on or after the operative date of Subsection F of this section, as defined therein, which provides supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits at the option of the insured and for an identifiable additional premium by rider or supplemental policy provision, the cash surrender value referred to in Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be an amount not less than the sum of the cash surrender value as defined in such paragraph for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such rider or supplemental policy provision and the cash surrender value as defined in such paragraph for a policy that provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such rider or supplemental policy provision.
Provided, further, that for any family policy issued on or after the operative date of Subsection F of this section as defined therein, which defines a primary insured and provides term insurance on the life of the spouse of the primary insured expiring before the spouse's age of seventy-one, the cash surrender value referred to in Paragraph (1) of this subsection shall be an amount not less than the sum of the cash surrender value as defined in such paragraph for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance on the life of the spouse and the cash surrender value as defined in such paragraph for a policy that provides only the benefits otherwise provided by such term insurance on the life of the spouse. Any cash surrender value available within thirty days after any policy anniversary under any policy paid up by completion of all premium payments or any policy continued under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, whether or not required by Subsection A of this section, shall be an amount not less than the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy, including any existing paid-up additions, decreased by any indebtedness to the insurer on the policy.
C. Any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be such that its present value as of such anniversary shall be at least equal to the cash surrender value then provided for by the policy or, if none is provided for, that cash surrender value that would have been required by this section in the absence of the condition that premiums shall have been paid for at least a specified period.
D. This subsection shall not apply to policies issued on or after the operative date of Subsection F of this section. Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding any extra premiums charged because of impairments or special hazards, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all such adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of: (a) the then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; (b) two percent of the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or of the equivalent uniform amount, as hereinafter defined, if the amount of insurance varies with duration of the policy; (c) forty percent of the adjusted premium for the first policy year; (d) twenty-five percent of either the adjusted premium for the first policy year or the adjusted premium for a whole life policy of the same uniform or equivalent uniform amount with uniform premiums for the whole of life issued at the same age for the same amount of insurance, whichever is less. Provided, however, that in applying the percentages specified in (c) and (d), no adjusted premium shall be deemed to exceed four percent of the amount of insurance or uniform amount equivalent thereto. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined.
(1) In the case of a policy providing an amount of insurance varying with duration of the policy, the equivalent uniform amount thereof for the purpose of this subsection shall be deemed to be the uniform amount of insurance provided by an otherwise similar policy, containing the same endowment benefit or benefits, if any, issued at the same age and for the same term, the amount of which does not vary with duration and the benefits under which have the same present value at the date of issue as the benefits under the policy; provided, however, that in the case of a policy providing a varying amount of insurance issued on the life of a child under age ten, the equivalent uniform amount may be computed as though the amount of insurance provided by the policy prior to the attainment of age ten were the amount provided by such policy at age ten.
(2) The adjusted premiums for any policy providing term insurance benefits by rider or supplemental policy provision shall be equal to: (1) the adjusted premiums for an otherwise similar policy issued at the same age without such term insurance benefits, increased, during the period for which premiums for such term insurance benefits are payable by (2) the adjusted premiums for such term insurance, the foregoing items (1) and (2) being calculated separately and as specified in the first two paragraphs (the first paragraphs and Paragraph (1)) of this subsection except that, for the purposes of (b), (c) and (d) of the first such paragraph, the amount of insurance or equivalent uniform amount of insurance used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums referred to in (2) shall be equal to the excess of the corresponding amount determined for the entire policy over the amount used in the calculation of the adjusted premiums in (1).
(3) Except as otherwise provided in Paragraph (4) of this subsection and Subsection E of this section, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall for all policies of ordinary insurance be calculated on the basis of the national association of insurance commissioners 1941 standard ordinary mortality table, provided that for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than three years younger than the actual age of the insured, and such calculations for all policies of industrial insurance shall be made on the basis of the 1941 standard industrial mortality table. All calculations shall be made on the basis of the rate of interest, not exceeding three and one-half percent per annum, specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits. Provided, however, that in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than one hundred thirty percent of the rates of mortality according to such applicable table. Provided, further, that for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the insurer and approved by the superintendent.
(4) This paragraph shall not apply to ordinary policies issued on or after the operative date of Subsection F of this section. In the case of ordinary policies issued on or after the operative date of this paragraph as defined herein, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the basis of the commissioners 1958 standard ordinary mortality table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits; provided that such rate of interest shall not exceed three and one-half percent a year, except that a rate of interest not exceeding four percent a year may be used for policies issued on or after July 1, 1973 and prior to July 1, 1977 and a rate of interest not exceeding five and one-half percent per annum may be used for policies issued on or after July 1, 1977, except that for any single premium whole life or endowment insurance policy a rate of interest not exceeding six and one-half percent per annum may be used, and provided that for any category of ordinary insurance issued on female risks, adjusted premiums and present values may be calculated according to an age not more than six years younger than the actual age of the insured. Provided, however, that in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the commissioners 1958 extended term insurance table. Provided, further, that for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the insurer and approved by the superintendent.
After June 9, 1961, any insurer may file with the superintendent a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of Paragraph (4) of this subsection after a specified date before January 1, 1966. After the filing of such notice, then upon such specified date (which shall be the operative date of this subsection for such insurer), this subsection shall become operative with respect to the ordinary policies thereafter issued by such insurer. If an insurer makes no such election, the operative date of this subsection for such insurer shall be January 1, 1966.
E. This subsection shall not apply to industrial policies issued on or after the operative date of Subsection F of this section.
In the case of industrial policies issued on or after the operative date of this subsection as defined herein, all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall be calculated on the bases of the commissioners 1961 standard industrial mortality table and the rate of interest specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits; provided that such rate of interest shall not exceed three and one-half percent a year except that a rate of interest not exceeding four percent a year may be used for policies issued on or after July 1, 1973 and prior to July 1, 1977 and a rate of interest not exceeding five and one-half percent per annum may be used for policies issued on or after July 1, 1977, except that, for any single premium whole life or endowment insurance policy, a rate of interest not exceeding six and one-half percent per annum may be used. Provided, however, that in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the commissioners 1961 industrial extended term insurance table. Provided, further, that for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on such other table of mortality as may be specified by the insurer and approved by the superintendent.
After June 7, 1963, any insurer may file with the superintendent a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection after a specified date before January 1, 1968. After the filing of such notice, then upon such specified date (which shall be the operative date of this subsection for such insurer), this subsection shall become operative with respect to the industrial policies thereafter issued by such insurer. If an insurer makes no such election, the operative date of this subsection for such insurer shall be January 1, 1968.
F. This subsection shall apply to all policies issued on or after the operative date of this subsection. Except as provided in Paragraph (6) of this subsection, the adjusted premiums for any policy shall be calculated on an annual basis and shall be such uniform percentage of the respective premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairment or special hazards and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of all adjusted premiums shall be equal to the sum of the then present value of the future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; one percent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and one hundred twenty-five percent of the nonforfeiture net level premium as hereinafter defined. Provided, however, that, in applying the last percentage specified above, no nonforfeiture net level premium shall be deemed to exceed four percent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years. The date of issue of a policy for the purpose of this subsection shall be the date as of which the rated age of the insured is determined; and
(1) the nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of the guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy divided by the present value, at the date of issue of the policy, of an annuity of one per annum payable on the date of issue of the policy and on each anniversary of such policy on which a premium falls due;
(2) in the case of policies that cause on a basis guaranteed in the policy unscheduled changes in benefits or premiums, or that provide an option for changes in benefits or premiums other than a change to a new policy, the adjusted premiums and present values shall initially be calculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated at the date of issue of the policy. At the time of any such change in the benefits or premiums, the future adjusted premiums, nonforfeiture net level premiums and present values shall be recalculated on the assumption that future benefits and premiums do not change from those stipulated by the policy immediately after the change;
(3) except as otherwise provided in Paragraph (6) of this subsection, the recalculated future adjusted premiums for any such policy shall be such uniform percentage of the respective future premiums specified in the policy for each policy year, excluding amounts payable as extra premiums to cover impairments and special hazards, and also excluding any uniform annual contract charge or policy fee specified in the policy in a statement of the method to be used in calculating the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits, that the present value, at the time of change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, of all such future adjusted premiums shall be equal to the excess of the sum of the then present value of the then future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy and the additional expense allowance, if any, over the then cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit under the policy;
(4) the additional expense allowance, at the time of the change to the newly defined benefits or premiums, shall be the sum of one percent of the excess, if positive, of the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the change over the average amount of insurance prior to the change at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years subsequent to the time of the most recent previous change, or, if there has been no previous change, the date of issue of the policy; and one hundred twenty-five percent of the increase, if positive, in the nonforfeiture net level premium;
(5) the recalculated nonforfeiture net level premium shall be equal to the result obtained by dividing (a) by (b) where:
(a) equals the sum of: (1) the nonforfeiture net level premium applicable prior to the change times the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of the change on which a premium would have fallen due had the change not occurred; and (2) the present value of the increase in future guaranteed benefits provided for by the policy; and
(b) equals the present value of an annuity of one per annum payable on each anniversary of the policy on or subsequent to the date of change on which a premium falls due;
(6) notwithstanding any other provisions of this subsection to the contrary, in the case of a policy issued on a substandard basis that provides reduced graded amounts of insurance so that, in each policy year, such policy has the same tabular mortality cost as an otherwise similar policy issued on the standard basis that provides higher uniform amounts of insurance, adjusted premiums and present values for such substandard policy may be calculated as if it were issued to provide such higher uniform amounts of insurance on the standard basis;
(7) all adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this section shall for all policies of ordinary insurance be calculated on the basis of the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table or, at the election of the insurer for any one or more specified plans of life insurance, the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with ten-year select mortality factors; shall for all policies of industrial insurance be calculated on the basis of the commissioners 1961 standard industrial mortality table; and shall for all policies issued in a particular calendar year be calculated on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in that calendar year. Provided, however, that:
(a) at the option of the insurer, calculations for all policies issued in a particular calendar year may be made on the basis of a rate of interest not exceeding the nonforfeiture interest rate, as defined in this subsection, for policies issued in the immediately preceding calendar year;
(b) under any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up dividend additions, any cash surrender value available, whether or not required by Subsection A of this section, shall be calculated on the basis of the mortality table and rate of interest used in determining the amount of such paid-up nonforfeiture benefit and paid-up dividend additions, if any;
(c) an insurer may calculate the amount of any guaranteed paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, including any paid-up additions under the policy, on the basis of an interest rate no lower than that specified in the policy for calculating cash surrender values;
(d) in calculating the present value of any paid-up term insurance with accompanying pure endowment, if any, offered as a nonforfeiture benefit, the rates of mortality assumed may be not more than those shown in the commissioners 1980 extended term insurance table for policies of ordinary insurance and not more than the commissioners 1961 industrial extended term insurance table for policies of industrial insurance;
(e) for insurance issued on a substandard basis, the calculation of any such adjusted premiums and present values may be based on appropriate modifications of the aforementioned tables;
(f) for a policy issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual, any commissioners standard ordinary mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table with or without ten-year select mortality factors or for the commissioners 1980 extended term insurance table;
(g) for a policy issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, the commissioners standard mortality table in the valuation manual shall be used to determine the minimum nonforfeiture standard that may be substituted for the commissioners 1980 standard ordinary mortality table, either with or without ten-year select mortality factors, or for the commissioners 1980 extended term insurance table. If the superintendent adopts through rulemaking a commissioners standard ordinary mortality table that was adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard for policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, then that minimum nonforfeiture standard shall substitute for the minimum nonforfeiture standard provided in the valuation manual;
(h) for a policy issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual, any commissioners standard industrial mortality tables, adopted after 1980 by the national association of insurance commissioners, that are approved by regulation promulgated by the superintendent for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard may be substituted for the commissioners 1961 standard industrial mortality table or the commissioners 1961 industrial extended term insurance table; and
(i) for a policy issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, the commissioners standard mortality table in the valuation manual shall be used to determine the minimum nonforfeiture standard that may be substituted for the commissioners 1961 standard industrial mortality table or the commissioners 1961 industrial extended term insurance table. If the superintendent adopts through rulemaking a commissioners standard industrial mortality table that was adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners for use in determining the minimum nonforfeiture standard for policies issued on or after the operative date of the valuation manual, then that minimum nonforfeiture standard shall substitute for the minimum nonforfeiture standard provided in the valuation manual;
(8) the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum for a policy issued in a calendar year:
(a) prior to the operative date of the valuation manual shall be equal to one hundred twenty-five percent of the calendar year statutory valuation interest rate for such policy as defined in the Standard Valuation Law, rounded to the nearest one-fourth of one percent; provided, however, that the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum shall not be less than four percent; and
(b) on or after the operative date of the valuation manual shall be determined by the valuation manual;
(9) notwithstanding any other provision in the laws relating to insurance to the contrary, any refiling of nonforfeiture values or their methods of computation for any previously approved policy form that involves only a change in the interest rate or mortality table used to compute nonforfeiture values shall not require refiling of any other provisions of that policy form; and
(10) after the effective date of this subsection, any insurer may file with the superintendent a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this subsection after a specified date before January 1, 1989, which shall be the operative date of this subsection for such insurer. If an insurer makes no such election, the operative date of this subsection for such insurer shall be January 1, 1989.
G. In the case of any plan of life insurance that provides for future premium determination, the amounts of which are to be determined by the insurer based on the then estimates of future experience, or in the case of any plan of life insurance that is of such a nature that minimum values cannot be determined by the methods described in Subsection A, B, C, D, E or F of this section, then:
(1) the superintendent must be satisfied that the benefits provided under the plan are substantially as favorable to policyholders and insureds as the minimum benefits otherwise required by Subsection A, B, C, D, E or F of this section;
(2) the superintendent must be satisfied that the benefits and the pattern of premiums of that plan are not such as to mislead prospective policyholders or insureds; and
(3) the cash surrender values and paid-up nonforfeiture benefits provided by such plan must not be less than the minimum values and benefits required for the plan computed by a method consistent with the principles of this section, as determined by regulations promulgated by the superintendent.
H. Any cash surrender value and any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due at any time other than on the policy anniversary, shall be calculated with allowance for the lapse of time and the payment of fractional premiums beyond the last preceding policy anniversary. All values referred to in Subsections B, C, D, E and F of this section may be calculated upon the assumption that any death benefit is payable at the end of the policy year of death. The net value of any paid-up additions, other than paid-up term additions, shall be not less than the amounts used to provide such additions. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection B of this section, additional benefits payable (a) in the event of death or dismemberment by accident or accidental means; (b) in the event of total and permanent disability; (c) as reversionary annuity or deferred reversionary annuity benefits; (d) as term insurance benefits provided by a rider or supplemental policy provision to which, if issued as a separate policy, this section would not apply; (e) as term insurance on the life of a child or on the lives of children provided in a policy on the life of a parent of the child, if such term insurance expires before the child's age is twenty-six, is uniform in amount after the child's age is one and has not become paid up by reason of the death of a parent of the child; and (f) as other policy benefits additional to life insurance and endowment benefits, and premiums for all such additional benefits, shall be disregarded in ascertaining cash surrender values and nonforfeiture benefits required by this section, and no such additional benefits shall be required to be included in any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits.
I. This subsection, in addition to all other applicable sections of this law, shall apply to all policies issued on or after January 1, 1985. Any cash surrender value available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment due on any policy anniversary shall be in an amount that does not differ by more than two-tenths of one percent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years, from the sum of (a) the greater of zero and the basic cash value hereinafter specified; and (b) the present value of any existing paid-up additions less the amount of any indebtedness to the insurer under the policy.
The basic cash value shall be equal to the present value, on such anniversary, of the future guaranteed benefits that would have been provided for by the policy, excluding any existing paid-up additions and before deduction of any indebtedness to the insurer, if there had been no default, less the then present value of the nonforfeiture factors, as hereinafter defined, corresponding to premiums that would have fallen due on and after such anniversary. Provided, however, that the effects on the basic cash value of supplemental life insurance or annuity benefits or of family coverage, as described in Subsection B or D of this section, whichever is applicable, shall be the same as are the effects specified therein.
The nonforfeiture factor for each policy year shall be an amount equal to a percentage of the adjusted premium for the policy year, as defined in Subsection D or F of this section, whichever is applicable. Except as is required by the next succeeding sentence of this paragraph, such percentage:
(1) must be the same percentage for each policy year between the second policy anniversary and the later of the fifth policy anniversary and the first policy anniversary at which there is available under the policy a cash surrender value in an amount, before including any paid-up additions and before deducting any indebtedness, of at least two-tenths of one percent of either the amount of insurance, if the insurance be uniform in amount, or the average amount of insurance at the beginning of each of the first ten policy years; and
(2) must be such that no percentage after the later of the two policy anniversaries specified in Paragraph (1) of this subsection may apply to fewer than five consecutive policy years.
Provided that no basic cash value may be less than the value that would be obtained if the adjusted premiums for the policy, as defined in Subsection D or F of this section, whichever is applicable, were substituted for the nonforfeiture factors in the calculation of the basic cash value.
All adjusted premiums and present values referred to in this subsection shall for a particular policy be calculated on the same mortality and interest bases as are used in demonstrating the policy's compliance with the other subsections of this section. The cash surrender values referred to in this subsection shall include any endowment benefits provided for by the policy.
Any cash surrender value available other than in the event of default in a premium payment due on a policy anniversary, and the amount of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit available under the policy in the event of default in a premium payment shall be determined in manners consistent with the manners specified for determining the analogous minimum amounts in Subsections A, B, C, F and H of this section. The amounts of any cash surrender values and of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefits granted in connection with additional benefits such as those listed as items (a) through (d) in Subsection H of this section shall conform with the principles of this subsection.
J. This section shall not apply to any reinsurance, group insurance, pure endowment, annuity or reversionary annuity contract, nor to any term policy of uniform amount that provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, or renewal thereof, of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, nor to any term policy of decreasing amount, that provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, on which each adjusted premium, calculated as specified in Subsections D, E and F of this section, is less than the adjusted premium so calculated, on a term policy of uniform amount, or renewal thereof, that provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, issued at the same age and for the same initial amount of insurance and for a term of twenty years or less expiring before age seventy-one, for which uniform premiums are payable during the entire term of the policy, nor to any policy, that provides no guaranteed nonforfeiture or endowment benefits, for which no cash surrender value, if any, or present value of any paid-up nonforfeiture benefit, at the beginning of any policy year, calculated as specified in Subsections B, C, D, E and F of this section, exceeds two and one-half percent of the amount of insurance at the beginning of the same policy year; nor to any policy that shall be delivered outside this state through an agent or other representative of the insurer issuing the policy.
For purposes of determining the applicability of this section, the age at expiry for a joint term life insurance policy shall be the age of expiry of the oldest life.
K. After the effective date of this act, any insurer may file with the superintendent a written notice of its election to comply with the provisions of this section after a specified date before January 1, 1952. After the filing of such notice, then upon such specified date (which shall be the operative date for such insurer), this section shall become operative with respect to policies thereafter issued by such insurer. If an insurer makes no such election, the operative date of this section for such insurer shall be January 1, 1952.
L. As used in this section:
(1) "operative date of the valuation manual" means the January 1 of the first calendar year following the first July 1 after which the following have occurred:
(a) the valuation manual has been adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners by an affirmative vote of at least forty-two members or three-fourths of the members voting, whichever is greater;
(b) the Standard Valuation Law of the national association of insurance commissioners, as amended in 2009, or legislation including substantially similar terms and provisions, has been enacted by states that collectively represent more than seventy-five percent of written direct premiums, as reported in the life, accident and health annual statements, the health annual statements and the fraternal annual statements submitted for 2008; and
(c) the Standard Valuation Law of the national association of insurance commissioners, as amended in 2009, or legislation including substantially similar terms and provisions, has been enacted by at least forty-two of the following fifty-five jurisdictions: 1) the fifty states of the United States; 2) American Samoa; 3) the Virgin Islands of the United States; 4) the District of Columbia; 5) Guam; and 6) Puerto Rico; and
(2) "valuation manual" means the most recent version of the manual of valuation instructions adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners.
History:
Laws 1984, ch. 127, § 396; 2014, ch. 59, § 27.
ANNOTATIONS
Cross references.
— For the operative date of Standard Nonforfeiture Law,
see
59A-20-31K NMSA 1978.
The reference in Subsection K to "the effective date of this act" apparently refers to the effective date of Laws 1943, ch. 109, which enacted the original 1943 Standard Nonforfeiture Law.
The 2014 amendment
, effective January 1, 2017, revised the standard nonforfeiture provisions to comply with the principle-based version of the Standard Valuation Law; in Subsection F, Paragraph (7), Subparagraph (f), at the beginning of the sentence, added "for a policy issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual", and after "valuation manual, any", added "commissioners standard"; in Subsection F, Paragraph (7), added Subparagraph (g); in Subsection F, Paragraph (7), Subparagraph (h), at the beginning of the sentence, added "for a policy issued prior to the operative date of the valuation manual", and after "valuation manual, any", added "commissioners standard"; in Subsection F, Paragraph (7), added Subparagraph (i); in Subsection F, Paragraph (8), in the introductory sentence, after "interest rate", added "per annum for a policy issued in a calendar year"; in Subsection F, Paragraph (8), Subparagraph (a), at the beginning of the sentence, deleted "per annum for any policy issued in any particular calendar year" and added "prior to the operative date of the valuation manual", after "Valuation Law", deleted "Section 122 of the Insurance Code", and after "one percent", added "provided, however, that the nonforfeiture interest rate per annum shall not be less than four percent; and"; in Subsection F, Paragraph (8), added Subparagraph (b); and added Subsection L.
Compiler's notes.
— Pursuant to Laws 2014, ch. 59, § 55, the effective date of Laws 2014, ch. 59, §§ 15 through 27 was January 1, 2017. On June 30, 2016, the superintendent of insurance certified to the New Mexico compilation commission and the director of the legislative council service that:
(1) the most recent version of the manual of valuation instructions adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners has been adopted by the national association of insurance commissioners by an affirmative vote of at least forty-two members or three-fourths of the members voting, whichever is greater;
(2) the Standard Valuation Law of the national association of insurance commissioners, as amended in 2009, or legislation including substantially similar terms and provisions, has been enacted by states that collectively represent more than seventy-five percent of written direct premiums, as reported in the life, accident and health annual statements, the health annual statements and the fraternal annual statements submitted for 2008; and
(3) the Standard Valuation Law of the national association of insurance commissioners, as amended in 2009, or legislation including substantially similar terms and provisions, has been enacted by at least forty-two of the following fifty-five jurisdictions:
(a) the fifty states of the United States;
(b) American Samoa;
(c) the Virgin Islands of the United States;
(d) the District of Columbia;
(e) Guam; and
(f) Puerto Rico.
Severability.
— Laws 2014, ch. 59, § 54 provided that if any part or application of the provisions of Laws 2014, ch. 59 is held invalid, the remainder or its application to other situations or persons shall not be affected.
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. —
43 Am. Jur. 2d Insurance §§ 186, 385 to 387, 648, 654 to 686, 722, 723.
Estoppel of, or waiver by, issuer of life insurance policy to assert defense of lack of insurable interest, 86 A.L.R.4th 828.
45 C.J.S. Insurance § 606 et seq.