17B:25-23 - Required provisions for contract of annuity
17B:25-23 Required provisions for contract of annuity.
3. a. No contract of annuity to which this act applies shall be delivered or issued for delivery in this State on or after the second anniversary of the effective date of this act, or any earlier date as elected by the company pursuant to section 14 of this act, unless it contains in substance the following provisions, or corresponding provisions which in the opinion of the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance are at least as favorable to the contract holder, upon cessation of payment of considerations under the contract:
(1)That upon cessation of payment of considerations under a contract, or upon the written request of the contract owner, the company shall grant a paid-up annuity benefit on a plan stipulated in the contract of that value provided by sections 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10 of this act;
(2)If a contract provides for a lump sum settlement at maturity, or at any other time, that upon surrender of the contract at or prior to the commencement of any annuity payments, the company shall pay in lieu of a paid-up annuity benefit a cash surrender benefit in the amount provided by sections 5, 6, 8 and 10 of this act. The company may reserve the right to defer the payment of the cash surrender benefit for a period not to exceed six months after demand therefor with surrender of the contract after making written request and receiving written approval of the commissioner. The request shall address the necessity and equitableness to all policyholders of the deferral;
(3)A statement of the mortality table, if any, and interest rates used in calculating any minimum paid-up annuity, cash surrender or death benefits that are guaranteed under the contract, together with sufficient information to determine the amounts of the benefits; and
(4)A statement that any paid-up annuity, cash surrender or death benefits that may be available under the contract are not less than the minimum benefits required by any statute of the state in which the contract is delivered and an explanation of the manner in which the benefits are altered by the existence of any additional amounts credited by the company to the contract, any indebtedness to the company on the contract or any prior withdrawals from or partial surrenders of the contract.
b.Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, a deferred annuity contract may provide that if no considerations have been received under a contract for a period of two full years and the portion of the paid-up annuity benefit at maturity on the plan stipulated in the contract arising from prior considerations paid would be less than $20 monthly, the company may at its option terminate the contract by payment in cash of the then present value of the portion of the paid-up annuity benefit, calculated on the basis of the mortality table, if any, and interest rate specified in the contract for determining the paid-up annuity benefit, and by this payment shall be relieved of any further obligation under the contract.
L.2005,c.194,s.3.