Four more states and the District of Columbia will ensure that consumers are getting the best annuities by the end of this summer, according to Linda Koco of Insurance News Net. In “More Annuity Suitability Rules Going into Effect This Summer,” the Annuity News editor says that the newest states to adopt the NAIC’s rules will be Rhode Island, Oregon, Ohio, North Dakota and Washington D.C. The NAIC’s Suitability of Annuity Transactions Model Regulation (NAIC 2010) has been a model for many states to comply with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. All states must comply by June 16, 2013. States must ensure that insurance companies are selling consumers the best annuities for their situation and require agents to take a four hour class about annuities and their impact on consumers and taxes.
There are 17 states and territories that already have laws mimicking NAIC 2010. Six states have plans already in the works, and a total of 28 states are expected to have working plans this year. The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) and RegEd, a compliance and education firm, are working together to provide the annuity training to agents and state governments. The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services found that most insurance companies and agents have been receptive to the new rules, as long as they are similar to the NAIC guidelines. In 2005, the state issued guidelines deterring the sale of unsuitable annuity products and these new guidelines have built from that initial model. Products like the 5 year fixed annuity and other annuities must be the best choice for the consumer in order to pass the standard ruling. All of the NAIC regulations keep insurers and agents accountable for protecting consumers from products that they should not buy because they aren’t in their best interest.
