The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 8 : Banking and Insurance

Chapter 131 : Licensing Requirements

Subchapter 002 : REGULATION OF MANAGING GENERAL AGENTS, REINSURANCE INTERMEDIARIES, AND PRODUCER-CONTROLLED INSURERS

• § 4824. Other requirements of controlling producers

  (a) All provisions of chapter 101, subchapter 13 of this title, to the extent they are not in conflict with the provisions of this subchapter, shall continue to apply to all parties within holding company systems subject to this subchapter.

  (b)(1) The controlled insurer shall provide the controlling producer with its underwriting standards, rules, and procedures, manuals setting forth the rates to be charged, and the conditions for the acceptance or rejection of risks. The controlling producer shall adhere to the standards, rules, procedures, rates, and conditions. The standards, rules, procedures, rates and conditions shall be the same as those applicable to comparable business placed with the controlled insurer by a producer other than the controlling producer.

  (2) The rates of the commissions, charges, and other fees shall be no greater than those applicable to comparable business placed with the controlled insurer by producers other than controlling producers. For purposes of this subdivision and subdivision (1) of this subsection, examples of “comparable business” include the same lines of insurance, same kinds of insurance, same kinds of risks, similar policy limits, and similar quality of business.

  (3) If the contract provides that the controlling producer, on insurance business placed with the insurer, is to be compensated contingent upon the insurer’s profits on that business, then such compensation shall not be determined and paid until at least five years after the premiums on liability insurance are earned and at least one year after the premiums are earned on any other insurance. In no event shall the commissions be paid until the adequacy of the controlled insurer’s reserves on remaining claims has been independently verified pursuant to subdivision (6) of this subsection.

  (4) A controlled insurer shall limit the controlling producer’s writings in relation to the controlled insurer’s surplus and total writings. The insurer may establish a different limit for each line or sub-line of business. The controlled insurer shall notify the controlling producer when the applicable limit is approached and shall not accept business from the controlling producer if the limit is reached. The controlling producer shall not place business with the controlled insurer if it has been notified by the controlled insurer that the limit has been reached.

  (5) A controlled insurer shall have an audit committee of the board of directors composed of independent directors. The audit committee shall annually meet with management, the insurer’s independent certified public accountants, and an independent casualty actuary or other independent loss reserve specialist acceptable to the Commissioner to review the adequacy of the insurer’s loss reserves.

  (6) In addition to any other required loss reserve certification, a controlled insurer shall annually, on April 1 of each year, file with the Commissioner an opinion of an independent casualty actuary, or such other independent loss reserve specialist acceptable to the Commissioner, reporting loss ratios for each line of business written and attesting to the adequacy of loss reserves established for losses incurred and outstanding as of year-end, including incurred but not reported, on business placed by the producer.

  (7) A controlled insurer shall annually report to the Commissioner the amount of commissions paid to the producer, the percentage such amount represents of the net premiums written, and comparable amounts and percentages paid to noncontrolling producers for placements of the same kinds of insurance.

  (8) A controlled insurer shall deliver written notice to the prospective insured disclosing the relationship between the producer and the controlled insurer; except that, if the business is placed through a subproducer who is not a controlling producer, the controlling producer shall retain in his or her records a signed commitment from the subproducer that the subproducer is aware of the relationship between the insurer and the producer and that the subproducer has or will notify the insured. (Added 1991, No. 249 (Adj. Sess.), § 18, eff. Jan. 1, 1993.)