628.347 (2d) Conflict of interest obligation. An insurance intermediary shall identify and avoid or reasonably manage and disclose material conflicts of interest, including material conflicts related to an ownership interest.
260,15
Section
15. 628.347 (2e) of the statutes is created to read:
628.347 (2e) Documentation obligation. An insurance intermediary shall, at the time of making a recommendation or sale of an annuity, do all of the following, as applicable:
(a) If an annuity is recommended, make a written record of any recommendation and the basis for the recommendation subject to this section.
(b) If a consumer refuses to provide consumer profile information, obtain a signed statement from the consumer, on a form substantially similar to Appendix B of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Annuity Suitability Model Regulation that shall be posted on the office's Internet site, that documents all of the following:
1. A consumer's refusal to provide consumer profile information.
2. A consumer's understanding of the ramifications of not providing his or her consumer profile information or of providing insufficient consumer profile information.
(c) If an annuity is not recommended, obtain a signed statement from the consumer, on a form substantially similar to Appendix C of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Annuity Suitability Model Regulation that shall be posted on the office's Internet site, that acknowledges an annuity transaction is not recommended if the consumer decides to enter into an annuity transaction that is not based on the intermediary's recommendation.
260,16
Section 16
. 628.347 (3) (a) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:
628.347 (3) (a) 4. Maintain procedures for review of each recommendation before issuance of an annuity that are designed to ensure that there is a reasonable basis to determine that a recommendation is suitable would effectively address a consumer's financial situation, insurance needs, and financial objectives. An insurer's procedures may apply a screening system for the purpose of identifying selected transactions for additional review. An insurer's procedures may be accomplished electronically or through other means, including physical review. An electronic or other system may be designed to require additional review only of those transactions identified for additional review by the selection criteria.
260,17
Section 17
. 628.347 (3) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
628.347 (3) (a) 5. Maintain reasonable procedures to detect recommendations that are not suitable
do not comply with subs. (2) to (2e), which may include confirmation of consumer suitability profile information, systematic customer surveys, interviews, confirmation letters, producer statements or attestations, and programs of internal monitoring. Nothing in this subdivision prevents an insurer from complying with this subdivision by applying sampling procedures or by confirming suitability consumer profile information after issuance or delivery of the annuity, or both.
260,18
Section 18
. 628.347 (3) (a) 7., 8. and 9. of the statutes are created to read:
628.347 (3) (a) 7. Establish and maintain reasonable procedures to assess, prior to or upon issuance or delivery of an annuity, whether an insurance intermediary has provided to a consumer the information required to be provided under this section.
8. Establish and maintain reasonable procedures to identify and address suspicious refusals by consumers to provide consumer profile information.
9. Establish and maintain reasonable procedures to identify and eliminate any sales contests, sales quotas, bonuses, and noncash compensation that are based on the sales of specific annuities within a limited period of time. Nothing in this subdivision prohibits the receipt of health insurance, office rent, office support, retirement benefits, or other employee benefits by employees so long as those benefits are not based upon the volume of sales of a specific annuity within a limited period of time.
260,19
Section
19. 628.347 (3) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
628.347 (3) (am) Except as permitted under sub. (2b) (h), an insurer may not issue an annuity recommended to a consumer unless there is a reasonable basis to believe the annuity will effectively address the particular consumer's financial situation, insurance needs, and financial objectives based on the consumer's consumer profile information.
260,20
Section 20
. 628.347 (3) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
628.347 (3) (c) An insurer is not required to include in its system of supervision an insurance intermediary's recommendations to consumers of products other than the annuities offered by the insurer or include consideration of, or comparison to, options available to the intermediary or compensation relating to those options other than annuities or other products offered by the insurer.
260,21
Section 21
. 628.347 (3m) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
628.347 (3m) (a) Truthfully responding to an insurer's request for confirmation of suitability
consumer profile information.
260,22
Section 22
. 628.347 (4) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
628.347 (4) Comparable standards. (a) Recommendations and sales of annuities made in compliance with comparable standards shall satisfy the requirements of this section. This subsection applies to all recommendations and sales of annuities made by financial professionals in compliance with business rules, controls, and procedures that satisfy a comparable standard even if the standard does not otherwise apply to the annuity or recommendation.
(b) Nothing in this subsection limits the commissioner's ability to investigate and enforce the provisions of this section.
(c) Nothing in par. (a) limits an insurer's obligation to comply with sub. (3) (am), although the insurer may base its analysis on information received from either the financial professional or the entity responsible for supervising the financial professional, including the financial professional's broker-dealer or an investment adviser registered under federal or state securities law.
(d) In order for par. (a) to apply, an insurer shall do all of the following:
1. Monitor the relevant conduct of the financial professional or the entity responsible for supervising the financial professional, including the financial professional's broker-dealer or an investment adviser registered under federal or state securities law, using information collected in the normal course of an insurer's business.
2. Provide to the entity responsible for supervising the financial professional, including the financial professional's broker-dealer or investment adviser registered under federal or state securities law, the information and reports that are reasonably appropriate to assist the entity with maintaining its supervision system.
260,23
Section
23. 628.347 (4m) (b) 3. f. of the statutes is amended to read:
628.347 (4m) (b) 3. f. Appropriate standard of conduct, sales practices, and replacement and disclosure requirements.
260,24
Section 24
. 628.347 (4m) (b) 10. of the statutes is created to read:
628.347 (4m) (b) 10. An intermediary who has completed an annuity training course approved by the commissioner prior to the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], shall, within 6 months of the effective date of this subdivision .... [LRB inserts date], complete any of the following:
a. A 4 credit training course approved by the commissioner.
b. An additional onetime one credit training course approved by the commissioner and provided by an education provider, who is approved by the commissioner, on appropriate sales practices and replacement and disclosure requirements under this section.
260,25
Section 25
. 628.347 (4m) (b) 11. of the statutes is created to read:
628.347 (4m) (b) 11. Satisfaction of the components of the training requirements of a course or courses with components substantially similar to the requirements of this paragraph satisfies the training requirements of this paragraph.
260,26
Section 26
. 628.347 (9) and (10) of the statutes are created to read:
628.347 (9) No private cause of action. Nothing in this section may be construed to create or imply a private cause of action for a violation of this section or to subject an insurance intermediary or insurer to civil liability under the best interest standard of care under sub. (2) or under standards governing the conduct of a fiduciary or a fiduciary relationship.
(10) No additional licensure. Nothing in this section may be construed to require an insurance intermediary to obtain any license, including a securities license, other than an insurance intermediary license with the appropriate line of authority to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance in this state in order to fulfill the duties and obligations contained in this section so long as the insurance intermediary does not give advice or provide services that are otherwise subject to securities laws or engage in any other activity requiring another professional license.
260,27
Section 27
.
Effective date.
(1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 6th month beginning after publication.
