State insurance regulations define specific prohibited acts to protect consumers and maintain fair competition. Match each scenario described below with the precise statutory unfair trade practice it violates.
- Unfair DiscriminationAn insurer refusing to issue a policy or charging a disproportionately higher premium based solely on an applicant's intent to travel internationally, without any sound actuarial basis.
- CoercionA lending institution refusing to approve a commercial mortgage unless the borrower agrees to purchase their property insurance exclusively through the lender's affiliated agency.
- ChurningDepleting the cash value of an existing life insurance policy to purchase another policy with the same insurer, solely to generate new commissions without providing economic benefit to the insured.
- False Financial StatementsAn insurance company executive deliberately omitting significant pending legal liabilities from a published annual report to artificially inflate the public's perception of the insurer's solvency.
Answer
Unfair Discrimination matches the refusal based on travel without actuarial basis; Coercion matches the lender tying a mortgage to an insurance purchase; Churning matches the internal replacement for commission; False Financial Statements matches omitting liabilities from an annual report.
Each scenario aligns exactly with the NAIC Model Unfair Trade Practices Act definitions. Churning involves internal replacement for commission; Coercion involves tying agreements; Unfair Discrimination involves differential treatment without actuarial justification; and False Financial Statements involve deception regarding company solvency.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Statutory definitions of Unfair Trade Practices