[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 12, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 12CFR221.122]

[Page 52-53]
 
                       TITLE 12--BANKS AND BANKING
 
                   CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
 
PART 221--CREDIT BY BANKS AND PERSONS OTHER THAN BROKERS OR DEALERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING OR CARRYING MARGIN STOCK (REGULATION U)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 221.122  Applicability of margin requirements to credit in connection with Insurance Premium Funding Programs.

    (a) The Board has been asked numerous questions regarding purpose 
credit in connection with insurance premium funding programs. The 
inquiries are included in a set of guidelines in the format of questions 
and answers. (The guidelines are available pursuant to the Board's Rules 
Regarding Availability of Information, 12 CFR part 261.) A glossary of 
terms customarily used in connection with insurance premium funding 
credit activities is included in the guidelines. Under a typical 
insurance premium funding program, a borrower acquires mutual fund 
shares for cash, or takes fund shares which he already owns, and then 
uses the loan value (currently 50 percent as set by the Board) to buy 
insurance. Usually, a funding company (the issuer) will sell both the 
fund shares and the insurance through either independent broker/dealers 
or subsidiaries or affiliates of the issuer. A typical plan may run for 
10 or 15 years with annual insurance premiums due. To illustrate, 
assuming an annual insurance premium of $300, the participant is 
required to put up mutual fund shares equivalent to 250 percent of the 
premium or $600 ($600 x 50 percent loan value equals $300 the amount of 
the insurance premium which is also the amount of the credit extended).

[[Page 53]]

    (b) The guidelines referenced in paragraph (a) of this section also:
    (1) Clarify an earlier 1969 Board interpretation to show that the 
public offering price of mutual fund shares (which includes the front 
load, or sales commission) may be used as a measure of their current 
market value when the shares serve as collateral on a purpose credit 
throughout the day of the purchase of the fund shares; and
    (2) Relax a 1965 Board position in connection with accepting purpose 
statements by mail.
    (c) It is the Board's view that when it is clearly established that 
a purpose statement supports a purpose credit then such statement 
executed by the borrower may be accepted by mail, provided it is 
received and also executed by the lender before the credit is extended.