• 沒有找到結果。

第四章 適合性原則於美國保險領域之適用狀況

第二節 美國保險領域適合性原則立法例

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契約符合:1.保險公司受州監理官之監理、2.由保險人負擔投資風險並保 證支付足夠之本金及利息、3.非以投資為銷售訴求,則可以排除適用聯邦 證券法。

由上可知,變額商品因含有投資性質而被認定為聯邦證券法的「證券」,

需受證券法規及監理之約束;因此,變額保險商品需依照 1933 年證券法 辦理登錄,經營該類商品的保險人,應依 1934 年證券交易法規定,登錄 為「經紀交易商(broker-dealer)」;從事銷售的保險經紀人與代理人,亦 須分別以「獨立契約人(independent contractor)」或經紀交易商的「關係人

」,辦理登錄195;也因此,他們必須受到當時相關證券監理、自律規範的 適合性原則限制196

第三項 小結

於早期之傳統保險市場,因監理之市場區隔、1945 年 McCarran- Ferguson 法案對保險事業管轄之決定,傳統保險商品不受到聯邦證券法規 之適用,也無須受到證券監理、自律機構的適合性原則限制;其後變額年 金、變額人壽保險的開發及銷售,由於其含有投資性質,被認定為聯邦證 券法的「證券」,因此對於此類性質保險商品,應採取不同於對以往傳統保 險商品之監理態度,而需受聯邦證券法規及監理、自律規範之約束。證券 市場為保護投資人發展出之適合性原則,透過變額保險商品,逐漸擴張適 用至保險領域。

第二節 美國保險領域適合性原則立法

由於保險商品屬於州管轄事項,因此保險相關規則是各州自行規範的;

而美國保險監理官協會(National Association of Insurance Commissioners, NAIC)197對於保險監理事項會制訂示範規則,供各州參考,於 NAIC 制定

195 梅津昭彥,同註 178,頁 43。

196 此外,變額年金通常有高傭金,促使銷售人員捨棄其他商品而推銷變額年金,且變額年金較

其他投資來得複雜,銷售人員易於進行不當之銷售,因此,NASD 發行 notice 96-80(December 1996)提醒變額年金是受到證券規範的、notice 99-35 (May 1999)提出作適合度決策時之指導方 針。

197 NAIC 為美國 50 州、哥倫比亞特區以及 5 大屬地之保險監理官共同組成之自願性機構。

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的各種示範規則中,與適合性原則相關者,分別為年金交易適合性示範規 則以及變額人壽保險示範規則;各州於訂定州規範時,或完全移植該示範 規則,或部分採納該規則,亦有不採納示範規則者198。另外,若保險商品 含有證券之性質,而被認定為證券法之證券,業者另須遵守聯邦證券法規、

受 SEC 之監理以及證券自律機構之自律規範;其中聯邦證券法及 FINRA 自 律規範主要部分已於前章說明,但 FINRA 針對定商品有特別之規範,Rule 2330 是針對遞延變額年金所設,以下僅就 NAIC 金交易適合性示範規則、

變額人壽保險示範規則,以及 FINRA Rule 2330 加以說明。

第一項 NAIC 年金交易適合性示範規則

199

由於近年保險人銷售年金之數量增加,導致聯邦與各州證券監理者更 加關注年金交易並推動了一些法規修正200;NAIC 最早於 2003 年制訂「高齡 客戶年金交易保護示範規則(Senior Protection in Annuity Transactions Model Regulation)」,其規範的商品包含定額年金以及變額年金,但因考 量欠缺普遍的適合性標準支持,且過去各州亦多無此標準,所以並將該規 範適用範圍限縮於 65 歲以上之高齡客戶為對象;而後於 2006 年,NAIC 認 為購買年金產品的程序通常複雜而使人困惑,因此將該規範修正為「年金 交易適合性示範規則(下稱年金示範規則)」,刪除前述年齡之限制,使 其適用範圍及於所有年齡層之客戶201;於 2010 年,NAIC 為了給予消費者 更完善保障、避免不當年金保險銷售行為,並調和保險與證券之監理,再 次修正了年金交易適合性示範規則,擴張了適合性標準、新增招攬人員

(producer)訓練要求、擴張保險人遵循該規則的責任202

年金示範規則規範目的為要求保險人建立對於推薦行為之監督系統,

並設立對消費者推薦且進而成立交易的推薦標準及程序,以使涉及年金之 交易,能適度滿足消費者的保險需求及財務目標;惟本規則並不產生或隱 含私人訴訟之請求權203

198 Anthony H. Pelle and Donna K. Knapton, supra note 4, at 65.

199 NAIC MODEL LAWS, REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES, Volume II-275-1, Suitability in Annuity Transactions Regulation.

200 Rebecca Snider, Suitability in Annuity Transactions Regulations Development, 934 PLI/Comm 483, at 485.

201 See id.

202 See id.

203 Suitability in Annuity Transactions Regulation, Section 1 Purpose: “A. The purpose of this regulation is to require insurers to establish a system to supervise recommendations and to set forth standards and procedures for recommendations to consumers that result in transactions involving annuity products so that the insurance needs and financial objectives of consumers at the time of the transaction are appropriately addressed. B. Nothing herein shall be construed to

年金示範規則適用對象為保險招攬人員(Insurance producers)204(若 無保險招攬人員時則為保險人)對於客戶購買、交換或替換年金保險之「

create or imply a private cause of action for a violation of this regulation”

204 指依州法規定領有執照而銷售、招攬、交涉包含年金等保險商品之人,See id. Section 5.

Definitions F。

205 See id. Section 2. Scope: “This regulation shall apply to any recommendation to purchase, exchange or replace an annuity made to a consumer by an insurance producer, or an insurer where no producer is involved, that results in the purchase, exchange or replacement recommended.”

206 See id. Section 4. Exemptions A: “Driect response solicitations where there is no recommendation based on information collected from the consumer pursuant to this regulation”.

207 See id. Section 5. Definitions G: “means advice provided by an insurance producer, or an insurer where no producer is involved, to an individual consumer that results in a purchase, exchange or replacement of an annuity in accordance with that advice”.

208 See id. Section 6 Duties of Insurers and of Insurance Producers, A: ”In recommending to a consumer the purchase of an annuity or the exchange of an annuity that results in another insurance transaction or series of insurance transactions, the insurance producer, or the insurer where no producer is involved, shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the recommendation is suitable for the consumer on the basis of the facts disclosed by the consumer as to his or her investments and other insurance products and as to his or her financial situation and needs, including the consumer’s suitability information,……”

209 See id. “……and that there is a reasonable basis to believe all of the following: (1) The consumer has been reasonably informed of various features of the annuity, such as the potential surrender period and surrender charge, potential tax penalty if the consumer sells, exchanges, surrenders or annuitizes the annuity, mortality and expense fees, investment advisory fees, potential charges for and features of riders, limitations on interest returns, insurance and investment components and market risk; (2) The consumer would benefit from certain features of the annuity, such as taxdeferred growth, annuitization or death or living benefit; (3) The particular annuity as a whole, the underlying subaccounts to which funds are allocated at the time of purchase or exchange of the annuity, and riders and similar product enhancements, if any, are suitable (and in the case of an exchange or replacement, the transaction as a whole is suitable) for the particular consumer based on his or her suitability information;…”

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「客戶的適合度資訊」,定義於第 5 條第 I 項,指客戶之年齡、年收入、財 務狀況及需求(包含投入年金之資金來源)、財務經驗、財務目標、購買年 金之用途、財務時程、既存資產(包含投資及人壽保險)、流動性需求、淨 值流動性、風險容忍度、稅務狀況210

同條第 B 項規定,保險招攬人員,如無招攬人員時則為保險人,在執 行該推介之年金的購買、交換、取代前,須盡合理努力去取得客戶適合度 資訊211。第 C 項規定除非基於客戶適合度資訊而有合理基礎相信所推薦的 年金保險適合該客戶,保險人不應簽發該年金保險212

D 項則規定了保險招攬人員或保險人免負適合性義務之情形,包含:(a)

沒有提供建議;(b)雖有建議,但事後發現客戶所提供之資訊並不正確;

(c)客戶拒絕提供適合度相關資訊,且未推薦該年金交易;(d)客戶決 定的年金交易,並非基於保險人或招攬人員所為之建議。

E 項規定招攬人或保險人銷售時應:(1)紀錄所有符合 A 項的推薦;(2)

若客戶拒絕提供資訊,取得客戶之簽名;(3)若客戶決定簽訂非招攬人或 保險人推薦之年金保險,取得客戶之承認之簽名。

F 項要求保險人必須建立合理的監督機制,以確保招攬人或保險人遵 循法令,該機制應包含但不限於下列事項:(a)保險人應維持通知招攬人 員本法令之要求之合理程序,並將本法令之要求納入相關訓練手冊;(b)

應建立招攬人員產品訓練標準,並維持要求招攬人員遵循本法第 7 條規定 之合理程序;(c)應提供個別產品訓練,訓練教材應解釋所有年金商品之 重要特色;(d)保險人應建立並維持於各年金保險簽發前,檢視各個推薦 程序,以確保推薦之適合性是有合理基礎的213;(e)檢測不具適合度之建 議的程序214;(f)保險人應每年提供資深經理人關於監督系統效用之相關

210 See id. Section 5. Definitions I: ““Suitability information” means information that is reasonably appropriate to determine the suitability of a recommendation, including the following: (1) Age; (2) Annual income; (3) Financial situation and needs, including the financial resources used for the funding of the annuity; (4) Financial experience; (5) Financial objectives; (6) Intended use of the annuity; (7) Financial time horizon; (8) Existing assets, including investment and life insurance holdings; (9) Liquidity needs; (10) Liquid net worth; (11) Risk tolerance; and (12) Tax status. ”

211 See id. Section 6B: “Prior to the execution of a purchase, exchange or replacement of an annuity resulting from a recommendation, an insurance producer, or an insurer where no producer is involved, shall make reasonable efforts to obtain the consumer's suitability information”.

212 See id. Section 6C: “Except as permitted under subsection D, an insurer shall not issue an annuity recommended to a consumer unless there is a reasonable basis to believe the annuity is suitable based on the consumer's suitability information.”

213 此程序可應用篩選系統以對被選出的交易作額外的檢視,並且可以電子化作業或其他方式完

成之。

214 例如:確認客戶適合度相關資訊、系統性與客戶確認。

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報告215

G 項則規定保險招攬人不應勸阻客戶據實回應保險人詢問的適合性資 訊、提出申訴,或配合申訴調查。

除此之外,該條 H 項並提供保險人或招攬人一安全港(safe harbor),

若受規範者能符合 FINRA 的適合性規範,便視為符合年金示範規則。

對於違反適合性義務的效果,第 8 條 A 項規定216,如有違反規範之情 形發生,不論係保險人或其保險招攬人員之作為或不作為,保險監理官得 命令:(1)保險人對因保險人或其招攬人員違反行為而受損之客戶,採取適 當之更正行為;或(2)一般代理人、獨立代理人或保險招攬人員對因其違反 行為而受損之客戶,採取適當之更正行為;或(3)適當的罰金或制裁。同條 B 項規定217:若於發現違規後立即對客戶採取更正行為或違規非因行為所 致,可減輕或免除罰金。

目前年金示範規則於美國,共有 17 州採用 NAIC 2006 年之年金交易適 合性示範規則,有 2 州正在修法採納 NAIC 2010 年之年金交易適合性示範 規則,而共有 30 州採用 NAIC 2010 年之年金交易適合性示範規則,此外 6 州採用類似或與適合性原則相關之規範218

第二項 變額人壽保險示範規則

219

變額人壽保險示範規則本身並非如同年金適合性示範規則係專門針 對適合性原則作規範,其僅於第 3 條第 C 項規定,任何尋求受核准而得於

變額人壽保險示範規則本身並非如同年金適合性示範規則係專門針 對適合性原則作規範,其僅於第 3 條第 C 項規定,任何尋求受核准而得於