In addition to other
questions an insurance carrier may lawfully pose to a life
insurance applicant, insurance carriers may inquire in the
application for insurance whether the proposed owner intends to
pay premiums with the assistance of financing from a lender that
will use the policy as collateral to support the financing.
(1) If, as described in RCW 48.102.006, the loan provides
funds which can be used for a purpose other than paying for the
premiums, costs, and expenses associated with obtaining and
maintaining the life insurance policy and loan, the application
shall be rejected as a violation of the prohibited practices in
RCW 48.102.130.
(2) If the financing does not violate RCW 48.102.130 in this
manner, the insurance carrier:
(a) May make disclosures, including but not limited to the
applicant and the insured, either on the application or an
amendment to the application to be completed no later than the
delivery of the policy:
"If you have entered into a loan arrangement where the
policy is used as collateral, and the policy does change
ownership at some point in the future in satisfaction of the
loan, the following may be true:
(i) A change of ownership could lead to a stranger owning an
interest in the insured's life;
(ii) A change of ownership could in the future limit your
ability to purchase future insurance on the insured's life
because there is a limit to how much coverage insurers will issue
on one life;
(iii) Should there be a change of ownership and you wish to
obtain more insurance coverage on the insured's life in the
future, the insured's higher issue age, a change in health
status, and/or other factors may reduce the ability to obtain
coverage and/or may result in significantly higher premiums;
(iv) You should consult a professional advisor, since a
change in ownership in satisfaction of the loan may result in tax
consequences to the owner, depending on the structure of the
loan"; and
(b) May require certifications, such as the following, from
the applicant and/or the insured:
"(i) I have not entered into any agreement or arrangement
providing for the future sale of this life insurance policy;
(ii) My loan arrangement for this policy provides funds
sufficient to pay for some or all of the premiums, costs, and
expenses associated with obtaining and maintaining my life
insurance policy, but I have not entered into any agreement by
which I am to receive consideration in exchange for procuring
this policy; and
(iii) The borrower has an insurable interest in the
insured."
[2009 c 104 § 12.]