Consumers Union

  • Mary Griffin
  • NAIC Illustrations – 1990s
  • 1974 – LC – Consumers Union of United States, Inc. v. Albright
    • Court: United States District Court, S.D. New York
    • No. 74 Civ. 234, 427 F. Supp. 840 (S.D.N.Y. 1977)
  • On behalf of the consumer representatives.
  • Some suggestions to make the advisory committees more relevant to the NAIC include:
    • NAIC could assist consumer groups with technical assistance on selected issues, e.g the concept of consumer actuary.

1993 0302 – Letter – Consumers Union to NAIC Subgroup to Study Advisory Committee Procedures and Protocols – (EX) – NAIC  —  [BonkNote – Subgroup] – Attachment 2 – 

Mary Griffin, Consumers Union, Insurance Counsel, Washington Office

  • You may opt for a “planned” or “target” premium–a predetermined amount to be paid on a regular basis to help protect you from lapsing the policy.

—  Key Features of Universal Life Policy – Consumers Union


1994-1, NAIC Proc.
  • [Mary Griffin]
  • 1993-1, NAIC Proceedings – 
    • 1993 0302 – Letter – Consumers Union to NAIC Subgroup to Study Advisory Committee Procedures and Protocols – (EX) – NAIC  – Attachment 2  —  [BonkNote] 
      • Mary Griffin, Consumers Union, Insurance Counsel, Washington Office
      • On behalf of the consumer representatives.
      • NAIC could assist consumer groups with technical assistance on selected issues, e.g the concept of consumer actuary.
  • 1990’s, Illustrations, NAIC
    • 1994-1, NAIC Proc.
      • Key Features of Universal Life Policy – Consumers Union
        • You may opt for a “planned” or “target” premium–a predetermined amount to be paid on a regular basis to help protect you from lapsing the policy.
    • 1994-2, NAIC Proceedings – June 13 –
      • Mary Griffin (Consumers Union) – asked about Section 2 and the phase “misrepresenting the benefits of the life insurance policy.”
        • She said the commissioner might already have the authority under current law to deal with misrepresentations.
        • Mr. Wright directed her to the drafting note after Section 3, which discussed commissioners’ authority
  • 1999 0625 – GOV (House) – Risky Business in the Operating Subsidiary: How the OCC Dropped the Ball – [PDF-106p,
  • 1999 0708 – CSPAN – Financial Services Modernization Act – [link]
    • Council members talked about financial services modernization legislation recently passed by the House.
    • They talked about what the legislation will mean in terms of the sharing personal information between banks and financial institutions.
  • 1938 02 – Consumers Union – Reports – Life Insurance: Annual Renewable Term – 32p
  • 1938 09 – Consumers Union – Reports – Life Insurance News – 24p
  • 1967 – Consumers Union – The Consumers Union Report on Life Insurance: A Guide to Planning and Buying the Protection You Need.
  • 1968 – Consumers Union – Consumers Union Report on Life Insurance: A Guide to Planning and Buying the Protection You Need
  • 1973 – Consumers Union – 
  • 1973 – Consumers Union – Consumers Union Report on Life Insurance: A Guide to Planning and Buying the Protection You Need
  • 1975 – Consumers Union – The Consumers Union Report on Life Insurance: A Guide to Planning and Buying the Protection You Need.
    • 1978 – ARIA – Reviewed Work: Report on Life Insurance: A Guide to Planning and Buying the Protection You Need Consumers Union, Review by: Albert L. Auxier, The Journal of Risk and Insurance, Vol. 45, No. 4 (Dec., 1978), pp. 736-741 (6 pages), Published By: American Risk and Insurance Association – <WishList-Jstor>

    • Among proponents of cash value insurance, CU has long been a thorn (some four decades) because of its advocacy of term insurance for most life insurance buyers. CU continues this tradition and the controversy which surrounds it in this edition.

       

    • CU has moved away from its earlier position that all buyers should purchase term insurance, but not far. It now admits that “a small number” of buyers might sensibly prefer cash value insurance for tax-sheltered income, creditor protection, forced savings, or other features (p. 6).

  • 1980 – Consumers Union – The Consumers Union Report on Life Insurance: A Guide to Planning and Buying the Protection You Need. – 4th ed 
  • 1985 11 – FTC – Report – Life Insurance Products And Consumer Information, by Michael P. Lynch and Robert J. Mackay, Staff Report Bureau of Economics, Federal Trade Commission  —  [BonkNote]  —  [PDF-317p]
    • (p231) – Consumers Union (1980) also presents data on the distribution of Linton yields for a large sample of whole life policie
  • The NAIC recently developed a Life Insurance Sales Illustration Model Regulation.
  • Although the model does not address many of the problems in the market, the NAIC has stated that the new requirements will make it easier for consumers to understand their policies and prevent some of the market abuses.
  • The industry has been the subject of several cases and administrative proceedings related to deceptive practices, including the practice of illustrating values that could not be supported with experience and informing consumers that their policies would be paid up when that was wholly dependent on the experience underlying the investments and the assumptions made in the contract. Allowing contracts to be restructured creates even more confusion and uncertainty for insurance consumers.
  • Attachment SIX-A (p741)
To: Caroline Scott, Chair, Guaranty Fund Issues B Working Group
From: Mary Griffin, Insurance Counsel, Consumers Union
Date: Nov. 30, 1995

1995-4, NAIC Proceedings