12 U.S.C. § 1831x - Insurance customer protections

• Cite as: 12 U.S.C. § 1831x

(a) Regulations required

(1) In general

The Federal banking agencies shall prescribe and publish in final form, before the end of the 1-year period beginning on November 12, 1999, customer protection regulations (which the agencies jointly determine to be appropriate) that-

(A) apply to retail sales practices, solicitations, advertising, or offers of any insurance product by any depository institution or any person that is engaged in such activities at an office of the institution or on behalf of the institution; and

(B) are consistent with the requirements of this chapter and provide such additional protections for customers to whom such sales, solicitations, advertising, or offers are directed.

(2) Applicability to subsidiaries

The regulations prescribed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall extend such protections to any subsidiary of a depository institution, as deemed appropriate by the regulators referred to in paragraph (3), where such extension is determined to be necessary to ensure the consumer protections provided by this section.

(3) Consultation and joint regulations

The Federal banking agencies shall consult with each other and prescribe joint regulations pursuant to paragraph (1), after consultation with the State insurance regulators, as appropriate.

(b) Sales practices

The regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (a) shall include antitying and anticoercion rules applicable to the sale of insurance products that prohibit a depository institution from engaging in any practice that would lead a customer to believe an extension of credit, in violation of section 1972 of this title, is conditional upon-

(1) the purchase of an insurance product from the institution or any of its affiliates; or

(2) an agreement by the consumer not to obtain, or a prohibition on the consumer from obtaining, an insurance product from an unaffiliated entity.

(c) Disclosures and advertising

The regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the following provisions relating to disclosures and advertising in connection with the initial purchase of an insurance product:

(1) Disclosures

(A) In general

Requirements that the following disclosures be made orally and in writing before the completion of the initial sale and, in the case of clause (iii), at the time of application for an extension of credit:

(i) Uninsured status

As appropriate, the product is not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the United States Government, or the depository institution.

(ii) Investment risk

In the case of a variable annuity or other insurance product which involves an investment risk, that there is an investment risk associated with the product, including possible loss of value.