Federal interference in the regulation of the insurance industry could be around the corner, but the states are not going to cede their authority without a fight.
State legislators fear that “important funds and jobs could be lost if Congress authorizes a federal insurance charter and creates a new bureaucracy to regulate insurance.” According to a letter sent by NCOIL (The National Conference of Insurance Legislators) to every member of the 112th Congress, a federal insurance charter could cost states as much as $16 billion in revenue annually—representing lost fees and taxes generated for the states by insurance business. ….
Although the FIO itself is not given regulatory authority by the Wall Street Reform Act, the studies mandated by the Act may signal that the Feds are interested in expanding their reach into the insurance industry. And, it would be naïve to think that the FIO studies will find that federal regulation of insurance companies is absolutely unnecessary—given the role of insurance companies like AIG in the financial crisis. Read this complete analysis of the impact at AdvisorFX (sign up for a free trial subscription with full access to all of the planning libraries and client presentations if you are not already a subscriber).
For previous coverage of the Federal Insurance Office in Advisor’s Journal, see The Federal Insurance Office (CC 10-55).
William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence 