Securities Law Commons^™

Regulation Of Business - Securities Act Of 1933 - Sec Loses Fight To Regulate Variable Annuity, William J. Wise S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The defendant, Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, regulated as a life insurance company by the District of Columbia, issued a contract which it termed an annuity, but which differed from a conventional annuity in certain important respects. Ordinary annuity premiums are invested in debt securities while the premiums paid on the variable annuity are invested in common stocks. Further, instead of benefit payments in fixed dollar amounts, the variable annuity's benefits fluctuate since the value of the fund from which they are paid is affected by changing stock prices and dividend policies. The SEC, claiming these provisions brought the contract …