Fewer than 2,600 policies surrendered; penalty waived for reinstating policies

By Lorna Tan, Finance Correspondent

AIA Statement English Version

INSURER AIA Singapore went into damage control mode on two fronts yesterday after two days of near-mayhem at its service centre.

It took out full page advertisements in local newspapers reiterating that it could meet all policyholder obligations.

And it has agreed to waive the usual penalties for reinstatement of policies if customers cash out but later change their minds.

It also announced last evening that its executive vice-president and general manager, Mr Mark O’Dell, has resigned with immediate effect.

Fewer than 2,600 plans have been terminated over the past two days, despite thousands of worried policyholders flocking to its offices, apparently keen to cash out.

The insurer said in a statement yesterday that less than 0.1 per cent of total policies in force were surrendered. AIA has 2.6 million policies in total.

AIA Statement (Chinese)

The new scheme – called the policy conservation programme – applies to whole life and endowment policies. Policyholders who surrender their policies this week – Sept 15 to Sept 19 – can reinstate their plans without penalties. They will also not have to submit evidence of insurability such as health reports.

Written requests for reinstatement must be received by AIA within 14 days of the date of surrender.

‘These policies will be reinstated in full as if they had never been surrendered. No interest will be charged on back premium and/or cash value returned to AIA,’ said the insurer.

‘Any dividends will be re-deposited into the policyholder’s account and interest will continue to be accrued from the date of reinstatement.’

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) welcomed the AIA move. It also reiterated that AIA has sufficient assets in its insurance funds to meet its liabilities to policyholders and urged customers not to act rashly.

Mr Low Kwok Mun, MAS’ executive director (insurance supervision), said: ‘Policyholders should not act hastily to terminate their insurance policies as they may suffer losses from the premature termination and lose the insurance protection they may need.’

The Life Insurance Association (LIA) urged members yesterday not to take this opportunity to poach AIA customers.

‘The LIA takes very seriously any attempt by distributors to target AIA policyholders and advise them to surrender or replace their policies,’ it stated.

‘[We] would remind customers that life insurance products are designed for certain durations, and that therefore there are significant disadvantages if they are terminated early.’

The efforts to ease concerns seem to have had an effect with only a small queue of customers lining up at AIA’s offices yesterday.

The firm has also devised a more effective crowd control measure. They limited the number of policyholders who would be attended to at the Finlayson Green service centre to 500 yesterday.

By contrast it handed out about 1,000 queue numbers on Wednesday, which kept service staff flat out until 12.30am.

‘We can’t handle so many customers. We need our rest so we can continue to work the next day,’ a tired AIA staff told The Straits Times yesterday.

AIA was prepared to give out 400 queue numbers in advance for today’s appointments. By 2pm, 200 queue numbers were snapped up.

Policyholder Ms Soh, 50, was disappointed to be given a number and told to return at 11am today. She wanted to surrender two policies, one a 21-year endowment plan.

AIA staff will be contacting policyholders who surrendered their whole life and endowment plans during the week to ask if they wish to reinstate their policies. Policyholders can also call its hotline 6248 8355.

lorna@sph.com.sg

NEW YORK – CAPPING an extraordinary day in financial markets, US authorities pieced together an emergency US$85 billion (S$122 billion) rescue of insurance company American International Group to stave off a bankruptcy that could have thrown world markets into deeper turmoil.

AIG’s rescue calls for the US Federal Reserve to lend up to US$85 billion to AIG for two years in exchange for a 79.9 per cent equity stake.

It comes just two days after US authorities refused to bail out investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, forcing it into bankruptcy court despite pleas from Wall Street’s chiefs.

AIG will pay interest at a steep 8.5 percentage points above the three-month London Interbank Offered Rate, making the current rate equal to about 11.4 per cent.

That gives AIG a big incentive to embark on a massive asset sale programme to pay back the loan quickly.

…

An AIG collapse could have cost financial institutions US$180 billion, or 50 per cent of the capital they have raised since the credit crunch began last year, RBC Capital Markets analyst Hank Calenti wrote. — REUTERS