Nationwide to Pay $8M Over Variable Annuity Pricing Violations

Nationwide Life Insurance Co. has ben ordered to pay an $8 million penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for purposely delaying variable annuity and life insurance policy orders and that this led to company’s failure to price these orders in a timely manner.

From 1995 to 2011 clients placed thousands of orders to Nationwide for variable insurance contracts and underlying mutual funds through First Class mail at an Ohio post office box. However, even though the majority of the mail was ready for Nationwide to pick up early in the morning, the company’s couriers were purportedly told to not collect the mail until after 4pm.

The SEC said that this violates the Investment Company Act of 1940’s Rule 22c-1, which mandates that a company price orders made prior to 4p at that day’s price while orders after 4 pm are to be priced at the next day’s price. The insurer is accused of going to the post office and stressing the need for variable contract mail to be delivered late. Certain couriers even purposely delayed when they’d arrive at the carrier’s home office by stopping to purchase food or get gas. Meantime, said the SEC, Nationwide managed to pick up and deliver mail for other its business units without such delays.

Our variable annuity fraud lawyers at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD LLP are committed to the financial recovery of our clients. Contact us today.

Read the SEC Order (PDF)

Variable Annuities: What You Should Know, SEC.gov

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