OPTIONALITY TEST Definition

OPTIONALITY TEST is part of the NAIC security insurer provisional exemption rules: A. Optionality Test: for corporate and municipal issues, principal and interest must be paid in US dollars, contract terms state that principal is repayable in full and the principal repayment schedule is fixed. Further the principal is set at closing, fixed in US dollars and coupon payments cannot be less than zero in any period. B. Optionality Test: for Asset-Backed/Residential Mortgage-Backed securities, the principal and interest must be paid in US dollars, and the coupon payment cannot be less than zero in any payment period. In addition, with the exception for credit enhancements, the timing and amount of cash flows to pay the obligation must depend on the timing and amount of cash flow from the assets underlying the bond. If the bond is prepaid immediately, the insurer must receive at least 98% of the purchase price.

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HAIRCUT is the amount of reduction in market value given to securities pledged as collateral, typically in a repurchase agreement or a reverse repurchase agreement. This reduc­tion assures the lender of funds in this type of transaction that, even if the collateral's market value declines, there is time to call for additional collateral to bring the collateral value back up to an acceptable level.

ROLL FORWARD BUDGET see CONTINUOUS BUDGET.

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