The NAIC's History and Background
A Tradition of Consumer Protection

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the organization of insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. The NAIC provides a forum for the development of uniform policy when uniformity is appropriate.

A state regulator's primary responsibility is to protect the interests of insurance consumers, and the NAIC helps regulators fulfill that obligation. That assistance is related to the regulators' shared objectives of financial and market conduct regulation.

State insurance regulators created the NAIC in 1871 to address the need to coordinate regulation of multistate insurers. The first major step in that process was the development of uniform financial reporting by insurance companies. Since then, new legislative concepts, new levels of expertise in data collection and delivery, and a commitment to even greater technological capability have moved the NAIC forward into its role as a multidimensional, regulatory support organization.

With offices in Kansas City, Missouri, New York and Washington, D.C. the NAIC staff provide invaluable support to insurance commissioners. The following lists the primary activities and organizations of the NAIC.

NAIC Office Locations

Switchboard Hours: Mon - Fri 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central Time)

Most employees work at the NAIC Central Office located in Kansas City, Missouri. This office is home to the following divisions:

Communications/Media Relations – Provides communications for the NAIC and its members through media relations, news releases, electronic and Web-based material, and the promotion of consumer education through Insure U.

Executive – Provides overall support to the NAIC and its members. The Executive Division includes the Finance Department and the Business Strategy, Risk Management and Compliance Department.

Human Resources and Internal Services – Contributes to the NAIC’s internal operations, including human resources activities, facilities, records management, and copy and mail services.

Information Systems - Assists insurance regulators by providing technical infrastructure to promote shared regulatory information and systems standardization.

Insurance Products and Services - Markets publications and insurance company financial data to regulators and external customers, designs, and has oversight of the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF) and the State-Based Systems (SBS) Program.

Legal - Researches and analyzes developments in insurance law, provides advice to state insurance regulators and serves as in-house counsel to the association.

Member Services - Provides support to members and staff in the areas of Education and Training, Meeting Planning, and Library Resources.

Regulatory Services Division - Provides support to members and staff in the areas Actuarial & Statistical Services, Market Regulation, and Financial Regulatory Services.

Technical Services – Provides overall technology support with I-Site, MyNAIC, and StateNet. The NAIC Help Desk is staffed 8 am – 5 pm Central time, Monday to Friday.

Switchboard Hours: Mon - Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time)

The NAIC's Securities Valuation Office (SVO) is located in the heart of New York's Financial District. The SVO examines the credit quality and value of insurer's investment portfolios for the benefit of the regulatory community.
http://www.naic.org/svo.htm

Switchboard Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Washington, D.C. is home to the NAIC's Executive Office. This office advises state regulators on policy implications of federal legislation and other federal and international actions affecting their authority over the business of insurance.
http://www.naic.org/cipr_topics_page.htm