58-7-173. Permitted insurer investments.

An insurer may invest in:

(1) Bonds, notes, warrants, and other evidences of indebtedness that are direct obligations of the U.S. Government or for which the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government is pledged for the payment of principal and interest.

(2) Loans insured or guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. Government or by any agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government to the extent of the insurance or guaranty.

(3) Student loans insured or guaranteed as to principal by the U.S. Government or by any agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government to the extent of the insurance or guaranty.

(4) Bonds, notes, warrants, and other securities not in default that are the direct obligations of any state or United States territory or the government of Canada or any Canadian province, or for which the full faith and credit of such state, government, or province has been pledged for the payment of principal and interest.

(5) Bonds, notes, warrants, and other securities not in default of any county, district, incorporated city, or school district in any state of the United States, or the District of Columbia, or in any Canadian province, that are the direct obligations of the county, district, city, or school district and for payment of the principal and interest of which the county, district, city, or school district has lawful authority to levy taxes or make assessments.

(6) Bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, warranties, or other evidences of indebtedness that are payable from revenues or earnings specifically pledged therefor of any public toll bridge, structure, or improvement owned by any state, incorporated city, or legally constituted public corporation or commission, all within the United States or Canada, for the payment of the principal and interest of which a lawful sinking fund has been established and is being maintained and if no default by the issuer in payment of principal or interest has occurred on any of its bonds, notes, warrants, or other securities within five years prior to the date of investment therein.

(7) Bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, warrants, or other evidences of indebtedness that are valid obligations issued, assumed, or guaranteed by the United States, any state, any county, city, district, political subdivision, civil division, or public instrumentality of any such government or unit thereof, or in any province of Canada; if by statute or other legal requirements the obligations are payable as to both principal and interest from revenues or earnings from the whole or any part of any utility supplying water, gas, a sewage disposal facility, electricity, or any other public service, including but not limited to a toll road or toll bridge.

(8) Bonds, debentures, or other securities of the following agencies, whether or not those obligations are guaranteed by the U.S. Government:

a. Fannie Mae, and stock thereof when acquired in connection with the sale of mortgage loans to the Association.

b. Any federal land bank, when the securities are issued under the Farm Loan Act;

c. Any federal home loan bank, when the securities are issued under the Home Loan Bank Act;

d. The Home Owners' Loan Corporation, created by the Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933;

e. Any federal intermediate credit bank, created by the Agricultural Credits Act;

f. The Central Bank for Cooperatives and regional banks for cooperatives organized under the Farm Credit Act of 1933, or by any of such banks; and any notes, bonds, debentures, or other similar obligations, consolidated or otherwise, issued by farm credit institutions under the Farm Credit Act of 1971;

g. Any other similar agency of the U.S. Government that is of similar financial quality.

(9) Bonds, debentures, or other securities of public housing authorities, issued under the Housing Act, of 1949, the Municipal Housing Commission Act, or the Rural Housing Commission Act, or issued by any public housing authority or agency in the United States, if the bonds, debentures, or other securities are secured by a pledge of annual contributions to be paid by the United States or any United States agency.

(10) Obligations issued, assumed, or guaranteed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, or the African Development Bank; and the cost of investments made under this subdivision in any one institution shall not exceed three percent (3%) of the insurer admitted assets.

(11) Bonds, notes, or other interest-bearing or interest-accruing obligations of any solvent institution organized under the laws of the United States, of any state, Canada or any Canadian province; provided the instruments are designated and valued in accordance with the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the NAIC Securities Valuation Office. The cost of investments made under this subdivision in any one issuer shall not exceed three percent (3%) of an insurer's admitted assets.

(12) Secured obligations of duly constituted churches and of church-holding companies; and the cost of investments made under this subdivision shall not exceed three percent (3%) of the insurer's admitted assets.

(13) Equipment trust obligations or certificates adequately secured and evidencing an interest in transportation equipment, wholly or in part within the United States, and the right to receive determined portions of rental, purchase, or other fixed obligatory payments for the use or purchase of that transportation equipment; and the cost of investments made under this subdivision shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the insurer's admitted assets.

(14) Share or savings accounts of credit unions, savings and loan associations or building and loan associations.

(15) Loans with a maturity not in excess of 12 years from the date thereof that are secured by the pledge of securities eligible for investment under this Chapter or by the pledge or assignment of life insurance policies issued by other insurers authorized to transact insurance in this State. On the date made, no such loan shall exceed in amount seventy-five percent (75%) of the market value of the collateral pledged, except that loans upon the pledge of U.S. Government bonds and loans upon the pledge or assignment of life insurance policies shall not exceed ninety-five percent (95%) of the market value of the bonds or the cash surrender value of the policies pledged. The market value of the collateral pledge shall at all times during the continuance of the loans meet or exceed the minimum percentages herein. Loans made under this section shall not be renewable beyond a period of 12 years from the date of the loan.

(16) Stocks, common or preferred, of any corporation created or existing under the laws of the United States, any U.S. territory, Canada or any Canadian province, or of any state. An insurer may invest in stocks, common or preferred, of any corporation created or existing under the laws of any foreign country other than Canada subject to the provisions of G.S. 58-7-178.

(17) Mortgage-backed securities that are designated a 1 or 2 in accordance with the Purposes and Procedures Manual of the NAIC Securities Valuation Office including, without limitation, collateral mortgage obligations backed by a pool of mortgages of the kind, class, and investment quality as those eligible for investment under G.S. 58-7-179.