542

(a) Reserves for policies and contracts issued before the effective date of this subchapter may be calculated, at the option of the company, according to any standards that produce greater aggregate reserves for all such policies and contracts than the minimum reserves required by the laws in effect immediately before the effective date of this subchapter.\n(b) Reserves for any category of policies, contracts or benefits established by the Commissioner, issued on or after the effective date of this subchapter, may be calculated, at the option of the company, according to any standards that produce greater aggregate reserves for the category than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided in this subchapter, but the rate or rates of interest used for policies and contracts, other than annuity and pure endowment contracts may not be greater than the corresponding rate or rates of interest used in calculating any nonforfeiture benefits provided in the policies or contracts.\n(c) A company that adopts a standard of valuation producing greater aggregate reserves than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided under this subchapter, may adopt a lower

acts.\n(c) A company that adopts a standard of valuation producing greater aggregate reserves than those calculated according to the minimum standard provided under this subchapter, may adopt a lower standard of valuation with the approval of the Commissioner, but not lower than the minimum provided in this subchapter; but, for the purposes of this section, the holding of additional reserves previously determined by the appointed actuary to be necessary to render the opinion required by section 535 may not be considered the adoption of a higher standard of valuation.