0001193125-11-105907.txt : 20110422 0001193125-11-105907.hdr.sgml : 20110422 20110422103937 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0001193125-11-105907 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: 485BPOS PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 8 FILED AS OF DATE: 20110422 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20110422 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20110501 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000742277 IRS NUMBER: 390509570 STATE OF INCORPORATION: WI FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 485BPOS SEC ACT: 1933 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 002-89972 FILM NUMBER: 11774855 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 720 E WISCONSIN AVE CITY: MILWAUKEE STATE: WI ZIP: 53202 BUSINESS PHONE: 4146652508 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 720 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE CITY: MILWAUKEE STATE: WI ZIP: 53202 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000742277 IRS NUMBER: 390509570 STATE OF INCORPORATION: WI FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: 485BPOS SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-03989 FILM NUMBER: 11774856 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 720 E WISCONSIN AVE CITY: MILWAUKEE STATE: WI ZIP: 53202 BUSINESS PHONE: 4146652508 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: 720 EAST WISCONSIN AVENUE CITY: MILWAUKEE STATE: WI ZIP: 53202 0000742277 S000000058 NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT C000000093 Variable Life 485BPOS 1 d485bpos.htm NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT (VLI) Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (VLI)
Table of Contents
    Registration No. 2-89972
    Registration No. 811-3989

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-6

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES

  ACT OF 1933   /    /
  Pre-Effective Amendment No.        /    /
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 38    / X /

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT

  COMPANY ACT OF 1940   /    /
  Amendment No.   37     / X /

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT

 

(Exact Name of Registrant)

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

 

(Name of Depositor)

 

    720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin   53202
  (Address of Depositor’s Principal Executive Offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Depositor’s Telephone Number, including Area Code

 

414-271-1444

RAYMOND J. MANISTA, General Counsel and Secretary

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

 

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Copy to:

Chad E. Fickett, Assistant General Counsel

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

720 East Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202

414-665-1209

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering                                      Continuous                                 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate space)

               immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

     X       on May 1, 2011 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

               60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

               on (DATE) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

               this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a

               previously filed post-effective amendment.


Table of Contents

Prospectus

 

May 1, 2011

 

Variable Life

Whole Life

Extra Ordinary Life

Single Premium Life

 

Issued by The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

and the Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account

 

 

 

This prospectus describes three Variable Life Insurance Policies (each a “Policy”, together the “Policies”). You may choose to invest your Net Premiums in up to six Divisions of the Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (the “Separate Account”), each of which invests in one of the corresponding Portfolios listed below:

 

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.   
Growth Stock Portfolio    International Growth Portfolio
Focused Appreciation Portfolio    Research International Core Portfolio*
Large Cap Core Stock Portfolio    International Equity Portfolio
Large Cap Blend Portfolio*    Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio*
Index 500 Stock Portfolio    Money Market Portfolio
Large Company Value Portfolio*    Short-Term Bond Portfolio*
Domestic Equity Portfolio    Select Bond Portfolio
Equity Income Portfolio    Long-Term U.S. Government Bond Portfolio*
Mid Cap Growth Stock Portfolio    Inflation Protection Portfolio*
Index 400 Stock Portfolio    High Yield Bond Portfolio
Mid Cap Value Portfolio    Multi-Sector Bond Portfolio*
Small Cap Growth Stock Portfolio    Commodities Return Strategy Portfolio*
Index 600 Stock Portfolio*    Balanced Portfolio
Small Cap Value Portfolio    Asset Allocation Portfolio
Fidelity® Variable Insurance Products   
VIP Mid Cap Portfolio   
VIP Contrafund® Portfolio*   
Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust   
Socially Responsive Portfolio*   
Russell Investment Funds    Russell Investment Funds LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series
Multi-Style Equity Fund   
Aggressive Equity Fund    Moderate Strategy Fund*
Global Real Estate Securities Fund    Balanced Strategy Fund*
Non-U.S. Fund    Growth Strategy Fund*
Core Bond Fund    Equity Growth Strategy Fund*

 

* Please note that we do not expect these Portfolios to be available as an investment option under the Policy until July 1, 2011 or thereafter, depending on approval in your state.

 

Please note that the Policies and the Portfolios are not guaranteed to achieve their goals

and are not federally insured. The Policies and the Portfolios have not been endorsed by any

bank or government agency and are subject to risks, including loss of the principal amount invested.

 

Each Policy is subject to the law of the state in which it is issued. Some of the terms of a Policy may differ from the terms of a Policy delivered in another state because of state specific legal requirements. Areas where state specific Policy provisions may apply include, but are not limited to:

 

   

certain investment options and certain policy features; and

   

portfolio transfer rights.

 

Please read carefully this prospectus and the accompanying prospectuses for the corresponding

Portfolios and keep them for future reference. These prospectuses provide information

that you should know before investing in the Policies. No person is authorized

to make any representation in connection with the offering of the Policies

other than those contained in these prospectuses.

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved

the Policies or determined that this prospectus is accurate or complete.

It is a criminal offense to state otherwise.

 

We no longer issue the three Policies described in this prospectus.

The variable life policies we presently offer are described in separate prospectuses.

 

 

 

LOGO


Table of Contents

Contents for this Prospectus

 

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS AND RISKS

     1   

Benefits of the Policies

     1   

Death Benefit

     1   

Access to Your Values

     1   

Flexibility

     1   

Optional Benefits

     1   

Payment Plan Options

     1   

Tax Benefits

     1   

Risks of the Policies

     1   

Investment Risk

     1   

Default Risk

     1   

Policy for Long-Term Protection

     1   

Policy Lapse

     2   

Policy Loan Risks

     2   

Limitations on Access to Your Values

     2   

Adverse Tax Consequences

     2   

Risk of an Increase in Current Fees and Expenses

     2   

FEE AND EXPENSE TABLES

     2   

Transaction Fees

     2   

Periodic Charges (Other than Portfolio Operating Expenses)

     3   

Whole Life Policy

     3   

Extra Ordinary Life Policy

     4   

Single Premium Life Policy

     5   

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses

     6   

THE COMPANY

     8   

THE SEPARATE ACCOUNT

     8   

THE FUNDS

     9   

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.

     10   

Fidelity® Variable Insurance Products

     11   

Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust

     11   

Russell Investment Funds

     11   

Payments We Receive

     12   

INFORMATION ABOUT THE POLICIES

     12   

Premiums

     12   

Whole Life Policy

     13   

Extra Ordinary Life Policy

     13   

Single Premium Life Policy

     14   

Grace Period

     14   

Allocations to the Separate Account

     14   

Transfers Between Divisions

     14   

Short-Term and Excessive Trading

     15   

Deductions and Charges

     16   

Deductions from Premiums for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies

     16   

Deductions for Single Premium Life Policies

     17   

Charges Against the Separate Account Assets

     17   

Optional Benefits

     17   

Guarantee of Premiums, Deductions and Charges

     18   

Death Benefit

     18   

Variable Insurance Amount

     19   

Whole Life Policy and Single Premium Life Policy

     19   

Extra Ordinary Life Policy

     20   

Cash Value

     21   

Annual Dividends

     21   

Policy Loans and Automatic Premium Loans

     21   

Policy Loans

     21   

Automatic Premium Loans

     22   

General Loan Terms

     22   

Extended Term and Paid-Up Insurance

     22   

Reinstatement

     23   

Reinvestments after Surrender

     23   

Right to Exchange for a Fixed Benefit Policy

     23   

Modifying a Policy

     23   

Other Policy Provisions

     24   

Owner

     24   

Beneficiary

     24   

Incontestability

     24   

Misstatement of Age or Sex

     24   

Collateral Assignment

     24   

Optional Benefits

     24   

Benefit Payment Plans

     24   

Deferral of Determination and Payment

     24   

Voting Rights

     24   

Substitution of Fund Shares and Other Changes

     25   

Reports and Financial Statements

     25   

Special Policy for Employers

     25   

Householding

     25   

Legal Proceedings

     25   

Speculative Investing

     25   

Owner Inquiries

     25   

Illustrations

     25   

TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     26   

General

     26   

Life Insurance Qualification

     26   

Tax Treatment of Life Insurance

     26   

Modified Endowment Contracts (MEC)

     27   

Estate and Generation Skipping Taxes

     28   

Business-Owned Life Insurance

     28   

Policy Split Right

     29   

Split Dollar Arrangements

     29   

Valuation of Life Insurance

     29   

Other Tax Considerations

     29   

DISTRIBUTION OF THE POLICY

     30   

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

     30   

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

     32   


Table of Contents

PROSPECTUS

 

Variable Life

 

  · Whole Life
  · Extra Ordinary Life
  · Single Premium Life

 

Summary of Benefits and Risks

 

The following summary identifies some of the benefits and risks of the three Policies described in this prospectus. It omits important information which is included elsewhere in this prospectus, in the attached mutual fund prospectuses, and in the terms of the Policies. Unless clear from their context or otherwise appropriate, all of the capitalized terms used in this prospectus are defined herein or at the end of this prospectus in the Glossary of Terms.

 

Benefits of the Policies

 

Death Benefit    The primary benefit of each Policy is the life insurance protection that it provides. For each Policy the Death Benefit includes a guaranteed amount which will not be reduced during the lifetime of the Insured so long as you pay premiums when they are due and no Policy Debt is outstanding. The remainder of the Death Benefit is the variable insurance amount which fluctuates in response to actual investment results and is not guaranteed. The Extra Ordinary Life Policy also provides some term insurance during the early Policy Years. The Death Benefit is increased by the amount of any paid-up additions which you have purchased with any dividends that we pay, except that for Extra Ordinary Life Policies, variable insurance amount and paid-up additions will first be used to replace term insurance before increasing the Death Benefit. The relationships among the guaranteed and variable amounts and any paid-up additions and term insurance depend on the design of the particular Policy.

 

Access to Your Values    The Policy provides access to Cash Value during the lifetime of the Insured. You may surrender your Policy for the Cash Value at any time during the lifetime of the Insured. We will permit a Death Benefit reduction so long as the Policy that remains meets our minimum size requirements. Under some circumstances there may be a release of Cash Value upon the reduction of your Death Benefit. You may borrow up to 90% of your Policy’s Cash Value using the Policy as security.

 

Flexibility    You may direct the allocation of your premiums and apportion the Separate Account assets supporting your Policy among the various Divisions of the Separate Account, using as many as six Divisions at any time. Subject to certain limits, you may transfer accumulated amounts from one Division to another as often as four times in a Policy Year.

 

Optional Benefits    Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies may include two optional benefits: a Waiver of Premium Benefit and an Additional Purchase Benefit. These optional benefits are not available for all Issue Ages and underwriting classifications, and may not be available in all states.

 

Payment Plan Options    There are several ways of receiving proceeds under the Death Benefit and surrender provisions of the Policy, other than in a lump sum. More detailed information concerning these payment plan options is included elsewhere in this prospectus. You may also call our Income Benefits Department at 1-866-269-2950 for more information.

 

Tax Benefits    You are generally not taxed on your Policy’s investment gains until you surrender the Policy.

 

Risks of the Policies

 

Investment Risk    Your Policy allows you to participate in the investment experience of the Divisions you select. You bear the corresponding investment risks. You will be subject to the risk that the investment performance of the Divisions will be unfavorable and that, due both to the unfavorable performance and the resulting higher insurance charges, the Policy Value and Cash Value will decrease. You could lose everything you invest. You may find a comprehensive discussion of these investment risks in the attached mutual fund prospectuses. You will also be subject to the risk that the investment performance of the Divisions you choose may be less favorable than that of other Divisions, and in order to keep the Extra Life Protection of an Extra Ordinary Life Policy from decreasing, you may be required to pay more premiums than originally planned.

 

Default Risk    Because certain guarantees under the Policies are guaranteed by the Company’s General Account assets, the ability to make good on these guarantees depends on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the Company. Therefore, guaranteed benefits in excess of Invested Assets in the Separate Account are subject to the risk of default to the extent the Company is unable to satisfy some or all of these guarantees.

 

Policy for Long-Term Protection    Your Policy is designed to serve your need for long-term life insurance protection. It is not a suitable investment for short-term goals. We have not designed the Policies for frequent trading.

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

1


Table of Contents

Policy Lapse    Your Whole Life or Extra Ordinary Life Policy will lapse unless you pay the premiums when they are due, unless the Policy is continued as extended term insurance or a reduced amount of paid-up insurance.

 

Policy Loan Risks    A loan, whether or not repaid, will affect your Policy Value and Cash Value over time because the amounts borrowed do not participate in the investment performance of the Divisions; in addition, a charge is deducted from your Policy Value while there is Policy Debt. The effect of a loan may be either favorable or unfavorable, depending on whether the earnings rate credited to the loan amount is higher or lower than the investment performance of the unborrowed amounts left in the Divisions. The Death Benefit is reduced by the amount of any Policy Debt outstanding. If you surrender the Policy or allow it to lapse while Policy Debt is outstanding, the amount of the loan, to the extent it has not previously been taxed, will be considered as an amount you received and taxed accordingly.

 

Limitations on Access to Your Values    The Policies permit access to Cash Value by Policy loans and by surrender of the Policy. A partial withdrawal of the Cash Value is not permitted, except to the extent there is a reduction of Death Benefit which leads to a release of Cash Value.

 

Adverse Tax Consequences    Our understanding of the principal tax considerations for the Policy under current tax law is set forth in this prospectus. There are areas of some uncertainty under current law, and we do not address the likelihood of future changes in the law or interpretations thereof. Among other risks, your Policy may become a MEC if the cumulative premium you pay exceeds a defined limit; surrenders and loans under the Policy will then be taxable as ordinary income to the extent there are earnings in the Policy, and a 10% penalty will apply to these distributions. Excessive Policy loans could cause a Policy to terminate with no value with which to pay the tax liability. In addition, please note that you may no longer change Insureds on your Policy, unless you exchange your Policy for a new Policy with mortality tables recognized by the Internal Revenue Service when satisfying the definitional test for life insurance. (See “Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits.”) Death Benefit proceeds may be subject to state and/or inheritance taxes.

 

Risk of an Increase in Current Fees and Expenses    Certain fees and expenses are currently assessed at less than their maximum levels. We may increase these current charges in the future up to the guaranteed maximum levels. If fees and expenses are increased, you may need to increase the amount of premiums to keep the Extra Life Protection of an Extra Ordinary Life Policy from decreasing.

 

 

Fee and Expense Tables

 

The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you will pay when owning or surrendering a Policy. For a more detailed description, see “Deductions and Charges,” “Deductions from Premiums for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies” and “Deductions for Single Premium Life Policies.”

 

Transaction Fees1

 

This table describes the fees and expenses you will pay when you pay premiums, surrender the Policy or transfer amounts between the Divisions.

 

    Charge   When Charge is Deducted  

Current Amount

Deducted

  Maximum Amount Deducted

Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies

  Premium Taxes   When you pay premiums   2% of the basic premium2   2% of the basic premium
  Sales Load   When you pay premiums  

Year 1: 30% of basic premium

Years 2-4: 10% of basic premium

Years 5-on: Not more than 7% of basic premium

  Same as the current amount
  Charge for Issuance Expenses   When you pay premiums—first Policy Year only   Not more than $5 for each $1,000 of insurance   Same as the current amount

Single Premium Life Policy

  Administrative Charge   When we issue the Policy   $150   $150
  Surrender Charge   When you surrender the Policy during the first ten Policy Years   0%   Not more than 9% of the premium paid for the Policy3

 

 

2

Variable Life Prospectus


Table of Contents
    Charge   When Charge is Deducted   Current Amount
Deducted
  Maximum Amount Deducted
All Policies   Fee for Transfer of Assets   When you transfer assets among the Divisions   Currently waived   The fee will not exceed our administrative costs
Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies  

Extra Premium for Insureds Who Do Not Qualify as Select

Risks

  When you pay premiums   The amount depends on the underwriting classification  

Same as current amount4;

Variable Whole Life; Maximum: $52.70 per $1,000 of face amount;

Variable Extra Ordinary Life Policies;

Maximum: $58.71 per $1,000 of face amount

All Policies   Expedited Delivery Charge5   When express mail delivery is requested   $15 per delivery (up to $45 for next day, a.m. delivery)   $50 per delivery (up to $75 for next day, a.m. delivery) adjusted for inflation6
  Wire Transfer Fee5   When a wire transfer is requested   $25 per transfer (up to $50 for international wires)   $50 per transfer (up to $100 for international wires) adjusted for inflation6

 

1 

Some fees and expenses, such as fees applicable in Policy Years prior to your current Policy Year, may no longer apply because the Policies are no longer issued.

2 

The basic premium for a Policy is the gross premium which would be payable if you paid the premium annually, less the annual deduction for administrative costs. See “Deductions and Charges” for more information.

3 

This charge no longer applies because you have owned your Policy for longer than ten years.

4 

This charge will vary depending on underwriting classification of the Insured.

5 

This fee may increase over time to cover our administrative or other costs but will not exceed the maximum charge. We may discontinue this service at any time, with or without notice.

6 

The maximum charges are subject to a consumer price index adjustment. The maximum charge will equal the maximum charge shown above multiplied by the CPI for the fourth month prior to the time of the charge, divided by the CPI for April, 2009. “CPI” means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, United States City Average, All Items, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the method for determining the CPI is changed, or it is no longer published, it will be replaced by some other index found by the Company to serve the same purpose.

 

Periodic Charges (Other than Portfolio Operating Expenses)

 

These tables describe the fees and expenses, other than operating expenses for the Portfolios, that you will pay periodically during the time that you own a Policy. Please refer to the table specific to your Policy.

 

Whole Life Policy

 

Charge   When Charge is Deducted   Current Amount Deducted   Maximum Amount Deducted
Charge for Administrative Costs   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary   $35   $35
Charge for Death Benefit Guarantee   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary   1  1/2% of the basic premium   1  1/2% of the basic premium
Charge for Mortality and Expense Risks   Daily   Annual rate of .50% of the Separate Account Assets   Annual rate of .50% of the Separate Account Assets
Charge for Federal Income Taxes   Daily   Annual rate of .05% of the Separate Account Assets   A rate which reflects that portion of our actual tax expenses which is fairly allocable to the Policies
Cost of Insurance   Calculated at least annually on the Policy Anniversary  

Maximum: $1,000 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 99)1

Minimum: $0.69 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 10 female)1

Representative: $6.21 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 49 male)

  Same as current amount, without the current dividend
Charge for Mortality and Expense Risks and Expenses for Loans   Daily   Annual rate of .85% of the borrowed amount2   Annual rate of 1.00% of the borrowed amount2

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

3


Table of Contents
Charge   When Charge is Deducted   Current Amount Deducted   Maximum Amount Deducted
Waiver of Premium Benefit3   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary, if this benefit is attached to your Policy and the Attained Age is less than 65  

Maximum: $2.05 per $1,000 of face amount (Issue Age 58)

Minimum: $0.13 per $1,000 of face amount (Issue Age 0-6)

Representative: $0.37 per $1,000 of face amount (Issue Age 35)

  Same as current amount
Additional Purchase Benefit4   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary, if this benefit is attached to your Policy and the Attained Age is less than 40  

Maximum: $2.21 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit (Issue Age 38)4

Minimum: $0.54 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit (Issue Age 0)4

Representative: $0.54 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit (Issue Age 0)

  Same as current amount

 

1 

The Policy includes no provisions for explicit deductions or charges for the cost of insurance, but this cost is reflected in the table of Cash Values at the front of the Policy and in the table of net single premiums we use to determine the variable insurance amount. The variable insurance amount is used to calculate both the Death Benefit and the Cash Value. The cost of insurance is based on factors including but not limited to the Insured’s Attained Age, the 1980 CSO Mortality Table and the net insurance amount at risk. The net insurance amount at risk is the Death Benefit minus the sum of the Cash Value and any Policy Debt. The rates shown in the table may not be representative of the charge a particular Owner may pay. The amount you pay for the cost of insurance is effectively reduced by the dividends, if any, we currently pay on your Policy. You may ask your Financial Representative for the current dividend amount. Future dividends are not guaranteed. (See “Annual Dividends.”)

2 

The charge is applied to the Policy Debt. The charge shown is a loan interest spread that is deducted from the Invested Assets. We add unpaid interest to the amount of the loan. Interest on a Policy loan accrues and is payable on a daily basis at an annual effective rate of 8% or an alternative variable rate based on a bond yield index. The amount of the Policy loan will be transferred from the Divisions to our General Account and credited on a daily basis with an annual earnings rate equal to the Policy loan interest rate less the charge shown.

3 

The charges shown in the table may not be representative of the charge that a particular Owner may pay. The charge does not vary by sex. Generally, the charge increases for older Issue Ages. In addition, higher rates may apply to substandard underwriting classifications. The charge for the Waiver of Premium Benefit is less for Extra Ordinary Life Policies than for Whole Life Policies, all other factors being equal.

4 

The maximum benefit amount is $100,000. The charges shown in the table may not be representative of the charge that a particular Owner may pay. The charge does not vary by sex. The charge increases for older Issue Ages.

 

Extra Ordinary Life Policy

 

Charge   When Charge is Deducted   Current Amount Deducted   Maximum Amount Deducted
Charge for Mortality and Expense Risks   Daily   Annual rate of .50% of the Separate Account Assets   Annual rate of .50% of the Separate Account Assets
Charge for Federal Income Taxes   Daily   Annual rate of .05% of the Separate Account Assets   A rate which reflects that portion of our actual tax expenses which is fairly allocable to the Policies
Cost of Insurance   Calculated at least annually on the Policy Anniversary  

Maximum: $1,000 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 99)1

Minimum: $0.85 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 15 female)1

Representative: $9.56 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 54 male)

  Same as current amount, without the current dividend
Charge for Mortality and Expense Risks and Expenses for Loans   Daily   Annual rate of .85% of the borrowed amount2   Annual rate of 1.00% of the borrowed amount2
Charge for Dividends3   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary   Maximum: 17% of the gross annual premium4   Same as current amount
Extra Premium for Extra Life Protection (after the expiry of the guaranteed period)   Annually, after the expiry of the guaranteed period, on the Policy Anniversary5  

Maximum: $283.64 per $1,000 of term insurance6 (Attained Age 99 male standard)

Minimum: $1.93 per $1,000 of term insurance6 (Attained Age 52 female select)

Representative: $5.11 per $1,000 of term insurance6 (Attained Age 62 male select)

 

Maximum: $1,000 per $1,000 of term insurance, without the current dividend

Minimum: $6.27 per $1,000 of term insurance, without the current dividend

Charge for Administrative Costs   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary   $35   $35

 

4

Variable Life Prospectus


Table of Contents
Charge   When Charge is Deducted   Current Amount Deducted   Maximum Amount Deducted
Charge for Death Benefit Guarantee   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary   1  1/2% of the basic premium   1  1/2% of the basic premium
Waiver of Premium Benefit7   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary, if this benefit is attached to your Policy and the Attained Age is less than 65  

Maximum: $1.48 per $1,000 of face amount (Issue Age 48)

Minimum: $0.10 per $1,000 of face amount (Issue Age 15)

Representative: $0.24 per $1,000 of face amount (Issue Age 35)

  Same as current amount
Additional Purchase Benefit8   Annually, on the Policy Anniversary, if this benefit is attached to your Policy and the Attained Age is less than 40  

Maximum: $2.21 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit (Issue Age 38)8

Minimum: $1.06 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit (Issue Age 15)8

Representative: $1.33 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit (Issue Age 25)8

  Same as current amount

 

1 

The Policy includes no provisions for explicit deductions or charges for the cost of insurance, but this cost is reflected in the table of Cash Values at the front of the Policy and in the table of net single premiums we use to determine the variable insurance amount. The variable insurance amount is used to calculate both the Death Benefit and the Cash Value. The cost of insurance is based on factors including but not limited to the Insured’s Attained Age, the 1980 CSO Mortality Table and the net insurance amount at risk. The net insurance amount at risk is the Death Benefit minus the sum of the Cash Value and any Policy Debt. The rates shown in the table may not be representative of the charge a particular Owner may pay. The amount you pay for the cost of insurance is effectively reduced by the dividends, if any, we currently pay on your Policy. You may ask your Financial Representative for the current dividend amount. Future dividends are not guaranteed. (See “Annual Dividends.”)

2 

The charge is applied to the Policy Debt. The charge shown is a loan interest spread that is deducted from the Invested Assets. We add unpaid interest to the amount of the loan. Interest on a Policy loan accrues and is payable on a daily basis at an annual effective rate of 8% or an alternative variable rate based on a bond yield index. The amount of the Policy loan will be transferred from the Divisions to our General Account and credited on a daily basis with an annual earnings rate equal to the Policy loan interest rate less the charge shown.

3 

This charge will vary by Issue Age of the Insured.

4 

The charge for dividends is approximately 7% to 17% of the gross annual premium.

5 

After the guaranteed period expires, if the sum of positive variable insurance amount plus the paid-up additions is less than the initial amount of Extra Life Protection, we may reduce the amount of term insurance for the Policy Year. Alternatively, you may choose to have the coverage maintained by paying a larger premium based on the term insurance rates described here. Your right to continue to purchase term insurance on this basis will terminate as of the first Policy Anniversary when you fail to pay the additional premium when due.

6 

Estimated year-end dividends have the effect of reducing the term insurance amounts on which the charges are based.

7 

The charges shown in the table may not be representative of the charge that a particular Owner may pay. The charge does not vary by sex. Generally, the charge increases for older Issue Ages. In addition, higher rates may apply to substandard underwriting classifications. The charge for the Waiver of Premium benefit is less for Extra Ordinary Life Policies than for Whole Life Policies, all other factors being equal.

8 

The maximum benefit amount is $100,000. The charges shown in the table may not be representative of the charge that a particular Owner may pay. The charge does not vary by sex. The charge increases for older Issue Ages.

 

Single Premium Life Policy

 

Charge   When Charge is Deducted   Current Amount Deducted   Maximum Amount Deducted
Charge for Mortality and Expense Risks   Daily   Annual rate of .50% of the Separate Account assets   Annual rate of .50% of the Separate Account Assets
Charge for Federal Income Taxes   Daily   Annual rate of .05% of the Separate Account assets   A rate which reflects that portion of our actual tax expenses which is fairly allocable to the Policies
Cost of Insurance   Calculated at least annually on the Policy Anniversary  

Maximum: $1,000 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 99)1

Minimum: $0.69 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 10 female)1

Representative: $14.77 per $1,000 of net amount at risk (Attained Age 59 male)

  Same as current amount, without the current dividend
Charge for Mortality and Expense Risks and Expenses for Loans   Daily   Annual rate of .85% of the borrowed amount2   Annual rate of 1.00% of the borrowed amount2

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

5


Table of Contents
1 

The Policy includes no provisions for explicit deductions or charges for the cost of insurance, but this cost is reflected in the table of Cash Values at the front of the Policy and in the table of net single premiums we use to determine the variable insurance amount. The variable insurance amount is used to calculate both the Death Benefit and the Cash Value. The cost of insurance is based on factors including but not limited to the Insured’s Attained Age, the 1980 CSO Mortality Table and the net insurance amount at risk. The net insurance amount at risk is the Death Benefit minus the sum of the Cash Value and any Policy Debt. The rates shown in the table may not be representative of the charge a particular Owner may pay. The amount you pay for the cost of insurance is effectively reduced by the dividends, if any, we currently pay on your Policy. You may ask your Financial Representative for the current dividend amount. Future dividends are not guaranteed. (See “Annual Dividends.”)

2 

The charge is applied to the Policy Debt. The charge shown is a loan interest spread that is deducted from the Invested Assets. We add unpaid interest to the amount of the loan. Interest on a Policy loan accrues and is payable on a daily basis at an annual effective rate of 8% or an alternative variable rate based on a bond yield index. The amount of the Policy loan will be transferred from the Divisions to our General Account and credited on a daily basis with an annual earnings rate equal to the Policy loan interest rate less the charge shown.

 

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses

 

The table below shows the range (minimum and maximum) of total operating expenses, including investment advisory fees, distribution (12b-1) fees and other expenses of the Portfolios that are available for investment under the Policies. The first line of this table lists expenses that do not reflect fee waivers or expense limits and reimbursements, nor do they reflect short-term trading redemption fees, if any, charged by the Portfolios. The information is based on operations for the year ended December 31, 2010. More details concerning these fees and expenses are contained in the attached prospectuses for the Funds.

 

     Minimum      Maximum  

Range of Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses include investment advisory fees, distribution (12b-1) fees, and other expenses as a percentage of average Portfolio assets)*

     0.21%         1.57%   

Range of Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Contractual Fee Waiver or Reimbursement**

     0.21%         1.50%   

 

* For certain Portfolios, certain expenses were reimbursed or fees waived during 2010. It is anticipated that these voluntary expense reimbursement and fee waiver arrangements will continue past the current year, although certain arrangements may be terminated at any time. After taking into account these arrangements and any contractual fee waiver or expense reimbursement arrangements, Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses would have ranged from a minimum of 0.21% to a maximum of 1.50%.
** The “Range of Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Contractual Fee Waiver or Reimbursement” line in the above table shows the minimum and maximum fees and expenses charged by all of the Portfolios after taking into account contractual fee waiver or reimbursement arrangements in place. Those contractual arrangements are designed to reduce Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses for Owners and will continue for at least one year from the date of this prospectus. For more information about which Portfolios currently have such contractual reimbursement or fee waiver arrangements in place, see the prospectuses of the underlying Funds.

 

The following table shows total annual operating expenses of each Portfolio available for investment under the Policy. Operating expenses are expressed as a percentage of average net assets for the year ended December 31, 2010, except as otherwise set forth in the notes to the table. The Russell Investment Funds LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series are funds of funds and because of their two-tiered structure, may have fees that are higher than other funds. The Portfolio expenses used to prepare the table were provided to the Company by the Portfolios. The expenses shown are based on expenses incurred for the year ended December 31, 2010, or restated to reflect current expenses (see attached prospectuses for the Funds). Current or future expenses may be higher or lower than those shown, especially in periods of market volatility.

 

Portfolio

   Investment
Advisory
Fees
     12b-1
Fees
     Other
Expenses
     Acquired Fund
Fees and
Expenses
     Total
Operating
Expenses
     Fee Waivers &
Reimbursements
    Total Net
Operating
Expenses
 

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.

                   

Growth Stock Portfolio

     0.43%         0.00%         0.02%         0.00%         0.45%         0.00%        0.45%   

Focused Appreciation Portfolio(1) (2)

     0.77%         0.00%         0.02%         0.00%         0.79%         (0.02%     0.77%   

Large Cap Core Stock Portfolio

     0.44%         0.00%         0.02%         0.00%         0.46%         0.00%        0.46%   

Large Cap Blend Portfolio(1)

     0.77%         0.00%         0.07%         0.00%         0.84%         0.00%        0.84%   

Index 500 Stock Portfolio

     0.20%         0.00%         0.01%         0.00%         0.21%         0.00%        0.21%   

Large Company Value Portfolio(1)

     0.72%         0.00%         0.08%         0.00%         0.80%         0.00%        0.80%   

Domestic Equity Portfolio(1)

     0.56%         0.00%         0.02%         0.00%         0.58%         0.00%        0.58%   

Equity Income Portfolio(1)

     0.65%         0.00%         0.02%         0.00%         0.67%         0.00%        0.67%   

Mid Cap Growth Stock Portfolio

     0.53%         0.00%         0.01%         0.00%         0.54%         0.00%        0.54%   

Index 400 Stock Portfolio

     0.25%         0.00%         0.02%         0.02%         0.29%         0.00%        0.29%   

Mid Cap Value Portfolio(1) (3)

     0.85%         0.00%         0.07%         0.00%         0.92%         0.00%        0.92%   

Small Cap Growth Stock Portfolio

     0.56%         0.00%         0.04%         0.00%         0.60%         0.00%        0.60%   

Index 600 Stock Portfolio(1)

     0.25%         0.00%         0.18%         0.00%         0.43%         (0.07%     0.36%   

Small Cap Value Portfolio(1) (4)

     0.85%         0.00%         0.02%         0.21%         1.08%         0.00%        1.08%   

International Growth Portfolio(1)

     0.68%         0.00%         0.13%         0.00%         0.81%         0.00%        0.81%   

Research International Core Portfolio(1)

     0.88%         0.00%         0.50%         0.00%         1.38%         (0.23%     1.15%   

International Equity Portfolio(5)

     0.66%         0.00%         0.06%         0.00%         0.72%         (0.05%     0.67%   

Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio(1)

     1.14%         0.00%         0.43%         0.00%         1.57%         (0.07%     1.50%   

 

6

Variable Life Prospectus


Table of Contents

Portfolio

   Investment
Advisory
Fees
     12b-1
Fees
     Other
Expenses
     Acquired Fund
Fees and
Expenses
     Total
Operating
Expenses
     Fee Waivers &
Reimbursements
    Total Net
Operating
Expenses
 

Money Market Portfolio(6)

     0.30%         0.00%         0.00%         0.00%         0.30%         0.00%        0.30%   

Short-Term Bond Portfolio(1)

     0.35%         0.00%         0.04%         0.00%         0.39%         0.00%        0.39%   

Select Bond Portfolio

     0.30%         0.00%         0.00%         0.00%         0.30%         0.00%        0.30%   

Long-Term U.S. Government Bond Portfolio(1)

     0.56%         0.00%         0.06%         0.00%         0.62%         0.00%        0.62%   

Inflation Protection Portfolio(1)

     0.57%         0.00%         0.04%         0.00%         0.61%         0.00%        0.61%   

High Yield Bond Portfolio

     0.45%         0.00%         0.02%         0.00%         0.47%         0.00%        0.47%   

Multi-Sector Bond Portfolio(1)

     0.79%         0.00%         0.12%         0.00%         0.91%         0.00%        0.91%   

Commodities Return Strategy Portfolio(1)(7)

     0.80%         0.00%         0.16%         0.22%         1.18%         (0.20%     0.98%   

Balanced Portfolio

     0.30%         0.00%         0.00%         0.03%         0.33%         0.00%        0.33%   

Asset Allocation Portfolio(1)(8)

     0.54%         0.00%         0.04%         0.03%         0.61%         (0.05%     0.56%   

Fidelity® Variable Insurance Products

                   

VIP Mid Cap Portfolio

     0.56%         0.25%         0.10%         0.00%         0.91%         0.00%        0.91%   

VIP Contrafund® Portfolio

     0.56%         0.25%         0.09%         0.00%         0.90%         0.00%        0.90%   

Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust

                   

Socially Responsive Portfolio(9)

     0.85%         0.00%         0.23%         0.00%         1.08%         0.00%        1.08%   

Russell Investment Funds

                   

Multi-Style Equity Fund

     0.73%         0.00%         0.16%         0.00%         0.89%         0.00%        0.89%   

Aggressive Equity Fund(10)

     0.90%         0.00%         0.21%         0.00%         1.11%         (0.06%     1.05%   

Global Real Estate Securities Fund

     0.80%         0.00%         0.19%         0.00%         0.99%         0.00%        0.99%   

Non-U.S. Fund(10)

     0.90%         0.00%         0.23%         0.00%         1.13%         (0.06%     1.07%   

Core Bond Fund(10)

     0.55%         0.00%         0.21%         0.00%         0.76%         (0.07%     0.69%   

Russell Investment Funds LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series

                   

Moderate Strategy Fund(11)

     0.20%         0.00%         0.24%         0.78%         1.22%         (0.34%     0.88%   

Balanced Strategy Fund(11)

     0.20%         0.00%         0.16%         0.91%         1.27%         (0.26%     1.01%   

Growth Strategy Fund(11)

     0.20%         0.00%         0.19%         0.98%         1.37%         (0.29%     1.08%   

Equity Growth Strategy Fund(11)

     0.20%         0.00%         0.33%         1.03%         1.56%         (0.43%     1.13%   

 

(1) 

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.’s investment adviser, Mason Street Advisors, LLC (“MSA”) has contractually agreed to waive the management fee and absorb certain other operating expenses of the below portfolios to the extent necessary so that Total Operating Expenses for such portfolios will not exceed the following annual rates of each portfolio’s respective average net assets. These fee waivers may be terminated at any time after April 30, 2012.

 

Portfolio

   Expense
Limitation
 

Focused Appreciation

     0.90

Large Cap Blend

     0.85

Large Company Value

     0.80

Domestic Equity

     0.75

Equity Income

     0.75

Mid Cap Value

     1.00

Index 600 Stock

     0.35

Small Cap Value

     1.00

International Growth

     1.10

Research International Core

     1.15

Emerging Markets Equity

     1.50

Short-Term Bond

     0.45

Long-Term U.S. Government Bond

     0.65

Inflation Protection

     0.65

Multi-Sector Bond

     0.95

Commodities Return Strategy

     0.98

Asset Allocation

     0.75

 

(2) 

Focused Appreciation Portfolio—MSA has agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that its management fee is 0.75% of the portfolio’s first $100 million of assets, 0.70% on portfolio assets from $100 million to $300 million, 0.65% on portfolio assets from $300 million to $500 million and 0.60% on portfolio assets in excess of $500 million. The fee waiver agreement may be terminated at any time after April 30, 2012.

(3) 

Mid Cap Value Portfolio—MSA has agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that its management fee is 0.85% of the portfolio’s first $150 million of assets, 0.80% on portfolio assets from $150 million to $300 million and 0.75% on portfolio assets in excess of $300 million. The fee waiver agreement may be terminated at any time after April 30, 2012.

(4) 

Small Cap Value Portfolio—MSA has agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that its management fee is 0.85% of the portfolio’s first $500 million of assets and 0.80% on portfolio assets in excess of $500 million. The fee waiver agreement may be terminated at any time after April 30, 2012.

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

7


Table of Contents
(5) 

International Equity Portfolio—MSA has agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that its management fee is 0.80% of the portfolio’s first $50 million of assets, 0.60% on portfolio assets from $50 million to $1 billion, 0.58% of assets from $1 billion to $1.5 billion and 0.51% on portfolio assets in excess of $1.5 billion. The fee waiver agreement may be terminated at any time after April 30, 2012.

(6) 

Money Market Portfolio—MSA has voluntarily agreed to waive all of its management fee on a temporary basis. This voluntary waiver will be reviewed periodically by MSA in light of market and economic developments and may be revised or discontinued at any time without advance notice.

(7) 

Commodities Return Strategy Portfolio—MSA has agreed to waive its management fee in an amount equal to the management fee paid to it by the Portfolio’s wholly owned Cayman Islands subsidiary fund. The fee waiver agreement will remain in effect for as long as the Portfolio remains invested in the subsidiary fund.

(8) 

Asset Allocation Portfolio—MSA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that its management fee is 0.55% on the portfolio’s first $100 million of assets, 0.45% on portfolio assets from $100 million to $250 million and 0.35% on portfolio assets in excess of $250 million.

(9) 

Neuberger Berman Management LLC (“NBM”), the portfolio’s adviser, has contractually undertaken to limit the portfolio’s expenses through December 31, 2013 by waiving fees and/or reimbursing certain expenses of the portfolio so that its total operating expenses (including the compensation of NBM and excluding taxes, interest, extraordinary expenses, brokerage commissions and transaction costs), in the aggregate, are limited to 1.30% per annum of the portfolio’s average daily net asset value. These fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement are subject to recoupment by NBM within three years.

(10) 

Russell Investment Management Company (“RIMCo”) has contractually agreed, until April 30, 2012, to waive 0.06% of its advisory fee on the Aggressive Equity Fund and Non-U.S. Fund and 0.07% of its advisory fee on the Core Bond Fund. These waivers may not be terminated during the relevant period except with Board approval.

(11) 

For each of the Russell Investment Funds LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series funds individually, RIMCo has contractually agreed, until April 30, 2012, to waive up to the full amount of its 0.20% advisory fee and then to reimburse each fund for other direct fund-level expenses to the extent that direct fund-level expenses exceed 0.10% of the average daily net assets of the fund on an annual basis. Direct fund-level expenses do not include extraordinary expenses or the expenses of other investment companies in which the funds invest, including the underlying funds, which are borne indirectly by the funds. These waivers and reimbursements may not be terminated during the relevant period except with Board approval.

 

 

The Company

 

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company is a mutual life insurance company organized by a special act of the Wisconsin Legislature in 1857. It is licensed to conduct a conventional life insurance business in the District of Columbia and in all states of the United States. The total assets of Northwestern Mutual exceeded $179 billion as of December 31, 2010. The Home Office of Northwestern Mutual is located at 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

 

“Northwestern Mutual,” “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” in this prospectus mean The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company.

 

General Account assets are used to guarantee the payment of certain benefits under the Policies, including death benefits. To the extent that we are required to pay you amounts under these benefits that are in addition to Invested Assets in the Separate Account, such amounts will come from General Account assets. Thus, Owners must look to the strength of the Company and its General Account with regard to guarantees under the Policies. The General Account is exposed to the risks normally associated with the operation of a life insurance company, including insurance pricing, asset liability management and interest rate risk, operational risks, and the investment risks of a portfolio of securities that consists largely, though not exclusively, of fixed-income securities. Some of the risks associated with such a portfolio include interest rate, option, liquidity, and credit risk. The financial statements contained in the Statement of Additional Information include a further discussion of risks inherent within the General Account investments. The assets in the General Account are subject to the claims of the Company’s general creditors.

 

 

 

The Separate Account

 

We established the Separate Account by action of our Trustees on November 23, 1983, in accordance with the provisions of Wisconsin insurance law. The Separate Account is registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). We own the assets in the Separate Account and we are obligated to pay all benefits under the Policies. We may use the Separate Account to support other variable life insurance policies we issue. We have divided the Separate Account into Divisions, each of which invests in shares of one Portfolio of the Funds.

 

Under Wisconsin law, Separate Account assets are held separate from our other assets and are not part of our General Account. Income, gains, and losses, whether or not realized, from assets allocated to the Separate Account will be credited to or charged against the Separate Account without regard to our other income, gains, or losses. Income, gains, and losses credited to, or charged against, a Division reflect that Division's own investment performance and not the investment performance of our other assets. We may not use the Separate Account’s assets to pay any of our liabilities other than those arising from the Policies and any other variable life insurance Policies funded by the Separate Account. We may, however, use all of our assets (except those held in certain other separate accounts) to satisfy our obligations under your Policy.

 

8

Variable Life Prospectus


Table of Contents

 

Where permitted by law and subject to any required regulatory approvals or votes by Owners, we reserve the right to:

 

   

operate the Separate Account or a Division either as a unit investment trust or a management investment company under the 1940 Act, or in any other form permitted by law, if deemed by the Company to be in the best interest of Owners;

 

   

invest current and future assets of a Division in securities of another Portfolio as a substitute for shares of a Portfolio already purchased or to be purchased;

 

   

transfer cash from time to time between the General Account and the Separate Account as deemed necessary or appropriate and consistent with the terms of the Policy, including but not limited to transfers for the deduction of charges and in support of payment options;

 

   

transfer assets of the Separate Account in excess of reserve requirements applicable to the Policies supported by the Separate Account to the General Account (Invested Assets remaining in the Separate Account necessary to fulfill its obligations under the Policy are not subject to claims against or losses in the General Account);

 

   

register or deregister the Separate Account under the 1940 Act or change its classification under that Act;

 

   

create new separate accounts;

 

   

add, delete or make substitutions for the securities and other assets held or purchased by the Separate Account;

 

   

restrict or eliminate any voting rights of Owners or other persons having voting rights as to the Separate Account; and

 

   

make any changes to the Separate Account to conform with, or required by any change in, federal tax law, the 1940 Act and regulations promulgated thereunder, or any other applicable federal or state laws.

 

In the event that we take any of these actions, we may make an appropriate endorsement of your Policy and take other actions necessary to comply with applicable law.

 

 

 

The Funds

 

A variety of investment options are offered under the Policy for the allocation of your premiums. However, the Company does not endorse or recommend a particular option, nor does it provide investment advice. You are responsible for choosing your investment options and should make your choices based on your individual situation and risk tolerances. After making your initial allocation decisions, you should monitor your allocations and periodically review the options you select and the amounts allocated to each to ensure your selections continue to be appropriate. The amounts you invest in a particular Division are not guaranteed and, because both principal and any return on the investment are subject to market risk, you can lose money.

 

The assets of each Division are invested in a corresponding Portfolio that is a series of one of the following mutual funds: Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.; Fidelity® Variable Insurance Products; Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust; and the Russell Investment Funds. The Separate Account buys shares of the Portfolios at their respective net asset values without sales charge. The Portfolios are available for investment only by separate accounts supporting variable insurance products and are not publicly traded. Their performance can differ substantially from publicly traded mutual funds with similar names. The specific Portfolios available under your Policy may change from time to time, and not all Portfolios in which assets of the Separate Account are invested may be available under your Policy. Your ability to invest in a Portfolio may be affected by the actions of such Portfolio, such as when a Portfolio closes.

 

The investment objectives of each Portfolio are set forth below. There is no assurance that any of the Portfolios will achieve its stated objective(s). You can find more detailed information about the Portfolios, including a description of each Portfolio, in the attached Portfolio prospectuses. Read the prospectuses for the Portfolios carefully before investing. Note: If you received a summary prospectus for a Portfolio listed below, please follow the directions on the first page of the summary prospectus to obtain a copy of the full fund prospectus.

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

9


Table of Contents

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc.

 

The principal investment adviser for the Portfolios of the Northwestern Mutual Series Fund is Mason Street Advisors, LLC (“MSA”), our wholly-owned company. The investment advisory agreements for the respective Portfolios provide that MSA will provide services and bear certain expenses of the Fund. MSA employs a staff of investment professionals to manage the assets of the Fund and the other advisory clients of MSA. We provide related facilities and personnel, which MSA uses in performing its investment advisory functions. MSA has retained and oversees Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC, Capital Guardian Trust Company, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., American Century Investment Management, Inc., Janus Capital Management LLC, Massachusetts Financial Services Company, Pacific Investment Management Company LLC, and Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC under investment sub-advisory agreements to provide day-to-day management of the Portfolios as indicated below. Each such sub-adviser may be replaced without the approval of shareholders. Please see the attached prospectuses for Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc. for more information.

 

Portfolio   Investment Objective   Sub-adviser (if applicable)
Growth Stock Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital; current income is a secondary objective   N/A
Focused Appreciation Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   Janus Capital Management LLC
Large Cap Core Stock Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital and income   N/A
Large Cap Blend Portfolio(1)   Long-term growth of capital and income   Capital Guardian Trust Company
Index 500 Stock Portfolio   Investment results that approximate the performance of the S&P 500® Index   N/A
Large Company Value Portfolio(1)   Long-term capital growth; current income is a secondary objective   American Century Investment Management, Inc.
Domestic Equity Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital and income   Capital Guardian Trust Company
Equity Income Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital and income   T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
Mid Cap Growth Stock Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   N/A
Index 400 Stock Portfolio   Investment results that approximate the performance of the S&P MidCap 400® Index   N/A
Mid Cap Value Portfolio   Long-term capital growth; current income is a secondary objective   American Century Investment Management, Inc.
Small Cap Growth Stock Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   N/A
Index 600 Stock Portfolio(1)   Investment results that approximate the performance of the S&P SmallCap 600® Index   N/A
Small Cap Value Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
International Growth Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   Janus Capital Management LLC
Research International Core Portfolio(1)   Capital appreciation   Massachusetts Financial Services Company
International Equity Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC
Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio(1)   Capital appreciation   Massachusetts Financial Services Company
Money Market Portfolio   Maximum current income to the extent consistent with liquidity and stability of capital(2)   N/A
Short-Term Bond Portfolio(1)   To provide as high a level of current income as is consistent with prudent investment risk   N/A
Select Bond Portfolio   To provide as high a level of total return as is consistent with prudent investment risk; a secondary objective is to seek preservation of shareholders’ capital   N/A
Long-Term U.S. Government Bond Portfolio(1)   Maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management   Pacific Investment Management Company LLC

 

10

Variable Life Prospectus


Table of Contents
Portfolio   Investment Objective   Sub-adviser (if applicable)
Inflation Protection Portfolio(1)   Pursue total return using a strategy that seeks to protect against U.S. inflation   American Century Investment Management, Inc.
High Yield Bond Portfolio   High current income and capital appreciation(3)   N/A
Multi-Sector Bond Portfolio(1)   Maximum total return, consistent with prudent investment management   Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
Commodities Return Strategy Portfolio(1)   Total return   Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC
Balanced Portfolio   To realize as high a level of total return as is consistent with prudent investment risk, through income and capital appreciation   N/A
Asset Allocation Portfolio   To realize as high a level of total return as is consistent with reasonable investment risk   N/A

 

(1) 

We do not expect these Portfolios to be available as an investment option under the Policy until July 1, 2011 or thereafter, depending on approval in your state. Check with your Financial Representative for availability.

(2) 

Although the Money Market Portfolio seeks to preserve its value at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Money Market Portfolio. An investment in a money market portfolio is neither insured nor guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any government agency. During extended periods of low interest rates, the yield of a money market portfolio may also become extremely low and possibly negative.

(3) 

High yield bonds are commonly referred to as junk bonds.

 

Fidelity® Variable Insurance Products

 

The Fidelity® VIP Mid Cap Portfolio and the Fidelity® VIP Contrafund® Portfolio are series of Variable Insurance Products III and the Variable Insurance Products Fund II, respectively. The Separate Account buys Service Class 2 shares of the Portfolios, the investment adviser for which is the Fidelity Management & Research Company (FMR).

 

Portfolio   Investment Objective   Sub-adviser
VIP Mid Cap Portfolio   Long-term growth of capital   FMR Co., Inc. and Fidelity Research & Analysis Company
VIP Contrafund® Portfolio*   Long-term capital appreciation   FMR Co., Inc. and Fidelity Research & Analysis Company

 

*

We do not expect the VIP Contrafund® Portfolio to be available as an investment option under the Policy until July 1, 2011 or thereafter, depending on approval in your state. Check with your Financial Representative for availability.

 

Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust

 

The Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust Socially Responsive Portfolio is a series of the Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust. The Separate Account buys Class I shares of the Portfolio, the investment adviser for which is Neuberger Berman Management LLC.

 

Portfolio   Investment Objective   Sub-adviser
Socially Responsive Portfolio*   Long-term growth of capital   N/A

 

* We do not expect the Socially Responsive Portfolio to be available as an investment option under the Policy until July 1, 2011 or thereafter, depending on approval in your state. Check with your Financial Representative for availability.

 

Russell Investment Funds

 

The assets of each of the Portfolios comprising the Russell Investment Funds are invested by one or more investment management organizations researched and recommended by Frank Russell Company (“Russell”), and an affiliate of Russell, the Russell Investment Management Company (“RIMCo”). RIMCo is the investment adviser of the Russell Investment Funds. Russell is our majority-owned subsidiary.

 

Portfolio   Investment Objective
Multi-Style Equity Fund   Long-term growth of capital
Aggressive Equity Fund   Long-term growth of capital
Global Real Estate Securities Fund   Current income and long-term growth of capital
Non-U.S. Fund   Long-term growth of capital

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

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Portfolio   Investment Objective
Core Bond Fund   Current income and, as a secondary objective, capital appreciation
LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series Moderate Strategy Fund*   High current income and moderate long-term capital appreciation
LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series Balanced Strategy Fund*   Above-average capital appreciation and a moderate level of current income
LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series Growth Strategy Fund*   High long-term capital appreciation with low current income
LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series Equity Growth Strategy Fund*   High long-term capital appreciation

 

*

We do not expect any of the LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series to be available as an investment option under the Policy until July 1, 2011 or thereafter, depending on approval in your state. Check with your Financial Representative for availability.

 

Payments We Receive

 

We select the Portfolios offered through this Policy based on several criteria, including asset class coverage, the strength of the investment adviser’s or sub-adviser’s reputation and tenure, brand recognition, performance, and the capability and qualification of each investment firm. Another factor we consider during the selection process is whether the Portfolio’s investment adviser or an affiliate will make payments to us or our affiliates. We review the Portfolios periodically and may remove a Portfolio or limit its availability to new premiums and/or transfers of accumulated amounts if we determine that the Portfolio no longer meets one or more of the selection criteria, and/or if the Portfolio has not attracted significant allocations from Owners. The Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc. and the Russell Investment Funds have been included in part because they are managed by subsidiaries of the Company.

 

We do not provide any investment advice and do not recommend or endorse any particular Portfolio. You bear the risk of any decline in the Policy Value of your Policy resulting from the performance of the Portfolios you have chosen.

 

Owners, through their indirect investment in the Portfolios, bear the costs of the investment advisory or management fees that the Portfolios pay to their respective investment advisors (see the Portfolios’ prospectuses for more information). As described above, an investment adviser of a Portfolio, or its affiliates, may make payments to the Company and/or certain of our affiliates. These payments may be derived, in whole or in part, from the advisory fee deducted from Portfolio assets. The amount of the compensation is based on a percentage of assets of the Portfolios attributable to the Policies and certain other variable insurance products that the Company issues. The percentages differ and some investment advisers (or other affiliates) may pay more than others. The percentages currently range up to 0.25%. These payments may be used for any corporate purpose, including payment of expenses that the Company and/or its affiliates incur for services performed on behalf of the Policies and the Portfolios. The Company and its affiliates may profit from these payments.

 

Certain Portfolios have adopted a Distribution (and/or Shareholder Servicing) Plan under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act, which is described in more detail in the Portfolios’ prospectuses. These payments, which may be up to 0.25%, are deducted from assets of the Portfolios and are paid to our distributor, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC. These payments decrease a Portfolio’s investment return.

 

Additionally, an investment adviser or sub-adviser of a Portfolio (or of an underlying fund in which a Portfolio invests) or its affiliate may provide the Company with wholesaling services that assist in the distribution of the Policies and may pay the Company and/or certain of our affiliates amounts to participate in sales meetings. These amounts may be significant and may provide the investment adviser or sub-adviser (or their affiliate) with increased access to persons involved in the distribution of the Policies.

 

 

 

Information About the Policies

 

We are no longer issuing these Policies.

 

This prospectus describes the material provisions of the Policies. You should consult your Policy for more information about its terms and conditions, and for any state specific variations that may apply to your Policy.

 

Premiums

 

For Whole Life Policies and, except as explained below, for Extra Ordinary Life Policies, premiums are level, fixed and payable in advance during the Insured’s lifetime on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis. You may change the premium frequency. The change will be effective when we accept the premium on the new frequency. The amount of the premium depends on the amount of insurance for which the Policy was issued and the Insured’s age and underwriting classification. The amount of the premium also reflects the sex of the Insured except where state or federal law requires that premiums and other charges and values be determined without regard to sex. We send a notice to the Owner not less than two weeks before each premium is due. If you select the monthly premium frequency, we may require that you make Premium Payments through an automatic payment plan arranged with your bank.

 

Premiums you pay other than on an annual basis are increased to (1) reflect the time value of money, based on a 12% interest rate, and (2) cover the administrative costs to process the additional Premium Payments. You may obtain

 

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information from your Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative about annual percentage rate (APR) calculations for premiums paid other than annually. The APR calculation is also available through www.northwesternmutual.com.

 

If the Insured dies after payment of the premium for the period which includes the date of death, we will refund the portion of the premium for the remainder of that period as part of the Policy proceeds.

 

You may send Premium Payments to our Home Office or to a payment center designated by us. All payments must be made in U.S. Dollars payable through a U.S. financial institution. We accept Premium Payments by check or electronic funds transfer (“EFT”). We generally will not accept cash, money orders, traveler’s checks or “starter” checks; however, in limited circumstances, we may accept some cash equivalents in accord with our anti-money laundering procedures. If you make a Premium Payment with a check or bank draft and, for whatever reason, it is later returned unpaid or uncollected, or if a Premium Payment by EFT is reversed, we reserve the right to reverse the transaction. If mandated under applicable law, we may be required to reject a Premium Payment. We may also be required to provide information about you and your account to government regulators.

 

We accept Premium Payments via our website if eligible. Electronic payments via our website must be made in accordance with our current procedures. However, we are not required to accept electronic payments, and we will not be responsible for losses resulting from transactions based on unauthorized electronic payments, provided we follow procedures reasonably designed to verify the authenticity of electronic payments.

 

Whole Life Policy    The following table for Whole Life Policies shows representative premiums for male select, standard plus, and standard risks for various face amounts of insurance. Premiums you pay other than on an annual basis are increased to (1) reflect the time value of money, based on a 12% interest rate and (2) cover the administrative costs associated with additional Premium Payments. For example, two semi-annual payments will total more than an annual premium payment.

 

Age at
Issue

   Face
Amount
       Annual
Premium
       Monthly
Premium
       Annual Sum
of Monthly
Premiums*
       Annual Sum of Monthly
Premiums Minus the
Annual Premium
 
     SELECT   

15

   $ 50,000         $ 382.50         $ 33.60         $ 403.20         $ 20.70   

35

     100,000           1,536.00           135.10           1,621.20           85.20   

55

     100,000           3,766.00           331.10           3,973.20           207.20   
     STANDARD PLUS   

15

   $ 50,000         $ 406.00         $ 35.60         $ 427.20         $ 21.20   

35

     100,000           1,683.00           148.10           1,777.20           94.20   

55

     100,000           4,125.00           363.10           4,357.20           232.20   
     STANDARD   

15

   $ 50,000         $ 491.50         $ 43.10         $ 517.20         $ 25.70   

35

     100,000           1,912.00           168.10           2,017.20           105.20   

55

     100,000           4,587.00           404.10           4,849.20           262.20   

 

* In some cases for policies with smaller premiums, the sum of 12 monthly premiums may be less than the sum of other periodic premium amounts due to lower administrative costs.

 

Extra Ordinary Life Policy    The following table for Extra Ordinary Life Policies shows representative annual premiums for male select, standard plus and standard risks for various amounts of insurance. Premiums you pay other than on an annual basis are increased to (1) reflect the time value of money, based on a 12% interest rate and (2) cover the administrative costs associated with additional Premium Payments. For example, two semi-annual payments will total more than an annual premium payment. The amounts of insurance shown in the table are the total amounts in effect when the Extra Ordinary Life Policy is issued, including both the Minimum Death Benefit, which we guarantee for the lifetime of the Insured, and the Extra Life Protection, which we guarantee for a shorter period. (See “Death Benefit” and “Extra Ordinary Life Policy.”)

 

Age at
Issue

   Face
Amount
       Annual
Premium
       Monthly
Premium
       Annual Sum
of Monthly
Premiums*
       Annual Sum of Monthly
Premiums Minus the
Annual Premium
 
     SELECT   

15

   $ 50,000         $ 261.50         $ 23.10         $ 277.20         $ 15.70   

35

     100,000           1,014.00           89.10           1,069.20           55.20   

55

     100,000           2,612.00           230.10           2,761.20           149.20   
     STANDARD PLUS   

15

   $ 50,000         $ 285.00         $ 25.10         $ 301.20         $ 16.20   

35

     100,000           1,161.00           102.10           1,225.20           64.20   

55

     100,000           2,971.00           261.10           3,133.20           162.20   
     STANDARD   

15

   $ 50,000         $ 357.50         $ 31.60         $ 379.20         $ 21.70   

35

     100,000           1,377.00           121.10           1,453.20           76.20   

55

     100,000           3,425.00           301.10           3,613.20           188.20   

 

* In some cases for policies with smaller premiums, the sum of 12 monthly premiums may be less than the sum of other periodic premium amounts due to lower administrative costs.

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

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Single Premium Life Policy    The Single Premium Life Policy was available only for applicants who met select or standard plus underwriting criteria as we determined. The premiums for these Policies are the same for both select and standard plus risks, but we expect that the dividends will be lower for Policies issued to Insureds in the standard plus classification.

 

The following table for Single Premium Life Policies shows representative gross single premiums for male select and standard plus risks for various face amounts of insurance:

 

Age at
Issue

   Face Amount
of Insurance
       Gross Single
Premium
 

15

   $ 10,000         $ 1,498.40   

35

     25,000           6,443.25   

55

     50,000           23,502.00   

 

Grace Period

 

For the Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies there is a grace period of 31 days for any premium that is not paid when due. The Policy remains in force during this period. If you do not pay the premium within the grace period, the Policy will terminate as of the date when the premium was due and will no longer be in force, unless it is continued as extended term or paid-up insurance (see “Extended Term and Paid-Up Insurance”), or the Automatic Premium Loan provision is currently in effect (see “Policy Loans and Automatic Premium Loans”) to pay any overdue premiums and the premium due is less than the maximum amount allowable. If the Insured dies during the grace period we will deduct any overdue premium from the proceeds of the Policy. If the Insured dies after payment of the premium for the period which includes the date of death, we will refund the portion of the premium for the remainder of that period as part of the Policy proceeds.

 

Allocations to the Separate Account

 

We place the net annual premium for a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy in the Separate Account on the Policy Date and on the Policy Anniversary each year. The net annual premium is the annual premium less the deductions described below.

 

You determine how the net annual premium for a Whole Life or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is apportioned among the Divisions. If you direct any portion of a premium to a Division, the Division must receive at least 10% of that premium. You may change the apportionment for future premiums by written request at any time, but the change will be effective only when we place the net annual premium in the Separate Account on the next Policy Anniversary, even if you are paying premiums other than on an annual basis. Eligible Owners may also submit allocation requests via Northwestern Mutual Express (1-800-519-4665) or via our website at www.northwesternmutual.com.

 

For a Single Premium Policy we placed the entire single premium, less an administrative charge of $150, in the Separate Account on the Policy Date, and we apportioned the amount among the Divisions as you determined.

 

You may apportion the Separate Account assets supporting your Policy among as many as six Divisions at any time.

 

Transfers Between Divisions    Subject to the short-term and excessive trading limitations described below, you may change your allocation between Divisions and transfer accumulated amounts from one Division to another so long as you are invested in no more than six Divisions at a time. In order to take full advantage of these features, you should carefully consider, on a continuing basis, which investment options are best suited to your long-term investment needs. See “Owner Inquiries” for more information on how you may change your allocation among Divisions. Your Financial Representative may provide us with instructions on your behalf involving the allocation and transfer of accumulated amounts among available Divisions, subject to our rules and requirements, including the restrictions on short-term and excessive trading discussed below.

 

We will make the transfer based upon the net valuation of units in the affected Division after our receipt of your request for transfer at our Home Office, provided it is in good order. “Good order” means that your request meets all the requirements necessary for us to process it. You may request the transfer in writing at our Home Office, via Northwestern Mutual Express (1-800-519-4665) or, if eligible, via our website at (www.northwesternmutual.com). The submission of transfer instructions by telephone or through our website (“Electronic Instructions”) must be made in accordance with our current procedures for Electronic Instructions. However, we are not required to accept Electronic Instructions, and we will not be responsible for losses resulting from transactions based on unauthorized Electronic Instructions, provided we follow procedures reasonably designed to verify the authenticity of Electronic Instructions. Please note that the telephone and/or electronic devices may not always be available. Any telephone or electronic device, whether it is yours, your service provider's or your agent's or ours, can experience outages or slowdowns for a variety of reasons, which may delay or prevent our processing of your request. Although we have taken precautions to limit these problems, we cannot promise complete reliability under all circumstances. If you are experiencing problems, you should make your transfer request by writing to our Home Office. We reserve the right to limit, modify, suspend or terminate the ability to make transfers via Electronic Instructions.

 

If we receive your request in good order for transfer before the close of trading on the NYSE (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time), your request will receive same-day pricing. If we receive your request for transfer on or after the close of

 

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trading on the NYSE, we will process the order using the value of the units in the Divisions determined at the close of the next regular trading session of the NYSE. Although no fee is presently charged, we reserve the right where allowed by state law to charge a fee that will cover the administrative costs of transfers. In addition, certain Portfolios in which the Divisions invest may impose redemption fees. These fees are described in the Portfolios’ prospectuses. Transfer requests must be in whole percentages and in amounts greater than or equal to 1% of Invested Assets or the request will not be processed. When a transfer is made from any Division, the resulting allocation of Invested Assets must be in whole percentages in all Divisions that have any Invested Assets as a result of the transfer.

 

Short-Term and Excessive Trading    Short-term and excessive trading (sometimes referred to as “market timing”) may present risks to a Portfolio’s long-term investors, such as Owners and other persons who may have material rights under the Policy (e.g., beneficiaries), because it can, among other things, disrupt Portfolio investment strategies, increase Portfolio transaction and administrative costs, require higher than normal levels of cash reserves to fund unusually large or unexpected redemptions, and adversely affect investment performance. These risks may be greater for Portfolios that invest in securities that may be more vulnerable to arbitrage trading, including foreign securities and thinly traded securities, such as small cap stocks and non-investment grade bonds. These types of trading activities also may dilute the value of long-term investors’ interests in a Portfolio if it calculates its net asset value using closing prices that are no longer accurate. Accordingly, we discourage market timing activities.

 

To deter short-term and excessive trading, we have adopted and implemented policies and procedures which are designed to control abusive trading practices. We seek to apply these policies and procedures uniformly to all Owners. Any exceptions must be either expressly permitted by our policies and procedures or subject to an approval process described in them. We may also be prevented from uniformly applying these policies and procedures under applicable state or federal law or regulation. Because exceptions are permitted, it is possible that investors may be treated differently and, as a result, some may be allowed to engage in trading activity that might be viewed as market timing.

 

Among the steps we have taken to reduce the frequency and effect of these practices are monitoring trading activity and imposing trading restrictions, including the prohibition of more than twelve transfers among Divisions under a single Policy during a Policy Year. Multiple transfers with the same effective date made by the same Owner will be counted as a single transfer for purposes of applying the twelve transfer limitation. Further, an investor who is identified as having made a transfer in and out of the same Division, excluding the Money Market Division, (“round trip transfer”) in an amount in excess of $10,000 within fourteen calendar days will be restricted from making additional transfers after the third such round trip transfer until the next Policy Anniversary date, and will be sent a letter informing him or her of the restriction. Thereafter, the same investor will be similarly restricted after the second such round trip transfer. An Owner who is identified as having made one or more round trip transfers within thirty calendar days aggregating more than one percent (1%) of the total assets of the Portfolio underlying a Division, excluding the Money Market Division and the Divisions corresponding to the Portfolios of the Russell Investment Funds LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series, will be sent a warning letter after the first such round trip transfer and will be restricted from making additional transfers until the next Policy Anniversary date after the second such round trip transfer. Thereafter, the same investor will be similarly restricted after the first such round trip transfer. These limitations do not apply to automatic asset transfers, scheduled or systematic transactions involving portfolio rebalancing, dollar cost averaging, initial allocations or changes in future allocations. Once a Policy is restricted, we will allow one additional transfer into the Money Market Division until the next Policy Anniversary. Additionally, in accordance with our procedures, we may modify some of these limitations to allow for transfers that would not count against the total transfer limit but only as necessary to alleviate any potential hardships to Owners (e.g., in situations involving a substitution of an underlying fund).

 

Policies such as yours (or other Policies supported by the Separate Account) may be purchased by a corporation or other entity as a means to informally fund the liabilities created by the entity’s employee benefit or similar plan. These Policies may be aggregately managed to match liabilities under such plans. Policies sold under these circumstances may be subject to special transfer restrictions. Namely, transactions involving portfolio rebalancing programs may be exempt from the twelve transfers per Policy year limitation where: (1) the purpose of the portfolio rebalancing program is to match the Policy to the entity’s employee benefit or similar plan; (2) the portfolio rebalancing program adequately protects against short-term or excessive trading; and (3) the portfolio rebalancing program is managed by a third party administrator that meets our requirements. We reserve the right to monitor or limit transactions involving portfolio rebalancing programs where we believe such transactions may be potentially harmful to a Portfolio.

 

We may change these policies and procedures from time to time in our sole discretion without notice; provided, however, Owners will be given advance, written notice if the policies and procedures are revised to accommodate market timing. Additionally, the Funds may have their own policies and procedures described in their prospectuses that are designed to limit or restrict frequent trading. Such policies may be different from our policies and procedures, and may be more or less restrictive. As the Funds may accept purchase payments from other investors, including other insurance company separate accounts on behalf of their variable product customers and retirement plans, we cannot guarantee that the Funds will not be harmed by any abusive market timing activity relating to the retirement plans and/or other insurance companies that may invest in the Funds. The Funds’ policies

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

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and procedures may provide for the imposition of a redemption fee and, upon request from the Fund, require us to provide transaction information to the Fund (including an Owner’s tax identification number) and to restrict or prohibit transfers and other transactions that involve the purchase of shares of a Portfolio. In the event a Fund instructs us to restrict or prohibit transfers or other transactions involving shares of a Portfolio, you may not be able to make additional purchases in a Division until the restriction or prohibition ends. If you submit a request that includes a purchase or transfer into such a restricted Division, we will consider the request “not in good order” and it will not be processed. You may, however, submit a new transfer request.

 

If we believe your trading activity is in violation of, or inconsistent with, our policies and procedures or otherwise is potentially disruptive to the interests of other investors, you may be asked to stop such activities, and future investments and allocations or transfers by you may be rejected without prior notice. Because we retain discretion to determine what action is appropriate in a given situation, investors may be treated differently and some may be allowed to engage in activities that might be viewed as market timing.

 

We intend to monitor events and the effectiveness of our policies and procedures in order to identify whether instances of potentially abusive trading practices are occurring. However, we may not be able to identify all instances of abusive trading practices, nor completely eliminate the possibility of such activities, and there may be technological limitations on our ability to impose restrictions on the trading practices of Owners.

 

Deductions and Charges

 

The Net Premiums we place in the Separate Account for Whole Life, Extra Ordinary Life and Single Premium Life Policies are the gross premiums after the deductions described in the next two sections below. The Net Premiums for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies exclude any extra premium we charge for Insureds who do not qualify as select risks and the extra premium for any optional benefits. We make a charge for mortality and expense risks against the assets of the Separate Account. There is also a charge for taxes. (See “Charges Against the Separate Account Assets.”) In addition, the funds in which the Separate Account assets are invested pay an investment advisory fee and certain other expenses. (See “Fee and Expense Tables—Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses” and the attached Fund prospectuses.)

 

You may have the option of receiving funds via wire transfer or priority mail. Currently, a fee of $25 is charged for wire transfers (up to $50 for international wires) and a $15 fee (up to $45 for next day, a.m. delivery) for priority mail. These fees are to cover our administrative costs or other expenses. We may discontinue the availability of these options at any time, with or without notice.

 

Deductions from Premiums for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies    The deductions described in this section are for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies only. The deductions for Single Premium Life Policies are described under the next caption below.

 

For the first Policy Year there was a one-time deduction of not more than $5 for each $1,000 of insurance, based on the face amount for Whole Life or the Minimum Death Benefit stated in the Policy for Extra Ordinary Life. This was for the costs of processing applications, medical examinations, determining insurability and establishing records.

 

There is an annual deduction of $35 for administrative costs to maintain the Policy. Expenses include costs of premium billing and collection, processing claims, keeping records and communicating with Owners.

 

There is a deduction each year for sales costs. This amount may be considered a sales load. The deduction will be not more than 30% of the basic premium (as defined below) for the first Policy Year, not more than 10% for each of the next three years and not more than 7% each year thereafter. The basic premium for a Policy is the gross premium which would be payable if you paid the premium annually, less the annual deduction of $35 for administrative costs. The basic premium is based on the cost of insurance for Insureds who qualify as select risks and does not include any extra premium amounts for Insureds whom we place in other underwriting classifications. The basic premium does not include the extra premium for any optional benefits. For an Extra Ordinary Life Policy, the basic premium does not include any extra premium for the Extra Life Protection; the amount of term insurance included in the Extra Life Protection affects the dividends payable on the Extra Ordinary Life Policies. The current charge is a maximum of $1,000 per $1,000 of term insurance, without current dividend, and the minimum is $6.27 per $1,000 of the term insurance, without the current dividend, depending on the age and sex of the Insured.

 

The amount of the deduction for sales costs for any Policy Year is not specifically related to sales costs we incur for that year. We expect to recover our total sales expenses from the amounts we deduct for sales costs over the period while the Policies are in force. To the extent that sales expenses exceed the amounts deducted, we will pay the expenses from our other assets. These assets may include, among other things, any gain realized from the charge against the assets of the Separate Account for the mortality and expense risks we assume. (See “Charges Against the Separate Account Assets.”) To the extent that the amounts deducted for sales costs exceed the amounts needed, we will realize a gain.

 

We make a deduction equal to 2% of each basic premium for state premium taxes. Premium taxes vary from state to state and currently range from 0% to 3.5% of life insurance premiums. The 2% rate is an average, and we charge the same percentage regardless of the state in which you live, which may be more or less than the percentage charged by your state of residence.

 

Provided that all premiums are paid when due, we guarantee that the Death Benefit, before adjustments, for a Whole Life Policy will never be less than the face amount of the Policy, regardless of the investment experience of the Separate

 

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Account and that, for an Extra Ordinary Life Policy, the Death Benefit, before adjustments, will never be less than the Minimum Death Benefit stated in the Policy. For both Policies, there is a deduction equal to 1.5% of each basic premium to compensate us for the risk that the Insured may die at a point in time when the Death Benefit that would ordinarily be paid is less than this guaranteed minimum amount.

 

For an Extra Ordinary Life Policy there is a deduction for dividends that may be paid or credited in accordance with the dividend scale in effect on the issue date of the Policy. This deduction will vary by age of the Insured and duration of the Policy, and we expect it to be in the range of approximately 7-17% of the gross annual premium. Future dividends are not guaranteed. (See “Annual Dividends.”)

 

The following tables illustrate the amount of net annual premium, for select and standard risks, to be placed in the Separate Account at the beginning of each Policy Year after the deductions described above:

 

Whole Life

 

Beginning of Policy Year

   Male Age 35 - Select Risk
Annual Premium
 
   $500      $1,000      $5,000  

1

   $ 154.28       $ 320.16       $ 1,647.28   

2 through 4

     402.11         834.48         4,293.51   

5 and later

     416.05         863.41         4,442.36   

 

Beginning of Policy Year

   Male Age 35 - Standard Risk
Annual Premium
 
   $500      $1,000      $5,000  

1

   $ 123.37       $ 256.03       $ 1,317.30   

2 through 4

     321.57         667.33         3,433.44   

5 and later

     332.71         690.46         3,552.48   

 

Extra Ordinary Life

 

Beginning of Policy Year

   Male Age 35 - Select Risk
Annual Premium
 
   $500      $1,000      $5,000  

1

   $ 134.23       $ 278.56       $ 1,433.21   

2 through 4

     369.62         767.07         3,946.64   

5 and later

     383.58         796.05         4,095.74   

 

Beginning of Policy Year

   Male Age 35 - Standard Risk
Annual Premium
 
   $500      $1,000      $5,000  

1

   $ 97.92       $ 203.21       $ 1,045.54   

2 through 4

     269.65         559.59         2,879.11   

5 and later

     279.83         580.73         2,987.88   

 

Deductions for Single Premium Life Policies    For a Single Premium Life Policy, the only deduction from the single premium was an administrative charge of $150. The administrative costs for issuing and maintaining a Single Premium Life Policy are similar to those we incur with a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy, except for the costs of premium billing and collection. (See “Deductions from Premiums for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies.”) We placed the entire premium for a Single Premium Life Policy, after this deduction of $150, in the Separate Account when we issued the Policy without any of the other deductions which apply to premiums for Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies. There is no annual fee for a Single Premium Life Policy.

 

For a Single Premium Life Policy during the first ten Policy Years, the Cash Value payable on surrender of the Policy was reduced by a deduction for sales costs. The deduction during the first Policy Year was not more than 9% of the Policy’s tabular Cash Value. (See “Cash Value.”) The deduction decreased over time until it was eliminated at the end of the tenth Policy Year. We intended the deduction to recover the costs we incurred in distributing Single Premium Life Policies which were surrendered in their early years. The deduction was never more than 9% of the single premium paid for the Policy, excluding the administrative charge of $150.

 

The following table illustrates the schedule for the decreasing deduction for sales costs for a policy surrendered at the end of each of the first ten Policy Years. The illustration is for a Single Premium Life Policy, male age 35. The schedule varies slightly by age and sex and amount of insurance.

 

Policy Year End When
Policy Is Surrendered

   Deduction as % of
Tabular Cash Value
 

1

     7.9

2

     7.1   

3

     6.3   

4

     5.4   

5

     4.6   

6

     3.7   

7

     2.8   

8

     1.9   

9

     0.9   

10 and subsequent years

     0   

 

Charges Against the Separate Account Assets    There is a daily charge to the Separate Account for the mortality and expense risks that we have assumed. The charge is at the annual rate of .50% of the assets of the Separate Account. The mortality risk is that Insureds may not live as long as we estimated. The expense risk is that expenses of issuing and administering the Policies may exceed the estimated costs, including other costs such as those related to marketing and distribution. The actual mortality and expense experience under the Policies will be a factor used in determining dividends. (See “Annual Dividends.”)

 

The Policies provide that we may make a charge for taxes against the assets of the Separate Account. Currently, we are making a daily charge for income taxes we incur at the annual rate of .05% of the assets of the Separate Account. We may increase, decrease or eliminate the charge for taxes in the future to reflect the portion of our actual tax expenses which is fairly allocable to the Policies.

 

Optional Benefits    There is a separate charge for any optional benefit you have selected. (See “Other Policy Provisions—Optional Benefits.”) For a Whole Life Policy, the Waiver of Premium Benefit has a maximum charge of $2.05 per $1,000 of face amount and a minimum charge of $0.13 per $1,000 of face amount. The Additional Purchase Benefit has a maximum charge of $2.21 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase

 

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Benefit and a minimum charge of $0.54 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit.

 

For an Extra Ordinary Life Policy, the Waiver of Premium Benefit has a maximum charge of $1.48 per $1,000 of face amount and a minimum charge of $0.10 per $1,000 of face amount. The Additional Purchase Benefit has a maximum charge of $2.21 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit and a minimum charge of $1.06 per $1,000 of Additional Purchase Benefit.

 

We will realize a gain from these charges to the extent they are not needed to provide benefits and pay expenses under the Policies, in which case the gain may be used for any Company purpose.

 

The Portfolios in which the assets that support your Policy are invested also bear expenses which reduce the investment rate of return. (See “Fee and Expense Tables—Range of Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses” and attached mutual fund prospectuses.)

 

Guarantee of Premiums, Deductions and Charges

 

We guarantee that the premiums, the amounts we deduct from premiums, and the charge for mortality and expense risks will not increase over time. These amounts will not increase regardless of future changes in longevity or increases in expenses. The Extra Ordinary Life Policy provides an opportunity to pay an additional amount of premium after the guaranteed period for the Extra Life Protection has expired if the total Death Benefit would otherwise fall below the initial amount of insurance. (See “Extra Ordinary Life Policy.”)

 

Death Benefit

 

Your beneficiary may receive the Death Benefit as a cash settlement either by electing to receive a lump sum check or by electing the Northwestern Access Fund account (an interest-bearing account), if the case settlement amount meets our criteria. If no affirmative election is made, the beneficiary will receive the Death Benefit as a lump sum check. If a Northwestern Access Fund account is elected, payment of the full Death Benefit is accomplished by the opening of the Northwestern Access Fund account in the name of the beneficiary. Northwestern Access Fund account information, along with a book of drafts (which function much like checks from a checking account at a bank), will be sent to the beneficiary, and the beneficiary will have access to funds in the account simply by writing a draft for all or part of the amount of the Death Benefit (or other available balance), and depositing or using the draft as desired. When the draft is paid through the bank that administers the account for Northwestern Mutual, the bank will receive the amount the beneficiary requests as a transfer from the Company’s General Account. The Northwestern Access Fund is part of the Company’s General Account. Any interest paid within a Northwestern Access Fund may be taxable, so please consult your tax advisor. The Northwestern Access Fund is not a bank account, and it is not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency. As part of our General Account, the Northwestern Access Fund is backed by the financial strength of the Company, although it is subject to the claims of our creditors. In addition, funds held in the Northwestern Access Fund are guaranteed by State Insurance Guarantee Associations. The Company may make a profit on all amounts held in the Northwestern Access Fund. We may discontinue the Northwestern Access Fund at any time, with or without notice.

 

If a payment plan was not previously elected by the Owner and in lieu of a lump sum payment, Death Benefits, less any Policy Debt, may be paid under a payment plan selected by your beneficiary after the death of the Insured. Available payment plans include an interest income plan, installment income plans, and life income plans. Generally, (1) an interest income plan accrues interest on the Death Benefit, the interest may be received monthly, and any remaining proceeds or interest may be withdrawn at any time; (2) an installment income plan pays the Death Benefit in installments for a fixed period of time, and any remaining proceeds may be withdrawn at any time; and (3) a life income plan makes payments monthly for a chosen period and after that, for the life of the person on whose life the payments are based (or two persons if the joint option is selected). The choice of payment plans will vary depending on financial situation and the amount of income desired monthly for a chosen time period. The Owner may elect the payment plan while the Insured is living or, if the Insured is not the Owner, during the first 60 days after the Insured’s date of death. A payment plan that is elected by the Owner will take effect on the date of death of the Insured if the notice of election is received in our Home Office while the Insured is living. In all other cases, the payment plan will take effect on the date of receipt of the notice of election. If no payment plan is elected, the benefit is paid to the beneficiary with interest based on rates declared by the Company or as required by applicable state law on the date of death of the Insured.

 

The amount payable under the Death Benefit will be reduced by the amount of any Policy Debt. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Policy, the proceeds will be paid to a beneficiary or other payee after proof of the death of the Insured is received in our Home Office. The amount of proceeds will be determined as of the date of death. We will pay interest on the proceeds from that date until payment is made.

 

The Death Benefit for a variable life insurance policy is, in part, a guaranteed amount which will not be reduced during the lifetime of the Insured so long as you pay premiums when they are due and no Policy Debt is outstanding. The remainder of the Death Benefit is the variable insurance amount which fluctuates in response to actual investment results and is not guaranteed. The amount of any paid-up additions is also included in the total Death Benefit and, in addition, the Extra Ordinary Life Policy provides some term insurance during the early Policy Years. Paid-up additions are amounts of permanent insurance, paid for with dividends and added to a basic life insurance policy, and for which the premium for the entire lifetime of the Insured has been paid. Paid-up additions have Cash Value and loan value. The relationships among the

 

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guaranteed and variable amounts and any paid-up additions and term insurance depend on the design of the particular Policy. For a more detailed description of how the Death Benefit is calculated for your Policy, see “Whole Life Policy and Single Premium Life Policy” and “Extra Ordinary Life Policy” below.

 

Variable Insurance Amount    The variable insurance amount reflects, on a cumulative basis, the investment experience of the Divisions in which the Policy has participated. We adjust the variable insurance amount annually on each Policy Anniversary. For the first Policy Year the variable insurance amount was zero. For any subsequent year it may be either positive or negative. If the variable insurance amount is positive, subsequent good investment results will produce a larger variable insurance amount and therefore an increase in the Death Benefit. If the variable insurance amount is negative, subsequent good investment results will first have to offset the negative amount before the Death Benefit will increase.

 

In setting the premium rates for each Policy we have assumed that investment results will cause the Separate Account assets supporting the Policy to grow at a net annual rate of 4%. If the assets grow at a net rate of exactly 4% for a Policy Year, the variable insurance amount will neither increase nor decrease on the following Policy anniversary. If the net rate of growth exceeds 4%, the variable insurance amount will increase. If it is less than 4%, the variable insurance amount will decrease.

 

The method for calculating the changes in the Death Benefit is described in the Policy. The Policy includes a table of net single premiums used to convert the investment results for a Policy into increases or decreases in the variable insurance amount. The insurance rates in the table depend on the sex and the Attained Age of the Insured for each Policy Year. For a Whole Life Policy, the changes in the Death Benefit will be smaller for a Policy issued with a higher premium for extra mortality risk. The net single premium for a particular variable insurance amount is the price for that amount of paid-up whole life insurance based on the Insured’s age on the Policy Anniversary.

 

To illustrate how the variable insurance amount affects the Death Benefit for a Whole Life Policy, suppose that on your Policy Anniversary investment results since your last Policy Anniversary (excluding investment results on paid-up additions) were $500 less than the amount that would have been expected assuming a net annual growth rate of 4%. By way of example, if your net single premium (based on your underwriting classification as indicated in your Policy) per $1.00 of insurance was .40440, the variable insurance amount for the current year will decrease by $1,236 ($500/.40440), thereby decreasing the Death Benefit if the variable insurance amount had been positive. (See “Whole Life Policy and Single Premium Life Policy.”)

 

Because the variable insurance amount is adjusted only on the Policy Anniversary, we bear the risk that the Insured may die before the next anniversary after an interim period of adverse investment experience. If investment experience during the interim period is favorable, you will forgo the benefit and we will realize a gain. However, if on the date of death of the Insured the value of the Policy, considered as a net single premium, would buy more Death Benefit than the amount otherwise determined under the Policy, we will pay this increased Death Benefit.

 

The cost of life insurance increases with the advancing age of the Insured, and therefore a larger dollar amount of investment earnings is required to produce the same increase in the Death Benefit in the later Policy Years. In general, however, the effect of investment results on the Death Benefit will tend to be greater in the later Policy Years because the amount of assets invested for the Policy will tend to increase as the Policy remains in force.

 

The cost of providing insurance protection under a Policy is reflected in the Cash Value of the Policy. (See “Cash Value.”) The cost is actuarially computed for each Policy each year, based on the Insured’s Attained Age, the 1980 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Table and the net insurance amount at risk under the Policy. The net insurance amount at risk is the Death Benefit for the Policy minus the sum of the Cash Value and any Policy Debt. The cost of insurance differs each year because the probability of death increases as the Insured advances in age, and the net insurance amount at risk decreases or increases from year to year depending on investment experience. The cost assumes that all Insureds are in the select underwriting classification. The differences in the mortality rates of the various underwriting classifications are reflected in the different premiums (or different dividend scales) for those underwriting classifications. The cost of insurance is based on the mortality table identified above and we guarantee it for the life of a Policy regardless of any future changes in mortality experience. Our revenues attributable to this charge may exceed our costs attributable to this charge, in which case we may realize a gain.

 

Whole Life Policy and Single Premium Life Policy    For a Whole Life Policy or a Single Premium Life Policy the Death Benefit is the face amount of the Policy plus any positive variable insurance amount in force. We adjust the Death Benefit on each Policy Anniversary when we determine the variable insurance amount for the following year. The total Death Benefit also includes the amount of insurance provided by any paid-up additions which you have purchased with dividends. The Death Benefit for a Whole Life Policy will not be less than the face amount so long as you pay premiums when they are due. For a Single Premium Life Policy the Death Benefit will not be less than the face amount. The amount payable at death is reduced by the amount of any Policy Debt outstanding.

 

Paid-up additions you have purchased with dividends are not counted for purposes of the guarantee that the Death Benefit of a Whole Life Policy or a Single Premium Life Policy will never be less than the face amount of the Policy. If the variable insurance amount is negative, the total Death Benefit will be the guaranteed face amount plus the amount of insurance provided by any paid-up additions. Paid-up additions are amounts of permanent insurance, paid for with

 

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dividends and added to a basic life insurance policy, and for which the premium for the entire lifetime of the Insured has been paid. Paid-up additions have Cash Value and loan value.

 

Extra Ordinary Life Policy    The Death Benefit for an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is affected by the amount of Extra Life Protection in force. Initially, the amount of Extra Life Protection is 40% of the total amount of insurance and is in the form of one year term insurance; the amount of term insurance may be adjusted on each Policy Anniversary thereafter. Term insurance is life insurance which pays a Death Benefit only if the Insured dies during the term for which the insurance has been purchased. Term insurance is ordinarily purchased on an annual basis at a cost which rises with the increasing age of the Insured. It has no cash surrender value or loan value. Over time, positive variable insurance amounts and paid-up additions purchased with dividends will reduce the one year term insurance portion of the Extra Life Protection to an amount that (with variable insurance amounts and paid-up additions) will maintain the total Death Benefit at the amount for which the Policy was issued. The term insurance is eliminated at any time when the sum of positive variable insurance amount plus the paid-up additions equals or exceeds the initial amount of Extra Life Protection.

 

The amount of Extra Life Protection may increase over time but it will not decrease below the initial amount during the Policy’s guaranteed period, so long as you pay premiums when they are due, all dividends are applied to purchase paid-up additions and no paid-up additions are surrendered for their Cash Value. The length of the guaranteed period depends on the age of the Insured at issue. Please note that neither the actual investment results nor the dividends to be paid on the Policy are guaranteed. You may request an in-force illustration to illustrate the effect of various future rates of return on the amount of Extra Life Protection.

 

After the guaranteed period expires, if the sum of positive variable insurance amounts plus the paid-up additions is less than the initial amount of Extra Life Protection on any Policy Anniversary, we may reduce the amount of your term insurance for the Policy Year. We will give you notice of the reduction and you will have an opportunity to pay an additional amount of premium in order to keep the initial amount of insurance in force. The maximum premium rate is set forth in the Policy. Your right to continue the Extra Life Protection will terminate as of the first Policy Anniversary when you fail to pay the additional premium when due.

 

The Death Benefit for an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is the sum of the Minimum Death Benefit plus the amount of Extra Life Protection in force. The Minimum Death Benefit is 60% of the total amount of insurance for which the Policy was issued. We guarantee the Minimum Death Benefit for the lifetime of the Insured so long as you pay premiums when they are due.

 

The total Death Benefit is not affected by either investment results or the amount of dividends paid, so long as the Policy is within the guaranteed period of Extra Life Protection unless the term insurance has been eliminated by positive variable insurance amount and paid-up additions as described above. Good investment results and increases in dividends increase the likelihood that the total Death Benefit will begin to rise before the guaranteed period of Extra Life Protection expires. Adverse investment results or decreases in dividends could cause the total Death Benefit to fall below the amount of insurance which was initially in force, after the guaranteed period of Extra Life Protection expires, but it cannot fall below the Minimum Death Benefit so long as you pay premiums when they are due. In each case the amount payable at death is reduced by any Policy Debt outstanding.

 

The following three examples illustrate how Extra Life Protection operates during the guaranteed period. In each example the Policy was issued for a total amount of $250,000. The minimum death benefit is $150,000 (60% of $250,000) and the initial amount of Extra Life Protection is $100,000 (40% of $250,000).

 

   

Example 1: On a Policy Anniversary, there is a total positive variable insurance amount of $10,000 and paid-up additions are $15,000. The Extra Life Protection for the following year would consist of term insurance in the amount of $75,000 ($100,000 minus the sum of $10,000 and $15,000) in order to maintain the initial amount of Extra Life Protection. There would be no effect on the current Death Benefit because the total of the variable insurance amount and paid-up additions has not exceeded the initial amount of Extra Life Protection.

 

   

Example 2: On a Policy Anniversary, there is a total negative variable insurance amount of -$12,000 and paid-up additions are $15,000. The Extra Life Protection for the following year would consist of term insurance in the amount of $85,000, reflecting a reduction for paid-up additions but not negative variable insurance amounts. Again, there would be no effect on the current Death Benefit. In subsequent years positive variable insurance amounts will need to make up for the negative variable insurance amounts in order to affect the amount of term insurance.

 

   

Example 3: On a Policy Anniversary, there is a total positive variable insurance amount of $60,000 and paid-up additions are $50,000. The Extra Life Protection for the following year would consist of no term insurance and would increase to $110,000 (the sum of $60,000 and $50,000). In this case the current Death Benefit would increase to reflect variable insurance amounts and paid-up insurance in excess of the Extra Life Protection (see “Variable Insurance Amount” above).

 

We have designed the Extra Ordinary Life Policy for a purchaser who intends to use all dividends to purchase paid-up additions. If you use dividends for any other purpose, or if any paid-up additions are surrendered for their Cash Value, the term insurance in force will immediately terminate, any remaining guaranteed period of Extra Life Protection will terminate and your right to continue the amount of Extra Life Protection as described above will terminate. The amount of Extra Life Protection thereafter will be the sum of positive variable insurance amount plus any paid-up additions which remain in force.

 

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Cash Value

 

The Cash Value of a Policy is equal to the amount you are eligible to receive when you surrender the Policy. If investment results were a net level 4% every year, the Cash Value would increase each year according to a table in your Policy (“tabular Cash Value”). However, the Cash Value for all Policies will change daily in response to investment results. For any given date, to calculate the Cash Value, the tabular Cash Value for the last Policy Anniversary is adjusted to reflect the time elapsed since the last Policy Anniversary. We then adjust the sum of the tabular Cash Value and the net single premium for the variable insurance amount (see the discussion of net single premiums under “Variable Insurance Amount”) to reflect investment results from the last Policy Anniversary to the date for which the calculation is being made. The Cash Value is increased by the value of any paid-up additions which have been purchased with dividends. If a portion of the premium for the current Policy Year has not been paid, the Cash Value of a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy will be reduced. The Cash Value for all Policies will be reduced by any Policy Debt outstanding. No minimum Cash Value is guaranteed.

 

If a portion of the premium for the current Policy Year has not been paid, the Cash Value of a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy will be reduced.

 

The Cash Value for the Whole Life Policy, the Extra Ordinary Life Policy and the Single Premium Life Policy will be reduced by the amount of any Policy Debt outstanding.

 

We determine the Cash Value for a Policy at the end of each valuation period (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time each business day). Each business day, together with any non-business days before it, is a valuation period. A business day is any day on which the NYSE is open for trading. In accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act, we may also determine the Cash Value for a Policy on any other day on which there is sufficient trading in securities to materially affect the value of the securities held by the Portfolios.

 

You may surrender a Policy for the Cash Value at any time during the lifetime of the Insured. Alternatively, you may use the Cash Value of a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy to provide extended term insurance or a reduced amount of fixed or variable paid-up insurance. (See “Extended Term and Paid-Up Insurance.”) Surrender proceeds may be paid under a payment plan requested by an Owner at the time of surrender. Available payment plans include an interest income plan, installment income plans, and life income plans.

 

You may request a Death Benefit reduction, so long as the Policy’s Death Benefit after reduction meets the regular minimum size requirements. A proportionate refund of the Policy’s Cash Value will result from any Death Benefit reduction. The refund of Cash Value will first be applied toward any existing loan balance. The remainder of the Cash Value refunded will be returned to the Owner. The remaining Policy will be based on the age and underwriting classification of the Insured at the time of issuance of the original Policy. We will allocate reductions among the Divisions in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions.

 

Annual Dividends

 

The Policies are eligible to share in the divisible surplus, if any, of the Company. Each year we determine, in our sole discretion, the amount and appropriate allocation of divisible surplus. Divisible surplus allocated to your Policy is referred to as a “dividend”. A Policy’s share, if any, will be credited as a dividend on the Policy Anniversary. We will not pay a dividend on a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy which is in force as extended term insurance. There is no guaranteed method or formula for the determination or allocation of divisible surplus. The Company’s approach is subject to change. There is no guarantee of a divisible surplus. Even if there is a divisible surplus, the payment of a dividend on a Policy is not guaranteed.

 

Dividend illustrations published at the time a life insurance policy is issued generally reflect the actual recent experience of the issuing company with respect to investment earnings, mortality and expenses. State law generally prohibits a company from projecting or estimating future results.

 

If you receive dividends, you may use them to purchase variable paid-up additions, unless the Policy is in force as reduced fixed paid-up insurance. We will also pay dividends in cash, or you may use them to pay premiums or leave them to accumulate with interest (see “Tax Consideration—Tax Treatment of Life Insurance”); but unless you use all dividends we pay on an Extra Ordinary Life Policy to purchase paid-up additions, the term insurance portion of the Extra Life Protection will be terminated. (See “Extra Ordinary Life Policy.”) We hold dividends you leave to accumulate with interest in our General Account and we will credit them with a rate of interest we determine annually. The interest rate will not be less than an annual effective rate of 3.5%. If a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is in force as reduced fixed benefit paid-up insurance, dividends may be used to purchase fixed benefit paid-up additions. (See “Extended Term and Paid-Up Insurance.”) Dividends used to purchase variable benefit paid-up additions will be allocated to the Divisions of the Separate Account according to the allocation of Net Premiums then in effect.

 

Policy Loans and Automatic Premium Loans

 

Described below are certain terms and conditions that apply when you borrow amounts under the Policy. For information on the tax treatment of loans, see “Tax Treatment of Policy Benefits” and consult with your tax advisor.

 

Policy Loans    You may borrow an amount that, when added to existing Policy Debt, is not more than the loan value. The loan value is 90% of the sum of the Cash Value and any existing Policy Debt on the date of the loan. You may take loan proceeds in cash or, for the Whole Life and Extra Ordinary Life Policies, you may use them to pay premiums on the Policy. We normally pay the loan proceeds within seven days after we receive a proper loan request at our Home Office. Eligible Owners may also submit loan requests via the Variable Life Service Center (1-866-424-2609). Written and telephone requests will be processed based on the date and

 

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time they are received in the Home Office, provided the request is received in good order. Based on our administrative procedures, you may have the option of receiving funds via wire transfer or priority mail, and we may charge a fee for this service to cover our administrative costs. We may postpone payments of loans under certain conditions described in the “Deferral of Determination and Payment” section of this prospectus.

 

Automatic Premium Loans    If you have chosen the Automatic Premium Loan provision or it is currently in effect for your Policy, a premium loan, which is a form of Policy loan, will automatically be made to pay an overdue premium if the premium is less than the maximum amount available for a new loan. A confirmation statement will be sent each time an automatic premium loan occurs.

 

General Loan Terms    Interest on a loan accrues and is payable on a daily basis. We add unpaid interest to the amount of the loan. The Policy’s Cash Value is reduced by the amount of the loan. If the Cash Value decreases to zero, the Policy will terminate unless a sufficient portion of the loan is repaid. We will send you a notice at least 31 days before the termination date. The notice will show how much you must repay to keep the Policy in force.

 

You select the loan interest rate. The loan interest rate is applied to both the amount of the loan and accrued interest. A specified annual effective rate of 8% is one choice. The other choice is a variable rate based on a corporate bond yield index. We will adjust the variable rate annually. It will not be less than 5%.

 

We will take the amount of a loan, including interest as it accrues, from the Divisions in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions. We will transfer the amounts withdrawn to our General Account and will credit those amounts on a daily basis with an annual earnings rate equal to the loan interest rate less a charge for the mortality and expense risks we have assumed and for expenses, including taxes. The aggregate charge is currently at the annual rate of .85% for the 8% specified loan interest rate and .85% for the variable loan interest rate. For example, the earnings rate corresponding to the specified 8% loan interest rate is currently 7.15%. A loan, even if you repay it, will have a permanent effect on the Policy’s variable insurance amount and Cash Value because the amounts you have borrowed will not participate in the Separate Account’s investment results while the loan is outstanding. The effect may be either favorable or unfavorable depending on whether the earnings rate credited to the loan amount is higher or lower than the investment performance of the unborrowed amounts left in the Divisions of the Separate Account.

 

The amount payable at death will also be reduced by the amount of any Policy Debt outstanding. If you surrender or exchange the Policy or allow it to lapse while Policy Debt is outstanding, the amount of the loan, to the extent it has not previously been taxed, will be considered as an amount you received and taxed accordingly.

 

You may repay a loan, and any accrued interest outstanding, in whole or in part, at any time while the Insured is alive. If we receive a payment without specific instructions, we will first apply the payment to any premium due, with any remaining amount being applied to any outstanding loans. Payments in excess of outstanding debt and premiums due will be returned unless such amounts are deemed to be de minimis according to our procedures. Except as described below, if we receive your loan payments before the close of trading on the NYSE, we will credit payments as of the date we receive them and transfer them from our General Account to the Divisions, in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions, as of the same date. If we receive your loan payments on or after the close of trading on the NYSE, we will credit payments as of the close of the next regular trading session of the NYSE and transfer them from our General Account to the Divisions, in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions, as of the date we credit the payment. Policy loan payments received within 34 days after the loan interest billing date will be credited as of the loan interest billing date. Automatic premium loans are effective as of the premium due date unless a loan payment is received between the premium due date and the date the Automatic Premium Loan is made. Automatic premium loan payments received up to 66 days after the loan interest billing date will be credited as of the Policy Anniversary, depending on your premium payment schedule. We will send you a notice indicating your loan interest billing date. Loan repayments are not subject to transaction fees.

 

Extended Term and Paid-Up Insurance

 

If a premium for a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is not paid when due or within the 31-day grace period (see “Grace Period”), and you have not chosen the Automatic Premium Loan (APL) provision or do not have sufficient loan value to pay the premium, (see “Policy Loans and Automatic Premium Loans”), the Cash Value will purchase extended term insurance, or, at your request, a reduced amount of either fixed or variable benefit paid-up insurance.

 

If you use the Cash Value to provide a reduced amount of fixed benefit paid-up insurance or for extended term insurance, we will transfer the amount of the Cash Value from the Separate Account to our General Account at the conclusion of the 31 day grace period. Thereafter the Policy will not participate in the Separate Account’s investment results unless the Policy is subsequently reinstated. (See “Reinstatement.”) You may select variable benefit paid-up insurance only if the Policy has at least $1,000 of Cash Value.

 

For fixed paid-up insurance, you must have selected paid-up insurance within three months after the due date of your first unpaid premium. We determine the amount of paid-up insurance by the amount of Cash Value and the age and sex of the Insured, using the table of net single premiums at the Attained Age. Fixed benefit paid-up insurance has guaranteed cash and loan values. Paid-up insurance remains in force for the lifetime of the Insured unless the Policy is surrendered or the Cash Value is reduced to zero because of a Policy loan.

 

If the Policy remains in force as extended term insurance, the amount of insurance will equal the Death Benefit prior to the

 

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date the premium was due, less any Policy Debt. The amount of Cash Value and the age and sex of the Insured will determine how long the insurance continues. We will, upon your request, tell you the amount of insurance and how long the term will be. Extended term insurance is not available if the Policy was issued with a higher premium for extra mortality risk. Extended term insurance has a Cash Value but no loan value.

 

Reinstatement

 

If a premium for a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is due and remains unpaid at the end of the grace period, the Policy will lapse. The Policy may be reinstated after lapse within five years after the premium due date. The Insured must provide satisfactory evidence of insurability. Any premium or other payment due, including any applicable interest, will also be required. The Company may waive the requirement to provide satisfactory evidence of insurability if the reinstatement is applied for, and any premium or other payment due is paid, within 90 days after the premium due date and while the Insured is alive. Upon reinstatement, your Policy Date will not change. Therefore, fees and charges that vary by Policy year will take into account the period of time your Policy was terminated. In addition, following the reinstatement the Policy will have the same Death Benefit and amount in each Division as if all premiums had been paid when due. We will make an adjustment for any Policy Debt or the debt may be reinstated. A reinstatement may have important tax consequences. If you contemplate any such transaction you should consult a qualified tax adviser.

 

Reinvestments after Surrender

 

While Owners have no right to reinvestment after a surrender, we may, at our sole discretion, permit such reinvestments as described in this paragraph. In special limited circumstances, we may allow payments into a Policy in the form of returned surrender proceeds in connection with a request to void a surrender if the request is received by the Company within a reasonable time after the surrender proceeds are mailed. These payments may be processed without a sales load in the case of a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy. The period for which we will accept requests for the return of surrender proceeds after a surrender may vary in accordance with our administrative procedures. The returned surrender proceeds will be reinvested at the unit value next determined for each Division after our receipt of the reinvestment request in good order at our Home Office, including, among other things, the return of surrender proceeds, satisfactory evidence of insurability, and any premium due. If we receive your request before the close of trading on the NYSE (typically, 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time), your request will receive same-day pricing. If we receive your request on or after the close of trading on the NYSE, we will process the order using the value of the units in the Divisions determined at the close of the next regular trading session of the NYSE. Proceeds will be applied to the same Division from which the surrender was made.

 

Depending on the Insured’s underwriting classification, we may not accept the reinvestment or we may accept the reinvestment with different charges and expenses under the Policy. We may refuse to process reinvestments where it is not administratively feasible. Decisions regarding requests for reinvestment will take into consideration differences in costs and services and will not be unfairly discriminatory. Policies with reinvested surrender proceeds will have the same Death Benefit as if the proceeds had not been surrendered, except the values will reflect the fact that amounts were not invested in the Separate Account during the period of time the surrender proceeds were not in the Policy as well as any changes in charges and expenses due to a change in underwriting classification. We will make an adjustment for any Policy Debt or the debt may be reinstated.

 

Right to Exchange for a Fixed Benefit Policy

 

It is currently Company practice to allow you to exchange your Policy for a policy that does not vary with the investment experience of the Separate Account (“Fixed Benefit Policy”). We may require evidence of insurability. The Fixed Benefit Policy will be on the life of the same Insured and will have the same initial guaranteed Death Benefit, Policy Date, and Issue Age. The premiums and Cash Value will be the same as those for fixed benefit policies that we issue on the issue date of the Fixed Benefit Policy. The exchange may be subject to an equitable cash adjustment, which will recognize the investment performance of the Policy through the effective date of the exchange, and may have tax consequences. An exchange will be effective when we receive a proper written request, as well as the Policy, and any amount due on the exchange. We may modify or terminate this accommodation at any time, with or without notice.

 

In addition, you may exchange a Policy for a Fixed Benefit Policy if, at any time, a Fund changes its investment adviser or if there is a material change in the investment objectives or restrictions of a Portfolio. There may be a cost associated with the exchange. We will give you notice of any such change and you will have 60 days to make the exchange.

 

Modifying a Policy

 

Any Policy change that you request is subject to our then current insurability and processing requirements. Processing requirements may include, for example, completion of certain forms and satisfying certain evidentiary requirements.

 

If the Policy is changed or modified, we may make appropriate endorsements to the Policy, and we may require you to send your Policy to our Home Office for endorsement. Any modification or waiver of our rights or requirements under the Policy must be in writing and signed by an officer of the Company. No agent or other person may bind us by waiving or changing any provision contained in the Policy.

 

Upon notice to you, we may modify a Policy:

 

   

to conform the Policy, our operations, or the Separate Account’s operations to the requirements of any law (including any regulation issued by a government agency)

 

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to which the Policy, the Company, or the Separate Account is subject;

 

   

to assure continued qualification of the Policy as a life insurance contract under the federal tax laws; or

 

   

to reflect a change in the Separate Account’s operation.

 

Other Policy Provisions

 

Owner    The Owner is identified in the Policy. The Owner may exercise all rights under the Policy while the Insured is living. Ownership may be transferred to another. Written proof of the transfer must be received by Northwestern Mutual at its Home Office. In this prospectus “you” means the Owner of a Policy. Generally, only Owners are entitled to important information about the Policy. Other persons, such as beneficiaries or payors, are entitled to only limited information.

 

Beneficiary    The beneficiary is the person to whom the Death Benefit is payable. The beneficiary is named in the Application. You may change the beneficiary in accordance with the Policy provisions.

 

Incontestability    We will not contest a Policy after it has been in force during the lifetime of the Insured for two years from the Date of Issue or two years from the effective date of a reinstatement.

 

Misstatement of Age or Sex    If the age or sex of the Insured has been misstated, we will adjust benefits under a Policy to reflect the correct age and sex.

 

Collateral Assignment    You may assign a Policy as collateral security. We are not responsible for the validity or effect of a collateral assignment and will not be deemed to know of an assignment before receipt of the assignment in writing at our Home Office.

 

Optional Benefits    If available in your state, there are two optional benefits available for purchase under the Whole Life Policy or Extra Ordinary Life Policy: (1) a Waiver of Premium Benefit; and (2) an Additional Purchase Benefit.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of the benefit, the Waiver of Premium Benefit waives the payment of all premiums that come due during the total disability of the Insured if the disability is due to accident or sickness and it begins on or before the Policy Anniversary nearest the Insured’s 60th birthday. If the disability occurs after the Policy Anniversary nearest the Insured’s 60th birthday, the benefit waives the payment of all premiums that come due during the total disability of the Insured until the Policy Anniversary nearest the Insured’s 65th birthday.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of the benefit, the Additional Purchase Benefit guarantees the right to buy more insurance without proof of insurability.

 

If you selected one or both of these optional benefits, you are subject to a separate charge. (See “Periodic Charges (Other than Fund Operating Expenses)” and “Deductions and Charges—Optional Benefits” for more information about the charges.) Any charge will continue to be assessed as long as the benefit remains in force. Once the Policy has been issued, an optional benefit may be issued only upon mutual agreement.

 

Benefit Payment Plans    The Policy provides a variety of payment plans for Policy benefits. Any Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative authorized to sell the Policies can explain these provisions on request.

 

Deferral of Determination and Payment    So long as premiums have been paid when due, we will ordinarily pay Policy benefits within seven days after we receive all required documents at our Home Office. However, we may defer determination and payment of benefits during any period when it is not reasonably practicable to value securities because the NYSE is closed, or the SEC, by order, either has determined that an emergency exists or permits deferral of the determination and payment of benefits for the protection of Owners. If a Whole Life Policy or an Extra Ordinary Life Policy is continued in force as extended term or reduced fixed benefit paid-up insurance, we have the right to defer payment of the Cash Value for up to six months from the date of a Policy loan or surrender. If payment of surrender proceeds is deferred for 30 days or more, we will pay interest at an annual effective rate of 4%. If, under SEC rules, the Money Market Portfolio suspends payments of redemption proceeds in connection with a liquidation of the Portfolio, we will delay payment of any transfer, partial surrender, surrender, death benefit from the Money Market Division until the Portfolio is liquidated.

 

If you have submitted a check or draft to our Home Office, we have the right to defer payment of surrender proceeds, Cash Value resulting from a Death Benefit reduction, Death Benefit or loan proceeds or payment plan benefits until the check or draft has been honored.

 

If mandated under applicable law, we may be required to block an Owner’s account and thereby refuse to pay any requests for transfer, Death Benefit reduction, surrender, loans, or Death Benefits, until instructions are received from the appropriate legal authority. We may also be required to provide additional information about an Owner and an Owner’s account to government authorities.

 

Voting Rights

 

As long as the Separate Account continues to be registered as a unit investment trust under the 1940 Act, and as long as Separate Account assets of a particular Division are invested in shares of a given Portfolio, we will vote the shares of that Portfolio held in the Separate Account in accordance with instructions we receive from Owners. Periodic reports relating to the Portfolios, proxy material, and a form on which one can give instructions with respect to the proportion of shares of the Portfolio held in the Separate Account corresponding to the Owner’s Policy Value, will be made available to the Owner(s). We will vote shares for which no instructions have been received and shares held in our General Account in the same proportion as the shares for which instructions have been

 

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received from Owners. The effect of such proportional voting is that a small number of Owners may control the outcome of a particular vote.

 

Substitution of Fund Shares and Other Changes

 

If, in our judgment, a Portfolio or Fund becomes unsuitable for continued use with the Policies because of a change in investment objectives or restrictions, we may substitute shares of another Portfolio or Fund or another mutual fund. Any substitution of shares will be subject to any required approval of the SEC, the Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance or other regulatory authority. We have also reserved the right, subject to applicable federal and state law, to operate the Separate Account or any of its Divisions as a management company under the 1940 Act, or in any other form permitted, or to terminate registration of the Separate Account if registration is no longer required, and to change the provisions of the Policies to comply with any applicable laws.

 

In the event we take any of these actions, we may make an appropriate endorsement of your Policy and take other actions to carry out what we have done.

 

Reports and Financial Statements

 

For each Policy Year you will receive a statement showing the Death Benefit, Cash Value and any Policy loan (including interest charged) as of the Policy anniversary. We will also send you a confirmation statement when you transfer among Divisions, take a Policy loan, or surrender the Policy. The annual statement and confirmation statements will show your apportioned amounts among the Divisions. If the Policy is in force as extended term or fixed benefit paid-up insurance, statements and reports will be limited to an annual Policy statement showing the Death Benefit, Cash Value and any Policy loan.

 

Annually, we will send you a report containing financial statements of the Separate Account and semi-annually, we will send you reports containing financial information and schedules of investments for the Portfolios underlying the Divisions to which your Invested Assets are allocated. The financial statements of the Company appear in the Statement of Additional Information. To receive a copy of the Annual Report, Semi-Annual Report and/or the Statement of Additional Information, call 1-866-424-2609.

 

Special Policy for Employers

 

The premium for the standard Policy is based in part on the sex of the Insured. The standard annuity rates for payment plans which last for the lifetime of the payee are also based, in part, on the sex of the payee. However, if your Policy was issued in connection with an employer sponsored benefit plan or arrangement, federal law and the laws of certain states may require that premiums and annuity rates be determined without regard to sex. You are urged to review any questions in this area with qualified counsel.

 

Householding

 

To reduce costs, we may send only a single copy of the same disclosure document(s) (such as prospectuses, prospectus supplements, reports, announcements, proxy statements, notices, and information statements) to each consenting household (rather than sending copies to each Owner residing in a household). If you are or become a member of such a household, you can revoke your consent to “householding” at any time, and can begin receiving your own copy of such disclosure documents, by calling us at 1-866-424-2609.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

Northwestern Mutual, like other life insurance companies, is generally involved in litigation at any given time. Although the outcome of any litigation cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that, as of the date of this prospectus, there are no pending or threatened lawsuits that will have a materially adverse impact on the ability of Northwestern Mutual to meet its obligations under the Policy, on the Separate Account, or on Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, the principal underwriter for the Separate Account, and its ability to perform its duties as underwriter for the Separate Account.

 

Speculative Investing

 

This Policy, or any of its riders, should not be used for any type of speculative collective investment scheme (including, for example, arbitrage). Your Policy is not intended to be traded on any stock exchange or secondary market, and attempts to engage in such trading may violate state and/or federal law.

 

Owner Inquiries

 

If eligible, you may get up-to-date information about your Policy at your convenience with your Policy number and your Personal Identification Number (PIN). Call Northwestern Mutual Express toll-free at 1-800-519-4665 to review Policy values, make transfers among Divisions, change the allocation and obtain performance information. With your User ID and password, you can also visit our website (www.northwesternmutual.com) to access performance information, forms for routine service, and daily Policy and unit values for Policies you own. Eligible Owners may also set up certain electronic payments, transfer accumulated amounts among Divisions and change the allocation of future contributions online, subject to our administrative procedures. For enrollment information, please visit our website (www.northwesternmutual.com). If you have questions about surrendering your Policy, please call your Financial Representative or the Variable Life Service Center at 1-866-424-2609. To file a claim, please call your Financial Representative or Life Benefits at 1-800-635-8855.

 

Illustrations

 

Your Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative will provide you with an illustration for your Policy upon request.

 

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The illustration will reflect the performance of your Policy to date and will show how the amount payable at death and Cash Value would vary based on hypothetical future investment results.

 

Illustrations for variable life insurance policies do not project or predict investment results. The illustrated values assume that non-guaranteed elements such as dividends, policy charges and level investment returns will not change. Given the volatility of the securities markets over time, the illustrated scenario is unlikely to occur and the Policy’s actual Cash Value, amount payable at death, and certain expenses (which will vary with the investment performance of the Portfolios) will be more or less than those illustrated. In addition, the actual timing and amounts of payments, deductions, expenses and any values removed from the policy will also impact product performance. Due to these variations, even a Portfolio that averaged the same return as illustrated will produce values which will be more or less than those which were illustrated.

 

 

 

Tax Considerations

 

General    The following discussion provides a general description of federal tax considerations relating to your Policy. The discussion is based on current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”) as currently interpreted by the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The discussion is not exhaustive, it does not address the likelihood of future changes in federal tax law or interpretations thereof, and it does not address state or local tax considerations which may be significant in the purchase and ownership of a Policy.

 

This tax discussion is intended to describe the tax consequences associated with your Policy. It does not constitute legal or tax advice, and is not intended to be used and cannot be used to avoid any penalties that may be imposed on a taxpayer. Taxpayers should seek advice based on their particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor.

 

Life Insurance Qualification    Section 7702 of the Code defines life insurance for federal income tax purposes. Under Section 7702, a Policy will generally be treated as life insurance for federal tax purposes if at all times it meets either a guideline premium test or a cash value accumulation test. We have designed your Policy to comply with only the cash value accumulation test. We may take any action that may be necessary for the Policy to qualify as life insurance for tax purposes.

 

The definitional tests under the Code are based on the Commissioner’s Standard Ordinary (CSO) mortality tables in effect when the Policies were issued. For Policies issued or materially changed after 2008, the tests must be based on the 2001 CSO mortality tables. Because Policies issued based on the 1980 CSO mortality tables may not satisfy the definitional tests using the 2001 CSO mortality tables, certain changes to those Policies will not be permitted (as defined by IRS Notices 2004-61 and 2006-95). Special safe harbor calculation rules apply to life insurance after the Insured attains age 100. See IRS Rev. Proc. 2010-28.

 

As provided by Section 817(h) of the Code, the Secretary of the Treasury has set standards for diversification of the investments underlying variable life insurance policies. Failure to meet the diversification requirements would disqualify your Policy as life insurance for purposes of Section 7702 of the Code. We believe that your Policy complies with the provisions of Sections 7702 and 817(h) of the Code, but the application of these rules is not entirely clear. We may make changes to your Policy if necessary for the Policy to qualify as life insurance for tax purposes.

 

IRS Rev. Ruls. 2003-91 and 2003-92 provide guidance on when an Owner’s control of Separate Account assets will cause the Owner, and not the life insurance company, to be treated as the owner of those assets. Important indicators of investor control are the ability of the Owner to select the investment advisor, the investment strategy or the particular investments of the Separate Account. If the Owner of a Policy were treated as the owner of the mutual fund shares held in the Separate Account, the income and gains related to those shares would be included in the Owner’s gross income for federal income tax purposes. We believe that we own the assets of the Separate Account under current federal income tax law.

 

Tax Treatment of Life Insurance    While your Policy is in force, increases due to investment experience are not subject to federal income tax until there is a distribution as defined by the Code. The Death Benefit received by a beneficiary will generally not be subject to federal income tax.

 

Unless the Policy is a MEC, as described below, a loan received under your Policy will not be treated as a distribution subject to current federal income tax. Interest paid by individual Owners of a Policy will ordinarily not be deductible. You should consult a qualified tax advisor as to the deductibility of interest paid, or accrued, by business Owners of a Policy. (See “Business-Owned Life Insurance.”)

 

So long as your Policy is not classified as a MEC (see “Modified Endowment Contract”), as a general rule, the proceeds from a surrender or withdrawal will be taxable only to the extent that the proceeds exceed the basis of the Policy. The basis of the Policy is generally equal to the premiums paid less any amounts previously received as tax-free distributions. Dividends paid in cash, used to purchase additional insurance or used to pay premiums, are generally taxable as withdrawals with a resulting reduction in basis. However, when the dividend is applied to increase Cash Value or to pay premiums, the reduction in the basis of the Policy is offset by a corresponding increase in basis. In certain circumstances, a withdrawal of Cash Value during the

 

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first 15 Policy Years may be taxable to the extent that the Cash Value exceeds the basis of the Policy. This means that the amount withdrawn may be taxable even if that amount is less than the basis of the Policy.

 

Caution must be used when taking cash out of a Policy through policy loans. If interest is not paid annually, it is added to the principal amount and the total amount will continue to accrue for as long as the loan is maintained on the Policy. If the Policy remains in force until the death of the Insured or, in the case of joint life insurance, the second death, the loan will be repaid from the tax-free Death Benefit. However, if the Policy terminates by any method other than death, the loan will be repaid from the Cash Value of the Policy, and the total Cash Value, including the total amount of the loan, will be taxable to the extent it exceeds the basis of the Policy. If the extended term insurance nonforfeiture option is available in your Policy, and it lapses to extended term insurance, the loan will be repaid from Cash Value of the Policy and the loan repayment will be treated as income and taxable to the extent it exceeds the amount of premiums paid. In extreme situations, Owners can face what is called the “surrender squeeze”. The surrender squeeze occurs when the unborrowed value remaining in the Policy is insufficient to cover the interest payment required to keep the Policy in force or to cover the tax due if the Policy terminates. Either the interest would have to be paid annually or it would be added to the Policy loan, causing the Policy to terminate and any income tax due on the loan amount to be payable with other assets of the Owner.

 

Subject to the agreement of the Company, and the Owner meeting any conditions set by the Company, a Policy may be exchanged tax-free for another life insurance policy or an annuity contract covering the same Insured (or, in the case of joint life insurance, covering the Insureds or a surviving Insured). The Code also allows certain policies to be exchanged for stand-alone and combination long-term care policies on a tax-free basis. Policies that are exchanged for life insurance policies after 2008 may only be exchanged for life insurance policies using 2001 CSO mortality tables. Any cash received or loan repaid in an exchange will be taxed to the extent of the gain in the Policy (i.e., on gain-first basis).

 

Ownership of a Policy may be transferred to a new owner and is taxable to the extent the sales proceeds exceed the basis of the Policy. In Rev. Rul. 2009-13, the IRS ruled that, when a life insurance policy is sold to a person with no insurable interest in the insured, the taxable gain is calculated by reducing the basis of the policy by the annual cost of the insurance protection provided by the policy. The death benefit of a policy in excess of the basis also may become taxable as a result of a transfer, unless the new owner is the insured, a partner of the insured, a partnership in which the insured is a partner or a corporation in which the insured is a shareholder or officer. You should seek qualified tax advice if you plan a transfer of ownership.

 

For taxable years beginning in 2013, part or all of the taxable benefits from and sales of the Policies may be subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare tax. The tax will be assessed on the Owner’s net investment income for the year to the extent that the Owner’s adjusted gross income (with slight modifications) exceeds $250,000 (married filing jointly or surviving spouse), $125,000 (married filing separately) or $200,000 (other filers) (not indexed). Although the term “net investment income” does not specifically refer to life insurance, there is a possibility that it could be construed to include transfers of and/or distributions from life insurance, to the extent they are taxable.

 

Modified Endowment Contracts (MEC)    A Policy may be classified as a MEC if the cumulative premiums paid at any time during the first seven Policy Years exceed a defined “seven-pay” limit. The seven-pay limit is the sum of the premiums (net of expense and administrative charges) that would have to be paid in order for the Policy to be fully paid for after seven level annual payments based on defined interest and mortality assumptions. A Policy will be treated as a MEC unless any excess premiums are withdrawn from the Policy with interest within 60 days after the end of the Policy Year in which they are paid.

 

Whenever there is a “material change” under a Policy, it will generally be treated as a new contract for purposes of determining whether the Policy is a MEC, and it will be subjected to a new seven-pay period and a new seven-pay limit. The new seven-pay limit would be determined taking into account the value of the Policy at the time of such change. A materially changed Policy would be considered a MEC if it failed to satisfy the new seven-pay limit. A material change could occur as a result of certain changes to the benefits or terms of the Policy, such as a change in a death benefit option or a change in the Insured, if allowable under your Policy. A material change could occur as a result of an increase in the death benefit, the addition of a benefit or the payment of a premium after the seven-pay period, which could be considered “unnecessary” under the Code.

 

If the benefits under the Policy are reduced during the first seven Policy Years after entering into the Policy (or within seven years after a material change) or, in the case of joint life Policies, the lifetime of either Insured, the seven-pay premium limit will be redetermined based on the reduced level of benefits and applied retroactively for purposes of the seven-pay test. If the premiums previously paid are greater than the recalculated seven-pay premium level limit, the Policy will become a MEC. A reduction in benefits includes a decrease in the amount of coverage, a withdrawal or any other action resulting in a surrender of Cash Value to you according to the terms of the Policy, an election of the paid-up option or, in some cases, a lapsing of the Policy. A life insurance policy which is received in exchange for a MEC will also be considered a MEC.

 

If a Policy is a MEC, any distribution from the Policy will be taxed on a gain-first basis. Distributions for this purpose include a loan (including any increase in the loan amount to pay interest on an existing loan or an assignment or a pledge to secure a loan), a withdrawal of Cash Value or a surrender of the Policy. Distributions taken within the two-year period prior to the Policy becoming a MEC may also be taxed under

 

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the MEC tax rules. If a Policy terminates while there is a Policy loan, the cancellation of the loan and accrued loan interest also will be treated as a distribution to the extent not previously treated as such. Any such distributions will be considered taxable income to the extent the Cash Value exceeds the basis in the Policy. For MECs, the basis would be increased by the amount of any prior loan under the Policy that was considered taxable income. For purposes of determining the taxable portion of any distribution, all MECs issued by Northwestern Mutual to the same Owner (excluding certain qualified plans) during any calendar year are to be aggregated. The Secretary of the Treasury has authority to prescribe additional rules to prevent avoidance of gain-first taxation on distributions from MECs.

 

A 10% penalty tax will apply to the taxable portion of a distribution from a MEC. The penalty tax will not, however, apply to distributions (i) to taxpayers 59 1/2 years of age or older, (ii) in the case of a disability (as defined in the Code) or (iii) received as part of a series of substantially equal periodic annuity payments for the life (or life expectancy) of the taxpayer or the joint lives (or joint life expectancies) of the taxpayer and the taxpayer’s beneficiaries. The exceptions generally do not apply to life insurance policies owned by corporations or other entities.

 

Estate and Generation Skipping Taxes    The amount of the Death Benefit will generally be includible in the Owner’s estate for federal estate tax purposes and any applicable state inheritance tax. If your Policy is a joint life Policy, the Life Insurance Benefit will be includible in the Owner’s estate if the second of the Insureds to die owns the Policy, and the fair market value of the Policy will be includible in the Owner’s estate if the Owner is not the last surviving Insured. An unlimited marital deduction permits deferral of federal estate and gift taxes until the death of the Owner’s surviving spouse.

 

If ownership of a Policy is transferred, either directly or in trust, to a person two or more generations younger than the Owner, the value of the Policy may be subject to a generation skipping transfer tax.

 

During 2010, the estate tax and generation skipping transfer tax was repealed and the gift tax was subject to a $1 million exemption amount and a 35% maximum rate. The basis step-up for inherited assets was also replaced with a modified carryover basis. In December of 2010, Congress reinstated the estate tax, generation skipping transfer tax and the basis step-up rules for years 2010 to 2012, subject to an increased exemption limit of $5 million (single)/$10 million (married) (with inflation indexing in 2012) and a maximum rate of 35% (except the GSTT rate remains zero for 2010). Congress also extended the higher exemption limits to the gift tax for those years. Finally, any unused exemption limit may be carried over to the surviving spouse. Estates of decedents who died in 2010 can elect to apply the estate tax rules in effect in 2010 without regard to the reinstatement. Unless Congress again intervenes, the reinstatement will sunset in 2013 and the law will revert to the rules in effect in 2001($1 million exemption and 55% maximum tax rate).

 

Business-Owned Life Insurance    Business-owned life insurance may be subject to certain additional rules. Section 101(j) of the Code provides that the Death Benefit payable under business-owned life insurance in which the business is also the beneficiary will be taxable unless (i) the Insured is an eligible employee and (ii) the employee is given notice of the insurance and the maximum face amount and consents to be insured and to the continuation of the insurance after the employee terminates service with the employer. Generally, an eligible employee is an officer, a director, a person who owns more than 5% of the business, an employee earning more than $110,000 annually (increased for cost of living) or an employee who is among the highest paid 35% of employees. The law also imposes an annual reporting and record-keeping obligation on the employer. Increases in Policy or Cash Value may also be subject to tax under the corporation alternative minimum tax provisions.

 

Section 264(a)(1) of the Code generally disallows a deduction for premiums paid on Policies by anyone who is directly or indirectly a beneficiary under the Policy. Section 264(a)(4) of the Code limits the Owner’s deduction for interest on loans taken against life insurance policies to interest on an aggregate total of $50,000 of loans per covered life only with respect to life insurance policies covering key persons. Generally, a key person means an officer or a 20% owner. However, the number of key persons will be limited to the greater of (a) five individuals, or (b) the lesser of 5% of the total officers and employees of the taxpayer or 20 individuals. Deductible interest for these Policies will be subject to limits based on current market rates.

 

In addition, Section 264(f) of the Code disallows a proportionate amount of a business’s interest deduction on non-life insurance indebtedness based on the amount of unborrowed Cash Value of non-exempt life insurance policies held in relation to other business assets. Exempt policies include policies held by natural persons unless the business is a direct or indirect beneficiary under the policy and policies owned by a business and insuring employees, directors, officers and 20% owners (as well as joint policies insuring 20% owners and their spouses).

 

The IRS ruled privately in 2009 that losses in business-owned life insurance could be deducted upon the surrender of the policy if there was no reasonable prospect of recovery, but that the losses would be calculated by reducing the basis of the policy by the annual cost of the insurance protection provided by the policy. Private rulings apply only to the taxpayer who receives the ruling but may be indicative of the IRS’s thinking on an issue.

 

IRS Notice 2007-61 has established a safe harbor under which the annual increase in the cash value of life insurance policies owned by life insurance companies is not taxable provided the policies cover no more than 35% of the company’s employees, directors, officers and 20% owners. The Notice adds that there is an unresolved issue whether cash value increases of other policies owned by life insurance companies may be taxable.

 

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Policy Split Right    If your Policy is a joint life Policy, your Policy permits the Owner to exchange the Policy for two policies, one on the life of each Insured, without evidence of insurability, if a change in the federal estate tax law results in either the repeal of the unlimited marital deduction or a 50% or greater reduction in the maximum estate tax rate set forth in the law. The exchange must be made while both Insureds are alive (and neither Insured is classified as a Joint Insurable). The request for exchange must be received no later than 180 days after the earlier of the enactment of the law repealing the unlimited marital deduction or the enactment of the law reducing the estate tax rate by at least 50%.

 

The IRS has ruled with respect to one taxpayer that such a transaction would be treated as a non-taxable exchange. If not so treated, such a split of the Policy could result in the recognition of taxable income.

 

Split Dollar Arrangements    Life insurance purchased under a split dollar arrangement is subject to special tax rules. IRS Notice 2002-8 provides that (1) the value of the current life insurance protection provided to the employee under the arrangement is taxed to the employee each year and, until the issuance of further guidance, can be determined using the government’s Table 2001 rates or the insurer’s lower one year term rates (which, for arrangements entered into after January 28, 2002, must satisfy additional sales requirements); and (2) for split dollar arrangements entered into on or before September 17, 2003, taxation of the equity (cash surrender value in excess of the amount payable to the employer) is governed by prior law and is subject to the following three safe harbors: (a) the annual accrual of income will not, by itself, be enough to trigger a taxable transfer; (b) equity will not be taxed regardless of the level of the employer’s economic interest in the life insurance policy as long as the value of the life insurance protection is treated and reported as an economic benefit; and (c) the employee can elect loan treatment at any time, provided all premiums paid by the employer are treated as a loan entered into at the beginning of the first year in which payments are treated as loans.

 

The Treasury and IRS regulations regarding the taxation of split dollar arrangements apply only to arrangements entered into or materially changed after September 17, 2003. The regulations provide that such split dollar arrangements must be taxed under one of two mutually exclusive tax regimes depending on the ownership of the underlying life insurance policy. Collateral assignment split dollar arrangements, in which the employee owns the policy, must be taxed under a loan regime. Where such an arrangement imposes a below market interest rate or no interest rate, the employee is taxed on the imputed interest under Section 7872 of the Code. Endorsement split dollar arrangements, in which the employer owns the policy, must be taxed under an economic benefit regime. Under this regime, the employee is taxed each year on (i) the value of the current life insurance protection provided to the employee, (ii) the increase in the amount of policy Cash Value to which the employee has current access, and (iii) the value of any other economic benefits provided to the employee during the taxable year.

 

Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, it is a criminal offense for an employer with publicly traded stock to extend or arrange a personal loan to a director or executive officer after July 30, 2002. One issue that has not been clarified is whether each premium paid by such an employer under a split dollar arrangement with a director or executive officer is a personal loan subject to the new law.

 

Section 409A of the Code imposes requirements for nonqualified deferred compensation plans with regard to the timing of deferrals, distribution triggers, funding mechanisms and reporting requirements. Nonqualified deferred compensation plans that fail to meet these conditions are taxed currently on all compensation previously deferred and interest earned thereon and assessed an additional 20% penalty. The law does not limit the use of life insurance as an informal funding mechanism for nonqualified deferred compensation plans, but IRS Notice 2007-34 treats certain split dollar arrangements as nonqualified deferred compensation plans that must comply with the new rules. The effective date of these rules was December 31, 2008. Congress has also considered limiting an individual’s annual aggregate deferrals to a nonqualified deferred compensation plan to $1,000,000.

 

Valuation of Life Insurance    Special valuation rules apply to life insurance contracts distributed from a qualified plan to a participant or transferred by an employer to an employee. IRS Notice 2005-25 provides safe harbor formulas for valuing variable and non-variable life insurance under which the value is the greater of the interpolated terminal reserve increased by a pro rata portion of the estimated dividends for the Policy Year or the cash value without reduction for any surrender charges (but adjusted by a surrender factor for policies distributed from qualified plans). These rules do not apply to split dollar arrangements entered into on or before September 17, 2003 and not materially modified thereafter.

 

Other Tax Considerations    Taxpayers are required by regulation to annually report all “reportable transactions” as defined in the regulations. “Reportable transactions” include transactions that are offered under conditions of confidentiality as to tax treatment and involve an advisor who receives a fee of $250,000 or more, or transactions that include a tax indemnity. Rev. Proc. 2003-25 further held that the purchase of life insurance policies by a business does not, by itself, constitute a “reportable transaction”.

 

Depending on the circumstances, the exchange of a Policy, a Policy loan (including the addition of unpaid loan interest to a Policy loan), or a change in ownership or an assignment of the Policy may have federal income tax consequences. In addition, federal, state and local transfer, estate, inheritance, and other tax consequences of Policy ownership, premium payments and receipt of Policy proceeds depend on the circumstances of each Owner or beneficiary. If you contemplate any such transaction you should consult a qualified tax adviser. In addition, a Death Benefit under the Policy may be subject to federal estate tax and state inheritance taxes.

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

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Distribution of the Policy

 

We sell the Policy through our Financial Representatives who also are registered representatives of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (“NMIS”). NMIS, our wholly-owned company, was organized under Wisconsin law in 1998 and is located at 611 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. NMIS is a registered broker-dealer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. NMIS is the principal underwriter and distributor of the Policy and has entered into a Distribution Agreement with us.

 

Northwestern Mutual variable insurance and annuity products are available exclusively through NMIS and its registered representatives and cannot be held with or transferred to an unaffiliated broker-dealer. Except in limited circumstances, NMIS registered representatives are required to offer Northwestern Mutual variable insurance and annuity products. The amount and timing of sales compensation paid by insurance companies varies. The commissions, benefits, and other sales compensation that NMIS and its registered representatives receive for the sale of a Northwestern Mutual variable insurance or annuity product might be more or less than that received for the sale of a comparable product from another company.

 

The maximum commission payable to the registered representative who sold the Whole Life or Extra Ordinary Life Policy is 55% of the premium during the first Policy Year; 9% of the premium in Policy Years 2-3; 6% of the premium in Policy Years 4-7; 3% of the premium in Policy Years 8-10; and 2% of Premium Payments thereafter. For the Single Premium Life Policy, commissions were 2.75% of the premium. We may pay new registered representatives differently during a training period. The entire amount of the sales commissions is passed through NMIS to the registered representative who sold the Policy and to his or her managers. The Company pays compensation and bonuses for the management team of NMIS, and other expenses of distributing the Policies.

 

Because registered representatives of NMIS are also our appointed agents, they may be eligible for various cash benefits, such as bonuses, insurance benefits, retirement benefits, and non-cash compensation programs that we offer, such as conferences, achievement recognition, prizes, and awards. In addition, registered representatives of NMIS who meet certain productivity, persistency, and length of service standards and/or their managers may be eligible for additional compensation. For example, registered representatives who meet certain annual sales production requirements with respect to their sales of Northwestern Mutual insurance and annuity products may qualify to receive additional cash compensation for their other sales of investment products and services. Sales of the Policies may help registered representatives and/or their managers qualify for such compensation and benefits. Certain registered representatives of NMIS may receive other payments from us for the recruitment, training, development, and supervision of financial representatives, production of promotional literature and similar services.

 

Commissions and other incentives and payments described above are not charged directly to Owners or to the Separate Account. We intend to recoup commissions and other sales expenses through fees and charges deducted under the Policy. NMIS registered representatives receive ongoing servicing compensation related to the Policies, but may be ineligible to receive ongoing servicing compensation paid by issuers of other investment products for certain smaller accounts.

 

 

 

Glossary of Terms

 

APPLICATION

The form completed by the applicant when applying for coverage under the Policy. This includes any:

 

1. amendments or endorsements;

2. supplemental Applications;

3. reinstatement Applications; and

4. Policy change Applications.

 

ATTAINED AGE

The Insured’s Issue Age listed in the Policy, plus the number of complete Policy Years that have elapsed since the Policy Date.

 

CASH VALUE

The amount available in cash if the Policy is surrendered.

 

DATE OF ISSUE

The date on which insurance coverage takes effect as shown in the Policy.

 

DEATH BENEFIT

The gross amount payable to the beneficiary upon the death of the Insured, before the deduction of Policy Debt and other adjustments.

 

DIVISION

A subdivision of the Separate Account. We invest each Division’s assets exclusively in shares of one Portfolio.

 

FINANCIAL REPRESENTATIVE

An individual who is authorized to sell you the Policy and who is both licensed as a Northwestern Mutual insurance agent and registered as a representative of our affiliate, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, the principal underwriter of the Policy.

 

FUND

Each Fund is registered under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment company or as a unit investment

 

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trust, or is not required to be registered under the Act. Each Portfolio of the Funds is available as an investment option under the Policy. The assets of each of the Divisions of the Separate Account are used to purchase shares of the corresponding Portfolio of a Fund.

 

GENERAL ACCOUNT

All assets of the Company, other than those held in the Separate Account or in other separate accounts that have been or may be established by the Company.

 

HOME OFFICE

Our office at 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-4797.

 

INSURED

The person named as the Insured on the Application and in the Policy.

 

INVESTED ASSETS

The sum of all amounts in the Divisions of the Separate Account.

 

ISSUE AGE

The Insured’s age on his or her birthday nearest the Policy Date.

 

MEC

Modified endowment contract as described in section 7702A of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

NET PREMIUM

The amount of Premium Payment remaining after Premium charges have been deducted.

 

OWNER (You, Your)

The person named in the Application as the Owner, or the person who becomes Owner of a Policy by transfer or succession.

 

POLICY ANNIVERSARY

The same day and month as the Policy Date in each year following the first Policy Year.

 

POLICY DATE

The date shown in the Policy from which the following are computed, among other things:

 

1. Policy Year;

2. Policy Anniversary;

3. the Issue Age of Insured; and

4. the Attained Age of the Insured.

 

POLICY DEBT

The total amount of all outstanding Policy loans, including both principal and accrued interest.

 

POLICY VALUE

The sum of Invested Assets and Policy Debt less applicable charges.

 

POLICY YEAR

A year that starts on the Policy Date or on a Policy Anniversary.

 

PORTFOLIO

A series of a Fund available for investment under the Policy, which corresponds to a particular Division of the Separate Account.

 

PREMIUM PAYMENTS

All payments you make under the Policy other than loan repayments and transaction charges.

 

SEPARATE ACCOUNT

Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account.

 

Variable Life Prospectus

 

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Additional Information

 

More information about the Separate Account is included in a Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), which is dated the same day as this prospectus, is incorporated by reference in this prospectus, and is available free of charge from the Company. To request a free copy of the Separate Account’s SAI, or current annual report, call us toll-free at 1-866-424-2609. Information about the Separate Account (including the SAI) can be reviewed and copied at the Public Reference Room of the SEC in Washington, DC. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Separate Account are available on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, or they may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC, 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-0102.

 

Your Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative will provide you with illustrations for your Policy free of charge upon your request. The illustrations show how the Death Benefit, Invested Assets and cash surrender value for the Policy would vary based on hypothetical investment results. Your Northwestern Mutual Financial Representative will also respond to other inquiries you may have regarding the Policy, or you may contact the Variable Life Service Center at 1-866-424-2609.

 

Investment Company Act File No. 811-3989

 

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STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

May 1, 2011

VARIABLE LIFE

Whole Life

Extra Ordinary Life

Single Premium Life

Issued by The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

and

Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account

We no longer issue the three Policies described in this Statement of Additional Information. The

Policies we currently offer are described in separate Prospectuses and Statements of Additional

Information.

 

 

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus, but supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the prospectus for the Policies identified above and dated the same date as this SAI. The prospectus may be obtained by writing The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Northwestern Mutual”), 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, or by calling telephone number 1-866-424-2609.

The (i) statement of assets and liabilities as of the end of the most recent fiscal year, (ii) the statement of operations for the most recent fiscal year, and (iii) the changes in net assets for the two most recent fiscal years from the audited financial statements of the Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (“the Account”), and the related notes to the financial statements and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm thereon from the Account’s Annual Report to Policy Owners for the year ended December 31, 2010, are incorporated by reference into this SAI. See “Financial Statements of the Account.” No other information is incorporated by reference.

 

 


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

DISTRIBUTION OF THE POLICIES

     B-2   

EXPERTS

     B-2   

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE ACCOUNT

     B-2   

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL

     F-1   

 

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DISTRIBUTION OF THE POLICIES

The Policies are offered on a continuous basis exclusively through individuals who, in addition to being life insurance agents of Northwestern Mutual, are registered representatives of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (“NMIS”). NMIS is our wholly-owned company. The principal business address of NMIS is 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

NMIS is the principal underwriter of the Policies for purposes of the federal securities laws. We paid the following amounts to NMIS with respect to sales of variable life insurance policies issued in connection with the Account during each of the last three fiscal years representing commission payments NMIS made to our agents and related benefits. None of these amounts was retained by NMIS and no amounts were paid to other underwriters or broker-dealers. We also paid additional amounts to NMIS in reimbursement for other expenses related to the distribution of variable life insurance policies

 

Year

  

Amount

 

2010

   $   22,325,029   

2009

   $ 27,055,697   

2008

   $ 43,654,229   

NMIS also provides certain services related to the administration of payment plans under the Policies pursuant to an administrative services contract with Northwestern Mutual. In exchange for these services, NMIS receives compensation to cover the actual costs incurred by NMIS in performing these services.

EXPERTS

The financial statements of the Account, and the related notes and report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, contained in the Annual Report to Policy Owners for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, that are incorporated by reference in this Statement of Additional Information, and the consolidated financial statements of Northwestern Mutual, and the related notes and report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, for the fiscal year ended on the same date that have been included in this Statement of Additional Information are so included in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides audit services for the Account. The address of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is 100 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1800, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF THE ACCOUNT

The financial statements of the Account, related notes and the related report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, contained in the Annual Report to Policy Owners as of December 31, 2010, and for the year then ended are hereby incorporated by reference to Form N-30B-2 for the Account, File No. 811-3989, filed on March 11, 2011. Copies of the Account’s Annual Report may be obtained, without charge, by writing to The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202, or by calling 1-866-424-2609.

 

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The following consolidated financial statements of Northwestern Mutual should be considered only as bearing upon the ability of Northwestern Mutual to meet its obligations under the Policy.

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

(in millions)

 

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  

Assets:

     

Bonds

     $ 96,829           $ 91,004     

Mortgage loans

     21,291           21,024     

Policy loans

     14,472           13,717     

Common and preferred stocks

     9,170           5,918     

Real estate

     1,619           1,582     

Other investments

     9,902           8,587     

Cash and temporary investments

     1,928           2,610     
                 

Total investments

     155,211           144,442     

Due and accrued investment income

     1,732           1,632     

Net deferred tax assets

     1,924           2,359     

Deferred premium and other assets

     2,508           2,403     

Separate account assets

     18,663           16,344     
                 

Total assets

     $ 180,038           $ 167,180     
                 

Liabilities and Surplus:

     

Reserves for policy benefits

     $ 133,066           $ 125,025     

Policyowner dividends payable

     4,859           4,730     

Interest maintenance reserve

     811           519     

Asset valuation reserve

     3,250           1,843     

Income taxes payable

     398           288     

Other liabilities

     4,606           6,028     

Separate account liabilities

     18,663           16,344     
                 

Total liabilities

     165,653           154,777     

Surplus:

     

Surplus notes

     1,750           -         

Unassigned surplus

     12,635           12,403     
                 

Total surplus

     14,385           12,403     
                 

Total liabilities and surplus

     $       180,038           $       167,180     
                 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Consolidated Statement of Operations

(in millions)

 

 

     For the year ended
December 31,
 
     2010      2009      2008  

Revenue:

        

Premiums

     $     14,252           $     13,062           $     13,551     

Net investment income

     8,306           7,772           7,835     

Other income

     551           532           537     
                          

Total revenue

     23,109           21,366           21,923     
                          

Benefits and expenses:

        

Benefit payments to policyowners and beneficiaries

     6,876           6,807           6,071     

Net additions to policy benefit reserves

     7,950           7,178           8,491     

Net transfers to (from) separate accounts

     382           (40)          (102)    
                          

Total benefits

     15,208           13,945           14,460     

Commissions and operating expenses

     2,320           2,189           2,070     
                          

Total benefits and expenses

     17,528           16,134           16,530     
                          

Gain from operations before dividends and taxes

     5,581           5,232           5,393     

Policyowner dividends

     4,861           4,715           4,547     
                          

Gain from operations before taxes

     720           517           846     

Income tax expense (benefit)

     (224)          42           (304)    
                          

Net gain from operations

     944           475           1,150     

Net realized capital gains (losses)

     (188)          (154)          (667)    
                          

Net income

     $ 756           $ 321           $ 483     
                          

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Surplus

(in millions)

 

 

     For the year ended
December 31,
 
     2010      2009      2008  

Beginning of year balance

     $ 12,403           $ 12,401           $ 12,106     

Net income

     756           321           483     

Change in net unrealized capital gains (losses)

     1,278           503           (3,483)    

Change in net deferred tax assets

     (119)          (204)          (20)    

Change in nonadmitted assets and other

     (276)          141           (178)    

Change in asset valuation reserve

     (1,407)          (820)          2,664     

Change in surplus notes

     1,750           -           -     

Change in accounting principle

     -           61           829     
                          

Net increase in surplus

     1,982           2           295     
                          

End of year balance

     $       14,385           $       12,403           $       12,401     
                          

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

(in millions)

 

 

     For the year ended
December 31,
 
     2010      2009      2008  

Cash flows from operating activities:

        

Premiums and other income received

     $ 10,169           $ 9,264           $ 9,379     

Investment income received

     8,309           7,779           7,838     

Benefit payments to policyowners and beneficiaries

     (7,206)          (7,122)              (6,442)     

Net transfers (to) from separate accounts

     (355)          66           121     

Commissions, expenses and taxes paid

     (1,988)          (1,644)          (2,115)    
                          

Net cash provided by operating activities

     8,929           8,343           8,781     
                          

Cash flows from investing activities:

        

Proceeds from investments sold or matured:

        

Bonds

     37,109           41,409           42,698     

Common and preferred stocks

     7,301           9,057           5,527     

Mortgage loans

     3,190           2,058           1,811     

Real estate

     138           460           199     

Other investments

     1,453           825           1,669     
                          
     49,191           53,809           51,904     
                          

Cost of investments acquired:

        

Bonds

     42,791           53,306           46,592     

Common and preferred stocks

     8,970           7,408           5,121     

Mortgage loans

     3,488           1,411           2,659     

Real estate

     247           250           118     

Other investments

     2,350           1,658           2,712     
                          
         57,846           64,033           57,202     
                          

Disbursement of policy loans, net of repayments

     755           834           1,087     
                          

Net cash applied to investing activities

     (9,410)              (11,058)          (6,385)    
                          

Cash flows from financing and miscellaneous sources:

        

Surplus notes issuance

     1,750           -           -     

Net inflows (outflows) on deposit-type contracts

     56           (20)          (84)    

Other cash provided (applied)

     (2,007)          538           (52)    
                          

Net cash provided by (applied to) financing and miscellaneous sources

     (201)          518           (136)    
                          

Net increase (decrease) in cash and temporary investments

     (682)          (2,197)          2,260     

Cash and temporary investments, beginning of year

     2,610           4,807           2,547     
                          

Cash and temporary investments, end of year

     $ 1,928           $ 2,610           $ 4,807     
                          

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

1.

  Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated statutory financial statements include the accounts of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and its wholly owned subsidiary, Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (together, the “Company”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The Company offers life, annuity, disability and long-term care insurance products to the personal, business and estate markets.

The consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin (“statutory basis of accounting”), which are based on the Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”). Financial statements prepared on the statutory basis of accounting differ from financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), primarily because on a GAAP basis: (1) certain policy acquisition costs are deferred and amortized, (2) most bond and preferred stock investments are reported at fair value, (3) policy benefit reserves are established using different actuarial methods and assumptions, (4) deposit-type contracts, for which premiums, benefits and reserve changes are not included in revenue or benefits as reported in the statement of operations, are defined differently, (5) majority-owned, non-insurance subsidiaries are consolidated, (6) changes in deferred taxes are reported as a component of net income and (7) no deferral of realized investment gains and losses is permitted. The effects on the Company’s financial statements attributable to the differences between the statutory basis of accounting and GAAP are material.

Certain accounting practices used by the Company vary from the Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual of the NAIC with the permission of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin (“permitted practices”). Permitted practices are used in situations where the NAIC does not provide accounting guidance specific to a transaction entered into by the Company or where the Company and the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin (“OCI”) agree that an alternative accounting practice would be more appropriate based on the Company’s circumstances.

During 2008, the Company adopted permitted practices regarding valuation of net deferred tax assets (see Note 10) and equity method accounting for the Company’s investment in Frank Russell Company common stock (see Note 11). The Company had previously been granted a permitted practice by the OCI regarding valuation of its oil and gas investments (see Note 3).

 

2.

  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with the statutory basis of accounting requires management to make estimates or assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the annual periods presented. Actual future results could differ from these estimates and assumptions.

Investments

See Notes 3, 4 and 15 regarding the statement value and fair value of the Company’s investments in bonds, mortgage loans, common and preferred stocks, real estate and other investments, including derivative instruments.

Policy Loans

Policy loans represent amounts borrowed from the Company by life insurance policyowners, secured by the cash value of the related policies, and are reported at unpaid principal balance.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Policy loans earn interest at either a fixed rate established at the time the loan is requested by the policyowner or at a variable rate that is reset annually, with annual interest rates ranging

from 5.00% to 8.00% for loans outstanding at December 31, 2010. Policy loans have no stated maturity date, with repayment of principal made at the discretion of the policyowner. Policyowner dividends available on the portion of life insurance cash values that serve as collateral for policy loans are generally determined with reference to the interest rate charged on the policy loan (“direct recognition method”). As a result, the Company considers the unpaid principal balance to approximate fair value for policy loans.

Temporary Investments

Temporary investments represent securities that had maturities of one year or less at purchase, primarily money market funds and short-term commercial paper. These investments are reported at amortized cost, which approximates fair value.

Separate Accounts

Separate account assets and related reserve liabilities represent the segregation of balances attributable to variable life insurance and variable annuity products, as well as a group annuity separate account used to fund certain of the Company’s employee and financial representative benefit plan obligations. All separate account assets are legally insulated from general account claims. Policyowners bear the investment performance risk associated with variable products. Separate account assets related to variable products are invested at the direction of the policyowner in a variety of mutual fund options. Variable annuity policyowners also have the option to invest in fixed rate investment options, which are supported by the assets held in the Company’s general account. Separate account assets are generally reported at fair value based primarily on quoted market prices. See Note 7 for more information about the Company’s separate accounts and Note 8 for more information about the Company’s employee and financial representative benefit plans.

Reserves for Policy Benefits

Reserves for policy benefits represent the net present value of future policy benefits less future policy premiums, calculated using actuarial methods, mortality and morbidity experience tables and valuation interest rates prescribed or permitted by the OCI. These actuarial tables and methods include assumptions regarding future mortality and morbidity experience. Actual future experience could differ from the assumptions used to make these reserve estimates. See Note 5 for more information about the Company’s reserves for policy benefits.

Policyowner Dividends

All life, disability and long-term care insurance policies and certain annuity policies issued by the Company are participating. Annually, the Company’s Board of Trustees approves dividends payable on participating policies during the subsequent fiscal year, which are accrued and charged to operations when approved. Depending on the type of policy they own, participating policyowners generally have the option to direct their dividends to be paid in cash, used to reduce future premiums due, used to purchase additional insurance benefits or left on deposit with the Company to accumulate interest. Dividends used by policyowners to purchase additional insurance benefits are reported as premiums in the consolidated statement of operations but are not included in premiums received or benefit payments in the consolidated statement of cash flows. The Company’s annual declaration of policyowner dividends includes a guarantee of a minimum aggregate amount of dividends to be paid to policyowners as a group in the subsequent calendar year. If this guaranteed amount is greater than the aggregate of actual dividends paid to policyowners in the subsequent year, the difference is paid in the immediately succeeding calendar year.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Interest Maintenance Reserve

The Company is required to maintain an interest maintenance reserve (“IMR”). The IMR is used to defer realized capital gains and losses, net of income tax, on fixed income investments and derivatives that are attributable to changes in market interest rates, including both changes in risk-free market interest rates and market credit spreads. Net realized capital gains and losses deferred to the IMR are amortized into investment income over the estimated remaining term to maturity of the investment sold or the asset/liability hedged by an interest rate-related derivative instrument.

Asset Valuation Reserve

The Company is required to maintain an asset valuation reserve (“AVR”). The AVR represents a reserve for invested asset valuation using a formula prescribed by the NAIC. The AVR is intended to protect surplus against potential declines in the value of the Company’s investments that are not related to changes in interest rates. Increases or decreases in the AVR are reported as direct adjustments to surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus.

Premium Revenue

Most life insurance premiums are recognized as revenue at the beginning of each respective policy year. Universal life insurance and annuity premiums are recognized as revenue when received. Considerations received on supplementary annuity contracts without life contingencies are deposit-type transactions and excluded from revenue in the consolidated statement of operations. Disability and long-term care insurance premiums are recognized as revenue when due. Premium revenue is reported net of ceded reinsurance. See Note 9 for more information about the Company’s use of reinsurance.

Net Investment Income

Net investment income primarily represents interest and dividends received or accrued on bonds, mortgage loans, common and preferred stocks, policy loans and other investments. Accrued investment income more than 90 days past due is a nonadmitted asset and reported as a direct reduction of surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus. Accruals of investment income for securities that have been determined to be other-than-temporarily impaired are generally suspended. Accrued investment income that is ultimately deemed uncollectible is included as a reduction of net investment income in the period that such determination is made. Net investment income also includes dividends and distributions paid to the Company from accumulated earnings of joint ventures, partnerships and unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries and prepayment fees on bonds and mortgage loans. Net investment income is reduced by investment management expenses, real estate depreciation, depletion related to oil and natural gas investments, interest costs associated with securities lending and interest and issuance costs related to the Company’s surplus notes. See Note 3 for more information regarding net investment income. See Note 14 for more information regarding the Company’s surplus notes.

Other Income

Other income primarily represents ceded reinsurance expense allowances and various insurance policy charges. See Note 9 for more information about the Company’s use of reinsurance.

Benefit Payments to Policyowners and Beneficiaries

Benefit payments to policyowners and beneficiaries include death, surrender, disability and long-term care benefits, as well as matured endowments and payments on supplementary annuity contracts that include life contingencies. Benefit payments on supplementary annuity contracts without life contingencies are deposit-type transactions and excluded from benefits in the consolidated statement of operations. Benefit payments are reported net of ceded reinsurance recoveries. See Note 9 for more information about the Company’s use of reinsurance.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Beneficiaries of the Company’s life insurance policies can choose any one of three options for payment of death benefits: (1) a single lump sum payment; (2) a payment plan consisting of a series of scheduled payments; or (3) deposit of the proceeds into an interest-bearing retained asset account (“Access Fund”). If the death benefit is $20,000 or greater and the beneficiary does not choose either of the first two options above, the proceeds will automatically be deposited into an Access Fund account on behalf of the beneficiary. The beneficiary receives negotiable drafts that they can use to access the balance in their account at their discretion.

Access Fund accounts are credited with interest at short-term market rates, with certain accounts subject to guaranteed minimum crediting rates. Access Fund accounts were credited with interest at annual rates ranging from 0.02% to 3.50% during 2010 and 0.03% to 3.50% during 2009. The Company does not charge beneficiaries any fee to establish or maintain an Access Fund account. Fees may be assessed for special account services such as stop-payment requests, drafts returned for insufficient funds or wire transfers.

At each of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the total of Access Fund account balances held by the Company on behalf of beneficiaries was $1.2 billion and is included in reserves for policy benefits in the consolidated statement of financial position. Funds held on behalf of Access Fund account holders are maintained in a segmented portion of the Company’s general account and are invested primarily in short-term, liquid investments, which are reported as cash and temporary investments in the consolidated statement of financial position.

Commissions and Operating Expenses

Commissions and other operating costs, including costs of acquiring new insurance policies, are generally charged to expense as incurred.

Information Technology Equipment and Software

The cost of information technology (“IT”) equipment and operating system software is generally capitalized and depreciated over three years using the straight-line method. Non-operating system software is generally capitalized and depreciated over a maximum of five years. IT equipment and operating software assets of $30 million and $44 million at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, are included in other assets in the consolidated statement of financial position and are net of accumulated depreciation of $197 million and $171 million, respectively. Non-operating software costs, net of accumulated depreciation, are nonadmitted assets and thereby excluded from assets and surplus in the consolidated statement of financial position. Depreciation expense for IT equipment and software totaled $80 million, $83 million and $79 million for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment

The cost of furniture, fixtures and equipment, including leasehold improvements, is generally capitalized and depreciated over the useful life of the assets using the straight-line method. The cost of furniture, fixtures and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, are nonadmitted assets and thereby excluded from assets and surplus in the consolidated statement of financial position. Depreciation expense for furniture, fixtures and equipment totaled $7 million, $7 million and $6 million for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Investment Capital Gains and Losses

Realized capital gains and losses are recognized based upon specific identification of investment assets. Realized capital losses also include valuation adjustments for impairment of bonds, mortgage loans, common and preferred stocks, real estate and other investments that have experienced a decline in fair value that management considers to be other-than-temporary. Realized capital gains and losses as reported in the consolidated statement of operations exclude

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

any IMR deferrals. See Note 3 for more information regarding realized capital gains and losses, including other-than-temporary investment impairments.

Unrealized capital gains and losses primarily represent changes in the fair value of common stocks and other equity investments and changes in valuation adjustments made for bonds in or near default. Changes in the Company’s equity method share of undistributed earnings of joint ventures, partnerships and unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries are also included in changes in unrealized capital gains and losses. See Note 3 for more information regarding unrealized capital gains and losses.

Nonadmitted Assets

Certain assets are designated as nonadmitted on the statutory basis of accounting. Such assets, principally related to pension funding, amounts advanced to or due from the Company’s financial representatives, furniture, fixtures, equipment and non-operating software (net of accumulated depreciation), deferred tax assets in excess of statutory limits and certain investments are excluded from assets and surplus in the consolidated statement of financial position. Changes in nonadmitted assets are reported as a direct adjustment to surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus.

Subsequent Events

The Company has evaluated events subsequent to December 31, 2010 through February 28, 2011, the date these consolidated financial statements were available to be issued. Based on this evaluation, no events occurred subsequent to December 31, 2010 that are considered material to the Company’s financial position at that date or the results of its operations for the periods then ended.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in prior year footnote disclosures have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

 

3.

  Investments

Bonds

Investments in bonds rated “1” (highest quality), “2” (high quality), “3” (medium quality), “4” (low quality) or “5” (lower quality) by the Securities Valuation Office (“SVO”) of the NAIC are reported at amortized cost, less any valuation adjustment. Bonds rated “6” (lowest quality) by the SVO are reported at the lower of amortized cost or fair value. These ratings are subject to change based upon subsequent evaluations of credit quality by the SVO. The interest method is used to amortize any purchase premium or discount, including estimates of future prepayments obtained from independent sources. Prepayment assumptions are updated at least annually, using the retrospective method to adjust net investment income for changes in the estimated yield to maturity.

The statutory basis of accounting permits fair value disclosures for bonds to be based on values published by the SVO, quoted market prices, independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models. The Company’s disclosure of fair value for bonds is primarily based on independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models utilizing observable market data. See Note 15 for more information regarding the fair value of the Company’s investments in bonds.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Statement value and fair value of bonds at December 31, 2010 and 2009, summarized by asset categories required in the NAIC Annual Statement, were as follows:

 

December 31, 2010    Reconciliation to Fair Value  
     Statement
Value
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 
     (in millions)   

U.S. Government

     $ 7,945           $ 531           $ (196)          $ 8,280     

States, territories and possessions

     699           5           (50)          654     

Special revenue and assessments

     17,248           800           (144)          17,904     

All foreign governments

     321           49           -           370     

Hybrid securities

     668           30           (37)          661     

Industrial and miscellaneous

     69,948           4,783           (665)          74,066     
                                   

Total bonds

     $       96,829           $       6,198           $       (1,092)          $       101,935     
                                   

 

December 31, 2009    Reconciliation to Fair Value  
     Statement
Value
     Gross
Unrealized
Gains
     Gross
Unrealized
Losses
     Fair
Value
 
     (in millions)   

U.S. Government

     $ 9,726           $ 293           $ (413)          $ 9,606     

States, territories and possessions

     860           7           (65)          802     

Special revenue and assessments

     14,786           611           (39)          15,358     

All foreign governments

     319           34           -           353     

Hybrid securities

     383           22           (28)          377     

Industrial and miscellaneous

     64,930           3,017           (1,875)          66,072     
                                   

Total bonds

     $       91,004           $       3,984           $       (2,420)          $       92,568     
                                   

As of December 31, 2010, the Company’s investments in bonds were in a net unrealized gain position of $5.1 billion compared to a net unrealized gain position of $1.6 billion at December 31, 2009. The fair value of these securities reflects the relationship between the stated interest rate on the bonds and market interest rates at the respective reporting dates. The overall increase in fair value relative to statement value during 2010 was due primarily to reductions in market interest rates, including reductions in both risk-free market interest rates and, where relevant, market credit spreads.

Based on statement value, 90% of the Company’s bond portfolio was rated as investment-grade at each of December 31, 2010 and 2009. The investment-grade designation is based on an NAIC rating of “1” or “2”. As of December 31, 2010, the Company held below investment grade bonds with a statement value of $741 million that were previously classified as investment grade as of December 31, 2009 (“downgrades”). During 2010, the aggregate fair value of these bonds increased by $46 million. At December 31, 2010, the Company held bonds with an aggregate statement value of $207 million that were rated as investment grade at that date but had been rated as below investment grade at December 31, 2009 (“upgrades”). During 2010, the aggregate fair value of these bonds increased by $31 million. These changes in fair value included both changes in the credit circumstances of the individual issuer as well as a reduction in risk-free market interest rates and the general narrowing of credit spreads during 2010.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Statement value of bonds by NAIC rating category at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

December 31, 2010    NAIC Rating  
     1      2      3      4      5      6      Total  
     (in millions)  

U.S. Government

     $ 7,945           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ 7,945     

States, territories and possessions

     679           20           -           -           -           -           699     

Special revenue and assessments

     17,200           14           34           -           -           -           17,248     

All foreign governments

     274           47           -           -           -           -           321     

Hybrid securities

     494           112           10           45           -           7           668     

Industrial and miscellaneous

     33,307           27,164           3,994           3,501           1,811           171           69,948     
                                                              

Total bonds

     $   59,899           $   27,357           $   4,038           $   3,546           $   1,811           $   178           $   96,829     
                                                              

 

December 31, 2009    NAIC Rating  
     1      2      3      4      5      6      Total  
     (in millions)  

U.S. Government

     $ 9,726           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ 9,726     

States, territories and possessions

     776           84           -           -           -           -           860     

Special revenue and assessments

     14,786           -           -           -           -           -           14,786     

All foreign governments

     246           73           -           -           -           -           319     

Hybrid securities

     249           93           26           10           -           5           383     

Industrial and miscellaneous

     30,525           25,465           3,821           2,849           2,093           177           64,930     
                                                              

Total bonds

     $   56,308           $   25,715           $   3,847           $   2,859           $   2,093           $   182           $   91,004     
                                                              

Statement value and fair value of bonds by contractual maturity at December 31, 2010 are summarized below. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because certain borrowers have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment premiums.

 

     Statement
Value
    Fair
Value
 
     (in millions)  

Due in one year or less

   $ 1,589        $ 1,630     

Due after one year through five years

     19,207          20,153     

Due after five years through ten years

     30,995          33,166     

Due after ten years

     19,683          20,740     
                
     71,474          75,689     

Mortgage-backed and structured securities

     25,355          26,246     
                

Total

   $ 96,829        $ 101,935     
                

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The tables below summarize the Company’s investments in public and private mortgage-backed and other structured securities at December 31, 2010 and 2009. On a statement value basis, 98% and 96% of the Company’s investments in these securities were rated as investment grade (rated “1” or “2” by the SVO) as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, with a significant concentration in residential mortgage-backed securities issued by government agencies. The increase in the investment grade percentage is primarily attributable to upgrades of certain commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) holdings and sales of lower-rated securities during 2010.

 

December 31, 2010    Investment Grade      Below Investment Grade      Total  
     Statement
Value
     Fair Value      Statement
Value
     Fair Value      Statement
Value
     Fair Value  
     (in millions)      (in millions)      (in millions)  

Residential mortgage-backed:

                 

Government agencies

     $ 16,517           $ 17,321           $ -           $ -           $ 16,517           $ 17,321     

Other prime

     1,248           1,275           -           -           1,248           1,275     

Other below-prime

     404           387           85           64           489           451     

Commercial mortgage-backed:

                 

Government agencies

     596           588           -           -           596           588     

Conduit

     2,602           2,673           234           162           2,836           2,835     

Re-REMIC

     450           469           77           59           527           528     

Collateralized debt obligations

     40           33           36           26           76           59     

Other commercial mortgage-backed

     21           20           7           7           28           27     

Other asset-backed

     2,919           3,086           119           76           3,038           3,162     
                                                     

Total structured securities

     $     24,797           $     25,852           $     558           $     394           $     25,355           $     26,246     
                                                     
December 31, 2009    Investment Grade      Below Investment Grade      Total  
     Statement
Value
     Fair Value      Statement
Value
     Fair Value      Statement
Value
     Fair Value  
     (in millions)      (in millions)      (in millions)  

Residential mortgage-backed:

                 

Government agencies

     $ 15,835           $ 16,455           $ 1           $ 1           $ 15,836           $ 16,456     

Other prime

     1,730           1,711           22           20           1,752           1,731     

Other below-prime

     495           442           147           111           642           553     

Commercial mortgage-backed:

                 

Government agencies

     491           480           -           -           491           480     

Conduit

     2,447           2,251           328           143           2,775           2,394     

Re-REMIC

     304           208           142           20           446           228     

Collateralized debt obligations

     118           60           161           24           279           84     

Other commercial mortgage-backed

     61           62           9           7           70           69     

Other asset-backed

     3,682           3,760           223           79           3,905           3,839     
                                                     

Total structured securities

     $     25,163           $     25,429           $     1,033           $     405           $     26,196           $     25,834     
                                                     

Mortgage-backed securities issued by government agencies experienced favorable movements in fair value relative to statement value during 2010 due to declining market yields for such securities. Narrower credit spreads during 2010 on securities not backed by the U.S. government resulted in a continued increase in the market values of other mortgage-backed and structured securities. Other asset-backed securities shown above are primarily backed by credit card and automobile loans.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, 91% and 84%, respectively, of the Company’s CMBS holdings were rated as investment grade (rated “1” or “2” by the SVO). Statement values of these securities by NAIC rating category and year of origination at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

December 31, 2010    NAIC Rating  
     1      2      3      4      5      6      Total  
     (in millions)  

2010

     $ 456           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -         $ -           $ 456     

2009

     354           -           -           -           -           -           354     

2008

     16           -           -           -           -           -           16     

2007

     480           9           -           58           23           -           570     

2006

     526           22           53           10           72           12           695     

2005 & prior

     1,813           33           49           41           28           8           1,972     
                                                              

Total

     $   3,645           $   64           $   102           $   109           $   123         $   20           $   4,063     
                                                              
December 31, 2009    NAIC Rating  
     1      2      3      4      5      6      Total  
     (in millions)  

2009

     $ 360           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ -           $ 360     

2008

     10           -           -           -           -           -           10     

2007

     297           147           106           90           26           2           668     

2006

     611           54           53           87           12           -           817     

2005

     445           79           48           44           20           1           637     

2004 & prior

     1,250           168           100           43           8           -           1,569     
                                                              

Total

     $   2,973           $   448           $   307           $   264           $   66           $   3           $   4,061     
                                                              

Sub-prime and other Below-prime Mortgage Risk

Sub-prime mortgages are residential loans to borrowers with weak credit profiles. Alt-A mortgages are residential loans to borrowers who generally have credit profiles above sub-prime but do not conform to traditional (“prime”) mortgage underwriting guidelines. The Company has invested in certain mortgage-backed and structured securities that include exposure to sub-prime and other below-prime mortgage loans. These investments are included in bonds in the consolidated statement of financial position and generally reported at amortized cost, less any valuation adjustments. At each of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the statement value of sub-prime investments was $1 million. The statement value of Alt-A and other below-prime investments at December 31, 2010 and 2009 was $488 million and $641 million, respectively. At each of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the fair value of sub-prime investments was $1 million. The fair value of Alt-A and other below-prime investments was $451 million and $552 million, respectively. Of the Alt-A and other below-prime investments held by the Company at December 31, 2010 and 2009, 83% and 77%, respectively, were rated as investment-grade (rated “1” or “2” by the SVO).

Mortgage Loans

Mortgage loans consist solely of commercial mortgage loans underwritten and originated by the Company and are reported at unpaid principal balance, less any valuation adjustments or unamortized commitment or origination fees. Such fees are generally deferred upon receipt and amortized into net investment income using the interest method. See Note 15 for more information regarding the fair value of the Company’s investments in mortgage loans.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The maximum and minimum interest rates for mortgage loans originated during 2010 were 8.15% and 4%, respectively, while these rates during 2009 were 8.5% and 5.2%, respectively. The aggregate ratio of amounts loaned to the fair value of collateral (“loan-to-value ratio”) for mortgage loans originated during 2010 and 2009 was 62% and 58%, respectively, with a maximum of 100% for any single loan during each of 2010 and 2009. Loans with a 100% loan-to-value ratio at origination are made on a very limited basis and generally represent construction loans on build-to-suit properties. These loans are expected to be refinanced upon completion with conventional mortgage loans having a loan-to-value ratio between 50% and 70%. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the aggregate weighted-average loan-to-value ratio for the mortgage loan portfolio was 65% and 72%, respectively. The overall decrease in the aggregate loan-to-value ratio during 2010 was primarily the result of improving fair values for the underlying collateral based on current appraisals performed by the Company.

Fair value of the collateral securing the Company’s commercial mortgage loan portfolio is evaluated at least annually by the Company’s real estate professionals. More frequent evaluations are performed as necessary in the event of changes in market capitalization rates, borrower financial strength and/or property operating performance. Fair value of the collateral is estimated using the income capitalization approach based on stabilized property income and market capitalization rates. Stabilized property income is derived from actual property financial statements adjusted for non-recurring items, normalized market vacancy and lease rollover, among other factors. Other collateral, such as excess land and additional capital required to maintain property income, is also factored into fair value estimates. Private market transactions and public market alternatives are considered in determining market capitalization rates.

The aggregate ratios of amounts loaned to fair value of collateral for mortgage loans by property type as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

December 31, 2010    < 50%      51%-70%      71%-90%      > 90%      Total  
     (statement value, in millions)  

Apartment

     $ 1,197           $ 2,341           $ 2,278           $ 219           $ 6,035     

Office

     1,703           2,324           1,455           200           5,682     

Retail

     636           2,923           1,773           190           5,522     

Warehouse/Industrial

     174           1,064           1,209           461           2,908     

Other

     90           722           224           108           1,144     
                                            

Total

     $ 3,800           $ 9,374           $     6,939           $ 1,178           $ 21,291     
                                            
December 31, 2009    < 50%      51%-70%      71%-90%      > 90%      Total  
     (statement value, in millions)  

Apartment

     $ 633           $ 1,353           $ 3,448         $ 1,008           $ 6,442     

Office

     733           2,303           1,901         531           5,468     

Retail

     387           2,173           2,496         249           5,305     

Warehouse/Industrial

     97           754           1,130         787           2,768     

Other

     101           246           602         92           1,041     
                                            

Total

     $     1,951           $     6,829           $ 9,577         $     2,667           $     21,024     
                                            

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The statement value of mortgage loans by contractual maturity at December 31, 2010 is summarized below. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities because certain borrowers have the right to prepay obligations with or without prepayment premiums.

 

     Statement
Value
 

Due in one year or less

     $ 1,173     

Due after one year through two years

     2,064     

Due after two years through five years

     6,466     

Due after five years through eight years

     6,473     

Due after eight years

     5,115     
        
     $     21,291     
        

The geographic diversification of the Company’s mortgage loans by property type as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 was as follows:

 

December 31, 2010    East      Midwest      South      West      Canada      Total  
     (statement value, in millions)  

Apartment

     $ 1,785           $ 350           $ 1,523           $ 2,377           $ -           $ 6,035     

Office

     1,842           672           1,241           1,927           -           5,682     

Retail

     1,928           635           1,409           1,550           -           5,522     

Warehouse/Industrial

     473           495           583           1,357           -           2,908     

Other

     189           239           448           268           -           1,144     
                                                     

Total

     $     6,217           $     2,391           $     5,204           $     7,479           $ -           $     21,291     
                                                     
December 31, 2009    East      Midwest      South      West      Canada      Total  
     (statement value, in millions)  

Apartment

     $ 2,068           $ 364           $ 1,520           $ 2,490           $ -           $ 6,442     

Office

     1,932           623           1,089           1,824           -           5,468     

Retail

     1,635           670           1,270           1,688           42           5,305     

Warehouse/Industrial

     467           491           528           1,282           -           2,768     

Other

     154           244           400           243           -           1,041     
                                                     

Total

     $ 6,256           $ 2,392           $ 4,807           $ 7,527           $       42           $ 21,024     
                                                     

Common and Preferred Stocks

Common stocks are generally reported at fair value. The statutory basis of accounting permits fair value for common stocks to be based on values published by the SVO, quoted market prices, independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models. The Company’s fair value for common stocks is based primarily on quoted market prices. For private common stocks without quoted market prices, fair value is based upon internally developed pricing models that utilize observable market data (such as prices for comparable public equities), external pricing sources (such as valuations by private equity firms holding controlling stakes in the underlying issuer) and cash flow modeling. The equity method is generally used to report investments in common stock of unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries. See Note 11 regarding statement value of the Company’s investment in Frank Russell Company common stock. See Note 15 for more information regarding the fair value of the Company’s investments in common stock.

Preferred stocks rated “1” (highest quality), “2” (high quality) or “3” (medium quality) by the SVO are reported at amortized cost. Preferred stocks rated “4” (low quality), “5” (lower quality) or “6” (lowest quality) by the SVO are reported at the lower of amortized cost or fair value. The statutory basis of accounting permits fair value for preferred stocks to be based on values published by the

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

SVO, quoted market prices, independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models. The Company’s disclosure of fair value for preferred stocks is based primarily on internally developed pricing models. See Note 11 regarding statement value of the Company’s investments in Frank Russell Company preferred stock. See Note 15 for more information regarding the fair value of the Company’s investments in preferred stock.

When necessary, valuation adjustments are made for preferred stocks with SVO ratings of “4”, “5” or “6” and for common and preferred stocks with a decline in fair value that management considers to be other-than-temporary. If the impairment is considered to be temporary, the valuation adjustment is reported as an unrealized capital loss. Valuation adjustments for declines in value considered to be other-than-temporary are reported as realized capital losses.

Real Estate

Real estate investments are reported at cost, less any valuation adjustments, encumbrances and accumulated depreciation of buildings and other improvements, using a straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the improvements. Fair value of real estate is based primarily on the present value of estimated future cash flow (for commercial properties) or the capitalization of stabilized net operating income (for multi-family residential properties).

The geographic diversification of the Company’s investments in real estate by property type as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 was as follows:

 

December 31, 2010    East      Midwest      South      West      Total  
     (statement value, in millions)  

Apartment

     $ 211           $ 92           $ -           $ 184           $ 487     

Office

     81           406           149           181           817     

Warehouse/Industrial

     11           -           48           172           231     

Other

     59           -           25           -           84     
                                            

Total

     $ 362           $ 498           $ 222           $ 537           $ 1,619     
                                            
December 31, 2009    East      Midwest      South      West      Total  
     (statement value, in millions)  

Apartment

     $ 255           $ 94           $ 35           $ 160           $ 544     

Office

     83           414           127           140           764     

Warehouse/Industrial

     12           -           49           170           231     

Other

     27           -           16           -           43     
                                            

Total

     $     377           $     508           $     227           $     470           $     1,582     
                                            

The Company’s home office properties are included in Midwest Office investments in the tables above and had an aggregate statement value of $260 million and $263 million at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Other Investments

Other investments consist primarily of partnership investments (including real estate, leveraged buyout funds and other private equity limited partnerships), real estate joint ventures and unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries organized as limited liability companies. The partnerships, real estate joint ventures and limited liability companies are reported using the statutory equity method of accounting. The unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries are reported based on their audited GAAP equity. These subsidiaries primarily invest in public and private equity securities, investment grade municipal bonds and real estate joint ventures.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Statement value of other investments as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 was as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

Unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries

     $ 5,469           $ 4,721     

Partnerships and LLCs

     3,419           2,800     

Low income housing tax credit properties

     465           545     

Leveraged leases

     310           318     

Derivative instruments

     (12)          14     

Oil and gas investments

     60           74     

Other

     191           115     
                 

Total

     $       9,902           $       8,587     
                 

Oil and gas investments are reported using the full cost method, under which all exploration and development costs, whether successful or not, are capitalized and amortized as a reduction of net investment income as oil and natural gas reserves are produced. This accounting method is permitted by the OCI, as the Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual of the NAIC does not provide accounting guidance for oil and gas investments.

See Note 4 regarding the Company’s use of derivatives.

Net Investment Income

The components of net investment income for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
       2010          2009          2008    
     (in millions)  

Bonds

     $ 5,366           $ 4,932           $ 4,821     

Mortgage loans

     1,317           1,356           1,334     

Policy loans

     1,017           976           876     

Common and preferred stocks

     227           182           214     

Real estate

     210           231           263     

Derivative instruments

     24           19           -     

Other investments

     571           428           770     

Amortization of IMR

     37           39           35     
                          

Gross investment income

     8,769           8,163           8,313     

Less: investment expenses

     463           391           478     
                          

Net investment income

     $ 8,306           $ 7,772          $ 7,835     
                          

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Capital Gains and Losses

Realized capital gains and losses for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

    For the year ended
December 31, 2010
    For the year ended
December 31, 2009
    For the year ended
December 31, 2008
 
    Realized
Gains
    Realized
Losses
    Net
Realized
Gains
(Losses)
    Realized
Gains
    Realized
Losses
    Net
Realized
Gains
(Losses)
    Realized
Gains
    Realized
Losses
    Net
Realized

Gains
(Losses)
 
          (in millions)                 (in millions)                 (in millions)        

Bonds

    $ 766          $ (711)         $ 55          $ 1,397          $   (1,412)         $ (15)         $ 518          $   (1,757)         $   (1,239)    

Common and preferred stocks

    581          (285)         296          1,101          (695)         406          773          (1,342)         (569)    

Mortgage loans

    -          (32)         (32)         -          (8)         (8)         -          (2)         (2)    

Real estate

    54          (9)         45          232          (17)         215          82          (4)         78     

Other
investments

    413          (535)         (122)         897          (1,402)         (505)         1,416          (1,205)         211     
                                                                       

Subtotal

    $ 1,814          $   (1,572)         242          $ 3,627          $ (3,534)         93          $ 2,789          $ (4,310)         (1,521)    
                                                     

Less: IMR gains (losses)

        396              563              (705)    

Less: Capital gains tax (benefit)

        34              (316)             (149)    
                                   

Net realized capital gains (losses)

        $ (188)             $ (154)             $ (667)    
                                   

Realized gains and losses on sales of bonds and common and preferred stock are generally the result of normal trading activity undertaken to execute the Company’s overall portfolio management strategy including asset/liability duration management, sector exposure, total return and tax optimization. Realized losses also include valuation adjustments resulting from declines in value considered to be other-than-temporary, as discussed below. Realized gains and losses for other investments are primarily due to foreign currency futures and equity futures (see Note 4 regarding the Company’s use of derivatives). During 2010, 2009 and 2008, realized losses of $119 million, $175 million and $156 million, respectively, were attributable to the sale of bonds with significant declines in credit quality. Proceeds from the sale of bond investments totaled $24 billion, $32 billion and $34 billion for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

Changes in net unrealized capital gains and losses for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2010      2009      2008  
            (in millions)         

Bonds

     $ (16)          $ 117           $ (356)    

Common and preferred stocks

     1,286           903           (3,604)    

Other investments

     359           (316)          (831)    
                          
     1,629           704           (4,791)    

Change in deferred taxes

     (351)          (201)          1,308     
                          

Change in net unrealized capital gains (losses)

     $ 1,278           $ 503           $ (3,483)    
                          

The changes in net unrealized capital gains and losses during 2010 and 2009 were due primarily to the appreciation in the fair value of common stocks and other investments. Net unrealized capital

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

gains (losses) included ($265) million, ($311) million and ($460) million for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively, related to distributions made to the Company from unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries. The Company’s share of the earnings or losses of these subsidiaries is reported as unrealized gains and losses under the equity method of accounting until net gains are distributed to the Company, at which time net investment income is recognized and the previously unrealized net gains are reversed.

Changes in net unrealized capital gains (losses) also includes valuation adjustments for declines in the fair value of investments held by unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries that were considered to be other-than-temporary.

The amortized cost and fair value of bonds and common and preferred stocks for which fair value had temporarily declined and remained below cost as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31, 2010  
     Decline For Less Than 12 Months      Decline For Greater Than 12 Months  
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair Value      Difference      Amortized
Cost
     Fair Value      Difference  
     (in millions)  

Bonds

     $ 14,489           $ 13,918           $ (571)          $ 3,978           $ 3,202           $ (776)    

Common and preferred stocks

     902           831           (71)          714           549           (165)    
                                                     

Total

     $     15,391           $     14,749           $ (642)          $     4,692           $ 3,751           $ (941)    
                                                     
     December 31, 2009  
     Decline For Less Than 12 Months      Decline For Greater Than 12 Months  
     Amortized
Cost
     Fair Value      Difference      Amortized
Cost
     Fair Value      Difference  
     (in millions)  

Bonds

     $ 16,596           $ 15,854           $ (742)          $ 9,415           $ 7,550           $ (1,865)    

Common and preferred stocks

     1,396           1,249           (147)          1,109           813           (296)    
                                                     

Total

     $     17,992           $     17,103           $     (889)          $     10,524           $     8,363           $     (2,161)    
                                                     

At December 31, 2010 and 2009, $470 million and $1.2 billion, respectively, of the unrealized losses for greater than 12 months were related to structured securities, primarily CMBS. During 2010, the unrealized loss on bonds for which fair value had temporarily declined and remained below cost decreased due primarily to a reduction in risk-free market interest rates and the general narrowing of credit spreads. These bonds are current on interest and principal payments and are otherwise performing according to their contractual terms. Based on the impairment review process described below, management considers these declines in fair value, as well as the declines in fair value of common and preferred stocks, to be temporary based on existing facts and circumstances.

Impairments

On a quarterly basis, the Company performs a review of bonds, mortgage loans, common and preferred stocks, real estate and other investments to identify those that have experienced a decline in fair value that management considers to be other-than-temporary. Factors considered in evaluating whether a decline in fair value is other-than-temporary include: (1) the duration and

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

extent to which fair value has been less than cost; (2) the financial condition and near-term financial prospects of the issuer; and (3) the Company’s ability and intent to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for an anticipated recovery in value.

For fixed income securities, emphasis is placed on the issuer’s ability to remit all contractual interest and principal payments and the Company’s ability and intent to hold the security until the earlier of a recovery in value or maturity. The Company’s intent and ability to hold a security takes into consideration broad portfolio management objectives such as asset/liability duration management and issuer and industry segment exposures.

For equity securities, greater weight and consideration is given to the duration and extent of a decline in fair value and the likelihood that the fair value of the security will recover. An investment in real estate is evaluated for an other-than-temporary impairment when the fair value of the property is lower than its depreciated cost. Fixed income securities (excluding structured securities, as described below), real estate and other investments that are determined to have an other-than-temporary impairment are written down to fair value. Mortgage loans determined to have an other-than-temporary impairment are written down to net realizable value based on appraisal of the collateral property.

Effective January 1, 2008, the Company adopted Statement of Statutory Accounting Principle No. 98, Treatment of Cash Flows When Quantifying Changes in Valuation and Impairments, An Amendment to SSAP No. 43 – Loan Backed and Structured Securities (“SSAP 98”). SSAP 98 required that valuation adjustments for other-than-temporary impairment of loan-backed and structured securities be based on fair value. Previous statutory accounting guidance required that such valuation adjustments be based on undiscounted future cash flows. SSAP 98 was adopted prospectively at January 1, 2008 and resulted in $90 million of additional realized capital losses during 2008 than would have been required under previous accounting guidance.

During 2009, the Company adopted Statement of Statutory Accounting Principle No. 43R, Loan Backed and Structured Securities (“SSAP 43R”). SSAP 43R superceded SSAP 98 and requires that valuation adjustments for other-than-temporary impairments of loan-backed and structured securities be based on fair value only if the Company intends to sell or cannot assert the intent and ability to hold the investment until its anticipated recovery. However, if the Company can assert the intent and ability to hold the investment until its anticipated recovery, the valuation adjustment is based on the discounted expected future cash flows of the security. The discount rate used would generally be either the effective yield at purchase or the effective yield immediately prior to the valuation adjustment. The adoption of SSAP 43R was effective September 30, 2009 and resulted in a cumulative increase to surplus of $61 million, representing the difference between other-than-temporary valuation adjustments measured using the discounted cash flow method required by SSAP 43R and the fair value measurement previously required by SSAP 98. This increase to surplus is reported as a change in accounting principle in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Realized capital losses recognized due to declines in fair value of investments that were considered to be other-than-temporary were $496 million, $749 million and $960 million for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively, with details by asset class and sector as follows:

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2010      2009      2008  

Bonds, common and preferred stocks:

  

 

(in millions)

  

Structured securities

     $   (259)          $   (166)          $   (157)    

Financial services

     (65)          (69)          (366)    

Consumer discretionary

     (39)          (133)          (82)    

Industrials

     (24)          (48)          (30)    

Energy

     (4)          (25)          (98)    

Technology

     (1)          (7)          (25)    

Health care

     -           -           (41)    

Other

     -           (74)          (53)    
                          

Subtotal

     (392)          (522)          (852)    

Other investments:

        

Real estate and RE funds

     (67)          (151)          (88)    

Mortgage loans

     (32)          (8)          -     

Security partnerships

     (5)          (52)          (10)    

Energy holdings

     -           (12)          (10)    

Derivatives

     -           (4)          -     
                          

Subtotal

     (104)          (227)          (108)    
                          

Total

     $ (496)          $ (749)          $ (960)    
                          

The $392 million in total valuation adjustments for bonds and stocks during 2010 was comprised of $357 million for bonds and $35 million for common stocks. The $259 million of structured securities valuation adjustments recorded during 2010 included $154 million of CMBS, $28 million of collateralized debt obligation securities (“CDOs”), $11 million for residential mortgage-backed securities and $66 million for other asset-backed securities.

During 2009 these valuation adjustments included $449 million for bonds, $62 million for common stocks, and $11 million for preferred stocks. The $166 million of valuation adjustments recorded for structured securities during 2009 included $79 million of CDOs and $62 million for CMBS, including CDOs backed by CMBS.

In addition to the realized losses above, $23 million, $40 million and $77 million of other-than-temporary valuation adjustments were recognized by the Company’s unconsolidated non-insurance subsidiaries for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. The decline in equity of these subsidiaries resulting from these valuation adjustments is included in changes in net unrealized capital gains (losses) in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus.

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Other-than-temporary valuation adjustments on loan-backed and structured securities for the year ended December 31, 2010, including the basis for the adjustment, were as follows:

 

     Amortized Cost Basis
Before Other-than-
Temporary Impairment
     Other-than-Temporary
Impairment
Recognized in Loss
    Fair Value  
        (in millions)     

Aggregate intent to sell

     $ -           $ -          $ -     

Aggregate inability or lack of intent to retain investment in the security for a period of time sufficient to recover the amortized cost basis

     -           -          -     

Aggregate present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis of the security

     340           (189)         92     
                         

Total

     $             340           $             (189)         $                 92     
                         

Securities Lending

The Company participates in securities lending programs whereby general account investment securities are loaned to third parties, primarily major brokerage firms. These lending programs are intended to enhance the yield of the Company’s investment portfolio.

The Company manages the lending of fixed income securities directly, while the lending of equity securities was administered by a lending agent and collateral investment manager. The Company discontinued its equity lending program during 2010. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the aggregate statement value of loaned securities was $1.3 billion and $2.9 billion, respectively, while the aggregate fair value of these loaned securities was $1.3 billion and $2.7 billion, respectively. Of the securities on loan at December 31, 2010 and 2009, substantially all were fixed income securities. The Company has established the following guidelines with respect to counterparty risk in its direct securities lending program:

 

   

The Company holds collateral of no less than 102% of the market value of the securities on loan plus accrued interest.

 

   

Collateral is marked-to-market each business day that a security is on loan.

 

   

Only cash, U.S. government securities, or repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities are accepted as collateral.

 

   

Cash collateral is reinvested only in U.S. government securities, or other highly-rated, liquid securities, including commercial paper and money-market funds

 

   

The aggregate market value of securities on loan to any individual counterparty is subject to a maximum of 2.5% of invested assets. Lending counterparties must be rated A- (or an equivalent) or higher.

 

   

At no time is the weighted average maturity of the investment collateral pool permitted to exceed the weighted average term of the securities on loan by more than 60 days.

At December 31, 2010 and 2009, securities lending collateral held by the Company was $1.3 billion and $2.9 billion, respectively, which is included in the consolidated statement of financial position in the investment asset categories in which it was reinvested, with the offsetting collateral liability of $1.3 billion and $2.9 billion, respectively, included in other liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position. The statement value of reinvested collateral held at

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

December 31, 2010 included $928 million in bonds and $414 million in cash and temporary investments. The statement value of reinvested collateral held at December 31, 2009 included $1.3 billion in bonds and $1.6 billion in cash and temporary investments.

The following table summarizes the terms of securities loaned and the amounts of cash collateral received under securities lending agreements.

 

     December 31,  
         2010              2009      
     (in millions)   

Open terms

     $ 948           $ 2,261     

30 days or less

     400           400     

31-60 days

     -           90     

Greater than 90 days

     -           100     
                 

Total

     $         1,348           $         2,851     
                 

Potential liquidity needs related to the return of collateral are anticipated to be met through sale of the investments purchased with the cash collateral. Additionally, liquidity needs related to the securities lending program are part of the Company’s overall asset/liability management program. As such, cash flows from both operations and investment activities, as well as the ability to draw upon the Company’s liquid assets, support any potential liquidity needs of this program. The Company’s liquid assets include cash equivalents, short-term investments, U.S. Treasury and government agency securities, other marketable fixed-income securities and publicly-traded common stocks.

The following table summarizes the term and amounts of reinvested collateral at December 31, 2010 and 2009.

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  
     Amortized Cost      Fair Value      Amortized Cost      Fair Value  
        (in millions)      

30 days or less

     $ 451           $ 452           $ 1,332           $ 1,332     

31-60 days

     33           33           459           460     

61-90 days

     59           60           103           103     

91-120 days

     10           10           107           108     

121-180 days

     72           72           502           508     

181-365 days

     79           79           261           261     

1-2 years

     419           419           90           92     

2-3 years

     111           111           37           37     

Greater than 3 years

     108           107           6           6     
                                   

Total

     $         1,342           $         1,343           $         2,897           $         2,907     
                                   

Prior to the discontinuation of the Company’s equity securities lending program during 2010, collateral amounts were held by a trustee on behalf of the Company. Under that program, the trustee held collateral with an aggregate cost of $73 million and an aggregate fair value of $70

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

million at December 31, 2009. Because the collateral was held by a trustee, these assets are not included in the consolidated statement of financial position at that date.

The Company has also entered into securities lending arrangements for separate account investment securities, utilizing similar procedures and collateral requirements as those for general account loaned securities. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the aggregate statement value of loaned securities held by the separate accounts was $11 million and $85 million, respectively.

Secured Funding Transaction

During 2009, the Company entered into a secured funding transaction, whereby certain mortgage-backed securities owned by the Company were deposited in a trust and pledged under an indenture as part of a borrowing arrangement with an unrelated third party. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the aggregate statement value of the pledged securities was $1.7 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively, while the aggregate fair value of those securities was $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively. During the duration of the indenture, these assets are restricted from being sold, substituted or otherwise accessed by the Company. This transaction is reported as a secured funding under Statement of Statutory Accounting Principles No. 91R, Accounting for Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets and Extinguishments of Liabilities (“SSAP 91R”), and as such these securities are included in bonds in the consolidated statement of financial position.

At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the outstanding borrowings related to this funding transaction were $353 million and $600 million, respectively, which is included in other liabilities in the consolidated statement of financial position. The related indenture requires substantially all cash flows from the pledged securities to be used to pay interest and principal on the funded balance. Interest on the outstanding principal balance accrues at an annual rate of 1-month LIBOR + 1.75%. Interest expense incurred during 2010 and 2009 was $10 million and less than $100,000, respectively.

As part of the transaction, the Company entered into an unconditional agreement to repurchase the pledged securities from the trust at market value on December 29, 2011. In the unlikely event that the outstanding principal, interest and other obligations on the secured borrowing transaction exceed the market value of the pledged securities, the repurchase will not be completed on that date. Instead, the market value will be recalculated and compared to the outstanding principal, interest and other obligations on the borrowing arrangement on the last monthly payment date of each quarter thereafter, and the repurchase will be completed at market value on the first such payment date when the market value exceeds such obligations. If the repurchase has not been completed by the payment date for December 2013, it will be completed at the market value on that date. In any event, the proceeds of the repurchase will be applied to the borrowing obligations and upon satisfaction of such obligations the trust will be liquidated.

 

4.

  Derivative Financial Instruments

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into derivative transactions, generally to mitigate (or “hedge”) the risk to its assets, liabilities and surplus from fluctuations in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and other market risks. Derivatives used in hedging transactions are designated as either “cash flow” hedges, which mitigate the risk of variability in future cash flows associated with the asset or liability being hedged, or “fair value” hedges, which mitigate the risk of changes in fair value of the asset or liability being hedged. Derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting are reported on a basis consistent with the asset or liability being hedged (e.g., at amortized cost or fair value). Derivatives used as hedges that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported at fair value.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

To qualify for hedge accounting, the hedge relationship must be designated and formally documented at inception. This documentation details the risk management objective and strategy for the hedge, including the risk being hedged, the derivative used in the hedge and the methodology for assessing hedge effectiveness, which must be measured on an ongoing basis over the life of the hedge. To qualify for hedge accounting, the hedge must be “highly effective,” meaning that the changes in the fair value of cash flows of the hedging instrument must be between 80-125% of the inverse of the corresponding changes in fair value or cash flows of the hedged risk.

Fair value is the amount that the Company would expect to receive or pay in an arms-length settlement of the derivative contract as of the reporting date. The fair value of derivative instruments is based on quoted market prices, when available. In the absence of quoted market prices, fair value is estimated using third-party or internal pricing models. For derivatives reported at fair value, changes in fair value on open derivative positions are reported as an unrealized capital gain or loss. Upon maturity or termination of the derivative contract, a realized capital gain or loss is recognized.

Additionally, the Company uses derivatives for the purpose of investment “replication.” A replication is a derivative transaction that, when entered into in conjunction with other cash market investments, replicates the risk and reward characteristics of otherwise permissible cash market investment positions. Derivatives used as part of a replication are reported on a basis consistent with the investment position being replicated (e.g., at amortized cost or fair value).

The Company also uses derivatives for income generation purposes. Derivatives used for income generation purposes are reported on a basis consistent with the accounting treatment that would be used for the covering asset or underlying interest to which the derivative relates (e.g., at amortized cost or fair value). The cash premium received by the Company at the inception of the contract is deferred for accounting purposes until maturity of the contract or its exercise by the counterparty (if the term of the derivative is less than one year) or amortized over the life of the contract (if the term of the derivative is greater than one year).

Over-the-counter derivative transactions expose the Company to the risk that a counterparty may not be able to fulfill its obligations under the contract. The Company manages this risk by dealing only with counterparties that maintain a minimum credit rating, by performing ongoing review of counterparties’ credit standing and by adhering to established limits for credit exposure to any single counterparty. The Company also utilizes collateral support agreements that require the daily exchange of collateral assets if credit exposure exceeds certain limits. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company held $129 million and $97 million, respectively, of collateral under these agreements. The collateral is included in cash and temporary investments in the consolidated statement of financial position, with a corresponding liability reflecting the Company’s obligation to return the collateral included in other liabilities.

Following are descriptions of the types of derivative instruments used by the Company:

Cash Flow Hedges:

Interest rate floors are used to mitigate the asset/liability management risk of a significant and sustained decrease in interest rates for certain of the Company’s insurance products. Interest rate floors entitle the Company to receive payments from a counterparty if market interest rates decline below a specified level. The Company’s use of interest rate floors qualifies for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at amortized cost.

Interest rate swaps are used to mitigate interest rate risk for investments in variable interest rate and fixed interest rate bonds. Interest rate swaps obligate the Company and a counterparty to exchange amounts based on the difference between a variable interest rate index and a specified

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

fixed rate of interest applied to the notional amount of the contract. The Company’s use of interest rate swaps qualifies for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at amortized cost.

Swaptions are used to mitigate the asset/liability management risk of a significant and sustained increase in interest rates for certain of the Company’s insurance products. Swaptions provide the Company an option to enter into an interest rate swap with a counterparty on predefined terms. Prior to 2009, the Company’s use of swaptions qualified for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at amortized cost. During 2009, the Company elected to discontinue hedge accounting for these instruments. As a result, these instruments are reported at fair value as of December 31, 2010 and 2009. Unrealized capital gains of $7 million and $26 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts.

Foreign currency swaps are used to mitigate the interest rate and/or foreign exchange risk for investments in bonds denominated in foreign currencies. Foreign currency swaps obligate the Company and a counterparty to exchange the foreign currency-denominated interest and principal payments receivable on foreign bonds for U.S. dollar-denominated payments, based on rates specified at trade inception. The Company’s use of foreign currency swaps qualifies for hedge accounting. These instruments are reported at amortized cost, with the exception of changes in fair value due to fluctuations in market currency exchange rates. Foreign currency translation gain or loss is reported as an unrealized capital gain or loss until the maturity or termination of the contract, at which time a realized capital gain or loss is recognized.

Foreign currency covers are used to mitigate foreign exchange risk pending settlement of executed trades for investments denominated in foreign currencies. Foreign currency covers obligate the Company to pay to or receive from a counterparty a specified amount of a foreign currency at a specified exchange rate at a future date. The Company’s use of foreign currency covers qualifies for hedge accounting, with foreign currency translation gain or loss recorded as an adjustment to the cost basis of the hedged security. The Company held no positions in these instruments at December 31, 2010 or 2009.

Fair Value Hedges:

Short fixed income futures are used to mitigate interest rate risk for investments in portfolios of fixed income securities. Short fixed income futures obligate the Company to sell to a counterparty a specified bond at a specified price at a future date. The Company’s use of short fixed income futures contracts does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. Unrealized capital gains of $37 million and $239 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts.

Foreign currency forwards are used to mitigate the foreign exchange risk for investments in bonds denominated in foreign currencies or common stock or other equity investments in companies operating in foreign countries. Foreign currency forwards obligate the Company to pay to or receive from a counterparty a specified amount of a foreign currency at a future date. The Company’s use of foreign currency forwards does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. Unrealized capital losses of $8 million and unrealized capital gains of $19 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts.

Foreign currency futures are used to mitigate the foreign exchange risk for investments in bonds denominated in foreign currencies or common stock or other equity investments in companies operating in foreign countries. Foreign currency futures obligate the Company to exchange a specified amount of a foreign currency with a counterparty at a specified exchange rate at a future date. The Company’s use of foreign currency futures does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. Unrealized capital gains of $0 and $73 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts. The Company held no direct

 

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Table of Contents

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

positions in these instruments at December 31, 2010 or 2009.

Short total return swaps are used to mitigate market risk for investments in portfolios of common stocks and other equity securities. Total return swaps obligate the Company and a counterparty to exchange amounts based on the difference between a variable equity index return and a specified fixed rate of return applied to the notional amount of the contract. The Company’s use of total return swaps does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. Unrealized capital losses of $8 million and unrealized capital gains of $8 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts.

Short equity index futures are used to mitigate market risk for investments in portfolios of common stock. Short equity index futures obligate the Company to pay to or receive from a counterparty an amount based on a specified equity market index as of a future date applied to the notional amount of the contract. The Company’s use of short equity index futures does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. Unrealized capital losses of $2 million and unrealized capital gains of $17 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts.

Purchased put options are used to mitigate credit and market risk for investments in debt and equity securities issued by specific entities. Purchased put options provide the Company an option to put a specific security to a counterparty at a specified price at a future date. The Company’s use of purchased put options does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. No unrealized capital gains or losses were recognized during 2010 or 2009 on these contracts. The Company held no positions in these instruments at December 31, 2010 or 2009.

Equity collars are used to mitigate market risk for investments in common stocks or other equity securities. Equity collars consist of both a purchased put option and a written call option on a specific equity security owned by the Company. The Company’s use of equity collars does not qualify for hedge accounting, with these instruments reported at fair value. Unrealized capital losses of $0 and less than $1 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts. The Company held no positions in these instruments at December 31, 2010 or 2009.

Purchased credit default swaps are used to mitigate the credit risk for investments in bonds issued by specific debtors. Credit default swaps provide the Company an option to put a specific bond to a counterparty at par in the event of a “credit event” encountered by the bond issuer. A credit event is generally defined as a bankruptcy, failure to make required payments or acceleration of issuer obligations under the terms of the bond. In some cases the Company’s use of credit default swaps qualifies for hedge accounting, while in other cases it does not. Credit default swaps that qualify for hedge accounting are reported at amortized cost. Swaps that do not qualify for hedge accounting are reported at fair value. Unrealized capital gains of $3 million and unrealized capital losses of $22 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on contracts that did not qualify for hedge accounting.

Replications:

Long fixed income futures replications are used in conjunction with cash market instruments to manage the duration of investment in portfolios of fixed income securities and to mitigate interest rate risk for such portfolios. Long fixed income futures replications are reported at fair value, with changes in fair value reported as an unrealized capital gain or loss until the contracts mature or are terminated, at which time a realized capital gain or loss is recognized. The average fair value of open contracts was $585 million and $1.7 billion during 2010 and 2009, respectively. Realized capital gains of $3 million and $73 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, upon termination of these contracts.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Long total return swap replications are used in conjunction with the purchase of cash market instruments to replicate investment in portfolios of common stocks and other equity securities. Total return swaps obligate the Company and a counterparty to exchange amounts based on the difference between a variable equity index return and a specified fixed rate of return applied to the notional amount of the contract. Total return swaps are reported at fair value, with changes in fair value reported as an unrealized capital gain or loss until the contracts mature or are terminated, at which time a realized capital gain or loss is recognized. The average fair value of open contracts was $2 million and $7 million during 2010 and 2009, respectively. Realized capital gains of $4 million and $72 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts.

Long equity index futures replications are used in conjunction with the purchase of cash market instruments to replicate investment in portfolios of common stocks and other equity securities. Long equity index futures replications are reported at fair value, with changes in fair value reported as an unrealized capital gain or loss until the contracts mature or are terminated, at which time a realized capital gain or loss is recognized. The average fair value of open contracts was $14 million and $0 during 2010 and 2009, respectively. Realized capital losses of $2 million and $0 were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, on these contracts. The Company held no positions in these instruments at December 31, 2010 or 2009.

Fixed income replications are used to replicate a bond investment through the use of cash market instruments combined with written credit derivatives (single-name default swaps or index credit default swaps) and/or interest rate swaps. Fixed income replications, including the derivative components, are reported at amortized cost. The average fair value of open contracts was $6 million and $2 million during 2010 and 2009. Realized capital gains of $0 and $11 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, upon termination of these contracts.

The Company writes credit derivatives only for replication purposes and not as a participant in the credit insurance market. Single-name credit default swap (“CDS”) contracts replicate credit exposure to a specific entity and debt issue with terms to maturity of five to ten years. Upon the occurrence of a defined credit event, the Company would be required to purchase a notional amount of the reference obligation from the counterparty at par value. The Company is not aware of any credit events on outstanding CDS contracts at December 31, 2010 or 2009. The maximum amounts that the Company could potentially be required to pay on CDS contracts at December 31, 2010 and 2009 was $0 and $10 million, respectively. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the fair value of CDS contracts outstanding was $0 and less than $1 million, respectively.

Income Generation Transactions:

Written equity call options (covered) are used to generate income in exchange for potential future gains on a specific common stock owned by the Company. The Company receives a cash premium at the inception of the contract, and the counterparty has the right (but not the obligation) to purchase the underlying security from the Company at a predetermined price at any time during the term of the contract. Written equity call options are reported at fair value, with changes in fair value reported as an unrealized capital gain or loss until the contracts mature or are exercised by the counterparty, at which time a realized capital gain or loss is recognized. The average fair value of open contracts was ($10) million and ($11) million during 2010 and 2009, respectively. Realized capital gains of less than $1 million and realized capital losses of $3 million were recognized during 2010 and 2009, respectively, upon termination of these contracts. The fair value of written equity call options as of December 31, 2010 was ($39) million. The Company held no positions in these instruments at December 31, 2009.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Effect on Financial Statements:

The Company’s use of derivatives impacts both the consolidated statement of financial position and the consolidated statement of operations. The effects on the consolidated statement of financial position at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31, 2010      December 31, 2009  
     Notional
Amount
     Statement
Value
     Fair
Value
     Notional
Amount
     Statement
Value
     Fair
Value
 
     (in millions)  

Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:

                 

Interest rate contracts

                 

Interest rate floors

     $ 1,025         $ 12         $ 89           $ 1,025         $ 13         $ 69     

Interest rate swaps

     52           -           13           52           -           11     

Swaptions

     -           -           -           -           -           -     

Foreign exchange contracts

                 

Cross currency swaps

     807           (108)          (58)            807           (86)          (55)    

Foreign currency covers

     -           -           -           -           -           -     

Credit contracts

                 

Credit default swaps

     52           -           -           52           -           -     
                 

Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments

     $     1,936         $ (96)        $ 44           $ 1,936         $ (73)       $ 25     
                 

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

                 

Interest rate contracts

                 

Interest rate swaps

     $ 150         $ -         $ 5           $ 150         $ -         $ (1)    

Swaptions

     2,157           106           106           1,871           83           83     

Fixed futures

     2,882           -           -           -           -           -     

Foreign exchange contracts

                 

Foreign currency forwards

     1,217           2           2           595           10           10     

Foreign currency futures

     -           -           -           -           -           -     

Equity contracts

                 

Equity total return swaps

     212           19           19           71           1         1     

Equity futures

     274           -           -           -           -           -     

Equity options

     716           (39)           (39)          -           -           -     

Credit contracts

                 

Credit default swaps

     181           (4)          (4)          224           (7)          (7)    
                 

Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments

     $ 7,789         $ 84         $ 89           $ 2,911         $ 87         $ 86     
                 

Total derivatives

     $ 9,725         $ (12)        $     133           $     4,847         $     14         $     111     
                 

The notional amounts shown above are used to denominate the derivative contracts and do not represent amounts exchanged between the Company and the derivative counterparties. The statement value of derivatives is included in other investments in the consolidated statement of financial position.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The effects on the consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

    

Location of Gain/(Loss)

Recognized

   Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized  
        2010      2009      2008  
          (in millions)  

Derivatives in fair value hedging relationships:

           

Credit contracts

           

Credit default swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      $ -           $ -           $ -     
                             

Total derivatives in fair value hedging relationships

        $ -           $ -           $ -     
                             
    

Location of Gain/(Loss)

Recognized

   Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized  
        2010      2009      2008  
          (in millions)  

Derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships:

           

Interest rate contracts

           

Interest rate floors

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      $ -         $ -           $ -     

Interest rate swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           -           2     

Swaptions

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           -           -     

Foreign exchange contracts

           

Cross currency swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           (3)          -     

Foreign currency covers

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           -           -     
                             

Total derivatives in cash flow hedging relationships

        $ -         $ (3)          $ 2     
                             
    

Location of Gain/(Loss)

Recognized

   Amount of Gain or (Loss) Recognized  
        2010      2009      2008  
          (in millions)  

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

           

Interest rate contracts

           

Interest rate swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      $ -           $ 10           $ (35)    

Swaptions

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           -           -     

Fixed futures

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      (28)          50           137     

Foreign exchange contracts

           

Foreign currency forwards

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      (12)          (9)          131     

Foreign currency futures

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           (171)          194     

Equity contracts

           

Equity total return swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      (22)          51           (36)    

Equity futures

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      (25)          (321)          (58)    

Equity options

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           (2)          2     

Commodity Contracts

           

Natural gas/crude oil swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           -           4     

Credit contracts

           

Credit default swaps

   Net realized capital gains (losses)      -           10           11     
                             

Total derivatives not designated as hedging instruments

        $         (87)          $         (382)          $         350   
                             

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

5.

Reserves for Policy Benefits

General account reserves for policy benefits at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

Life insurance reserves

     $ 118,706           $ 111,534     

Annuity reserves and deposit liabilities

     7,512           7,130     

Disability and long-term care unpaid claims and claim reserves

     4,098           3,938     

Disability and long-term care active life reserves

     2,750           2,423     
                 

Total reserves for policy benefits

     $     133,066           $     125,025     
                 

Life insurance reserves on substantially all policies issued since 1978 are based on the Commissioner’s Reserve Valuation Method (“CRVM”) using the 1958, 1980 or 2001 CSO mortality tables with valuation interest rates ranging from 3.5% to 5.5%. Other life insurance reserves are based primarily on the net level premium method, using various mortality tables at interest rates ranging from 2.0% to 4.5%. As of December 31, 2010, the Company had $1.2 trillion of total life insurance in-force, including $5.5 billion of life insurance in-force for which gross premiums were less than net premiums according to the standard valuation methods and assumptions prescribed by the OCI. Gross premiums can be less than net premiums because they are the result of different calculations. Gross premiums are calculated in pricing and use mortality tables that reflect both the Company’s actual experience and the potential transfer of risk to reinsurers. Net premiums are determined in the calculation of statutory reserves, which must be based on industry standard mortality tables.

As of January 1, 2010, the Company implemented the preferred mortality tables associated with the 2001 CSO mortality table for the calculation of basic and deficiency reserves for term life insurance policies issued in 2006 and 2005, resulting in an $131 million decrease in reserves that is reported as a direct increase to surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus for the year ended December 31, 2010. Because of these and other reserve adjustments made directly to surplus, the difference between reserves for policy benefits at December 31, 2010 and 2009 as shown in the consolidated statement of financial position will not equal the net additions to policy benefit reserves in the consolidated statement of financial position for the year ended December 31, 2010.

As of January 1, 2009, the Company changed the valuation basis for waiver reserves on life insurance. This change decreased the policy benefit reserve for the waiver benefit by $67 million, which was reported as a direct increase to surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus for the year ended December 31, 2009. As of January 1, 2009, the Company also implemented the preferred mortality tables associated with the 2001 CSO mortality table for the calculation of deficiency reserves for term life insurance policies issued in 2008 and 2007, resulting in an $8 million decrease in reserves that is reported as a direct increase to surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus for the year ended December 31, 2009.

Tabular cost has been determined from the basic data for the calculation of policy reserves. Tabular cost less actual reserves released has been determined from the basic data for the calculation of reserves and reserves released. Tabular interest has been determined from the basic data for the

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

calculation of policy reserves. Tabular interest on funds not involving life contingencies is calculated as the product of the valuation interest rate times the mean of the amount of funds subject to such rate held at the beginning and end of the year of valuation.

Additional premiums are charged for substandard lives on policies issued after January 1, 1956. Net level premium or CRVM mean reserves are based on multiples of mortality tables or one-half the net flat or other extra mortality charge. The Company waives deduction of fractional premiums upon death of an insured and returns any portion of the final premium beyond the date of death. Cash values are not promised in excess of the legally computed reserves.

Deferred annuity reserves on policies issued since 1985 are based primarily on the Commissioner’s Annuity Reserve Valuation Method (“CARVM”) with valuation interest rates ranging from 3.5% to 6.25%. Other deferred annuity reserves are based on policy value, with additional reserves held to reflect guarantees under these contracts. Immediate annuity reserves are based on the present value of expected benefit payments with valuation interest rates ranging from 3.5% to 7.5%. Changes in future policy benefit reserves on supplementary contracts without life contingencies are deposit-type transactions and thereby excluded from net additions to policy benefit reserves in the consolidated statement of operations.

At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the withdrawal characteristics of the Company’s general account annuity reserves and deposit liabilities were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

Subject to discretionary withdrawal

     

- with market value adjustment

     $ 969           $ 990     

- at book value less surrender charge of 5% or more

     502           420     

- at book value without adjustment

     3,895           3,692     

Not subject to discretionary withdrawal

     2,146           2,028     
                 

Total

     $     7,512           $     7,130     
                 

Unpaid claims and claim reserves for disability policies are based on the present value of expected benefit payments, primarily using the 1985 Commissioner’s Individual Disability Table A (“CIDA”), modified for Company experience, with valuation interest rates ranging from 3.0% to 5.5%. Unpaid claims and claim reserves for long-term care policies are based on the present value of expected benefit payments using industry-based long-term care experience with valuation interest rates ranging from 4.0% to 4.5%.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Reserves for unpaid claims, losses and loss adjustment expenses on disability and long-term care policies were $4.1 billion and $3.9 billion at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Changes in these reserves for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     For the year ended
December 31,
 
     2010      2009  
    

(in millions)

 

 

Balance at January 1

     $ 3,938           $ 3,744     

Incurred related to:

     

Current year

     588           551     

Prior years

     102           130     
                 

Total incurred

     690           681     

Paid related to:

     

Current year

     (21)          (20)    

Prior years

     (509)          (467)    
                 

Total paid

     (530)          (487)    
                 

Balance at December 31

     $     4,098           $     3,938     
                 

Changes in reserves for incurred claims related to prior years are generally the result of differences between actual and assumed claim experience.

Active life reserves for disability policies issued since 1987 are based primarily on the two-year preliminary term method using the 1985 CIDA for morbidity with a 4.0% valuation interest rate. Active life reserves for prior disability policies are based on the net level premium method, using the 1964 Commissioner’s Disability Table for morbidity with valuation interest rates ranging from 3.0% to 4.0%.

Active life reserves for long-term care policies consist of mid-terminal reserves and unearned premiums. Mid-terminal reserves are based on the one-year preliminary term method and industry-based morbidity experience. For policies issued prior to March 2002, reserves are based on a 4.0% valuation interest rate and total terminations based on the 1983 Individual Annuitant Mortality table without lapses. For policies issued March 2002 and later, minimum reserves are based on valuation interest rates of 4.0% or 4.5% and total terminations based on either the 1983 Group Annuity Mortality table or the 1994 Group Annuity Mortality table with lapses. A separate calculation is performed using valuation interest rates ranging from 5.2% to 6.0% and assuming no lapses. Reserves from the separate calculation are compared in the aggregate to the minimum reserves as calculated above and the greater of the two is reported.

During 2010, the Company recaptured previously ceded long-term care insurance business from two unaffiliated reinsurers. The Company’s reserve balances at December 31, 2010 increased by $100 million as a result of these recapture transactions, primarily related to active life reserves. See Note 9 for more information regarding this reinsurance recapture.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

6.

  Premium and Annuity Considerations Deferred and Uncollected

Gross deferred and uncollected insurance premiums represent life insurance premiums due to be received from policyowners through the next respective policy anniversary dates. Net deferred and uncollected premiums represent only the portion of gross premiums related to mortality charges and interest and are reported as an asset in the consolidated statement of financial position.

Deferred and uncollected premiums at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31, 2010      December 31, 2009  
     Gross      Net      Gross      Net  
            (in millions)         

Ordinary new business

     $ 202           $ 79           $ 185           $ 70     

Ordinary renewal

     1,932           1,601           1,850           1,539     
                                   

Total deferred and uncollected premiums

     $     2,134           $     1,680           $     2,035           $     1,609     
                                   

 

7.

  Separate Accounts

Following is a summary of separate account liabilities by withdrawal characteristic at December 31, 2010 and 2009:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

Subject to discretionary withdrawal

     $ 15,341           $ 13,524     

Not subject to discretionary withdrawal

     3,198           2,609     

Non-policy liabilities

     124           211     
                 

Total separate account liabilities

     $     18,663           $     16,344     
                 

While separate account liability values are not guaranteed by the Company, variable annuity and variable life insurance products do include guaranteed minimum death benefits (“GMDB”) underwritten by the Company. The maximum potential cost of these guarantees at December 31, 2010 and 2009 was $119 million and $384 million, respectively, which represents the aggregate difference between guaranteed values and otherwise available values for all variable products for which the guaranteed value was greater at the respective reporting dates. Because these benefits are only available upon the death of the annuitant or insured, reserves for these benefits are based upon NAIC-prescribed methods that take into account, among other factors, the likelihood of death based on standard mortality tables. General account reserves for policy benefits included $15 million and $18 million attributable to GMDB at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Premiums and other considerations received from variable annuity and variable life insurance policyowners were $1.7 billion, $1.2 billion and $1.4 billion during the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. These amounts are reported as premiums in the consolidated statement of operations. The subsequent transfer of these receipts to the separate accounts is reported as transfers to separate accounts in the consolidated statement of operations, net of amounts received from the separate accounts to provide for policy benefit payments to variable product policyowners.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Following are amounts reported as transfers to and from separate accounts in the summary of operations of the Company’s NAIC Separate Account Annual Statement, which agree with the amounts reported as net transfers to separate accounts in the consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008:

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2010      2009      2008  
     (in millions)  

From Separate Account Annual Statement:

        

Transfers to separate accounts

     $ 1,819           $ 1,319           $ 1,619     

Transfers from separate accounts

         (1,437)              (1,359)              (1,721)    
                          

Net transfers to (from) separate accounts

     $ 382           $ (40)          $ (102)    
                          

 

8.

Employee and Financial Representative Benefit Plans

The Company sponsors noncontributory defined benefit retirement plans (“plans”) for all eligible employees and financial representatives. In addition to these tax-qualified plans, the Company sponsors nonqualified plans, including plans that provide benefits to certain participants in excess of limits set by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) for the qualified plans. The Company’s funding policy for the tax-qualified plans is to make annual contributions that are no less than the minimum amount needed to comply with the requirements of ERISA and no greater than the maximum amount deductible for federal income tax purposes. The Company contributed $275 million and $70 million to the qualified employee retirement plan during the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The Company does not expect to make a contribution in 2011.

In addition to defined pension benefits, the Company provides certain health care and life insurance benefits (“postretirement benefits”) to retired employees, financial representatives and eligible dependents. The Company pays the entire cost of retiree life insurance coverage, while retirees contribute a portion of the cost of the health plan. Substantially all employees and financial representatives will become eligible for these benefits if they reach retirement age while working for the Company.

During 2009, the employee retirement health plan was amended to increase the participant portion of the cost of benefits. The effect of this amendment reduced the projected benefit obligation at December 31, 2009 by $5 million and reduced net periodic benefit cost by $3 million for the year ended December 31, 2009.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Aggregate assets and projected benefit obligations of the defined benefit plans and postretirement benefit plans at December 31, 2010 and 2009, and changes in assets and obligations for the years then ended, were as follows:

 

     Defined Benefit Plans      Postretirement Benefit Plans  
     2010      2009      2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

Fair value of plan assets at January 1

     $ 2,418           $ 1,992           $ 69           $ 62     

Changes in plan assets:

           

Actual return on plan assets

     367           419           11           13     

Company contributions

     275           70           -           -     

Actual plan benefits paid

     (68)          (63)          (7)          (6)    
                                   

Fair value of plan assets at December 31

     $     2,992           $     2,418           $     73           $     69     
                                   

Projected benefit obligation at January 1

     $ 2,544           $ 2,368           $ 290           $ 269     

Changes in benefit obligation:

           

Service cost of benefits earned

     84           83           26           25     

Interest cost on projected obligations

     154           147           21           16     

Projected gross plan benefits paid

     (82)          (73)          (22)          (16)    

Projected Medicare Part D reimbursement

     -           -           1           1     

Experience losses (gains)

     177           19           99           -     

Plan amendments

     1           -           -           (5)    
                                   

Projected benefit obligation at December 31

     $     2,878           $     2,544           $     415           $     290     
                                   

Plan assets consist of a share of a group annuity separate account (“GASA”) issued by the Company, which invests primarily in public and private common stocks and a diversified mix of corporate, government and mortgage-backed debt securities. The investment objective of the plans is to maximize long-term total rate of return, consistent with prudent investment risk management and in accordance with ERISA requirements. Plan investments are managed for the sole benefit of the plans’ participants.

While significant exposure to public equity securities is warranted by the long-term duration of expected benefit payments, diversification across asset classes is maintained to provide a risk/reward profile consistent with the objectives of the plans’ participants. Diversified equity investments are subject to an aggregate maximum exposure of 75% of total assets, with holdings in any one corporate issuer not to exceed 3% of total assets. Asset mix is rebalanced regularly to maintain holdings within target asset allocation ranges. The measurement date for plan assets is December 31, with the fair value of plan assets based primarily on quoted market values.

The plans’ target asset allocations and the actual allocation of the fair value of the plans’ ratable share of the GASA by asset class at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     Target
Allocation
     Defined Benefit
Plans
     Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
     2010      2009      2010      2009      2010      2009  

Bonds

     34%           40%           32%           38%           32%           38%     

Equity securities

     65%           58%           66%           59%           66%           59%     

Other investments

     1%           2%           2%           3%           2%           3%     
                                                     

Total assets

     100%          100%          100%          100%          100%          100%    
                                                     

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The projected benefit obligation (“PBO”) represents the actuarial net present value of estimated future benefit obligations. For defined benefit plans, PBO includes assumptions for future salary increases. This method is consistent with the going concern assumption and is prescribed for measurement of pension obligations. The accumulated benefit obligation (“ABO”) is similar to the PBO, but is based only on current salaries with no assumption of future salary increases. The aggregate ABO for the defined benefit plans was $2.5 billion and $2.2 billion at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

The PBO and ABO amounts above represent the estimated obligations for benefits to vested participants only, as required by the statutory basis of accounting. The additional obligations estimated for participants that have not yet vested in the defined pension plans and the postretirement plans at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     Defined Benefit Plans      Postretirement Benefit Plans  
     2010      2009      2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

PBO

   $ 59         $ 73         $ 247         $ 231     

ABO

     39           43           -           -     

The assumptions used in estimating the projected benefit obligations and the net benefit cost at December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 and for the years then ended were as follows:

 

                 Defined Benefit Plans                     Postretirement Benefit Plans    
     2010      2009      2008      2010      2009      2008  

Projected benefit obligation:

                 

Discount rate

     5.75%          6.25%          6.25%          5.75%          6.25%          6.25%    

Annual increase in compensation

     3.75%          3.75%          3.75%          3.75%          3.75%          3.75%    

Net periodic benefit cost:

                 

Discount rate

     6.25%          6.25%          6.00%          6.25%          6.25%          6.00%    

Annual increase in compensation

     3.75%          3.75%          4.50%          3.75%          3.75%          4.50%    

Long-term rate of return on plan assets

     8.00%          8.00%          8.00%          8.00%          8.00%          8.00%    

The long-term rate of return on plan assets is estimated assuming a target allocation of plan assets among asset classes, with expected returns by asset class based on long-term historical returns for each asset class. Risk is assessed by evaluating long-term historical standard deviations and correlations between asset classes.

The PBO for postretirement benefits at December 31, 2010 assumed an annual increase in future retiree medical costs of 8.0%, grading down to 5% over six years and remaining level thereafter. At December 31, 2009 the comparable assumption was for an annual increase in future retiree medical costs of 6.5% grading down to 5% over three years and remaining level thereafter. A further increase in the assumed health care cost trend of 1% in each year would increase the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation at December 31, 2010 by $28 million and net periodic postretirement benefit expense for the year ended December 31, 2010 by $4 million. A decrease in the assumed health care cost trend of 1% in each year would reduce the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation as of December 31, 2010 and net periodic postretirement benefit expense for the year ended December 31, 2010 by the same amounts.

During 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which amended certain provisions of the PPACA, were

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

signed into law. One of the provisions of the new laws created an excise tax in 2018 on health plans that have an aggregate value greater than a threshold amount. The impact on the Company’s PBO for postretirement medical benefit from this new excise tax is estimated to be an increase of $36 million, which will be included in the calculation of the plan’s January 1, 2011 obligation. A second provision of the new laws revoked the non-taxable status of the prescription drug subsidies offered to companies that maintain retiree health plans that are actuarially equivalent to the Medicare Part D benefit. The Company previously recorded deferred tax assets based on the liability for postretirement benefits without regard to the tax-free subsidy. As a result of the law change, the related deferred tax assets of $11 million were reduced as a direct adjustment to surplus for the year ended December 31, 2010 to reflect the expected future income tax on the subsidy.

Following is an aggregate reconciliation of the funded status of the plans to the related financial statement liability reported by the Company at December 31, 2010 and 2009:

 

     Defined
Benefit Plans
     Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
     2010      2009      2010      2009  
     (in millions)  

Fair value of plan assets

     $ 2,992           $ 2,418           $ 73           $ 69     

Projected benefit obligation

     2,878           2,544           415           290     
                                   

Funded status

     114           (126)          (342)          (221)    

Unrecognized net experience losses

     665           691           132           42     

Unrecognized prior service cost

     1           -           (4)          (5)    

Unrecognized initial net asset

     (515)          (516)          -           -     

Additional minimum liability

     (14)          (10)          -           -     

Nonadmitted asset

     (731)          (493)          -           -     
                                   

Net pension liability

     $     (480)          $     (454)          $     (214)          $     (184)    
                                   

Unrecognized net experience gains or losses represent cumulative amounts by which plan experience for return on plan assets or growth in estimated benefit obligations have varied from related assumptions. These differences accumulate without recognition in the Company’s financial statements unless they exceed 10% of plan assets or 10% of the projected benefit obligation, whichever is greater. If they exceed this limit, they are amortized into net periodic benefit cost over the remaining average years of service until retirement of the plan participants, which is currently fourteen years for employee plans and twelve years for financial representative plans.

Unrecognized initial net asset represents the amount by which the fair value of plan assets exceeded the projected benefit obligation for funded pension plans upon the adoption of new statutory accounting guidance for defined benefit plans as of January 1, 2001. The Company has elected not to record a direct credit to surplus for this excess, electing instead to amortize this unrecognized initial net asset as a credit to net periodic benefit cost until exhausted.

An additional minimum liability is required if a plan’s ABO exceeds plan assets or accrued pension liabilities. This additional liability was $14 million, $10 million and $9 million at December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. Changes in the additional minimum liability are reported as a direct adjustment to surplus in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus.

Any net pension assets for funded plans are nonadmitted and are thereby excluded from assets and surplus in the consolidated statement of financial position.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The components of net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

     Defined Benefit Plans      Postretirement Benefit Plans  
     2010      2009      2008      2010      2009      2008  
     (in millions)   

Components of net periodic benefit cost:

                 

Service cost of benefits earned

     $ 84           $ 83           $ 90           $ 26           $ 25           $ 29     

Interest cost on projected obligations

     154           147           147           21           16           15     

Amortization of experience gains and losses

     33           61           4           3           2           -     

Amortization of initial net asset

     (2)          (28)          -           -           -           -     

Expected return on plan assets

     (192)          (160)          (218)           (5)          (5)          (7)     
                                                     

Net periodic benefit cost

     $ 77         $ 103         $ 23         $   45         $   38         $   37     
                                                     

The expected benefit payments by the defined benefit plans and the postretirement plans for the years 2011 through 2020 are as follows:

 

     Defined
Benefit Plans
     Postretirement
Benefit Plans
 
     (in millions)  

2011

   $ 95         $ 20     

2012

     105           23     

2013

     116           25     

2014

     128           29     

2015

     142           32     

2016-2020

     969           221     
                 

Total

     $   1,555           $   350     
                 

The Company also sponsors a contributory 401(k) plan for eligible employees, for which the Company provides a matching contribution, and a noncontributory defined contribution plan for financial representatives. For the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, the Company expensed total contributions to these plans of $31 million, $30 million and $29 million, respectively. The Company also sponsors nonqualified plans that provide benefits to certain participants in excess of limits set by ERISA for qualified defined contribution plans.

 

9.

Reinsurance

The Company limits its exposure to life insurance death benefits by ceding insurance coverage to various reinsurers. The Company retains a maximum of $35 million of individual life coverage and a maximum of $50 million of joint life coverage. The Company also participates in a life insurance catastrophic risk sharing pool.

The Company cedes 60% of the morbidity risk on group disability plans. The Company ceased reinsuring new individual disability policies in 1999 and new long-term care policies in 2002 but has maintained a portion of the reinsurance ceded on policies issued prior to those dates.

Amounts in the consolidated financial statements are reported net of the impact of reinsurance. Reserves for policy benefits at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were reported net of ceded reserves of $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion, respectively.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The effects of reinsurance on premium revenue and benefit expense for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2010      2009      2008  
     (in millions)  

Direct premium revenue

     $ 14,984           $ 13,910           $ 14,356     

Premiums ceded

     (732)          (848)          (805)    
                          

Net premium revenue

     $ 14,252           $ 13,062           $ 13,551     
                          

Direct benefit expense

     $ 15,583           $ 14,458           $ 15,027     

Benefits ceded

     (375)          (513)          (567)    
                          

Net benefit expense

     $     15,208           $     13,945           $     14,460     
                          

In addition, the Company received $146 million, $194 million and $184 million in allowances from reinsurers for reimbursement of commissions and other expenses on ceded business for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively. These amounts are included in other income in the consolidated statement of operations.

Reinsurance contracts do not relieve the Company from its obligations to policyowners. Failure of reinsurers to honor their obligations could result in losses to the Company. The Company mitigates this risk by dealing only with reinsurers that meet its financial strength standards, while adhering to concentration limits that would limit losses in the event of one or more reinsurer failures. Most significant reinsurance treaties contain financial protection provisions should a reinsurer’s credit rating fall below a prescribed level. There were no reinsurance recoverables at December 31, 2010 and 2009 that were considered by management to be uncollectible.

During 2010, the Company recaptured previously ceded long-term care insurance business from two unaffiliated reinsurers. The impact on the Company’s financial statements at December 31, 2010 from these recapture transactions increased investments by $67 million and policy benefit reserves by $100 million, with a resulting decrease in net income and surplus of $33 million for the year then ended.

 

10.

Income Taxes

The Company files a consolidated federal income tax return including the following subsidiaries:

 

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC

  

Frank Russell Company and subsidiaries

NML Real Estate Holdings, LLC and subsidiaries

  

Bradford, Inc.

NML Securities Holdings, LLC and subsidiaries

  

Mason Street Advisors, LLC

Northwestern Investment Management Company, LLC

  

NML – CBO, LLC

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company

  

JYD Assets, LLC

NM Pebble Valley, LLC

  

NM GP Holdings, LLC

NM Investment Holdings, Inc.

  

The Company collects from or refunds to these subsidiaries their share of consolidated federal income taxes determined under written tax-sharing agreements.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The major components of current income tax expense in the consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008 were as follows:

 

     For the year ended December 31,  
     2010      2009      2008  
     (in millions)   

Tax payable on ordinary income

     $ (33)          $ 52           $ 97     

Tax credits

     (185)              (43)          (122)    

Increase (decrease) in contingent tax liabilities

     (6)          33           (279)    
                          

Total current tax expense (benefit)

     $     (224)          $ 42           $     (304)    
                          

The Company’s taxable income can vary significantly from gain from operations before taxes reported in the consolidated statement of operations due to temporary and permanent differences in revenue recognition and expense deduction between tax and financial statement bases of reporting. The Company’s financial statement effective tax rates were 8%, 9% and 91% for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

The effective tax rate is not the rate of tax applied to the Company’s federal taxable income or loss by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). It is a financial statement relationship that represents the ratio between the sum of total tax expense or benefit incurred, including current tax expense or benefit on realized capital gains and losses and changes in deferred taxes not related to unrealized gains and losses on investments, to the sum of gain from operations before taxes and pretax net realized capital gains or losses. These financial statement effective rates were different than the applicable federal income tax rate of 35% due primarily to net investment income eligible for dividends received deduction, changes in non-admitted deferred tax assets, certain investment transactions, amortization of the IMR, leveraged leases, tax credits, pension contributions, tax losses of subsidiaries not eligible for refunds under intercompany tax-sharing agreements, interest accrued or released on contingent tax liabilities and adjustments to estimated current tax liabilities upon subsequent filing of tax returns.

The Company made payments to the IRS for federal income taxes of $253 million during the year ended December 31, 2010, received federal tax refunds from the IRS of $454 million during the year ended December 31, 2009 and made payments to the IRS for federal income taxes of $72 million during the year ended December 31, 2008. Income taxes paid in 2010 and prior years of $1.1 billion are available at December 31, 2010 for refund claims in the event of future tax losses.

Federal income tax returns for 2007 and prior years are closed as to further assessment of tax. Income taxes payable in the consolidated statement of financial position represents taxes recoverable or payable at the respective reporting date, adjusted for an estimate of additional taxes that may become due with respect to tax years that remained open to examination by the IRS at the respective reporting date (“contingent tax liabilities”).

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Changes in the amount of contingent tax liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2010 were as follows (in millions):

 

Balance at January 1, 2010

     $  418     

Additions based on tax positions related to the current year

     -     

Additions for tax positions of prior years

     -     

Reductions for tax positions of prior years

     (6)    
        

Balance at December 31, 2010

     $           412     
        

Included in the balance at December 31, 2010 are $386 million of tax positions for which the ultimate deductibility is highly certain but for which there is uncertainty about the timing of the deductions. Because of the impact of deferred tax accounting for amounts other than interest, the timing of the ultimate deduction would not affect the effective tax rate in future periods.

The Company recognizes interest accrued or released related to contingent tax liabilities in current income tax expense (benefit). During the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, the Company recognized $(28) million, $19 million and $(38) million, respectively, in interest-related expense (benefit). The Company had $27 million and $55 million accrued for the payment of interest at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

The Company accounts for deferred tax assets and liabilities, which represent the financial statement impact of cumulative temporary differences between the tax and financial statement bases of assets and liabilities. The significant components of the net deferred tax asset at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31,         
     2010      2009      Change  
     (in millions)         

Deferred tax assets:

        

Policy acquisition costs

     $ 993             $ 955         $ 38     

Investments

     155           226           (71)    

Policy benefit liabilities

     1,766           1,645           121     

Benefit plan obligations

     511           495           16     

Guaranty fund assessments

     11           11           -     

Nonadmitted assets

     62           69           (7)    

Other

     76           159           (83)    
                          

Adjusted gross deferred tax assets

     3,574           3,560           14     

Nonadmitted deferred tax assets

     -           -           -     
                          

Admitted adjusted deferred tax assets

     3,574           3,560           14     
                          

Deferred tax liabilities:

        

Premiums and other receivables

     676           603           73     

Investments

     968           590           378     

Other

     6           8           (2)    
                          

Gross deferred tax liabilities

     1,650           1,201           449     
                          

Net admitted adjusted gross deferred tax assets

     $      1,924           $     2,359           $      (435)    
                          

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

Adjusted gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2010 included $3.4 billion related to temporary differences that were ordinary in nature and $0.2 billion related to temporary differences that were capital in nature. Gross deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2010 included $0.9 billion related to temporary differences that were ordinary in nature and $0.7 billion related to temporary differences that were capital in nature.

Changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities related to unrealized gains and losses on investments are included in changes in unrealized capital gains and losses in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus. Other net changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities are direct adjustments to surplus and separately reported in the consolidated statement of changes in surplus.

The statutory basis of accounting limits the amount of gross deferred tax assets that can be included in Company surplus. This limit is based on a formula that takes into consideration available loss carryback and carryforward capacity, expected timing of reversal for existing temporary differences, gross deferred tax liabilities and the level of Company surplus.

On December 7, 2009, the NAIC adopted Statement of Statutory Accounting Principles No. 10R, Income Taxes- Revised, A Temporary Replacement of SSAP No. 10 (“SSAP 10R”) effective for the years ending December 31, 2009 and 2010. In October 2010, the NAIC extended SSAP 10R through December 31, 2011and requires certain additional disclosures, including any impact on valuation of gross deferred tax assets from future tax planning strategies. The Company did not assume the benefit of future tax planning strategies in its valuation of gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2010 and 2009.

SSAP 10R amends the calculation of admitted deferred tax assets (“DTA”) by extending the reversal period of temporary differences from one year to three years and increasing the level of surplus limitation from 10% to 15%, provided the insurer meets a minimum risk-based capital (“RBC”) level of 250%. Insurers that do not meet that minimum RBC level must calculate their admitted DTA using the statutory guidance previously in effect. At both December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company exceeded the minimum RBC level required to use the SSAP 10R DTA admissibility methodology.

SSAP 10R further requires that gross DTAs be reduced by a statutory valuation allowance adjustment if it is more likely than not that some portion of the DTAs will not be realized. In management’s judgment, the Company’s gross deferred tax assets will likely be realized. Accordingly, no statutory valuation allowance has been recorded. At both December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company’s gross deferred tax assets did not exceed the limit allowed under SSAP 10R. If the Company had not qualified to use the SSAP 10R DTA admissibility methodology, the Company’s gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2010 and 2009 would have exceeded the previous SSAP 10 limit by $97 million and $544 million, respectively, which would have reduced surplus in the consolidated statement of financial position by the same amounts compared to the result under SSAP 10R. Of these amounts, $97 million and $544 million were ordinary in nature at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

At December 31, 2008, the Company adopted a permitted practice related to the valuation of its net deferred tax assets. This permitted practice, which was effective through September 30, 2009, differed from the NAIC Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual in that it extended the reversal period of temporary differences in Statement of Statutory Accounting Principles No. 10, Accounting for Income Taxes (“SSAP 10”), from one year to three years and increased the level of surplus limitation from 10% to 15%.

If the Company had not received permission for this alternative accounting treatment, the Company’s gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2008 would have exceeded the SSAP 10

 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

limit by $844 million, which would have reduced surplus in the consolidated statement of financial position by $770 million at December 31, 2008 compared to the result under the permitted practice.

Significant components of the calculation of admitted deferred tax assets under SSAP 10R at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31, 2010      December 31, 2009      Change  
     Ordinary      Capital      Total      Ordinary      Capital      Total      Ordinary     Capital     Total  
     (in millions)      (in millions)      (in millions)  

One year reversal and 10% surplus limit:

                        

Federal taxes recoverable from taxes paid in prior years

   $ 696       $ 55       $ 751       $ 894       $ 71       $ 965       $ (198   $ (16   $ (214

DTAs expected to be realized within one year

     1,076         -         1,076         849         -         849         227        -        227   

Remaining DTAs to be offset against DTLs

     1,557         93         1,650         1,054         146         1,200         503        (53     450   

Three year reversal and 15% surplus limit:

                        

Federal taxes recoverable from taxes paid in prior years

     650         101         751         819         146         965         (169     (45     (214

DTAs expected to be realized within three years

     1,737         -         1,737         1,466         -         1,466         271        -        271   

Remaining DTAs to be offset against DTLs

     1,040         47         1,087         1,058         71         1,129         (18     (24     (42

Stautory capital and surplus:

                        

10 percent of statutory capital and surplus

     N/A         N/A         1,179         N/A         N/A         977         N/A        N/A        202   

15 percent of statutory capital and surplus

     N/A         N/A         1,769         N/A         N/A         1,466         N/A        N/A        303   

Risk-based capital levels:

                        

Total adjusted capital

     N/A         N/A         20,065         N/A         N/A         16,611         N/A        N/A        3,454   

Authorized control level

     N/A         N/A         2,142         N/A         N/A         1,810         N/A        N/A        332   

Admitted deferred tax assets

     3,330         148         3,478         2,799         217         3,016         531        (69     462   

Admitted assets

     N/A         N/A         3,478         N/A         N/A         3,016         N/A        N/A        462   

Adjusted statutory surplus

     N/A         N/A         11,788         N/A         N/A         9,670         N/A        N/A        2,118   

Total adjusted capital from DTAs

     N/A         N/A         1,924         N/A         N/A         2,359         N/A        N/A        (435

Increased amounts from use of three-year reversal and 15% surplus limit:

                        

Admitted deferred tax assets

     97         -         97         544         -         544         (447     -        (447

Admitted assets

     N/A         N/A         97         N/A         N/A         544         N/A        N/A        (447

Adjusted statutory surplus

     N/A         N/A         97         N/A         N/A         544         N/A        N/A        (447

 

11.

Frank Russell Company

The Company acquired Frank Russell Company (“Russell”) effective January 1, 1999. Russell provides investment products and services in over 40 countries. The initial purchase price of approximately $1.0 billion was funded with a combination of cash, senior notes issued by Russell and bank debt. The purchase agreement also called for additional contingent consideration to be paid to the former owners of Russell based upon its financial performance during the five year period ended December 31, 2003.

At the time of acquisition, the Company received permission from the OCI for a permitted practice regarding the valuation of its equity investment in Russell, whereby all GAAP acquisition goodwill, including any subsequent additions to goodwill resulting from payment of contingent purchase consideration, was charged off from the statutory cost basis of the acquisition as a direct reduction of Company surplus. During 2008, the Company received permission from the OCI to amend the original permitted practice to be in accordance with Statement of Statutory Accounting Principle No. 97, Investments in Subsidiary, Controlled and Affiliated Entities, A Replacement of SSAP No. 88 (“SSAP 97”), using the statutory equity method based on Russell’s audited GAAP

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

book equity, exclusive of any adjustment for Russell’s GAAP goodwill as would otherwise be required by SSAP 97. This new permitted practice was adopted as a change in accounting principle effective January 1, 2008 and resulted in an $829 million direct increase to surplus during the year ended December 31, 2008. At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company’s investment in Russell common stock was included in common and preferred stocks in the consolidated statement of financial position at $458 million and $154 million, respectively, compared with a fair value estimated by the Company of approximately $1.7 billion at both dates.

If the Company had not received permission for this alternative accounting treatment, surplus as reported in the consolidated statement of financial position would have been lower by $759 million and $746 million at December 31, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively, and net income as reported in the consolidated statement of operations would have been lower by $14 million, $16 million and $63 million for the years ended December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008, respectively.

During 2010, the Company received common stock dividends from Russell in the amount of $23 million, which was included in net investment income in the consolidated statement of operations. No common stock dividends were received from Russell during 2009.

During 2010, Russell entered into a revolving line of credit of up to $250 million with an unaffiliated lender, which was guaranteed by the Company. This line of credit replaced a similar agreement that had expired on April 30, 2010. During each of 2010 and 2009, the Company received payments of $2.5 million from Russell related to the guarantee of this credit facility. Russell’s borrowings under these facilities were $215 million and $180 million at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

During 2008, Russell entered into capital support agreements with money market funds it sponsors in order to assure the realizable value of $764 million of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. securities held by the funds. The Company guaranteed Russell’s obligations under those agreements. On January 12, 2009, the Company entered into an agreement to purchase, at par, up to $764 million of perpetual junior preferred stock and warrants issued by Russell. The junior preferred stock is callable under certain conditions and pays preferred dividends at a rate of 10.0%, payable semi-annually. The Company purchased $110 million and $519 million of junior preferred stock and warrants under this agreement during 2010 and 2009, respectively, with the proceeds used by Russell to fulfill obligations to its sponsored funds under the capital support agreements.

During 2010, Russell sold its private equity business to an unaffiliated third party, resulting in an after-tax gain to Russell of $382 million, which is reported as an unrealized gain in the Company’s consolidated statement of changes in surplus for the year ended December 31, 2010. The after-tax proceeds of the sale were used by Russell to retire fixed income notes, junior preferred stock and warrants issued by Russell to the Company.

During 2010 and 2009, Russell redeemed $561 million and $24 million, respectively, of junior preferred stock and cancelled warrants under this agreement, leaving $44 million and $495 million of junior preferred stock and warrants outstanding at December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, the Company held 15 million and 39 million warrants, respectively, which are subject to cancellation upon the redemption of junior preferred stock under certain circumstances. The warrants, which have exercise prices ranging from $5.33 to $7.61, would increase the Company’s ownership interest in Russell from approximately 93% to 94% if exercised prior to potential cancellation or further dilution as a result of outstanding options related to Russell’s incentive compensation plans. The Company reports the warrants held at December 31, 2010 and 2009, at a value equal to the incremental fair value attributable to the Company’s increased ownership percentage as a result of the warrant. During 2010, Russell satisfied its remaining obligations relating to the Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. securities held by its

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

sponsored funds, and the Company has no further obligation to purchase junior preferred stock and warrants issued by Russell in connection with this obligation. The Company earned $32 million and $17 million in dividends on Russell junior preferred stock during 2010 and 2009, respectively.

In conjunction with the financing of the Russell acquisition in 1999, the Company guaranteed the repayment of $350 million of senior notes issued to third parties by Russell. During December 2008, the Company purchased, at par, perpetual senior preferred stock issued by Russell in the amount of $350 million. Russell used the proceeds of the senior preferred stock issuance to retire the senior notes upon their maturity on January 15, 2009. The senior preferred stock is callable under certain conditions and pays preferred dividends at a rate of 8.0%, payable semi-annually. The Company earned $28 million and $27 million in dividends on Russell senior preferred stock during 2010 and 2009, respectively.

During 2008, a subsidiary of the Company sold common stock representing a 5% ownership interest in Russell to a third party, resulting in an after-tax gain that was reported as an unrealized capital gain in 2008 pending distribution of the net proceeds to the Company by the subsidiary. Those proceeds were received by the Company in 2009 and were reported in net investment income in the consolidated statement of operations for the year then ended.

The statement value of the Company’s various investments in securities issued by Russell at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31,  
     2010      2009  
     (in millions)   

Common stock

     $ 458           $ 154     

Fixed income notes

     -           180     

Senior preferred stock

     350           350     

Junior preferred stock

     42           488     

Warrants

     2           7     
                 

Total

     $             852           $             1,179     
                 

 

12.

Contingencies and Guarantees

In the normal course of business, the Company has guaranteed certain obligations of other affiliates and made guarantees of operating leases or future minimum compensation payments on behalf of its financial representatives. The terms of these guarantees range from less than one year to twenty-four years at December 31, 2010. If these affiliates or financial representatives are not able to meet their obligations or these minimum compensation payments are not otherwise met, the Company would be required to make payments to fulfill its guarantees. For certain of these guarantees the Company has the right to recover payments made under the agreements. The maximum aggregate exposure under these guarantees was $476 million at December 31, 2010. The Company believes that the likelihood is remote that payments will be required under these guarantees and therefore has not accrued a contingent liability in the consolidated statement of financial position.

In addition, the Company makes commitments to fund private equity investments, real estate, mortgage loans or other investments in the normal course of business. These commitments aggregated to $2.9 billion at December 31, 2010 and were extended at market rates and terms.

The Company is engaged in various legal actions in the course of its investment and insurance operations. The status of these legal actions is actively monitored by management. If management

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

believed, based on available information, that an adverse outcome upon resolution of a given legal action was probable and the amount of that adverse outcome was reasonably estimable, a loss would be recognized and a related liability recorded. No such liabilities were recorded by the Company at December 31, 2010 and 2009.

Legal actions are subject to inherent uncertainties, and future events could change management’s assessment of the probability or estimated amount of potential losses from pending or threatened legal actions. Based on available information, it is the opinion of management that the ultimate resolution of pending or threatened legal actions, both individually and in the aggregate, will not result in losses having a material effect on the Company’s financial position at December 31, 2010.

 

13.

Related Party Transactions

During each of 2010 and 2009, the Company transferred certain investments from its general account to unconsolidated subsidiaries as capital contributions. The aggregate statement value and fair value of investments transferred during 2010 was $449 million and $564 million, respectively. The aggregate statement value and fair value of investments transferred during 2009 was $135 million and $139 million, respectively. These capital contributions were accounted for at the lower of book value or fair value, resulting in a realized capital loss of $11 million for the year ended December 31, 2010 and no realized gain or loss for the year ended December 31, 2009.

During 2006, the Company completed a reorganization transaction whereby the Mason Street Funds, a family of mutual funds sponsored and managed by a subsidiary of the Company, were combined with new or existing mutual funds sponsored by two unaffiliated third parties (“successor funds”). Under the terms of the reorganization transaction, the remaining Mason Street Fund shares owned by the Company and its subsidiaries, with an aggregate fair value of $970 million, were exchanged for mutual fund shares in the successor funds of equal fair value. In connection with the reorganization, the Company and its subsidiaries agreed not to redeem their investment in the successor funds for a period of up to three years after the reorganization transaction. During 2009, the Company and its subsidiaries redeemed all of the remaining mutual fund shares in the successor funds with realized capital losses of $83 million and unrealized capital losses of $100 million, respectively, reported by the Company on these redemptions. During 2008, the Company and its subsidiaries redeemed $258 million and $40 million, respectively, of mutual fund shares in the successor funds with net realized capital gains of $27 million and unrealized capital losses of $14 million reported by the Company on these redemptions.

 

14.

Surplus Notes

On March 26, 2010, the Company issued Surplus Notes (“Notes”) with a principal balance of $1.75 billion, bearing interest at 6.063% and having a maturity date of March 30, 2040. The Notes were issued at par and distributed pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually on March 30 and September 30, subject to approval by the OCI. The statutory basis of accounting requires that the Company only recognize interest expense on the Notes when and to the extent that the OCI has approved the semi-annual interest payment. The Company recognized $54 million in interest expense on the Notes for the year ended December 31, 2010 upon approval of the first semi-annual interest payment due September 30, 2010.

The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the fiscal agent for the Notes. The Notes are unsecured and subordinated to all present and future indebtedness, policy claims and other creditor claims of the Company. The Notes do not repay principal prior to maturity and principal payment at maturity is subject to the prior approval of the OCI. The Notes are not redeemable at the option of

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

any note holder. The Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company at any time, subject to the prior approval of the OCI, at a “make whole” redemption price equal to the greater of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed or the sum of the present value of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest on the Notes to be redeemed, excluding accrued interest as of the date on which the Notes are to be redeemed, discounted on a semi-annual basis at the adjusted treasury rate plus 25 basis points.

No affiliates of the Company hold any portion of the Notes. The Notes are generally held of record at the Depositary Trust Company by bank custodians on behalf of investors. The largest holder of the Notes was Nippon Life Insurance Company of Japan, which held $250 million in principal at December 31, 2010.

 

15.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

On December 5, 2009 the NAIC issued Statement of Statutory Accounting Principles No. 100, Fair Value Measurements (“SSAP 100”), with an effective date of December 31, 2010. SSAP 100 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants (“exit price”). Previous statutory guidance allowed either exit price or entry price to be utilized in fair value measurements. At December 31, 2009, the Company utilized fair value measurement techniques similar to those required by SSAP 100. Accordingly, the adoption of SSAP 100 had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or its fair value disclosures as of December 31, 2010 and 2009.

The fair value of investment assets and certain policy liabilities at December 31, 2010 and 2009 were as follows:

 

     December 31, 2010      December 31, 2009  
     Statement
Value
     Fair Value      Statement
Value
     Fair Value  
            (in millions)         

Investment assets:

           

Bonds

     $ 96,829           $  101,935           $ 91,004           $ 92,568     

Mortgage loans

     21,291           22,038           21,024           19,847     

Policy loans

     14,472           14,472           13,717           13,717     

Common and preferred stocks

     9,170           10,493           5,918           7,499     

Real estate

     1,619           1,964           1,582           1,893     

Other investments

     9,902           10,765           8,587           9,320     

Cash and temporary investments

     1,928           1,928           2,610           2,610     
                                   

Total investment assets

     $   155,211           $   163,595           $   144,442           $  147,454     
                                   

Liabilities:

           

Investment-type insurance reserves

     $ 5,353           $ 4,974           $ 5,078           $ 4,714     

Secured borrowing

     353           349           600           585     

Liabilities held under securities lending

     1,349           1,349           2,852           2,852     

The statutory basis of accounting allows for the fair value disclosures for bonds and certain preferred stocks, as well as statement value for common stocks and certain preferred stocks, to be based on values published by the SVO, quoted market prices, independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models.

 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

At December 31, 2010 and 2009, the fair value of bonds were generally based on independent pricing services or internally developed pricing models based on observable market data. The fair value of public common and preferred stocks were generally based on quoted market prices and the fair value of private equity securities were generally based on internally developed pricing models utilizing inputs such as public company comparables, sponsor values, and discounted cash flows. The fair value of the Company’s investment in Russell common stock is estimated using a multiple, reflective of comparable public companies, of Russell’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for debt and the Company’s holdings in Russell preferred stock. See Note 11 regarding the statement value of the Company’s investment in Russell common stock. The fair value of mortgage loans is based on estimated future cash flows discounted using market interest rates for debt with comparable credit risk and maturities. The fair value of real estate is based primarily on estimated future cash flows discounted using market interest or capitalization rates. The fair value of policy loans is based on unpaid principal balance, which approximates fair value. Other investments include: real estate joint ventures, for which fair value is based on estimated future cash flows discounted using market interest rates; other joint ventures and partnerships, for which statement value approximates fair value; investments in low income housing tax credits, for which fair value is based on estimated future tax benefits discounted using market interest rates, and derivatives, for which fair value is based on quoted market prices, where available, or third party and internally developed pricing models.

Investment-type insurance reserves only include individual fixed annuity policies, supplementary contracts without life contingencies and amounts left on deposit with the Company. The fair value of investment-type insurance reserves is based on estimated future cash flows discounted at market interest rates for similar instruments with comparable maturities. The Company’s secured borrowing is backed by pledged securities with fair values in excess of the stated value of the loan. As such, fair value of the borrowing approximates the stated value. See Note 3 for more information related to the Company’s secured borrowing. Liabilities held under the Company’s securities lending program represent the fair value of collateral assets held by the Company that are at least equal to 102% of the securities loaned. See Note 3 for more information on the Company’s securities lending program.

The statutory basis of accounting requires that certain bonds and preferred stocks, most common stocks, certain derivative instruments and most separate account assets be reported at fair value. SSAP 100 requires that estimates of fair value be categorized into three levels based on the nature of the inputs to the valuation estimates:

Level 1 – Fair value is based on quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets that are accessible to the Company. Active markets are defined as having the following characteristics: (1) many transactions; (2) current prices; (3) price quotes not varying substantially among market makers; (4) narrow bid/ask spreads; and (5) most information publicly available.

Level 2 – Fair value is based on observable market data such as quoted prices for similar assets in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar assets in non-active markets.

Level 3 – Fair value is estimated by the Company using one or more significant unobservable inputs.

The asset’s or liability’s fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Valuation techniques used maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable

 

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Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

inputs. There have been no changes in the valuation methodologies used at December 31, 2010 and 2009.

For purposes of statutory accounting, investments that are held at fair value at the end of the prior reporting period and are measured at fair value at the end of the current period are considered to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The table below presents the common stocks and separate account assets reported at fair value on a recurring basis in the consolidated statement of financial position as of December 31, 2010. Bonds rated “6” by the NAIC and preferred stocks rated “4”, “5” and “6” by the NAIC, which are reported at the lower of amortized cost or fair value, and the statement values of derivatives reported at fair value as of December 31, 2010 are considered immaterial for the purpose of this disclosure and are thereby not included below.

Investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries are excluded from common stocks reported at fair value as they are reported using the equity method.

 

     December 31, 2010  
     Level      Level      Level         
     1      2      3      Total  
            (in millions)         

General account common stocks

     $ 6,981           $ -           $ 571           $ 7,552     

Separate accounts:

           

Mutual fund investments

     15,574           -           -           15,574     

Other benefit plan assets

     16           7           1           24     

Pension and postretirement assets:

           

Bonds

     -           997           7           1,004     

Public and private equities

     1,785           -           14           1,799     

Preferred stock

     5           4           6           15     

Cash and Short term securities

     52           -           -           52     

Other assets/liabilities

     1           -           194           195     
                                   

Subtotal pension and postretirement assets

     1,843           1,001           221           3,065     
                                   

Total

     $     24,414           $     1,008           $     793           $     26,215     
                                   

The Company reviews fair value measurements and the related inputs at the end of each reporting period. Whenever applicable, the Company may transfer assets reported at fair value on a recurring basis between levels based upon the quality of inputs available at the end of each reporting period. There were no material asset transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the year ended December 31, 2010.

 

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The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2010, 2009 and 2008

 

 

The following table summarizes the changes in fair value of assets utilizing Level 3 inputs for the year ended December 31, 2010.

 

      For the year ended December 31, 2010  
     Fair value,
beginning
of period
     Realized
investment
gains/(losses)
     Unrealized
gains/(losses)
     Purchases,
sales,
settlements
    Transfers
into/out of
Level 3
     Fair value,
end of
period
 
     (in millions)  

General account common stocks

     $   664           $   20           $   33           $ (156 )       $ 10           $   571     

Separate accounts:

                

Other benefit plan assets

     1           -           -           -          -           1     

Pension and postretirement assets:

                

Bonds

     11           1           (1)          (3)         (1)          7     

Public and private equities

     13           1           5           (5)         -           14     

Preferred stock

     2           -           -           4          -           6     

Other assets/liabilities

     156           7           15           16          -           194     
                                                    

Subtotal pension and postretirement assets

     182           9           19           12          (1)          221     
                                                    

Total

     $   847           $   29           $   52           $   (144)         $   9           $   793     
                                                    

 

F-51


Table of Contents

Report of Independent Auditors

To the Board of Trustees and Policyowners of

  The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

We have audited the accompanying statutory consolidated statements of financial position of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and its subsidiary (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the related consolidated statutory statements of operations, of changes in surplus, and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2010. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

As described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company prepared these consolidated financial statements using accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin (statutory basis of accounting), which practices differ from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The effects on the financial statements of the variances between the statutory basis of accounting and accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, although not reasonably determinable, are presumed to be material.

In our opinion, because of the effects of the matter discussed in the preceding paragraph, the financial statements referred to above do not present fairly, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2010 and 2009 or the results of its operations or its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2010.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2010 and 2009, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2010, on the basis of accounting described in Note 1.

LOGO

February 28, 2011

 

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Table of Contents

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 26. Exhibits

 

Exhibit   Description   Filed Herewith/Incorporated Herein By
Reference To
(a)(1)   Resolution of the Board of Trustees of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company amending Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account Operating Authority  

Exhibit (a)(1) to Form N-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 30 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed on February 21, 2006

 

(a)(2)   Resolution of Board of Trustees of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company establishing the Account   Exhibit A(1) to Form S-6 Registration Statement for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 333-36865, filed on October 1, 1997
(b)   Not Applicable    
(c)   Distribution Agreement Between The Northwestern Life Insurance Company and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, dated May 1, 2006   Exhibit (c) to Form N-6 Registration Statement for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account II, File No. 333-136124, filed on July 28, 2006
(d)(1)(a)  

Form of Policies –

(1)    Extra Ordinary Variable Life Insurance Policy (Variable Whole Life Policy with Extra Life Protection), MM17, with application

(2)    Extra Ordinary Variable Life Insurance Policy (Variable Whole Life Policy with Extra Life Protection), MP17, with application (for employers)

(3)    Single Premium Variable Whole Life Insurance Policy, MM16, with application

(4)    Single Premium Variable Whole Life Insurance Policy, MP16, with application (for employers)

(5)    Form of notice of short-term cancellation right

(6)    Forms of Optional Riders:

(i)     Waiver of Premium Benefit

(ii)    Accidental Death Benefit

(iii)  Additional Purchase Benefit

(iv)   Term Insurance Benefit

(7)    Form of Amendment to Variable Life and Variable EOL Form MM.305.(0593)

(8)    Form of Amendment to Single Premium Variable Life Form MM.306.(0593)

(9)    Form of Amendment to Variable Whole Life Form MM.305.(0594)

(10)  Form of Amendment to Variable Whole Life Form MM.305.(0594)

(11)  Form of Amendment to Variable Single Premium Life Form MM.306.(0594)

  Exhibits (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3), (d)(4), (d)(5), (d)(6), (d)(7), (d)(8), (d)(9), (d)(10) and (d)(11) to Form N-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed on February 28, 2003
(d)1(b)   Amendment to Variable Life and Variable EOL Policy   Exhibit A(5)(a) to Form S-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed February 25, 1999

 

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(e)   Form of Life Insurance Application forms   Exhibits (d)(1), (d)(2), (d)(3) and (d)(4) to Form
N-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 for
Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File
No. 2-89972, filed on February 28, 2003
(f)1   Restated Articles of Incorporation of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (adopted July 26, 1972)   Exhibit A(6)(a) to Form S-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 18 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed April 26, 1996
(f)2   Amended By-Laws of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company dated December 4, 2002   Exhibit (f) to Form N-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed February 28, 2003
(g)   Form of Reinsurance Agreement   Exhibit (g) to Form N-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed February 28, 2003
(h)(a)(1)   Participation Agreement dated March 16, 1999 Among Russell Insurance Funds, Russell Fund Distributors, Inc. and The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company   Exhibit (b)(8)(a) to Form N-4 Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 for NML Variable Annuity Account B, File No. 2-29240, filed on April 28, 2005
(h)(a)(2)   Amendment No. 1 dated August 7, 2000 to the Participation Agreement dated March 16, 1999 Among Russell Insurance Funds, Russell Fund Distributors, Inc. and The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company   Exhibit (h)1(a)(2) to Form N-6 Registration Statement for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account II, File No. 333-136124, filed on July 28, 2006
(h)(a)(3)   Amendment No. 2 dated October 13, 2006 to Participation Agreements dated March 16, 1999 and August 7, 2000, respectively, by and among The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Russell Investment Funds, f/k/a “Russell Insurance Funds,” and Russell Fund Distributors, Inc.   Exhibit (h)1(a)(3) to Form N-6 Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1, for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account II, File No. 333-136124, filed December 13, 2006
(h)(b)(1)   Participation Agreement dated May 1, 2003 among Variable Insurance Products Funds, Fidelity Distributors Corporation and The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company   Exhibit (b)(8)(b) to Form N-4 Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 for NML Variable Annuity Account B, File No. 2-29240, filed on April 28, 2005
(h)(b)(2)   Amendment No. 1 dated October 18, 2006 to Participation Agreement dated May 1, 2003, by and among The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Fidelity Distributors Corporation, and each of Variable Insurance Products Fund, Variable Insurance Products Fund II, and Variable Insurance Products Fund III   Exhibit (h)1(b)(2) to Form N-6 Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1, for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account II, File No. 333-136124, filed December 13, 2006
(h)(c)(1)   Administrative Service Fee Agreement dated February 28, 1999 between The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and Frank Russell Company   Exhibit (b)(8)(c) to Form N-4 Post-Effective Amendment No. 66 for NML Variable Annuity Account B, File No. 2-29240, filed on April 28, 2005
(h)(c)(2)   Form of Administrative Services Agreement   Exhibit (b)(8)(f) to Form N-4 Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 for NML Variable Annuity Account A, File No. 333-72913, filed on April 20, 2007
(h)(d)(1)   Service Agreement dated May 1, 2003 between Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc. and The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company   Exhibit (b)(8)(c)(2) to Form N-4 Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 for NML Variable Annuity Account A, File No. 333-133380, filed on August 8, 2006

 

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(h)(d)(2)   Amendment dated August 1, 2004 to the Service
Agreement dated May 1, 2003 between Fidelity
Investments Institutional Operations Company,
Inc. and The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
Company
  Exhibit (b)(8)(c)(3) to Form N-4 Pre-Effective
Amendment No. 1 for NML Variable Annuity
Account A, File No. 333-133380, filed on
August 8, 2006
(i)   Not Applicable    
(j)(a)   Agreement entered into on February 13, 1984 among Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and NML Equity Services, Inc. (n/k/a Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC)   Exhibit A(8) to Form S-6 Registration Statement for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 333-36865, filed October 1, 1997
(j)(b)   Description of Method of Computing Adjustment upon Conversion   Exhibit (j) to Form N-6 Post-Effective Amendment No. 26 for Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, File No. 2-89972, filed February 28, 2003
(j)(c)   Form of Shareholder Information Agreement   Exhibit (b)(8)(g) to Form N-4 Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 for NML Variable Annuity Account A, File No. 333-72913, filed on April 20, 2007
(j)(d)   Power of Attorney   Filed herewith
(j)(e)   NMIS/NM Annuity Operations Admin Agreement   Exhibit (b)(8)(i) to Form N-4 Post-Effective Amendment No. 19 for NML Variable Annuity Account A, File No. 333-72913, filed on April 22, 2008
(k)  

Opinion and Consent of Raymond J. Manista, Esq. dated April 20, 2011

 

  Filed herewith
(l)   Not Applicable    
(m)   Not Applicable    
(n)  

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP dated April 20, 2011

 

  Filed herewith
(o)   Not Applicable    
(p)   Not Applicable    
(q)  

Memorandum describing Issuance, Transfer and Redemption Procedures for Variable Life Insurance Contracts Pursuant to Rule 6e-2(b)(12)(ii)

 

  Filed herewith

 

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Item 27. Directors and Officers of the Depositor

 The following lists include all of the Trustees, executive officers and other officers of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company without regard to their activities relating to variable life insurance policies or their authority to act or their status as “officers” as that term is used for certain purposes of the federal securities laws and rules thereunder.

TRUSTEES – As of April 1, 2011

 

Name   Business Address
       

Facundo L. Bacardi

 

Chairman

Bacardi Limited

c/o Apache Capital

133 Sevilla Avenue

Coral Gables, FL 33134-6006

       

John N. Balboni

 

Senior Vice President & CIO

International Paper

6400 Poplar Avenue

Memphis, TN 38197

 

       

David J. Drury

 

President

Poblocki Sign Company LLC

922 South 70th Street

Milwaukee, WI 53214

 

       

Connie K. Duckworth

 

President and Chairman of the Board

Arzu

77 Stone Gate Lane

Lake Forest, IL 60045

 

       

David A. Erne

 

Of Counsel

Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, sc

9590 North Upper River Road

River Hills, WI 53217

 

       

James P. Hackett

 

President and CEO

Steelcase, Inc.

901 - 44th Street

Grand Rapids, MI 49508

 

       

Hans Helmerich

 

President & CEO

Helmerich & Payne, Inc.

1437 S. Boulder Avenue

Tulsa, OK 74119-3609

 

       

Dale E. Jones

 

Vice Chairman

Heidrick & Struggles

2001 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Suite 925

Washington, DC 20006

 

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Margery Kraus

 

President & CEO

APCO Worldwide

700 12th Street, NW

Suite 800

Washington, DC 20005

 

       

David J. Lubar

 

President & CEO

Lubar & Co.

700 N. Water Street

Suite 1200

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

       

Ulice Payne, Jr.

 

President & CEO

Addison-Clifton, LLC

13555 Bishops Court

Suite 245

Brookfield, WI 53005

 

       

Gary A. Poliner

 

President and Chief Risk Officer

Northwestern Mutual

720 E. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

       

John E. Schlifske

 

Chairman and CEO

Northwestern Mutual

720 E. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

       

H. Mason Sizemore, Jr.

 

Retired President & COO

The Seattle Times

2054 N.W. Blue Ridge Drive

Seattle, WA 98177

 

       

Peter M. Sommerhauser

 

Attorney

Godfrey & Kahn, SC

780 North Water Street

Milwaukee, WI 53202-3590

 

       

Mary Ellen Stanek

 

Managing Director & Chief Investment Officer

Baird Advisors

Robert W. Baird & Co.

President-Baird Funds Inc.

777 E. Wisconsin Avenue

21st Floor

Milwaukee, WI 53202

       

 

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Timothy W. Sullivan

 

President & CEO

Bucyrus International

6744 South Howell Avenue

Oak Creek, WI 53154

       
       

S. Scott Voynich

 

Managing Partner

Robinson, Grimes & Company, PC

5637 Whitesville Road (31904)

P. O. Box 4299 (31914)

Columbus, GA 31914

   
     

Barry L. Williams

 

Retired Managing General Partner

Williams Pacific Ventures, Inc.

4 Embarcadero Center, Suite 3700

San Francisco, CA 94111

   
     
   
     

Benjamin F. Wilson

 

Managing Principal

Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.

1350 I Street, NW

Suite 700

Washington, DC 20005

   
     

Edward J. Zore

 

Retired Chairman Northwestern Mutual

777 E. Wisconsin Avenue

Suite 3005

Milwaukee, WI 53202

     

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS – As of April 1, 2011

 

Name   Title
       

John E. Schlifske

 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Sandra L. Botcher

 

Vice President (Enterprise Risk Assurance)

Michael G. Carter

 

Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Eric P. Christophersen

 

Vice President (Wealth Management)

Jefferson V. DeAngelis

 

Senior Vice President (Public Markets)

Mark G. Doll

 

Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer

Christina H. Fiasca

 

Senior Vice President (Agency Services)

Timothy J. Gerend

 

Vice President (Compliance/Best Practices)

John M. Grogan

 

Senior Vice President (Financial Planning & Product Delivery)

Thomas C. Guay

 

Vice President (New Business)

Gary M. Hewitt

 

Vice President & Treasurer (Treasury & Investment Operations)

J. Chris Kelly

 

Vice President and Controller

Jean M. Maier

 

Executive Vice President (Enterprise Operations and Technology)

Raymond J. Manista

 

General Counsel & Secretary

Meridee J. Maynard

 

Senior Vice President (Product Distribution)

Gregory C. Oberland

 

Executive Vice President (Insurance and Investment Products)

Kathleen A. Oman

 

Vice President (Policyowner Services)

 

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Table of Contents

Gary A. Poliner

 

President & Chief Risk Officer

Steven M. Radke

 

Vice President (Government Relations)

David R. Remstad

 

Vice President & Chief Actuary

Marcia Rimai

 

Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer

Calvin R. Schmidt

 

Vice President (Investment Product Operations)

Todd M. Schoon

 

Executive Vice President (Agencies)

David W. Simbro

 

Vice President (Life Product)

Paul J. Steffen

 

Vice President (Agencies)

Conrad C. York

 

Vice President (Marketing)

Todd O. Zinkgraf

 

Vice President (Enterprise Solutions)

OTHER OFFICERS – As of December 1, 2010

 

Employee   Title
       

Gregory A. Gurlik

 

Senior Actuary

Donald C. Kiefer

 

VP-Actuary

James Lodermeier

 

Senior Actuary

Robert G. Meilander

 

VP-Corporate Actuary

Ted A. Matchulat

 

Director Product Compliance

Jon K. Magalska

 

Senior Actuary

Arthur V. Panighetti

 

VP-Actuary

Chris G. Trost

 

Senior Actuary

P. Andrew Ware

 

VP-Actuary

       

Mark S. Bishop

 

Regional VP-Field Supervision

Jennifer L. Brase

 

VP-Agency Development

Somayajulu Durvasula

 

Regional VP-Field Supervision

Mark J. Gmach

 

Regional VP-Field Supervision

David D. Kiecker

 

Regional VP-Field Supervision

Steven C. Mannebach

 

VP-Agency Development

Daniel J. O’Meara

 

VP-Agency Development

Charles J. Pendley

 

VP-Agency Development

Michael E. Pritzl

 

VP-Agency Development

       

Martha M. Kendler

 

Director-Annuity & Income Market

Jeffrey J. Niehaus

 

Director-Business Retirement Markets

David G. Stoeffel

 

VP-Annuity & Investment Products

Kellen A. Thiel

 

Director-Managed Products

Brian D. Wilson

 

Director-IPS Marketing & Sales

Robert J. Wright

 

Director-IPS Strategic Partnerships Product Support

       

Robert J. Johnson

 

Director-Compliance Oversight and Review

James M. Makowski

 

Asst. Director-Marketing Materials Compliance

Timothy Nelson

 

Director-Market Conduct

       

Jason T. Anderson

 

Asst. Director-Tax

Gwen C. Canady

 

Director-Corporate Reporting

Barbara E. Courtney

 

Director-Mutual Fund Accounting

Walter M. Givler

 

VP-Accounting Policy

David K. Nunley

 

VP-Tax

Stephen R. Stone

 

Director-Investment Accounting

       

Rick T. Zehner

 

VP-Special Projects

 

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Employee   Title
       

Laila V. Hick

 

Director-Field Supervision

Daniel A. Riedl

 

VP-Field Distribution Policies & Administration

Alexander D. Schneble

 

Director-Field Distribution Policies & Administration

       

Robyn S. Cornelius

 

Director-Distribution Planning

Richard P. Snyder

 

Director-Field Compensation

       

Pency P. Byhardt

 

VP-Field Services & Support

Karla D. Hill

 

Asst. Director-CL&R Operations

Joanne M. Migliaccio

 

Director-Field Services & Support

Lisa A. Myklebust

 

Director-Network Office Operations

Matthew T. Sauer

 

Director-Field Technology

       

Thomas R. Anderson

 

Director-Financial Security

Rebekah B. Barsch

 

Director-Retirement Markets

Barbara A. Bombaci

 

Director-Advanced Planning

Kenneth P. Elbert

 

Director-Advanced Planning

Daniel R. Finn

 

Director-Advanced Planning

William F. Grady, IV

 

Director-Advanced Planning

Debra L. Hagan

 

Director-Administration/Operations FSP

Laura J. Hauschild

 

Director-Retirement Markets

Patrick J. Horning

 

Director-Advanced Planning

Meg E. Jansky

 

Director-Financial Planning & Product Deliver

John E. Muth

 

Director-Advanced Planning

John K. O’Meara

 

Director-Advanced Planning

Brent A. Ritchey

 

Director-Advanced Planning

William H. Taylor

 

VP-Advanced Financial Security Planning

Stanford A. Wynn

 

Director-Advanced Planning

 

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Employee   Title

Don P. Gehrke

 

Director-ICS Investment Operations

David Harley

 

Director-IPS Operations

Patricia J. Hillmann

 

Director-Annuity Customer Service

Todd M. Jones

 

Director-IPS Finance

Kevin J. Konopa

 

Director-Business Systems Team

Sarah R. Schneider

 

Director-Annuity Operations

Jeffrey B. Williams

 

NMIS and WMC Chief Compliance Officer

       

Michael S. Bula

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Thomas B. Christenson

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Mark S. Diestelmeier

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

John E. Dunn

 

VP & Investment Products & Services Counsel

James R. Eben

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Chad E. Fickett

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Gerald E. Fradin

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

James C. Frasher

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Sheila M. Gavin

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Kevin M. Gleason

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Gregory Johnson

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

James A. Koelbl

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Steven J. LaFore

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Michael J. Mazza

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Lesli H. McLinden

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Richard E. Meyers

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Jennifer W. Murphy

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

David K. Nelson

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Michelle Nelson

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Randy M. Pavlick

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

 

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Table of Contents
Employee   Title

William C. Pickering

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Nora M. Platt

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Harvey W. Pogoriler

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Zhibin Ren

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Peter K. Richardson

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Tammy M. Roou

 

VP & Insurance & Distribution Counsel

Kathleen H. Schluter

 

VP & Tax Counsel

Rodd Schneider

 

VP & Litigation Counsel

Catherine L. Shaw

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

David Silber

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Mark W. Smith

 

Assoc. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

John M. Thompson

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

John W. Warren

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Catherine A. Wilbert

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

Terry R. Young

 

Asst. General Counsel & Asst. Secretary

       

Jason R. Handal

 

Director-Specialty Markets

Todd L. Laszewski

 

Director-Life Product Development

William Brian Henning

 

Director-Competitive Intelligence

Jane Ann Schiltz

 

VP-Business Markets

       

Carrie L. Bleck

 

Director-Policyowner Services

Travis T. Piotrowski

 

Director-Policyowner Services

Diane P. Smith

 

Asst. Director-Policyowner Services

Natalie J. Versnik

 

Director-Policyowner Services

Michael D. Zelinski

 

Director Policyowner Services

       

Karla J. Adams

 

Director-Investment Risk Management

James A. Brewer

 

Director-Investment Planning

Donald Forecki

 

Director-Investment Operations, Asst. Secretary

Karen A. Molloy

 

Director-Banking & Cash Management, Asst. Treasurer

Michael S. Treptow

 

Director-Investment Performance Management

       

Shanklin B. Cannon

 

Medical Director

Kurt P. Carbon

 

Director-Life Lay Standards

Wayne F. Heidenreich

 

Medical Director

Paul W. Skalecki

 

VP-Underwriting Standards

       

Mark J. McLennon

 

VP-Investment Advisory Services

The business addresses for all of the executive officers and other officers is 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

 

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Item 28. Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control with the Depositor or Registrant

 The subsidiaries of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Northwestern Mutual”), as of March 31, 2011 are set forth on pages C-12 through C-14. In addition to the subsidiaries set forth on pages C-12 through C-14, the following separate investment accounts (which include the Registrant) may be deemed to be either controlled by, or under common control with, Northwestern Mutual:

 

  1.

NML Variable Annuity Account A

  2.

NML Variable Annuity Account B

  3.

NML Variable Annuity Account C

  4.

Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account

  5.

Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account II

 Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc. and Russell Investment Funds (the “Funds”), shown below as subsidiaries of Northwestern Mutual, are investment companies, registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, offering their shares to the separate accounts identified above; and the shares of the Funds held in connection with certain of the accounts are voted by Northwestern Mutual in accordance with voting instructions obtained from the persons who own, or are receiving payments under, variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies issued in connection with the separate accounts, or in the same proportions as the shares which are so voted.

 

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NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL CORPORATE STRUCTURE1

(as of March 31, 2011)

 

Legal Entity Name   Domestic Jurisdiction   Owner %

Operating Subsidiaries

       

Northwestern Mutual Capital Limited (2)

  United Kingdom   100.00

Mason Street Advisors, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Investment Management Company, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (2)

  United States   100.00

Frank Russell Company (3)

  Washington   92.71
            

All Other Subsidiaries

       

100 East Wisconsin Avenue Joint Venture (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

1100 Arlington Heights Road, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

31 Ogden, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

3412 Exchange, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

AFE Brentwood Park, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Amber, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Arbor Lake Village Apartments Limited Liability Company (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Arbor Oaks Ltd. (2)

  Florida   100.00

Baraboo, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Bayridge, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Bishop Square, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Bradford, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Brendan International Sales, Inc. (2)

  U.S. Virgin Islands   100.00

Brookarbor Joint Venture(2)

  Illinois   100.00

Burgundy, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Chateau, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Coral, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Cortona Holdings, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Fairfield Potomac Club LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Fairfield West Deer Park LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Foxkirk, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Group Liquidation Corp. (2)

  New Mexico   100.00

Hazel, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Higgins, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Highbrook International Sales, Inc. (2)

  U.S. Virgin Islands   100.00

Hobby, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Hollenberg 1, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Jacksonville Concourse II, LLC(2)

  Delaware   100.00

Jacksonville Concourse III, LLC(2)

  Delaware   100.00

Jacksonville Concourse, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Juleen, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Justin International FSC, Inc. (2)

  U.S. Virgin Islands   100.00

JYD Assets LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Klode, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

 

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Kristiana International Sales, Inc. (2)

  U.S. Virgin Islands   100.00

Lake Bluff, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Logan, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Lydell, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Maroon, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Mason & Marshall, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Millbrook Apartments Associates L.L.C. (2)

  Virginia   100.00

Mitchell, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Model Portfolios, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

N.M. Albuquerque, Inc. (2)

  New Mexico   100.00

New Arcade, LLC (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

New Street Joint Venture (2)

  Illinois   100.00

Nicolet, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM BSA, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Cancer Center GP, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM DFW Lewisville, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM F/X, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM GP Holdings, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Harrisburg, Inc. (2)

  Pennsylvania   100.00

NM Imperial, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Investment Holdings, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Lion, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Majestic Holdings, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Pebble Valley LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM RE Funds, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Regal, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NM Twin Creeks GP, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NML Clubs Associated, Inc. (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

NML Development Corporation (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NML Real Estate Holdings, LLC (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

NML Securities Holdings, LLC (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

NML-CBO, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NMRM Holdings, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

North Van Buren, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Ellis Company (2)

  Nova Scotia   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Capital GP II, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Capital GP, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Capital Mezzanine Fund II, LP (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Capital Strategic Equity Fund II, LP (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc. (4)

  Maryland   100.00

NS Lafayette PA Limited Partnership (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NS Lafayette, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

NW Pipeline, Inc. (2)

  Texas   100.00

Olive, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Osprey Links, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Park Ridge Corporate Center, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Piedmont Center, 1-4 LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Piedmont Center, 15 LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

 

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RE Corp. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Regina International Sales, Inc. (2)

  U.S. Virgin Islands   100.00

Russet, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Scotty, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Solar Resources, Inc. (2)

  Wisconsin   100.00

Stadium and Arena Management, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Travers International Sales, Inc. (2)

  U.S. Virgin Islands   100.00

Tupelo, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Two Con Holdings, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Two Con SPE, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Two Con, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Villas of St. Johns L.L.C. (2)

  Florida   100.00

Walden OC, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Warren Corporate Center, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

West Huron Joint Venture (2)

  Washington   100.00

White Oaks, Inc. (2)

  Delaware   100.00

Windwood Drive Ann Arbor, LLC (2)

  Delaware   100.00

 

(1)

Certain subsidiaries are omitted on the basis that, considered in the aggregate at year end 2010, they did not constitute a significant subsidiary as defined by Regulation S-X. Certain investment partnerships and limited liability companies that hold real estate assets of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company are not represented. Excluded is the entire corporate structure under Frank Russell Company, which includes registered investment advisers and registered investment companies.

 

(2)

Subsidiary included in the consolidated financial statements.

 

(3)

Subsidiary files separate financial statements.

 

(4)

Growth Stock Portfolio, Focused Appreciation Portfolio, Large Cap Core Stock Portfolio, Large Cap Blend Portfolio, Index 500 Stock Portfolio, Large Company Value Portfolio, Domestic Equity Portfolio, Equity Income Portfolio, Mid Cap Growth Stock Portfolio, Index 400 Stock Portfolio, Mid Cap Value Portfolio, Small Cap Growth Stock Portfolio, Index 600 Stock Portfolio, Small Cap Value Portfolio, International Growth Portfolio, Research International Core Portfolio, International Equity Portfolio, Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio, Money Market Portfolio, Short-Term Bond Portfolio, Select Bond Portfolio, Long-Term U.S. Government Bond Portfolio, Inflation Protection Portfolio, High Yield Bond Portfolio, Multi-Sector Bond Portfolio, Commodities Return Strategy Portfolio, Balanced Portfolio, Asset Allocation Portfolio.

Item 29. Indemnification

 (a)          That portion of the By-laws of the Depositor, Northwestern Mutual, relating to indemnification of Trustees and officers is set forth in full in Article VII of the By-laws of Northwestern Mutual, amended by resolution and previously filed as Exhibit A(6)(b) to the registration statement of Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (File No. 333-59103) on July 15, 1998.

 (b)          Section 10 of the Distribution Agreement dated May 1, 2006 between Northwestern Mutual and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (“NMIS”) provides substantially as follows:

B. Indemnification by Company. The Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless NMIS, its successors and assigns, and their respective officers, directors, and employees (together referred to as “NMIS Related Persons”), from any and all joint or several losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including any reasonable investigative, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amounts paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which NMIS and/or any NMIS Related Persons may become subject, under any law, regulation or NASD rule, at common law or otherwise, that arises out of or are based upon (i) any

 

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breach of this Agreement by the Company and (ii) any untrue statement of or omission to state a material fact (except for information supplied by or on behalf of NMIS or for which NMIS is responsible) contained in any Registration Statement, Contract prospectus, SAI or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Material.

This indemnification shall be in addition to any liability that the Company may otherwise have; provided, however, that no person shall be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this provision for any loss, claim, damage or liability due to the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty by the person seeking indemnification.

C. Indemnification by NMIS. NMIS agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company, its successors and assigns, and their respective officers, trustees or directors, and employees (together referred to as “Company Related Persons”), from any and all joint or several losses, claims, damages or liabilities (including any reasonable investigative, legal and other expenses incurred in connection with, and any amounts paid in settlement of, any action, suit or proceeding or any claim asserted), to which the Company and/or any Company Related Persons may become subject, under any law, regulation or NASD rule, at common law or otherwise, that arises out of or are based upon (i) any breach of this Agreement by NMIS and (ii) any untrue statement of or omission to state a material fact (except for information supplied by or on behalf of the Company or for which the Company is responsible) contained in any Registration Statement, Contract prospectus, SAI or supplement thereto or in any Marketing Material, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon information furnished in writing by NMIS to the Company specifically for use in the preparation of the aforesaid material.

This indemnification shall be in addition to any liability that NMIS may otherwise have; provided however, that no person shall be entitled to indemnification pursuant to this provision for any loss, claim, damage or liability due to the willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty by the person seeking indemnification.

D. Indemnification Generally. Any person seeking indemnification under this section shall promptly notify the indemnifying party in writing after receiving notice of the commencement of any action as to which a claim for indemnification will be made; provided, however, that failure to so notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve such party from any liability which it may have to such person otherwise than on account of this section.

The indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in the defense of the indemnified person but such participation will not relieve such indemnifying party of the obligation to reimburse the indemnified party for reasonable legal and other expenses incurred by such party in defending himself, herself or itself.

Item 30. Principal Underwriters

(a)          NMIS is the principal underwriter of the securities of the Registrant. NMIS is also the principal underwriter for the NML Variable Annuity Account A (811-21887), the NML Variable Annuity Account B (811-1668), the NML Variable Annuity Account C (811-21886), and the Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account II (811-21933).

(b)          As of April 1, 2011, the directors and officers of NMIS are as follows:

 

  Name

  

Position

  Jason T. Anderson

  

Assistant Treasurer

  Mark S. Bishop

  

Regional Vice President, Field Supervision

  Pency Byhardt

  

Vice President, Field Services and Support

  Michael G. Carter

  

Director

  Somayajulu V. Durvasula

  

Regional Vice President, Field Supervision

  Susan M. Emmer

  

Field Education Manager

  Michael S. Ertz

  

Vice President, Field Vertical Growth

 

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  Christina H. Fiasca

  

Senior Vice President, Agency Services

  Anne A. Frigo

  

Director, Insurance Products Compliance

  Don P. Gehrke

  

Director, Retail Investment Operations

  Timothy J. Gerend

  

Vice President, Compliance/Best Practices

  Mark J. Gmach

  

Regional Vice President, Field Supervision

  David A. Granger

  

Assistant Director, Human Resources

  Mark A. Gregory

  

Assistant Director, NMIS Compliance

  John M. Grogan

  

Director, Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Product Delivery

  Thomas C. Guay

  

Vice President, Variable Underwriting & Issue

  Jason R. Handal

  

Director, Specialty Markets

  David P. Harley

  

Director, Retail Investment Operations

  Laila V. Hick

  

Director, Field Supervision Standards

  Karla D. Hill

  

Assistant Director, Contract, License and Registration Operations

  Patricia J. Hillman

  

Director, Annuity Customer Services

  Dean M. Hopp

  

Assistant Director, IPS Product Lines and Municipal Funds Securities Limited Principal

  Diane B. Horn

  

NMIS Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer

  Robert J. Johnson

  

Director, Compliance/Best Practices

  Todd M. Jones

  

Treasurer, Financial and Operations Principal

  David D. Kiecker

  

Regional Vice President, Field Supervision

  Sharen L. King

  

Director, Practice Management & Field Training

  Steven J. LaFore

  

Assistant Secretary

  Dwight Larkin

  

Assistant Director- Retail Investment Services & Registered Options and Securities Futures Principal, Municipal Securities Principal, MSRB Primary Contact

  Todd L. Laszewski

  

Director, Life Product Development

  Arleen J. Llewellyn

  

Director, IPS Business Integration

  Jean M. Maier

  

Senior Vice President, Insurance Operations

  James M. Makowski

  

Assistant Director, Marketing Materials Compliance

  Steven C. Mannebach

  

Vice President, Agency Development

  Mac McAuliffe

  

National Sales Director

  Mark E. McNulty

  

Assistant Director, Compliance Assurance

  Joanne M. Migliaccio

  

Director, Contract, License and Registration

  Michael J. Mihm

  

Director, IPS Business Development

  Benjamin N. Moen

  

Regional Vice President, Sales

  Jennifer W. Murphy

  

Secretary

  Timothy D. Nelson

  

Director, Compliance/Best Practices

  Jeffrey J. Niehaus

  

Director, Business Markets

  Jennifer O’Leary

  

Assistant Treasurer

  Kathleen A. Oman

  

Vice President, Variable Life Servicing

  Michael J. Patkunas

  

Regional Vice President, Sales

  John J. Piazza

  

Regional Vice President, Sales

  Georganne K. Prom

  

New Business Variable Life Compliance Coordinator

  Daniel A. Riedl

  

Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

  Marcia Rimai

  

Director

  Robin E. Rogers

  

Assistant Director, Contract, License & Registration

  Russell R. Romberger

  

Regional Vice President, Sales

  Jeffrey P. Schloemer

  

Assistant Director, Compliance Oversight & Review

  Calvin R. Schmidt

  

Director, President and CEO

  Alexander D. Schneble

  

Director, NMIS Administration

  Sarah R. Schneider

  

Director, Annuity Operations

  Todd M. Schoon

  

Director, Executive Vice President, Agencies

  David W. Simbro

  

Vice President, Life Product

  Todd W. Smasal

  

Director, Human Resources

  Richard P. Snyder

  

Director, Compensation Services

  Michael C. Soyka

  

Regional Vice President, Sales

  Paul J. Steffen

  

Vice President, Agencies

  Steven H. Steidinger

  

Director, Variable Life Products

 

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  Carol A. Stilwell

  

POS Variable Life Compliance Coordinator

  David G. Stoeffel

  

Vice President, Annuity and Investment Products

  Christine L. Szafranksi

  

Assistant Director, Market Conduct

  William H. Taylor

  

Vice President, Advanced Financial Security Planning

  Kellen A. Thiel

  

Director, Personal Investment Markets

  Gwendolyn K. Weithaus

  

Assistant Director, NMIS Compliance

  Alan M. Werth

  

Third Party Sales Consultant

  Jeffrey B. Williams

  

Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, NMIS Compliance, FINRA Executive Representative

  Brian D. Wilson

  

Director, Marketing and Sales

  Robert J. Wright

  

Director, Strategic Partnerships and Product Support

The address for each director and officer of NMIS is 611 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

 (c)          NMIS, the principal underwriter, received $22,325,029 of commissions and other compensation, directly or indirectly, from Registrant during the last fiscal year.

Item 31. Location of Accounts and Records

 All accounts, books or other documents required to be maintained in connection with the Registrant’s operations are maintained in the physical possession of Northwestern Mutual at 720 East Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202.

Item 32. Management Services

 There are no management-related service contracts, other than those referred to in Part A or Part B of this Registration Statement, under which management-related services are provided to the Registrant and pursuant to which total payments of $5,000 or more were made during any of the last three fiscal years.

Item 33. Fee Representation

 The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company hereby represents that the fees and charges deducted under the variable life insurance policies which are the subject of this registration statement, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by the insurance company under the policies.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Amended Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Amended Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf, in the City of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, on the 21st day of April, 2011.

 

 

    NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE

        ACCOUNT (Registrant)

 
     

By

 

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE

       

INSURANCE COMPANY (Depositor)

 

Attest:  

 

/s/ RAYMOND J. MANISTA

   

By:

 

/s/ JOHN E. SCHLIFSKE

 

Raymond J. Manista,

     

John E. Schlifske,

 

General Counsel and Secretary

     

Chief Executive Officer

 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amended Registration Statement has been signed by the Depositor on the 21st day of April, 2011.

 

      THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE
      INSURANCE COMPANY (Depositor)

 

Attest:  

 

/s/ RAYMOND J. MANISTA

    By:  

/s/ JOHN E. SCHLIFSKE

 

Raymond J. Manista,

     

John E. Schlifske,

 

General Counsel and Secretary

     

Chief Executive Officer

 Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amended Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities with the Depositor and on the dates indicated:

 

Signature

  

Title

  
  

Chairman, Trustee and

  

/s/ JOHN E. SCHLIFSKE

  

Chief Executive Officer;

  

John E. Schlifske

  

Principal Executive Officer

  

/s/ MICHAEL G. CARTER

  

Chief Financial Officer and

  

Michael G. Carter

  

Principal Financial Officer

  

/s/ JOHN C. KELLY

  

Vice President and Controller;

  

John C. Kelly

  

Principal Accounting Officer

  

 

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/s/ Facundo L. Bacardi*

    

Trustee

     

Facundo L. Bacardi

          

/s/ John N. Balboni*

    

Trustee

     

John N. Balboni

          

/s/ David J. Drury*

    

Trustee

     

David J. Drury

          

/s/ Connie K. Duckworth*

    

Trustee

     

Connie K. Duckworth

          

/s/ David A. Erne*

    

Trustee

     

David A. Erne

          

/s/ James P. Hackett*

    

Trustee

     

James P. Hackett

          

/s/ Hans Helmerich*

    

Trustee

     

Hans Helmerich

          

/s/ Dale E. Jones*

    

Trustee

     

Dale E. Jones

          

/s/ Margery Kraus*

    

Trustee

     

Margery Kraus

          

/s/ David J. Lubar*

    

Trustee

     

David J. Lubar

          

/s/ Ulice Payne, Jr.*

    

Trustee

     

Ulice Payne, Jr.

          

/s/ Gary A. Poliner*

    

Trustee

     

Gary A. Poliner

          

/s/ John E. Schlifske*

    

Trustee

     

John E. Schlifske

          

/s/ H. Mason Sizemore, Jr.*

    

Trustee

     

H. Mason Sizemore, Jr.

          

/s/ Peter M. Sommerhauser*

    

Trustee

     

Peter M. Sommerhauser

          

/s/ Mary Ellen Stanek*

    

Trustee

     

Mary Ellen Stanek

          

/s/ Timothy W. Sullivan*

    

Trustee

     

Timothy W. Sullivan

          

/s/ S. Scott Voynich*

    

Trustee

     

S. Scott Voynich

          

 

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/s/ Barry L. Williams*

     Trustee      
Barry L. Williams           

/s/ Benjamin F. Wilson*

     Trustee      
Benjamin F. Wilson           

 

*By:  

 

/s/ JOHN E. SCHLIFSKE

 
 

John E. Schlifske, Attorney in fact,

pursuant to the Power of Attorney filed herewith.

Each of the signatures is affixed as of April 21, 2011

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

EXHIBITS FILED WITH FORM N-6

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 38 TO

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

FOR

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT

 

Exhibit          Description            
(j)(c)        

Power of Attorney

       

Filed herewith

(k)        

Opinion and Consent of Raymond J. Manista, Esq. dated April 20, 2011

       

Filed herewith

(n)        

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP dated April 20, 2011

       

Filed herewith

(q)        

Memorandum describing Issuance, Transfer and Redemption Procedures for Variable Life Insurance Contracts Pursuant to Rule 6e-2(b)(12)(ii)

       

Filed herewith

 

C-21

EX-99.J.C 2 dex99jc.htm POWER OF ATTORNEY Power of Attorney

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

TRUSTEES’

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS that each of the undersigned Trustees of THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY, organized by a special act of the Wisconsin Legislature (the “Company”), by his or her execution hereof, or an identical counterpart hereof, does hereby constitute and appoint John E. Schlifske and Gary A. Poliner, as his or her attorneys-in-fact and agents, and in his or her name, place and stead, to execute and sign any registration statement, including any pre-effective or post-effective amendments thereto, together with all exhibits and schedules thereto and other documents and instruments associated therewith to be filed on either Form N-4 or Form N-6 (or on any other applicable form) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940 in connection with variable contracts issued through separate accounts that are established by the Company, including the following:

 

  (a)

NML Variable Annuity Account A (333-72913);

  (b)

NML Variable Annuity Account A (Fee-Based) (333-133380);

  (c)

NML Variable Annuity Account B (2-29240);

  (d)

NML Variable Annuity Account B (Fee-Based) (333-33232);

  (e)

NML Variable Annuity Account C (2-89905-01);

  (f)

NML Variable Annuity Account C (Network Edition) (333-133381);

  (g)

Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (2-89972);

  (h)

Northwestern Mutual Variable CompLife (33-89188);

  (i)

Northwestern Mutual Variable Executive Life (333-36865);

  (j)

Northwestern Mutual Variable Joint Life (333-59103);

  (k)

Northwestern Mutual Custom Variable Universal Life (333-136124);

  (l)

Northwestern Mutual Executive Variable Universal Life (333-136305); and

  (m)

Northwestern Mutual Survivorship Variable Universal Life (333-136308).

Each of the undersigned does hereby further authorize said attorneys-in-fact and agents to make said filings with the SEC and with any federal or state securities or insurance regulatory authority as they determine to be required or necessary. Each of the undersigned hereby ratifies and confirms all acts of each and either of said attorneys-in-fact and agents which they may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. As used herein, “variable contracts” means any contracts providing for benefits or values which may vary according to the investment experience of the separate account associated therewith, including variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has hereunto set his or her hand this 28th day of July, 2010.

 

/s/ Facundo L. Bacardi

  Trustee  

Facundo L. Bacardi

   

/s/ John N. Balboni

  Trustee  

John N. Balboni

   

/s/ David J. Drury

  Trustee  

David J. Drury

   


/s/ Connie K. Duckworth

  Trustee    

Connie K. Duckworth

   

/s/ David A. Erne

  Trustee  

David A. Erne

   

/s/ James P. Hackett

  Trustee  

James P. Hackett

   

/s/ Hans Helmerich

  Trustee  

Hans Helmerich

   

/s/ Dale E. Jones

  Trustee  

Dale E. Jones

   

/s/ Margery Kraus

  Trustee  

Margery Kraus

   

/s/ David J. Lubar

  Trustee  

David J. Lubar

   

/s/ Ulice Payne, Jr.

  Trustee  

Ulice Payne, Jr.

   

/s/ Gary A. Poliner

  Trustee  

Gary A. Poliner

   

/s/ John E. Schlifske

  Trustee  

John E. Schlifske

   

/s/ H. Mason Sizemore, Jr.

  Trustee  

H. Mason Sizemore, Jr.

   

/s/ Peter M. Sommerhauser

  Trustee  

Peter M. Sommerhauser

   

/s/ Mary Ellen Stanek

  Trustee  

Mary Ellen Stanek

   

/s/ Timothy W. Sullivan

  Trustee  

Timothy W. Sullivan

   


/s/ S. Scott Voynich

  Trustee    

S. Scott Voynich

   

/s/ Barry L. Williams

  Trustee  

Barry L. Williams

   

/s/ Benjamin F. Wilson

  Trustee  

Benjamin F. Wilson

   

/s/ Edward J. Zore

  Trustee  

Edward J. Zore

   
EX-99.K 3 dex99k.htm OPINION AND CONSENT Opinion and Consent

Exhibit (k)

April 20, 2011

The Board of Trustees

The Northwestern Mutual Life

    Insurance Company

720 E. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53202

To The Board of Trustees:

In my capacity as General Counsel of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (the “Company”), I have reviewed the establishment of The Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (the “Account”), on November 23, 1983, by the Company’s Board of Trustees, as a separate account for assets applicable to certain variable life insurance policies, pursuant to the provisions of Section 206.385 of the Wisconsin Statutes of 1965, as amended.

Company attorneys under my general supervision have prepared the Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 (1933 Act File No. 2-89972) filed by the Company and the Account with the Securities & Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933 for the registration of certain variable life insurance policies issued with respect to the Account.

I have made such examination of the law and examined such corporate records and such of the documents as in my judgment are necessary and appropriate to enable me to render the following opinion that:

(1)        The Company has been duly organized under the laws in the State of Wisconsin and is a validly existing mutual life insurance company.

(2)        The Account has been duly created and is validly existing as a separate account pursuant to the aforesaid provisions of Wisconsin law.

(3)        The assets held in the Account equal to the reserves and other contract liabilities with respect to the Account will not be chargeable with liabilities arising out of any other business the Company may conduct.


The Board of Trustees

April 20, 2011

Page 2

(4)        The variable life insurance policies, when issued in accordance with the prospectus contained in the aforesaid registration statement and upon compliance with applicable local law, will be legal and binding obligations of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company in accordance with their terms.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

 

    Very truly yours,
   

/s/ Raymond J. Manista

    Raymond J. Manista
    General Counsel
EX-99.N 4 dex99n.htm CONSENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the use in the Statement of Additional Information constituting part of this Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to the registration statement on Form N-6 (the “Registration Statement”) of our report dated February 28, 2011, relating to the consolidated financial statements of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, and the incorporation by reference of our report dated February 18, 2011, relating to the financial statements of Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account, and to the incorporation by reference of such reports into the Prospectus which constitutes part of this Registration Statement. We also consent to the references to us under the headings “Experts” and “Financial Statements of the Account” in such Statement of Additional Information.

/s/ PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

April 20, 2011

EX-99.Q 5 dex99q.htm MEMORANDUM Memorandum

Exhibit Q

NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL VARIABLE LIFE ACCOUNT

(Whole Life, Extra Ordinary Life & Single Premium Life)

Description of Issuance, Transfer and Redemption Procedures for Variable Life Insurance Contracts Pursuant to Rule 6e-2(b)(12)(ii).

INTRODUCTION

1.        Rule 6e-2(b)(12) under the Investment Company Act provides exemption from Sections 22(d), 22(e) and 27(c)(1) of the Act and Rule 22c-1 thereunder for variable life insurance policies which meet the conditions of the Rule. (Rule 6e-2 has not been amended to reflect the addition of Section 27(i)).

2.        Rule 6c-3 provides exemptions for a registered variable life insurance separate account which registers under Section 8 of the Act, except for exemption from the registration requirements, “under the same terms and conditions as a separate account claiming exemption under Rule 6e-2.” Therefore a separate account which registers as contemplated by Rule 6c-3 may be required to include the materials referred to in Rule 6e-2(b)(12)(ii) as an exhibit to its registration statement filed under the Act. The purpose of this memorandum is to fulfill this requirement with respect to the variable life insurance policies (“Policies”) previously offered in connection with Northwestern Mutual Variable Life Account (“Separate Account”), a separate investment account of The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (“Northwestern Mutual”).

3.        Assets held in the Separate Account consist entirely of interest in shares of various series (each a “Portfolio,” together the “Portfolios”) of the Northwestern Mutual Series Fund, Inc., the Russell Investment Funds (including series comprising the Russell Life Points® Variable Target Portfolio Series), the Fidelity® VIP Mid Cap Portfolio and Fidelity® VIP Contrafund® Portfolio, each a series of Fidelity Variable Insurance Products III and Fidelity


Variable Insurance Products II, respectively, the Neuberger Berman Advisers Management Trust Socially Responsive Portfolio, as well as any interest in shares of any other fund Northwestern Mutual may make available from time to time (collectively, the “Funds”). Shares of each series are valued daily as of the close of trading on the NYSE. As indicated in the prospectus, a number of these series are not expected to be available until July 1, 2011 or thereafter.

The defined terms used herein are the same as the defined terms in the Policies or prospectus, unless otherwise defined herein.

RULE 6e-2(b)(12)(ii)

4.        Rule 6e-2(b)(12)(ii) provides exemptions from the sections and rule cited above to the extent “necessary for compliance with . . . Rule 6e-2 or with insurance laws and regulations and established administrative procedures of the life insurer with respect to issuance, transfer and redemption procedures for variable life insurance contracts funded by the separate account including, but not limited to, premium rate structure and premium processing, insurance underwriting standards, and the particular benefit afforded by the contract. . . .” The Rule thus recognizes that the established procedures of the insurance company itself, founded on the requirements of state insurance law, have a principal role in defining the requirements which apply for variable life insurance offered by the same company.

ISSUANCE PROCEDURES

A.        Premium Rate Structure and Insurance Underwriting Standards

5.        Premiums for the Policies, like premiums for Northwestern Mutual’s established series of conventional, fixed benefit life insurance policies, will depend on the age, sex and insurance risk classification of the proposed insured, as well as the amount of insurance being purchased. Thus the price of the insurance will differ, reflecting established insurance procedures and state law, in order to fairly take into account the differences in risks. The premiums for a Policy will be set forth in the Policy itself. Premiums for Policies at illustrative

 

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ages and amounts are included in the prospectus. The prospectus illustrations, like those in the prospectuses for variable life insurance policies offered by Northwestern Mutual’s competitors, are based on premium rates for standard risks.

6.        The premiums for the Policies are based on the 1980 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Table, notwithstanding the reference to the 1958 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Table in the definition of “sales load” in Rule 6e-2(c)(4). The cost of insurance is lower under the 1980 CSO Table reflecting improvements in longevity since the earlier table was developed. Northwestern Mutual has recently filed other policies for other product lines, based on the 1980 CSO Table, with the Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin, Northwestern Mutual’s domiciliary state. The Wisconsin Commissioner has taken the position that an insurance company which updates one product line to the new table must thereafter use the 1980 CSO Table for all subsequent filings. Accordingly, Northwestern is required by state law to use the 1980 CSO Table for determining premiums for the Policies.

7.        As a mutual life insurance company organized in Wisconsin, Northwestern Mutual is also required to offer its insurance contracts as participating policies which share equitably in Northwestern Mutual’s divisible surplus. The Policies accordingly have been designed on a participating basis and may pay dividends. Dividends provide the mechanism whereby the insurance company’s policyholders share in the company’s experience. Since the pricing assumptions which underlie life insurance policies are quite conservative, actual experience as it emerges tends to be significantly more favorable than what was assumed. The greater part of the dividends paid under Northwestern Mutual’s fixed benefit policies arises from investment rates of return which are greater than the assumed rates of 2% to 5.5% on the policies presently outstanding. This investment aspect of dividends does not relate to the Policies because the design of a variable life insurance policy provides a direct mechanism for reflection of investment results. The other factors for dividends, including the dividends for fixed benefit policies, are the mortality and expense results. While these provide less than one half of the dividend amounts for fixed benefit policies, they will be the entire source of the dividends paid on the Policies.

 

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8.         Notwithstanding the documented differences between male and female mortality rates, a 1983 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court1 has created legal liability issues for employers who purchase, or are otherwise involved in the purchase of, insurance products which are priced so as to reflect these differences. The Policies will accordingly be offered on a unisex pricing basis for use as required in such situations.

B.        Procedures for Placing a Policy in Effect

9.          Northwestern Mutual no longer issues the Policies.

C.        Premium Processing for Existing Policies

10.        The Policies are structured as annual premium contracts, even though semiannual, quarterly and monthly premium frequencies will be available. The net annual premium, after the deductions described in the prospectus, will be placed in the Separate Account on the Policy anniversary each year. The Policy anniversary will be the anniversary of the Policy Date. The Death Benefit will be adjusted to reflect investment experience on the Policy anniversary and only on the Policy anniversary, so long as the Policy remains in force on a premium-paying basis. The amount of any dividend will be paid annually as of the Policy anniversary, and applied to purchase additional variable life insurance on that date, unless the Policy owner has elected to use the dividend in one of the other ways permitted by the Policy.

11.        Because the net annual premium is placed in the Account on each Policy anniversary, regardless of the premium frequency elected and regardless of the timeliness of premium payments, so long as the Policy does not lapse, the actual date on which a premium is received will not affect the Policy’s investment experience. Northwestern Mutual will transfer the net annual premium amount from its General Account to the Separate Account on each Policy anniversary. Receipt of a premium by Northwestern Mutual represents a transaction between the Policy owner and the General Account.

 

 

1 

Arizona Governing Committee, Etc. v. Norris, 103 S. Ct. 3492 (1983).

 

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12.        Transactions between the Separate Account and the General Account will be effected as of the dates determined in accordance with the terms of the Policies, but the transactions will not in all cases be physically processed on those dates. For example, as described below, the death of an insured will mark the date on which the Policy ceases to participate in the Separate Account, with interest being paid on Policy proceeds from that date until the Policy is settled, but several days may elapse before Northwestern Mutual receives notification. Because of the timing discrepancies the total assets of the Separate Account will not always exactly match the sum of the interests in the Separate Account represented by all of the Policies outstanding. An accounting routine has been established to reconcile these amounts at least once each year, as of December 31, and the amount of assets in the Separate Account will be adjusted as required.

13.        Premiums paid more frequently than annually are increased to reflect (1) the additional administrative costs of processing more premiums and (2) the time value of money at 12% interest. In some instances, in order to ascertain Owner instructions, Northwestern Mutual may hold Premium amounts under established procedures if transaction instructions are not in good order, which may include MEC review.

14.        Northwestern Mutual will monitor Policies and will attempt to notify an Owner on a timely basis if the Owner’s Policy is in jeopardy of becoming a Modified Endowment Contract (MEC) under the Internal Revenue Code. Excess Premium may be refunded to the Owner, depending on the instructions received. If so instructed by the Owner in writing, Northwestern Mutual may hold Premium amounts for longer than established procedures. “Owner” may include an authorized representative of the Owner, if allowable under applicable law. If the Owner wants the excess payment applied and the policy to become a MEC, the date they agree to making the policy a MEC is used as the effective date of the excess amount (the date Northwestern Mutual gets the instructions and the payment). The money up to the limit is applied as of the original effective date, and the balance of the money is applied as of the receipt date of the instructions.

 

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TRANSFER PROCEDURES

A.        Transfers

15.        The Separate Account currently consists of 40 Divisions. All assets of each Division are invested in shares of the corresponding Portfolio. The Policy Owner may direct that accumulated amounts under the Policy be transferred from one Division to another, provided accumulated amounts remain in no more than six Divisions at any one time. Where allowed by state law, the Policy reserves the right to charge an administrative fee for transfers. The amount of the fee will not exceed the corresponding expenses. No fee is presently contemplated. Transfer requests must be in whole percentages and in amounts in greater than 1% of Invested Assets. When a transfer is made from any Division, the resulting allocation of Invested Assets must be in whole percentages in all Divisions that have any Invested Assets as a result of the transfer. Transfers received by Northwestern Mutual at its Home Office before the close of trading on the NYSE will receive same-day pricing. Transfers received by Northwestern Mutual at its Home Office after the close of trading will be priced on the next regular trading day. If the effective date does not match the date the transfer instructions are due to be forwarded to the Home Office according to our procedures, the Home Office will contact NMIS to resolve any discrepancies.

B.        Short Term and Excessive Trading

16.        To deter short term and excessive trading, Northwestern Mutual has adopted and implemented policies and procedures which are designed to control abusive trading practices and seeks to apply these policies and procedures uniformly to all Policy Owners. Any exceptions must be either expressly permitted by these policies and procedures or subject to an approval process described in them. Northwestern Mutual may also be prevented from uniformly applying these policies and procedures under applicable state or federal law or regulation.

Among the steps Northwestern Mutual has taken to reduce the frequency and effect of these practices are monitoring trading activity and imposing trading restrictions, including (with certain exceptions as identified in the prospectus) the prohibition of more than twelve transfers

 

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(or multiple transfers on the same effective date) among Divisions under a single Policy during a Policy year. Further, an investor who is identified as having made a transfer in and out of the same Division (“round trip transfer”) in an amount in excess of $10,000 within fourteen calendar days will be restricted from making additional transfers after the third such round trip transfer until the next Policy Anniversary date, and will be sent a letter informing him or her of the restriction. Thereafter, the same investor will be similarly restricted after the second such round trip transfer. An investor who is identified as having made one or more round trip transfers within thirty calendar days aggregating more than one percent (1%) of the total assets of the Portfolio underlying a Division excluding the Money Market Division and the Divisions corresponding to the Portfolios of the Russell Investment Fund LifePoints® Variable Target Portfolio Series will be sent a warning letter after the first such round trip transfer and will be restricted from making additional transfers until the next Policy Anniversary date after the second such round trip transfer. Thereafter, the same investor will be similarly restricted after the first such round trip transfer. These limitations do not apply to automatic asset transfers, scheduled or systematic transactions involving portfolio rebalancing, dollar cost averaging, and interest sweeps, or to initial allocations, the use of asset allocation models or changes in future allocations. Once a Policy is restricted, Northwestern Mutual allows one additional transfer into the Money Market Division until the next Policy Anniversary Date. Limitations may be modified in accordance with our procedures to modify some of these limitations to allow for transfers that would not count against the total transfer limit as necessary to alleviate potential hardships to investors, such as transfers required as a result of a fund substitution, liquidation or merger.

These policies and procedures may change from time to time in Northwestern Mutual’s sole discretion without notice; provided, however, Policy Owners would be given advance, written notice if the policies and procedures were revised to accommodate market timing. Additionally, the Funds may have their own policies and procedures described in their prospectuses that are designed to limit or restrict frequent trading. Such policies and procedures may provide for the imposition of a redemption fee and may require Northwestern Mutual to provide transaction information to the Fund.

 

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Northwestern Mutual intends to monitor events and the effectiveness of its policies and procedures in order to identify whether instances of potentially abusive trading practices are occurring. However, Northwestern Mutual may not be able to identify all instances of abusive trading practices, nor completely eliminate the possibility of such activities, and there may be technological limitations on its ability to impose restrictions on the trading practices of Policy Owners.

REDEMPTION PROCEDURES

A.        Surrender for Cash Value

17.        The Policy Owner may surrender a Policy for the cash value of the Policy at any time upon written request during the lifetime of the Insured. Northwestern Mutual will determine the cash value for a surrender request on the same day it receives the request if the request is received at the Home Office before the close of trading on the NYSE. Cash values for surrender requests received by Northwestern Mutual at its Home Office after the close of trading will be determined on the next regular trading day.

18.        Northwestern Mutual will generally pay surrender proceeds within seven days of receipt of the Owner’s written request, except under the circumstances described below in the “Deferral of Determination and Payment” section. At the election of the Owner and in lieu of direct payment, surrender proceeds may be paid under a payment plan. The Policies set forth the terms and limitations for each plan, defines the persons who are entitled to make the selections and receive benefits, and refers to procedural rules.

19.        When a surrender of a Policy is effected, Northwestern Mutual will pay the cash value out of the assets held in the General Account. An amount equal to the Invested Assets will be transferred from the Separate Account to the General Account as of the effective date of the surrender.

 

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B.        Payment of Death Benefit

20.        Northwestern Mutual will pay the Death Benefit to the beneficiary or other payee in accordance with the terms of the Policy following receipt at its Home Office of proof of the death of the insured. The amount of the Death Benefit paid will be determined as of the date of death. Northwestern Mutual may transfer Invested Assets into the money market division of the Separate Account upon notification of death of the Insured until the Death Benefit is paid in order to minimize breakage. Payment of the Death Benefit is subject to the incontestability provisions of the Policy and any applicable state law requirements. Payment will be made promptly and in any case within seven days after the last of the conditions is met, except under circumstances described below in the “Deferral of Determination and Payment” section.

21.        The Death Benefit for a Policy on any date when premiums have been timely paid will be equal to the sum of (1) the minimum guaranteed face amount of the Policy, (2) any positive variable life insurance amount determined as of the preceding anniversary, (3) any variable benefit paid-up additions purchased with dividends, and (4) the amount of any dividend accumulations and any dividend at death, less (1) the amount of any Policy loan outstanding and (2) in the case of an insured who did not meet standard or select underwriting criteria, an adjustment to take into account the particular risk classification assigned. The Death Benefit is adjusted to reflect any prepaid premium, or any premium due if the insured dies during the grace period. The death benefit will not be less than the amount of insurance calculated by applying the Policy’s cash value (less any dividend accumulations and dividend at death) as a net single premium at the insured’s attained age plus any dividend accumulations and dividend at death, less the amount of any Policy loan outstanding.

22.        Northwestern Mutual will pay the Death Benefit for a Policy out of assets held in its General Account. The beneficiary may receive the Death Benefit as a cash settlement either by electing to receive a lump sum check or by electing an interest-bearing account, if the settlement amount meets our criteria for size. If an interest-bearing account is not selected, the beneficiary will receive the Death Benefit as a lump sum check. If the interest-bearing account is selected, account information, along with a book of drafts, will be sent to the beneficiary. The amount payable will include interest from the date of death. An amount equal to the interest of

 

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the Policy in the Account as of the date of death will be transferred from the Separate Account to the General Account.

C.        Lapse and Reinstatement

23.        The periodic premium Policy provides a grace period of 31 days2 for payment of any premium not paid when due. If the premium is paid during the grace period, the policy values will not be affected by the delay in paying the premium. If the insured dies during the grace period, the death proceeds will be reduced by the amount of the unpaid premium as described in the description of the death benefit above.

24.        Other than with respect to a single premium Policy, if a premium is not paid within the grace period, the policy will lapse unless the Owner has the automatic premium loan provision in effect and there is sufficient value to pay the premium due where the premium is less than the maximum amount allowable. Northwestern Mutual will process premiums on the same day it receives the payment if the payment is received at the Home Office before the close of trading on the NYSE. Payments received by Northwestern Mutual at its Home Office after the close of trading will be determined on the next regular trading day. The lapsed policy will continue in force as fixed benefit extended term insurance in the same amount as was in force just prior to the due date of the unpaid premium and as of the due date. The length of the term for this coverage will be determined by applying the amount of cash value, determined as of the last day of the grace period, as a net single premium at the attained age of the insured. If the insured was not in the standard risk classification or better, term insurance will not be available

 

 

2 

In administering the Policies Northwestern Mutual intends to use a 66-day period, instead of 31 days, before the lapse routine is implemented. The longer period is used simply to reduce the volume of lapse and reinstatement transactions occasioned by miscalculation when Policy Owners attempt to pay the overdue premium on the last day of the grace period. The 66-day period is used for Northwestern Mutual's fixed benefit insurance policies and will be administered consistently. It does not appear in the prospectus for the Policies because its purpose would be defeated if Policy Owners knew that the extra time would be allowed. When the 66 days have transpired and the Policy lapses, the values will be computed as though the Policy had lapsed after the grace period of 31 days. Notwithstanding the postponement of internal procedures to reflect the fact of a lapse, the Policy does lapse upon the expiration of the grace period and the death benefit is determined accordingly if the insured dies thereafter regardless of whether the internal procedures have been implemented prior to the date of death.

 

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and a reduced amount of paid-up insurance will be provided instead as described in the next paragraph below.

25.        In lieu of fixed benefit extended term insurance the owner of a lapsed Policy may elect a reduced amount of paid-up insurance. The election must be made within three months after the due date of the first unpaid premium. Either fixed benefit or variable benefit paid-up insurance may be selected, except that variable benefit paid-up insurance is available only if the Policy has a cash value of at least $1,000. The amount of insurance is determined by applying the cash value plus the amount of any Policy loan outstanding as a net single premium, based on the premium table in the Policy, at the attained age of the insured. The Policy loan then remains outstanding.

26.        When a Policy lapses and extended term insurance or fixed benefit paid-up insurance goes into effect, the Policy ceases to have any interest in the Separate Account. An amount equal to the interest of the Policy in the Separate Account, determined as of the last day of the grace period, will be transferred from the Separate Account to the General Account as of the due date of the unpaid premium.

27.        A lapsed Policy may be reinstated within five years after the premium due date. Reinstatement is conditional upon evidence of insurability and payment of the greater of (1) all unpaid premiums plus interest at 6% or (2) 110% of the increase in cash value which results from reinstatement plus unpaid premiums, with interest at 6%, for any optional riders attached to the Policy. Any premium or other payment due, including any applicable interest, will also be required. Northwestern Mutual may waive the requirement to provide satisfactory evidence of insurability if the reinstatement is applied for, and any premium or other payment due is paid, within 90 days after the premium due date and while the insured is alive. Reinstatement will be effected as of the date when the request is received or any future date requested, and investment experience in the Account will continue from that date. Northwestern Mutual will calculate the cash amount required upon request. Following reinstatement, the Policy will have the cash value, death benefit and loan value which it would have had if the Policy had not lapsed. The cash amount required to reinstate a Policy will be paid into the General Account and the amount

 

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required for the Separate Account reserve will be placed in the Separate Account as of the reinstatement date. Any Policy loan outstanding, with interest thereon, must be either repaid or reinstated.

D.        Reinvestment after Surrender

28.        While Owners have no right to reinvestment after a surrender, Northwestern Mutual may permit such reinvestments in its sole discretion as described in prospectus. Owners may make payments in the form of returned surrender proceeds in connection with a request to void a surrender if the request is received by Northwestern Mutual within a reasonable time after the surrender proceeds are mailed. The returned surrender proceeds will be reinvested at the unit value next determined for each Division after our receipt of the reinvestment request in good order at the Home Office, including, among other things, (1) the return of surrender proceeds, (2) satisfactory evidence of insurability and any (3) Premium Payments due. Proceeds will be applied to the same Divisions from which the surrender was made. Depending on the underwriting classification of the Insured, Northwestern Mutual may not accept the reinvestment or may accept the reinvestment with different charges and expenses under the Policy. Northwestern Mutual may refuse to process reinvestments where it is not administratively feasible.

E.        Right to Exchange for a Fixed-Benefit Policy

29.        Northwestern Mutual currently allows Owners to exchange their Policies for a life insurance policy that does not vary with the investment experience of the Separate Account for any reason for a certain period of time after the Date of Issue according to our procedures or as required by state law. Owners may also exchange for a fixed-benefit Policy at any time under certain circumstances if a Fund changes its investment adviser or makes a material change to the investment policies of a Portfolio. Northwestern Mutual may terminate the absolute exchange right at any time, with or without notice.

 

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F.        Policy Loans and Loan Repayments

30.        The Policies provide that the Owner may borrow from Northwestern Mutual using the Policy as collateral security. The maximum loan value is 90% of the cash value of the Policy. If a Policy loan is already outstanding, these limitations are applied to the amount of cash value which the Policy would have if there were no loan.

31.        The Policy provides that loans will be made upon written request, or, in certain circumstances, by telephone. If Northwestern Mutual receives a request for a loan at the Home Office on or before the close of trading on the NYSE, the loan will be effective as of the close of trading that day. If the request is received after the close of trading, the loan will be effective on the next day. The date of the loan will be the date on which the check for the loan proceeds is issued. The maximum loan value of the Policy will be determined by reference to computations at the close of business the preceding day after the request for the loan was submitted but before processing took place and interest will accrue on the loan from the date of the check.

32.        Owners may elect an automatic premium loan feature whereby the loan value of the Policy will be available to pay any overdue premium. The feature may be elected or revoked at any time by written request.

33.        Interest on a Policy loan accrues and is payable on a daily basis. Unpaid interest is added to the principal. The Policy will terminate if the cash value of the Policy falls to zero, but written notice will be mailed to the owner of the Policy at least 31 days before the termination date. The notice will state the amount which must be repaid to keep the Policy in force.

34.        The owner of the Policy may choose between two Policy loan interest rates. One is a fixed rate of 8% and the other is a variable rate based on a corporate bond index with an annual adjustment and minimum of 5%. The choice of rates is made on the application form and may be changed as of January 1 any year upon written request.

35.        When a Policy loan is affected, the loan amount is taken from the Divisions of the Separate Account in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions. The amounts withdrawn from

 

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the Separate Account are credited with an earnings rate equal to the Policy loan interest rate in effect less an amount for expenses, including taxes. The amount deducted for expenses is disclosed in the prospectus. This earnings rate is in lieu of the investment experience of the Separate Account.

36.        Loan repayments (and accrued interest) may be repaid, in whole or in part, at any time while the Insured is alive. If payment is received without specific instructions, it is applied to any premium due, with any remaining amount being applied to any outstanding loans. Payments in excess of outstanding debt and premiums due will be returned unless such amounts are deemed to be de minimis (currently ten or less days of interest due). Except as described below, if payments are received before the close of trading on the NYSE, Northwestern Mutual will credit payments as of the date received and transfer them from the General Account to the Divisions, in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions as of the same date. If payments are received on or after the close of trading on the NYSE, Northwestern Mutual will credit payments as of the close of the next regular trading session of the NYSE and transfer them from the General Account to the Divisions, in proportion to the amounts in the Divisions, as of the date Northwestern Mutual credits the payment. Policy loan payments received within 34 days after the loan interest billing date will be credited as of the loan interest billing date. Automatic premium loans are effective as of the premium due date unless a loan payment is received between the premium due date and the date the automatic premium loan is made. Automatic premium loan payments received up to 66 days after the loan interest billing date will be credited as of the Policy Anniversary, depending on an Owner’s premium payment schedule.

If there is Policy Debt, payments received at the Home Office will be treated as payments to reduce Policy Debt unless designated otherwise.

G.        Deferral of Determination and Payment

37.        Northwestern Mutual will ordinarily pay Policy benefits within seven days after all required documents are received at its Home Office. However, we may defer determination and payment of benefits if:

 

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the NYSE is closed, other than customary weekend and holiday closings, or trading on the NYSE is restricted as determined by the SEC; or

   

the SEC permits, by an order, the postponement of any payment for the protection of Owners;

   

the SEC determines that an emergency exists that would make the disposal of securities held in the Separate Account or the determination of their value not reasonably practicable; or

   

under SEC rules, the Money Market Portfolio suspends payments of redemption proceeds in connection with a liquidation of the Portfolio, we will delay the Portfolio’s portion of the payment of any transfer, partial surrender, surrender, or death benefit until the Portfolio is liquidated.

38.        When the Policy is in force as Fixed Paid-Up insurance or extended term insurance, Northwestern Mutual may defer paying the Cash Value for up to six months from the date of surrender. If payment is deferred for 30 days or more, interest will be paid on the Cash Value at an annual effective rate of 4%. Northwestern Mutual may also defer payment of a Policy loan for up to six months.

39.        If an Owner submits a check or draft to our Home Office, Northwestern Mutual has the right to defer payment of the Death Benefit, surrender, loans, or payment plan proceeds until the check or draft has been honored.

40.        To the extent it is disclosed in the prospectus, Northwestern Mutual may defer payment of the Death Benefit if it legitimately needs time to determine the proper beneficiaries.

41.        If mandated under applicable law, Northwestern Mutual may be required to freeze an Owner’s Policy Value and thereby refuse to pay any requests for transfer, surrender, loans, or the Death Benefit, until instructions are received from the appropriate regulatory or other lawful authority. Northwestern Mutual may also be required to provide additional information about an Owner, the Owner’s Policy, and the Owner’s trading activities to government regulators.

 

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