Sec. 2551.151. ADMISSIBLE INVESTMENTS. (a) A title insurance company shall hold all investments in cash or in the following:

(1) an abstract plant or plants, provided that:

(A) the corporation is organized under this title and has the right to engage in the business of title insurance;

(B) except as provided by Subsection (b), the investment is not more than 50 percent of the corporation's capital stock; and

(C) the valuation of the plant or plants is approved by the department;

(2) securities described by Subchapter D, Chapter 425, other than Sections 425.202 and 425.229-425.232, or investments authorized for title insurance companies under the laws of any other state in which the company is authorized to engage in business;

(3) real property or any real property interest that is:

(A) required for the company's convenient accommodation in the transaction of business with reasonable regard to future needs;

(B) acquired in connection with a claim under a title insurance policy;

(C) acquired in satisfaction or on account of loans, mortgages, liens, judgments, or decrees previously owed to the company in the course of business;

(D) acquired in partial payment of the consideration of the sale of real property owned by the company if the transaction results in a net reduction in the company's investment in real property; or

(E) reasonably necessary to maintain or enhance the sale value of real property previously acquired or held by the company under this subdivision;

(4) a first mortgage note secured by any of the following, provided that the amount of the note does not exceed 80 percent of the appraised value of the security for the note:

(A) an abstract plant and connected personal property in or outside this state;

(B) stock of a title insurance agent in or outside this state;

(C) a construction contract to build an abstract plant and connected personal property; or

(D) any two or more of the items listed in this subdivision;

(5) the shares of any federal home loan bank in an amount necessary to qualify for membership and any additional amounts approved by the commissioner;

(6) foreign securities that are substantially of the same kinds, classes, and investment grade as securities otherwise qualified for investment under this section, provided that, unless the investment is also qualified under Subdivision (2), the aggregate amount of foreign investments made under this subdivision does not exceed:

(A) five percent of the insurer's admitted assets at the end of the preceding year;

(B) two percent of the insurer's admitted assets at the end of the preceding year invested in the securities of all entities domiciled in any one foreign country; and

(C) one-half of one percent of the insurer's admitted assets at the end of the preceding year invested in the securities of any one individual entity domiciled in a foreign country;

(7) securities lending, repurchase, reverse repurchase, and dollar roll transactions, as described by Section 425.121; or

(8) money market funds, as described by Section 425.123.

(b) If a corporation maintains with the department a deposit described by Subchapter E in the amount of $100,000, the corporation may invest more than 50 percent of the corporation's capital stock under Subsection (a)(1), as considered necessary by the corporation's board of directors.

(c) A corporation created or operating under this title may own or acquire more than one abstract plant in any one county, but only one abstract plant in any one county is admissible as an investment under Subsection (a)(1).

(d) A title insurance company may not hold real property acquired under Subsection (a)(3)(B), (C), or (D) for more than 10 years without written approval of the department.

(e) Any investment that does not qualify under this section and was owned by the title insurance company on October 1, 1967, continues to qualify.

(f) If any otherwise valid investment qualified under this section exceeds in amount any of the limitations on investment provided by this section, the investment is inadmissible only to the extent that it exceeds the limitation.

(g) A title insurance company may invest in a certified capital company in the manner provided by Chapter 228.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1274, Sec. 6, eff. April 1, 2005.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 99 (H.B. 532), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2005.

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 730 (H.B. 2636), Sec. 2I.002, eff. April 1, 2009.