Which of the following describes what happens if the assumed interest rate is set too low?

If the assumed interest rate is set too low, it means that when calculating the future cash flows from the annuity, the projected growth of the investments is underestimated. This conservative assumption can lead to a situation where, if actual investment performance is better than expected, the payments may increase at a pace that surpasses the original projections.

In this context, if the investments perform well—earning a higher return than the low assumed interest rate—the actual increased returns could lead to a larger amount of funds available for distribution in the form of payments to the annuity holder. Therefore, with better investment performance, the payments generated can indeed rise faster than they would if those payments were based on a more realistic, higher assumed interest rate.

This highlights the importance of accurately estimating the assumed interest rate. A low assumption can create a cushion that allows for potentially greater benefits when actual performance exceeds expectations.