Bankers Life, which markets and distributes Medicare supplement insurance, interest-sensitive life insurance, traditional life insurance, fixed annuities and long-term care insurance products to the middle-income senior market through a dedicated field force of career agents and sales managers supported by a network of community-based sales offices. The Bankers Life segment includes primarily the business of Bankers Life and Casualty Company. Bankers Life also markets and distributes Medicare Advantage plans primarily through distribution arrangements with Humana, Inc. and United HealthCare and PDP primarily through a distribution arrangement with Coventry.
Management believes that an analysis of EBIT provides a clearer comparison of the operating results of the Company from period to period because it excludes: (i) the net loss on the sale of CLIC and gain on reinsurance transactions, including impact of taxes; (ii) the earnings of CLIC prior to being sold, net of taxes; (iii) net realized investment gains or losses, net of related amortization and taxes; (iv) fair value changes due to fluctuations in the interest rates used to discount embedded derivative liabilities related to our fixed index annuities, net of related amortization and taxes; (v) loss on extinguishment or modification of debt, net of taxes; (vi) changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets; and (vii) other non-operating items consisting primarily of equity in earnings of certain non-strategic investments and earnings attributable to variable interest entities. Net realized investment gains or losses include: (i) gains or losses on the sales of investments; (ii) other-than-temporary impairments recognized through net income; and (iii) changes in fair value of certain fixed maturity investments with embedded derivatives. The table above reconciles the non-GAAP measure to the corresponding GAAP measure.
Our fixed maturity investments are generally purchased in the context of long-term strategies, including funding insurance liabilities, so we do not generally seek to generate short-term realized gains through the purchase and sale of such securities. In certain circumstances, including those in which securities are selling at prices which exceed our view of their underlying economic value, or when it is possible to reinvest the proceeds to better meet our long-term asset-liability objectives, we may sell certain securities. During 2014, we sold $233.7 million of fixed maturity investments which resulted in gross investment losses (before income taxes) of $13.0 million.
The 2012 reduction to the deferred tax valuation allowance primarily resulted from the impact of recent higher levels of income when projecting future taxable income.
Net realized investment gains (losses) fluctuate each period. During 2014, net realized investment gains in this segment included $13.1 million of net gains from the sales of investments (primarily fixed maturities) and $4.8 million of writedowns of investments for other than temporary declines in fair value recognized through net income. During 2013, net realized investment gains in this segment included $22.3 million of net gains from the sales of investments (primarily fixed maturities) and $6.0 million of writedowns of investments for other than temporary declines in fair value recognized through net income. During 2012, net realized investment gains in this segment included $61.7 million of net gains from the sales of investments (primarily fixed maturities) and $8.7 million of writedowns of investments for other than temporary declines in fair value recognized through net income.
Insurance policy income is comprised of premiums earned on traditional insurance policies which provide mortality or morbidity coverage and fees and other charges assessed on other policies. Such income increased in recent periods as supplemental health premiums have increased consistent with sales; partially offset by the decrease in Medicare supplement premiums.
Interest expense on investment borrowings includes $9.1 million, $19.3 million and $19.9 million of interest expense on collateralized borrowings in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Health products include Medicare supplement, long-term care, PDP contracts and other insurance products. Our profits on health policies depend on the overall level of sales, the length of time the business remains inforce, investment yields, claims experience and expense management.
Premiums collected on Bankers Life's long-term care policies decreased 6.3 percent, to $500.6 million in 2014 and 2.3 percent, to $534.0 million in 2013, reflecting the run-off of this business and a continuing shift in the mix of new business to short-term care sales, which have lower premiums per policy.
Life products in this segment include traditional and interest-sensitive life products. Life premiums collected in this segment increased 15 percent, $424.9 million, in 2014 and 17 percent, to $368.3 million, in 2013. Collected premiums in 2014 and 2013 reflect higher sales in this segment in recent years and higher persistency.
mortgage loans experience prepayments within certain estimated ranges. In most circumstances, changes in prepayment rates are first absorbed by support or companion classes insulating the timing of receipt of cash flows from the consequences of both faster prepayments (average life shortening) and slower prepayments (average life extension).
Includes amounts related to noncancellable operating leases, sponsorship agreements and commitments to purchase investments.
We generally maintain capital and surplus levels in our insurance subsidiaries in an amount that is sufficient to maintain a minimum consolidated RBC ratio of 350 percent and may seek to have our insurance subsidiaries pay ordinary dividends or request regulatory approval for extraordinary dividends when the consolidated RBC ratio exceeds such level and we have concluded the capital level in each of our insurance subsidiaries is adequate to support their business and projected growth. The consolidated RBC ratio of our insurance subsidiaries was estimated at 434 percent at December 31, 2014.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, no mandatory prepayments pursuant to item (i) in the preceding paragraph shall be required if: (x) the debt to total capitalization ratio is equal or less than 20% and (y) either (A) the financial strength rating of certain of the Company's insurance subsidiaries is equal to or better than A- (stable) from A.M. Best or (B) the Senior Secured Credit Agreement is rated equal or better than BBB- (stable) from S&P and Baa3 (stable) by Moody's.
Our spread-based insurance business is subject to several inherent risks arising from movements in interest rates, especially if we fail to anticipate or respond to such movements. First, interest rate changes can cause compression of our net spread between interest earned on investments and interest credited on customer deposits, thereby adversely affecting our results. Second, if interest rate changes produce an unanticipated increase in surrenders of our spread-based products, we may be forced to sell invested assets at a loss in order to fund such surrenders. Many of our products include surrender charges, market interest rate adjustments or other features to encourage persistency; however at December 31, 2014, approximately 24 percent of our total insurance liabilities, or approximately $5.4 billion, could be surrendered by the policyholder without penalty. Finally, changes in interest rates can have significant effects on the performance of our investment portfolio as a result of changes in the prepayment rate of various securities. We use asset/liability strategies that are designed to mitigate the effect of interest rate changes on our profitability. However, there can be no assurance that management will be successful in implementing such strategies and achieving adequate investment spreads.
We focus on serving middle-income pre-retiree and retired Americans, which we believe are attractive, underserved, high growth markets. We sell our products through three distribution channels: career agents, independent producers (some of whom sell one or more of our product lines exclusively) and direct marketing.
All such VIEs are collateralized loan trusts that were established to issue securities to finance the purchase of corporate loans and other permitted investments (including two new VIEs which were consolidated in 2014, one new VIE which was consolidated in 2013 and one new VIE which was consolidated in 2012). The assets held by the trusts are legally isolated and not available to the Company. The liabilities of the VIEs are expected to be satisfied from the cash flows generated by the underlying loans held by the trusts, not from the assets of the Company. The Company has no financial obligation to the VIEs beyond its investment in each VIE.
Two of the Company's insurance subsidiaries (Washington National and Bankers Life) are members of the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB"). As members of the FHLB, Washington National and Bankers Life have the ability to borrow on a collateralized basis from the FHLB. Washington National and Bankers Life are required to hold certain minimum amounts of FHLB common stock as a condition of membership in the FHLB, and additional amounts based on the amount of the borrowings. At December 31, 2014, the carrying value of the FHLB common stock was $73.5 million. As of December 31, 2014, collateralized borrowings from the FHLB totaled $1.5 billion and the proceeds were used to purchase fixed maturity securities. The borrowings are classified as investment borrowings in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. The borrowings are collateralized by investments with an estimated fair value of $1.8 billion at December 31, 2014, which are maintained in a custodial account for the benefit of the FHLB. Substantially all of such investments are classified as fixed maturities, available for sale, in our consolidated balance sheet.
Our fixed index annuity products provide a guaranteed minimum rate of return and a higher potential return that is based on a percentage (the "participation rate") of the amount of increase in the value of a particular index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, over a specified period. Typically, on each policy anniversary date, a new index period begins. We are generally able to change the participation rate at the beginning of each index period during a policy year, subject to contractual minimums. The Company accounts for the options attributed to the policyholder for the estimated life of the annuity contract as embedded derivatives. These accounting requirements often create volatility in the earnings from these products. We typically buy call options (including call spreads) referenced to the applicable indices in an effort to offset or hedge potential increases to policyholder benefits resulting from increases in the particular index to which the policy's return is linked.
The estimated fair value of fixed maturity investments and mortgage loans not accruing investment income totaled nil and $.5 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
At December 31, 2014, our projection of future taxable income for purposes of determining the valuation allowance is based on our adjusted average annual taxable income for the last three years plus: (i) a 3 percent core growth factor (consistent with the prior year assumption); and (ii) an additional 1 percent increase which primarily reflects the impact of the investment trading strategies completed in 2013 (which grade off over time). The aggregate 4 percent factor is used to increase taxable income annually over the next five years, and level taxable income is assumed thereafter. In the projections used for our December 31, 2014 analysis, our three year average taxable income increased to approximately $320 million, compared to $315 million in our prior projections. Approximately $50 million of the current three year average relates to non-life taxable income and $270 million relates to life income.
In 2014, we made $59.4 million of scheduled quarterly principal payments due under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. In the first six months of 2013, we made mandatory prepayments of $20.4 million in an amount equal to 33.33% of our share repurchases and common stock dividend payments, as required under the terms of our Senior Secured Credit Agreement. No mandatory prepayments were required in the second half of 2013 as our debt to total capitalization ratio, as defined in the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, was below 20.0 percent. We also made additional payments of $42.7 million in 2013 to cover the remaining portion of the scheduled quarterly principal payments due under the Senior Secured Credit Agreement. In 2012, as required under the terms of the Senior Secured Credit Agreement, we made mandatory prepayments of $28.4 million due to repurchases of our common stock and payment of a common stock dividend. We also made an additional payment of $2.0 million to cover the remaining portion of the scheduled quarterly principal payments.
(iv) $.4 million representing the write-off of unamortized discount and issuance costs associated with payments on our Senior Secured Credit Agreement.
In August 2011, we were notified of an examination to be done on behalf of a number of states for the purpose of determining compliance with unclaimed property laws by the Company and its subsidiaries. Such examination has included inquiries related to the use of data available on the U.S. Social Security Administration's Death Master File to identify instances where benefits under life insurance policies, annuities and retained asset accounts are payable. We are continuing to provide information to the examiners in response to their requests. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia are currently participating in this examination.
At December 31, 2014, the consolidated RBC ratio of our insurance subsidiaries exceeded the minimum RBC requirement included in our Senior Secured Credit Agreement. See the note to the consolidated financial statements entitled "Notes Payable - Direct Corporate Obligations" for further discussion of various financial ratios and balances we are required to maintain. We calculate the consolidated RBC ratio by assuming all of the assets, liabilities, capital and surplus and other aspects of the business of our insurance subsidiaries are combined together in one insurance subsidiary, with appropriate intercompany eliminations.
During 2014, the VIEs recognized net realized investment losses of $2.2 million from the sales of fixed maturities. During 2013, the VIEs recognized net realized investment losses of $1.6 million, which were comprised of $.5 million of net losses from the sales of fixed maturities, and $1.1 million of writedowns of investments for other than temporary declines in fair value recognized through net income. During 2012, the VIEs recognized net realized investment losses of $.4 million, which were comprised of $.4 million of net gains from the sales of fixed maturities, and $.8 million of writedowns of investments for other than temporary declines in fair value recognized through net income.