● our reliance on information provided and obtained by third parties;
Effective May 11, 2015, GWG Holdings, together with certain of its subsidiaries, entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit and Security Agreement with Autobahn Funding Company LLC, as the conduit lender, and DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank, as the committed lender and as the agent on behalf of secured parties under such agreement. The Second Amended and Restated Credit and Security Agreement extends the maturity date of borrowings made by our subsidiaries, DLP II and DLP III, to June 30, 2018. Advances under the senior credit facility made after May 11, 2015 will bear interest at the commercial paper rate of the lender at the time of the advance, or at the lender’s cost of borrowing plus 4.25%, which is 1.75% less than under the previous Credit and Security Agreement executed on January 25, 2013. In addition to the extended term and decreased interest rate and borrowing cost, the Second Amended and Restated Credit and Security Agreement also removes the requirement that we maintain a reserve for certain projected expenditures (including anticipated premium payments required to service its life insurance portfolio), thereby allowing for our full use of the revolving senior credit facility up to its limit of $105,000,000.
We review the credit risk associated with our portfolio of life insurance policies when estimating its fair value. In evaluating the policies’ credit risk, we consider insurance company solvency, credit risk indicators, economic conditions, ongoing credit evaluations, and company positions. We attempt to manage our credit risk related to life insurance policies typically by purchasing policies issued only from companies with an investment-grade credit rating by either Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, or A.M. Best Company. As of December 31, 2015, 97.5% of our life insurance policies, by face value benefits, were issued by companies that maintained an investment-grade rating (BBB or better) by Standard & Poor’s.
Debt Coverage Ratio and Subordination Ratio. Our L Bond and Series I Secured Notes borrowing covenants require us to maintain a “debt coverage ratio” of less than 90%. The “debt coverage ratio” is calculated by dividing the sum of our total interest-bearing indebtedness by the sum of our cash and cash equivalents and the net present value of the life insurance portfolio. The “subordination ratio” for our L Bonds is calculated by dividing the total interest-bearing indebtedness that is senior to L Bonds and Series I Secured Notes by the sum of the company’s cash and cash equivalents and the net present value of the life insurance portfolio. The “subordination ratio” must be less than 50%. For purposes of both ratio calculations, the net present value of the life insurance portfolio is calculated using a discount rate equal to the weighted average interest rate of all indebtedness. As of the date of this report, the subordination ratio provisions under the indenture have expired.
Life settlements - ASC 325-30, Investments in Insurance Contracts, allows a reporting entity the election to account for its investments in life settlements using either the investment method or the fair value method. The election shall be made on an instrument-by-instrument basis and is irrevocable. Under the investment method, an investor shall recognize the initial investment at the purchase price plus all initial direct costs. Continuing costs (policy premiums and direct external costs, if any) to keep the policy in force shall be capitalized. Under the fair value method, an investor shall recognize the initial investment at the purchase price. In subsequent periods, the investor shall re-measure the investment at fair value in its entirety at each reporting period and shall recognize the change in fair value in current period income net of premiums paid. The Company uses the fair value method to account for all life settlements.
The Company is required by its lenders to maintain collection and escrow accounts. These accounts are used to fund the acquisition, pay annual premiums of insurance policies, pay interest and other charges under the revolving senior credit facility, and collect policy benefits. DZ Bank AG, as agent for Autobahn Funding Company, LLC, the lender for the revolving senior credit facility as described in note 5, authorizes the disbursements from these accounts. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, there was a balance of $2,342,000, and $4,296,000, respectively, maintained in these restricted cash accounts.
Beginning one year from the date of original issuance of any shares of Redeemable Preferred Stock to be redeemed, a holder will have the opportunity to request once per calendar quarter that we redeem up to 25% of such holder’s Redeemable Preferred Stock originally purchased from us (plus any preferred shares issued in satisfaction of dividends thereon) at a redemption price equal to the stated value of such redeemed shares, plus any accrued but unpaid dividends thereon, less the applicable redemption fee (if any). As a percentage of the aggregate redemption price of a holder’s shares to be redeemed, the redemption fee shall be:
The Company’s income tax returns for tax years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015, when filed, remain open to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and various state taxing jurisdictions. The Company’s tax return for tax year 2012 has now been examined by the IRS (finalized April of 2015) but is open for examination by various state taxing jurisdictions.
The following represents consolidating financial information as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, with respect to the financial position, and for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 with respect to results of operations and cash flows of GWG Holdings and its subsidiaries. The parent column presents the financial information of GWG Holdings, the primary obligor of the L Bonds. The guarantor subsidiary column presents the financial information of GWG Life, the guarantor subsidiary of the L Bonds, presenting its investment in DLP II, DLP III and Trust under the equity method. The non-guarantor subsidiaries column presents the financial information of all non-guarantor subsidiaries including DLP II, DLP III and Trust.