Contingent Liabilities

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Notes to Financial Statements

Contingent Liabilities

10. Contingent Liabilities

Litigation and Arbitration

We are regularly involved in litigation and arbitration, both as a defendant and as a plaintiff. The litigation and arbitration naming us as a defendant ordinarily involves our activities as an insurer, investor or investment advisor.

It is not feasible to predict or determine the ultimate outcome of all legal or arbitration proceedings or to provide reasonable ranges of potential losses. Based on current information, we believe that the outcomes of our litigation and arbitration matters are not likely, either individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. However, given the large or indeterminate amounts sought in certain of these matters and the inherent unpredictability of litigation and arbitration, it is possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could, from time to time, have a material adverse effect on our financial statements in particular quarterly or annual periods.

Regulatory Matters

State regulatory bodies, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the IRS and other regulatory bodies regularly make inquiries of us and, from time to time, conduct examinations or investigations concerning our compliance with laws and regulations related to, among other things, our insurance and broker-dealer subsidiaries, securities offerings and registered products. We endeavor to respond to such inquiries in an appropriate way and to take corrective action if warranted.

Regulatory actions may be difficult to assess or quantify. The nature and magnitude of their outcomes may remain unknown for substantial periods of time. It is not feasible to predict or determine the ultimate outcome of all pending inquiries, investigations, legal proceedings and other regulatory actions, or to provide reasonable ranges of potential losses. Based on current information, we believe that the outcomes of our regulatory matters are not likely, either individually or in the aggregate, to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition. However, given the inherent unpredictability of regulatory matters, it is possible that an adverse outcome in certain matters could, from time to time, have a material adverse effect on our financial statements in particular quarterly or annual periods.

Unclaimed Property Inquiry

On July 5, 2011, the State of New York Insurance Department issued a letter (“308 Letter”) requiring life insurers doing business in New York to use data available on the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Death Master File or a similar database to identify instances where death benefits under life insurance policies, annuities, and retained asset accounts are payable, to locate and pay beneficiaries under such contracts, and to report the results of the use of the data. Additionally, the insurers are required to report on their success in finding and making payments to beneficiaries or escheatment of funds deemed abandoned under state laws. We estimate the remaining amount of claim and interest payments to beneficiaries or state(s) to be $60 thousand ($21 thousand after deferred policy acquisition cost offsets).