Debt

Debt consists of the following at:



	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
	(In thousands)
$400 million senior unsecured notes with an effective interest rate of 5.94% at September 30, 2012	$	400,000	$	—
$250 million senior unsecured notes with an effective interest rate of 6.19% less discount of $0.5 million and $0.6 million at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	249,491		249,444
$350 million senior secured credit facility with an effective interest rate of 2.82% at September 30, 2012	166,725		—
Capital lease obligations due 2016 with an effective interest rate of 3.18% at both September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	2,684		3,172
Other notes payable	76		89
Total debt	$	818,976	$	252,705
Less current portion	10,065		673
Total long-term debt	$	808,911	$	252,032

Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2022

On June 27, 2012, the Company completed a $400 million unsecured note offering ("the 2012 Senior Notes") at par, bearing a coupon of 5.75% with an effective rate of 5.94%. The 2012 Senior Notes will mature on July 1, 2022, with interest to be paid semi-annually on January 1st and July 1st. The Company used the net proceeds of this offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, together with a portion of the proceeds from a new credit facility, to pay the special cash dividend totaling approximately $600.7 million paid to shareholders on August 23, 2012. The Company's 2012 Senior Notes are guaranteed jointly, severally, fully and unconditionally, subject to certain customary limitations by eight 100%-owned domestic subsidiaries.

The Company incurred debt issuance costs in connection with the 2012 Senior Notes totaling approximately $7.5 million, which are included in other current assets and other assets on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. These debt issuance costs are amortized, on a straight-line basis, which is not materially different than the effective interest method, through the maturity of the 2012 Senior Notes. Amortization of these costs is included in interest expense in the consolidated statements of income.

The Company may redeem the 2012 Senior Notes at its option at a redemption price equal to the greater of (a) 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed and (b) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled principal and interest payments from the redemption date to the date of maturity discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis at the Treasury rate, plus 50 basis points.

Senior Unsecured Notes Due 2020

On August 25, 2010, the Company completed a $250 million senior unsecured note offering (“the 2010 Senior Notes”) at a discount of $0.6 million, bearing a coupon of 5.7% with an effective rate of 6.19%. The 2010 Senior Notes will mature on August 28, 2020, with interest to be paid semi-annually on February 28^th and August 28^th. The Company used the net proceeds from the offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses, to repay outstanding borrowings and for other general corporate purposes. The Company's 2010 Senior Notes are guaranteed jointly, severally, fully and unconditionally, subject to certain customary limitations by eight 100%-owned domestic subsidiaries.

Revolving Credit Facilities

On July 25, 2012, the Company entered into a $350 million senior secured credit facility, comprised of a $200 million revolving credit tranche (the "New Revolver") and a $150 million term loan tranche (the "Term Loan") with Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch, as administrative agent, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent and a syndication of lenders (the "New Credit Facility"). The New Credit Facility has a final maturity date of July 25, 2016, subject to an optional one-year extension provided certain conditions are met. Up to $25 million of the borrowings under the New Revolver may be used for letters of credit, up to $10 million of borrowings under the New Revolver may be used for swing-line loans and up to $35 million of borrowings under the New Revolver may be used for alternative currency loans. The Term Loan requires quarterly amortization payments (a) during the first two years, in equal installments aggregating 5% of the original principal amount of the Term Loan per year, (b) during the second two years, in equal installments aggregating 7.5% of the original principal amount of the Term Loan per year, and (c) during the one-year extension period (if exercised), equal installments aggregating 10% of the original principal amount of the Term Loan.

The Company utilized the proceeds from the Term Loan and borrowings from the New Revolver, together with the net proceeds from the Company's recently issued senior notes offering, to pay during 2012 the special cash dividend of approximately $600.7 million in the aggregate to the Company's stockholders on August 23, 2012.

The New Credit Facility is unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by certain of the Company's domestic subsidiaries. The subsidiary guarantors currently include all subsidiaries that guarantee the obligations under the Company's Indenture governing the terms of its 2010 and 2012 Senior Notes.

The New Credit Facility is secured by first priority pledges of (i) 100% of the ownership interests in certain domestic subsidiaries owned by the Company and the guarantors, (ii) 65% of the ownership interests in (a) Choice Netherlands Antilles N.V. (“Choice NV”), the top-tier foreign holding company of Choice's foreign subsidiaries, and (b) the domestic subsidiary that owns Choice NV and (iii) all presently existing and future domestic franchise agreements (the “Franchise Agreements”) between the Company and individual franchisees, but only to the extent that the Franchise Agreements may be pledged without violating any law of the relevant jurisdiction or conflicting with any existing contractual obligation of the Company or the applicable franchisee. At the time that the maximum total leverage ratio is required to be no greater than 4.0 to 1.00 (beginning of year 4 of the New Credit Facility), the security interest in the Franchise Agreements will be released.

The Company may at any time prior to the final maturity date increase the amount of the New Credit Facility by up to an additional $100 million to the extent that any one or more lenders commit to being a lender for the additional amount and certain other customary conditions are met. Such additional amounts may take the form of an increased Revolver or Term Loan.

The Company may elect to have borrowings under the New Credit Facility bear interest at a rate equal to (i) LIBOR, plus a margin ranging from 200 to 425 basis points based on the Company's total leverage ratio or (ii) a base rate plus a margin ranging from 100 to 325 basis points based on the Company's total leverage ratio.

The New Credit Facility requires the Company to pay a fee on the undrawn portion of the New Revolver, calculated on the basis of the average daily unused amount of the New Revolver multiplied by 0.30% per annum.

The Company may reduce the New Revolver commitment and/or prepay the Term Loan in whole or in part at any time without penalty, subject to reimbursement of customary breakage costs, if any. Any Term Loan prepayments made by the Company shall be applied to reduce the scheduled amortization payments in direct order of maturity.

Additionally, the New Credit Facility requires that the Company and its restricted subsidiaries comply with various covenants, including with respect to restrictions on liens, incurring indebtedness, making investments, paying dividends or repurchasing stock, and effecting mergers and/or asset sales. In addition, the New Credit Facility imposes financial maintenance covenants requiring the Company to maintain:


•	a total leverage ratio of not more than 5.75 to 1.00 in year 1, 5.00 to 1.00 in year 2, 4.50 to 1.00 in year 3 and 4.00 to 1.00 thereafter,


•	a maximum secured leverage ratio of not more than 2.50 to 1.00 in year 1, 2.25 to 1.00 in year 2, 2.00 to 1.00 in year 3 and 1.75 to 1.00 thereafter, and


•	a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 2.00 to 1.00 in years 1 and 2, 2.25 to 1.00 in year 3 and 2.50 to 1.00 thereafter.

The New Credit Facility includes customary events of default, the occurrence of which, following any applicable cure period, would permit the lenders to, among other things, declare the principal, accrued interest and other obligations of the Company under the New Credit Facility to be immediately due and payable. At September 30, 2012, the Company was in compliance with all covenants under the New Credit Facility.

The Company incurred debt issuance costs in connection with the New Credit Facility totaling approximately $3.7 million, which are included in other current assets and other assets on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. These debt issuance costs are amortized, on a straight-line basis, which is not materially different than the effective interest method, through the maturity of the New Credit Facility. Amortization of these costs is included in interest expense in the consolidated statements of income.

At September 30, 2012, the Company had $150.0 million and $16.7 million outstanding under the Term Loan and New Revolver, respectively.

In connection with the entering into the New Credit Facility, the Company's $300 million senior unsecured revolving credit agreement, dated as of February 24, 2011, among the Company, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, and a syndicate of lenders (the “Old Credit Facility”), was terminated and replaced by the New Credit Facility. The Old Credit Facility permitted the Company to borrow, repay and re-borrow revolving loans until the scheduled maturity date of February 24, 2016. Upon refinancing, the Company had unamortized deferred financing fees totaling $1.7 million pertaining to the Old Credit Facility. Based on an analysis of the lenders participating in both the Old and New Credit Facilities, the Company recorded a loss on extinguishment of debt of approximately $0.5 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012. The remaining unamortized deferred fees related to the Old Credit Facility will be amortized, on a straight-line basis through the maturity of the New Credit Facility.

Scheduled principal maturities of debt as of September 30, 2012 were as follows:



Year Ending	Senior Notes		Capital Lease			Revolving Credit Facilities		Other Notes Payable		Total
			(In thousands)
September 30, 2013	$	—	$	1,024		$	9,375	$	21	$	10,420
September 30, 2014	—		1,024			8,437		23		9,484
September 30, 2015	—		1,024			11,250		22		12,296
September 30, 2016	—		854			137,663		10		138,527
September 30, 2017	—		—			—		—		—
Thereafter	649,491		—			—		—		649,491
Total payments	649,491		3,926			166,725		76		820,218
Less: Amount representing estimated executory costs	—		(1,071		)	—		—		(1,071		)
Less: Amounts representing interest	—		(171		)	—		—		(171		)
Net principal payments	$	649,491	$	2,684		$	166,725	$	76	$	818,976