DEBT AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

DEBT AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

DEBT AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

9.DEBT AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

Under a revolving line of credit arrangement, the Company has the ability to borrow on an unsecured basis up to an aggregate principal amount of $500 million (the “Credit Facility”). The Company has the right in certain circumstances to request that the commitment under the Credit Facility be increased up to a maximum principal amount of $600 million. Balances outstanding under the Credit Facility accrue interest at a rate equal to (i) either the prime rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), plus (ii) a spread based on the ratings of PLC’s senior unsecured long-term debt. The Credit Agreement provides that the Company is liable for the full amount of any obligations for borrowings or letters of credit, excluding those of PLC, under the Credit Facility. The maturity date on the Credit Facility is April 16, 2013. The Company did not have an outstanding balance under the Credit Facility as of December 31, 2011. PLC had an outstanding balance of $170.0 million at an interest rate of LIBOR plus 0.40% under the Credit Facility as of December 31, 2011. The Company was not aware of any non-compliance with the financial debt covenants of the Credit Facility as of December 31, 2011.

Non-Recourse Funding Obligations

Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company

Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (“Golden Gate”), a South Carolina special purpose financial captive insurance company and wholly owned subsidiary, had three series of Surplus Notes with a total outstanding balance of $800 million as of December 31, 2011. PLC holds the entire outstanding balance of Surplus Notes. The Series A1 Surplus Notes have a balance of $400 million and accrue interest at 7.375%, the Series A2 Surplus Notes have a balance of $100 million and accrue interest at 8%, and the Series A3 Surplus Notes have a balance of $300 million and accrue interest at 8.45%.

Golden Gate II Captive Insurance Company

Golden Gate II Captive Insurance Company (“Golden Gate II”), a wholly owned special purpose financial captive insurance company, had $575.0 million of non-recourse funding obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2011. These outstanding non-recourse funding obligations were issued to special purpose trusts, which in turn issued securities to third parties. Certain of our affiliates purchased a portion of these securities during 2010 and 2011. As a result of these purchases, as of December 31, 2011, securities related to $407.8 million of the outstanding balance of the non-recourse funding obligations was held by external parties, securities related to $40.8 million of the non-recourse funding obligations was held by nonconsolidated affiliates, and $126.4 million was held by consolidated subsidiaries of the Company. These non-recourse funding obligations mature in 2052. $275 million of this amount is currently accruing interest at a rate of LIBOR plus 30 basis points. We have experienced higher borrowing costs than were originally expected associated with $300 million of our non-recourse funding obligations supporting the business reinsured to Golden Gate II. These higher costs are the result of higher spread component interest costs associated with the illiquidity of the current market for auction rate securities, as well as a rating downgrade of our guarantor by certain rating agencies. The current rate associated with these obligations is LIBOR plus 200 basis points, which is the maximum rate we can be required to pay under these obligations. We have contingent approval to issue an additional $100 million of obligations. Under the terms of the surplus notes, the holders of the surplus notes cannot require repayment from PLC, us, or any of our subsidiaries, other than Golden Gate II, the direct issuers of the surplus notes, although PLC has agreed to indemnify Golden Gate II for certain costs and obligations (which obligations do not include payment of principal and interest on the surplus notes). In addition, PLC has entered into certain support agreements with Golden Gate II obligating it to make capital contributions or provide support related to certain of Golden Gate II’s expenses and in certain circumstances, to collateralize certain of PLC’s obligations to Golden Gate II.

Non-recourse funding obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2011, on a consolidated basis, are shown below in the following table:

				Year-to-Date
				Weighted-Avg
Issuer	Balance		Maturity Year	Interest Rate
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company	$	800,000	2037	7.88	%
Golden Gate II Captive Insurance Company	448,600		2052	1.37	%
Total	$	1,248,600

Letters of Credit

Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company

Golden Gate III Vermont Captive Insurance Company (“Golden Gate III”), a Vermont special purpose financial captive insurance company and wholly owned subsidiary, is party to a Reimbursement Agreement (the “Reimbursement Agreement”) with UBS AG, Stamford Branch (“UBS”), as issuing lender. Under the original Reimbursement Agreement, dated April 23, 2010, UBS issued a letter of credit (the “LOC”) in the initial amount of $505 million to a trust for the benefit of our wholly-owned subsidiary, West Coast Life Insurance Company (“WCL”). The LOC balance increased during 2011 in accordance with the terms of the Reimbursement Agreement. The Reimbursement Agreement was subsequently amended and restated effective November 21, 2011, to replace the existing LOC with one or more letters of credit from UBS, and to extend the maturity date from April 1, 2018, to April 1, 2022. The LOC balance was $560 million as of December 31, 2011. Subject to certain conditions, the amount of the LOC will be periodically increased up to a maximum of $610 million in 2013. The term of the LOC is expected to be 12 years, subject to certain conditions including capital contributions made to Golden Gate III by us or one of our affiliates. The LOC was issued to support certain obligations of Golden Gate III to WCL under an indemnity reinsurance agreement originally effective April 1, 2010, and subsequently amended and restated as of October 1, 2011.

Golden Gate IV Vermont Captive Insurance Company

Golden Gate IV Vermont Captive Insurance Company (“Golden Gate IV”), a Vermont special purpose financial captive insurance company and wholly owned subsidiary, is party to a Reimbursement Agreement with UBS AG, Stamford Branch, as issuing lender. Under the Reimbursement Agreement, dated December 10, 2010, UBS issued an LOC in the initial amount of $270 million to a trust for the benefit of WCL. The LOC balance has increased, in accordance with the terms of the Reimbursement Agreement, each quarter of 2011 and was $455 million as of December 31, 2011. Subject to certain conditions, the amount of the LOC will be periodically increased up to a maximum of $790 million in 2016. The term of the LOC is expected to be 12 years. The LOC was issued to support certain obligations of Golden Gate IV to WCL under an indemnity reinsurance agreement effective October 1, 2010, which was subsequently amended and restated as of July 1, 2011.

Other obligations

The Company routinely receives from or pays to affiliates under the control of PLC reimbursements for expenses incurred on one another’s behalf. Receivables and payables among affiliates are generally settled monthly.

Interest Expense

Interest expense on non-recourse funding obligations, letters of credit, and other temporary borrowings was $90.8 million, $71.4 million, and $39.0 million in 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. The $19.4 increase was due to the additional expense on the non-recourse funding related to converting the rates from floating to fixed in May of 2010 and an increase in the letter of credit fees associated with Golden Gate III and Golden Gate IV.