5. INVESTMENT OPERATIONS

Major categories of net investment income are summarized as follows:

	For The Year Ended December 31,
	2013		2012		2011
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Fixed maturities	$	1,508,924	$	1,453,018	$	1,414,965
Equity securities	26,735		20,740		20,595
Mortgage loans	333,093		349,845		336,541
Investment real estate	3,555		3,289		3,458
Short-term investments	72,433		62,887		72,137
	1,944,740		1,889,779		1,847,696
Other investment expenses	108,552		100,441		94,252
Net investment income	$	1,836,188	$	1,789,338	$	1,753,444

Net realized investment gains (losses) for all other investments are summarized as follows:

	For The Year Ended December 31,
	2013			2012			2011
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Fixed maturities	$	63,161		$	67,669		$	80,044
Equity securities	3,276			(45		)	9,136
Impairments on fixed maturity securities	(19,100		)	(58,144		)	(47,321		)
Impairments on equity securities	(3,347		)	—			—
Modco trading portfolio	(178,134		)	177,986			164,224
Other investments	(9,840		)	(12,774		)	(5,651		)
Total realized gains (losses) - investments	$	(143,984	)	$	174,692		$	200,432

For the year ended December 31, 2013, gross realized gains on investments available-for-sale (fixed maturities, equity securities, and short-term investments) were $72.6 million and gross realized losses were $27.9 million, including $21.7 million of impairment losses. For the year ended December 31, 2012, gross realized gains on investments available-for-sale (fixed maturities, equity securities, and short-term investments) were $73.2 million and gross realized losses were $60.3 million, including $54.7 million of impairment losses. For the year ended December 31, 2011, gross realized gains on investments available-for-sale (fixed maturities, equity securities, and short-term investments) were $104.5 million and gross realized losses were $62.0 million, including $46.6 million of impairment losses.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company sold securities in an unrealized gain position with a fair value (proceeds) of $2.3 billion. The gain realized on the sale of these securities was $72.6 million. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company sold securities in an unrealized gain position with a fair value (proceeds) of $1.6 billion. The gain realized on the sale of these securities was $73.2 million. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company sold securities in an unrealized gain position with a fair value (proceeds) of $2.2 billion. The gain realized on the sale of these securities was $104.5 million.

For the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company sold securities in an unrealized loss position with a fair value (proceeds) of $398.2 million. The loss realized on the sale of these securities was $6.2 million. The Company made the decision to exit these holdings in conjunction with our overall asset liability management process.

For the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company sold securities in an unrealized loss position with a fair value (proceeds) of $38.0 million. The loss realized on the sale of these securities was $5.6 million. The Company made the decision to exit these holdings in order to reduce its European financial exposure.

For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company sold securities in an unrealized loss position with a fair value (proceeds) of $263.1 million. The loss realized on the sale of these securities was $15.3 million. The Company made the decision to exit these holdings in order to reduce its European financial exposure.

The amortized cost and fair value of the Company’s investments classified as available-for-sale as of December 31, are as follows:

			Gross		Gross					Total OTTI
	Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Fair		Recognized
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Value		in OCI(1)
	(Dollars In Thousands)
2013
Fixed maturities:
Bonds
Residential mortgage-backed securities	$	1,435,349	$	34,255	$	(24,536	)	$	1,445,068	$	979
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	963,461		26,900		(19,705		)	970,656		—
Other asset-backed securities	926,396		15,135		(69,548		)	871,983		(51		)
U.S. government-related securities	1,529,818		32,150		(54,078		)	1,507,890		—
Other government-related securities	49,171		2,257		(1		)	51,427		—
States, municipals, and political subdivisions	1,315,457		103,663		(8,291		)	1,410,829		—
Corporate bonds	24,623,681		1,509,546		(391,813		)	25,741,414		—
	30,843,333		1,723,906		(567,972		)	31,999,267		928
Equity securities	611,473		6,068		(36,332		)	581,209		—
Short-term investments	80,582		—		—			80,582		—
	$	31,535,388	$	1,729,974	$	(604,304	)	$	32,661,058	$	928
2012
Fixed maturities:
Bonds
Residential mortgage-backed securities	$	1,766,260	$	92,417	$	(19,347	)	$	1,839,330	$	(406	)
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	797,844		72,577		(598		)	869,823		—
Other asset-backed securities	1,023,649		12,788		(61,424		)	975,013		(241		)
U.S. government-related securities	1,097,501		71,536		(591		)	1,168,446		—
Other government-related securities	93,565		7,258		(45		)	100,778		—
States, municipals, and political subdivisions	1,188,019		255,898		(264		)	1,443,653		—
Corporate bonds	17,687,164		2,726,858		(48,395		)	20,365,627		(5,488		)
	23,654,002		3,239,332		(130,664		)	26,762,670		(6,135		)
Equity securities	352,272		11,881		(9,993		)	354,160		—
Short-term investments	97,852		—		—			97,852		—
	$	24,104,126	$	3,251,213	$	(140,657	)	$	27,214,682	$	(6,135	)

(1) These amounts are included in the gross unrealized gains and gross unrealized losses columns above.

The amortized cost and fair value of the Company’s investments classified as held-to-maturity as of December 31, 2013 are as follows:

			Gross		Gross					Total OTTI
	Amortized		Unrealized		Unrealized			Fair		Recognized
	Cost		Gains		Losses			Value		in OCI

2013
Fixed maturities:
Other	$	365,000	$	—	$	(29,324	)	$	335,676	$	—
	$	365,000	$	—	$	(29,324	)	$	335,676	$	—
2012
Fixed maturities:
Other	$	300,000	$	19,163	$	—		$	319,163	$	—
	$	300,000	$	19,163	$	—		$	319,163	$	—

During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company did not record any other-than-temporary impairments on held-to-maturity securities. The Company’s held-to-maturity securities had gross unrecognized holding losses of $29.3 million. The Company does not consider these unrecognized holding losses to be other-than-temporary based on certain positive factors associated with the securities which include credit ratings, financial health of the issuer, continued access of the issuer to capital markets and other pertinent information.

As of December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company had an additional $2.8 billion and $3.0 billion of fixed maturities, $21.2 million and $19.6 million of equity securities, and $52.4 million and $118.9 million of short-term investments classified as trading securities, respectively.

The amortized cost and fair value of available-for-sale and held-to-maturity fixed maturities as of December 31, 2013, by expected maturity, are shown below. Expected maturities of securities without a single maturity date are allocated based on estimated rates of prepayment that may differ from actual rates of prepayment.

	Available-for-sale				Held-to-Maturity
	Amortized		Fair		Amortized		Fair
	Cost		Value		Cost		Value
	(Dollars In Thousands)				(Dollars In Thousands)
Due in one year or less	$	1,016,111	$	1,033,834	$	—	$	—
Due after one year through five years	4,980,915		5,244,978		—		—
Due after five years through ten years	9,074,051		9,323,440		—		—
Due after ten years	15,772,256		16,397,015		365,000		335,676
	$	30,843,333	$	31,999,267	$	365,000	$	335,676

During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company recorded pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments of investments of $10.9 million, of which $7.6 million were related to fixed maturities and $3.3 million were related to equity securities. Credit impairments recorded in earnings during the year ended December 31, 2013, were $22.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2013, $11.5 million of non-credit losses previously recorded in other comprehensive income were recorded in earnings as credit losses. There were no other-than-temporary impairments related to fixed maturities or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell for the year ended December 31, 2013.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recorded pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments of investments of $67.1 million all of which were related to fixed maturities. Of the $67.1 million of impairments for the year ended December 31, 2012, $58.1 million was recorded in earnings and $9.0 million was recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). There were no impairments related to equity securities. For the year ended December 31, 2012, there were no other-than-temporary impairments related to fixed maturities or equity securities that the Company intended to sell or expected to be required to sell.

During the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company recorded pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments of investments of $62.2 million all of which were related to fixed maturities. Of the $62.2 million of impairments for the year ended December 31, 2011, $47.3 million was recorded in earnings and $14.9 million was recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). For the year ended December 31, 2011, there were no impairments related to equity securities. For the year ended December 31, 2011, pre-tax other-than-temporary impairments related to fixed maturities that the Company did not intend to sell and does not expect to be required to sell were $52.7 million, with $37.8 million of credit losses recorded on fixed maturities in earnings and $14.9 million of non-credit losses recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). During the same period, other-than-temporary impairments related to fixed maturities that the Company intends to sell or expects to be required to sell were $9.5 million and were recorded in earnings.

The following chart is a rollforward of available-for-sale credit losses on fixed maturities held by the Company for which a portion of an other-than-temporary impairment was recognized in other comprehensive income (loss):

	For The Year Ended December 31,
	2013			2012		2011
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Beginning balance	$	121,237		$	69,476	$	39,275
Additions for newly impaired securities	3,516			26,544		12,699
Additions for previously impaired securities	12,066			25,217		20,591
Reductions for previously impaired securities due to a change in expected cash flows	(87,908		)	—		—
Reductions for previously impaired securities that were sold in the current period	(7,237		)	—		(3,089		)
Other	—			—		—
Ending balance	$	41,674		$	121,237	$	69,476

The following table includes the gross unrealized losses and fair value of the Company’s investments that are not deemed to be other-than-temporarily impaired, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2013:

	Less Than 12 Months					12 Months or More					Total
	Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized
	Value		Loss			Value		Loss			Value		Loss
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Residential mortgage-backed securities	$	332,812	$	(14,050	)	$	209,818	$	(10,486	)	$	542,630	$	(24,536	)
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	429,228		(18,467		)	13,840		(1,238		)	443,068		(19,705		)
Other asset-backed securities	175,846		(14,555		)	497,512		(54,993		)	673,358		(69,548		)
U.S. government-related securities	891,698		(53,508		)	6,038		(570		)	897,736		(54,078		)
Other government-related securities	10,161		(1		)			—			10,161		(1		)
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions	172,157		(8,113		)	335		(178		)	172,492		(8,291		)
Corporate bonds	7,480,163		(353,069		)	271,535		(38,744		)	7,751,698		(391,813		)
Equities	376,776		(27,861		)	21,764		(8,471		)	398,540		(36,332		)
	$	9,868,841	$	(489,624	)	$	1,020,842	$	(114,680	)	$	10,889,683	$	(604,304	)

RMBS have a gross unrealized loss greater than twelve months of $10.5 million as of December 31, 2013. Factors such as the credit enhancement within the deal structure, the average life of the securities, and the performance of the underlying collateral support the recoverability of these investments.

The other asset-backed securities have a gross unrealized loss greater than twelve months of $55.0 million as of December 31, 2013. This category predominately includes student-loan backed auction rate securities, the underlying collateral, of which is at least 97% guaranteed by the Federal Family Education Loan Program (“FFELP”). These unrealized losses have occurred within the Company’s auction rate securities (“ARS”) portfolio since the market collapse during 2008. At this time, the Company has no reason to believe that the U.S. Department of Education would not honor the FFELP guarantee, if it were necessary.

The corporate bonds category has gross unrealized losses less than and greater than twelve months of $353.1 million and $38.7 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2013. These declines were primarily related to changes in interest rates during the period. The aggregate decline in market value of these securities was deemed temporary due to positive factors supporting the recoverability of the respective investments. Positive factors considered include credit ratings, the financial health of the issuer, the continued access of the issuer to capital markets, and other pertinent information.

The equities category has a gross unrealized loss greater than twelve months of $8.5 million as of December 31, 2013. The aggregate decline in market value of these securities was deemed temporary due to factors supporting the recoverability of the respective investments. Positive factors include credit ratings, the financial health of the issuer, the continued access of the issuer to the capital markets, and other pertinent information.

The Company does not consider these unrealized loss positions to be other-than-temporary, based on the aggregate factors discussed previously and because the Company has the ability and intent to hold these investments until the fair values recover, and does not intend to sell or expect to be required to sell the securities before recovering the Company’s amortized cost of the securities.

	Less Than 12 Months					12 Months or More					Total
	Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized			Fair		Unrealized
	Value		Loss			Value		Loss			Value		Loss
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Residential mortgage-backed securities	$	100,412	$	(9,578	)	$	166,000	$	(9,769	)	$	266,412	$	(19,347	)
Commercial mortgage-backed securities	50,506		(598		)	—		—			50,506		(598		)
Other asset-backed securities	479,223		(28,179		)	242,558		(33,245		)	721,781		(61,424		)
U.S. government-related securities	106,806		(591		)	—		—			106,806		(591		)
Other government-related securities	14,955		(45		)	—		—			14,955		(45		)
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions	11,526		(264		)	—		—			11,526		(264		)
Corporate bonds	775,593		(23,630		)	363,128		(24,765		)	1,138,721		(48,395		)
Equities	35,059		(5,150		)	21,754		(4,843		)	56,813		(9,993		)
	$	1,574,080	$	(68,035	)	$	793,440	$	(72,622	)	$	2,367,520	$	(140,657	)

RMBS had a gross unrealized loss greater than twelve months of $9.8 million as of December 31, 2012. The non-agency RMBS market experienced improvements during the year, but these losses represented securities where credit concerns were more pronounced. Factors such as the credit enhancement within the deal structure, the average life of the securities, and the performance of the underlying collateral support the recoverability of these investments.

The other asset-backed securities had a gross unrealized loss greater than twelve months of $33.2 million as of December 31, 2012. This category predominately includes student-loan backed auction rate securities, the underlying collateral, of which is at least 97% guaranteed by the FFELP. These unrealized losses have occurred within the Company’s ARS portfolio since the market collapse during 2008. At this time, the Company has no reason to believe that the U.S. Department of Education would not honor the FFELP guarantee, if it were necessary.

The corporate bonds category had gross unrealized losses greater than twelve months of $24.8 million as of December 31, 2012. These losses were primarily related to fluctuations in credit spreads. The aggregate decline in market value of these securities was deemed temporary due to positive factors supporting the recoverability of the respective investments. Positive factors considered include credit ratings, the financial health of the issuer, the continued access of the issuer to capital markets, and other pertinent information.

The equities category had a gross unrealized loss greater than twelve months of $4.8 million as of December 31, 2012. These losses were primarily related to a widening in credit spreads on perpetual preferred stock holdings. The aggregate decline in market value of these securities was deemed temporary due to factors supporting the recoverability of the respective investments. Positive factors include credit ratings, the financial health of the issuer, the continued access of the issuer to the capital markets, and other pertinent information.

As of December 31, 2013, the Company had securities in its available-for-sale portfolio which were rated below investment grade of $1.6 billion and had an amortized cost of $1.6 billion. In addition, included in the Company’s trading portfolio, the Company held $333.9 million of securities which were rated below investment grade. Approximately $543.8 million of the below investment grade securities were not publicly traded.

The change in unrealized gains (losses), net of income tax, on fixed maturity and equity securities, classified as available-for-sale is summarized as follows:

	For The Year Ended December 31,
	2013			2012		2011
	(Dollars In Thousands)
Fixed maturities	$	(1,269,277	)	$	819,152	$	761,738
Equity securities	(20,899		)	8,484		(13,292		)

The Company held $26.4 million of non-income producing securities for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Excluding the MONY acquisition, included in the Company’s invested assets are $985.9 million of policy loans as of December 31, 2013. The interest rates on standard policy loans range from 3.0% to 8.0%. The collateral loans on life insurance policies have an interest rate of 13.64%.

Variable Interest Entities

The Company holds certain investments in entities in which its ownership interests could possibly be considered variable interests under Topic 810 of the FASB ASC (excluding debt and equity securities held as trading, available for sale, or held to maturity). The Company reviews the characteristics of each of these applicable entities and compares those characteristics to applicable criteria to determine whether the entity is a Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”). If the entity is determined to be a VIE, the Company then performs a detailed review to determine whether the interest would be considered a variable interest under the guidance. The Company then performs a qualitative review of all variable interests with the entity and determines whether the Company is the primary beneficiary. ASC 810 provides that an entity is the primary beneficiary of a VIE if the entity has 1) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, and 2) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

Based on this analysis, the Company had an interest in one wholly owned subsidiary, Red Mountain, LLC (“Red Mountain”), that was determined to be a VIE as of December 31, 2013 and 2012. The activity most significant to Red Mountain is the issuance of a note in connection with a financing transaction involving Golden Gate V Vermont Captive Insurance Company (“Golden Gate V”) and the Company in which Golden Gate V issued non-recourse funding obligations to Red Mountain and Red Mountain issued the note to Golden Gate V. Credit enhancement on the Red Mountain Note is provided by an unrelated third party. For details of this transaction, see Note 11, Debt and Other Obligations. The Company has the power, via its 100% ownership through an affiliate, to direct the activities of the VIE, but does not have the obligation to absorb losses related to the primary risks or sources of variability to the VIE. The variability of loss would be borne primarily by the third party in its function as provider of credit enhancement on the Red Mountain Note. Accordingly, it was determined that the Company is not the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The Company’s risk of loss related to the VIE is limited to its investment of $10,000. Additionally, the holding company (“PLC”) has guaranteed the VIE’s credit enhancement fee obligation to the unrelated third party provider. As of December 31, 2013, no payments have been made or required related to this guarantee.