COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND GUARANTEES

Commitments

Funding of Investments

The Company’s commitments to fund investments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are presented in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures	$	332,169	$	263,163
Commercial mortgage loans	126,248		86,325
Bank loans	58,318		48,686
Equity release mortgages	130,324		8,504

The Company anticipates that the majority of its current commitments will be invested over the next five years; however, these commitments could become due any time at the request of the counterparties. Investments in limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures are carried at cost or reported using the equity method and included in other invested assets in the consolidated balance sheets. Bank loans are carried at fair value and included in fixed maturity securities available-for-sale. Equity release mortgages are carried at unpaid principal balances, net of any amortized premium or discount and valuation allowance and included in other invested assets.

Leases

The Company leases office space and furniture and equipment under non-cancelable operating lease agreements, which expire at various dates. Future minimum office space annual rentals under non-cancelable operating leases along with associated sublease income at December 31, 2016 are as follows (dollars in thousands):



	Operating Leases		Sublease Income
2017	$	11,297	$	119
2018	10,250		—
2019	6,389		—
2020	4,317		—
2021	2,473		—
Thereafter	11,008		—

Rent expenses amounted to approximately $13.7 million, $12.1 million and $19.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

In 2013, the Company executed a series of incentive agreements with the County of St. Louis, Missouri (the “County”). Under these agreements, the Company transferred its newly constructed world headquarters to the County in exchange for taxable industrial revenue bonds (the “bonds”), in a series of bond issuances during 2013 and 2014, with a maximum amount of $150.0 million. As a result, the Company was able to reduce the cost of constructing and operating its world headquarters by reducing certain state and local tax expenditures. The Company simultaneously leased the world headquarters from the County and has an option to purchase the world headquarters for a nominal fee upon tendering the bonds back to the County. The payments due to the Company under the terms of the bonds and the amounts owed by the Company under the terms of the lease agreement qualify for the right of offset under GAAP. As such, neither the bonds nor the lease obligation is recorded on the consolidated balance sheets as an asset or liability, respectively. The world headquarters is recorded as an asset of the Company in “Other assets” on the consolidated balance sheets.

Contingencies

Litigation

The Company is subject to litigation in the normal course of its business. The Company currently has no material litigation. A legal reserve is established when the Company is notified of an arbitration demand or litigation or is notified that an arbitration demand or litigation is imminent, it is probable that the Company will incur a loss as a result and the amount of the probable loss is reasonably capable of being estimated.

Other Contingencies

The Company indemnifies its directors and officers as provided in its charters and by-laws. Since this indemnity generally is not subject to limitation with respect to duration or amount, the Company does not believe that it is possible to determine the maximum potential amount due under this indemnity in the future.

Guarantees

Statutory Reserve Support

RGA, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, has committed to provide statutory reserve support to third-parties, in exchange for a fee, by funding loans if certain defined events occur. Such statutory reserves are required under the U.S. Valuation of Life Policies Model Regulation (commonly referred to as Regulation XXX for term life insurance policies and Regulation A-XXX for universal life secondary guarantees). The third-parties have recourse to RGA should the subsidiary fail to provide the required funding, however, as of December 31, 2016, the Company does not believe that it will be required to provide any funding under these commitments as the occurrence of the defined events is considered remote. The following table presents the maximum potential obligation for these commitments as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in millions):



Commitment Period	Maximum Potential Obligation
2023	$	500.0
2033	950.0
2034	3,000.0
2035	1,314.2
2036	1,432.0

Other Guarantees

RGA has issued guarantees to third parties on behalf of its subsidiaries for the payment of amounts due under certain reinsurance treaties, securities borrowing arrangements, financing arrangements and office lease obligations, whereby if a subsidiary fails to meet an obligation, RGA or one of its other subsidiaries will make a payment to fulfill the obligation. In limited circumstances, treaty guarantees are granted to ceding companies in order to provide them additional security, particularly in cases where RGA’s subsidiary is relatively new, unrated, or not of a significant size, relative to the ceding company. Liabilities supported by the treaty guarantees, before consideration for any legally offsetting amounts due from the guaranteed party are reflected on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets in a policy related liability. Potential guaranteed amounts of future payments will vary depending on production levels and underwriting results. Guarantees related to borrowed securities provide additional security to third parties should a subsidiary fail to return the borrowed securities when due. RGA’s guarantees issued as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):



	2016		2015
Treaty guarantees	$	902,216	$	765,505
Treaty guarantees, net of assets in trust	780,786		634,909
Borrowed securities	263,820		259,540
Financing arrangements	119,073		100,000
Lease obligations	2,428		5,217