9. Variable Interest Entities

A VIE is a partnership, limited liability company, trust or other legal entity that meets any one of the following criteria:

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The entity does not have sufficient equity to conduct its activities without additional subordinated financial support from another party.

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The entity’s investors lack the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance.

•

The entity’s equity at risk holders do not have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive residual returns.

•

The voting rights of some investors are not proportional to their economic interests in the entity, and substantially all of the entity’s activities involve, or are conducted on behalf of, investors with disproportionately few voting rights.

Our VIEs are summarized below. We define a “significant interest” in a VIE as a subordinated interest that exposes us to a significant portion, but not the majority, of the VIE’s expected losses or residual returns, even though we do not have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance.


	Consolidated VIEs				Unconsolidated VIEs
in millions	Total Assets		Total Liabilities		Total Assets		Total Liabilities		Maximum Exposure to Loss
September 30, 2013
LIHTC funds	$	24	$	23	$	97		—		—
Education loan securitization trusts		2,158		2,037		N/A		N/A		N/A
LIHTC investments		N/A		N/A		762		—	$	453

Our involvement with VIEs is described below.

Consolidated VIEs

LIHTC guaranteed funds. KAHC formed limited partnerships, known as funds, that invested in LIHTC operating partnerships. Interests in these funds were offered in syndication to qualified investors who paid a fee to KAHC for a guaranteed return. We also earned syndication fees from the funds and continue to earn asset management fees. The funds’ assets primarily are investments in LIHTC operating partnerships, which totaled $14 million at September 30, 2013. These investments are recorded in “accrued income and other assets” on the balance sheet and serve as collateral for the funds’ limited obligations.

We have not formed new funds or added LIHTC partnerships since October 2003. However, we continue to act as asset manager and to provide occasional funding for existing funds under a guarantee obligation. As a result of this guarantee obligation, we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary of these funds. Additional information on return guarantee agreements with LIHTC investors is presented in Note 15 (“Contingent Liabilities and Guarantees”) under the heading “Guarantees.”

In accordance with the applicable accounting guidance for distinguishing liabilities from equity, third-party interests associated with our LIHTC guaranteed funds are considered mandatorily redeemable instruments and are recorded in “accrued expense and other liabilities” on the balance sheet. However, the FASB has indefinitely deferred the measurement and recognition provisions of this accounting guidance for mandatorily redeemable third-party interests associated with finite-lived subsidiaries, such as our LIHTC guaranteed funds. We adjust our financial statements each period for the third-party investors’ share of the funds’ profits and losses. At September 30, 2013, we estimated the settlement value of these third-party interests to be between zero and $16 million, while the recorded value, including reserves, totaled $27 million. The partnership agreement for each of our guaranteed funds requires the fund to be dissolved by a certain date.

Education loan securitization trusts. In September 2009, we decided to exit the government-guaranteed education lending business. Therefore, we have accounted for this business as a discontinued operation. In the past, as part of our education lending business model, we originated and securitized education loans. As the transferor, we retained a portion of the risk in the form of a residual interest and also retained the right to service the securitized loans and receive servicing fees. We have not securitized any education loans since 2006.

We consolidated our ten outstanding education loan securitization trusts as of January 1, 2010. We were required to consolidate these trusts because we hold the residual interests and, as the master servicer, we have the power to direct the activities that most significantly influence the trusts’ economic performance. We elected to consolidate these trusts at fair value. The trust assets can be used only to settle the obligations or securities that the trusts issue; we cannot sell the assets or transfer the liabilities. The security holders or beneficial interest holders do not have recourse to us, and we do not have any liability recorded related to their securities. Further information regarding these education loan securitization trusts is provided in Note 11 (“Acquisitions and Discontinued Operations”) under the heading “Education lending.”

Unconsolidated VIEs

LIHTC nonguaranteed funds. Although we hold significant interests in certain nonguaranteed funds that we formed and funded, we have determined that we are not the primary beneficiary because we do not absorb the majority of the funds’ expected losses and do not have the power to direct activities that most significantly influence the economic performance of these entities. At September 30, 2013, assets of these unconsolidated nonguaranteed funds totaled $97 million. Our maximum exposure to loss in connection with these funds is minimal, and we do not have any liability recorded related to the funds. We have not formed nonguaranteed funds since October 2003.

LIHTC investments. Through Key Community Bank, we have made investments directly in LIHTC operating partnerships formed by third parties. As a limited partner in these operating partnerships, we are allocated tax credits and deductions associated with the underlying properties. We have determined that we are not the primary beneficiary of these investments because the general partners have the power to direct the activities that most significantly influence the economic performance of their respective partnerships and have the obligation to absorb expected losses and the right to receive benefits.

At September 30, 2013, assets of these unconsolidated LIHTC operating partnerships totaled approximately $762 million. At September 30, 2013, our maximum exposure to loss in connection with these partnerships is the unamortized investment balance of $353 million plus $100 million of tax credits claimed but subject to recapture. We do not have any liability recorded related to these investments because we believe the likelihood of any loss is remote. During the first nine months of 2013, we did not obtain significant direct investments (either individually or in the aggregate) in LIHTC operating partnerships.

We have additional investments in unconsolidated LIHTC operating partnerships that are held by the consolidated LIHTC guaranteed funds. Total assets of these operating partnerships were approximately $773 million at September 30, 2013. The tax credits and deductions associated with these properties are allocated to the funds’ investors based on their ownership percentages. We have determined that we are not the primary beneficiary of these partnerships because the general partners have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact their economic performance and the obligation to absorb expected losses and right to receive residual returns. Information regarding our exposure to loss in connection with these guaranteed funds is included in Note 15 under the heading “Return guarantee agreement with LIHTC investors.”

Commercial and residential real estate investments and principal investments. Our Principal Investing unit and the Real Estate Capital line of business make equity and mezzanine investments, some of which are in VIEs. These investments are held by nonregistered investment companies subject to the provisions of the AICPA Audit and Accounting Guide, “Audits of Investment Companies.” We are not currently applying the accounting or disclosure provisions in the applicable accounting guidance for consolidations to these investments, which remain unconsolidated. The FASB has indefinitely deferred the effective date of this guidance for such nonregistered investment companies.