Variable Interest Entities

Variable interest entities ("VIEs") are entities in which equity investors lack the characteristics of a controlling financial interest. VIEs are consolidated by the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the party who has both the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and an obligation to absorb losses of the entity or a right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity.

Our variable interests in VIEs include debt and equity interests, an equity interest in an associated company, commitments, guarantees and certain fees. Our involvement with VIEs arises primarily from the following activities of Jefferies, but also includes other activities discussed below:


•	Purchases of securities in connection with our trading and secondary market making activities,


•	Retained interests held as a result of securitization activities, including the resecuritization of mortgage- and other asset-backed securities and the securitization of commercial mortgage, corporate and consumer loans,


•	Acting as placement agent and/or underwriter in connection with client-sponsored securitizations,


•	Financing of agency and non-agency mortgage- and other asset-backed securities,


•	Warehousing funding arrangements for client-sponsored consumer loan vehicles and collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”) through participation certificates and revolving loan commitments, and


•	Loans to, investments in and fees from various investment fund vehicles.

We determine whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE upon our initial involvement with the VIE and we reassess whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE on an ongoing basis. Our determination of whether we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE is based upon the facts and circumstances for each VIE and requires significant judgment. Our considerations in determining the VIE’s most significant activities and whether we have power to direct those activities include, but are not limited to, the VIE’s purpose and design and the risks passed through to investors, the voting interests of the VIE, management, service and/or other agreements of the VIE, involvement in the VIE’s initial design and the existence of explicit or implicit financial guarantees. In situations where we have determined that the power over the VIE’s most significant activities is shared, we assess whether we are the party with the power over the majority of the significant activities. If we are the party with the power over the majority of the significant activities, we meet the "power" criteria of the primary beneficiary. If we do not have the power over a majority of the significant activities or we determine that decisions require consent of each sharing party, we do not meet the "power" criteria of the primary beneficiary.

We assess our variable interests in a VIE both individually and in aggregate to determine whether we have an obligation to absorb losses of or a right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The determination of whether our variable interest is significant to the VIE requires significant judgment. In determining the significance of our variable interest, we consider the terms, characteristics and size of the variable interests, the design and characteristics of the VIE, our involvement in the VIE and our market-making activities related to the variable interests.

Consolidated VIEs

The following tables present information about the assets and liabilities of our consolidated VIEs, which are presented within our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition in the respective asset and liability categories, as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.



	Securitization Vehicles
	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
	(In millions)
Cash	$	3.0	$	0.5
Financial instruments owned	86.4		62.7
Securities purchased under agreement to resell (1)	736.7		575.2
Other	174.9		107.1
Total assets	$	1,001.0	$	745.5

Other secured financings (2)	$	986.3	$	737.0
Other	14.7		8.5
Total liabilities	$	1,001.0	$	745.5


(1)	Securities purchased under agreement to resell represent an amount due under a collateralized transaction on a related consolidated entity, which is eliminated in consolidation.


(2)	Approximately $15.9 million and $39.7 million of the secured financing represents an amount held by Jefferies in inventory and eliminated in consolidation at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.

Securitization vehicles. Jefferies is the primary beneficiary of securitization vehicles to which it transferred term loans backed by consumer installment receivables and mortgage-backed securities. Jefferies retained a portion of the securities issued by the securitization vehicles. In the creation of the securitization vehicles, Jefferies was involved in the decisions made during the establishment and design of the entities and holds variable interests consisting of the securities retained that could potentially be significant. The assets of the VIEs consist of the term loans backed by consumer installment receivables and mortgage-backed securities, which are available for the benefit of the vehicles' beneficial interest holders. The creditors of the VIEs do not have recourse to Jefferies general credit and the assets of the VIEs are not available to satisfy any other debt.

Jefferies is the primary beneficiary of mortgage-backed financing vehicles to which Jefferies sells agency and non-agency residential and commercial mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities pursuant to the terms of a master repurchase agreement. Jefferies manages the assets within these vehicles. Jefferies variable interests in these vehicles consist of its collateral margin maintenance obligations under the master repurchase agreement. The assets of these VIEs consist of reverse repurchase agreements, which are available for the benefit of the vehicle’s debt holders. The creditors of these VIEs do not have recourse to Jefferies general credit and each such VIE’s assets are not available to satisfy any other debt.

At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, another of our subsidiaries is the primary beneficiary of SPEs it utilized to securitize automobile loans receivable. Our subsidiary acts as the servicer for which it receives a fee, and owns the equity interest in the SPEs. The notes issued by the SPEs are secured solely by the assets of the SPEs and do not have recourse to our subsidiary’s general credit and the assets of the VIEs are not available to satisfy any other debt.

Nonconsolidated VIEs

The following tables present information about Jefferies variable interests in nonconsolidated VIEs.



	Variable Interests
	Financial Statement Carrying Amount (1)		Maximum Exposure to Loss		VIE Assets
	Assets
	(In millions)
September 30, 2015
Collateralized loan obligations	$	82.7	$	768.8	$	6,409.1
Consumer loan vehicles	123.4		867.0		602.1
Asset management vehicles	3.6		3.6		49.8
Private equity vehicles	25.5		45.9		74.8
Total	$	235.2	$	1,685.3	$	7,135.8

December 31, 2014
Collateralized loan obligations	$	134.0	$	926.9	$	7,737.1
Consumer loan vehicles	170.6		797.8		485.2
Asset management vehicles	11.3		11.3		432.3
Private equity vehicles	44.3		59.2		92.8
Total	$	360.2	$	1,795.2	$	8,747.4


(1)	There were no significant liabilities at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

Jefferies maximum exposure to loss often differs from the carrying value of the variable interests. The maximum exposure to loss is dependent on the nature of the variable interests in the VIEs and is limited to the notional amounts of certain loan commitments and guarantees. Jefferies maximum exposure to loss does not include the offsetting benefit of any financial instruments that may be utilized to hedge the risks associated with its variable interests and is not reduced by the amount of collateral held as part of a transaction with a VIE.

Collateralized Loan Obligations. Assets collateralizing the CLOs include bank loans, participation interests and sub-investment grade and senior secured U.S. loans. Jefferies underwrites securities issued in CLO transactions on behalf of unaffiliated sponsors and provides advisory services to the unaffiliated sponsors. Jefferies may also sell corporate loans to the CLOs. Jefferies variable interests in connection with collateralized loan obligations where it has been involved in providing underwriting and/or advisory services consist of the following:


•	Forward sale agreements whereby we commit to sell, at a fixed price, corporate loans and ownership interests in an entity holding such corporate loans to CLOs


•	Warehouse funding arrangements in the form of participation interests in corporate loans held by CLOs and commitments to fund such participation interests


•	Trading positions in securities issued in a CLO transaction


•	Investments in variable funding notes issued by CLOs


•	A guarantee to a CLO managed by Jefferies Finance, whereby we guarantee certain of the obligations of Jefferies Finance to the CLO

In addition, Jefferies owns variable interests in CLOs previously managed by Jefferies. These variable interests consist of debt securities and a right to a portion of the CLOs’ management and incentive fees. Jefferies exposure to loss from these CLOs is limited to its investments in the debt securities held. Management and incentives fees are accrued as the amounts become realizable. These CLOs represent interests in assets consisting primarily of senior secured loans, unsecured loans and high yield bonds.

Consumer Loan Vehicles. Jefferies provides financing and lending related services to certain client-sponsored VIEs in the form of revolving funding note agreements, revolving credit facilities and forward purchase agreements. The underlying assets, which are collateralizing the vehicles, are primarily comprised of unsecured consumer and small business loans. In addition, Jefferies may provide structuring and advisory services and act as an underwriter or placement agent for securities issued by the vehicles. Jefferies does not control the activities of these entities.

Asset Management Vehicle. Jefferies managed the Jefferies Umbrella Fund, an "umbrella structure" company that invested primarily in convertible bonds and enabled investors to choose between one or more investment objectives by investing in one or more sub-funds within the same structure. Jefferies variable interests in the Jefferies Umbrella Fund consist of equity interests, management fees and performance fees. Effective May 2015, the Jefferies Umbrella Fund was placed into liquidation.

Jefferies manages an asset management vehicle that provides investors with exposure to absolute return strategies, primarily including merger arbitrage, relative value and stock loan arbitrage. Our variable interests in this asset management vehicle consist of management and performance fees.

Private Equity Vehicles. On July 26, 2010, Jefferies committed to invest equity of up to $75.0 million in Jefferies SBI USA Fund L.P. (the "SBI USA Fund L.P."). As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, Jefferies funded approximately $64.6 million and $60.1 million, respectively, of its commitment. The carrying amount of Jefferies equity investment was $24.4 million and $43.1 million at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Jefferies exposure to loss is limited to its equity commitment. The SBI USA Fund L.P. has assets consisting primarily of private equity and equity related investments.

Jefferies has a variable interest in Jefferies Employees Partners IV, LLC ("JEP IV") consisting of an equity investment. The carrying amount of Jefferies equity investment was $1.1 million and $1.2 million at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Jefferies exposure to loss is limited to its equity investment. JEP IV has assets consisting primarily of private equity and equity related investments.

Jefferies has provided a guarantee of a portion of Energy Partners I, LP's obligations under a credit agreement. Energy Partners I, LP, is a private equity fund owned and managed by certain of our employees. At September 30, 2015, the carrying value and maximum exposure to loss of the guarantee were $0.0 and $10.0 million, respectively. Energy Partners I, LP, has assets consisting primarily of debt and equity investments.

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Vehicles. In connection with Jefferies secondary trading and market-making activities, Jefferies buys and sells agency and non-agency mortgage- and asset-backed securities, which are issued by third party securitization SPEs and are generally considered variable interests in VIEs. Securities issued by securitization SPEs are backed by residential mortgage loans, U.S. agency collateralized mortgage obligations, commercial mortgage loans, collateralized debt obligations and CLOs and other consumer loans, such as installment receivables, auto loans and student loans. These securities are accounted for at fair value and included in Trading assets in our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Jefferies has no other involvement with the related SPEs and therefore does not consolidate these entities.

Jefferies also engages in underwriting, placement and structuring activities for third-party-sponsored securitization trusts generally through agency (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae) or non-agency sponsored SPEs and may purchase loans or mortgage-backed securities from third parties that are subsequently transferred into the securitization trusts. The securitizations are backed by residential and commercial mortgage, home equity and auto loans. Jefferies does not consolidate agency sponsored securitizations as it does not have the power to direct the activities of the SPEs that most significantly impact their economic performance. Further, Jefferies is not the servicer of non-agency sponsored securitizations and therefore does not have power to direct the most significant activities of the SPEs and accordingly, does not consolidate these entities. Jefferies may retain unsold senior and/or subordinated interests at the time of securitization in the form of securities issued by the SPEs.

Jefferies transfers existing securities, typically mortgage-backed securities, into resecuritization vehicles. These transactions in which debt securities are transferred to a VIE in exchange for new beneficial interests occur in connection with both agency and non-agency sponsored VIEs. The consolidation analysis is largely dependent on Jefferies role and interest in the resecuritization trusts. Most resecuritizations in which Jefferies is involved are in connection with investors seeking securities with specific risk and return characteristics. As such, we have concluded that the decision-making power is shared between Jefferies and the investor (s), considering the joint efforts involved in structuring the trust and selecting the underlying assets as well as the level of security interests the investor(s) hold in the SPE; therefore, Jefferies does not consolidate the resecuritization VIEs.

At September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, Jefferies held $4,706.5 million and $3,186.9 million of agency mortgage-backed securities, respectively, and $893.5 million and $1,120.0 million of non-agency mortgage- and other asset-backed securities, respectively, as a result of its secondary trading and market-making activities, underwriting, placement and structuring activities and resecuritization activities. Jefferies maximum exposure to loss on these securities is limited to the carrying value of its investments in these securities. Mortgage- and other asset-backed securitization vehicles discussed within this section are not included in the above table containing information about Jefferies variable interests in nonconsolidated VIEs.

We also have a variable interest in a nonconsolidated VIE consisting of our equity interest in an associated company, Golden Queen Mining Company, LLC. See Note 9 for further discussion.

In addition, at September 30, 2015, we have a variable interest in a nonconsolidated VIE consisting of our senior secured term loan receivable with rights with FXCM. See Note 3 for further discussion.