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Credit Facilities
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Credit Facilities [Abstract]  
Credit Facilities
11.  CREDIT FACILITIES

The Company has three credit facilities for a total commitment of up to $1,250,000 thousand, providing for the issuance of letters of credit and/or unsecured revolving credit lines. The following table presents the costs incurred in connection with the three credit facilities for the periods indicated:
 
                 
   
Three Months Ended
   
March 31,
(Dollars in thousands)
 
2014
 
2013
Credit facility fees incurred
  $ 174     $ 1,129  
 
The terms and outstanding amounts for each facility are discussed below:

Group Credit Facility

Effective June 22, 2012, Group, Bermuda Re and Everest International entered into a four year, $800,000 thousand senior credit facility with a syndicate of lenders, which amended and restated in its entirety the July 27, 2007, five year, $850,000 thousand senior credit facility.  Both the June 22, 2012 and July 27, 2007 senior credit facilities, which have similar terms, are referred to as the "Group Credit Facility".  Wells Fargo Corporation ("Wells Fargo Bank") is the administrative agent for the Group Credit Facility, which consists of two tranches.  Tranche one provides up to $200,000 thousand of unsecured revolving credit for liquidity and general corporate purposes, and for the issuance of unsecured standby letters of credit.  The interest on the revolving loans shall, at the Company's option, be either (1) the Base Rate (as defined below) or (2) an adjusted London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") plus a margin.  The Base Rate is the higher of (a) the prime commercial lending rate established by Wells Fargo Bank, (b) the Federal Funds Rate plus 0.5% per annum or (c) the one month LIBOR Rate plus 1.0% per annum. The amount of margin and the fees payable for the Group Credit Facility depends on Group's senior unsecured debt rating.  Tranche two exclusively provides up to $600,000 thousand for the issuance of standby letters of credit on a collateralized basis.

The Group Credit Facility requires Group to maintain a debt to capital ratio of not greater than 0.35 to 1 and to maintain a minimum net worth.  Minimum net worth is an amount equal to the sum of $4,249,963 thousand plus 25% of consolidated net income for each of Group's fiscal quarters, for which statements are available ending on or after January 1, 2012 and for which consolidated net income is positive, plus 25% of any increase in consolidated net worth during such period attributable to the issuance of ordinary and preferred shares, which at March 31, 2014, was $4,881,367 thousand.  As of March 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all Group Credit Facility covenants.

The following table summarizes the outstanding letters of credit and/or borrowings for the periods indicated:
 
(Dollars in thousands)
   
At March 31, 2014
 
At December 31, 2013
Bank
   
Commitment
   
In Use
 
Date of Expiry
 
Commitment
   
In Use
 
Date of Expiry
Wells Fargo Bank Group Credit Facility
Tranche One
  $ 200,000     $ -       $ 200,000     $ -    
 
Tranche Two
    600,000       501,853  
12/31/2014
    600,000       502,059  
12/31/2014
Total Wells Fargo Bank Group Credit Facility
  $ 800,000     $ 501,853       $ 800,000     $ 502,059    
 
Holdings Credit Facility

Effective August 15, 2011, the Company entered into a three year, $150,000 thousand unsecured revolving credit facility with a syndicate of lenders, referred to as the "Holdings Credit Facility".  Citibank N.A. is the administrative agent for the Holdings Credit Facility.  The Holdings Credit Facility may be used for liquidity and general corporate purposes.  The Holdings Credit Facility provides for the borrowing of up to $150,000 thousand with interest at a rate selected by Holdings equal to either, (1) the Base Rate (as defined below) or (2) a periodic fixed rate equal to the Eurodollar Rate plus an applicable margin.  The Base Rate means a fluctuating interest rate per annum in effect from time to time to be equal to the higher of (a) the rate of interest publicly announced by Citibank as its base rate, (b) 0.5% per annum above the Federal Funds Rate or (c) 1% above the one month London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), in each case plus the applicable margin.  The amount of margin and the fees payable for the Holdings Credit Facility depends upon Holdings' senior unsecured debt rating.

The Holdings Credit Facility requires Holdings to maintain a debt to capital ratio of not greater than 0.35 to 1 and Everest Re to maintain its statutory surplus at $1,875,000 thousand plus 25% of future aggregate net income and 25% of future aggregate capital contributions after December 31, 2010, which at March 31, 2014, was $2,155,750 thousand.  As of March 31, 2014, Holdings was in compliance with all Holdings Credit Facility covenants.

There are certain regulatory and contractual restrictions on the ability of Holdings' operating subsidiaries to transfer funds to Holdings in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances.  The insurance laws of the State of Delaware, where Holdings' direct insurance subsidiaries are domiciled, require regulatory approval before those subsidiaries can pay dividends or make loans or advances to Holdings that exceed certain statutory thresholds.  At December 31, 2013, $2,294,461 thousand of the $3,136,782 thousand in net assets of Holdings' consolidated subsidiaries were subject to the foregoing regulatory restrictions.
 
The following table summarizes outstanding letters of credit and/or borrowings for the periods indicated:
 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
At March 31, 2014
 
At December 31, 2013
Bank
 
Commitment
   
In Use
 
Date of Loan
Maturity/Expiry Date
 
Commitment
   
In Use
 
Date of Loan
Maturity/Expiry Date
Citibank Holdings Credit Facility
  $ 150,000     $ -         $ 150,000     $ -      
Total revolving credit borrowings
            -                   -      
Total letters of credit
            851    
12/31/2014
            851    
12/31/2014
                                         
Total Citibank Holdings Credit Facility
  $ 150,000     $ 851         $ 150,000     $ 851      
 
Bermuda Re Letter of Credit Facility

Bermuda Re has a $300,000 thousand letter of credit issuance facility with Citibank N.A. referred to as the "Bermuda Re Letter of Credit Facility", which commitment is reconfirmed annually with updated fees.  The Bermuda Re Letter of Credit Facility provides for the issuance of up to $300,000 thousand of secured letters of credit to collateralize reinsurance obligations as a non-admitted reinsurer.  The interest on drawn letters of credit shall be (A) 0.35% per annum of the principal amount of issued standard letters of credit (expiry of 15 months or less) and (B) 0.45% per annum of the principal amount of issued extended tenor letters of credit (expiry maximum of up to 60 months).  The commitment fee on undrawn credit shall be 0.15% per annum.

The following table summarizes the outstanding letters of credit for the periods indicated:
 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
At March 31, 2014
 
At December 31, 2013
Bank
 
Commitment
   
In Use
 
Date of Expiry
 
Commitment
   
In Use
 
Date of Expiry
Citibank Bilateral Letter of Credit Agreement
  $ 300,000     $ 3,672  
11/24/2014
  $ 300,000     $ 119  
8/30/2014
              79,214  
12/31/2014
            3,672  
11/24/2014
              80  
8/30/2015
            79,336  
12/31/2014
              4,105  
12/31/2015
            1,045  
12/31/2015
              107,343  
3/30/2018
            22,800  
12/31/2017
              39,650  
6/30/2018
            129,147  
3/30/2018
Total Citibank Bilateral Agreement
  $ 300,000     $ 234,064       $ 300,000     $ 236,119