Rating Actions

When a rating agency assigns a public rating to a financial obligation guaranteed by one of AGL’s insurance company subsidiaries, it generally awards that obligation the same rating it has assigned to the financial strength of the AGL subsidiary that provides the guaranty. Investors in products insured by AGL’s insurance company subsidiaries frequently rely on ratings published by the rating agencies because such ratings influence the trading value of securities and form the basis for many institutions’ investment guidelines as well as individuals’ bond purchase decisions. Therefore, the Company manages its business with the goal of achieving strong financial strength ratings. However, the methodologies and models used by rating agencies differ, presenting conflicting goals that may make it inefficient or impractical to reach the highest rating level. The methodologies and models are not fully transparent, contain subjective elements and data (such as assumptions about future market demand for the Company’s products) and change frequently. Ratings are subject to continuous review and revision or withdrawal at any time. If the financial strength ratings of one (or more) of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries were reduced below current levels, the Company expects it could have adverse effects on the impacted subsidiary's future business opportunities as well as the premiums the impacted subsidiary could charge for its insurance policies.

In the last several years, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services ("S&P") and Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") have changed, multiple times, their financial strength ratings of the Company's insurance subsidiaries, or changed the outlook on such ratings. On July 22, 2013 Kroll Bond Rating Agency ("KBRA") assigned a rating of AA+ to MAC. The rating agencies' most recent actions and proposals related to AGL's insurance subsidiaries are:


•	On March 18, 2014, S&P upgraded the financial strength ratings of all of AGL's insurance subsidiaries to AA (stable outlook) from AA- (stable outlook); it affirmed such ratings in a credit analysis issued on July 2, 2014.


•	On July 2, 2014, Moody's affirmed the ratings of AGL and its subsidiaries, but changed to negative the outlook of the financial strength ratings of AGC and its subsidiary Assured Guaranty (UK) Ltd. ("AGUK").

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On July 15, 2014, Moody’s issued a “Request for Comment” on proposed changes to its credit rating methodology for financial guaranty insurance companies. While Moody’s noted that if changes to the credit rating methodology were adopted as proposed, Moody's does not expect to change outstanding ratings that it has assigned, there can be no assurance that the proposed changes will be adopted as proposed or that, even if they are, Moody’s would not change its ratings on AGM, AGC or AG Re.


•	On August 4, 2014, KBRA affirmed MAC's AA+ (stable outlook) financial strength rating.

There can be no assurance that any of the rating agencies will not take negative action on their financial strength ratings of the Company's insurance subsidiaries in the future.

For a discussion of the effects of rating actions on the Company, see the following:


•	Note 6, Financial Guaranty Insurance Losses


•	Note 8, Financial Guaranty Contracts Accounted for as Credit Derivatives


•	Note 13, Reinsurance and Other Monoline Exposures


•	Note 15, Long Term Debt and Credit Facilities (regarding the impact on the Company's insured leveraged lease transactions)