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Expected Loss to be Paid
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Expected Losses [Abstract]  
Expected Loss to be Paid
Expected Loss to be Paid
 
Loss Estimation Process

The Company’s loss reserve committees estimate expected loss to be paid for all contracts. Surveillance personnel present analyses related to potential losses to the Company’s loss reserve committees for consideration in estimating the expected loss to be paid. Such analyses include the consideration of various scenarios with corresponding probabilities assigned to them. Depending upon the nature of the risk, the Company’s view of the potential size of any loss and the information available to the Company, that analysis may be based upon individually developed cash flow models, internal credit rating assessments and sector-driven loss severity assumptions or judgmental assessments. In the case of its assumed business, the Company may conduct its own analysis as just described or, depending on the Company’s view of the potential size of any loss and the information available to the Company, the Company may use loss estimates provided by ceding insurers. The Company monitors the performance of its transactions with expected losses and each quarter the Company’s loss reserve committees review and refresh their loss projection assumptions and scenarios and the probabilities they assign to those scenarios based on actual developments during the quarter and their view of future performance.

The financial guaranties issued by the Company insure the credit performance of the guaranteed obligations over an extended period of time, in some cases over 30 years, and in most circumstances, the Company has no right to cancel such financial guaranties. As a result, the Company's estimate of ultimate losses on a policy is subject to significant uncertainty over the life of the insured transaction. Credit performance can be adversely affected by economic, fiscal and financial market variability over the long duration of most contracts.

The determination of expected loss to be paid is an inherently subjective process involving numerous estimates, assumptions and judgments by management, using both internal and external data sources with regard to frequency, severity of loss, economic projections, governmental actions, negotiations and other factors that affect credit performance. These estimates, assumptions and judgments, and the factors on which they are based, may change materially over a quarter, and as a result the Company’s loss estimates may change materially over that same period. Changes over a quarter in the Company’s loss estimates for structured finance transactions generally will be influenced by factors impacting the performance of the assets supporting those transactions. For example, changes over a quarter in the Company’s loss estimates for its RMBS transactions may be influenced by such factors as the level and timing of loan defaults experienced; changes in housing prices; results from the Company’s loss mitigation activities; and other variables. Similarly, changes over a quarter in the Company’s loss estimates for municipal obligations supported by specified revenue streams, such as revenue bonds issued by toll road authorities, municipal utilities or airport authorities, generally will be influenced by factors impacting their revenue levels, such as changes in demand; changing demographics; and other economic factors, especially if the obligations do not benefit from financial support from other tax revenues or governmental authorities. On the other hand, changes over a quarter in the Company’s loss estimates for its tax-supported public finance transactions generally will be influenced by factors impacting the public issuer’s ability and willingness to pay, such as changes in the economy and population of the relevant area; changes in the issuer’s ability or willingness to raise taxes, decrease spending or receive federal assistance; new legislation; rating agency downgrades that reduce the issuer’s ability to refinance maturing obligations or issue new debt at a reasonable cost; changes in the priority or amount of pensions and other obligations owed to workers; developments in restructuring or settlement negotiations; and other political and economic factors.

The Company does not use traditional actuarial approaches to determine its estimates of expected losses. Actual losses will ultimately depend on future events or transaction performance and may be influenced by many interrelated factors that are difficult to predict. As a result, the Company's current projections of probable and estimable losses may be subject to considerable volatility and may not reflect the Company's ultimate claims paid.

The following tables present a roll forward of the present value of net expected loss to be paid for all contracts, whether accounted for as insurance, credit derivatives or FG VIEs, by sector, after the benefit for net expected recoveries for contractual breaches of representations and warranties ("R&W"). The Company used weighted average risk-free rates for U.S. dollar denominated obligations that ranged from 0.0% to 3.34% as of September 30, 2015 and 0.0% to 3.37% as of December 31, 2014.

Net Expected Loss to be Paid
After Net Expected Recoveries for Breaches of R&W
Roll Forward

 
Third Quarter 2015
 
Nine Months 2015
 
(in millions)
Net expected loss to be paid, beginning of period
$
1,510

 
$
1,169

Net expected loss to be paid on Radian Asset portfolio as of April 1, 2015

 
190

Economic loss development due to:
 
 
 
Accretion of discount
10

 
24

Changes in discount rates
11

 
(29
)
Changes in timing and assumptions
(24
)
 
191

Total economic loss development
(3
)
 
186

Paid losses
(200
)
 
(238
)
Net expected loss to be paid, end of period
$
1,307

 
$
1,307


Net Expected Loss to be Paid
After Net Expected Recoveries for Breaches of R&W
Roll Forward by Sector
Third Quarter 2015

 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid 
(Recovered)
as of
June 30, 2015
 
Economic Loss
Development
 
(Paid)
Recovered
Losses (1)
 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid 
(Recovered)
as of
September 30, 2015 (2)
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
613

 
$
92

 
$
(18
)
 
$
687

Non-U.S public finance
44

 
(1
)
 

 
43

Public Finance
657

 
91

 
(18
)
 
730

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 


U.S. RMBS:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

First lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Prime first lien
1

 
0

 
(1
)
 
0

Alt-A first lien
265

 
(111
)
 
(108
)
 
46

Option ARM
(18
)
 
(4
)
 
6

 
(16
)
Subprime
273

 
26

 
(20
)
 
279

Total first lien
521

 
(89
)
 
(123
)
 
309

Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
9

 
0

 
2

 
11

HELOCs
(6
)
 
13

 
8

 
15

Total second lien
3

 
13

 
10

 
26

Total U.S. RMBS
524

 
(76
)
 
(113
)
 
335

Triple-X life insurance transactions
165

 
1

 
(68
)
 
98

TruPS
10

 
(5
)
 

 
5

Student loans
58

 
(2
)
 
0

 
56

Other structured finance
96

 
(12
)
 
(1
)
 
83

Structured Finance
853

 
(94
)
 
(182
)
 
577

Total
$
1,510

 
$
(3
)
 
$
(200
)
 
$
1,307


Net Expected Loss to be Paid
After Net Expected Recoveries for Breaches of R&W
Roll Forward by Sector
Third Quarter 2014

 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid (Recovered)
as of
June 30, 2014
 
Economic Loss
Development
 
(Paid)
Recovered
Losses (1)
 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid (Recovered
)
as of
September 30, 2014
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
339

 
$
2

 
$
(8
)
 
$
333

Non-U.S public finance
52

 
(1
)
 

 
51

Public Finance
391

 
1

 
(8
)
 
384

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 


U.S. RMBS:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

First lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Prime first lien
11

 
(1
)
 

 
10

Alt-A first lien
301

 
(18
)
 
(35
)
 
248

Option ARM
(51
)
 

 
20

 
(31
)
Subprime
341

 
(11
)
 
(23
)
 
307

Total first lien
602

 
(30
)
 
(38
)
 
534

Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
(9
)
 
2

 
2

 
(5
)
HELOCs
(117
)
 
(34
)
 
3

 
(148
)
Total second lien
(126
)
 
(32
)
 
5

 
(153
)
Total U.S. RMBS
476

 
(62
)
 
(33
)
 
381

Triple-X life insurance transactions
90

 
3

 
(1
)
 
92

TruPS
32

 
(5
)
 
(1
)
 
26

Student loans
58

 
6

 

 
64

Other structured finance
(12
)
 
(6
)
 
4

 
(14
)
Structured Finance
644

 
(64
)
 
(31
)
 
549

Total
$
1,035

 
$
(63
)
 
$
(39
)
 
$
933


Net Expected Loss to be Paid
After Net Expected Recoveries for Breaches of R&W
Roll Forward by Sector
Nine Months 2015

 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid 
(Recovered)
as of
December 31, 2014 (2)
 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid 
(Recovered)
on Radian Asset portfolio as of
April 1, 2015
 
Economic Loss
Development
 
(Paid)
Recovered
Losses (1)
 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid 
(Recovered)
as of
September 30, 2015 (2)
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
303

 
$
81

 
$
327

 
$
(24
)
 
$
687

Non-U.S public finance
45

 
4

 
(6
)
 

 
43

Public Finance
348

 
85

 
321

 
(24
)
 
730

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

First lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Prime first lien
4

 

 
(1
)
 
(3
)
 
0

Alt-A first lien
304

 
7

 
(132
)
 
(133
)
 
46

Option ARM
(16
)
 
0

 
(3
)
 
3

 
(16
)
Subprime
303

 
(4
)
 
19

 
(39
)
 
279

Total first lien
595

 
3

 
(117
)
 
(172
)
 
309

Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
8

 

 
(2
)
 
5

 
11

HELOCs
(19
)
 
1

 
15

 
18

 
15

Total second lien
(11
)
 
1

 
13

 
23

 
26

Total U.S. RMBS
584

 
4

 
(104
)
 
(149
)
 
335

Triple-X life insurance transactions
161

 

 
8

 
(71
)
 
98

TruPS
23

 

 
(18
)
 

 
5

Student loans
68

 

 
(7
)
 
(5
)
 
56

Other structured finance
(15
)
 
101

 
(14
)
 
11

 
83

Structured Finance
821

 
105

 
(135
)
 
(214
)
 
577

Total
$
1,169

 
$
190

 
$
186

 
$
(238
)
 
$
1,307


Net Expected Loss to be Paid
After Net Expected Recoveries for Breaches of R&W
Roll Forward by Sector
Nine Months 2014

 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid (Recovered)
as of
December 31, 2013
 
Economic Loss
Development
 
(Paid)
Recovered
Losses (1)
 
Net Expected
Loss to be
Paid (Recovered
)
as of
September 30, 2014
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
264

 
$
107

 
$
(38
)
 
$
333

Non-U.S public finance
57

 
(6
)
 

 
51

Public Finance
321

 
101

 
(38
)
 
384

Structured Finance:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

U.S. RMBS:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
21

 
(11
)
 

 
10

Alt-A first lien
304

 
(6
)
 
(50
)
 
248

Option ARM
(9
)
 
(39
)
 
17

 
(31
)
Subprime
304

 
(12
)
 
15

 
307

Total first lien
620

 
(68
)
 
(18
)
 
534

Second lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Closed-end second lien
(11
)
 
2

 
4

 
(5
)
HELOCs
(116
)
 
(65
)
 
33

 
(148
)
Total second lien
(127
)
 
(63
)
 
37

 
(153
)
Total U.S. RMBS
493

 
(131
)
 
19

 
381

Triple-X life insurance transactions
75

 
21

 
(4
)
 
92

TruPS
51

 
(24
)
 
(1
)
 
26

Student loans
52

 
12

 

 
64

Other structured finance
(10
)
 
(7
)
 
3

 
(14
)
Structured Finance
661

 
(129
)
 
17

 
549

Total
$
982

 
$
(28
)
 
$
(21
)
 
$
933

____________________
(1)
Net of ceded paid losses, whether or not such amounts have been settled with reinsurers. Ceded paid losses are typically settled 45 days after the end of the reporting period. Such amounts are recorded in reinsurance recoverable on paid losses included in other assets. The Company paid $7 million and $6 million in LAE for Third Quarter 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $16 million and $20 million in LAE for Nine Months 2015 and 2014, respectively.

(2)
Includes expected LAE to be paid of $13 million as of September 30, 2015 and $16 million as of December 31, 2014.


Net Expected Recoveries from
Breaches of R&W Rollforward
Third Quarter 2015
 
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
June 30, 2015
 
R&W Development
and Accretion of
Discount
During Third Quarter 2015
 
R&W (Recovered)
During Third Quarter 2015
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
September 30, 2015
(1)
 
(in millions)
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
$
1

 
$
0

 
$
0

 
$
1

Alt-A first lien
93

 
9

 
(2
)
 
100

Option ARM
(33
)
 
(5
)
 
(20
)
 
(58
)
Subprime
81

 
(4
)
 
(3
)
 
74

Total first lien
142

 
0

 
(25
)
 
117

Second lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Closed-end second lien
83

 
(1
)
 
(1
)
 
81

HELOC

 

 

 

Total second lien
83

 
(1
)
 
(1
)
 
81

Total
$
225

 
$
(1
)
 
$
(26
)
 
$
198



Net Expected Recoveries from
Breaches of R&W Rollforward
Third Quarter 2014

 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
June 30, 2014
 
R&W Development
and Accretion of
Discount
During Third Quarter 2014
 
R&W (Recovered)
During Third Quarter 2014
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
September 30, 2014
 
(in millions)
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
$
3

 
$
1

 
$
(1
)
 
$
3

Alt-A first lien
263

 
19

 
(79
)
 
203

Option ARM
144

 
10

 
(76
)
 
78

Subprime
99

 
5

 
(7
)
 
97

Total first lien
509

 
35

 
(163
)
 
381

Second lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Closed-end second lien
93

 
(1
)
 
(3
)
 
89

HELOC
49

 
59

 

 
108

Total second lien
142

 
58

 
(3
)
 
197

Total
$
651

 
$
93

 
$
(166
)
 
$
578



Net Expected Recoveries from
Breaches of R&W Rollforward
Nine Months 2015
 
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
December 31, 2014
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit on Radian Asset portfolio as of
April 1,2015
 
R&W Development
and Accretion of
Discount
During 2015
 
R&W (Recovered)
During 2015
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
September 30, 2015
(1)
 
(in millions)
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
$
2

 
$

 
$
(1
)
 
$
0

 
$
1

Alt-A first lien
106

 

 
(1
)
 
(5
)
 
100

Option ARM
15

 

 
(19
)
 
(54
)
 
(58
)
Subprime
109

 
1

 
(27
)
 
(9
)
 
74

Total first lien
232

 
1

 
(48
)
 
(68
)
 
117

Second lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Closed-end second lien
85

 
1

 
0

 
(5
)
 
81

HELOC

 

 

 

 

Total second lien
85

 
1

 

 
(5
)
 
81

Total
$
317

 
$
2

 
$
(48
)
 
$
(73
)
 
$
198


 
Net Expected Recoveries from
Breaches of R&W Rollforward
Nine Months 2014

 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
December 31, 2013
 
R&W Development
and Accretion of
Discount
During 2014
 
R&W (Recovered)
During 2014
 
Future Net
R&W Benefit as of
September 30, 2014
 
(in millions)
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
$
4

 
$

 
$
(1
)
 
$
3

Alt-A first lien
274

 
20

 
(91
)
 
203

Option ARM
173

 
30

 
(125
)
 
78

Subprime
118

 
34

 
(55
)
 
97

Total first lien
569

 
84

 
(272
)
 
381

Second lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Closed-end second lien
98

 
(4
)
 
(5
)
 
89

HELOC
45

 
80

 
(17
)
 
108

Total second lien
143

 
76

 
(22
)
 
197

Total
$
712

 
$
160

 
$
(294
)
 
$
578


___________________
(1)    See the section "Breaches of Representations and Warranties" below for eligible assets held in trust.


The following tables present the present value of net expected loss to be paid for all contracts by accounting model, by sector and after the benefit for estimated and contractual recoveries for breaches of R&W.  

Net Expected Loss to be Paid (Recovered)
By Accounting Model
As of September 30, 2015
 
Financial
Guaranty
Insurance
 
FG VIEs(1) and Other
 
Credit
Derivatives(2)
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
687

 
$

 
$
0

 
$
687

Non-U.S. public finance
43

 

 

 
43

Public Finance
730

 

 
0

 
730

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

First lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Prime first lien
2

 

 
(2
)
 
0

Alt-A first lien
109

 
16

 
(79
)
 
46

Option ARM
(17
)
 

 
1

 
(16
)
Subprime
159

 
63

 
57

 
279

Total first lien
253

 
79

 
(23
)
 
309

Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
(23
)
 
30

 
4

 
11

HELOCs
7

 
8

 

 
15

Total second lien
(16
)
 
38

 
4

 
26

Total U.S. RMBS
237

 
117

 
(19
)
 
335

Triple-X life insurance transactions
88

 

 
10

 
98

TruPS
0

 

 
5

 
5

Student loans
56

 

 

 
56

Other structured finance
34

 
18

 
31

 
83

Structured Finance
415

 
135

 
27

 
577

Total
$
1,145

 
$
135

 
$
27

 
$
1,307


Net Expected Loss to be Paid (Recovered)
By Accounting Model
As of December 31, 2014

 
Financial
Guaranty
Insurance
 
FG VIEs(1) and Other
 
Credit
Derivatives(2)
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
303

 
$

 
$

 
$
303

Non-U.S. public finance
45

 

 

 
45

Public Finance
348

 

 

 
348

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
2

 

 
2

 
4

Alt-A first lien
288

 
17

 
(1
)
 
304

Option ARM
(15
)
 

 
(1
)
 
(16
)
Subprime
163

 
71

 
69

 
303

Total first lien
438

 
88

 
69

 
595

Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
(27
)
 
31

 
4

 
8

HELOCs
(26
)
 
7

 

 
(19
)
Total second lien
(53
)
 
38

 
4

 
(11
)
Total U.S. RMBS
385

 
126

 
73

 
584

Triple-X life insurance transactions
153

 

 
8

 
161

TruPS
1

 

 
22

 
23

Student loans
68

 

 

 
68

Other structured finance
34

 
(4
)
 
(45
)
 
(15
)
Structured Finance
641

 
122

 
58

 
821

Total
$
989

 
$
122

 
$
58

 
$
1,169

___________________
(1)    Refer to Note 10, Consolidated Variable Interest Entities.

(2)    Refer to Note 9, Financial Guaranty Contracts Accounted for as Credit Derivatives.



    
The following tables present the net economic loss development for all contracts by accounting model, by sector and after the benefit for estimated and contractual recoveries for breaches of R&W.

Net Economic Loss Development (Benefit)
By Accounting Model
Third Quarter 2015
 
 
Financial
Guaranty
Insurance
 
FG VIEs(1) and Other
 
Credit
Derivatives(2)
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
91

 
$

 
$
1

 
$
92

Non-U.S. public finance
(1
)
 

 
0

 
(1
)
Public Finance
90

 

 
1

 
91

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
0

 

 
0

 
0

Alt-A first lien
(44
)
 
0

 
(67
)
 
(111
)
Option ARM
(2
)
 

 
(2
)
 
(4
)
Subprime
16

 
7

 
3

 
26

Total first lien
(30
)
 
7

 
(66
)
 
(89
)
Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
(1
)
 
1

 
0

 
0

HELOCs
12

 
1

 

 
13

Total second lien
11

 
2

 
0

 
13

Total U.S. RMBS
(19
)
 
9

 
(66
)
 
(76
)
Triple-X life insurance transactions
(1
)
 

 
2

 
1

TruPS
0

 

 
(5
)
 
(5
)
Student loans
(2
)
 

 

 
(2
)
Other structured finance
(1
)
 
0

 
(11
)
 
(12
)
Structured Finance
(23
)
 
9

 
(80
)
 
(94
)
Total
$
67

 
$
9

 
$
(79
)
 
$
(3
)

Net Economic Loss Development (Benefit)
By Accounting Model
Third Quarter 2014
 
 
Financial
Guaranty
Insurance
 
FG VIEs(1) and Other
 
Credit
Derivatives(2)
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
2

 
$

 
$

 
$
2

Non-U.S. public finance
(1
)
 

 

 
(1
)
Public Finance
1

 

 

 
1

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
(1
)
 

 

 
(1
)
Alt-A first lien
6

 
(2
)
 
(22
)
 
(18
)
Option ARM
7

 

 
(7
)
 

Subprime
(21
)
 
8

 
2

 
(11
)
Total first lien
(9
)
 
6

 
(27
)
 
(30
)
Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
2

 
1

 
(1
)
 
2

HELOCs
(48
)
 
14

 

 
(34
)
Total second lien
(46
)
 
15

 
(1
)
 
(32
)
Total U.S. RMBS
(55
)
 
21

 
(28
)
 
(62
)
Triple-X life insurance transactions
3

 

 

 
3

TruPS
(1
)
 

 
(4
)
 
(5
)
Student loans
6

 

 

 
6

Other structured finance
(4
)
 

 
(2
)
 
(6
)
Structured Finance
(51
)
 
21

 
(34
)
 
(64
)
Total
$
(50
)
 
$
21

 
$
(34
)
 
$
(63
)

Net Economic Loss Development (Benefit)
By Accounting Model
Nine Months 2015
 
 
Financial
Guaranty
Insurance
 
FG VIEs(1) and Other
 
Credit
Derivatives(2)
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
332

 
$

 
$
(5
)
 
$
327

Non-U.S. public finance
(6
)
 

 
0

 
(6
)
Public Finance
326

 

 
(5
)
 
321

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien
0

 

 
(1
)
 
(1
)
Alt-A first lien
(54
)
 
(1
)
 
(77
)
 
(132
)
Option ARM
(5
)
 

 
2

 
(3
)
Subprime
12

 
10

 
(3
)
 
19

Total first lien
(47
)
 
9

 
(79
)
 
(117
)
Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien
(2
)
 
0

 
0

 
(2
)
HELOCs
14

 
1

 

 
15

Total second lien
12

 
1

 
0

 
13

Total U.S. RMBS
(35
)
 
10

 
(79
)
 
(104
)
Triple-X life insurance transactions
4

 

 
4

 
8

TruPS
(1
)
 

 
(17
)
 
(18
)
Student loans
(7
)
 

 

 
(7
)
Other structured finance
(1
)
 
0

 
(13
)
 
(14
)
Structured Finance
(40
)
 
10

 
(105
)
 
(135
)
Total
$
286

 
$
10

 
$
(110
)
 
$
186


Net Economic Loss Development (Benefit)
By Accounting Model
Nine Months 2014

 
Financial
Guaranty
Insurance
 
FG VIEs(1) and Other
 
Credit
Derivatives(2)
 
Total
 
(in millions)
Public Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. public finance
$
107

 
$

 
$

 
$
107

Non-U.S. public finance
(5
)
 

 
(1
)
 
(6
)
Public Finance
102

 

 
(1
)
 
101

Structured Finance:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. RMBS:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
First lien:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prime first lien

 

 
(11
)
 
(11
)
Alt-A first lien
32

 
(12
)
 
(26
)
 
(6
)
Option ARM
(32
)
 
1

 
(8
)
 
(39
)
Subprime
(25
)
 
9

 
4

 
(12
)
Total first lien
(25
)
 
(2
)
 
(41
)
 
(68
)
Second lien:
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

Closed-end second lien

 
4

 
(2
)
 
2

HELOCs
(138
)
 
73

 

 
(65
)
Total second lien
(138
)
 
77

 
(2
)
 
(63
)
Total U.S. RMBS
(163
)
 
75

 
(43
)
 
(131
)
Triple-X life insurance transactions
20

 

 
1

 
21

TruPS
(2
)
 

 
(22
)
 
(24
)
Student loans
12

 

 

 
12

Other structured finance
(6
)
 
(1
)
 

 
(7
)
Structured Finance
(139
)
 
74

 
(64
)
 
(129
)
Total
$
(37
)
 
$
74

 
$
(65
)
 
$
(28
)
_________________
(1)    Refer to Note 10, Consolidated Variable Interest Entities.

(2)    Refer to Note 9, Financial Guaranty Contracts Accounted for as Credit Derivatives.

Selected U.S. Public Finance Transactions
 
The Company insures general obligation bonds of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and various obligations of its related authorities and public corporations aggregating $5.1 billion net par as of September 30, 2015, all of which are BIG. For additional information regarding the Company's exposure to general obligations of Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and various obligations of its related authorities and public corporations, please refer to "Exposure to Puerto Rico" in Note 4, Outstanding Exposure.
On February 25, 2015, a plan of adjustment resolving the bankruptcy filing of the City of Stockton, California under chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code became effective. As of September 30, 2015, the Company’s net exposure subject to the plan consists of $115 million of pension obligation bonds. As part of the plan settlement, the City will repay the pension obligation bonds from certain fixed payments and certain variable payments contingent on the City's revenue growth. The Company agreed as part of the plan to cancel its $40 million of the City’s lease revenue bonds in exchange for the irrevocable option to take title to the office building that served as collateral for the lease revenue bonds. The Company also receives net rental payments from the office building. The Company no longer reflects the canceled lease revenue bonds as outstanding insured net par, but instead the financial statements reflect an investment in the office building and related lease revenue and expenses. As of September 30, 2015, the office building is carried at approximately $29 million and is reported as part of Other Assets.
The Company has $337 million of net par exposure to the Louisville Arena Authority. The bond proceeds were used to construct the KFC Yum Center, home to the University of Louisville men's and women's basketball teams. Actual revenues available for Debt Service are well below original projections, and under the Company's internal rating scale, the transaction is BIG.
    
In December 2014, the City of Detroit emerged from bankruptcy under chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The Company still expects to make debt service payments on the 15.5% of the City’s unlimited tax general obligation that were not exchanged as part of the related settlement. As of September 30, 2015, these bonds had a net debt service outstanding of $23 million.

As a result of the Radian Asset Acquisition, the Company has approximately $21 million of net par exposure as of September 30, 2015 to bonds issued by Parkway East Public Improvement District, which is located in Madison County, Mississippi. The bonds, which are rated BIG, are payable from special assessments on properties within the District, as well as amounts paid under a contribution agreement with the County in which the County covenants that it will provide funds in the event special assessments are not sufficient to make a debt service payment. The special assessments have not been sufficient to pay debt service in full. In earlier years, the County provided funding to cover the balance of the debt service requirement, but the County now claims that the District’s failure to reimburse it within the two years stipulated in the contribution agreement means that the County is not required to provide funding until it is reimbursed. A declaratory judgment action is pending against the District and the County to establish the Company's rights under the contribution agreement. See "Recovery Litigation" below.

The Company also has $15.4 billion of net par exposure to healthcare transactions. The BIG net par outstanding in this sector is $351 million, $301 million of which was acquired as part of the Radian Asset Acquisition.
    
The Company projects that its total net expected loss across its troubled U.S. public finance credits as of September 30, 2015, which incorporated the likelihood of the outcomes mentioned above, will be $687 million, compared with a net expected loss of $613 million as of June 30, 2015 and $303 million as of December 31, 2014. On April 1, 2015, the Radian Asset Acquisition added $81 million in net economic losses to be paid for U.S. public finance credits. Economic loss development in Third Quarter 2015 was $92 million, which was primarily attributable to Puerto Rico exposures. Economic loss development in Nine Months 2015 was $327 million, which was also primarily attributable to Puerto Rico exposures.

Certain Selected European Country Sub-Sovereign Transactions

The Company insures and reinsures credits with sub-sovereign exposure to various Spanish and Portuguese issuers where a Spanish and Portuguese sovereign default may cause the sub-sovereigns also to default. The Company's gross exposure to these Spanish and Portuguese credits is $474 million and $96 million, respectively, and exposure net of reinsurance for Spanish and Portuguese credits is $379 million and $89 million, respectively. The Company rates most of these issuers in the BB category due to the financial condition of Spain and Portugal and their dependence on the sovereign. The Company's Hungary exposure is to infrastructure bonds dependent on payments from Hungarian governmental entities. The Company's gross exposure to these Hungarian credits is $282 million and its exposure net of reinsurance is $279 million, all of which is rated BIG. The Company estimated net expected losses of $41 million related to these Spanish, Portuguese and Hungarian credits. The economic benefit of approximately $1 million during Third Quarter 2015 and $5 million during Nine Months 2015 was primarily related to changes in the exchange rate between the Euro and US Dollar.
 
Infrastructure Finance

The Company has insured exposure of approximately $3.0 billion to infrastructure transactions with refinancing risk as to which the Company may need to make claim payments that it did not anticipate paying when the policies were issued. Although the Company may not experience ultimate loss on a particular transaction, the aggregate amount of the claim payments may be substantial and reimbursement may not occur for an extended time. These transactions generally involve long-term infrastructure projects that were financed by bonds that mature prior to the expiration of the project concession. The Company expects the cash flows from these projects to be sufficient to repay all of the debt over the life of the project concession, but also expects the debt to be refinanced in the market at or prior to its maturity. If the issuer is unable to refinance the debt due to market conditions, the Company may have to pay a claim when the debt matures, and then recover its payment from cash flows produced by the project in the future. The Company generally projects that in most scenarios it will be fully reimbursed for such payments. However, the recovery of the payments is uncertain and may take from 10 to 35 years, depending on the transaction and the performance of the underlying collateral. The Company estimates total claims for the two largest transactions with significant refinancing risk, assuming no refinancing, and based on certain performance assumptions, could be $2.0 billion on a gross basis; such claims would be payable from 2017 through 2022.

Approach to Projecting Losses in U.S. RMBS
 
The Company projects losses on its insured U.S. RMBS on a transaction-by-transaction basis by projecting the performance of the underlying pool of mortgages over time and then applying the structural features (i.e., payment priorities and tranching) of the RMBS and any R&W agreements to the projected performance of the collateral over time. The resulting projected claim payments or reimbursements are then discounted using risk-free rates.
     The further behind a mortgage borrower falls in making payments, the more likely it is that he or she will default. The rate at which borrowers from a particular delinquency category (number of monthly payments behind) eventually default is referred to as the “liquidation rate.” The Company derives its liquidation rate assumptions from observed roll rates, which are the rates at which loans progress from one delinquency category to the next and eventually to default and liquidation. The Company applies liquidation rates to the mortgage loan collateral in each delinquency category and makes certain timing assumptions to project near-term mortgage collateral defaults from loans that are currently delinquent.
Mortgage borrowers that are not more than one payment behind (generally considered performing borrowers) have demonstrated an ability and willingness to pay throughout the recession and mortgage crisis, and as a result are viewed as less likely to default than delinquent borrowers. Performing borrowers that eventually default will also need to progress through delinquency categories before any defaults occur. The Company projects how many of the currently performing loans will default and when they will default, by first converting the projected near term defaults of delinquent borrowers derived from liquidation rates into a vector of conditional default rates ("CDR"), then projecting how the conditional default rates will develop over time. Loans that are defaulted pursuant to the conditional default rate after the near-term liquidation of currently delinquent loans represent defaults of currently performing loans and projected re-performing loans. A conditional default rate is the outstanding principal amount of defaulted loans liquidated in the current month divided by the remaining outstanding amount of the whole pool of loans (or “collateral pool balance”). The collateral pool balance decreases over time as a result of scheduled principal payments, partial and whole principal prepayments, and defaults.
 
In order to derive collateral pool losses from the collateral pool defaults it has projected, the Company applies a loss severity. The loss severity is the amount of loss the transaction experiences on a defaulted loan after the application of net proceeds from the disposal of the underlying property. The Company projects loss severities by sector based on its experience to date. The Company continues to update its evaluation of these loss severities as new information becomes available.
 
The Company has been enforcing claims for breaches of R&W regarding the characteristics of the loans included in the collateral pools, and by reaching agreements with certain R&W providers in early October, has completed its pursuit of R&W claims. The Company calculates a credit for R&W recoveries to include in its cash flow projections based on agreements it has with R&W providers, which are described in more detail under "Breaches of Representations and Warranties" below.

In some instances, the terms of the Company's policy gives it the option to pay principal on an accelerated basis, thereby reducing the amount of guaranteed interest due in the future. The Company has at times exercised this option, which uses cash but reduces projected future losses.

The Company projects the overall future cash flow from a collateral pool by adjusting the payment stream from the principal and interest contractually due on the underlying mortgages for the collateral losses it projects as described above; assumed voluntary prepayments; and servicer advances. The Company then applies an individual model of the structure of the transaction to the projected future cash flow from that transaction’s collateral pool to project the Company’s future claims and claim reimbursements for that individual transaction. Finally, the projected claims and reimbursements are discounted using risk-free rates. The Company runs several sets of assumptions regarding mortgage collateral performance, or scenarios, and probability weights them.

The Company's RMBS loss projection methodology assumes that the housing and mortgage markets will continue improving. Each period the Company makes a judgment as to whether to change the assumptions it uses to make RMBS loss projections based on its observation during the period of the performance of its insured transactions (including early stage delinquencies, late stage delinquencies and loss severity) as well as the residential property market and economy in general, and, to the extent it observes changes, it makes a judgment as whether those changes are normal fluctuations or part of a trend.

Third Quarter and Nine Months 2015 U.S. RMBS Loss Projections
 
Based on its observation during the period of the performance of its insured transactions (including early stage delinquencies, late stage delinquencies and loss severity) as well as the residential property market and economy in general, the Company chose to use the same general assumptions to project RMBS losses as of September 30, 2015 as it used as of June 30, 2015, except that, for its first lien RMBS loss projections it again this quarter shortened by three months the period it is projecting it will take in the base case to reach the final CDR. For the Nine Months 2015, first lien RMBS projections reflect a shortening of the period it is projecting it will take in the base case to reach the final CDR by nine months as compared with December 31, 2014.

U.S. First Lien RMBS Loss Projections: Alt-A First Lien, Option ARM, Subprime and Prime

     The majority of projected losses in first lien RMBS transactions are expected to come from non-performing mortgage loans (those that are or in the past twelve months have been two or more payments behind, have been modified, are in foreclosure, or have been foreclosed upon). Changes in the amount of non-performing loans from the amount projected in the previous period are one of the primary drivers of loss development in this portfolio. In order to determine the number of defaults resulting from these delinquent and foreclosed loans, the Company applies a liquidation rate assumption to loans in each of various non-performing categories. The Company arrived at its liquidation rates based on data purchased from a third party provider and assumptions about how delays in the foreclosure process and loan modifications may ultimately affect the rate at which loans are liquidated. Each year the Company reviews the most recent twenty-four months of this data and (if necessary) adjusts its liquidation rates based on its observations. The following table shows liquidation assumptions for various non-performing categories.

First Lien Liquidation Rates

 
September 30, 2015
 
June 30, 2015
 
December 31, 2014
Current Loans Modified in the Previous 12 Months
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
25%
 
25%
 
25%
Option ARM
25
 
25
 
25
Subprime
25
 
25
 
25
Current Loans Delinquent in the Previous 12 Months
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
25
 
25
 
25
Option ARM
25
 
25
 
25
Subprime
25
 
25
 
25
30 – 59 Days Delinquent
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
35
 
35
 
35
Option ARM
45
 
40
 
40
Subprime
50
 
35
 
35
60 – 89 Days Delinquent
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
45
 
50
 
50
Option ARM
55
 
55
 
55
Subprime
55
 
40
 
40
90+ Days Delinquent
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
55
 
60
 
60
Option ARM
65
 
65
 
65
Subprime
60
 
55
 
55
Bankruptcy
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
45
 
45
 
45
Option ARM
50
 
50
 
50
Subprime
40
 
40
 
40
Foreclosure
 
 
 
 
 
Alt A and Prime
65
 
75
 
75
Option ARM
75
 
80
 
80
Subprime
70
 
70
 
70
Real Estate Owned
 
 
 
 
 
All
100
 
100
 
100


While the Company uses liquidation rates as described above to project defaults of non-performing loans (including current loans modified or delinquent within the last 12 months), it projects defaults on presently current loans by applying a CDR trend. The start of that CDR trend is based on the defaults the Company projects will emerge from currently nonperforming, recently nonperforming and modified loans. The total amount of expected defaults from the non-performing loans is translated into a constant CDR (i.e., the CDR plateau), which, if applied for each of the next 36 months, would be sufficient to produce approximately the amount of defaults that were calculated to emerge from the various delinquency categories. The CDR thus calculated individually on the delinquent collateral pool for each RMBS is then used as the starting point for the CDR curve used to project defaults of the presently performing loans.
 
In the base case, after the initial 36-month CDR plateau period, each transaction’s CDR is projected to improve over 12 months to an intermediate CDR (calculated as 20% of its CDR plateau); that intermediate CDR is held constant for 36 months and then trails off in steps to a final CDR of 5% of the CDR plateau. In the base case, the Company assumes the final CDR will be reached 7.75 years after the initial 36-month CDR plateau period, which is three months shorter than assumed as of June 30, 2015 and nine months shorter than assumed at December 31, 2014. Under the Company’s methodology, defaults projected to occur in the first 36 months represent defaults that can be attributed to loans that were modified or delinquent in the last 12 months or that are currently delinquent or in foreclosure, while the defaults projected to occur using the projected CDR trend after the first 36 month period represent defaults attributable to borrowers that are currently performing or are projected to reperform.

     Another important driver of loss projections is loss severity, which is the amount of loss the transaction incurs on a loan after the application of net proceeds from the disposal of the underlying property. Loss severities experienced in first lien transactions have reached historically high levels, and the Company is assuming in the base case that these high levels generally will continue for another 18 months. The Company determines its initial loss severity based on actual recent experience. The Company then assumes that loss severities begin returning to levels consistent with underwriting assumptions beginning after the initial 18 month period, declining to 40% in the base case over 2.5 years. Beginning for December 31, 2014, the Company differentiated the loss severity assumptions depending on the vintage of the transaction, as shown in the table below.
 
The following table shows the range as well as the average, weighted by outstanding net insured par, for key assumptions used in the calculation of expected loss to be paid for individual transactions for direct vintage 2004 - 2008 first lien U.S. RMBS.
Key Assumptions in Base Case Expected Loss Estimates
First Lien RMBS(1)
 
 
As of
September 30, 2015
 
As of
June 30, 2015
 
As of
December 31, 2014
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
Alt-A First Lien
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plateau CDR
2.4
%
-
15.4%
 
6.4%
 
1.7
%
13.3%
 
7.1%
 
2.0
%
13.4%
 
7.3%
Intermediate CDR
0.5
%
-
3.1%
 
1.3%
 
0.3
%
2.7%
 
1.4%
 
0.4
%
2.7%
 
1.5%
Period until intermediate CDR
48 months
 
 
 
48 months
 
 
 
48 months
 
 
Final CDR
0.1
%
-
0.8%
 
0.3%
 
0.1
%
0.7%
 
0.3%
 
0.1
%
0.7%
 
0.3%
Initial loss severity:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2005 and prior
60.0%
 
 
 
60.0%
 
 
 
60.0%
 
 
2006
70.0%
 
 
 
70.0%
 
 
 
70.0%
 
 
2007
65.0%
 
 
 
65.0%
 
 
 
65.0%
 
 
Initial conditional prepayment rate ("CPR")
2.7
%
-
32.0%
 
8.9%
 
1.6
%
27.7%
 
8.5%
 
1.7
%
21.0%
 
7.7%
Final CPR(2)
15.0
%
-
32.0%
 
15.5%
 
15.0
%
27.7%
 
15.3%
 
15%
 
 
Option ARM
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plateau CDR
3.6
%
-
11.2%
 
8.5%
 
4.0
%
12.1%
 
9.2%
 
4.3
%
14.2%
 
10.6%
Intermediate CDR
0.7
%
-
2.2%
 
1.7%
 
0.8
%
2.4%
 
1.8%
 
0.9
%
2.8%
 
2.1%
Period until intermediate CDR
48 months
 
 
 
48 months
 
 
 
48 months
 
 
Final CDR
0.2
%
-
0.6%
 
0.4%
 
0.2
%
0.6%
 
0.5%
 
0.2
%
0.7%
 
0.5%
Initial loss severity:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2005 and prior
60.0%
 
 
 
60.0%
 
 
 
60.0%
 
 
2006
70.0%
 
 
 
70.0%
 
 
 
70.0%
 
 
2007
65.0%
 
 
 
65.0%
 
 
 
65.0%
 
 
Initial CPR
2.2
%
-
7.8%
 
4.9%
 
1.6
%
12.3%
 
5.0%
 
1.1
%
11.8%
 
4.9%
Final CPR(2)
15%
 
 
 
15%
 
 
 
15%
 
 
Subprime
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Plateau CDR
5.0
%
-
13.7%
 
10.0%
 
4.9
%
13.5%
 
9.7%
 
4.9
%
15.0%
 
10.6%
Intermediate CDR
1.0
%
-
2.7%
 
2.0%
 
1.0
%
2.7%
 
1.9%
 
1.0
%
3.0%
 
2.1%
Period until intermediate CDR
48 months
 
 
 
48 months
 
 
 
48 months
 
 
Final CDR
0.3
%
-
0.7%
 
0.4%
 
0.2
%
0.7%
 
0.4%
 
0.2
%
0.7%
 
0.4%
Initial loss severity:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2005 and prior
75.0%
 
 
 
75.0%
 
 
 
75.0%
 
 
2006
90.0%
 
 
 
90.0%
 
 
 
90.0%
 
 
2007
90.0%
 
 
 
90.0%
 
 
 
90.0%
 
 
Initial CPR
0.0
%
-
9.3%
 
3.9%
 
0.0
%
8.7%
 
4.0%
 
0.0
%
10.5%
 
6.1%
Final CPR(2)
15%
 
 
 
15%
 
 
 
15%
 
 
____________________
(1)                                Represents variables for most heavily weighted scenario (the “base case”).

(2) 
For transactions where the initial CPR is higher than the final CPR, the initial CPR is held constant and the final CPR is not used.
 
 The rate at which the principal amount of loans is voluntarily prepaid may impact both the amount of losses projected (since that amount is a function of the conditional default rate, the loss severity and the loan balance over time) as well as the amount of excess spread (the amount by which the interest paid by the borrowers on the underlying loan exceeds the amount of interest owed on the insured obligations). The assumption for the voluntary CPR follows a similar pattern to that of the conditional default rate. The current level of voluntary prepayments is assumed to continue for the plateau period before gradually increasing over 12 months to the final CPR, which is assumed to be 15% in the base case. For transactions where the initial CPR is higher than the final CPR, the initial CPR is held constant and the final CPR is not used. These assumptions are the same as those the Company used for June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
 
In estimating expected losses, the Company modeled and probability weighted sensitivities for first lien transactions by varying its assumptions of how fast a recovery is expected to occur. One of the variables used to model sensitivities was how quickly the conditional default rate returned to its modeled equilibrium, which was defined as 5% of the initial conditional default rate. The Company also stressed CPR and the speed of recovery of loss severity rates. The Company probability weighted a total of five scenarios (including its base case) as of September 30, 2015. The Company used a similar approach to establish its pessimistic and optimistic scenarios as of September 30, 2015 as it used as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, increasing and decreasing the periods of stress from those used in the base case.
 
In a somewhat more stressful environment than that of the base case, where the conditional default rate plateau was extended six months (to be 42 months long) before the same more gradual conditional default rate recovery and loss severities were assumed to recover over 4.5 rather than 2.5 years (and subprime loss severities were assumed to recover only to 60% and Option ARM and Alt A loss severities to only 45%), expected loss to be paid would increase from current projections by approximately $13 million for Alt-A first liens, $5 million for Option ARM, $49 million for subprime and $1 million for prime transactions.

In an even more stressful scenario where loss severities were assumed to rise and then recover over nine years and the initial ramp-down of the conditional default rate was assumed to occur over 15 months and other assumptions were the same as the other stress scenario, expected loss to be paid would increase from current projections by approximately $33 million for Alt-A first liens, $12 million for Option ARM, $69 million for subprime and $4 million for prime transactions.

In a scenario with a somewhat less stressful environment than the base case, where conditional default rate recovery was somewhat less gradual, expected loss to be paid would decrease from current projections by approximately $1 million for Alt-A first liens, $14 million for Option ARM, $8 million for subprime and $40 thousand for prime transactions.

In an even less stressful scenario where the conditional default rate plateau was six months shorter (30 months, effectively assuming that liquidation rates would improve) and the conditional default rate recovery was more pronounced, (including an initial ramp-down of the conditional default rate over nine months), expected loss to be paid would decrease from current projections by approximately $13 million for Alt-A first liens, $22 million for Option ARM, $36 million for subprime and $0.2 million for prime transactions.

U.S. Second Lien RMBS Loss Projections: HELOCs and Closed-End Second Lien
 
The Company believes the primary variable affecting its expected losses in second lien RMBS transactions is the amount and timing of future losses in the collateral pool supporting the transactions. Expected losses are also a function of the structure of the transaction; the voluntary prepayment rate (typically also referred to as CPR of the collateral); the interest rate environment; and assumptions about the draw rate and loss severity.
 
The following table shows the range as well as the average, weighted by outstanding net insured par, for key assumptions for the calculation of expected loss to be paid for individual transactions for direct vintage 2004 - 2008 second lien U.S. RMBS.
 
Key Assumptions in Base Case Expected Loss Estimates
Second Lien RMBS(1)

HELOC key assumptions
As of
September 30, 2015
 
As of
June 30, 2015
 
As of
December 31, 2014
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
Plateau CDR
6.0
%
24.0%
 
9.5%
 
5.3
%
23.3%
 
8.9%
 
2.8
%
6.8%
 
4.1%
Final CDR trended down to
0.5
%
3.2%
 
1.2%
 
0.5
%
3.2%
 
1.2%
 
0.5
%
3.2%
 
1.2%
Period until final CDR
34 months
 
 
 
34 months
 
 
 
34 months
 
 
Initial CPR
9.8%
 
9.8%
 
9.3%
 
9.3%
 
6.9
%
21.8%
 
11.0%
Final CPR(2)
10.0
%
15.0%
 
13.3%
 
10.0
%
15.0%
 
13.25%
 
15.0
%
21.8%
 
15.5%
Loss severity
90.0
%
98.0%
 
90.3%
 
90.0
%
98.0%
 
90.5%
 
90.0
%
98.0%
 
90.4%
 
Closed-end second lien key assumptions
As of
September 30, 2015
 
As of
June 30, 2015
 
As of
December 31, 2014
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
 
Range
 
Weighted Average
Plateau CDR
6.0
%
19.7%
 
10.2%
 
6.0
%
21.4%
 
10.8%
 
5.5
%
12.5%
 
7.2%
Final CDR trended down to
3.5
%
9.2%
 
4.8%
 
3.5
%
9.2%
 
4.8%
 
3.5
%
9.1%
 
4.9%
Period until final CDR
34 months
 
 
 
34 months
 
 
 
34 months
 
 
Initial CPR
5.7
%
15.1%
 
9%
 
5.3
%
13.4%
 
8.6%
 
2.8
%
13.9%
 
9.9%
Final CPR(2)
15.0
%
15.1%
 
15%
 
15%
 
 
 
15%
 
 
Loss severity
98%
 
 
 
98%
 
 
 
98%
 
 
____________________
(1)
Represents variables for most heavily weighted scenario (the “base case”).

(2) 
For transactions where the initial CPR is higher than the final CPR, the initial CPR is held constant and the final CPR is not used.
 
In second lien transactions the projection of near-term defaults from currently delinquent loans is relatively straightforward because loans in second lien transactions are generally “charged off” (treated as defaulted) by the securitization’s servicer once the loan is 180 days past due. Most second lien transactions report the amount of loans in five monthly delinquency categories (i.e., 30-59 days past due, 60-89 days past due, 90-119 days past due, 120-149 days past due and 150-179 days past due). The Company estimates the amount of loans that will default over the next five months by calculating current representative liquidation rates. A liquidation rate is the percent of loans in a given cohort (in this instance, delinquency category) that ultimately default. Similar to first liens, the Company then calculates a CDR for six months, which is the period over which the currently delinquent collateral is expected to be liquidated. That CDR is then used as the basis for the plateau period that follows the embedded five months of losses. Liquidation rates assumed as of September 30, 2015, were from 10% to 100%.
 
For the base case scenario, the CDR (the “plateau CDR”) was held constant for six months. Once the plateau period has ended, the CDR is assumed to gradually trend down in uniform increments to its final long-term steady state CDR. (The long-term steady state CDR is calculated as the constant CDR that would have yielded the amount of losses originally expected at underwriting.) In the base case scenario, the time over which the CDR trends down to its final CDR is 28 months. Therefore, the total stress period for second lien transactions is 34 months, comprising five months of delinquent data, a one month plateau period and 28 months of decrease to the steady state CDR, the same as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

HELOC loans generally permit the borrower to pay only interest for an initial period (often ten years) and, after that period, require the borrower to make both the monthly interest payment and a monthly principal payment, and so increase the borrower's aggregate monthly payment. Some of the HELOC loans underlying the Company's insured HELOC transactions have reached their principal amortization period. The Company has observed that the increase in monthly payments occurring when a loan reaches its principal amortization period, even if mitigated by borrower relief offered by the servicer, is associated with increased borrower defaults. Thus, most of the Company's HELOC projections incorporate an assumption that a percentage of loans reaching their amortization periods will default around the time of the payment increase. These projected defaults are in addition to those generated using the CDR curve as described above. This assumption is similar to the one used at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. For September 30, 2015 the Company used the approach it had refined for June 30, 2015 to calculate the number of additional delinquencies as a function of the number of modified loans in the transaction and the final steady state CDR. Under this refined approach, transactions that have worse than average expected experience will have higher defaults and transactions where borrowers are receiving modifications so that they will not default when their interest only period ends will have higher losses.

When a second lien loan defaults, there is generally a very low recovery. The Company had assumed as of September 30, 2015 that it will generally recover only 10% or less of the collateral defaulting in the future and declining additional amounts on post-default receipts on previously defaulted collateral. This is the same as at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

The rate at which the principal amount of loans is prepaid may impact both the amount of losses projected as well as the amount of excess spread. In the base case, an average CPR (based on experience of the most recent three quarters) is assumed to continue until the end of the plateau before gradually increasing to the final CPR over the same period the CDR decreases. The final CPR is assumed to be 15% for both HELOC and closed-end second lien transactions, which is lower than the historical average but reflects the Company’s continued uncertainty about the projected performance of the borrowers in these transactions. This pattern is generally consistent with how the Company modeled the CPR at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. To the extent that prepayments differ from projected levels it could materially change the Company’s projected excess spread and losses.
 
The Company uses a number of other variables in its second lien loss projections, including the spread between relevant interest rate indices. These variables have been relatively stable and in the relevant ranges have less impact on the projection results than the variables discussed above. However, in a number of HELOC transactions the servicers have been modifying poorly performing loans from floating to fixed rates, and, as a result, rising interest rates would negatively impact the excess spread available from these modified loans to support the transactions.  The Company incorporated these modifications in its assumptions.

In estimating expected losses, the Company modeled and probability weighted five possible CDR curves applicable to the period preceding the return to the long-term steady state CDR. The Company used five scenarios at June 30, 2015 and three scenarios at December 31, 2014. The Company believes that the level of the elevated CDR and the length of time it will persist, the ultimate prepayment rate, and the amount of additional defaults because of the expiry of the interest only period, are the primary drivers behind the likely amount of losses the collateral will suffer. The Company continues to evaluate the assumptions affecting its modeling results.
 
The Company’s base case assumed a six month CDR plateau and a 28 month ramp-down (for a total stress period of 34 months). The Company also modeled a scenario with a longer period of elevated defaults and another with a shorter period of elevated defaults. Increasing the CDR plateau to eight months and increasing the ramp-down by three months to 31 months (for a total stress period of 39 months), and doubling the defaults relating to the end of the interest only period would increase the expected loss by approximately $37 million for HELOC transactions and $1 million for closed-end second lien transactions. On the other hand, reducing the CDR plateau to four months and decreasing the length of the CDR ramp-down to 25 months (for a total stress period of 29 months), and lowering the ultimate prepayment rate to 10% would decrease the expected loss by approximately $36 million for HELOC transactions and $0.6 million for closed-end second lien transactions.

Breaches of Representations and Warranties

Generally, when mortgage loans are transferred into a securitization, the loan originator(s) and/or sponsor(s) provide R&W that the loans meet certain characteristics, and a breach of such R&W often requires that the loan be repurchased from the securitization. The Company has pursued such breaches of R&W on a loan-by-loan basis or in cases where a provider of R&W refused to honor its repurchase obligations, the Company sometimes chose to initiate litigation. The Company's success in pursuing these strategies permitted the Company to enter into agreements with R&W providers under which those providers made payments to the Company, agreed to make payments to the Company in the future, and / or repurchased loans from the transactions, all in return for releases of related liability by the Company. In some instances, the entity providing the R&W (or an affiliate of that entity) also benefited from credit protection sold by the Company through a CDS, and the Company entered into an agreement terminating the CDS protection it provided (and so avoiding future losses on that transaction), again in return for releases of related liability by the Company and in certain instances other consideration.

Through October 31, 2015, the Company has caused entities providing R&Ws to pay, or agree to pay, or to terminate or agree to terminate insurance protection on future projected losses of, approximately $4.2 billion (gross of reinsurance) in respect of their R&W liabilities for transactions in which the Company has provided insurance. The Company has included in its net expected loss estimates as of September 30, 2015 an estimated net benefit of $198 million (net of reinsurance), all of which is projected to be received pursuant to existing agreements with R&W providers. The Company is no longer actively pursuing R&W providers where it does not have such an agreement. Most of the amount projected to be received pursuant to existing agreements with R&W providers benefits from eligible assets placed in trusts to collateralize the R&W provider’s future reimbursement obligation, with the amount of such collateral subject to increase or decrease from time to time as determined by rating agency requirements. Currently the Company has agreements with three counterparties where a future reimbursement obligation is collateralized by eligible assets held in trust:

Bank of America. Under the Company's agreement with Bank of America Corporation and certain of its subsidiaries (“Bank of America”), Bank of America agreed to reimburse the Company for 80% of claims on the first lien transactions covered by the agreement that the Company pays in the future, until the aggregate lifetime collateral losses (not insurance losses or claims) on those transactions reach $6.6 billion. As of September 30, 2015 aggregate lifetime collateral losses on those transactions was $4.3 billion, and the Company was projecting in its base case that such collateral losses would eventually reach $5.2 billion. Bank of America's reimbursement obligation is secured by $551 million of collateral held in trust for the Company's benefit.

Deutsche Bank. Under the Company's May 2012 agreement with Deutsche Bank AG and certain of its affiliates (collectively, “Deutsche Bank”), Deutsche Bank agreed to reimburse the Company for certain claims it pays in the future on eight first and second lien transactions, including 80% of claims it pays on those transactions until the aggregate lifetime claims (before reimbursement) reach $319 million. As of September 30, 2015, the Company was projecting in its base case that such aggregate lifetime claims would remain below $319 million. In the event aggregate lifetime claims paid exceed $389 million, Deutsche Bank must reimburse the Company for 85% of such claims paid (in excess of $389 million) until such claims paid reach $600 million. Deutsche Bank’s reimbursement obligation is secured by $71 million of collateral held in trust for the Company’s benefit.

When the agreement was first signed, Deutsche Bank was also required to reimburse AGC for future claims AGC paid on certain RMBS resecuritizations. These and other RMBS transactions with respect to which AGC had provided credit protection to Deutsche Bank through a CDS have since been terminated, while Deutsche Bank’s reimbursement obligation described above remains in place.

UBS. On May 6, 2013, the Company entered into an agreement with UBS Real Estate Securities Inc. and affiliates ("UBS") and a third party resolving the Company’s claims and liabilities related to specified RMBS transactions that were issued, underwritten or sponsored by UBS and insured by AGM or AGC under financial guaranty insurance policies. Under the agreement, UBS agreed to reimburse the Company for 85% of future losses on three first lien RMBS transactions, and such reimbursement obligation is secured by $62 million of collateral held in trust for the Company's benefit.
    
The Company uses the same RMBS projection scenarios and weightings to project its future R&W benefit as it uses to project RMBS losses on its portfolio. To the extent the Company increases its loss projections, the R&W benefit generally will also increase, subject to the agreement limits and thresholds described above. Similarly, to the extent the Company decreases its loss projections, the R&W benefit generally will also decrease, subject to the agreement limits and thresholds described above.

The number of risks subject to R&W recovery is 28, with related net debt service of $1.9 billion as of September 30, 2015 compared to 29 with related net debt service of $2.1 billion as of December 31, 2014. A risk represents the aggregate of the financial guaranty policies that share the same revenue source for purposes of making debt service payments. Included in these September 30 amounts is one risk with related net debt service of $568 million as of September 30, 2015 that was terminated early in the fourth quarter of 2015. The Company’s RMBS projection scenarios include the projected net benefit of those fourth quarter terminations, which have already occurred.

The following table provides a breakdown of the development and accretion amount in the roll forward of estimated recoveries associated with claims for breaches of R&W.

Components of R&W Development

 
Third Quarter
 
Nine Months
 
2015
 
2014
 
2015

2014
 
(in millions)
Estimated increase (decrease) in defaults that will result in additional (lower) breaches
$
(16
)
 
$
(4
)
 
$
(65
)
 
$
(15
)
Inclusion or removal of deals with breaches of R&W during period

 

 
0

 

Change in recovery assumptions

 
4

 

 
31

Settlements and anticipated settlements
14

 
90

 
14

 
96

Accretion of discount on balance
1

 
3

 
3

 
48

Total
$
(1
)
 
$
93

 
$
(48
)
 
$
160

 

 
Triple-X Life Insurance Transactions
 
The Company had $2.8 billion of net par exposure to Triple-X life insurance transactions as of September 30, 2015. Two of these transactions, with $216 million of net par outstanding, are rated BIG. The Triple-X life insurance transactions are based on discrete blocks of individual life insurance business. In older vintage Triple-X transactions, which include the two BIG-rated transactions, the monies raised by the sale of the notes insured by the Company were used to capitalize a special purpose vehicle that provides reinsurance to a life insurer or reinsurer. The monies are invested at inception in accounts managed by third-party investment managers. In the case of the two BIG-rated transactions, material amounts of their assets were invested in U.S. RMBS. Based on its analysis of the information currently available, including estimates of future investment performance, and projected credit impairments on the invested assets and performance of the blocks of life insurance business at September 30, 2015, the Company’s projected net expected loss to be paid is $98 million. The economic loss development during Third Quarter 2015 was $1 million, which was due primarily to additional loss adjustment expenses. The economic loss development during Nine Months 2015 was $8 million, which was due primarily to changes in the risk free rates used to discount the losses and life insurance projections earlier in the year.

In the case of one of the BIG-rated transactions, AGM had guaranteed a CDS that referenced the entire issued and outstanding amount of its Series A-1 Notes, which AGUK guarantees. On July 9, 2015, in consideration of a cash payment by AGM, the swap counterparty delivered to AGM all of the Series A-1 Notes, and the parties terminated the CDS. AGUK continues to guarantee the Series A-1 Notes. However, consistent with the Company's practice of excluding from its par and Debt Service outstanding amounts attributable to loss mitigation securities it has purchased because it manages such securities as investments and not insurance exposure, the Company excluded from its consolidated net par outstanding as of September 30, 2015 the $382.5 million net par of such notes.

TruPS
 
The Company has insured or reinsured $4.6 billion of net par (78% of which is in CDS form) of collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”) backed by TruPS and similar debt instruments, or “TruPS CDOs.” Of the $4.6 billion, $0.8 billion is rated BIG. The underlying collateral in the TruPS CDOs consists of subordinated debt instruments such as TruPS issued by bank holding companies and similar instruments issued by insurance companies, real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and other real estate related issuers.
 
The Company projects losses for TruPS CDOs by projecting the performance of the asset pools across several scenarios (which it weighs) and applying the CDO structures to the resulting cash flows. At September 30, 2015, the Company has projected expected losses to be paid for TruPS CDOs of $5 million. During Third Quarter 2015, there was a decrease in economic loss development of $5 million, which was due primarily to improving collateral performance and collateral redemptions during the quarter. During Nine Months 2015, there was a decrease in economic loss development of $18 million, which was due primarily to improving collateral performance and collateral redemptions during the period.

Student Loan Transactions
 
The Company has insured or reinsured $1.8 billion net par of student loan securitizations issued by private issuers and that it classifies as structured finance. Of this amount, $165 million is rated BIG. The Company is projecting approximately $56 million of net expected loss to be paid on these transactions. In general, the losses are due to: (i) the poor credit performance of private student loan collateral and high loss severities, or (ii) high interest rates on auction rate securities with respect to which the auctions have failed. The economic benefit during Third Quarter 2015 was $2 million, which was due primarily to lower delinquencies in the loan portfolio. The economic benefit during Nine Months 2015 was $7 million, which was driven primarily by a partial commutation by the underlying insurer during the first quarter.

Other structured finance

The Company's other structured finance include $1.3 billion net par rated BIG, including a distressed collateralized loan obligation ("CLO") transaction, transactions backed by manufactured housing loans and quota share surety reinsurance contracts on Spanish housing cooperatives. As of April 1, 2015, the Radian Asset Acquisition added $101 million in net economic losses for other structured finance credits. The Company has expected loss to be paid of $83 million as of September 30, 2015. The economic benefit during Third Quarter 2015 was $12 million and for Nine Months 2015 was a benefit of $14 million, which were attributable primarily to a commercial mortgage-backed security ("CMBS"), which was terminated in October 2015.

The transaction in this area most sensitive to changes in losses in the future is the distressed CLO transaction. In its most pessimistic scenario, where the primary insurer defaults (the Company's contract is a second-to-pay policy), the expected loss could increase by $120 million. In its most optimistic scenario, where the primary insurer pays the full claim, the Company would have no expected losses.
    
Recovery Litigation
 
RMBS Transactions
 
In November 2014, AGM and its affiliate AGC reached a confidential settlement with DLJ Mortgage Capital, Inc., Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC to resolve a lawsuit relating to six first lien U.S. RMBS transactions. AGM and AGC sought damages for alleged breaches of representations and warranties in respect of the underlying loans in these transactions, and failure to cure or repurchase defective loans identified by AGM and AGC.  On November 25, 2014, the parties filed a joint stipulation discontinuing the lawsuit with prejudice.  However, on November 20, 2014, U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee for the transactions, had filed a motion to intervene as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.  On November 26, 2014, the trustee submitted a letter stating that the joint stipulation is ineffective and that the lawsuit may be discontinued only by court order, and requesting an opportunity to review and potentially oppose the settlement.  On March 5, 2015 the Court denied the motion to intervene.

Triple-X Life Insurance Transactions
 
In December 2008, AGUK filed an action in the Supreme Court of the State of New York against J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (“JPMIM”), the investment manager for a triple-X life insurance transaction, Orkney Re II plc ("Orkney"), involving securities guaranteed by AGUK. The action alleges that JPMIM engaged in breaches of fiduciary duty, gross negligence and breaches of contract based upon its handling of the Orkney investments. After AGUK’s claims were dismissed with prejudice in January 2010, AGUK was successful in its subsequent motions and appeals and, as of December 2011, all of AGUK’s claims for breaches of fiduciary duty, gross negligence and contract were reinstated in full. Discovery is ongoing.

Public Finance Transactions

On November 1, 2013, Radian Asset commenced a declaratory judgment action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi against Madison County, Mississippi and the Parkway East Public Improvement District to establish its rights under a contribution agreement from the County supporting certain special assessment bonds issued by the District and insured by Radian Asset (now AGC). As of September 30, 2015, $21 million of such bonds were outstanding. The County maintains that its payment obligation is limited to two years of annual debt service, while AGC contends no such limitation applies. On April 20, 2015, the Court issued an order addressing AGC's and the County's cross-motions for partial summary judgment, and denied the County's motion for summary judgment that its payment obligation lasts only two years. On May 1, 2015, AGC paid its first claim on the insured bonds. Discovery is ongoing.