RESTRICTED CASH RESTRICTED CASH (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]

Schedule of Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

Restricted cash and cash equivalents consists of the following (in thousands):

	September 30, 2014		December 31, 2013
Cash in escrow for surety bonds	$	2,453	$	2,453
Cash in escrow for corporate purchasing card program	100		400
Cash in escrow for sale of LendingTree Loans (a)	16,106		18,117
Cash in escrow for earnout related to an acquisition (b)	—		1,956
Cash restricted for loan loss obligations	3,164		3,051
Other	51		40
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents	$	21,874	$	26,017

(a) Home Loan Center, Inc. ("HLC"), a subsidiary of the Company, continues to be liable for certain indemnification obligations, repurchase obligations and premium repayment obligations following the sale of substantially all of the operating assets of its LendingTree Loans business in the second quarter of 2012. During the second quarter of 2014, the Company reached and executed a settlement with one of its secondary market purchasers related to these contingent liabilities, upon which $2.0 million of cash previously held in escrow was released to the Company. This settlement had no impact on the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.

(b) During the first quarter of 2014, the Company reached and executed a settlement with the disputing party on the earnout related to an acquisition completed prior to the spinoff from IAC/InterActiveCorp in August 2008, upon which $2.0 million of cash previously held in escrow was released, of which $1.0 million was paid out to the disputing party. This settlement had no impact on the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.