NOTE 19. COMMITMENTS, GUARANTEES, PRODUCT WARRANTIES AND OTHER LOSS CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS

The GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) business within the Capital segment has placed multiple-year orders for various Boeing, Airbus and other aircraft manufacturers with list prices approximating $33,269 million (including 391 new aircraft with delivery dates of 16% in 2019, 20% in 2020 and 64% in 2021 through 2024) and secondary orders with airlines for used aircraft of approximately $1,906 million (including 39 used aircraft with delivery dates of 87% in 2019 and 13% in 2020) at March 31, 2019. When we purchase aircraft, it is at a contractual price, which is usually less than the aircraft manufacturer’s list price and excludes any pre-delivery payments made in advance. As of March 31, 2019, we have made $2,954 million of pre-delivery payments to aircraft manufacturers.

GE Capital had total investment commitments of $1,246 million at March 31, 2019 that primarily comprise project financing investments in thermal and wind energy projects of $874 million as of March 31, 2019.

As of March 31, 2019, in our Aviation segment, we have committed to provide financing assistance of $2,482 million of future customer acquisitions of aircraft equipped with our engines as of March 31, 2019.

GUARANTEES

Our guarantees are provided in the ordinary course of business. We underwrite these guarantees considering economic, liquidity and credit risk of the counterparty. We believe that the likelihood is remote that any such arrangements could have a significant adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or liquidity. We record liabilities for guarantees at estimated fair value, generally the amount of the premium received, or if we do not receive a premium, the amount based on appraisal, observed market values or discounted cash flows. Any associated expected recoveries from third parties are recorded as other receivables, not netted against the liabilities. At March 31, 2019, we were committed under the following guarantee arrangements beyond those provided on behalf of VIEs. See Note 18 for further information.

Credit Support. At March 31, 2019, we have provided $1,504 million of credit support on behalf of certain customers or associated companies, predominantly joint ventures and partnerships, using arrangements such as standby letters of credit and performance guarantees. These arrangements enable these customers and associated companies to execute transactions or obtain desired financing arrangements with third parties. Should our customer or associated company fail to perform under the terms of the transaction or financing arrangement, we would be required to perform on their behalf. Under most such arrangements, our guarantee is secured, usually by the asset being purchased or financed, or possibly by certain other assets of the customer or associated company for the term of the related financing arrangements or transactions. The liability for such credit support was $46 million at March 31, 2019.

Indemnification Agreements – Continuing Operations. At March 31, 2019, we have $1,607 million of other indemnification commitments, including representations and warranties in sales of businesses or assets, for which we recorded a liability of $136 million.

We also have agreements that require us to fund up to $200 million at March 31, 2019 under residual value guarantees on a variety of leased equipment. Under most of our residual value guarantees, our commitment is secured by the leased asset. The liability for these indemnification agreements was $6 million at March 31, 2019.

Indemnification Agreements – Discontinued Operations. At March 31, 2019, we provided specific indemnities to buyers of GE Capital’s businesses and assets that, in the aggregate, represent a maximum potential claim of $1,211 million with related reserves of $212 million. During the first quarter of 2019, we received confirmation of a favorable court ruling reducing the maximum potential claim and related reserves by $679 million and $55 million, respectively. In addition, in connection with the 2015 public offering and sale of Synchrony Financial, GE Capital indemnified Synchrony Financial and its directors, officers, and employees against the liabilities of GECC's businesses other than historical liabilities of the businesses that are part of Synchrony Financial's ongoing operations.

PRODUCT WARRANTIES

We provide for estimated product warranty expenses when we sell the related products. Because warranty estimates are forecasts that are based on the best available information, mostly historical claims experience, claims costs may differ from amounts provided. An analysis of changes in the liability for product warranties follows.



	Three months ended March 31
(In millions)	2019			2018

Balance at January 1	$	2,428		$	2,268
Current-year provisions	164			236
Expenditures	(158		)	(221		)
Other changes	1			149
Balance as of March 31	$	2,435		$	2,431

LEGAL MATTERS

In the normal course of our business, we are involved from time to time in various arbitrations, class actions, commercial litigation, investigations and other legal, regulatory or governmental actions, including the significant matters described below. In many proceedings, it is inherently difficult to determine whether any loss is probable or even reasonably possible or to estimate the size or range of the possible loss, and accruals for legal matters are not recorded until a loss for a particular matter is considered probable and reasonably estimable. Given the nature of legal matters and the complexities involved, it is often difficult to predict and determine a meaningful estimate of loss or range of loss until we know, among other factors, the particular claims involved, the likelihood of success of our defenses to those claims, the damages or other relief sought, how discovery or other procedural considerations will affect the outcome, the settlement posture of other parties and other factors that may have a material effect on the outcome. Moreover, it is not uncommon for legal matters to be resolved over many years, during which time relevant developments and new information must be continuously evaluated.

WMC. During the fourth quarter of 2007, we completed the sale of WMC, our U.S. mortgage business. WMC substantially discontinued all new loan originations by the second quarter of 2007, and was never a loan servicer. In connection with the sale, WMC retained certain representation and warranty obligations related to loans sold to third parties prior to the disposal of the business and contractual obligations to repurchase previously sold loans that had an early payment default. All claims received by WMC for early payment default have either been resolved or are no longer being pursued.

The remaining active claims have been brought by securitization trustees or administrators seeking recovery from WMC for alleged breaches of representations and warranties on mortgage loans that serve as collateral for residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). At March 31, 2019, such claims consisted of $185 million of individual claims generally submitted before the filing of a lawsuit (compared to $144 million at December 31, 2018) and $756 million of additional claims asserted against WMC in litigation without making a prior claim (Litigation Claims) (compared to $433 million at December 31, 2018). The total amount of these claims, $941 million, reflects the purchase price or unpaid principal balances of the loans at the time of purchase and does not give effect to pay downs or potential recoveries based upon the underlying collateral, which in many cases are substantial, nor to accrued interest or fees. WMC believes that repurchase claims brought based upon representations and warranties made more than six years before WMC was notified of the claim would be disallowed in legal proceedings under applicable law and the decisions of the New York Court of Appeals in ACE Securities Corp. v. DB Structured Products, Inc., (June 11, 2015) and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company v. Flagstar Capital Markets Corporation (October 16, 2018) on the statute of limitations period governing such claims.

Reserves related to repurchase claims made against WMC were $185 million at March 31, 2019, reflecting a net decrease to reserves in the three months ended March 31, 2019 of $25 million, primarily due to settlements. The reserve estimate takes into account recent settlement activity and is based upon WMC’s evaluation of the remaining exposures as a percentage of estimated lifetime mortgage loan losses within the pool of loans supporting each securitization for which timely claims have been asserted in litigation against WMC. Settlements in prior periods reduced WMC’s exposure on claims asserted in certain securitizations and the claim amounts reported above give effect to these settlements. During the first quarter of 2018, we also recorded a reserve of $1,500 million in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) ongoing investigation regarding potential violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) by WMC and GE Capital discussed in Legal Proceedings. This charge was recorded in the first quarter of 2018 based upon our estimate of the loss contingency at that time, including the status of our settlement discussions with the DOJ in the first quarter of 2018 and an assessment of prior settlements reached in similar matters.

In January 2019, we announced an agreement in principle with the United States to settle this matter, and in April 2019, the parties entered into a definitive settlement agreement. Under the agreement, which concludes this investigation, GE, without admitting liability or wrongdoing, paid the United States a civil penalty of $1,500 million.

In April 2019, WMC commenced a case under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. WMC intends to file a Chapter 11 plan seeking an efficient and orderly resolution of all claims, demands, rights, and/or liabilities to be asserted by or against WMC as the debtor. GE Capital will provide $25 million of debtor-in-possession financing to fund administrative expenses associated with the Chapter 11 proceeding. As a result of WMC commencing the Chapter 11 case, we will no longer consolidate WMC’s financial results or position on the books and records of GE Capital beginning in the second quarter 2019.

Alstom legacy matters. On November 2, 2015, we acquired the Thermal, Renewables and Grid businesses from Alstom. Prior to the acquisition, the seller was the subject of two significant cases involving anti-competitive activities and improper payments: (1) in January 2007, Alstom was fined €65 million by the European Commission for participating in a gas insulated switchgear cartel that operated from 1988 to 2004 (that fine was later reduced to €59 million), and (2) in December 2014, Alstom pled guilty in the United States to multiple violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and paid a criminal penalty of $772 million. As part of GE’s accounting for the acquisition, we established a reserve amounting to $858 million for legal and compliance matters related to the legacy business practices that were the subject of these and related cases in various jurisdictions. At March 31, 2019, this reserve balance was $888 million. The increase is primarily driven by foreign currency movements.

Regardless of jurisdiction, the allegations relate to claimed anti-competitive conduct or improper payments in the pre-acquisition period as the source of legal violations and/or damages. Given the significant litigation and compliance activity related to these matters and our ongoing efforts to resolve them, it is difficult to assess whether the disbursements will ultimately be consistent with the reserve established. The estimation of this reserve involved significant judgment and may not reflect the full range of uncertainties and unpredictable outcomes inherent in litigation and investigations of this nature, and at this time we are unable to develop a meaningful estimate of the range of reasonably possible additional losses beyond the amount of this reserve. Damages sought may include disgorgement of profits on the underlying business transactions, fines and/or penalties, interest, or other forms of resolution. Factors that can affect the ultimate amount of losses associated with these and related matters include the way cooperation is assessed and valued, prosecutorial discretion in the determination of damages, formulas for determining fines and penalties, the duration and amount of legal and investigative resources applied, political and social influences within each jurisdiction, and tax consequences of any settlements or previous deductions, among other considerations. Actual losses arising from claims in these and related matters could exceed the amount provided.

ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY MATTERS

Our operations, like operations of other companies engaged in similar businesses, involve the use, disposal and cleanup of substances regulated under environmental protection laws. We are involved in numerous remediation actions to clean up hazardous wastes as required by federal and state laws. Liabilities for remediation costs exclude possible insurance recoveries and, when dates and amounts of such costs are not known, are not discounted. When there appears to be a range of possible costs with equal likelihood, liabilities are based on the low end of such range. It is reasonably possible that our environmental remediation exposure will exceed amounts accrued. However, due to uncertainties about the status of laws, regulations, technology and information related to individual sites, such amounts are not reasonably estimable. For further information, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.