COMMITMENTS. We had total investment commitments of $3,809 million and unfunded lending commitments, primarily at EFS, of $651 million at December 31, 2023. The investment commitments primarily comprise investments by our run-off insurance operations in investment securities and other assets of $3,662 million and included within these commitments are obligations to make investments in unconsolidated VIEs of $3,545 million. See Note 23 for further information.

Indemnification agreements – Continuing Operations. GE has obligations under the Tax Matters Agreement to indemnify GE HealthCare for certain tax costs and other indemnifications of $41 million, which are fully reserved. In addition, we have $289 million of other indemnification commitments, including representations and warranties in sales of business assets, for which we recorded a liability of $70 million.

Indemnification agreements - Discontinued Operations. Following the Separation of GE HealthCare on January 3, 2023, GE has remaining performance and bank guarantees on behalf of its former HealthCare business, with a maximum aggregate exposure of $44 million. GE also has obligations under the Transition Services Agreement and Tax Matters Agreement to indemnify GE HealthCare for certain technology and tax costs of $81 million, which are fully reserved. In addition, we have provided specific indemnities to other buyers of assets of our business that, in the aggregate, represent a maximum potential claim of $721 million with related reserves of $71 million.

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 that could have a material impact on our results of operations. In many proceedings, including the specific matters described below, 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. For these matters, unless otherwise specified, we do not believe it is possible to provide a meaningful estimate of loss at this time. 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.

Alstom legacy legal matters. In 2015, we acquired the Steam Power, Renewables and Grid businesses from Alstom, which prior to our acquisition were the subject of significant cases involving anti-competitive activities and improper payments. We had reserves of $393 million and $455 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, for legal and compliance matters related to the legacy business practices that were the subject of cases in various jurisdictions. Allegations in these cases relate to claimed anti-competitive conduct or improper payments in the pre-acquisition period as the source of legal violations 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 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. 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 disgorgement, fines or 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.

Shareholder and related lawsuits. Since November 2017, several putative shareholder class actions under the federal securities laws were filed against GE and certain affiliated individuals and consolidated into a single action currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (the Hachem case, also referred to as the Sjunde AP-Fonden case). The complaint against defendants GE and current and former GE executive officers alleged violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 related to insurance reserves and accounting for long-term service agreements and seeks damages on behalf of shareholders who acquired GE stock between February 27, 2013 and January 23, 2018. GE filed a motion to dismiss in December 2019. In January 2021, the court granted the motion to dismiss as to the majority of the claims. Specifically, the court dismissed all claims related to insurance reserves, as well as all claims related to accounting for long-term service agreements, with the exception of certain claims about historic disclosures related to factoring in the Power business that survive as to GE and its former CFO Jeffrey S. Bornstein. All other individual defendants have been dismissed from the case. In April 2022, the court granted the plaintiffs' motion for class certification for shareholders who acquired stock between February 26, 2016 and January 23, 2018. In September 2022, GE filed a motion for summary judgment on the plaintiffs' remaining claims. In September 2023, the court denied GE’s motion for summary judgment, except as to claims arising from disclosures made between November 2017 and January 2018.

Since February 2018, multiple shareholder derivative lawsuits were filed against current and former GE executive officers and members of GE’s Board of Directors and GE (as nominal defendant). These lawsuits have alleged violations of securities laws, breaches of fiduciary duties, unjust enrichment, waste of corporate assets, abuse of control and gross mismanagement, although the specific matters underlying the allegations in the lawsuits have varied. Two shareholder derivative lawsuits are currently pending: the Lindsey and Priest/Tola cases, which were filed in New York state court. The allegations in these two cases relate to substantially the same facts as those underlying the Sjunde AP-Fonden case. The plaintiffs seek unspecified damages and improvements in GE’s corporate governance and internal procedures. The Lindsey case has been stayed by agreement of the parties, and GE filed a motion to dismiss the Priest/Tola complaint in March 2021.

In July 2018, a putative class action (the Mahar case) was filed in New York state court naming as defendants GE, former GE executive officers, a former member of GE’s Board of Directors and KPMG. It alleged violations of Sections 11, 12 and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 based on alleged misstatements related to insurance reserves and performance of GE’s business segments in GE Stock Direct Plan registration statements and documents incorporated therein by reference and seeks damages on behalf of shareholders who acquired GE stock between July 20, 2015 and July 19, 2018 through the GE Stock Direct Plan. In February 2019, this case was dismissed. In April 2019, GE filed a motion to dismiss. In October 2019, the court denied GE's motion to dismiss and stayed the case pending the outcome of the Sjunde AP-Fonden case. In November 2019, the plaintiffs moved to re-argue to challenge the stay, and GE cross-moved to re-argue the denial of the motion to dismiss and filed a notice of appeal. The court denied both motions for re-argument, and in November 2020, the Appellate Division First Department affirmed the court's denial of GE's motion to dismiss. In January 2021, GE filed a motion for leave to appeal to the New York Court of Appeals, and that motion was denied in March 2021.

GE Retirement Savings Plan class actions. In 2017, four putative class action lawsuits were filed regarding the oversight of the GE RSP, and those class actions were consolidated into a single action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The consolidated complaint named as defendants GE, GE Asset Management, current and former GE and GE Asset Management executive officers and employees who served on fiduciary bodies responsible for aspects of the GE RSP during the class period. Like similar lawsuits that were brought against other companies in recent years, this action alleged that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in their oversight of the GE RSP, principally by retaining five proprietary funds that plaintiffs alleged were underperforming as investment options for plan participants and by charging higher management fees than some alternative funds. The plaintiffs sought unspecified damages on behalf of a class of GE RSP participants and beneficiaries from September 26, 2011 through the date of any judgment. In August and December 2018, the court issued orders dismissing one count of the complaint and denying GE's motion to dismiss the remaining counts. In September 2022, both GE and the plaintiffs filed motions for summary judgment on the remaining claims. In September 2023, GE executed a class action settlement with plaintiffs in the amount of $61 million, which the court preliminarily approved in October 2023 with a hearing on final approval scheduled for March 2024. Net of insurance contributions, this had an immaterial financial impact that GE recognized in its results for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.

Bank BPH. As previously reported, Bank BPH, along with other Polish banks, has been subject to ongoing litigation in Poland related to its portfolio of floating rate residential mortgage loans, with cases brought by individual borrowers seeking relief related to their foreign currency indexed or denominated mortgage loans in various courts throughout Poland. For a number of years, GE has observed an increase in the total number of lawsuits being brought against Bank BPH and other banks in Poland by current and former borrowers, and we expect this to continue in future reporting periods. As previously reported, GE and Bank BPH approved the adoption of a settlement program and recorded an additional charge of $1,014 million in the quarter ended June 30, 2023. The estimate of total losses for borrower litigation at Bank BPH as of December 31, 2023 was $2,669 million.

The estimate of total losses for borrower litigation at Bank BPH as of December 31, 2023 accounts for the costs of payments to borrowers who we estimate will participate in the settlement program, as well as estimates for the results of litigation with other borrowers, which in either case can exceed the value of the current loan balance. This estimate represents our best estimate of the total losses we expect to incur over time. However, there are a number of factors that could affect the estimate in the future, including: potentially significant judicial decisions or binding resolutions by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) or the Polish Supreme Court, including a ruling by the ECJ in June 2023 that could significantly increase the cost to banks of loans invalidated by Polish courts and encourage more borrower lawsuits; the impact of any such decisions or resolutions on how Polish courts will interpret and apply the law in particular cases; the receptivity of borrowers over time to Bank BPH’s settlement program; the number of active and inactive borrowers who sue Bank BPH; the ability of Bank BPH to recover from borrowers the original principal amount of loans invalidated by Polish courts; and the impact of potential future legislation in Poland relating to foreign currency indexed or denominated mortgage loans. While we are unable at this time to develop a meaningful estimate of reasonably possible losses beyond the amount currently recorded, future changes related to any of the foregoing or in Bank BPH’s settlement approach, or other adverse developments such as actions by regulators, legislators or other governmental authorities (including consumer protection regulators), could increase our estimate of total losses and potentially require future cash contributions to Bank BPH. See Note 2 for further information.

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 and nuclear decommissioning regulations. We record reserves for obligations for ongoing and future environmental remediation activities, such as the Housatonic River cleanup described below, and for additional liabilities we expect to incur in connection with previously remediated sites, such as natural resource damages for the Hudson River where GE completed dredging in 2019. Additionally, like many other industrial companies, we and our subsidiaries are defendants in various lawsuits related to alleged exposure by workers and others to asbestos or other hazardous materials. Liabilities for environmental remediation, nuclear decommissioning and worker exposure claims exclude possible insurance recoveries. It is reasonably possible that our exposure will exceed amounts accrued. However, due to uncertainties about the status of laws, regulations, technology and information related to individual sites and lawsuits, such amounts are not reasonably estimable. Total reserves related to environmental remediation, nuclear decommissioning and worker exposure claims were $2,465 million and $2,415 million at December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

In 2000, GE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) entered into a consent decree relating to PCB cleanup of the Housatonic River in Massachusetts. In October 2016, the EPA issued its final decision pursuant to the consent decree, which GE and several other interested parties appealed to the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). The EAB issued its decision in January 2018, affirming parts of the EPA’s decision and granting relief to GE on certain significant elements of its challenge. The EAB remanded the decision back to the EPA to address those elements and reissue a revised final remedy, and the EPA convened a mediation process with GE and interested stakeholders. In February 2020, the EPA announced an agreement between the EPA and many of the mediation stakeholders, including GE, concerning a revised Housatonic River remedy. In March 2021, two local environmental advocacy groups filed a joint petition to the EAB challenging portions of the revised permit; in February 2022, the EAB denied the petition, and the permit became effective in March 2022. In May 2022, the two environmental advocacy groups petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to review the EPA’s final permit. The Court's denial of this petition in July 2023 was not appealed, concluding these proceedings on the EPA’s remedy. As of December 31, 2023, and based on its assessment of current facts and circumstances, GE believes that it has recorded adequate reserves to cover future obligations associated with the EPA's final remedy.