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Assets and Liabilities of Businesses Held For Sale and Discontnued Operations
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Assets and Liabilities of Businesses Held For Sale and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]  
Assets and Liabilities Of Business Held For Sale and Discontinued Operations

2. ASSETS AND LIABILITIES OF BUSINESSES HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

Assets and Liabilities of Businesses Held for Sale

In the first quarter of 2013, we committed to sell our Consumer auto and personal loan business in Portugal.

 

In the second quarter of 2012, we committed to sell a portion of our Business Properties portfolio (Business Property) in Real Estate, including certain commercial loans, the origination and servicing platforms and the servicing rights on loans previously securitized by GECC. We completed the sale of Business Property on October 1, 2012 for proceeds of $2,406 million. We deconsolidated substantially all Real Estate securitization entities in the fourth quarter of 2012 as servicing rights related to these entities were transferred to the buyer at closing.

 

Summarized financial information for businesses held for sale is shown below.

       June 30, December 31,
(In millions)      2013 2012
            
Assets           
Cash and equivalents      $16 $74
Financing receivables – net       109  47
Property, plant and equipment – net       0  31
All other       40  59
Assets of businesses held for sale      $165 $211
            
Liabilities           
Short-term borrowings      $0 $138
All other        7  19
Liabilities of businesses held for sale      $7 $157

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued operations primarily comprised GE Money Japan (our Japanese personal loan business, Lake, and our Japanese mortgage and card businesses, excluding our investment in GE Nissen Credit Co., Ltd.), our U.S. mortgage business (WMC), our Consumer mortgage lending business in Ireland (Consumer Ireland) and our CLL trailer services business in Europe (CLL Trailer Services). Associated results of operations, financial position and cash flows are separately reported as discontinued operations for all periods presented.

Summarized financial information for discontinued operations is shown below.

  Three months ended June 30, Six months ended June 30,
(In millions) 2013 2012 2013 2012
             
Operations            
Total revenues (loss) $43 $(245) $30 $(144)
             
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes $(30) $(382) $(158) $(448)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes  21  123  142  157
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes $(9) $(259) $(16) $(291)
             
Disposal            
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes $(95) $(308) $(282) $(502)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes  (17)  14  68  43
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes $(112) $(294) $(214) $(459)
             
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes $(121) $(553) $(230) $(750)
             

       June 30, December 31,
(In millions)      2013 2012
            
Assets           
Cash and equivalents      $95 $102
Property, plant and equipment – net       511  699
All other       1,240  1,498
Assets of discontinued operations      $1,846 $2,299
            
Liabilities           
Deferred income taxes      $337 $374
All other       2,042  2,007
Liabilities of discontinued operations      $2,379 $2,381
            

Assets at June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 primarily comprised cash, property, plant and equipment - net and a deferred tax asset for a loss carryforward, which expires principally in 2017 and in part in 2019, related to the sale of our GE Money Japan business.

 

GE Money Japan

During the third quarter of 2008, we completed the sale of GE Money Japan, which included our Japanese personal loan business. Under the terms of the sale, we reduced the proceeds for estimated refund claims in excess of the statutory interest rate. Proceeds from the sale were to be increased or decreased based on the actual claims experienced in accordance with loss-sharing terms specified in the sale agreement, with all claims in excess of 258 billion Japanese yen (approximately $3,000 million) remaining our responsibility. The underlying portfolio to which this obligation relates is in runoff and interest rates were capped for all designated accounts by mid-2009. In the third quarter of 2010, we were required to begin making reimbursements under this arrangement.

 

Overall, excess interest refund claims experience has been difficult to predict and subject to several adverse factors, including the challenging global economic conditions over the last few years, the financial status of other Japanese personal lenders (including the 2010 bankruptcy of a large independent personal loan company), substantial ongoing legal advertising, and consumer behavior. Our reserves declined from $700 million at December 31, 2012 to $557 million at June 30, 2013, as claim payments and the effects of a strengthening U.S. dollar against the Japanese yen were partially offset by an increase to reserves of $126 million. In determining reserve levels, we consider analyses of recent and historical claims experience, as well as pending and estimated future refund requests, adjusted for the estimated percentage of customers who present valid requests and associated estimated payments. We determined our reserve assuming the pace of incoming claims will decelerate, that average exposure per claim remains consistent with recent experience, and that we continue to see the impact of loss mitigation efforts. Since our disposition of the business, incoming claims have continued to decline, however, it is highly variable and difficult to predict the pace and pattern of that decline and such assumptions have a significant effect on the total amount of our liability. Holding all other assumptions constant, an adverse change of 20% and 50% in assumed incoming daily claim rate reduction (resulting in an extension of the claim period and higher incoming claims), would result in an increase to our reserve of approximately $75 million and $400 million, respectively. We continue to closely monitor and evaluate claims activity.

 

Based on the uncertainties discussed above, and considering other environmental factors in Japan, including the runoff status of the underlying book of business, challenging economic conditions, the impact of laws and regulations (including consideration of proposed legislation that could impose a framework for collective legal action proceedings), and the financial status of other local personal lending companies, it is difficult to develop a meaningful estimate of the aggregate possible claims exposure. These uncertainties and factors could have an adverse effect on claims development.

 

GE Money Japan earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $(65) million and $(327) million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $(116) million and $(354) million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

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 is not 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 as to which there was an early payment default. All claims received by WMC for early payment default have either been resolved or are no longer being pursued.

 

Pending repurchase claims based upon representations and warranties made in connection with loan sales were $6,335 million at June 30, 2013, $5,357 million at December 31, 2012 and $705 million at December 31, 2011. Pending claims represent those active repurchase claims that identify the specific loans tendered for repurchase and, for each loan, the alleged breach of a representation or warranty. As such, they do not include unspecified repurchase claims, such as the Litigation Claims discussed below, or claims relating to breaches of representations that were made more than six years before WMC was notified of the claim. WMC believes that these repurchase claims do not meet the substantive and procedural requirements for tender under the governing agreements, would be barred from being enforced in legal proceedings under applicable statutes of limitations or are otherwise invalid. The amounts reported in pending claims reflect the purchase price or unpaid principal balances of the loans at the time of purchase and do not give effect to pay downs, accrued interest or fees, or potential recoveries based upon the underlying collateral. Historically, a small percentage of the total loans WMC originated and sold have been treated as validly tendered, meaning there was a breach of a representation and warranty that materially and adversely affects the value of the loan, and the demanding party met all other procedural and substantive requirements for repurchase.

 

Reserves related to WMC pending and estimated future loan repurchase claims were $787 million at June 30, 2013, reflecting an increase to reserves in the six months ended June 30, 2013 of $154 million due to incremental claim activity and updates to WMC's estimate of future losses. The amount of these reserves is based upon pending and estimated future loan repurchase requests and WMC's historical loss experience and evaluation of claim activity on loans tendered for repurchase.

 

The following table provides a roll forward of the reserve and pending repurchase claims.

 Reserve  Pending claims
(In millions)Three months ended June 30, 2013 Six months ended June 30, 2013 (In millions)Three months ended June 30, 2013 Six months ended June 30, 2013
Reserve, beginning of period$740 $633 Pending claims, beginning of period$6,210 $5,357
Provision 47  154 New claims 125  978
Claim resolutions 0  0 Claim resolutions 0  0
Reserve, end of period$787 $787 Pending claims, end of period$6,335 $6,335
             

Given the significant recent activity in pending claims and related litigation filed in connection with such claims, it is difficult to assess whether future losses will be consistent with WMC's past experience. Adverse changes to WMC's assumptions supporting the reserve for pending and estimated future loan repurchase claims may result in an increase to these reserves. For example, a 50% increase in the estimate of future loan repurchase requests and a 100% increase in the estimated loss rate on loans tendered, would result in an increase to the reserves of approximately $750 million.

 

There are 15 lawsuits involving pending repurchase claims on loans included in 14 securitizations. WMC initiated three of the cases as the plaintiff; in the other cases WMC is a defendant. The adverse parties in these cases are securitization trustees or parties claiming to act on their behalf. In 11 of these lawsuits, the adverse parties seek relief for mortgage loans beyond those included in WMC's previously discussed pending claims at June 30, 2013 (Litigation Claims). These Litigation Claims consist of sampling-based claims in two cases on approximately $900 million of mortgage loans and, in the other nine cases, claims for repurchase or damages based on the alleged failure to provide notice of defective loans, breach of a corporate representation and warranty, and/or non-specific claims for rescissionary damages on approximately $5,700 million of mortgage loans. These claims reflect the purchase price or unpaid principal balances of the loans at the time of purchase and do not give effect to pay downs, accrued interest or fees, or potential recoveries based upon the underlying collateral. As noted above, WMC believes that the Litigation Claims are disallowed by the governing agreements and applicable law. As a result, WMC has not included the Litigation Claims in its pending claims or in its estimates of future loan repurchase requests and holds no related reserve as of June 30, 2013.

 

At this point, WMC is unable to develop a meaningful estimate of reasonably possible loss in connection with the Litigation Claims described above due to a number of factors, including the extent to which courts will agree with the theories supporting the Litigation Claims. Specifically, while several courts in cases not involving WMC have supported some of those theories, other courts have rejected them. In addition, WMC lacks experience resolving such claims, and there are few public industry settlements that may serve as benchmarks to estimate a reasonably possible loss. An adverse court decision on any of the theories supporting the Litigation Claims could increase WMC's exposure in some or all of the 15 lawsuits and result in additional claims and lawsuits. However, WMC believes that it has defenses to all the claims asserted in litigation, including for example, causation and materiality requirements, limitations on remedies for breach of representations and warranties, and the applicable statutes of limitations. To the extent WMC is required to repurchase loans, WMC's loss also would be affected by several factors, including pay downs, accrued interest and fees, and the value of the underlying collateral. It is not possible to predict the outcome or impact of these defenses and other factors, any one of which could materially affect the amount of any loss ultimately incurred by WMC on these claims.

 

WMC has received claims on approximately $900 million of mortgage loans after the expiration of the statute of limitations as of June 30, 2013, $700 million of which are also included as Litigation Claims. WMC has also received unspecified indemnification demands from depositors/underwriters/sponsors of residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) in connection with lawsuits brought by RMBS investors concerning alleged misrepresentations in the securitization offering documents to which WMC is not a party. WMC believes that it has defenses to these demands.

 

The reserve estimates reflect judgment, based on currently available information, and a number of assumptions, including economic conditions, claim activity, pending and threatened litigation, indemnification demands, estimated repurchase rates, and other activity in the mortgage industry. Actual losses arising from claims against WMC could exceed the reserve amount and additional claims and lawsuits could result if actual claim rates, governmental actions, litigation and indemnification activity, adverse court decisions, settlement activity, actual repurchase rates or losses WMC incurs on repurchased loans differ from its assumptions. It is difficult to develop a meaningful estimate of aggregate possible claims exposure because of uncertainties surrounding economic conditions, the ability and propensity of mortgage loan holders to present valid claims, governmental actions, mortgage industry activity and litigation, as well as pending and threatened litigation and indemnification demands against WMC.

 

WMC revenues (loss) from discontinued operations were $(47) million and $(351) million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $(154) million and $(358) million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. WMC's losses from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $33 million and $227 million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $105 million and $236 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

Other

 

In the first quarter of 2013, we announced the planned disposition of CLL Trailer Services and classified the business as discontinued operations. CLL Trailer Services revenues from discontinued operations were $90 million and $104 million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $183 million and $206 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. CLL Trailer Services earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were $(24) million and $(1) million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $(10) million (including a $98 million loss on disposal) and $19 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

 

In the first quarter of 2012, we announced the planned disposition of Consumer Ireland and classified the business as discontinued operations. We completed the sale in the third quarter of 2012 for proceeds of $227 million. Consumer Ireland revenues from discontinued operations were an insignificant amount and $2 million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and an insignificant amount and $6 million in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Consumer Ireland earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes, were an insignificant amount and $2 million in the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, and $1 million and $(186) million (including a $131 million loss on disposal) in the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.