COMMITMENT AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

Restructuring

In an effort to further reduce its global real estate footprint, AB completed a comprehensive review of its worldwide office locations and began implementing a global space consolidation plan in 2012. This resulted in the sublease of office space primarily in New York as well as offices in England, Australia and various U.S. locations. In the first nine months of 2016, AB recorded new real estate charges of $25 million relating to the further consolidation of office space at its New York offices. Real estate charges are recorded in Other operating costs and expenses in the Company’s consolidated Statements of earnings (loss).

Obligation under funding agreements

As a member of the FHLBNY, AXA Equitable has access to collateralized borrowings. It also may issue funding agreements to the FHLBNY. Both the collateralized borrowings and funding agreements would require AXA Equitable to pledge qualified mortgage-backed assets and/or government securities as collateral. AXA Equitable has a capacity with the FHLBNY of $4,000 million. At September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 AXA Equitable had $1,495 million and $500 million respectively, of outstanding funding agreements with the FHLBNY. AXA Equitable utilized these funding agreements for asset liability management and spread lending purposes. For other instruments used for asset liability management purposes see “Derivative and offsetting assets and liabilities” included in Note 3. Funding agreements are reported in Policyholders’ account balances in the consolidated balance sheets.

Other Commitments

AXA Equitable had approximately $18 million of undrawn letters of credit issued in favor of third party beneficiaries primarily related to reinsurance as well as $608 million (including $233 million with affiliates) and $1,212 million of commitments under equity financing arrangements to certain limited partnership and existing mortgage loan agreements, respectively, at September 30, 2016.

Effective December 31, 2015, primary liability for the obligations of AXA Equitable under the AXA Equitable QP was transferred from AXA Equitable to AXA Financial under the terms of an Assumption Agreement. AXA Equitable remains secondarily liable for its obligations under the AXA Equitable QP and would recognize such liability in the event AXA Financial does not perform under the terms of the Assumption Agreement. In addition, since December 31, 1999, AXA Financial has legally assumed primary liability from AXA Equitable for all current and future liabilities of AXA Equitable under certain employee benefit plans that provide participants with medical, life insurance, and deferred compensation benefits; AXA Equitable remains secondarily liable.