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Credit Agreements
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure - Credit Agreements [Abstract]  
Schedule Of Line Of Credit Facilities Text Block

18. Credit Agreements

In the normal course of its operations, the Company enters into agreements with financial institutions to obtain unsecured and secured credit facilities. At December 31, 2012, the total amount of such credit facilities available to the Company was $1,467 million, with each of the significant facilities described below. These facilities are used primarily for the issuance of letters of credit, although a portion of these facilities may also be used for liquidity purposes. Under the terms of certain reinsurance agreements, irrevocable letters of credit were issued on an unsecured and secured basis in the amount of $189 million and $515 million, respectively, at December 31, 2012, in respect of reported loss and unearned premium reserves.

Included in the total credit facilities available to the Company at December 31, 2012 is a $500 million three-year syndicated unsecured credit facility with the following terms: (i) a maturity date of July 16, 2013, (ii) a $250 million accordion feature, which enables the Company to potentially increase its available credit from $500 million to $750 million, and (iii) a minimum consolidated tangible net worth requirement. The Company's ability to increase its available credit to $750 million is subject to the agreement of the credit facility participants. The Company's breach of any of the covenants would result in an event of default, upon which the Company may be required to repay any outstanding borrowings and replace or cash collateralize letters of credit issued under this facility. The Company was in compliance with all of the covenants at December 31, 2012. This facility is predominantly used for the issuance of letters of credit, although the Company and its subsidiaries have access to a revolving line of credit of up to $375 million as part of this facility. During the year ended December 31, 2012, there were no borrowings under this revolving line of credit.

Additionally, the syndicated unsecured credit facility allows for an adjustment to the level of pricing should the Company experience a change in its senior unsecured debt ratings. The pricing grid provides the Company greater flexibility and simultaneously provides participants under the facility with some price protection.

On November 14, 2011, the Company entered into an agreement to modify an existing credit facility. Under the terms of the agreement, this credit facility was increased from a $250 million to a $300 million combined credit facility, with the first $100 million being unsecured and any utilization above the $100 million being secured. This credit facility was renewed on November 14, 2012 and matures on November 14, 2013.

In addition to the unsecured credit facilities available, the Company maintains committed secured letter of credit facilities. These facilities are used for the issuance of letters of credit, which must be fully secured with cash and/or government bonds and/or investment grade bonds. The agreements include default covenants, which could require the Company to fully secure the outstanding letters of credit to the extent that the facility is not already fully secured, and disallow the issuance of any new letters of credit. Included in the Company's secured credit facilities at December 31, 2012 is a $250 million credit facility, which matures on December 4, 2015, and a $200 million credit facility, which matures on December 31, 2014. At December 31, 2012, no conditions of default existed under these facilities.