The Company and its subsidiaries are, from time to time, involved in litigation, both as a defendant and as a plaintiff. The life insurance industry, including the Company and its insurance subsidiaries, has been subject to an increase in litigation in recent years. Such litigation has been pursued on behalf of purported classes of insurance purchasers, often questioning the conduct of insurers in the marketing of their products.

The Company's broker-dealer and investment advisor subsidiary is involved in a business that involves a substantial risk of liability. Legal and other proceedings involving financial services firms, including the Company's subsidiary, continue to have a significant impact on the industry. Significant matters over the last few years have included registered representative activity and certain types of securities products (particularly private placements and real estate investment products).

The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to regular reviews and inspections by state and federal regulatory authorities. State insurance examiners - or independent audit firms engaged by such examiners - may, from time to time, conduct examinations or investigations into industry practices and into customer complaints. A regulatory violation discovered during a review, inspection, or investigation could result in a wide range of remedies that could include the imposition of sanctions against the Company, its subsidiaries, or its employees, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

Certain securities policies, contracts, and annuities offered by the Company and its broker-dealer and investment advisor subsidiary are subject to regulation under the federal securities laws administered by the SEC. Federal securities laws contain regulatory restrictions and criminal, administrative, and private remedial provisions. From time to time, the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") examine or investigate the activities of broker-dealers and investment advisors, including the Company's affiliated broker-dealer and investment advisor subsidiary. These examinations often focus on the activities of registered principals, registered representatives and registered investment advisors doing business through that entity. It is possible that the results of any examination may lead to changes in systems or procedures, payments of fines and penalties, payments to customers, or a combination thereof, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

The life insurance industry has been the subject of significant regulatory and legal activities regarding the use of the U.S. Social Security Administration's Death Master File (“Death Master File”) in the claims process.  The focus of the activity has related to the industry's compliance with state unclaimed property and escheatment laws.  Certain states have proposed, and many other states are considering, new legislation and regulations related to unclaimed life insurance benefits and the use of the Death Master File in the claims process.  It is possible that audits and/or the enactment of new state laws could result in identifying payments to beneficiaries more quickly than under the current legislative and regulatory standards established for life insurance claims or may provide for additional escheatment of funds deemed abandoned under state laws.  The audits could also result in administrative penalties.  Given the legal and regulatory uncertainty in this area, it is also possible that life insurers, including the Company, may be subject to claims concerning their business practices.  Based on its analysis to date, the Company believes that it has sufficiently reviewed its existing business and has adequately reserved for contingencies from a change in statute or regulation.  Additional costs that cannot be reasonably estimated as of the date of this filing are possible as a result of ongoing regulatory developments and other future requirements related to this matter.  Any resulting additional payments or costs could be significant and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition or results of operations.

In addition to the specific items above, the Company and its subsidiaries are defendants in, or subject to, other claims or legal actions related to insurance and investment products. Some of these claims and legal actions are in jurisdictions where juries are given substantial latitude in assessing damages, including punitive damages.

Although no assurances can be given and no determinations can be made at this time, management believes that the ultimate liability, if any, with respect to these regulatory matters, legal actions, and other claims would not have a material effect on the Company's business, results of operations, or financial position.

In accordance with applicable accounting guidelines, the Company establishes an accrued liability for litigation and regulatory matters when those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and estimable. As a litigation or regulatory matter develops, it is evaluated on an ongoing basis, often in conjunction with outside counsel, as to whether the matter presents a loss contingency that meets conditions indicating the need for accrual and/or disclosure. If and when a loss contingency related to litigation or regulatory matters is deemed to be both probable and estimable, the Company establishes an accrued liability. This accrued liability is then monitored for further developments that may affect the amount of the accrued liability.

While the Company makes every effort to appropriately accrue a liability for litigation and other legal proceedings, the outcome of such matters (including any amount of settlement, judgment or fine) is inherently difficult to predict. This difficulty arises from the need to gather all relevant facts (which may or may not be available) and to apply those facts to complex legal principles. Based on currently available information, the Company does not believe that any litigation, proceeding or other matter to which it is a party or otherwise involved will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, the results of its operations, or its cash flows. However, an adverse development or an increase in associated legal fees could be material in a particular period depending, in part, on the Company's operating results in that period.