National Financial Partners Announces Amendment to Credit Agreement
December 10 2008 - 9:04AM
PR Newswire (US)
NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- National Financial
Partners Corp. (NYSE:NFP), a network of independent financial
advisors specializing in life insurance and wealth transfer,
corporate and executive benefits, and financial planning and
investment advisory services, announced today that it has completed
an amendment to its credit agreement. Among other items, the
amendment provides for greater flexibility with respect to the
maximum consolidated leverage ratio. Jessica Bibliowicz, chairman,
president and chief executive officer, said, "We are pleased to
have completed this amendment, which provides NFP with added
flexibility to operate through the current challenging economic and
market conditions. The continued strong support of our banks
demonstrates their confidence in NFP's ongoing business." Under the
amended facility, the maximum consolidated leverage ratio was
increased for the four quarters ending September 30, 2009. In
connection with the amendment, the maximum amount available under
the credit facility will be reduced from $250 million to $225
million as of June 30, 2009 and to $200 million as of December 31,
2009. The interest rate on borrowings under the amended credit
agreement was increased by between 1.75% and 2.25% for the term of
the agreement, depending primarily on the consolidated leverage
ratio. The amendment in its entirety is available on NFP's Current
Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on December 10, 2008. About National Financial Partners
Corp. Founded in 1998, NFP is a leading independent distributor of
financial services products to high net worth individuals and
companies. NFP is headquartered in New York and operates a
distribution network of over 180 owned firms. For more information,
please visit http://www.nfp.com/. Forward-Looking Statements This
release contains certain statements relating to future results,
which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements include, without limitation, any statement that may
project, indicate or imply future results, events, performance or
achievements, and may contain the words "anticipate," "expect,"
"intend," "plan," "believe," "estimate," "may," "will" and
"continue" and similar expressions of a future or forward-looking
nature. Forward-looking statements may include discussions
concerning revenue, expenses, earnings, cash flow, dividends,
capital structure, credit facilities, market and industry
conditions, premium and commission rates, interest rates,
contingencies, the direction or outcome of regulatory
investigations and litigation, income taxes and NFP's operations or
strategy. These forward-looking statements are based on
management's current views with respect to future results, and are
subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially from those contemplated by a
forward-looking statement include: (1) NFP's success in acquiring
high quality independent financial services distribution firms, (2)
the performance of NFP's firms following acquisition, (3)
competition in the business of providing financial services to high
net worth individuals and companies, (4) NFP's ability, through its
operating structure, to respond quickly and effectively to
regulatory, operational or financial situations, (5) NFP's ability
to manage its business effectively through the principals of its
firms, (6) changes in tax laws, including the elimination or
modification of the federal estate tax and any change in the tax
treatment of life insurance products, (7) developments in the
pricing, design or underwriting of insurance products, revisions in
mortality tables by life expectancy underwriters or changes in
NFP's relationships with insurance companies, (8) changes in
premiums and commission rates and the rates of other fees paid to
NFP's firms, including life settlement and registered investment
advisory fees, (9) adverse developments or volatility in the
markets in which NFP operates, resulting in fewer sales in
financial services or products, including the availability of
credit in connection with the purchase of such products or
services, or consumer hesitancy in spending, (10) adverse results
or other consequences from litigation, arbitration, regulatory
investigations and inquiries, or internal compliance initiatives,
including those related to compensation agreements with insurance
companies and activities within the life settlements industry, (11)
uncertainty in the financial services, insurance and life
settlements industries arising from investigations into certain
business practices and subpoenas received from various governmental
authorities and related litigation, (12) the reduction of NFP's
revenue and earnings due to the elimination or modification of
compensation arrangements, including contingent compensation
arrangements and the adoption of internal initiatives to enhance
compensation transparency, including the transparency of fees paid
for life settlements transactions, (13) changes in interest rates
or general economic and credit market conditions, including changes
that adversely affect NFP's ability to access capital, such as the
global credit crisis that began in 2007 and continues today, (14)
securities and capital markets behavior, including fluctuations in
the price of NFP's common stock and recent uncertainty in the U.S.
financial markets, (15) the impact of legislation or regulations in
jurisdictions in which NFP's subsidiaries operate, including the
possible adoption of comprehensive and exclusive federal regulation
over all interstate insurers, (16) the impact of the adoption of
certain accounting treatments, including FASB Staff Position APB
14-1, "Accounting for Convertible Debt Instruments That May Be
Settled in Cash upon Conversion (Including Partial Cash
Settlement)" and SFAS No. 141 (revised 2007), "Business
Combinations," (17) adverse results or other consequences from
higher than anticipated compliance costs, including those related
to expenses arising from internal reviews of business practices and
regulatory investigations or those arising from compliance with
state or federal laws, (18) the continued availability of borrowing
and letters of credit under NFP's credit facility, and (19) other
factors described in NFP's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC"), including those set forth in NFP's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, filed
with the SEC on February 19, 2008, and those set forth in NFP's
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30,
2008, filed on November 7, 2008. Forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date on which they are made. NFP expressly disclaims
any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
DATASOURCE: National Financial Partners Corp. CONTACT: Investor
Relations, Marc Gordon, , +1-212-301-4033; or Media Relations,
Barbara Willis, , +1-212-301-1039, both of National Financial
Partners Web Site: http://www.nfp.com/
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