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Background and Business Description | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Background and Business Description | BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS DESCRIPTION These unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Ambac’s 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain reclassifications may have been made to prior periods’ amounts to conform to the current period’s presentation. Ambac Financial Group, Inc. Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (“Ambac” or the “Company”), headquartered in New York City, is a financial services holding company incorporated in the state of Delaware. On May 1, 2013 (the “Effective Date”), the Second Modified Fifth Amended Plan of Reorganization of Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (the “Reorganization Plan”) became effective and Ambac emerged from bankruptcy. Pursuant to the Reorganization Plan, Ambac issued to certain holders of claims common stock and warrants that are listed on NASDAQ and trade under the symbols “AMBC” and “AMBCW,” respectively. Ambac’s primary goal is to maximize shareholder value through executing the following key strategies:
• | Increasing the value of its investment in Ambac Assurance Corporation ("Ambac Assurance") by actively managing its assets and liabilities with a focus on maximizing risk-adjusted investment portfolio returns and mitigating or remediating losses on poorly performing transactions through executing policy commutations, repurchasing liabilities at a discount, pursuing recoveries of losses through litigation and the exercise of contractual and legal rights, restructuring transactions, and other means; and
• | Pursuing new businesses. These new businesses may include financial services businesses such as advisory, asset servicing, asset management, and/or insurance.
Although we are exploring new business opportunities for Ambac, no assurance can be given that we will be able to identify or execute the acquisition or development of any new business. In addition there can be no assurance that we will be able to generate or obtain the financial and other resources that may be required to finance the acquisition or development of any new business. Due to these factors, as well as uncertainties relating to the ability of Ambac Assurance to deliver value to Ambac, the value of our securities is speculative. The execution of Ambac’s principal strategy with respect to liabilities and associated rights allocated to the Segregated Account (as defined below) is subject to the authority of the Rehabilitator (as defined below) to control the management of the Segregated Account. In exercising such authority, the Rehabilitator will act for the benefit of policyholders, and will not take into account the interests of Ambac. Similarly, by operation of the contracts executed in connection with the establishment, and subsequent rehabilitation, of the Segregated Account, the Rehabilitator retains rights to oversee and approve certain actions taken in respect of Ambac Assurance. This oversight by the Rehabilitator could impair Ambac’s ability to execute certain of its strategies. As a result of uncertainties associated with the aforementioned oversight by the Rehabilitator of the Segregated Account, management has concluded that there is substantial doubt about Ambac's ability to continue as a going concern. Ambac’s financial statements as of and for the periods ending March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 are prepared assuming Ambac continues as a going concern and do not include any adjustment that might result from its inability to continue as a going concern. Segregated Account of Ambac Assurance Corporation In March 2010, Ambac Assurance established a Segregated Account pursuant to Wisc. Stat. §611.24 (2) (the “Segregated Account”) to segregate certain segments of Ambac Assurance’s liabilities, and the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Wisconsin (“OCI” (which term shall be understood to refer to such office as regulator of Ambac Assurance and to refer to the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Wisconsin as rehabilitator of the Segregated Account (the “Rehabilitator”), as the context requires)) commenced rehabilitation proceedings in the Dane County, Wisconsin Circuit Court (the “Rehabilitation Court”) with respect to the Segregated Account (the “Segregated Account Rehabilitation Proceedings”) in order to permit OCI to facilitate an orderly run-off and/or settlement of the liabilities allocated to the Segregated Account pursuant to the provisions of the Wisconsin Insurers Rehabilitation and Liquidation Act. Net par exposure as of March 31, 2014 for policies allocated to the Segregated Account was $21,557,994. In 2010, Ambac Assurance issued a $2,000,000 secured note due in 2050 (the “Secured Note”) to the Segregated Account. Interest on the Secured Note accrues at the rate of 4.5% per annum, and accrued interest will be added to principal quarterly. The Segregated Account has the ability to demand payment under the Secured Note from time to time to pay claims and other liabilities. The balance of the Secured Note was $22,957 at March 31, 2014, including capitalized interest since the date of issuance. The Segregated Account also has the ability to demand payment from time to time under an aggregate excess of loss reinsurance agreement provided by Ambac Assurance (the “Reinsurance Agreement”) to pay claims and other liabilities after the Secured Note is fully drawn. Ambac Assurance is not obligated to make payments on the Secured Note or under the Reinsurance Agreement if its surplus as regards to policyholders is less than $100,000 (the “Minimum Surplus Amount”). As long as the surplus as regards to policyholders is not less than the Minimum Surplus Amount, payments by Ambac Assurance to the Segregated Account under the Secured Note and the Reinsurance Agreement are not capped. At March 31, 2014, Ambac Assurance’s surplus as regards to policyholders of $1,007,600 exceeded the Minimum Surplus Amount. In the event that Ambac Assurance does not maintain surplus in excess of the Minimum Surplus Amount, the Segregated Account would experience a shortfall in funds available to pay its liabilities to the extent that such liabilities exceed amounts available under the Secured Note and Reinsurance Agreement. Any such shortfall would be a consideration for the Rehabilitator in the determination of whether any changes to the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan (as defined below) and/or the amount of partial policy claim payments are necessary or appropriate or whether to institute general rehabilitation proceedings against Ambac Assurance. On October 8, 2010, OCI filed a plan of rehabilitation for the Segregated Account (the “Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan”) in the Rehabilitation Court. The Rehabilitation Court confirmed the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan on January 24, 2011. The confirmed Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan also made permanent the injunctions issued by the Rehabilitation Court on March 24, 2010. The Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan has not yet been made effective. As more fully described in Note 11, on October 24, 2013, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals affirmed orders of the Rehabilitation Court entered in connection with the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Proceedings, thus upholding the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan and actions taken by the Rehabilitator or Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance in formulating such Plan. Certain parties filed petitions for review of the Court of Appeals’ ruling with the Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin. On March 17, 2014, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin denied such petitions, making the decision by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals final. On March 11, 2014, the Rehabilitator informed Ambac that the United States Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) had issued favorable rulings on March 10, 2014, related to certain tax issues associated with potential amendments to the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan. On April 21, 2014, the Rehabilitator filed a motion with the Rehabilitation Court seeking approval to amend the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan. The Rehabilitation Court is currently scheduled to hear the motion on June 11, 2014. If the motion is approved in the form currently proposed by the Rehabilitator, the amendments will modify the mechanism for handling claims under the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan. Instead of the combination of cash payments and interest-bearing surplus notes originally contemplated by the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan, holders of permitted policy claims will receive an initial interim cash payment for a portion of such policy claim (“Interim Payment”), together with the right to receive a deferred payment equal to the balance of the unpaid policy claim (“Deferred Amount”). Payments of Deferred Amounts will be made at such times as the Rehabilitator deems appropriate in his sole discretion. The Segregated Account will also establish junior deferred amounts (“Junior Deferred Amounts”) with respect to permitted general claims instead of issuing junior surplus notes to the holders of such claims as contemplated under the original Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan. The amendments require that Deferred Amounts and Junior Deferred Amounts will generally accrue and compound interest at an annual effective rate of 5.1%. In the case of permitted policy claims, interest will accrue on Deferred Amounts from the first distribution date (under the transaction documents for the relevant bond) after the date on which the Interim Payment in respect of such permitted policy claim was made. However, in the case of insured bonds whose outstanding principal balance is not reduced by the unpaid portion of permitted policy claims (such bonds, “Undercollateralized Bonds”), the 5.1% effective annual interest rate on the Deferred Amount will be reduced by the bond interest rate applicable to such Undercollateralized Bonds (adjusted from time to time in accordance with the provisions of the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan, but in no circumstances to be less than zero). If the motion is approved, the Rehabilitator has confirmed that he intends to increase the percentage of the initial cash Interim Payment for permitted policy claims from 25% to 45% with effect from July 20, 2014 or, if the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan, as amended, is not effective as of such date, the first payment date (the 20th of the month) specified by the Rehabilitator following the amended Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan effective date. As with previously permitted policy claims, the remaining portion of the unpaid permitted policy claims (in this case, 55%) will remain outstanding as Deferred Amounts and, subject to the exception for Undercollateralized Bonds, will accrue interest at 5.1% per annum. These Deferred Amounts, together with interest thereon, may be paid from time to time in the future at the sole discretion of the Rehabilitator. The Rehabilitator has also confirmed that, if the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan is approved, he intends to effectuate a payment of certain Deferred Amounts (together with interest thereon) after the first reconciliation of Deferred Amounts in accordance with the Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan, as amended, so that those policyholders that received 25% cash Interim Payments will receive an equalizing payment in cash of 26.67% of their Deferred Amounts (including accrued interest thereon) outstanding as of the date on which the Interim Payment percentage was increased (the “Reconciliation Date”). The payment for such portion of the Deferred Amounts is expected to occur after the first reconciliation process for Deferred Amounts is completed under the amended Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan, but in any event no earlier than November 20, 2014. In addition, if the motion is approved, the Segregated Account will be required, pursuant to the terms of the amended Segregated Account Rehabilitation Plan, to early redeem a portion of its surplus notes (excluding junior surplus notes), as and when payments are made on the Deferred Amounts. The cash amount available for redemption of the Segregated Account surplus notes will be equal to 26.67% of the sum of par and accrued and unpaid interest on such Segregated Account surplus notes, in each case, outstanding as at the Reconciliation Date. P ursuant to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, dated as of June 7, 2010 (the “Settlement Agreement”), by and among Ambac Assurance, Ambac Credit Products LLC (“ACP”), Ambac and counterparties to credit default swaps with ACP that were guaranteed by Ambac Assurance, Ambac Assurance is also required to make a proportionate redemption of its surplus notes if the Segregated Account redeems the Segregated Account surplus notes (excluding junior surplus notes). Therefore, if the equalizing 26.67% payment of the Deferred Amounts specified above is made, the Segregated Account and Ambac Assurance will be required to make proportionate redemptions of surplus notes (excluding any junior surplus notes). The Rehabilitator expects the equalizing 26.67% payment of the Deferred Amounts to be made no sooner than November 20, 2014. As of today’s date and pending the hearing on the motion, there can be no assurances that the motion will be approved by the Rehabilitation Court, nor that any increase in the Interim Payments or any payment of any Deferred Amounts will occur. The proposed amendments, increase in Interim Payments, and payments of Deferred Amounts and surplus notes may have a material impact on our accounting, financial condition and results of operations.

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