Notes Payable

The carrying amount of the 2015 notes and the amount by which the if-converted value exceeds the outstanding principal for the 2015 notes is as follows:



	September 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
	(Dollars in thousands)
Principal amount of liability component	$	—	$	22,377
Unamortized discount	—		(698		)
Net carrying amount of liability component	$	—	$	21,679

Amount by which the if-converted value exceeds principal	$	—	$	30,497

The discount was amortized over the expected life of the 2015 notes, which was the maturity date of September 15, 2015. The effective interest rate for the 2015 notes was 8.9%. The interest cost recognized in operations for the convertible notes, inclusive of the coupon and amortization of the discount and debt issue costs, was $0.4 million and $1.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $1.9 million and $7.6 million for the same periods in 2014. The 2015 notes were excluded from the dilutive effect in our diluted earnings per share calculation as they were intended to be, and were, settled only in cash.

The 2015 notes matured and were extinguished on September 15, 2015. Total consideration paid to holders of the 2015 notes at maturity was $48.2 million in cash, which included $22.4 million principal amount and $25.8 million conversion premium. See Note 5 for a discussion of the settlement of the 2015 notes embedded derivative liability.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we extinguished $36.2 million principal amount of our 2029 notes and $46.5 million principal amount of our 2015 notes. Total consideration paid to holders of the 2029 notes consisted of $66.8 million in cash and and $23.2 million in shares of our common stock (946,793 shares). The carrying value of the 2029 notes at extinguishment was $34.6 million which resulted in a loss of $2.5 million on extinguishment of debt, net of income taxes. Total consideration paid to holders of the 2015 notes consisted of $52.9 million in cash and $33.1 million in shares of our common stock (1,496,664 shares). The carrying value of the 2015 notes at extinguishment was $43.8 million which resulted in a loss of $5.4 million, net of income taxes.

We have a $140 million unsecured revolving line of credit agreement with five banks that terminates on November 22, 2017. The interest rate is floating at a rate based on our election that will be equal to the alternate base rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin or the adjusted LIBOR rate (as defined in the credit agreement) plus the applicable margin. We also pay a commitment fee based on the available unused portion of the credit facility. The applicable margin and commitment fee rate are based on our credit rating and can change throughout the period of the credit facility. Based upon our current credit rating, the applicable margin is 0.75% for alternate base rate borrowings and 1.75% for adjusted LIBOR rate borrowings, and the commitment fee is 0.30%. Under this agreement, we are required to maintain a minimum risk-based capital ratio at our subsidiary, American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company ("American Equity Life"), of 275%, a maximum ratio of adjusted debt to total adjusted capital of 0.35, and a minimum level of statutory surplus at American Equity Life equal to the sum of 1) 80% of statutory surplus at September 30, 2013, 2) 50% of the statutory net income for each fiscal quarter ending after September 30, 2013, and 3) 50% of all capital contributed to American Equity Life after September 30, 2013. The agreement contains an accordion feature that allows us, on up to three occasions and subject to credit availability, to increase the credit facility by an additional $50 million in the aggregate. We also have the ability to extend the maturity date by an additional one year past the initial maturity date of November 22, 2017 with the consent of the extending banks. There are currently no guarantors of the credit facility, but certain of our subsidiaries must guarantee our obligations under the credit agreement if such subsidiaries guarantee other material amounts of our debt. No amounts were outstanding at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014. As of September 30, 2015, $577.5 million is unrestricted and could be distributed to shareholders and still be in compliance with all covenants under this credit agreement.

As part of our investment strategy, we enter into securities repurchase agreements (short-term collateralized borrowings). The maximum amount borrowed was $40.6 million and $138.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. When we do borrow cash on these repurchase agreements, we pledge collateral in the form of debt securities with fair values approximately equal to the amount due and we use the cash to purchase debt securities ahead of the time we collect the cash from selling annuity policies to avoid a lag between the investment of funds and the obligation to credit interest to policyholders. We earn investment income on the securities purchased with these borrowings at a rate in excess of the cost of these borrowings. Such borrowings averaged $0.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 compared to $0.9 million and $9.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014. We had no borrowings under repurchase agreements during the three months ended September 30, 2015. The weighted average interest rate on amounts due under repurchase agreements was 0.39% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 compared to 0.35% and 0.15% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014.