In addition, if the merger is completed, we may not be able to efficiently integrate Radian's businesses with ours or we may incur substantial costs and delays in integrating Radian's businesses with ours. Radian's business includes financial guaranty insurance, a business in which we have not previously engaged and which has characteristics that are different from mortgage guaranty insurance.
Certain rating agencies rate the financial strength rating of Radian's mortgage insurance operations Aa3 (or its equivalent). We expect that upon completion of the merger these rating agencies will downgrade our financial strength rating so that it is the same as Radian's. We do not expect such a downgrade to affect our business. However, our ability to continue to write new mortgage insurance business depends on our maintaining a financial strength rating of at least Aa3 (or its equivalent). Therefore, any further downgrade would have a material adverse affect on us.
Our income from joint ventures could be adversely affected by credit
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C-BASS: Credit-Based Asset Servicing and Securitization LLC ("C-BASS") is principally engaged in the business of investing in the credit risk of credit sensitive single-family residential mortgages. C-BASS is particularly exposed to funding risk and to credit risk through ownership of the higher risk classes of mortgage backed securities from its own securitizations and those of other issuers. In addition, C-BASS's results are sensitive to its ability to purchase mortgage loans and securities on terms that it projects will meet its return targets. C-BASS's mortgage purchases in recent years have primarily been of subprime mortgages, which bear a higher risk of default. The 2006 vintage of subprime mortgages has performed worse than recent prior vintages at a comparable period of seasoning. Credit losses are affected by housing prices. A higher house price at default than at loan origination generally mitigates credit losses while a lower house price at default generally increases losses. Over the last several years, in certain regions home prices have experienced rates of increase greater than historical norms and greater than growth in median incomes. During the period 2003 to the fourth quarter of 2006, according to the Office of Federal Housing Oversight, home prices nationally increased 37%. Since the fourth quarter of 2006, according to published reports, home prices have declined in certain areas and have experienced lower rates of appreciation in others.
With respect to liquidity, the substantial majority of C-BASS's on-balance sheet financing for its mortgage and securities portfolio is dependent on the value of the collateral that secures this debt. C-BASS maintains substantial liquidity to cover margin calls in the event of substantial declines in the value of its mortgages and securities. While C-BASS's policies governing the management of capital at risk are intended to provide sufficient liquidity to cover an instantaneous and substantial decline in value, such policies cannot guaranty that all liquidity required will in fact be available. Further, at June 30, 2007, approximately 80% of C-BASS's financing has a term of less than one year, and is subject to renewal risk. Many of C-BASS's competitors are larger and have a lower cost of capital.
At the end of each financial statement period, the carrying values of C-BASS's mortgage securities are adjusted to fair value as estimated by C- BASS's management. Increases in credit spreads between periods will generally result in declines in fair value that are reflected in C-BASS's results of operations as unrealized losses. Increases in spreads can also result in unrealized losses in C-BASS's whole loans, which are carried at the lower of cost or fair value as estimated by C-BASS's management.
The interest expense on C-BASS's borrowings is primarily tied to short- term rates such as LIBOR. In a period of rising interest rates, the interest expense could increase in different amounts and at different rates and times than the interest that C-BASS earns on the related assets, which could negatively impact C-BASS's earnings.
Sherman: Sherman Financial Group LLC ("Sherman") is engaged in the business of purchasing and servicing delinquent consumer assets, and in originating and servicing subprime credit card receivables. Among other factors. Sherman's results are sensitive to its ability to purchase receivable portfolios on terms that it projects will meet its return targets. While the volume of charged-off consumer receivables and the portion of these receivables that have been sold to third parties such as Sherman has grown in recent years, there is an increasing amount of competition to purchase such portfolios, including from new entrants to the industry, which has resulted in increases in the prices at which portfolios can be purchased.