$75,000,000

CREDIT AGREEMENT

among

ACA CAPITAL HOLDINGS, INC.

as Borrower,

The Several Lenders from Time to Time Parties Hereto,

J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC., as Arranger and

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent

Dated as of May 1, 2006

Table of Contents

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CREDIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of May 1, 2006 among ACA CAPITAL HOLDINGS, INC., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to this Agreement (the “Lenders”), JPMORGAN SECURITIES INC., (the “Arranger”), and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. (“JPM”), as administrative agent.

The parties hereto agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

Definitions

SECTION 1.01.  Defined Terms.  As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings specified below:

“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.

“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of 1%) equal to (a) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (b) the Statutory Reserve Rate.

“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as administrative agent for the Lenders hereunder.

“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. For clarification purposes, any collateralized debt obligation entity or any “bankruptcy-remote” entity whose assets are managed by the Borrower or an Affiliate of Borrower shall not be deemed an Affiliate for purposes of this Agreement, irrespective of whether or not Borrower owns any equity in any such entity.

“Alternate Base Rate” means, for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day and (b) the Federal Funds Effective Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1%.  Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of such change in the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective Rate, respectively.

“Applicable Facility Fee” means, for any day, with respect to the facility fees payable hereunder, the applicable facility fee rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Facility Fee Rate” corresponding to the Leverage Ratio as of the most recent Calculation Date:

The “Applicable Facility Fee Rate” shall be determined and adjusted quarterly on the date (each a “Calculation Date”) by which the Borrower is required to provide the consolidated financial information required by Section 5.01(a) or (b); provided, however, that the initial Applicable Facility Fee Rate shall be based on the pricing level referred to in the second row of the table above and shall remain at such pricing level until the first Calculation Date occurring after the end of the first full fiscal quarter of the Borrower subsequent to the Closing Date and, thereafter, the Applicable Facility Fee Rate shall be based on the pricing level (as shown above) corresponding to the Leverage Ratio as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter or year of the Borrower preceding the applicable Calculation Date; and provided, further, that if the Borrower does not provide the consolidated financial information required by Section 5.01(a) or (b) in a timely manner, the Applicable Facility Fee Rate shall be calculated based on the highest Leverage Ratio in the table above until the provision thereof.

“Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority” means, when used with respect to any Regulated Insurance Company, the insurance department or similar administrative authority or agency located in (x) each state or other jurisdiction in which such Regulated Insurance Company is domiciled or (y) to the extent asserting regulatory jurisdiction over such Regulated Insurance Company, the insurance department, authority or agency in each state in which such Regulated Insurance Company is licensed, and shall include any Federal or other insurance regulatory department, authority or agency that may be created and that asserts regulatory jurisdiction over such Regulated Insurance Company.

 “Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment.  If the Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments.

“Applicable Margin” means, for any day, with respect to any ABR Loan or Eurodollar Loan, as the case may be, the applicable margin per annum set forth below under the caption “Applicable Margin for Eurodollar Loans” or “Applicable Margin for ABR Loans”, “ as the case may be, corresponding to the Leverage Ratio as of the most recent Calculation Date:

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The Applicable Margin shall be determined and adjusted quarterly on the Calculation Date; provided, however, that the initial Applicable Margin shall be based on the pricing level referred to in the second row of the table above and shall remain at such pricing level until the first Calculation Date occurring after the end of the first full fiscal quarter of the Borrower subsequent to the Closing Date and, thereafter, the Applicable Margin shall be based on the pricing level (as shown above) corresponding to the Leverage Ratio as of the last day of the most recently ended fiscal quarter or year of the Borrower preceding the applicable Calculation Date and provided, further, that if the Borrower does not provide the consolidated financial information required by Section 5.01(a) or (b) in a timely manner, the Applicable Margin shall be calculated based on the highest Leverage Ratio in the table above until the provision thereof.

 “Approved Fund” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 9.04.

“Assessment Rate” means, for any day, the annual assessment rate in effect on such day that is payable by a member of the Bank Insurance Fund classified as “well-capitalized” and within supervisory subgroup “B” (or a comparable successor risk classification) within the meaning of 12 C.F.R. Part 327 (or any successor provision) to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation for insurance by such Corporation of time deposits made in dollars at the offices of such member in the United States; provided that if, as a result of any change in any law, rule or regulation, it is no longer possible to determine the Assessment Rate as aforesaid, then the Assessment Rate shall be such annual rate as shall be determined by the Administrative Agent to be representative of the cost of such insurance to the Lenders.

“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 9.04), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in the form of Exhibit A or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Effective Date to but excluding the earlier of the Termination Date and the date of termination of the Commitments.

 “Board” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America.

“Borrower” means ACA Capital Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

“Borrowing” means (a) Revolving Loans of the same Type, made, converted or continued on the same date and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, as to which a single Interest Period is in effect, (b) a Competitive Loan or group of Competitive Loans of the same Type made on the same date and as to which a single Interest Period is in effect or (c) a Swingline Loan.

“Borrowing Request” means a request by the Borrower for a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.03.

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“Business Day” means any day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City are authorized or required by law to remain closed; provided that, when used in connection with a Eurodollar Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day on which banks are not open for dealings in dollar deposits in the London interbank market.

“Calculation Date” is defined in the definition of “Applicable Facility Fee”.

“Capital” means, as of any date of determination, the sum of Debt and Net Worth on such date.

“Capital Lease Obligations” of any Person means the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP, and the amount of such obligations shall be the capitalized amount thereof determined in accordance with GAAP.

“Capital Stock”  means any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated) of capital stock of a corporation, any and all equivalent ownership interests in a Person (other than a corporation) and any and all warrants, rights or options to purchase any of the foregoing.

“Change in Control” means (a) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on the board of directors of the Borrower by Persons who were neither (i) nominated by the board of directors of the Borrower or the Permitted Holders nor (ii) appointed by directors so nominated or the Permitted Holders or (b) if (i) at any time prior to a Qualified IPO, any combination of Permitted Holders shall fail to own beneficially (within the meaning of Rule 13d-5 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as in effect on the Effective Date), directly or indirectly, in the aggregate Equity Interests representing at least 51% of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and outstanding Equity Interests of the Borrower or (ii) at any time after a Qualified IPO, any Person or “group” (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect on the Effective Date), other than any combination of the Permitted Holders, shall have acquired beneficial ownership of 35% or more on a fully diluted basis of the voting or economic interest in the Borrower’s capital stock and the Permitted Holders shall own, directly or indirectly, less than such Person or “group” on a fully diluted basis of the economic and voting interest in Borrower’s capital stock.

“Change in Law” means (a) the adoption of any law, rule or regulation after the date of this Agreement, (b) any change in any law, rule or regulation or in the interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority after the date of this Agreement or (c) compliance by any Lender (or, for purposes of Section 2.14(b), by any lending office of such Lender or by such Lender’s holding company, if any) with any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) of any Governmental Authority made or issued after the date of this Agreement.

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“Change in Tax Law” means the enactment, promulgation, execution or ratification of, or any change in or amendment to, any law (including the Code), treaty, regulation or rule (or in the official application or interpretation of any law, treaty, regulation or rule, including a holding, judgment or order by a court of competent jurisdiction) relating to United States income taxation by a Governmental Authority.

“Class”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are Revolving Loans, Competitive Loans or Swingline Loans.

 “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time.

“Commitment” means, with respect to each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make Revolving Loans and to acquire participations in Swingline Loans hereunder, expressed as an amount representing the maximum aggregate amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure hereunder, as such commitment may be (a) reduced from time to time pursuant to Section 2.08 and (b) reduced or increased from time to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section 2.02(g) and Section 9.04.  The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on Schedule 2.01, or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable.  The initial aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $75,000,000.

“Competitive Bid” means an offer by a Lender to make a Competitive Loan in accordance with Section 2.04.

“Competitive Bid Rate” means, with respect to any Competitive Bid, the Margin or the Fixed Rate, as applicable, offered by the Lender making such Competitive Bid.

“Competitive Bid Request” means a request by the Borrower for Competitive Bids in accordance with Section 2.04.

“Competitive Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.04.

“Consolidated Net Income”  for any period, the consolidated net income (or loss) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided that there shall be excluded (a) the income (or deficit) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Subsidiary of the Borrower or is merged into or consolidated with the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, (b) the income (or deficit) of any Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Borrower) in which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries has an ownership interest, except to the extent that any such income is actually received by the Borrower or such Subsidiary in the form of dividends or similar distributions, (c) the undistributed earnings of any Subsidiary of the Borrower to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Subsidiary is not at the time permitted by the terms of any Contractual Obligation (other than under any Loan Document) or Requirement of Law applicable to such Subsidiary, (d) non-recurring extraordinary items, (e) the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principles and (f) unrealized gains or losses on derivative instruments.

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“Consolidated Net Worth” at any date, all amounts that would, in conformity with GAAP, be included on a consolidated GAAP financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries under stockholders’ equity at such date.

“Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any security issued by such Person or of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.

“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise.  “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

“Debt” means at any date, the aggregate principal amount, without duplication, of all Indebtedness of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, excluding (i) obligations of a Regulated Insurance Company under insurance policies in the nature of financial guarantees and financial guarantees, in each case from time to time issued in the ordinary course of such Regulated Insurance Company’s business (ii) Indebtedness of any Subsidiary issued in connection with, or Indebtedness of any Subsidiary issued to refinance Indebtedness issued in connection with, the purchases of equity in connection with, and the warehousing of assets for, collateralized debt obligation transactions structured by and managed by any Subsidiary in the ordinary course of such entity’s business, provided that any such Indebtedness is not the subject of a Guarantee by the Borrower or any Subsidiary directly or indirectly owning Capital Stock of any Regulated Insurance Company and (iii) any Indebtedness of any special purpose vehicle created for the purpose of issuing a collateralized debt obligation or entering into credit default swaps which is consolidated with the Borrower or any of its subsidiaries.

 “Default” means any event or condition which constitutes an Event of Default or which upon notice, lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.

“Disclosed Matters” means the matters that are disclosed on Schedule 3.07.

 “dollars” or “$” refers to lawful money of the United States of America.

“Effective Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.01 are satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02).

“Environmental Laws” means all laws, rules, regulations, codes, ordinances, orders, decrees, judgments, injunctions, notices or binding agreements issued, promulgated or entered into by any Governmental Authority, relating to the environment, preservation or reclamation of natural resources, the management, release or threatened release of any Hazardous Material or to health and safety matters.

“Environmental Liability” means any liability (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities), of the Borrower or any Subsidiary resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the

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generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract or agreement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

“Equity Interests “ means shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company, beneficial interests in a trust or other equity ownership interests in a Person, and any warrants, options or other rights entitling the holder thereof to purchase or acquire any such equity interest.

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time.

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) that, together with the Borrower, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the Code.

“ERISA Event” means (a) any “reportable event”, as defined in Section 4043 of ERISA or the regulations issued thereunder with respect to a Plan (other than an event for which the 30-day notice period is waived); (b) the existence with respect to any Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA), whether or not waived; (c) the filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; or (f) the incurrence by the Borrower or any of its ERISA Affiliates of any liability with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan.

“Eurodollar”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the Loans comprising such Borrowing, are bearing interest at a rate determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate (or, in the case of a Competitive Loan, the LIBO Rate).

 “Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Article VII.

“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder, (a) any Taxes (other than Other Taxes) imposed, deducted or withheld by reason of any present or former connection between the Administrative Agent or such Lender or other recipient (as the case may be) and the jurisdiction imposing such Taxes (other than solely on account of the execution and performance of, the enforcement of any right under or the receipt of any payment under, this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents), (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States of America or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction under the laws of which the Administrative Agent or such Lender or other recipient (as the case may be) is organized or resident, in which the Administrative Agent or

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such Lender or other recipient (as the case may be) has an office or with which the Administrative Agent or such Lender or other recipient (as the case may be) has any other connection (other than solely on account of the execution and performance of, the enforcement of any right under or the receipt of any payment under, this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents) and (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrower under Section 2.18(b)), any Tax imposed, deducted or withheld on or from amounts payable to such Foreign Lender (i) as of the time such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement or designates a new lending office (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the designation of a new lending office by a Lender that was an assignee pursuant to a request by Borrower under Section 2.18) except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new lending office (or assignment, if any), to receive additional amounts from the Borrower with respect to such Tax pursuant to Section 2.16(a) or (ii) that is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure, inability or ineligibility at any time during which such Foreign Lender is a party to this Agreement to deliver the Internal Revenue Service forms and the Section 2.16(e) Certificate (as applicable) described in Section 2.16(e) certifying that such Foreign Lender is entitled to a reduced rate or complete exemption from United States withholding taxation with respect to all payments to be made to it under the Loans Documents, except to the extent such Foreign Lender’s failure is due to a Change in Tax Law occurring after the date on which such Foreign Lender became a party to this Agreement or the date (if any) on which such Foreign Lender designated a new lending office .

 “Federal Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, the weighted average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers, as published on the next succeeding Business Day by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or, if such rate is not so published for any day that is a Business Day, the average (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of 1%) of the quotations for such day for such transactions received by the Administrative Agent from three Federal funds brokers of recognized standing selected by it.

“Financial Officer” means the chief financial officer, principal accounting officer, treasurer or controller of the Borrower.

“Fixed Rate” means, with respect to any Competitive Loan (other than a Eurodollar Competitive Loan), the fixed rate of interest per annum specified by the Lender making such Competitive Loan in its related Competitive Bid.

“Fixed Rate Loan” means a Competitive Loan bearing interest at a Fixed Rate.

“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is not a “United States person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.

“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States of America, any other nation or any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any

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agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government, including any Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority.

“Guarantee” of or by any Person (the “guarantor”) means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of the guarantor guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of the guarantor, direct or indirect, (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation or to purchase (or to advance or supply funds for the purchase of) any security for the payment thereof, (b) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the owner of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment thereof, (c) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation or (d) as an account party in respect of any letter of credit or letter of guaranty issued to support such Indebtedness or obligation; provided, that the term Guarantee shall not include (i) endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business or (ii) financial guarantees made as an incident to the conduct by any Regulated Insurance Subsidiary of its Insurance Business and in the ordinary course of such business.

“Hazardous Materials”  means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

“Indebtedness” of any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money or with respect to deposits or advances of any kind, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person under conditional sale or other title retention agreements relating to property acquired by such Person or in respect of the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding current accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business, including payables under insurance contracts and reinsurance payables, and, in the case of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, obligations under forward purchase agreements entered into in the ordinary course of business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the purpose of accumulating asset-backed securities for potential collateralized debt obligation transactions), (d) all Indebtedness of others secured by (or for which the holder of such Indebtedness has an existing right, contingent or otherwise, to be secured by) any Lien on property owned or acquired by such Person, whether or not the Indebtedness secured thereby has been assumed, (e) all Guarantees by such Person of Indebtedness of others, (f) all Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, (g) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person as an account party in respect of letters of credit and letters of guaranty and (h) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of such Person in respect of bankers’ acceptances.  The Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any other entity (including any partnership in which such Person is a general partner) to the extent such Person is liable therefor as a result of such Person’s ownership interest in or other relationship with such entity, except to the extent the terms of such Indebtedness provide that such Person is not liable therefor.

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“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

“Information Memorandum” means the Confidential Information Memorandum dated February 2006 relating to the Borrower and the Transactions.

“Insurance Business” means one or more aspects of the business of selling, issuing or underwriting insurance or reinsurance and any activities (including investment activities) reasonably related or ancillary thereto or representing a reasonable extension thereof.

“Insurance Licenses” means, with respect to each Regulated Insurance Company, licenses (including, without limitation, licenses or certificates of authority from Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authorities), permits or authorizations to transact insurance and reinsurance business held by such Regulated Insurance Company.

“Interest Election Request” means a request by the Borrower to convert or continue a Revolving Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.07.

“Interest Payment Date” means (a) with respect to any ABR Loan (other than a Swingline Loan), the last day of each March, June, September and December, (b) with respect to any Eurodollar Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than three months’ duration, each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of three months’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period, (c) with respect to any Fixed Rate Loan, the last day of the Interest Period applicable to the Borrowing of which such Loan is a part and, in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing with an Interest Period of more than 90 days’ duration (unless otherwise specified in the applicable Competitive Bid Request), each day prior to the last day of such Interest Period that occurs at intervals of 90 days’ duration after the first day of such Interest Period, and any other dates that are specified in the applicable Competitive Bid Request as Interest Payment Dates with respect to such Borrowing and (d) with respect to any Swingline Loan, the day that such Loan is required to be repaid.

“Interest Period” means (a) with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing, the period commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the numerically corresponding day in the calendar month that is one, two, three, six or, if available to the Lenders, nine or twelve, months thereafter, as the Borrower may elect, and (b) with respect to any Fixed Rate Borrowing, the period (which shall not be less than 3 days or more than 270 days) commencing on the date of such Borrowing and ending on the date specified in the applicable Competitive Bid Request; provided, that (i) if any Interest Period would end on a day other than a Business Day, such Interest Period shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing only, such next succeeding Business Day would fall in the next calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day and (ii) any Interest Period pertaining to a Eurodollar Borrowing that commences on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the last calendar month of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the last calendar month of such Interest Period.  For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and, in the case of a Revolving Borrowing,

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thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.

“Lenders” means the Persons listed on Schedule 2.01 and any other Person that shall have become a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption or in accordance with 2.02(g), other than any such Person that ceases to be a party hereto pursuant to an Assignment and Assumption.  Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “Lenders” includes the Swingline Lender.

“Leverage Ratio” means, at any date of determination, the ratio of Debt of any type described in clause (a), (b), (c), (f) or (h) of the definition of “Indebtedness” to Capital at such date.

“LIBO Rate” means, with respect to any Eurodollar Borrowing for any Interest Period, the rate appearing on Page 3750 of the Dow Jones Market Service (or on any successor or substitute page of such Service, or any successor to or substitute for such Service, providing rate quotations comparable to those currently provided on such page of such Service, as determined by the Administrative Agent from time to time for purposes of providing quotations of interest rates applicable to dollar deposits in the London interbank market) at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period, as the rate for dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period.  In the event that such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” with respect to such Eurodollar Borrowing for such Interest Period shall be the rate at which dollar deposits of $5,000,000 and for a maturity comparable to such Interest Period are offered by the principal London office of the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, lien, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, charge or security interest in, on or of such asset, (b) the interest of a vendor or a lessor under any conditional sale agreement, capital lease or title retention agreement (or any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) relating to such asset and (c) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.

“Loan Documents”  means this Agreement and any amendment, waiver, supplement or other modification this Agreement.

“Loans” means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement.

“Margin” means, with respect to any Competitive Loan bearing interest at a rate based on the LIBO Rate, the marginal rate of interest, if any, to be added to or subtracted from the LIBO Rate to determine the rate of interest applicable to such Loan, as specified by the Lender making such Loan in its related Competitive Bid.

“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (a) the business, assets, operations, or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Borrower and the Subsidiaries

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taken as a whole, (b) the ability of the Borrower to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement or (c) the rights of or benefits available to the Lenders under this Agreement.

“Material Obligations” means Debt (other than the Loans), or obligations in respect of one or more Swap Agreements, of any one or more of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than Subsidiaries that are collateralized debt obligation entities, credit default swap entities or “bankruptcy-remote” entities whose assets are managed by the Borrower or one of its Subsidiaries) in an aggregate principal amount exceeding the Threshold Amount.  For purposes of determining Material Obligations, the “principal amount” of the obligations of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Swap Agreement at any time shall be the maximum aggregate amount (giving effect to any netting agreements) that the Borrower or such Subsidiary would be required to pay if such Swap Agreement were terminated at such time.

“Maturity Date” means, the Termination Date, as such date may be extended for any Lender as provided in Section 2.02(e), provided that if the Borrower elects to extend the Maturity Date pursuant to Section 2.02(f), the Maturity Date shall be the first anniversary of the then Termination Date.

“Net Cash Proceeds” means in connection with any issuance or sale of Capital Stock or any incurrence of Indebtedness, the gross cash proceeds received from such issuance or incurrence, net of attorneys’ fees, investment banking fees, accountants’ fees, underwriting discounts and commissions and other customary fees and expenses actually incurred in connection therewith.

“Net Worth” means, at any date of determination, total shareholders’ equity of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries at such date, determined on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP, on such date, excluding all accumulated “other comprehensive income” in total shareholders’ equity.

“Other Taxes” means any and all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement but excluding property or similar Taxes other than any such Taxes imposed in such circumstances solely as a result of the Borrower being organized or resident in, maintaining an office in, conducting business in or maintaining property located in, the taxing jurisdiction imposing such Taxes.

“Participant” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04(c).

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA and any successor entity performing similar functions.

“Permitted Encumbrances” means:

(a)           Liens imposed by law for taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

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(b)           carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by law, arising in the ordinary course of business and securing obligations that are not overdue by more than 30 days or are being contested in compliance with Section 5.04;

(c)           pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations;

(d)           deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts, leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

(e)           judgment liens in respect of judgments that do not constitute an Event of Default under clause (i) of Article VII;

(f)            easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of the Borrower or any Subsidiary;

(g)           contractual set-off rights, rights of lessees and licensees arising in the ordinary course of business; and

(h)           any extensions, replacements, renewals or refinancings of the foregoing;

provided that the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing Indebtedness.

“Permitted Holders” means BSMB/ACA LLC, Stephens Group, Inc., Third Avenue Trust, on behalf of Third Avenue Value Fund, Third Avenue Trust, on behalf of Third Avenue Small-Cap Value Fund Series, Chestnut Hill ACA, LLC, Transamerica Life Insurance Company, Life Investors Insurance Company of America, Insurance Partners, L.P., Insurance Partners Offshore (Bermuda) L.P., IP/MCLP, L.L.C., Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund L.P., FW ACA Investors, L.P., Banc of America Strategic Investments Corporation and present and former members of the Borrower’s management and their respective Affiliates.

“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

“Plan” means any employee pension benefit plan subject to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA or Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, and in respect of which the Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate is (or, if such plan were terminated, would under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in Section 3(5) of ERISA.

“Prime Rate” means the rate of interest per annum publicly announced from time to time by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as its prime rate in effect at its principal office in New

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York City; each change in the Prime Rate shall be effective from and including the date such change is publicly announced as being effective.

“Qualified IPO” means an underwritten public offering of the Equity Interests of Borrower which generates cash proceeds to Borrower of at least $100,000,000.

“Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.04(b).

“Regulated Insurance Company” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, that is authorized or admitted to carry on or transact Insurance Business in any jurisdiction and is regulated by any Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority.

“Related Parties” means, with respect to any specified Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the respective directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and such Person’s Affiliates.

“Required Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments representing more than 50% of the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures and unused Commitments at such time; provided that, for purposes of declaring the Loans to be due and payable pursuant to Article VII, and for all purposes after the Loans become due and payable pursuant to Article VII or the Commitments expire or terminate, the outstanding Competitive Loans of the Lenders shall be included in their respective Revolving Credit Exposures in determining the Required Lenders.

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any Equity Interests in the Borrower, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such Equity Interests in the Borrower or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such Equity Interests in the Borrower.

“Revolving Credit Exposure” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the sum of the outstanding principal amount of such Lender’s Revolving Loans and Swingline Exposure at such time.

“Revolving Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.03.

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s.

“SAP” means, with respect to any Regulated Insurance Company, the accounting procedures and practices prescribed or permitted by the Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority of the state in which such Regulated Insurance Company is domiciled.

“Significant Subsidiary” means (i) any Subsidiary that would be a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X, promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as such Regulation is in effect on the date hereof or (ii) any group of Subsidiaries that are not individually Significant Subsidiaries but when taken together meet the criteria of a Significant Subsidiary.

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“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the Board to which the Administrative Agent is subject for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board).  Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D.  Eurodollar Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation.  The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

“Statutory Statements” means, with respect to any Regulated Insurance Company for any fiscal year, the annual or quarterly financial statements of such Regulated Insurance Company prepared in accordance with SAP as required to be filed with the Insurance Regulatory Authority of its jurisdiction of domicile and in accordance with the laws of such jurisdiction, together with all exhibits, schedules, certificates and actuarial opinions required to be filed or delivered therewith.

“subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person (the “parent”) at any date, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of the parent in the parent’s consolidated financial statements if such financial statements were prepared in accordance with GAAP as of such date, as well as any other corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or other entity (a) of which securities or other ownership interests representing more than 50% of the equity or more than 50% of the ordinary voting power or, in the case of a partnership, more than 50% of the general partnership interests are, as of such date, owned, controlled or held, or (b) that is, as of such date, otherwise Controlled, by the parent or one or more subsidiaries of the parent or by the parent and one or more subsidiaries of the parent.

“Subsidiary” means any subsidiary of the Borrower.

“Swap Agreement” means any agreement with respect to any swap, forward, future or derivative transaction or option or similar agreement involving, or settled by reference to, one or more rates, currencies, commodities, equity or debt instruments or securities, or economic, financial or pricing indices or measures of economic, financial or pricing risk or value or any similar transaction or any combination of these transactions; provided that no phantom stock or similar plan providing for payments only on account of services provided by current or former directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Borrower or the Subsidiaries shall be a Swap Agreement.

“Swingline Exposure” means, at any time, the aggregate principal amount of all Swingline Loans outstanding at such time.  The Swingline Exposure of any Lender at any time shall be its Applicable Percentage of the total Swingline Exposure at such time.

“Swingline Lender” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in its capacity as lender of Swingline Loans hereunder.

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“Swingline Loan” means a Loan made pursuant to Section 2.05.

“Tangible Net Worth” means, at any date of determination, Consolidated Net Worth minus the aggregate book value of all intangible assets (including deferred debt issuance costs and deferred policy acquisition costs) of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of such date in accordance with GAAP.

“Taxes” means any and all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, charges or withholdings imposed by any Governmental Authority.

“Termination Date” means that date that is 364 days after the Effective Date, as such date may be extended for any Lender as provided in Section 2.02(e).

“Threshold Amount” means $10,000,000.

“Transactions” means the execution, delivery and performance by the Borrower of this Agreement, the borrowing of Loans and the use of the proceeds thereof hereunder.

“Type”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether the rate of interest on such Loan, or on the Loans comprising such Borrowing, is determined by reference to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, the Alternate Base Rate or, in the case of a Competitive Loan or Borrowing, the LIBO Rate or a Fixed Rate.

“Variable Interest Entities” means the following Subsidiaries of the Borrower:  (a) ACA Service L.L.C.; (b) ACA Risk Solutions, L.L.C. (c) ACA Management, L.L.C. (d) any other newly-created Subsidiary of the Borrower which is engaged solely in the business of structuring and management of collateralized debt obligations and the entering into of any credit default swaps and (e) all of the subsidiaries of any of the foregoing..

SECTION 1.02.  Classification of Loans and Borrowings.  For purposes of this Agreement, Loans may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Loan”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Loan”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Revolving Loan”).  Borrowings also may be classified and referred to by Class (e.g., a “Revolving Borrowing”) or by Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Borrowing”) or by Class and Type (e.g., a “Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing”).

SECTION 1.03.  Terms Generally.  The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined.  Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms.  The words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”.  The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”.  Unless the context requires otherwise (a) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (b) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (c) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not

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to any particular provision hereof, (d) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, this Agreement and (e) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

SECTION 1.04.  Accounting Terms; Changes in GAAP.  Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature shall be construed in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time; provided that, if the Borrower notifies the Administrative Agent that the Borrower requests an amendment to any provision hereof to eliminate the effect of any change occurring after the date hereof in GAAP, or in the application thereof on the operation of such provision, regardless of whether any such notice is given before or after such change in GAAP, or in the application thereof, then such provision shall be interpreted on the basis of GAAP as in effect and applied immediately before such change shall have become effective until such notice shall have been withdrawn or such provision amended in accordance herewith.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is acknowledged and agreed that the financial statements provided pursuant to Section 5.01(a) and (b) shall be prepared in accordance with GAAP and the financial covenants herein shall be calculated on the basis of such financial statements.

ARTICLE II

The Credits

SECTION 2.01.  Commitments.  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender agrees to make Revolving Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period in an aggregate principal amount that will not result in (a) such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure exceeding such Lender’s Commitment or (b) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures plus the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans exceeding the total Commitments.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Revolving Loans.

SECTION 2.02.  Loans and Borrowings.

(a)           Each Revolving Loan shall be made as part of a Borrowing consisting of Revolving Loans made by the Lenders ratably in accordance with their respective Commitments.  Each Competitive Loan shall be made in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 2.04.  The failure of any Lender to make any Loan required to be made by it shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations hereunder; provided that the Commitments and Competitive Bids of the Lenders are several and no Lender shall be responsible for any other Lender’s failure to make Loans as required.

(b)           Subject to Section 2.13, (i) each Revolving Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of ABR Loans or Eurodollar Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith, and (ii) each Competitive Borrowing shall be comprised entirely of Eurodollar Loans or Fixed Rate Loans as the Borrower may request in accordance herewith.  Each Swingline Loan shall be

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an ABR Loan.  Each Lender at its option may make any Eurodollar Loan by causing any domestic or foreign branch or Affiliate of such Lender to make such Loan; provided that any exercise of such option shall not affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay such Loan in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, nor shall it increase the Borrower’s obligations under Section 2.16.

(c)           At the commencement of each Interest Period for any Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000.  At the time that each ABR Revolving Borrowing is made, such Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000; provided that an ABR Revolving Borrowing may be in an aggregate amount that is equal to the entire unused balance of the total Commitments.  Each Competitive Borrowing shall be in an aggregate amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000.  Each Swingline Loan shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $10,000,000.  Borrowings of more than one Type and Class may be outstanding at the same time; provided that there shall not at any time be more than a total of 5 Eurodollar Revolving Borrowings outstanding.

(d)           Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Borrower shall not be entitled to request, or to elect to convert or continue, any Borrowing if the Interest Period requested with respect thereto would end after the then scheduled Maturity Date.

(e)           Provided that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower may request an extension of the Termination Date for an additional period of one year with notice to the Administrative Agent, to be given no more than 45 days before the Effective Date.  The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of such request promptly upon receipt of such request from the Borrower.  If, within 30 days of being notified of such request by the Administrative Agent, Lenders holding a majority of the Commitments consent to such extension, the Commitment of each consenting Lender shall be extended by one year, which shall become the new Termination Date with respect to such Commitment and the Loans made thereunder.  The Administrative Agent shall offer to the consenting Lenders the opportunity to increase their respective Commitments on a pro rata basis by acquiring all or part of the Commitments of the non-extending Lenders through an Assignment and Assumption. Any Commitment of a non-extending Lender not assumed by a consenting Lender shall terminate on the scheduled Termination Date.

(f)            Provided that no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Borrower shall have the right to elect that the Maturity Date of all or any ratable portion of the Loans (other than any Loans under Commitments then being extended pursuant to 2.02(d) above) be extended to be due and payable on the date one year after the then scheduled Termination Date, by giving notice to the Administrative Agent, which shall promptly notify the Lender thereof, not later than five Business Days prior to such Termination Date.

(g)           Provided that all conditions set forth in Section 4.02 are then satisfied, the Borrower may request that the Lenders and/or other entities provide additional Commitments. If such additional Commitments are provided, the amount of the aggregate Commitments shall be increased by the amount of such Commitments; provided that (i) the aggregate amount of any

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such increase shall not exceed $50,000,000, (ii) the aggregate amount of all Commitments, including all such increases, shall not exceed $125,000,000 and (iii) no Lender shall have any obligation to participate in any additional Commitment or other increase described in this paragraph unless it agrees to do so in its sole discretion.  Any additional bank, financial institution or other entity which, with the consent of the Administrative Agent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld), elects to become a “Lender” under this Agreement in connection with the making of any Loan or the making of any additional Commitment shall execute a New Lender Supplement substantially in the form of Exhibit C, whereupon such bank, financial institution or other entity shall become a Lender for all purposes and to the same extent as if originally a party hereto and shall be bound by and entitled to the benefits of this Agreement.

SECTION 2.03.  Requests for Revolving Borrowings.   To request a Revolving Borrowing, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (a) in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing or (b) in the case of an ABR Borrowing, not later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing.  Each such telephonic Borrowing Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Borrowing Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower.  Each such telephonic and written Borrowing Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i)            the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;

(ii)           the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii)          whether such Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing;

(iv)          in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, the initial Interest Period to be applicable thereto, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and

(v)           the location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.06.

If no election as to the Type of Revolving Borrowing is specified, then the requested Revolving Borrowing shall be an ABR Borrowing.  If no Interest Period is specified with respect to any requested Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.  Promptly following receipt of a Borrowing Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of the amount of such Lender’s Loan to be made as part of the requested Borrowing.

SECTION 2.04.  Competitive Bid Procedure.  (a)  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, from time to time during the Availability Period the Borrower may request Competitive Bids and may (but shall not have any obligation to) accept Competitive Bids and borrow Competitive Loans; provided that the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures

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plus the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans at any time shall not exceed the total Commitments.  To request Competitive Bids, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone, in the case of a Eurodollar Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, four Business Days before the date of the proposed Borrowing and, in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing, not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of the proposed Borrowing; provided that the Borrower may submit up to (but not more than) 2 Competitive Bid Requests on the same day, but a Competitive Bid Request shall not be made within five Business Days after the date of any previous Competitive Bid Request, unless any and all such previous Competitive Bid Requests shall have been withdrawn or all Competitive Bids received in response thereto rejected.  Each such telephonic Competitive Bid Request shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Competitive Bid Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower.  Each such telephonic and written Competitive Bid Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i)            the aggregate amount of the requested Borrowing;

(ii)           the date of such Borrowing, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii)          whether such Borrowing is to be a Eurodollar Borrowing or a Fixed Rate Borrowing;

(iv)          the Interest Period to be applicable to such Borrowing, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”; and

(v)           the location and number of the Borrower’s account to which funds are to be disbursed, which shall comply with the requirements of Section 2.06.

Promptly following receipt of a Competitive Bid Request in accordance with this Section, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Lenders of the details thereof by telecopy, inviting the Lenders to submit Competitive Bids.

(b)           Each Lender may (but shall not have any obligation to) make one or more Competitive Bids to the Borrower in response to a Competitive Bid Request.  Each Competitive Bid by a Lender must be in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and must be received by the Administrative Agent by telecopy, in the case of a Eurodollar Competitive Borrowing, not later than 9:30 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the proposed date of such Competitive Borrowing, and in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing, one Business Day before the proposed date of such Competitive Borrowing.  Competitive Bids that do not conform substantially to the form approved by the Administrative Agent may be rejected by the Administrative Agent, and the Administrative Agent shall notify the applicable Lender as promptly as practicable.  Each Competitive Bid shall specify (i) the principal amount (which shall be a minimum of $1,000,000 and an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and which may equal the entire principal amount of the Competitive Borrowing requested by the Borrower) of the Competitive Loan or Loans that the Lender is willing to make, (ii) the Competitive Bid Rate or Rates at which the Lender is prepared to make such Loan or Loans (expressed as a percentage

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rate per annum in the form of a decimal to no more than four decimal places) and (iii) the Interest Period applicable to each such Loan and the last day thereof.

(c)           The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Borrower by telecopy of the Competitive Bid Rate and the principal amount specified in each Competitive Bid and the identity of the Lender that shall have made such Competitive Bid.

(d)           Subject only to the provisions of this paragraph, the Borrower may accept or reject any Competitive Bid.  The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent by telephone, confirmed by telecopy in a form approved by the Administrative Agent, whether and to what extent it has decided to accept or reject each Competitive Bid, in the case of a Eurodollar Competitive Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, three Business Days before the date of the proposed Competitive Borrowing, and in the case of a Fixed Rate Borrowing, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the proposed date of the Competitive Borrowing; provided that (i) the failure of the Borrower to give such notice shall be deemed to be a rejection of each Competitive Bid, (ii) the Borrower shall not accept a Competitive Bid made at a particular Competitive Bid Rate if the Borrower rejects a Competitive Bid made at a lower Competitive Bid Rate, (iii) the aggregate amount of the Competitive Bids accepted by the Borrower shall not exceed the aggregate amount of the requested Competitive Borrowing specified in the related Competitive Bid Request, (iv) to the extent necessary to comply with clause (iii) above, the Borrower may accept Competitive Bids at the same Competitive Bid Rate in part, which acceptance, in the case of multiple Competitive Bids at such Competitive Bid Rate, shall be made pro rata in accordance with the amount of each such Competitive Bid, and (v) except pursuant to clause (iv) above, no Competitive Bid shall be accepted for a Competitive Loan unless such Competitive Loan is in a minimum principal amount of $1,000,000 and an integral multiple of $1,000,000; provided further that if a Competitive Loan must be in an amount less than $1,000,000 because of the provisions of clause (iv) above, such Competitive Loan may be for a minimum of $1,000,000 or any integral multiple thereof, and in calculating the pro rata allocation of acceptances of portions of multiple Competitive Bids at a particular Competitive Bid Rate pursuant to clause (iv) the amounts shall be rounded to integral multiples of $1,000,000 in a manner determined by the Borrower.  A notice given by the Borrower pursuant to this paragraph shall be irrevocable.

(e)           The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each bidding Lender by telecopy whether or not its Competitive Bid has been accepted (and, if so, the amount and Competitive Bid Rate so accepted), and each successful bidder will thereupon become bound, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, to make the Competitive Loan in respect of which its Competitive Bid has been accepted.

(f)            If the Administrative Agent shall elect to submit a Competitive Bid in its capacity as a Lender, it shall submit such Competitive Bid directly to the Borrower at least one quarter of an hour earlier than the time by which the other Lenders are required to submit their Competitive Bids to the Administrative Agent pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section.

SECTION 2.05.  Swingline Loans.  (a)  Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swingline Lender agrees to make Swingline Loans to the Borrower from time to time during the Availability Period, in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding

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that will not result in (i) the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Swingline Loans exceeding $15,000,000 or (ii) the sum of the total Revolving Credit Exposures plus the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans exceeding the total Commitments; provided that the Swingline Lender shall not be required to make a Swingline Loan to refinance an outstanding Swingline Loan.  Any Swingline Loan will reduce the availability of Loan amounts by the amount of such Swingline Loan.  Within the foregoing limits and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Borrower may borrow, prepay and reborrow Swingline Loans.

(b)           To request a Swingline Loan, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such request by telephone (confirmed by telecopy), not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time on the day of a proposed Swingline Loan.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the requested date (which shall be a Business Day) and amount of the requested Swingline Loan.  The Administrative Agent will promptly advise the Swingline Lender of any such notice received from the Borrower.  The Swingline Lender shall make each Swingline Loan available to the Borrower by means of a credit to the general deposit account of the Borrower with the Swingline Lender by 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the requested date of such Swingline Loan.

(c)           The Swingline Lender may by written notice given to the Administrative Agent not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on any Business Day require the Lenders to acquire participations on such Business Day in all or a portion of the Swingline Loans outstanding.  Such notice shall specify the aggregate amount of Swingline Loans in which Lenders will participate.  Promptly upon receipt of such notice, the Administrative Agent will give notice thereof to each Lender, specifying in such notice such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.  Each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees, upon receipt of notice as provided above, to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the Swingline Lender, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swingline Loan or Loans.  Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to acquire participations in Swingline Loans pursuant to this paragraph is absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance whatsoever, including the occurrence and continuance of a Default or reduction or termination of the Commitments, and that each such payment shall be made without any offset, abatement, withholding or reduction whatsoever.  Each Lender shall comply with its obligation under this paragraph by wire transfer of immediately available funds, in the same manner as provided in Section 2.06 with respect to Loans made by such Lender (and Section 2.06 shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to the payment obligations of the Lenders), and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the Swingline Lender the amounts so received by it from the Lenders.  The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower of any participations in any Swingline Loan acquired pursuant to this paragraph, and thereafter payments in respect of such Swingline Loan shall be made to the Administrative Agent and not to the Swingline Lender.  Any amounts received by the Swingline Lender from the Borrower (or other party on behalf of the Borrower) in respect of a Swingline Loan after receipt by the Swingline Lender of the proceeds of a sale of participations therein shall be promptly remitted to the Administrative Agent; any such amounts received by the Administrative Agent shall be promptly remitted by the Administrative Agent to the Lenders that shall have made their payments pursuant to this paragraph and to the Swingline Lender, as their interests may appear; provided that any such payment so remitted shall be repaid to the Swingline Lender or to the Administrative Agent, as applicable, if and to the extent such payment is required to be refunded to the Borrower for any

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reason.  The purchase of participations in a Swingline Loan pursuant to this paragraph shall not relieve the Borrower of any default in the payment thereof.

SECTION 2.06.  Funding of Borrowings.  (a)  Each Lender shall make each Loan to be made by it hereunder on the proposed date thereof by wire transfer of immediately available funds by 12:00 noon, New York City time, to the account of the Administrative Agent most recently designated by it for such purpose by notice to the Lenders; provided that Swingline Loans shall be made as provided in Section 2.05.  The Administrative Agent will make such Loans available to the Borrower by promptly crediting the amounts so received, in like funds, to an account of the Borrower maintained with the Administrative Agent in New York City and designated by the Borrower in the applicable Borrowing Request or Competitive Bid Request.

(b)           Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with paragraph (a) of this Section and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrower a corresponding amount.  In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrower severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand such corresponding amount with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrower to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (i) in the case of such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to ABR Loans.  If such Lender pays such amount to the Administrative Agent, then such amount shall constitute such Lender’s Loan included in such Borrowing.

SECTION 2.07.  Interest Elections.  (a)  Each Revolving Borrowing initially shall be of the Type specified in the applicable Borrowing Request and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, shall have an initial Interest Period as specified in such Borrowing Request.  Thereafter, the Borrower may elect to convert such Borrowing to a different Type or to continue such Borrowing and, in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, may elect Interest Periods therefor, all as provided in this Section.  The Borrower may elect different options with respect to different portions of the affected Borrowing, in which case each such portion shall be allocated ratably among the Lenders holding the Loans comprising such Borrowing, and the Loans comprising each such portion shall be considered a separate Borrowing.  This Section shall not apply to Competitive Borrowings or Swingline Borrowings, which may not be converted or continued.

(b)           To make an election pursuant to this Section, the Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of such election by telephone by the time that a Borrowing Request would be required under Section 2.03 if the Borrower were requesting a Revolving Borrowing of the Type resulting from such election to be made on the effective date of such election.  Each such telephonic Interest Election Request shall be irrevocable and shall be confirmed promptly by hand delivery or telecopy to the Administrative Agent of a written Interest Election Request in a form approved by the Administrative Agent and signed by the Borrower.

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(c)           Each telephonic and written Interest Election Request shall specify the following information in compliance with Section 2.02:

(i)            the Borrowing to which such Interest Election Request applies and, if different options are being elected with respect to different portions thereof, the portions thereof to be allocated to each resulting Borrowing (in which case the information to be specified pursuant to clauses (iii) and (iv) below shall be specified for each resulting Borrowing);

(ii)           the effective date of the election made pursuant to such Interest Election Request, which shall be a Business Day;

(iii)          whether the resulting Borrowing is to be an ABR Borrowing or a Eurodollar Borrowing; and

(iv)          if the resulting Borrowing is a Eurodollar Borrowing, the Interest Period to be applicable thereto after giving effect to such election, which shall be a period contemplated by the definition of the term “Interest Period”.

If any such Interest Election Request requests a Eurodollar Borrowing but does not specify an Interest Period, then the Borrower shall be deemed to have selected an Interest Period of one month’s duration.

(d)           Promptly following receipt of an Interest Election Request, the Administrative Agent shall advise each Lender of the details thereof and of such Lender’s portion of each resulting Borrowing.

(e)           If the Borrower fails to deliver a timely Interest Election Request with respect to a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing prior to the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto, then, unless such Borrowing is repaid as provided herein, at the end of such Interest Period such Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing.  Notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof, if an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Administrative Agent, at the request of the Required Lenders, so notifies the Borrower, then, so long as an Event of Default is continuing (i) no outstanding Revolving Borrowing may be converted to or continued as a Eurodollar Borrowing and (ii) unless repaid, each Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing shall be converted to an ABR Borrowing at the end of the Interest Period applicable thereto.

SECTION 2.08.  Termination and Reduction of Commitments.  (a)  Unless previously terminated, the Commitments shall terminate on the Maturity Date.

(b)           The Borrower may at any time terminate, or from time to time reduce, the Commitments; provided that (i) each reduction of the Commitments shall be in an amount that is an integral multiple of $1,000,000 and not less than $5,000,000 (unless all Commitments are terminated in their entirety) and (ii) the Borrower shall not terminate or reduce the Commitments if, after giving effect to any concurrent prepayment of the Loans in accordance with Section 2.10, the sum of the Revolving Credit Exposures plus the aggregate principal amount of outstanding Competitive Loans would exceed the total Commitments.

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(c)           The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent of any election to terminate or reduce the Commitments under paragraph (b) of this Section at least one Business Day prior to the effective date of such termination or reduction, specifying such election and the effective date thereof.  Promptly following receipt of any notice, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each notice delivered by the Borrower pursuant to this Section shall be irrevocable; provided that a notice of termination of the Commitments delivered by the Borrower may state that such notice is conditioned upon the effectiveness of other credit facilities, in which case such notice may be revoked by the Borrower (by notice to the Administrative Agent on or prior to the specified effective date) if such condition is not satisfied.  Any termination or reduction of the Commitments shall be permanent.  Each reduction of the Commitments shall be made ratably among the Lenders in accordance with their respective Commitments.

SECTION 2.09.  Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt.  (a)  The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to pay (i) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Revolving Loan on the Maturity Date, (ii) to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Competitive Loan on the last day of the Interest Period applicable to such Loan and (iii) to the Swingline Lender the then unpaid principal amount of each Swingline Loan on the earlier of the Termination Date and the first date after such Swingline Loan is made that is the 15th or last day of a calendar month and is at least seven days after such Swingline Loan is made; provided that on each date that a Revolving Borrowing or Competitive Borrowing is made, the Borrower shall repay all Swingline Loans then outstanding.

(b)           Each Lender shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by such Lender, including the amounts of principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time hereunder.

(c)           The Administrative Agent shall maintain accounts in which it shall record (i) the amount of each Loan made hereunder, the Class and Type thereof and the Interest Period applicable thereto, (ii) the amount of any principal or interest due and payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender hereunder and (iii) the amount of any sum received by the Administrative Agent hereunder for the account of the Lenders and each Lender’s share thereof.

(d)           The entries made in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraph (b) or (c) of this Section shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and amounts of the obligations recorded therein; provided that the failure of any Lender or the Administrative Agent to maintain such accounts or any error therein shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the Loans in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

(e)           Any Lender may request that Loans made by it be evidenced by a promissory note.  In such event, the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender a promissory note payable to the order of such Lender (or, if requested by such Lender, to such Lender and its registered assigns) and in a form approved by the Administrative Agent.  Thereafter, the Loans evidenced by such promissory note and interest thereon shall at all times

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(including after assignment pursuant to Section 9.04) be represented by one or more promissory notes in such form payable to the order of the payee named therein (or, if such promissory note is a registered note, to such payee and its registered assigns).

SECTION 2.10.  Prepayment of Loans.  (a)  The Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any Borrowing in whole or in part, subject to prior notice in accordance with paragraph (b) of this Section; provided that the Borrower shall not have the right to prepay any Competitive Loan without the prior consent of the Lender thereof and provided that any such prepayment shall not be less than $1,000,000.

(b)           The Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent (and, in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, the Swingline Lender) by telephone (confirmed by telecopy) of any prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, not later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, three Business Days before the date of prepayment, (ii) in the case of prepayment of an ABR Revolving Borrowing, not later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, one Business Day before the date of prepayment or (iii) in the case of prepayment of a Swingline Loan, not later than 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date of prepayment.  Each such notice shall be irrevocable and shall specify the prepayment date and the principal amount of each Borrowing or portion thereof to be prepaid; provided that, if a notice of prepayment is given in connection with a conditional notice of termination of the Commitments as contemplated by Section 2.08, then such notice of prepayment may be revoked if such notice of termination is revoked in accordance with Section 2.08.  Promptly following receipt of any such notice relating to a Revolving Borrowing, the Administrative Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents thereof.  Each partial prepayment of any Revolving Borrowing shall be in an amount that would be permitted in the case of an advance of a Revolving Borrowing of the same Type as provided in Section 2.02.  Each prepayment of a Revolving Borrowing shall be applied ratably to the Loans included in the prepaid Borrowing.  Prepayments shall be accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section 2.12.

SECTION 2.11.  Fees.  (a)  The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a facility fee, which shall accrue at the Applicable Facility Fee Rate on the daily amount of the Commitment of such Lender (whether used or unused) during the period from and including the date hereof to but excluding the date on which such Commitment terminates; provided that, if such Lender continues to have any Revolving Credit Exposure after its Commitment terminates, then such facility fee shall continue to accrue on the daily amount of such Lender’s Revolving Credit Exposure from and including the date on which its Commitment terminates to but excluding the date on which such Lender ceases to have any Revolving Credit Exposure.  Facility fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur three full months after the date hereof; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand.  All facility fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

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(b)           The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for its own account, fees payable in the amounts and at the times separately agreed upon between the Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

(c)           All fees payable hereunder shall be paid on the dates due, in immediately available funds, to the Administrative Agent for distribution, in the case of facility fees and participation fees, to the Lenders.  Fees paid shall not be refundable under any circumstances.

(d)           The Borrower agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent for the account of each Lender a utilization fee (the “Utilization Fee”), calculated at a rate of .0125% per annum on the average daily amount of the total Revolving Credit Exposure whenever such total Revolving Credit Exposure exceeds 50% of the Commitments.  Utilization fees accrued through and including the last day of March, June, September and December of each year shall be payable on the third Business Day following such last day, commencing on the first such date to occur after the Effective Date; provided that all such fees shall be payable on the date on which the Commitments terminate and any such fees accruing after the date on which the Commitments terminate shall be payable on demand.  All utilization fees shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

SECTION 2.12.  Interest.  (a)  The Loans comprising each ABR Borrowing (including each Swingline Loan) shall bear interest at the Alternate Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin.

(b)           The Loans comprising each Eurodollar Borrowing shall bear interest (i) in the case of a Eurodollar Revolving Loan, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus the Applicable Margin, or (ii) in the case of a Eurodollar Competitive Loan, at the LIBO Rate for the Interest Period in effect for such Borrowing plus (or minus, as applicable) the Margin applicable to such Loan.

(c)           Each Fixed Rate Loan shall bear interest at the Fixed Rate applicable to such Loan.

(d)           Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any principal of or interest on any Loan or any fee or other amount payable by the Borrower hereunder is not paid when due, whether at stated maturity, upon acceleration or otherwise, such overdue amount shall bear interest, after as well as before judgment, at a rate per annum equal to (i) in the case of overdue principal of any Loan, 2% plus the rate otherwise applicable to such Loan as provided in the preceding paragraphs of this Section or (ii) in the case of any other amount, 2% plus the rate applicable to ABR Loans as provided in paragraph (a) of this Section.

(e)           Accrued interest on each Loan shall be payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date for such Loan and, in the case of Revolving Loans, upon termination of the Commitments; provided that (i) interest accrued pursuant to paragraph (d) of this Section shall be payable on demand, (ii) in the event of any repayment or prepayment of any Loan (other than a prepayment of an ABR Revolving Loan prior to the end of the Availability Period), accrued interest on the principal amount repaid or prepaid shall be payable on the date of such repayment

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or prepayment and (iii) in the event of any conversion of any Eurodollar Revolving Loan prior to the end of the current Interest Period therefor, accrued interest on such Loan shall be payable on the effective date of such conversion.

(f)            All interest hereunder shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days, except that interest computed by reference to the Alternate Base Rate at times when the Alternate Base Rate is based on the Prime Rate shall be computed on the basis of a year of 365 days (or 366 days in a leap year), and in each case shall be payable for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).  The applicable Alternate Base Rate, Adjusted LIBO Rate or LIBO Rate shall be determined by the Administrative Agent, and such determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

SECTION 2.13.  Alternate Rate of Interest.  If prior to the commencement of any Interest Period for a Eurodollar Borrowing:

(a)           the Administrative Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive absent manifest error) that adequate and reasonable means do not exist for ascertaining the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period; or

(b)           the Administrative Agent is advised by the Required Lenders (or, in the case of a Eurodollar Competitive Loan, the Lender that is required to make such Loan) that the Adjusted LIBO Rate or the LIBO Rate, as applicable, for such Interest Period will not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders (or Lender) of making or maintaining their Loans (or its Loan) included in such Borrowing for such Interest Period;

then the Administrative Agent shall give notice thereof to the Borrower and the Lenders by telephone or telecopy as promptly as practicable thereafter and, until the Administrative Agent notifies the Borrower and the Lenders that the circumstances giving rise to such notice no longer exist, (i) any Interest Election Request that requests the conversion of any Revolving Borrowing to, or continuation of any Revolving Borrowing as, a Eurodollar Borrowing shall be ineffective, (ii) if any Borrowing Request requests a Eurodollar Revolving Borrowing, such Borrowing shall be made as an ABR Borrowing and (iii) any request by the Borrower for a Eurodollar Competitive Borrowing shall be ineffective; provided that (A) if the circumstances giving rise to such notice do not affect all the Lenders, then requests by the Borrower for Eurodollar Competitive Borrowings may be made to Lenders that are not affected thereby and (B) if the circumstances giving rise to such notice affect only one Type of Borrowings, then the other Type of Borrowings shall be permitted.

SECTION 2.14.  Increased Costs.  (a)  If any Change in Law shall:

(i)            impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender (except any such reserve requirement reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate); or

(ii)           impose on any Lender or the London interbank market any other condition affecting this Agreement or Eurodollar Loans or Fixed Rate Loans made by such Lender or participation therein;

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and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Eurodollar Loan or Fixed Rate Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan) or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender hereunder (whether of principal, interest or otherwise), then the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

(b)           If any Lender determines that any Change in Law regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement or the Loans made hereby to a level below that which such Lender or such Lender’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time the Borrower will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or such Lender’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

(c)           A certificate of a Lender setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

(d)           Failure or delay on the part of any Lender to demand compensation pursuant to this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s right to demand such compensation; provided that the Borrower shall not be required to compensate a Lender pursuant to this Section for any increased costs or reductions incurred more than 270 days prior to the date that such Lender notifies the Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s intention to claim compensation therefor; provided further that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the 270-day period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof.

(e)           Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, a Lender shall not be entitled to compensation pursuant to this Section in respect of any Competitive Loan if the Change in Law that would otherwise entitle it to such compensation shall have been publicly announced prior to submission of the Competitive Bid pursuant to which such Loan was made.

(f)            Notwithstanding anything in this Section to the contrary, this Section shall not apply to Taxes, which shall be governed solely by Section 2.16.

SECTION 2.15.  Break Funding Payments.  In the event of (a) the payment of any principal of any Eurodollar Loan or Fixed Rate Loan other than on the last day of an Interest Period applicable thereto (including as a result of an Event of Default), (b) the conversion of any Eurodollar Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto, (c) the failure to borrow, convert, continue or prepay any Eurodollar Loan or Fixed Rate Loan on the date specified in any notice delivered pursuant hereto (regardless of whether such notice may be

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revoked under Section 2.10(b) and is revoked in accordance therewith), (d) the failure to borrow any Competitive Loan after accepting the Competitive Bid to make such Loan, or (e) the assignment of any Eurodollar Loan or Fixed Rate Loan other than on the last day of the Interest Period applicable thereto as a result of a request by the Borrower pursuant to Section 2.18, then, in any such event, the Borrower shall compensate each Lender for the loss, cost and expense attributable to such event.  In the case of a Eurodollar Loan, such loss, cost or expense to any Lender shall be deemed to include an amount determined by such Lender to be the excess, if any, of (i) the amount of interest which would have accrued on the principal amount of such Loan had such event not occurred, at the Adjusted LIBO Rate that would have been applicable to such Loan, for the period from the date of such event to the last day of the then current Interest Period therefor (or, in the case of a failure to borrow, convert or continue, for the period that would have been the Interest Period for such Loan), over (ii) the amount of interest which would accrue on such principal amount for such period at the interest rate which such Lender would bid were it to bid, at the commencement of such period, for dollar deposits of a comparable amount and period from other banks in the eurodollar market.  A certificate of any Lender setting forth any amount or amounts that such Lender is entitled to receive pursuant to this Section shall be delivered to the Borrower and shall be conclusive absent manifest error.  The Borrower shall pay such Lender the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

SECTION 2.16.  Taxes.  (a)  Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any Taxes unless deduction of such Taxes is required by law (or by the interpretation or administration thereof); provided that if the Borrower shall be so required to deduct any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions of such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including deductions of such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.16(a)) the Administrative Agent or Lender receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions of such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes been made, (ii) the Borrower shall make such deductions of such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes and (iii) the Borrower shall pay the full amount so deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(b)           In addition, the Borrower shall pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable law.

(c)           The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent and each Lender promptly after written demand therefor, which written demand shall be made promptly after the Administrative Agent or such Lender receives written demand for payment of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes from the relevant Governmental Authority, for the full amount of such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes paid by the Administrative Agent or such Lender, as the case may be, on or with respect to any payment by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower hereunder (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes properly imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 2.16(b)) and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Government Authority.  A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability and, in reasonable detail, the manner in which such amount shall have been determined, delivered to the Borrower by a

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Lender or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(d)           As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrower to a Governmental Authority, the Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(e)           Each Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent on or before the date such Foreign Lender becomes a party to this Agreement and on or before the date, if any, such Foreign Lender changes its lending office (i) two duly executed and properly completed Internal Revenue Service Forms W-8ECI, W-8IMY, W-8EXP, or W-8BEN (with respect to the benefit of an income tax treaty), or other applicable forms, certifying to such Foreign Lender’s entitlement to a complete exemption from or reduced rate of United States withholding tax with respect to all payments to be made to it under the Loan Documents, or (ii) if such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, either (x) the forms referred to in clause (i) above certifying to such Foreign Lender’s entitlement to a complete exemption from United States withholding tax with respect to all payments to be made to it under the Loan Documents, or (y) two duly executed and properly completed Internal Revenue Service Forms W-8BEN (or successor forms) and a duly executed certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E (any such certificate, a “Section 2.16(e) Certificate”).  In addition, each Foreign Lender shall deliver such Internal Revenue Service forms and the Section 2.16(e) Certificate (as applicable) to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly upon the obsolescence, inaccuracy or invalidity of any such Internal Revenue Service forms or Section 2.16(e) Certificate previously delivered by such Foreign Lender pursuant to this Section 2.16(e).  Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, a Foreign Lender shall not be required to deliver any form pursuant to this paragraph that such Foreign Lender is not legally able to deliver.

(f)            If the Administrative Agent or any Lender determines in its sole discretion exercised in good faith that it has received a refund of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrower or with respect to which the Borrower has paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.16, it shall promptly pay over such refund to the Borrower (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrower under this Section 2.16 with respect to the Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund) net of all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent or such Lender and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund); provided, that the Borrower, upon the request of the Administrative Agent or such Lender, agrees to repay the amount paid over to the Borrower (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent or such Lender in the event the Administrative Agent or such Lender is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This Section shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes which it deems confidential) to the Borrower or any other Person.

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SECTION 2.17.  Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Set-offs.  (a)  The Borrower shall make each payment required to be made by it hereunder (whether of principal, interest, fees, or of amounts payable under Section 2.14, 2.15 or 2.16, or otherwise) prior to 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the date when due, in immediately available funds, without set-off or counterclaim.  Any amounts received after such time on any date may, in the discretion of the Administrative Agent, be deemed to have been received on the next succeeding Business Day for purposes of calculating interest thereon.  All such payments shall be made to the Administrative Agent at its offices at 270 Park Avenue, New York, New York and except that payments pursuant to Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03 shall be made directly to the Persons entitled thereto.  The Administrative Agent shall distribute any such payments received by it for the account of any other Person to the appropriate recipient promptly following receipt thereof.  If any payment hereunder shall be due on a day that is not a Business Day, the date for payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day, and, in the case of any payment accruing interest, interest thereon shall be payable for the period of such extension.  All payments hereunder shall be made in dollars.

(b)           If at any time insufficient funds are received by and available to the Administrative Agent to pay fully all amounts of principal, interest and fees then due hereunder, such funds shall be applied (i) first, towards payment of interest and fees then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of interest and fees then due to such parties, and (ii) second, towards payment of principal then due hereunder, ratably among the parties entitled thereto in accordance with the amounts of principal then due to such parties.

(c)           If any Lender shall, by exercising any right of set-off or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of or interest on any of its Revolving Loans or Swingline Loans resulting in such Lender receiving payment of a greater proportion of the aggregate amount of its Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans and accrued interest thereon than the proportion received by any other Lender, then the Lender receiving such greater proportion shall purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans of other Lenders to the extent necessary so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Lenders ratably in accordance with the aggregate amount of principal of and accrued interest on their respective Revolving Loans and Swingline Loans; provided that (i) if any such participations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest, and (ii) the provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to apply to any payment made by the Borrower pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrower or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof (as to which the provisions of this paragraph shall apply).  The Borrower consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against the Borrower rights of set-off and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation.

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(d)           Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Borrower prior to the date on which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders hereunder that the Borrower will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrower has made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders the amount due.  In such event, if the Borrower has not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Effective Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

(e)           If any Lender shall fail to make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Section 2.05(c), 2.06(b) or 2.17(d), then the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion (notwithstanding any contrary provision hereof), apply any amounts thereafter received by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Lender to satisfy such Lender’s obligations under such Sections until all such unsatisfied obligations are fully paid.

SECTION 2.18.  Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.  (a)  If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.14, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, then such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 2.14 or 2.16, as the case may be, in the future and (ii) would not, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, require such Lender to incur an unreimbursed out-of-pocket cost or expense, or a legal or regulatory disadvantage, determined by such Lender to be material.  The Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.

(b)           If any Lender requests compensation under Section 2.14, or if the Borrower is required to pay any additional amount or indemnity payment to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.16, or if any Lender defaults in its obligation to fund Loans hereunder, or if any Lender fails to consent to a proposed amendment or waiver which is consented to by the Required Holders but which requires a unanimous approval of all Lenders then the Borrower may, at its sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in Section 9.04), all its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement (other than any outstanding Competitive Loans held by it) to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment); provided that (i) the Borrower shall have received the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, which consent shall not unreasonably be withheld, (ii) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans (other than Competitive Loans) and Swingline Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder, from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the

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Borrower (in the case of all other amounts) and (iii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 2.14 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 2.16, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments.  A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment and delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrower to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

ARTICLE III

Representations and Warranties

The Borrower represents and warrants to the Lenders that:

SECTION 3.01.  Organization; Powers.  Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization, has all requisite power and authority to carry on its business as now conducted and, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, is qualified to do business in, and is in good standing in, every jurisdiction where such qualification is required.

SECTION 3.02.  Authorization; Enforceability.  The Transactions are within the Borrower’s corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate and, if required, stockholder action.  This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Borrower and constitutes a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Borrower, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

SECTION 3.03.  Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts.  Except as could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, the Transactions (a) do not require any consent or approval of, registration or filing with, or any other action by, any Governmental Authority, except such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect, (b) do not violate any applicable law or regulation or any order of any Governmental Authority in each case applicable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, (c) do not violate or result in a default under any indenture, agreement or other instrument binding upon the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or its assets, or give rise to a right thereunder to require any payment to be made by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, and (d) do not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any asset of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.  The Transactions do not violate the charter, by-laws or other organizational documents of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.

SECTION 3.04.  Federal Regulations.  No part of the proceeds of any Loans, and no other extensions of credit hereunder, will be used for “buying” or “carrying” any “margin stock” within the respective meanings of each of the quoted terms under Regulation U as now and from time to time hereafter in effect in any manner that violates the provisions of the Regulations of the Board.  If requested by any Lender or the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender a statement to the foregoing effect in

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conformity with the requirements of FR Form G-3 or FR Form U-1, as applicable, referred to in Regulation U.

SECTION 3.05.  Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Change.  (a)  The Borrower has heretofore furnished to the Lenders its consolidated balance sheet and statements of income, stockholders equity and cash flows as of and for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005, reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent public accountants. Such financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position and results of operations and cash flows of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with GAAP.

(b)           Since December 31, 2005, there has been no material adverse change in the business, assets, operations, prospects or condition, financial or otherwise, of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

SECTION 3.06.  Properties.  (a)  Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has good title to, or valid leasehold interests in, all its real and personal property material to its business, except for such defects in title that could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and none of such property is subject to any Lien except as permitted by Section 6.02.

(b)           Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries owns, or is licensed to use, all trademarks, tradenames, copyrights, patents and other intellectual property material to its business, and the use thereof by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries does not infringe upon the rights of any other Person, except for any such infringements that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.07.  Litigation and Environmental Matters.  (a)  There are no actions, suits or proceedings by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority pending against or, to the knowledge of the Borrower, threatened against or affecting the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i) as to which there is a reasonable possibility of an adverse determination and that, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to result in a Material Adverse Effect (other than the Disclosed Matters) or (ii) that involve this Agreement or the Transactions.

(b)           Except for the Disclosed Matters and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability or (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability.

(c)           Since the Effective Date, there has been no change in the status of the Disclosed Matters that, individually or in the aggregate, has resulted in, or materially increased the likelihood of, a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.08.  Compliance with Laws and Agreements.  Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries is in compliance with all laws, regulations and orders of any Governmental

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Authority applicable to it or its property and all indentures, agreements and other instruments binding upon it or its property, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  No Default has occurred and is continuing.

SECTION 3.09.  Significant Subsidiaries.  Except as disclosed to the Administrative Agent (which shall be furnished by the Administrative Agent to each Lender) by the Borrower in writing from time to time after the Effective Date, Schedule 3.09 sets forth the name and jurisdiction of incorporation of each Significant Subsidiary and, as to each such Significant Subsidiary, the percentage of each class of stock owned by any party hereto.

SECTION 3.10.  Investment and Holding Company Status, Other Regulations.  The Borrower is not an “investment company”, or a company “controlled” by an “investment company”, within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.  The Borrower is not subject to regulation under any Requirement of Law (other than Regulation X of the Board) that limits its ability to incur Indebtedness.

SECTION 3.11.  Taxes.  Each of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries has timely filed or caused to be filed all Tax returns and reports required to have been filed and has paid or caused to be paid all Taxes required to have been paid by it, except (a) Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which the Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, has set aside on its books adequate reserves or (b) to the extent that the failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.12.  ERISA.  No ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken together with all other such ERISA Events for which liability is reasonably expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.  The present value of all accumulated benefit obligations under each Plan (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of such Plan, and the present value of all accumulated benefit obligations of all underfunded Plans (based on the assumptions used for purposes of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 87) did not, as of the date of the most recent financial statements reflecting such amounts, exceed the fair market value of the assets of all such underfunded Plans, in each case by an amount that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.13.  Use of Proceeds.  The proceeds of the Revolving Loans and the Competitive Loans shall be used to finance the working capital needs and general corporate purposes of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.

SECTION 3.14.  No Default.  None of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries is in default under or with respect to any of its material Contractual Obligations in any respect that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 3.15.  Disclosure.  Neither the Information Memorandum nor any of the other reports, financial statements, certificates or other information (other than projected

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financial information) furnished by or on behalf of the Borrower to the Lenders in connection with the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder (as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished) contains, when taken as a whole as of each date on which the representation and warranty is made or deemed made, any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Borrower represents only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

SECTION 3.16.  Insurance Licenses.  (a)          Each Regulated Insurance Company has obtained and maintains in full force and effect all licenses and permits from all regulatory authorities necessary to operate in the jurisdictions in which such Regulated Insurance Company operates, in each case other than such licenses and permits the failure of which to obtain or maintain, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably to expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(b)           There is (i) no Insurance License that is the subject of a proceeding for suspension, revocation or limitation or any similar proceedings, (ii) no sustainable basis for such a suspension, revocation or limitation, and (iii) to the knowledge of Borrower, no such suspension, revocation or limitation threatened by any Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority, that, in the each instance under (i), (ii) and (iii) above, has had, or would reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.  No Regulated Insurance Company transacts any insurance business, directly or indirectly, in any jurisdiction where such business requires any Insurance License of an Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority or such jurisdiction not validly maintained by such Regulated Insurance Company, except to the extent that the failure to so maintain has not had, or would not reasonably be expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

ARTICLE IV

Conditions

SECTION 4.01.  Effective Date.  The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall not become effective until the date on which each of the following conditions is satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 9.02):

(a)           The Administrative Agent (or its counsel) shall have received from each party hereto either (i) a counterpart of this Agreement signed on behalf of such party or (ii) written evidence satisfactory to the Administrative Agent (which may include telecopy transmission of a signed signature page of this Agreement) that such party has signed a counterpart of this Agreement.

(b)           The Administrative Agent shall have received a favorable written opinion (addressed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and dated the Effective Date) of Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, counsel for the Borrower, substantially in the form of Exhibit B, and covering such other matters relating to the Borrower, this

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Agreement or the Transactions as the Required Lenders shall reasonably request.  The Borrower hereby requests such counsel to deliver such opinion.

(c)           The Administrative Agent shall have received such documents and certificates as the Administrative Agent or its counsel may reasonably request relating to the organization, existence and good standing of the Borrower, the authorization of the Transactions and any other legal matters relating to the Borrower, this Agreement or the Transactions, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and its counsel.

(d)           The Administrative Agent shall have received a certificate, dated the Effective Date and signed by the President, the General Counsel or a Financial Officer of the Borrower, confirming compliance with the conditions set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 4.02.

(e)           The Administrative Agent shall have received all fees and other amounts due and payable on or prior to the Effective Date, including, to the extent invoiced, reimbursement or payment of all out-of-pocket expenses required to be reimbursed or paid by the Borrower hereunder.

The Administrative Agent shall notify the Borrower and the Lenders of the Effective Date, and such notice shall be conclusive and binding.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder shall not become effective unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant to Section 9.02) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on May 1, 2006 (and, in the event such conditions are not so satisfied or waived, the Commitments shall terminate at such time).

SECTION 4.02.  Each Credit Event.  The obligation of each Lender to make a Loan on the occasion of any Borrowing is subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions:

(a)           The representations and warranties of the Borrower set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Borrowing.

(b)           At the time of and immediately after giving effect to such Borrowing, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

Each Borrowing shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by the Borrower on the date thereof as to the matters specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section.

ARTICLE V

Affirmative Covenants

Until the Commitments have expired or been terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder shall have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

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SECTION 5.01.  Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information.  The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender:

(a)           as soon as available but in any event within 105 days after the end of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its audited consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all reported on by Deloitte & Touche LLP or other independent public accountants of recognized national standing (without a “going concern” or like qualification or exception and without any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit) to the effect that such consolidated financial statements present fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied;

(b)           as soon as available but in any event within 50 days after the end of each of the first three fiscal quarters of each fiscal year of the Borrower, its consolidated balance sheet and related statements of operations, stockholders’ equity and cash flows as of the end of and for such fiscal quarter and the then elapsed portion of the fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the corresponding period or periods of (or, in the case of the balance sheet, as of the end of) the previous fiscal year, all certified by one of its Financial Officers as presenting fairly in all material respects the financial condition and results of operations of the Borrower and its consolidated Subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP consistently applied, subject to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

(c)           concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) or (b) above, a certificate of a Financial Officer of the Borrower (i) certifying as to whether a Default has occurred and, if a Default has occurred, specifying the details thereof and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto, (ii) setting forth reasonably detailed calculations demonstrating compliance with Sections 6.06 and (iii) stating whether any change in GAAP or in the application thereof has occurred since the date of the audited financial statements referred to in Section 3.05 and, if any such change has occurred, specifying the effect of such change on the financial statements accompanying such certificate;

(d)           to the extent permitted by the rules of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board or any other accounting governing body, concurrently with any delivery of financial statements under clause (a) above, a certificate of the accounting firm that reported on such financial statements stating whether they obtained knowledge during the course of their examination of such financial statements of any Default under Section 6.06 (which certificate may be limited to the extent required by accounting rules or guidelines);

(e)           promptly after the same become publicly available, copies of all periodic and other reports, proxy statements and other materials filed by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any Governmental Authority succeeding to any or all of the functions of said Commission, or with any

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national securities exchange, or distributed by the Borrower to its shareholders generally, as the case may be;

(f)            promptly after S&P shall have announced a change in the financial strength rating of ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation, written notice of such rating change;

(g)           promptly after the filing thereof, a copy of each Statutory Statement filed by ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation and any other material Regulated Insurance Company with the Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority in the jurisdiction in which it is domiciled;

(h)           promptly following the delivery or receipt, as the case may be, by any Regulated Insurance Company or any of their respective Subsidiaries, copies of (a) each material examination and/or audit report or other submitted to any Regulated Insurance Company by any Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority, (b) all material information which the Lenders may from time to time reasonably request with respect to the nature or status of any material deficiencies or violations reflected in any examination report or other similar report, and (c) each registration, filing, submission, report, order, direction, instruction, approval, authorization, license or other notice which any Borrower or any Regulated Insurance Company may at any time make with, or receive from, any Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

(i)            promptly following any request therefor, such other information regarding the operations, business affairs and financial condition of the Borrower or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of this Agreement, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may reasonably request.

Reports and financial statements required to be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to paragraphs (a), (b), (e) and (g) of this Section 5.01 shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date on which the Borrower posts such reports, or reports containing such financial statements, on its website on the Internet at www.aca.com or when such reports, or reports containing such financial statements are posted on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov; provided that the Borrower shall deliver paper copies of the reports and financial statements referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (e) and (g) of this Section 5.01 to the Administrative Agent or any Lender who requests it to deliver such paper copies until written notice to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender.

SECTION 5.02.  Notices of Material Events.  The Borrower will furnish to the Administrative Agent and each Lender prompt written notice of the following:

(a)           the occurrence of any Default;

(b)           the filing or commencement of any action, suit or proceeding by or before any arbitrator or Governmental Authority against or affecting the Borrower or any Affiliate thereof that could reasonably be expected to be adversely determined and, if so

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adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;

(c)           the occurrence of any ERISA Event that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed the Threshold Amount;

(d)           promptly following notification thereof from a Governmental Authority, notification of the suspension, limitation, termination or non-renewal of any material Insurance License, or the taking of any other action in respect of, any Insurance License that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect; and

(e)           any other development that results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, a Material Adverse Effect.

Each notice delivered under this Section shall be accompanied by a statement of a Financial Officer or other executive officer of the Borrower setting forth the details of the event or development requiring such notice and any action taken or proposed to be taken with respect thereto.

SECTION 5.03.  Existence; Conduct of Business.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect its legal existence and the rights, licenses, permits, privileges and franchises material to the conduct of its business, including the maintenance of all permits, licenses and consents as may be required for the conduct of its business by any state, federal or local government agency or instrumentality; provided that the foregoing shall not prohibit any merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution permitted under Section 6.03; and provided, further, that the Borrower shall not be required to preserve any such right, license, permit, privilege or franchise, if its board of directors shall determine in good faith that the preservation thereof is no longer desirable in the conduct of the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, and that the loss thereof is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders.

SECTION 5.04.  Payment of Obligations.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay its obligations, including Tax liabilities, that, if not paid, could result in a Material Adverse Effect before the same shall become delinquent or in default, except where (a) the validity or amount thereof is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (b) the Borrower or such Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP or SAP or both, as the case may be, and (c) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.05.  Maintenance of Properties; Insurance.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, (a) keep and maintain all property material to the conduct of its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted (provided that nothing herein shall prevent the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries to dispose of any of their respective properties so long as such disposition is not prohibited by Section 6.03), and

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(b) maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurance companies, insurance in such amounts and against such risks as are prudent for the business operated by the Borrower.

SECTION 5.06.  Books and Records; Inspection Rights.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries are made of all dealings and transactions in relation to its business and activities.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, permit any representatives designated by the Administrative Agent, upon reasonable prior notice and under guidance of officers of either Borrower or such Subsidiary, without interruption of business and, unless an Event of Default shall then exist, at the sole cost and expense of the Administrative Agent, to visit and inspect its properties, to examine and make extracts from its books and records, and to discuss its affairs, finances and condition with its officers and independent accountants, all at such reasonable times and as often as reasonably requested (but, in the absence of an Event of Default, no more often than twice each year).

SECTION 5.07.  Compliance with Laws.  The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations and orders of any Governmental Authority applicable to it or its property, as well as all of its material Contractual Obligations, except where the failure to do so, individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

SECTION 5.08.  Compliance with Investment Guidelines. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries that is a Regulated Insurance Company to comply with the investment guidelines established from time to time by the Board of Directors of the Borrower.

SECTION 5.09.  Intentionally Omitted.

SECTION 5.10.  Financial Strength Rating.   The Borrower will cause ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation to maintain a minimum financial strength rating from S&P of A- or better.  If the rating system of S&P (or its successor) shall change or if it (or its successors) shall cease to be in the business of rating the financial strength of insurance companies like the Regulated Insurance Companies, the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith to amend the references to the specific S&P rating in this Agreement to reflect such changed rating system or the non-availability of ratings from such agency (it being understood that any such amendment to such specific ratings shall in no event be effective without the approval of the Required Lenders).

ARTICLE VI

Negative Covenants

Until the Commitments have expired or terminated and the principal of and interest on each Loan and all fees payable hereunder have been paid in full, the Borrower covenants and agrees with the Lenders that:

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SECTION 6.01.  Indebtedness.  The Borrower will not permit any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Indebtedness, except:

(a)           Indebtedness existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.01, but not any extensions, renewals or replacements of any such Indebtedness, unless such extension, renewal or replacement does not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

(b)           Indebtedness of any Subsidiary to the Borrower or any other Subsidiary;

(c)           Indebtedness of any Subsidiary incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including Capital Lease Obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof, and extensions, renewals and replacements of any such Indebtedness that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

(d)           Indebtedness of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof; provided that such Indebtedness exists at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary and is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such Person becoming a Subsidiary;

(e)           Indebtedness of any Subsidiary that is excluded from “Debt”, as defined in this Agreement;

(f)            (A) contingent liabilities in respect of any indemnification, adjustment of purchase price, earn-out, non-compete, consulting, deferred compensation and similar obligations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries incurred in connection with acquisitions and dispositions of assets and (B) Indebtedness incurred by the Borrower or its Subsidiaries in connection with an acquisition or disposition of assets in the nature of earn-outs or the adjustment of the purchase price or similar adjustments;

(g)           Indebtedness owed to any Person providing property, casualty or liability insurance to the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower, so long as such Indebtedness shall not be in excess of the amount of the unpaid cost of, and shall be incurred only to defer the cost of, such insurance for the year in which such Indebtedness is incurred and such Indebtedness shall be outstanding only during such year;

(h)           Indebtedness arising from the honoring by a bank or other financial institution of a check, draft or similar instrument drawn against insufficient funds in the ordinary course of business; provided that (A) such Indebtedness (other than credit or purchase cards) is extinguished within five Business Days of its incurrence and (B) such Indebtedness in respect of credit or purchase cards is extinguished within 60 days from its incurrence;

(i)            Indebtedness representing deferred compensation to employees of any Subsidiary;

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(j)            Indebtedness of any Subsidiary as an account party in respect of letters of credit opened in the ordinary course of such Subsidiary’s business and other Indebtedness of any Subsidiary incurred in the ordinary course of its business, provided that any such Indebtedness under this clause (j) is not the subject of any Guarantee by the Borrower or any other Subsidiary and is otherwise non-recourse to it;

(k)           Guarantee by any Subsidiary of Indebtedness of any other Subsidiary permitted under this Section 6.01 (other than under clause(e) above);

(l)            Indebtedness of ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation in the form of a guarantee of third-party Indebtedness provided in the ordinary course of its business; and

(m)          Indebtedness of any Subsidiary in an aggregate principal amount at any time outstanding for all Subsidiaries of $1,000,000.

SECTION 6.02.  Liens.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or permit to exist any Lien on any property or asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, or assign or sell any income or revenues (including accounts receivable) or rights in respect of any thereof, except:

(a)           Permitted Encumbrances;

(b)           any Lien on any property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary existing on the date hereof and set forth in Schedule 6.02; provided that (i) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or asset of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (ii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date hereof;

(c)           any Lien existing on any property or asset prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any Subsidiary or existing on any property or asset of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary after the date hereof prior to the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary; provided that (i) such Lien is not created in contemplation of or in connection with such acquisition or such Person becoming a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (ii) such Lien shall not apply to any other property or assets of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (iii) such Lien shall secure only those obligations which it secures on the date of such acquisition or the date such Person becomes a Subsidiary, as the case may be and extensions, renewals and replacements thereof that do not increase the outstanding principal amount thereof;

(d)           any Lien on any property securing Indebtedness incurred to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of any fixed or capital assets, including Capital Lease Obligations and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets; provided that such Lien (i) applies only to such acquired property and (ii) attaches to such property concurrently with or within 180 days after the acquisition thereof;

(e)           Liens securing obligations owed by the Borrower to any of its Subsidiaries or owed by any Subsidiary of the Borrower to the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the

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Borrower, in each case solely to the extent that such Liens are required by an Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority for such Person to maintain such obligations;

(f)            Liens consisting of deposits made by any Regulated Insurance Company with an Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority or other statutory Liens or Liens or claims imposed or required by applicable insurance laws or regulations against the assets of any Regulated Insurance Company, in each case in favor of policyholders of such Regulated Insurance Company or an Applicable Insurance Regulatory Authority and in the ordinary course of such Regulated Insurance Company’s business; and

(g)           Liens (A) on assets of Variable Interest Entities granted in connection with the purchases of equity issued in connection with, and the warehousing of assets for, collateralized debt obligation transactions structured and managed by a Variable Interest Entity in the ordinary course of business of such Variable Interest Entities and (B) on cash and cash equivalents securing Swap Agreements entered into for bona fide risk management purposes and not for speculation;

(h)           Liens on investments and cash balances of any Regulated Insurance Company securing obligations of such Regulated Insurance Company in respect of trust arrangements formed in the ordinary course of business for the benefit of cedents to secure reinsurance recoverables owed to them by such Regulated Insurance Company;

(i)            Liens on investments and cash balances of any credit default swap entity or Regulated Insurance Company to secure obligations under or in respect of credit default swaps, provided that in the case of any such credit default swap entity, such investments and cash balances have been provided by a Regulated Insurance Company supporting its obligations under such credit default swaps;

(j)            Liens at the Borrower on investments and cash balances, in an aggregate value at any time of not more than $50,000,000, securing credit default swaps; and

(k)           Liens not otherwise permitted by the foregoing clauses of this Section 6.02 securing Indebtedness in an aggregate principal or face amount at any date not to exceed 5% of Tangible Net Worth.

SECTION 6.03.  Fundamental Changes; Sales of Assets. (a)  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any Subsidiary to, merge into or consolidate with any other Person, or permit any other Person to merge into or consolidate with it, or sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets, or liquidate or dissolve, except that, if at the time thereof and immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing,

(i)            the Borrower may merge into or consolidate with any other Person and any other Person may merge into or consolidate with the Borrower and the Borrower may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of (in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets to any Person, so long as (A) the surviving entity of such transaction is the Borrower and (B) immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing,

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(ii)           any Subsidiary may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving corporation,

(iii)          any Subsidiary may merge into the Borrower in a transaction in which the Borrower is the surviving corporation and may sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to the Borrower,

(iv)          any Subsidiary (other than a Regulated Insurance Company) may merge into, consolidate with, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to any other Subsidiary or, so long as immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, any other Person, and any other Person may, so long as immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, merge into, consolidate with, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to any Subsidiary, in each case, in a transaction in which the surviving entity is a Subsidiary (and if a Regulated Insurance Company is a party to such a merger, the survivor entity is a Regulated Insurance Company),

(v)           any Subsidiary that is a Regulated Insurance Company may merge into, consolidate with, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to another Subsidiary that is a Regulated Insurance Company or, so long as immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, to any other Person that would have been a Regulated Insurance Company had it been a Subsidiary of the Borrower, and, so long as immediately after giving effect thereto no Default shall have occurred and be continuing, any such Person may merge into, consolidate with, sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of its assets to any Subsidiary that is a Regulated Insurance Company, and

(vi)          any Subsidiary may liquidate or dissolve if the Borrower determines in good faith that such liquidation or dissolution is in the best interests of the Borrower and is not materially disadvantageous to the Lenders.

(b)           The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, engage to any material extent in any business other than businesses of the type conducted by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries on the date of execution of this Agreement and businesses reasonably related on ancillary thereto or representing a reasonable extension thereof.

SECTION 6.04.  Restricted Payments.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, declare or make, or agree to pay or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, except (a) the Borrower may declare and pay dividends with respect to its Equity Interests payable solely in additional shares of its common stock, (b) Subsidiaries may declare and pay dividends ratably with respect to their Equity Interests, (c) the Borrower may make Restricted Payments pursuant to and in accordance with stock option plans or other benefit plans for management or employees of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including (whether or not otherwise included therein) repurchases or other acquisitions for value of Equity Interests of the Borrower held by a former officer of the Borrower resulting in a net payment to such officer of up to $2,000,000, (d) the Borrower may make any Restricted Payment in exchange for, or out of the Net Cash Proceeds of the sale within 90 days of such payment (other than to a Subsidiary of the Borrower) of, Equity Interests of the Borrower (other than out of Net Cash Proceeds from an initial public offering by the Borrower) or from the substantially concurrent cash contribution

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to the common equity capital to the Borrower; provided that the amount of any such net cash proceeds that are utilized for any such redemption, repurchase, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition will be excluded from clause (e) below and (e) so long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Borrower may make a Restricted Payment at any time so long as the aggregate Restricted Payments made by the Borrower under this clause (e) shall not exceed the sum of (A) 25% of the Consolidated Net Income of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the period (taken as one accounting period) from the beginning of the first fiscal quarter commencing after the Effective Date to the end of the Borrower’s most recently ended fiscal quarter for which internal financial statements are available at the time of such Restricted Payment (or, if Consolidated Net Income for such period is a deficit, less 100% of such deficit), plus (B) $10,000,000 in respect of such fiscal year.

SECTION 6.05.  Transactions with Affiliates.  The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, sell, lease or otherwise transfer any property or assets to, or purchase, lease or otherwise acquire any property or assets from, or otherwise engage in any other transactions with, any of its Affiliates, except (a) transactions on terms and conditions not less favorable taken as a whole to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than could be obtained on an arm’s-length basis from unrelated third parties, (b) transactions between or among the Borrower and its Subsidiaries not involving any other Affiliate, (c) any Restricted Payment permitted by Section 6.04 and (d) any collateralized debt obligation transaction.

SECTION 6.06.  Financial Covenants.

(a)           The Borrower will not permit its Consolidated Net Worth at any time to be less than the sum of (i) $298,500,000, (ii) 60% of cumulative Consolidated Net Income for each fiscal quarter of the Borrower (beginning with the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2006) for which Consolidated Net Income is positive, and (iii) 60% of the Net Cash Proceeds of any offering by the Borrower of common equity consummated after the Closing Date.

(b)           The Borrower will not permit its Leverage Ratio to be greater than 35% at any time.

SECTION 6.07.  Fiscal Year.   Without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, the Borrower will not permit the fiscal year of the Borrower to end on a day other than December 31 or change the Borrower’s method of determining fiscal quarters.

ARTICLE VII

Events of Default

If any of the following events (“Events of Default”) shall occur:

(a)           the Borrower shall fail to pay any principal of any Loan when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at the due date thereof or at a date fixed for prepayment thereof or otherwise;

(b)           the Borrower shall fail to pay any interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount (other than an amount referred to in clause (a) of this Article) payable under

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this Agreement, when and as the same shall become due and payable, and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of three Business Days;

(c)           any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the Borrower in or in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder, or in any report, certificate, or financial statement furnished pursuant to or in connection with this Agreement or any amendment or modification hereof or waiver hereunder, shall prove to have been incorrect in any material respect when made or deemed made and, if the circumstances giving rise to such false or misleading representation or warranty are susceptible to being cured in all material respects, such false or misleading representation or warranty shall not be cured in all material respects for five days after the earlier to occur of (i) the date on which an officer of the Borrower shall obtain knowledge thereof, or (ii) the date on which written notice thereof shall have been given to the Borrower by the Administrative Agent;

(d)           the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in Section 5.02, 5.03 (with respect to the Borrower’s existence) or 5.10 or in Article VI;

(e)           the Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of this Article), and such failure shall continue unremedied for a period of 30 days after notice thereof from the Administrative Agent to the Borrower (which notice will be given at the request of any Lender);

(f)            the Borrower or any Subsidiary shall fail to make any payment of principal or interest (regardless of amount) in respect of any Material Obligations, when and as the same shall become due and payable (after giving effect to any applicable period of grace);

(g)           any event or condition occurs and continues beyond any applicable period of grace that results in any Material Obligations becoming due prior to its scheduled maturity or that enables or permits (with or without the giving of notice, to the extent required by the documents governing such Material Obligations) the holder or holders of any Material Obligations or any trustee or agent on its or their behalf to cause any Material Obligations to become due, or to require the prepayment, repurchase, redemption or defeasance thereof, prior to its scheduled maturity; provided that this clause (g) shall not apply to secured Indebtedness that becomes due as a result of the voluntary sale or transfer of the property or assets securing such Indebtedness;

(h)           the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries shall commence a voluntary case concerning itself under Title 11 of the United States Code entitled “Bankruptcy,” as now or hereafter in effect, or any successor thereto (the “Bankruptcy Code”); or an involuntary case is commenced against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries and the petition is not controverted within 10 days, or is not dismissed within 60 days, after commencement of the case; or a custodian (as defined in the Bankruptcy Code) is appointed for, or takes charge of, all or substantially all of the

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property of the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries; or the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries commences (including by way of applying for or consenting to the appointment of, or the taking of possession by, a rehabilitator, receiver, custodian, trustee, conservator or liquidator (collectively, a “conservator”) of itself or all or any substantial portion of its property) any other proceeding under any reorganization, arrangement, adjustment of debt, relief of debtors, dissolution, insolvency, liquidation, rehabilitation, supervision, conservatorship or similar law of any jurisdiction whether now or hereafter in effect relating to the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries; or any such proceeding is commenced against (a) any Regulated Insurance Company that is a Significant Subsidiary which is engaged in the business of underwriting insurance and/or reinsurance, or (b) the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (other than (x) any Regulated Insurance Company described in the immediately preceding clause (a)) to the extent such proceeding is consented to by such Person, and in the case of either clause (a) or (b) remains undismissed for a period of 60 days; or the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries is adjudicated insolvent or bankrupt; or any order of relief or other order approving any such case or proceeding is entered; or (a) any Regulated Insurance Company that is a Significant Subsidiary which is engaged in the business of underwriting insurance and/or reinsurance in the United States suffers any appointment of any conservator or the like for it or any substantial part of its property, or (b) the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries (other than any Regulated Insurance Company described in the immediately preceding clause (a)) suffers any appointment of any conservator or the like for it or any substantial part of its property which continues undischarged or unstayed for a period of 60 days; or the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries makes a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or any corporate action is taken by the Borrower or any of its Significant Subsidiaries for the purpose of effecting any of the foregoing;

(i)            one or more final judgments for the payment of money in an aggregate amount (not paid or fully covered by insurance as to which the relevant insurance company has not denied coverage) in excess of the Threshold Amount shall be rendered against the Borrower, any Significant Subsidiary or any combination thereof and the same shall remain undischarged for a period of 60 consecutive days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed, or any action shall be legally taken by a judgment creditor to attach or levy upon any assets of the Borrower or any Significant Subsidiary to enforce any such judgment; or

(j)            a Change in Control shall occur;

then, and in every such event (other than an event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) of this Article), and at any time thereafter during the continuance of such event, the Administrative Agent may, and at the request of the Required Lenders shall, by notice to the Borrower, take either or both of the following actions, at the same or different times:  (i) terminate the Commitments, and thereupon the Commitments shall terminate immediately, and (ii) declare the Loans then outstanding to be due and payable in whole (or in part, in which case any principal not so declared to be due and payable may thereafter be declared to be due and payable), and thereupon the principal of the Loans so declared to be due and payable, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the

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Borrower accrued hereunder, shall become due and payable immediately, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; and in case of any event with respect to the Borrower described in clause (h) of this Article, the Commitments shall automatically terminate and the principal of the Loans then outstanding, together with accrued interest thereon and all fees and other obligations of the Borrower accrued hereunder, shall automatically become due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

ARTICLE VIII

The Administrative Agent

Each of the Lenders hereby irrevocably appoints the Administrative Agent as its agent and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.

The bank serving as the Administrative Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Administrative Agent, and such bank and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to and generally engage in any kind of business with the Borrower or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if it were not the Administrative Agent hereunder.

The Administrative Agent shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, (a) the Administrative Agent shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing, (b) the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby that the Administrative Agent is required to exercise in writing as directed by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02), and (c) except as expressly set forth herein, the Administrative Agent shall not have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries that is communicated to or obtained by the bank serving as Administrative Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.  The Administrative Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it with the consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary under the circumstances as provided in Section 9.02) or in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.  The Administrative Agent shall be deemed not to have knowledge of any Default unless and until written notice thereof is given to the Administrative Agent by the Borrower or a Lender, and the Administrative Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or in connection herewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement or any other agreement, instrument or document, or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or

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elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent.

The Administrative Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or sent by the proper Person.  The Administrative Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to be made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon.  The Administrative Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for the Borrower), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

The Administrative Agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through any one or more sub-agents appointed by the Administrative Agent.  The Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent may perform any and all its duties and exercise its rights and powers through their respective Related Parties.  The exculpatory provisions of the preceding paragraphs shall apply to any such sub-agent and to the Related Parties of the Administrative Agent and any such sub-agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as Administrative Agent.

Subject to the appointment and acceptance of a successor Administrative Agent as provided in this paragraph, the Administrative Agent may resign at any time by notifying the Lenders and the Borrower.  Upon any such resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Borrower, to appoint a successor.  If no successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Administrative Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Administrative Agent may, on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor Administrative Agent which shall be a bank with an office in New York, New York, or an Affiliate of any such bank.  Upon the acceptance of its appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder by a successor, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring Administrative Agent, and the retiring Administrative Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder.  The fees payable by the Borrower to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Borrower and such successor.  After the Administrative Agent’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of this Article and Section 9.03 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Administrative Agent, its sub-agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while it was acting as Administrative Agent.

Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement.  Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in

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taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder.

ARTICLE IX

Miscellaneous

SECTION 9.01.  Notices.  (a)  All notices, requests and demands to or upon the respective parties hereto to be effective shall be in writing (including by telecopy), and, unless otherwise expressly provided herein, shall be deemed to have been duly given or made when delivered, or three Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, or, in the case of telecopy notice, when received, addressed as follows in the case of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent, and as set forth in an Administrative Questionnaire delivered to the Administrative Agent in the case of the Lenders, or to such other address as may be hereafter notified by the respective parties hereto:

provided that any notice, request or demand to or upon the Administrative Agent or the Lenders shall not be effective until received.

(b)           Notices and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the

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Administrative Agent; provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender.  The Administrative Agent or the Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

(c)           Any party hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.  All notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date of receipt.

SECTION 9.02.  Waivers; Amendments.  (a)  No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent or any Lender in exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power, preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power.  The rights and remedies of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have.  No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by paragraph (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the purpose for which given.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.

(b)           Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or reduce the rate of interest thereon, or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan, or any interest thereon, or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.17(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, or (v) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender; provided further that no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be.

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SECTION 9.03.  Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.  (a)  The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett LLP for the Administrative Agent, in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and administration of this Agreement or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions hereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated) and (ii) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent or any Lender, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any one counsel for the Administrative Agent or any Lender, in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in connection with this Agreement, including its rights under this Section, or in connection with the Loans made hereunder, including all such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans.

(b)           The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses, including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of one counsel for any Indemnitee, incurred by or asserted against any Indemnitee arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby, (ii) any Loan or the use of the proceeds therefrom, (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided that (i) such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee, (ii) each Indemnitee shall give the Borrower (x) prompt notice of any such action brought against such Indemnitee in connection with a claim for which it is entitled to indemnity under this Section and (y) an opportunity to consult from time to time with such Indemnitee regarding defensive measures and potential settlement and (iii) the Borrower shall not be obligated to pay the amount of any settlement entered into without its written consent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld).

(c)           To the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid by it to the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender under paragraph (a) or (b) of this Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender in its capacity as such.

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(d)           To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Borrower shall not assert, and hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the Transactions, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof.

(e)           All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after written demand therefor.

SECTION 9.04.  Successors and Assigns.  (a)  The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void) and (ii) no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section.  Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants (to the extent provided in paragraph (c) of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

(b)           (i)  Subject to the conditions set forth in paragraph (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign to one or more assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld) of:

(A)          the Borrower, provided that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default under clause (a), (b), or (h) of Article VII has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee; and

(B)           the Administrative Agent, provided that no consent of the Administrative Agent shall be required for an assignment of (x) any Revolving Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender with a Revolving Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment; and

(C)           the Swingline Lender.

(ii)           Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:

(A)          except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise consent, provided that no such consent of the

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Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default under clause (a), (b), or (h) of Article VII has occurred and is continuing;

(B)           each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, provided that this clause shall not be construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;

(C)           the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and

(D)          the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the term “Approved Fund” has the following meaning:

“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making, purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

(iii)          Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to paragraph (b)(iv) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.16 and 9.03).  Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 9.04 shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph (c) of this Section.

(iv)          The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal amount of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”).  The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, and the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary.  The Register shall be available for

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inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

(v)           Upon its receipt of a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by an assigning Lender and an assignee, the assignee’s completed Administrative Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by paragraph (b) of this Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information contained therein in the Register.  No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been recorded in the Register as provided in this paragraph.

(c)           (i)  Any Lender may, without the consent of the Borrower, the Administrative Agent or the Swingline Lender, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and the Loans owing to it); provided that (A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (B) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations and (C) the Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.  Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such Participant.  Subject to paragraph (c)(ii) of this Section, the Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.14, 2.15 and 2.16 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section.  To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender, provided such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.17(c) as though it were a Lender.

(ii)           A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.14 or 2.16 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Borrower’s prior written consent.  Subject to the foregoing sentence, a Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 2.16 unless the Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Borrower, to comply with Section 2.16(e) as though it were a Lender.

(d)           Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including without limitation any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of a security interest; provided that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from any of its

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obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

SECTION 9.05.  Survival.  All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the Borrower herein and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in connection with or pursuant to this Agreement shall be considered to have been relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the making of any Loans, regardless of any investigation made by any such other party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid and so long as the Commitments have not expired or terminated.  The provisions of Sections 2.14, 2.15, 2.16 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or termination of the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof.

SECTION 9.06.  Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract.  This Agreement and any separate letter agreements with respect to fees payable to the Administrative Agent constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.  Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.  Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

SECTION 9.07.  Severability.  Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in any other jurisdiction.

SECTION 9.08.  Right of Setoff.  If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each Lender and each of its Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other obligations at any time owing by such Lender or Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any of and all the obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement held by such Lender, irrespective of whether or not such Lender shall have made any demand under this Agreement and although such obligations may be unmatured.  Each Lender exercising its rights of setoff hereunder shall promptly notify the Borrower of such exercise The

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rights of each Lender under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) which such Lender may have.

SECTION 9.09.  Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.  (a)  This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.

(b)           Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself and its property, to the nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the State of New York sitting in New York County and of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York, and any appellate court from any thereof, in any action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may be heard and determined in such New York State or, to the extent permitted by law, in such Federal court.  Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.

(c)           Each party to this Agreement hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying of venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement in any court referred to in paragraph (b) of this Section.  Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or proceeding in any such court.

(d)           Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the manner provided for notices in Section 9.01.  Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.

SECTION 9.10.  WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.  EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).  EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

SECTION 9.11.  Headings.  Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.

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SECTION 9.12.  Confidentiality.

(a)           Each of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (i) to its and its Affiliates’ directors, officers, employees and agents, including accountants, legal counsel and other advisors (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information confidential), (ii) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority, (iii) to the extent required by applicable laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (iv) to any other party to this Agreement, (v) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder, (vi) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (A) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (B) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and its obligations, (vii) with the consent of the Borrower or (viii) to the extent such Information (A) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (B) becomes available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Borrower.  For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Borrower relating to the Borrower or its business, other than any such information that is available to the Administrative Agent or any Lender on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Borrower; provided that, in the case of information received from the Borrower after the date hereof, such information is clearly identified at the time of delivery as confidential.  Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

(b)           Each Lender acknowledges that information furnished to it pursuant to this Agreement may in the future include material non-public information concerning the Borrower and its Affiliates and their related parties or their respective securities, and confirms that it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and that it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with those procedures and applicable law, including Federal and state securities laws.

(c)           All information, including requests for waivers and amendments, furnished by the Borrower or the Administrative Agent pursuant to, or in the course of administering, this Agreement will be syndicate-level information, which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower and its Affiliates and their related parties or their respective securities.  Accordingly, each Lender represents to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent that it has identified in its administrative questionnaire a credit contact who may receive information that may contain material non-public information in accordance with its compliance procedures and applicable law.

SECTION 9.13.  USA Patriot Act.  The Administrative Agent and each Lender hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III

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of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with the Act.  The Borrower shall promptly provide such information upon request by any Lender.  In connection therewith, each Lender hereby agrees that the confidentiality provisions set forth in Section 9.12 shall apply to any non-public information provided to it by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries pursuant to this Section 9.13.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.

Schedule 2.01

Commitments

Schedule 3.07

Disclosed Matters

None.

Schedule 3.09

Significant Subsidiaries

ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation (Maryland)*

ACA Service L.L.C. (Delaware)*

ACA Management, L.L.C. (Delaware)*

* Borrower indirectly owns 100% of each of the Significant Subsidiaries’ equity

Schedule 6.01

Existing Indebtedness

1.             On December 4, 2002, ACA Statutory Trust I (“Trust I”) issued and sold $17,500,000 of its Floating Rate Capital Securities to I-Preferred Term Securities I, Ltd. The proceeds from these sales combined with the proceeds from the sale by Trust I to American Capital Access Holdings, Limited of its common securities were used by Trust I to purchase $18,042,000 in principal amount of Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures of American Capital Access Holdings, Limited. As an incentive for the holders to purchase the Floating Rate Capital Securities, American Capital Access Holdings, Limited entered into a Guarantee Agreement pursuant to which it guaranteed certain payments or distributions in respect of such capital securities.

2.             On May 15, 2003, ACA Statutory Trust II (“Trust II”) issued and sold $20,000,000 of its Floating Rate Capital Securities to I-Preferred Term Securities II, Ltd. The proceeds from these sales combined with the proceeds from the sale by Trust II to American Capital Access Holdings, Limited of its common securities were used by Trust II to purchase $20,619,000 in principal amount of Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures of American Capital Access Holdings, Limited. As an incentive for the holders to purchase the Floating Rate Capital Securities, American Capital Access Holdings, Limited entered into a Guarantee Agreement pursuant to which it guaranteed certain payments or distributions in respect of such capital securities.

3.             On October 29, 2003, ACA Statutory Trust III (“Trust III”) issued and sold $20,000,000 of its Floating Rate Capital Securities to I-Preferred Term Securities III, Ltd. The proceeds from these sales combined with the proceeds from the sale by Trust III to American Capital Access Holdings, Limited of its common securities were used by Trust III to purchase $20,619,000 in principal amount of Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures of American Capital Access Holdings, Limited. As an incentive for the holders to purchase the Floating Rate Capital Securities, American Capital Access Holdings, Limited entered into a Guarantee Agreement pursuant to which it guaranteed certain payments or distributions in respect of such capital securities.

4.             On December 29, 2004, ACA Statutory Trust IV (“Trust IV”) issued and sold $20,000,000 of its Floating Rate Capital Securities to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. The proceeds from these sales combined with the proceeds from the sale by Trust IV to ACA Capital Holdings, Inc. of its common securities were used by Trust IV to purchase $20,619,000 in principal amount of Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures of ACA Capital Holdings, Inc. As an incentive for the holders to purchase the Floating Rate Capital Securities, ACA Capital Holdings, Inc. entered into a Guarantee Agreement pursuant to which it guaranteed certain payments or distributions in respect of such capital securities.

5.             In March 2005, ACA Parliament, L.L.C. (“ACA Parliament”), entered into an investment agreement with Premium Asset Trust, with respect to Premium Asset Trust, ACA Trust Series 1 (“Investor”), pursuant to which the Investor deposited $100 million in a fund that is maintained and invested by ACA Parliament. The obligations of ACA Parliament to make quarterly interest payments and to repay the deposit amount are guaranteed by a financial guaranty insurance policy issued by ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation.

6.             On November 26, 2003, ACA ABS 2003-3 Funding, Limited issued notes in the amount of $10,000,000 in connection with its purchase of certain preferred shares of ACA ABS 2004-1, Limited. As of May 1, 2006, the outstanding principal amount on the notes is $8,962,313.32. The obligations of ACA ABS 2003-3 Funding, Limited to make such interest payments and to repay the outstanding principal amount of the notes are guaranteed by a bond insurance policy issued by ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation.

7.             On March 2, 2005, ACA ABS 2005-1 Funding, Limited issued note in the amount of $3,820,875 in connection with its purchase of certain preferred shares of ACA ABS 2005-1, Limited. As of May 1, 2006, the outstanding principal amount on the notes is $1,719,996.47. The obligations of ACA ABS 2005-1 Funding, Limited to make such interest payments and to repay the outstanding principal amount of the notes are guaranteed by a bond insurance policy issued by ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation.

8.             On September 22, 2005, ACA Service Corporation issued a promissory note in the amount of $4,500,000 in connection with its purchase of certain preferred shares of Khaleej II CDO, Ltd. As of May 1, 2006, the outstanding principal amount on the promissory note is $ 3,813,684.02. The obligations of ACA ABS 2005-1 Funding, Limited to make such interest payments and to repay the outstanding principal amount of the promissory note are guaranteed by a bond insurance policy issued by ACA Financial Guaranty Corporation.

9.             ACA Capital Holdings, Inc. expects to enter into a certain guarantee agreement with the distributor for ACA Capital Partners I Master Fund, Ltd., pursuant to which it will guarantee the timely payment of the placement fees that the distributor will be entitled to receive for soliciting investors in the fund.

Schedule 6.02

Existing Liens

*              as of March 31, 2006

**           as of April 30, 2006 (estimated)

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