E*TRADE Financial Corporation as Issuer And The Bank of New York as Trustee

EX-4.15 5 dex415.htm INDENTURE DATED NOVEMBER 22, 2005 BETWEEN E*TRADE AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK Indenture dated November 22, 2005 between E*TRADE and The Bank of New York

Exhibit 4.15

 


E*TRADE Financial Corporation

as Issuer

And

The Bank of New York

as Trustee

 


Indenture

Dated as of November 22, 2005

 


7 7/8% Senior Notes Due 2015

 



   ARTICLE I   
   DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE   

Section 1.01.

   Definitions    2

Section 1.02.

   Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act    28

Section 1.03.

   Rules of Construction    29
   ARTICLE II   
   THE NOTES   

Section 2.01.

   Form, Dating and Denominations    29

Section 2.02.

   Execution and Authentication    30

Section 2.03.

   Registrar, Paying Agent and Authenticating Agent; Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust    30

Section 2.04.

   Replacement Notes    31

Section 2.05.

   Outstanding Notes    31

Section 2.06.

   Temporary Notes    32

Section 2.07.

   Cancellation    32

Section 2.08.

   CUSIP and CINS Numbers    33

Section 2.09.

   Registration, Transfer and Exchange    33

Section 2.10.

   Restrictions on Transfer and Exchange    36
   ARTICLE III   
   REDEMPTION; OFFER TO PURCHASE   

Section 3.01.

   Optional Redemption    36

Section 3.02.

   Redemption with Proceeds of Public Equity Offering    36

Section 3.03.

   Method and Effect of Redemption    36
   ARTICLE IV   
   COVENANTS   

Section 4.01.

   Payment of Notes    38

Section 4.02.

   Maintenance of Office or Agency    38

Section 4.03.

   Limitation on Indebtedness and Issuances of Preferred Stock    39

Section 4.04.

   Limitation on Restricted Payments    41

Section 4.05.

   Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries    46

Section 4.06.

   Limitation on the Issuance and Sale of Capital Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries    48

Section 4.07.

   Future Subsidiary Guarantees    48

Section 4.08.

   Limitation on Transactions with Shareholders and Affiliates    49

Section 4.09.

   Limitation on Liens    51

 

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Section 4.10.

   Limitation on Sale-leaseback Transactions    52

Section 4.11.

   Limitation on Asset Sales    53

Section 4.12.

   Repurchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control    55

Section 4.13.

   Limitation on Lines of Business    55

Section 4.14.

   Effectiveness of Covenants    55

Section 4.15.

   SEC Reports and Reports to Holders    55

Section 4.16.

   Payments of Taxes and Other Claims    56

Section 4.17.

   Compliance Certificates    56

Section 4.18.

   Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws    57
   ARTICLE V   
   CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OF ASSETS   

Section 5.01.

   Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets    57

Section 5.02.

   Successor Substituted    58
   ARTICLE VI   
   EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES   

Section 6.01.

   Events of Default    59

Section 6.02.

   Acceleration    61

Section 6.03.

   Control by Majority    61

Section 6.04.

   Limitation on Suits    62

Section 6.05.

   Rights of Holders to Receive Payment    62

Section 6.06.

   Collection Suit by Trustee    63

Section 6.07.

   Trustee May File Proofs of Claim    63

Section 6.08.

   Priorities    63

Section 6.09.

   Undertaking for Costs    64

Section 6.10.

   Restoration of Rights and Remedies    64

Section 6.11.

   Rights and Remedies Cumulative    64

Section 6.12.

   Delay or Omission Not Waiver    64
   ARTICLE VII   
   THE TRUSTEE   

Section 7.01.

   General    65

Section 7.02.

   Certain Rights of Trustee    65

Section 7.03.

   Individual Rights of Trustee    67

Section 7.04.

   Trustee’s Disclaimer    67

Section 7.05.

   Notice of Default    67

Section 7.06.

   Reports by Trustee to Holders    67

Section 7.07.

   Compensation and Indemnity    68

Section 7.08.

   Replacement of Trustee    68

Section 7.09.

   Successor Trustee by Merger    69

Section 7.10.

   Eligibility    69

Section 7.11.

   Money Held in Trust    70

 

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   ARTICLE VIII   
   DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE   

Section 8.01.

   Discharge of Company’s Obligations    70

Section 8.02.

   Legal Defeasance    71

Section 8.03.

   Covenant Defeasance    72

Section 8.04.

   Application of Trust Money    73

Section 8.05.

   Repayment to Company    73

Section 8.06.

   Reinstatement    73
   ARTICLE IX   
   AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS   

Section 9.01.

   Amendments Without Consent of Holders    73

Section 9.02.

   Amendments with Consent of Holders    74

Section 9.03.

   Effect of Consent    75

Section 9.04.

   Trustee’s Rights and Obligations    76

Section 9.05.

   Conformity with Trust Indenture Act    76

Section 9.06.

   Payments for Consents    76
   ARTICLE X   
   GUARANTEES   

Section 10.01.

   Guarantees    76

Section 10.02.

   Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability    77

Section 10.03.

   Execution and Delivery of the Guarantee    78

Section 10.04.

   Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms    78

Section 10.05.

   Releases Following Certain Events    79
   ARTICLE XI   
   MISCELLANEOUS   

Section 11.01.

   Trust Indenture Act of 1939    80

Section 11.02.

   Noteholder Communications; Noteholder Actions    80

Section 11.03.

   Notices    81

Section 11.04.

   Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent    81

Section 11.05.

   Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion    82

Section 11.06.

   Payment Date Other Than a Business Day    82

Section 11.07.

   Governing Law    82

Section 11.08.

   No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements    82

Section 11.09.

   Successors    82

Section 11.10.

   Duplicate Originals    83

Section 11.11.

   Separability    83

Section 11.12.

   Table of Contents and Headings    83

Section 11.13.

   No Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees, Incorporators, Members and Stockholders    83

 

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EXHIBITS

  

EXHIBIT A

   Form of Note

EXHIBIT B

   Form of Supplemental Indenture

EXHIBIT C

   DTC Legend

 

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INDENTURE, dated as of November 22, 2005, between E*TRADE Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation, as the Company and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation, as Trustee.

RECITALS

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of the Indenture to provide for the issuance of up to $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 7 7/8% Senior Notes Due 2015 (the “Notes”). All things necessary to make the Indenture a valid agreement of the Company, in accordance with its terms, have been done, and the Company has done all things necessary to make the Notes, when executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and duly issued by the Company, the valid obligations of the Company as hereinafter provided.

This Indenture is subject to, and will be governed by, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be a part of and govern indentures qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.

THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH

For and in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof, the parties hereto covenant and agree, for the equal and proportionate benefit of all Holders, as follows:

 

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ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Section 1.01. Definitions

2011 Notes” means 8% Senior Notes due 2011 issued by the Company pursuant to the 2011 Notes Indenture, together with any exchange notes issued therefor.

2013 Notes” means 7 3/8% Senior Notes due 2013 issued by the Company pursuant to the 2013 Notes Indenture, together with any exchange notes issued therefor.

Acquired Indebtedness” means Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or Indebtedness of a Restricted Subsidiary assumed in connection with an Asset Acquisition by such Restricted Subsidiary; provided such Indebtedness was not Incurred in connection with or in contemplation of such Person becoming a Restricted Subsidiary or such Asset Acquisition.

Additional Notes” means any notes issued under the Indenture in addition to the Original Notes, having the same terms in all respects as the Original Notes except that interest will accrue on the Additional Notes from their date of issuance.

Adjusted Consolidated Net Income” means, for any period, the aggregate net income (or loss) of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and Regulated Subsidiaries for such period determined in conformity with GAAP; provided that the following items shall be excluded in computing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (without duplication):

(1) the net income (or loss) of any Person that is not a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, except that the Company’s equity in the net income of any such Person for such period (to the extent not otherwise excluded pursuant to clauses (2) through (6) below) will be included up to the aggregate amount of cash actually distributed by such Person during such period to the Company or to its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries (less minority interest therein) as a dividend or other distribution;

(2) the net income (or loss) of any Person accrued prior to the date it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary or is merged into or consolidated with the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries or all or substantially all of the property and assets of such Person are acquired by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries;

 

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(3) the net income of any Restricted Subsidiary to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Restricted Subsidiary of such net income is not at the time permitted by the operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to such Restricted Subsidiary;

(4) the net income of any Regulated Subsidiary (x) to the extent that the declaration or payment of dividends or similar distributions by such Regulated Subsidiary of such net income is not at the time permitted by the operation of the terms of its charter or any agreement or instrument with a Person, other than such Regulated Subsidiaries applicable regulatory authorities, or any judgment or decree applicable to such Regulated Subsidiary (y) other than to the extent that such Regulated Subsidiary reasonably believes, in good faith, that such net income could be distributed, declared or paid as a dividend or similar distribution without causing such Regulated Subsidiary to fail to be at least “adequately capitalized” as defined in the regulations of applicable regulatory authorities, or to meet minimum capital requirements imposed by applicable regulatory authorities;

(5) any gains or losses (on an after-tax basis) attributable to Asset Sales or Regulated Sales;

(6) solely for purposes of calculating the amount of Restricted Payments that may be made pursuant to clause (c) of Section 4.04, any amount paid or accrued as dividends on Preferred Stock of the Company owned by Persons other than the Company and any of its Restricted Subsidiaries and Regulated Subsidiaries;

(7) all extraordinary gains and, solely for purposes of calculating the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio, extraordinary losses;

(8) the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles; and

(9) the net after-tax effect of impairment charges related to goodwill and other intangible assets.

Affiliate” means, as applied to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, such Person. For purposes of this definition, “control” (including, with correlative meanings, the terms “controlling,” “controlled by” and “under common control with”), as applied to any Person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

 

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Agent Member” means a member of, or a participant in, the Depositary.

Asset Acquisition” means (1) an investment by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries in any other Person pursuant to which such Person shall become a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary or shall be merged into or consolidated with the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries; provided that such Person’s primary business is a Related Business or (2) an acquisition by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries of the property and assets of any Person other than the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries that constitute substantially all of a division or line of business of such Person that is a Related Business.

Asset Sale” means any sale, transfer or other disposition (including by way of merger, consolidation or Sale-Leaseback Transaction) in one transaction or a series of related transactions by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to any Person other than the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries of:

(1) all or any of the Capital Stock of any Restricted Subsidiary;

(2) all or substantially all of the property and assets of an operating unit or business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries; or

(3) any other property and assets (other than the Capital Stock or other Investment in an Unrestricted Subsidiary) of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries outside the ordinary course of business of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary and,

in each case, that is not governed by the provisions of the Indenture applicable to mergers, consolidations and sales of assets of the Company; provided that “Asset Sale” shall not include:

(a) sales or other dispositions of Investment Securities, inventory, receivables and other current assets;

(b) sales, transfers or other dispositions of assets constituting a Permitted Investment or Restricted Payment permitted to be made under Section 4.04;

(c) sales, transfers or other dispositions of assets with a fair market value not in excess of $2.5 million in any transaction or series of related transactions;

 

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(d) any sale, transfer, assignment or other disposition of any property equipment that has become damaged, worn out, obsolete or otherwise unsuitable for use in connection with the business of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(e) an issuance of Capital Stock by a Restricted Subsidiary or the sale, transfer or other disposition by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary of the Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, in each case to the Company, a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or a Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiary; or

(f) Permitted Liens, or foreclosure on assets as a result of Liens permitted under Section 4.09.

Authenticating Agent” refers to a Person engaged to authenticate the Notes in the stead of the Trustee.

Average Life” means, at any date of determination with respect to any debt security, the quotient obtained by dividing (1) the sum of the products of (a) the number of years from such date of determination to the dates of each successive scheduled principal payment of such debt security and (b) the amount of such principal payment by (2) the sum of all such principal payments.

Bank Regulated Subsidiary” means (i) ETB Holdings, Inc. (provided that such entity is a savings and loan holding company, as defined under the Home Owners’ Loan Act, as amended, or a bank holding company, as defined under the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended, but in no event shall such entity mean, or include, the Company), (ii) any direct or indirect insured depository institution subsidiary of the Company that is regulated by foreign, federal or state banking regulators, including, without limitation, the OTS and the FDIC or (iii) any Subsidiary of a Bank Regulated Subsidiary all of the Common Stock of which is owned by such Bank Regulated Subsidiary and the sole purpose of which is to issue trust preferred or similar securities where the proceeds of the sale of such securities are invested in such Bank Regulated Subsidiary and where such proceeds would be treated as Tier I capital were such Bank Regulated Subsidiary a bank holding company regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Board of Directors” means, with respect to any Person, the Board of Directors of such Person or any duly authorized committee of such Board of Directors, or any other group performing comparable functions.

Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company that is registered as a broker dealer pursuant to Section 15 of the Exchange Act or that is regulated as a broker dealer or underwriter under any foreign securities law.

 

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Business Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York City or in the city where the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is located are authorized by law to close.

Capital Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) in equity of such Person, whether outstanding on the Closing Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all Common Stock and Preferred Stock.

Capitalized Lease” means, as applied to any Person, any lease of any property (whether real, personal or mixed) of which the discounted present value of the rental obligations of such Person as lessee, in conformity with GAAP, is required to be capitalized on the balance sheet of such Person.

Capitalized Lease Obligations” means the discounted present value of the rental obligations under a Capitalized Lease.

Certificated Note” means a Note in registered individual form without interest coupons.

Change of Control” means such time as:

(1) a “person” or “group” (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act), becomes the ultimate “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) of more than 50% of the total voting power of the Voting Stock of the Company on a fully diluted basis; or

(2) individuals who on the Closing Date constitute the Board of Directors (together with any new directors whose election by the Board of Directors or whose nomination by the Board of Directors for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the members of the Board of Directors then in office who either were members of the Board of Directors on the Closing Date or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the members of the Board of Directors then in office.

Closing Date” means November 22, 2005, the date on which the Notes are originally issued.

Common Stock” means, with respect to any Person, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) of such Person’s equity, other than Preferred Stock of such Person, whether outstanding on the Closing Date or issued thereafter, including, without limitation, all series and classes of such common stock.

 

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Company” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of the Indenture or any successor obligor under the Indenture and the Notes pursuant to Article 5.

Consolidated EBITDA” means, for any period, Adjusted Consolidated Net Income for such period plus, to the extent such amount was deducted in calculating such Adjusted Consolidated Net Income:

(1) Consolidated Interest Expense;

(2) income taxes;

(3) depreciation expense;

(4) amortization expense; and

(5) all other non-cash items reducing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (other than items that will require cash payments and for which an accrual or reserve is, or is required by GAAP to be, made), less all non-cash items increasing Adjusted Consolidated Net Income, all as determined on a consolidated basis for the Company, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Regulated Subsidiaries in conformity with GAAP;

provided that, if any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary is not a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary, or Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiary, as the case may be, Consolidated EBITDA shall be reduced (to the extent not otherwise reduced in accordance with GAAP) by an amount equal to (A) the amount of the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income attributable to such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary multiplied by (B) the percentage of Common Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary not owned on the last day of such period by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or any of its Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiaries.

Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means, with respect to any Person, the ratio of Consolidated EBITDA of such Person during the most recent four full fiscal quarters (the “Four Quarter Period”), for which financial statements are available, ending on or prior to the date of the transaction giving rise to the need to calculate the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (the “Transaction Date”), to Consolidated Fixed Charges of such Person for the Four Quarter Period. In addition to and without limitation of the foregoing, for purposes of this definition, Consolidated EBITDA and Consolidated Fixed Charges shall be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis for the period of such calculation to:

(1) the incurrence or repayment of any Indebtedness of such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries (and the application of the proceeds thereof) giving rise to the need to make such calculation and any incurrence or repayment of other Indebtedness

 

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(and the application of the proceeds thereof), other than the incurrence or repayment of Indebtedness in the ordinary course of business for working capital purposes pursuant to working capital facilities, occurring during the Four Quarter Period or at any time subsequent to the last day of the Four Quarter Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date, as if such incurrence or repayment, as the case may be (and the application of the proceeds thereof), occurred on the first day of the Four Quarter Period; and

(2) any Asset Sales or Asset Acquisitions (including, without limitation, any Asset Acquisition giving rise to the need to make such calculation as a result of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries (including any Person who becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiaries as a result of the Asset Acquisition) incurring, assuming or otherwise being liable for Acquired Indebtedness and also including any Consolidated EBITDA attributable to the assets which are the subject of the Asset Acquisition or Asset Sale during the Four Quarter Period) occurring during the Four Quarter Period or at any time subsequent to the last day of the Four Quarter Period and on or prior to the Transaction Date, as if such Asset Sale or Asset Acquisition (including the incurrence, assumption or liability for any such Acquired Indebtedness) occurred on the first day of the Four Quarter Period.

If such Person or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries directly or indirectly guarantees Indebtedness of a third Person, the preceding sentence shall give effect to the incurrence of such guaranteed Indebtedness as if such Person or any Restricted Subsidiary of such Person had directly incurred or otherwise assumed such guaranteed Indebtedness. Furthermore, in calculating “Consolidated Fixed Charges”:

(1) interest on outstanding Indebtedness determined on a fluctuating basis as of the Transaction Date and which will continue to be so determined thereafter shall be deemed to have accrued at a fixed rate per annum equal to the rate of interest on such Indebtedness in effect on the Transaction Date;

(2) if interest on any Indebtedness actually incurred on the Transaction Date may optionally be determined at an interest rate based upon a factor of a prime or similar rate, a eurocurrency interbank offered rate, or other rates, then the interest rate in effect on the Transaction Date will be deemed to have been in effect during the Four Quarter Period; and

(3) notwithstanding clause (1) above, interest on Indebtedness determined on a fluctuating basis, to the extent such interest is covered by agreements relating to Interest Swap Obligations, shall be deemed to accrue at the rate per annum resulting after giving effect to the operation of such agreements.

 

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Consolidated Fixed Charges” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the sum, without duplication, of (1) Consolidated Interest Expense, plus (2) the product of (A) the amount of all dividend payments on any series of Preferred Stock of such Person (other than (x) dividends paid in Qualified Capital Stock and (y) dividends on the Preferred Stock, the net proceeds of which will be used for the Distribution, to the extent they are paid in kind or accrete, except to the extent they constitute Disqualified Capital Stock) paid, accrued or scheduled to be paid or accrued during such period times (B) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is one minus the then current effective consolidated federal, state and local tax rate of such Person, expressed as a decimal.

Consolidated Interest Expense” means, for any period, the aggregate amount of interest in respect of Indebtedness (including, without limitation, amortization of original issue discount on any Indebtedness and the interest portion of any deferred payment obligation of the type described under clause (4) of the definition of “Indebtedness”, calculated in accordance with the effective interest method of accounting; all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing; Indebtedness that is Guaranteed or secured by the Company, any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, or any of its Regulated Subsidiaries), and all but the principal component of rentals in respect of Capitalized Lease Obligations paid, accrued or scheduled to be paid or to be accrued by the Company, its Restricted Subsidiaries and its Regulated Subsidiaries during such period; excluding, however, (1) any amount of such interest of any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary if the net income of such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary is excluded in the calculation of Adjusted Consolidated Net Income pursuant to clause (3) or (4) of the definition thereof (but only in the same proportion as the net income of such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary is excluded from the calculation of Adjusted Consolidated Net Income pursuant to clause (3) or (4) of the definition thereof) and (2) any premiums, fees and expenses (and any amortization thereof) payable in connection with the offering of the Notes, the 2013 Notes and the 2011 Notes, all as determined on a consolidated basis (without taking into account Unrestricted Subsidiaries) in conformity with GAAP, and (3) interest payments on trust preferred or similar securities issued by a Regulated Subsidiary to the extent the proceeds of the sale of such securities are invested in a Regulated Subsidiary.

Consolidated Net Worth” means, at any date of determination, stockholders’ equity as set forth on the most recently available quarterly or annual consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and Regulated Subsidiaries (which shall be as of a date not more than 90 days prior to the date of such computation, and which shall not take into account Unrestricted Subsidiaries), plus, to the extent not included, any Preferred Stock of the Company, less any amounts attributable to Disqualified Stock or any equity security convertible into or exchangeable for Indebtedness, the cost of treasury stock and the principal amount of any promissory notes receivable from the sale of the Capital Stock of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or

 

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Regulated Subsidiaries, each item to be determined in conformity with GAAP (excluding the effects of foreign currency exchange adjustments under Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 52).

Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Trustee is principally administered, which at the date of the Indenture is located at 101 Barclay Street, Floor 8W, New York, NY 10286, Attn: Corporate Trust Administration.

Credit Facility” means a credit facility of, or Guaranteed by, the Company and used by the Company, its Restricted Subsidiaries or its Regulated Subsidiaries for working capital and other general corporate purposes together with the related documents (including, without limitation, any guarantee agreements and security documents), as such agreements may be amended (including any amendment and restatement), supplemented, replaced or otherwise modified from time to time.

Default” means any event that is, or after notice or passage of time or both would be, an Event of Default.

Depositary” means the depositary of each Global Note, which will initially be DTC.

Disqualified Stock” means any class or series of Capital Stock of any Person that by its terms or otherwise is (1) required to be redeemed prior to a date that is 123 days following the Stated Maturity of the Notes, (2) redeemable at the option of the holder of such class or series of Capital Stock at any time prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes or (3) convertible into or exchangeable for Capital Stock referred to in clause (1) or (2) above or Indebtedness having a scheduled maturity prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes; provided that any Capital Stock that would not constitute Disqualified Stock but for provisions thereof giving holders thereof the right to require such Person to repurchase or redeem such Capital Stock upon the occurrence of an “asset sale” or “change of control” occurring prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes shall not constitute Disqualified Stock if the “asset sale” or “change of control” provisions applicable to such Capital Stock are no more favorable to the holders of such Capital Stock than the provisions contained in Section 4.11 and Section 4.12 and such Capital Stock specifically provides that such Person will not repurchase or redeem any such stock pursuant to such provision prior to the Company’s repurchase of such Notes as are required to be repurchased pursuant to Section 4.11 and Section 4.12.

Domestic Subsidiary” means any Restricted Subsidiary of the Company with total assets as determined under GAAP of at least $100,000, as set forth on the most recently available quarterly or annual consolidated balance sheet of such Restricted Subsidiary other than a Restricted Subsidiary that is (1) a Foreign Subsidiary or (2) a Subsidiary of any such Foreign Subsidiary.

 

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DTC” means The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation, and its successors.

DTC Legend” means the legend set forth in Exhibit C.

Event of Default” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 6.01.

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

fair market value” means the price that would be paid in an arm’s-length transaction between an informed and willing seller under no compulsion to sell and an informed and willing buyer under no compulsion to buy which, if determined by the Board of Directors as evidenced by a Board Resolution, shall be conclusively determined.

FDIC” means the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company that is an entity which is a controlled foreign corporation under Section 957 of the Internal Revenue Code or any subsidiary that is otherwise organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States, any state thereof, or the District of Columbia.

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America as in effect as of the Closing Date, including, without limitation, those set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession. All ratios and computations contained or referred to in the Indenture shall be computed in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, except that calculations made for purposes of determining compliance with the terms of the covenants and with other provisions of the Indenture shall be made without giving effect to (1) the amortization of any expenses incurred in connection with the offering of the Notes, the 2013 Notes and the 2011 Notes and (2) except as otherwise provided, the amortization or writedown of any amounts required or permitted by Accounting Principles Board Opinion Nos. 16 and 17 and Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 142.

Global Note” means a Note in registered global form without interest coupons.

Guarantee” means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of any Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Indebtedness of any other Person and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person (1) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness of such other Person (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, or by agreements

 

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to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services (unless such purchase arrangements are on arm’s-length terms and are entered into in the ordinary course of business), to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise) or (2) entered into for purposes of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Indebtedness of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part); provided that the term “Guarantee” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business, letters of credit issued by a Bank Regulated Subsidiary in the ordinary course of its business or STAMP or other signature guarantees made by a Regulated Subsidiary in the ordinary course of its business. The term “Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any Person, the obligations of such person under (i) currency exchange, interest rate, commodity, credit or equity swap, forward or futures agreements, currency exchange, interest rate, commodity, credit or equity cap agreements, currency exchange, interest rate, commodity, credit or equity collar agreements, or currency exchange, interest rate, commodity, credit or equity puts or calls, and (ii) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person, directly or indirectly, against fluctuations in currency exchange, interest rate, commodity or equity prices.

Incur” means, with respect to any Indebtedness, to incur, create, issue, assume, Guarantee or otherwise become liable for or with respect to, or become responsible for, the payment of, contingently or otherwise, such Indebtedness; provided that (1) any Indebtedness of a Person existing at the time such Person becomes a Restricted Subsidiary will be deemed to be incurred by such Restricted Subsidiary at the time it becomes a Restricted Subsidiary and (2) neither the accrual of interest nor the accretion of original issue discount shall be considered an Incurrence of Indebtedness.

Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person at any date of determination (without duplication):

(1) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money;

(2) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments;

(3) all obligations of such Person in respect of letters of credit or other similar instruments (including reimbursement obligations with respect thereto, but excluding letters of credit issued by such Person and excluding obligations with respect to letters of credit (including trade letters of credit) securing obligations (other than obligations described in (1) or (2) above or (5), (6) or (7) below) entered into in the ordinary course of business of such Person to the extent such letters of credit are not drawn upon or, if drawn upon, to the extent such drawing is reimbursed no later than the third Business Day following receipt by such Person of a demand for reimbursement);

 

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(4) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred and unpaid purchase price of property or services, which purchase price is recorded as a liability under GAAP and due more than six months after the date of placing such property in service or taking delivery and title thereto or the completion of such services, except Trade Payables;

(5) all Capitalized Lease Obligations;

(6) all Indebtedness of other Persons secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such Indebtedness is assumed by such Person; provided that the amount of such Indebtedness shall be the lesser of (A) the fair market value of such asset at such date of determination and (B) the amount of such Indebtedness;

(7) all Indebtedness of other Persons Guaranteed by such Person to the extent such Indebtedness is Guaranteed by such Person;

(8) Acquired Indebtedness;

(9) to the extent not otherwise included in this definition, net obligations under Hedging Obligations (other than Hedging Obligations not entered into for speculative investment purposes and designed to protect the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries against fluctuations in commodity prices, equity prices, foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates and that do not increase the Indebtedness of the obligor outstanding at any time other than as a result of fluctuations in commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates or by reason of fees, indemnities and compensation payable thereunder); and

(10) all obligations to redeem or repurchase Preferred Stock issued by such Person, other than PIK Preferred Stock,

provided that Indebtedness shall not include:

(a) obligations arising from products and services offered by Bank Regulated Subsidiaries or Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiaries in the ordinary course including, but not limited to, deposits, CDs, prepaid forward contracts, swaps, exchangeable debt securities, foreign currency purchases or sales and letters of credit;

(b) indebtedness or other obligations incurred in the ordinary course arising from margin lending, Stock Loan activities or foreign currency settlement obligations of a Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary;

 

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(c) indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary represented by letters of credit for the account of the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be, in order to provide security for workers’ compensation claims, payment obligations in connection with self-insurance or similar requirements in the ordinary course of business;

(d) Purchase Money Indebtedness of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary not to exceed at any one time outstanding 5% of Consolidated Net Worth;

(e) indebtedness arising from agreements of the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, in each case, incurred or assumed in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or a Subsidiary, other than Guarantees of Indebtedness Incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or a Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition;

(f) indebtedness Incurred by Professional Path, Inc. in the ordinary course of its proprietary trading activities in an amount not to exceed at any one time outstanding of $5 million;

(g) advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal Reserve Bank (or similar institution), repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements relating to Investment Securities, medium term notes, treasury tax and loan balances, special direct investment balances, bank notes, commercial paper, term investment option balances, brokered certificates of deposit, dollar rolls, and fed funds purchased, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of a Regulated Subsidiary’s business;

(h) Indebtedness Incurred by a Regulated Subsidiary and Guaranteed by the Company (i)(A) the proceeds of which are used to satisfy applicable minimum capital requirements imposed by applicable regulatory authorities of such Regulated Subsidiary and (B) where the provision of such Guarantee by the Company is required by the applicable regulatory authority or (ii) where the provision of such Guarantee by the Company is required by a bank, clearing house or other market participant in connection with the ordinary course of a Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary’s business.

 

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The amount of Indebtedness of any Person at any date shall be the outstanding balance at such date of all unconditional obligations as described above and, with respect to contingent obligations, the maximum liability upon the occurrence of the contingency giving rise to the obligation, provided

(A) that the amount outstanding at any time of any Indebtedness issued with original issue discount is the face amount of such Indebtedness less the remaining unamortized portion of the original issue discount of such Indebtedness at such time as determined in conformity with GAAP,

(B) that money borrowed and set aside at the time of the Incurrence of any Indebtedness in order to prefund the payment of the interest on such Indebtedness shall not be deemed to be “Indebtedness” so long as such money is held to secure the payment of such interest and

(C) that Indebtedness shall not include:

(x) any liability for federal, state, local or other taxes,

(y) performance, surety or appeal bonds provided in the ordinary course of business or

(z) agreements providing for indemnification, adjustment of purchase price or similar obligations, or Guarantees or letters of credit, surety bonds or performance bonds securing any obligations of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries pursuant to such agreements, in any case Incurred in connection with the disposition of any business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary (other than Guarantees of Indebtedness Incurred by any Person acquiring all or any portion of such business, assets or Restricted Subsidiary for the purpose of financing such acquisition), so long as the principal amount does not to exceed the gross proceeds actually received by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary in connection with such disposition.

Indenture” means this indenture, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

Indentures” means this Indenture, the 2013 Notes Indenture and the 2011 Notes Indenture.

Insurance Regulated Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary which conducts an insurance business such that it is regulated by any supervisory agency, state insurance department other state, federal or foreign insurance regulatory body or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

 

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interest”, in respect of the Notes, unless the context otherwise requires, refers to interest and Additional Interest, if any.

Interest Payment Date” means each June 1 and December 1 of each year, commencing June 1, 2006.

Interest Swap Obligations” means the obligations of any Person pursuant to any arrangement with any other Person, whereby, directly or indirectly, such Person is entitled to receive from time to time periodic payments calculated by applying either a floating or a fixed rate of interest on a stated notional amount in exchange for periodic payments made by such other Person calculated by applying a fixed or a floating rate of interest on the same notional amount and shall include, without limitation, interest rate swaps, caps, floors, collars and similar agreements.

Investment” in any Person means any direct or indirect advance, loan or other extension of credit (including, without limitation, by way of Guarantee or similar arrangement; but excluding Investment Securities, advances to customers or suppliers in the ordinary course of business that are, in conformity with GAAP, recorded as accounts receivable, prepaid expenses or deposits on the balance sheet of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries and endorsements for collection or deposit arising in the ordinary course of business) or capital contribution to (by means of any transfer of cash or other property to others or any payment for property or services for the account or use of others), or any purchase or acquisition of Capital Stock, bonds, notes, debentures or other similar instruments issued by, such Person and shall include (1) the designation of a Restricted Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or as a Regulated Subsidiary and (2) the retention of the Capital Stock (or any other Investment) by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries, of (or in) any Person that has ceased to be a Restricted Subsidiary, including without limitation, by reason of any transaction permitted by clause (3) or (4) of Section 4.06. For purposes of the definition of “Unrestricted Subsidiary” and Section 4.04, (a) the amount of or a reduction in an Investment shall be equal to the fair market value thereof at the time such Investment is made or reduced and (b) in the event the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary makes an Investment by transferring assets to any Person and as part of such transaction receives Net Cash Proceeds, the amount of such Investment shall be the fair market value of the assets less the amount of Net Cash Proceeds so received, provided the Net Cash Proceeds are applied in accordance with clause (A) or (B) of Section 4.11.

Investment Grade Status” shall occur when the Notes receive a rating of “BBB-” or higher from S&P or a rating of “Baa3” or higher from Moody’s.

 

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Investment Securities” means marketable securities of a Person (other than an Affiliate or joint venture of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or any Regulated Subsidiary), mortgages, credit card and other loan receivables, futures contracts on marketable securities, interest rates and foreign currencies used for the hedging of marketable securities, mortgages or credit card and other loan receivables purchased, borrowed, sold, loaned or pledged by such Person in the ordinary course of its business.

Issue Date” means the date on which the Original Notes are originally issued under the Indenture.

Lien” means any mortgage, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, lien or charge of any kind (including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement or lease in the nature thereof or any agreement to give any security interest).

Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and its successors.

Net Cash Proceeds” means:

(a) with respect to any Asset Sale or Regulated Sale, the proceeds of such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale in the form of cash or cash equivalents, including payments in respect of deferred payment obligations (to the extent corresponding to the principal, but not interest, component thereof) when received in the form of cash or cash equivalents and proceeds from the conversion of other property received when converted to cash or cash equivalents, net of

(1) brokerage commissions and other fees and expenses (including attorney’s fees, accountants’ fees, underwriters’, placement agents’ and other investment bankers’ fees, commissions and consultant fees) related to such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale;

(2) provisions for all taxes (whether or not such taxes will actually be paid or are payable) as a result of such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale without regard to the consolidated results of operations of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, together with any actual distributions to shareholders of the type contemplated under clause (b)(9) under Section 4.04 with respect to the taxable income relating to such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale;

(3) payments made to repay Indebtedness or any other obligation outstanding at the time of such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale that either (x) is secured by a Lien on the property or assets sold or (y) is required to be paid as a result of such sale and

 

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(4) appropriate amounts to be provided by the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Regulated Subsidiary as a reserve against any liabilities associated with such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale, including, without limitation, pension and other post-employment benefit liabilities, liabilities related to environmental matters and liabilities under any indemnification obligations associated with such Asset Sale or Regulated Sale, all as determined in conformity with GAAP; and

(b) with respect to any issuance or sale of Capital Stock, the proceeds of such issuance or sale in the form of cash or cash equivalents, including payments in respect of deferred payment obligations (to the extent corresponding to the principal, but not interest, component thereof) when received in the form of cash or cash equivalents and proceeds from the conversion of other property received when converted to cash or cash equivalents, net of attorney’s fees, accountants’ fees, underwriters’ or placement agents’ fees, discounts or commissions and brokerage, consultant and other fees incurred in connection with such issuance or sale and net of taxes paid or payable as a result thereof.

Note Guarantee” means any Guarantee of the obligations of the Company under the Indenture and the Notes by any Subsidiary Guarantor.

Notes” has the meaning assigned to such term in the Recitals.

Obligations” means any principal, interest, penalties, fees, indemnifications, reimbursements, damages and other liabilities payable under the documentation governing any Indebtedness.

Offer to Purchase” means an offer to purchase Notes by the Company from the Holders commenced by mailing a notice to the Trustee and each Holder stating:

(1) the covenant pursuant to which the offer is being made and that all Notes validly tendered will be accepted for payment on a pro rata basis;

(2) the purchase price and the date of purchase (which shall be a Business Day no earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed) (the “Payment Date”);

(3) that any Note not tendered will continue to accrue interest pursuant to its terms;

 

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(4) that, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the purchase price, any Note accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer to Purchase shall cease to accrue interest on and after the Payment Date;

(5) that Holders electing to have a Note purchased pursuant to the Offer to Purchase will be required to surrender the Note, together with the form entitled “Option of the Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse side of the Note completed, to the Paying Agent at the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the Business Day immediately preceding the Payment Date;

(6) that Holders will be entitled to withdraw their election if the Paying Agent receives, not later than the close of business on the third Business Day immediately preceding the Payment Date, a telegram, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of such Holder, the principal amount of Notes delivered for purchase and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing his election to have such Notes purchased; and

(7) that Holders whose Notes are being purchased only in part will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered; provided that each Note purchased and each new Note issued shall be in a principal amount of $1,000 or multiples of $1,000.

On the Payment Date, the Company shall (a) accept for payment on a pro rata basis Notes or portions thereof tendered pursuant to an Offer to Purchase; (b) deposit with the Paying Agent money sufficient to pay the purchase price of all Notes or portions thereof so accepted; and (c) deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Trustee all Notes or portions thereof so accepted together with an Officers’ Certificate specifying the Notes or portions thereof accepted for payment by the Company. The Paying Agent shall promptly mail to the Holders of Notes so accepted payment in an amount equal to the purchase price, and the Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail to such Holders a new Note equal in principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Note surrendered; provided that each Note purchased and each new Note issued shall be in a principal amount of $1,000 or multiples of $1,000. The Company will publicly announce the results of an Offer to Purchase as soon as practicable after the Payment Date. The Trustee shall act as the Paying Agent for an Offer to Purchase. The Company will comply with Rule 14e-l under the Exchange Act and any other securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent such laws and regulations are applicable, if the Company is required to repurchase Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase.

Officer” means the chairman of the Board of Directors, the president or chief executive officer, any vice president, the chief financial officer, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer, or the secretary or any assistant secretary, of the Company.

 

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Officers’ Certificate” means a certificate signed in the name of the Company (i) by the chairman of the Board of Directors, the president or chief executive officer or a vice president and (ii) by the chief financial officer, the treasurer or any assistant treasurer or the secretary or any assistant secretary.

Opinion of Counsel” means an opinion from legal counsel that meets the requirements of the Indenture.

Original Notes” means the Notes issued on the Issue Date and any Notes issued in replacement thereof.

OTS” means the Office of Thrift Supervision.

Outstanding Convertible Notes” means 6.00% convertible subordinated notes due February 2007, issued by the Company pursuant to the indenture dated February 1, 2000, outstanding on the Closing Date.

Paying Agent” refers to a Person engaged to perform the obligations of the Trustee in respect of payments made or funds held hereunder in respect of the Notes.

Permitted Investment” means:

(1) an Investment in the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary or a Person which will, upon the making of such Investment, become a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary or be merged or consolidated with or into or transfer or convey all or substantially all its assets to, the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary; provided that such person’s primary business is a Related Business on the date of such Investment;

(2) Temporary Cash Investments and Investment Securities;

(3) payroll, travel and similar advances to cover matters that are expected at the time of such advances ultimately to be treated as expenses in accordance with GAAP;

(4) stock, obligations or securities received in satisfaction of judgments;

(5) an Investment in an Unrestricted Subsidiary consisting solely of an Investment in another Unrestricted Subsidiary;

(6) Hedging Obligations not entered into for speculative investment purposes and designed to protect the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries against fluctuations in commodity prices, securities prices, foreign currency exchange rates or interest rates; and

 

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(7) any Investment made as a result of the receipt of non-cash consideration from an Asset Sale that was made pursuant to and in compliance with Section 4.11.

“Permitted Liens” means:

(1) Liens for taxes, assessments, governmental charges or claims that are being contested in good faith by appropriate legal proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted and for which a reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made;

(2) statutory and common law Liens of landlords and carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, suppliers, materialmen, repairmen or other similar Liens (including a lender’s unexercised rights of set-off) arising in the ordinary course of business and with respect to amounts not yet delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate legal proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted and for which a reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made;

(3) Liens incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other types of social security;

(4) Liens incurred or deposits made to secure the performance of tenders, bids, leases, statutory or regulatory obligations, bankers’ acceptances, surety and appeal bonds, government contracts, performance and return-of-money bonds and other obligations of a similar nature incurred in the ordinary course of business (exclusive of obligations for the payment of borrowed money);

(5) easements, rights-of-way, municipal and zoning ordinances and similar charges, encumbrances, title defects or other irregularities that do not materially interfere with the ordinary course of business of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries;

(6) leases or subleases granted to others that do not materially interfere with the ordinary course of business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, taken as a whole;

(7) Liens encumbering property or assets under construction arising from progress or partial payments by a customer of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries relating to such property or assets;

(8) any interest or title of a lessor in the property subject to any Capitalized Lease or operating lease;

 

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(9) Liens arising from filing Uniform Commercial Code financing statements regarding leases;

(10) Liens on property of, or on shares of Capital Stock or Indebtedness of, any Person existing at the time such Person becomes, or becomes a part of, any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that such Liens do not extend to or cover any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary other than the property or assets acquired;

(11) Liens in favor of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary;

(12) Liens arising from the rendering of a final judgment or order against the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary that does not give rise to an Event of Default;

(13) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit that encumber documents and other property relating to such letters of credit and the products and proceeds thereof;

(14) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;

(15) Liens encumbering customary initial deposits and margin deposits, and other Liens that are within the general parameters customary in the industry and incurred in the ordinary course of business, in each case, securing Indebtedness under Hedging Obligations not entered into for speculative investment purposes and designed to protect the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from fluctuations in interest rates, currencies or the price of commodities or securities;

(16) Liens arising out of conditional sale, title retention, consignment or similar arrangements for the sale of goods entered into by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business in accordance with the past practices of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries prior to the Closing Date;

(17) Liens on shares of Capital Stock of any Unrestricted Subsidiary to secure Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary; and

(18) Liens on or sales of receivables or mortgages.

Person” means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a limited liability company, an association, a trust or any other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or an agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

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PIK Preferred Stock” means Preferred Stock the terms of which do not permit the declaration or payment of any dividend or other distribution thereon or with respect thereto, or the redemption or conversion thereof, in each such case prior to the payment in full of the Company’s obligations under the Notes.

Preferred Stock” of any Person means any Capital Stock of such Person that has preferential rights to any other Capital Stock of such Person with respect to dividends or redemptions or upon liquidation.

Prospectus” means the prospectus dated October 28, 2005, together with the prospectus supplement thereto dated November 16, 2005, prepared by the Company in connection with the offering of the Notes.

Rating Agency” means any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined for purposes of Rule 436(g)(2) under the Securities Act.

Rating Decline” means (i) a decrease of one or more gradations (including gradations within Rating Categories as well as between Rating Categories) in the rating of the notes by both Moody’s and S&P or (ii) a withdrawal of the rating of the Notes by Moody’s and S&P, in each case, directly as a result of a Change of Control; provided, however, that such decrease or withdrawal occurs on, or within 30 days following, the date of public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or of the intention by the Company, or a stockholder of the Company, as applicable, to effect a Change of Control, which period shall be extended so long as the rating of the Notes relating to the Change of Control as noted by the Rating Agency is under publicly announced consideration for downgrade by the applicable Rating Agency.

Register” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.09.

Registrar” means a Person engaged to maintain the Register.

Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date means the [    ] or [    ] (whether or not a Business Day) next preceding such Interest Payment Date.

Regulated Sale” means any sale, transfer or other disposition (including by way of merger, consolidation or Sale-Leaseback Transaction) in one transaction or a series of related transactions by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries to any Person other than the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries of:

(1) all or any of the Common Stock of any Regulated Subsidiary that constitutes a Significant Subsidiary, or

 

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(2) all or substantially all of the property and assets of an operating unit or business of any Regulated Subsidiary that constitutes a Significant Subsidiary,

in each case, that is not governed by the provisions of the Indenture applicable to mergers, consolidations and sales of assets of the Company; provided that “Regulated Sale” shall not include an issuance, sale, transfer or other disposition of Capital Stock by a Regulated Subsidiary to the Company, a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or a Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiary.

Regulated Subsidiary” means a Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary, a Bank Regulated Subsidiary or an Insurance Regulated Subsidiary or any other Subsidiary subject to minimum capital requirements or other similar material regulatory requirements imposed by applicable regulatory authorities.

Related Business” means any financial services business which is the same as or ancillary or complementary to any business of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and Regulated Subsidiaries that is being conducted on the Closing Date, including, but not limited to, activities under Section 4(k) of the Bank Holding Company Act, as amended, or Section 10 of the Home Owners’ Loan Act, as amended, broker-dealer services, insurance, investment advisory services, specialist and other market making activities, trust services, underwriting and the creation of and offers and sales of interests in mutual funds.

Replacement Assets” means, on any date, property or assets (other than current assets) of a nature or type or that are used in a business (or an Investment in a company having property or assets of a nature or type, or engaged in a business) similar or related to the nature or type of the property and assets of, or the business of, the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries existing on such date.

Responsible Officer” shall mean, when used with respect to the Trustee, any officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any vice president, assistant vice president, assistant secretary, assistant treasurer, trust officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the Persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such person’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.

Restricted Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Company other than an Unrestricted Subsidiary, or a Regulated Subsidiary.

Sale-Leaseback Transaction” means, with respect to any Person, an arrangement whereby such Person sells or transfers property and then or thereafter leases such property or any substantial part thereof which such Person intends to use for substantially the same purpose or purposes as the property sold or transferred, provided that for purposes of this definition, “property” shall not include Investment Securities.

 

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S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, and its successors.

Secured Indebtedness Cap” means, on any date, an amount equal to 1.0 times the Consolidated EBITDA of the Company for the most recently ended Four Quarter Period for which financial statements are available immediately preceding such date. For purposes of making the computation referred to above, Consolidated EBITDA shall be calculated after giving effect on a pro forma basis for the period of such calculation to any Asset Sales or Asset Acquisitions (including, without limitation, any Asset Acquisition giving rise to the need to make such calculation as a result of such Person or one of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries (including any Person who becomes a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary as a result of the Asset Acquisition) incurring, assuming or otherwise being liable for Acquired Indebtedness and also including any Consolidated EBITDA attributable to the assets which are the subject of the Asset Acquisition or Asset Sale during the Four Quarter Period) occurring during the Four Quarter Period or at any time subsequent to the last day of the Four Quarter Period and on or prior to the date of such calculation, as if such Asset Sale or Asset Acquisition (including the incurrence, assumption or liability for any such Acquired Indebtedness) occurred on the first day of the Four Quarter Period.

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Significant Subsidiary” means, at any date of determination, any Restricted Subsidiary that, together with its Subsidiaries, (1) for the most recent fiscal year of the Company, accounted for more than 10% of the consolidated revenues of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries or (2) as of the end of such fiscal year, was the owner of more than 10% of the consolidated assets of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries, all as set forth on the most recently available consolidated financial statements of the Company for such fiscal year.

Stated Maturity” means, (1) with respect to any debt security, the date specified in such debt security as the fixed date on which the final installment of principal of such debt security is due and payable and (2) with respect to any scheduled installment of principal of or interest on any debt security, the date specified in such debt security as the fixed date on which such installment is due and payable.

Stock Loan” means a “Loan” as used in the Master Securities Loan Agreement published from time to time by the Bond Market Association.

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the voting power of the outstanding Voting Stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person and one or more other Subsidiaries of such Person.

 

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Subsidiary Guarantor” means any Domestic Subsidiary which provides a Note Guarantee of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture and the Notes pursuant to Section 4.07.

Temporary Cash Investment” means any of the following:

(1) direct obligations of the United States of America or any agency thereof or obligations fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency thereof, in each case maturing within one year unless such obligations are deposited by the Company (x) to defease any Indebtedness or (y) in a collateral or escrow account or similar arrangement to prefund the payment of interest on any indebtedness;

(2) demand deposits, time deposit accounts, bankers acceptances, certificates of deposit and money market deposits maturing within 180 days of the date of acquisition thereof issued by a bank or trust company which is organized under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America, and which bank or trust company (i) has capital, surplus and undivided profits aggregating in excess of $100 million (or the foreign currency equivalent thereof) and has outstanding debt which is rated “A” (or such similar equivalent rating) or higher by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as defined in Rule 436 under the Securities Act) or (ii) is a money market fund sponsored by a registered broker dealer or mutual fund distributor;

(3) repurchase obligations with a term of not more than 30 days for underlying securities of the types described in clause (1) above entered into with a bank or trust company meeting the qualifications described in clause (2) above;

(4) commercial paper, maturing not more than one year after the date of acquisition, issued by a corporation (other than an Affiliate of the Company) organized and in existence under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or any foreign country recognized by the United States of America with a rating at the time as of which any investment therein is made of “P- 1” (or higher) according to Moody’s or “A l” (or higher) according to S&P;

(5) securities with maturities of six months or less from the date of acquisition issued or fully and unconditionally guaranteed by any state, commonwealth or territory of the United States of America, or by any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof, and rated at least “A” by S&P or Moody’s; and

 

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(6) any mutual fund that has at least 95% of its assets continuously invested in investments of the types described in clauses (1) through (5) above.

Trade Payables” means, with respect to any Person, any accounts payable or any other indebtedness or monetary obligation to trade creditors created, assumed or Guaranteed by such Person or any of its Subsidiaries arising in the ordinary course of business in connection with the acquisition of goods or services.

Transaction Date” means, with respect to the Incurrence of any Indebtedness, the date such Indebtedness is to be Incurred and, with respect to any Restricted Payment, the date such Restricted Payment is to be made.

Trustee” means the party named as such in the first paragraph of the Indenture or any successor trustee under the Indenture pursuant to Article 7.

Trust Indenture Act” means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

2011 Notes Indenture” means the indenture dated as of June 8, 2004, between the Company and The Bank of New York, as trustee, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

2013 Notes Indenture” means the indenture dated as of September 19, 2005 between the Company and The Bank of New York, as trustee, as amended or supplemented from time to time.

Unrestricted Subsidiary” means (1) any Subsidiary of the Company that at the time of determination shall be designated an Unrestricted Subsidiary by the Board of Directors in the manner provided below; and (2) any Subsidiary of an Unrestricted Subsidiary. The Board of Directors may designate any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary (including any newly acquired or newly formed Subsidiary of the Company) to be an Unrestricted Subsidiary unless such Subsidiary owns any Capital Stock of, or owns or holds any Lien on any property of, the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; provided that (A) any Guarantee by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary of any Indebtedness of the Subsidiary being so designated shall be deemed an “Incurrence” of such Indebtedness and an “Investment” by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary (or both, if applicable) at the time of such designation; (B) either (I) the Subsidiary to be so designated has total assets of $1,000 or less or (II) if such Subsidiary has assets greater than $1,000, such designation would be permitted under Section 4.04 and (C) if applicable, the Incurrence of Indebtedness and the Investment referred to in clause (A) of this proviso would be permitted under the Section 4.03 and Section 4.04. The Board of Directors may designate any Unrestricted Subsidiary to be a Restricted Subsidiary; provided that (a) no Default

 

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or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time of or after giving effect to such designation and (b) all Liens and Indebtedness of such Unrestricted Subsidiary outstanding immediately after such designation would, if Incurred at such time, have been permitted to be Incurred (and shall be deemed to have been Incurred) for all purposes of the Indenture. Any such designation by the Board of Directors shall be evidenced to the Trustee by promptly filing with the Trustee a copy of the Board Resolution giving effect to such designation and an Officers’ Certificate certifying that such designation complied with the foregoing provisions.

U.S. Government Obligations” means securities that are (1) direct obligations of the United States of America for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged or (2) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States of America the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States of America, which, in either case, are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof at any time prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes, and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such U.S. Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such U.S. Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt; provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the U.S. Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the U.S. Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.

Voting Stock” means with respect to any Person, Capital Stock of any class or kind ordinarily having the power to vote for the election of directors, managers or other voting members of the governing body of such Person.

Wholly Owned” means, with respect to any Subsidiary of any Person, the ownership all of the outstanding Capital Stock of such Subsidiary by such Person or one or more Wholly Owned Subsidiaries of such Person.

Section 1.02. Incorporation by Reference of Trust Indenture Act. Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “TIA”), the provision is incorporated by reference in and made a part of this Indenture. The following TIA terms used in this Indenture have the following meanings:

“indenture securities” means the Notes;

“indenture security holder” means a Holder or a Noteholder;

“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture;

“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee” means the Trustee; and

 

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“obligor” on the indenture securities means the Company or any other obligor on the Notes.

All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the TIA, defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by a rule of the Commission and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them therein.

Section 1.03. Rules of Construction. Unless the context otherwise requires:

(i) a term has the meaning assigned to it;

(ii) an accounting term not otherwise defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with GAAP;

(iii) “or” is not exclusive;

(iv) words in the singular include the plural, and words in the plural include the singular;

(v) provisions apply to successive events and transactions;

(vi) “herein,” “hereof” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision;

(vii) all ratios and computations based on GAAP contained in this Indenture shall be computed in accordance with the definition of GAAP set forth in Section 1.01; and

(viii) all references to Sections or Articles refer to Sections or Articles of this Indenture unless otherwise indicated.

ARTICLE II

THE NOTES

Section 2.01. Form, Dating and Denominations. The Notes and the Trustee’s certificate of authentication will be substantially in the form attached as Exhibit A. The terms and provisions contained in the form of the Notes annexed as Exhibit A constitute, and are hereby expressly made, a part of the Indenture. The Notes may have notations, legends or endorsements required by law, rules of or agreements with national securities exchanges to which the Company is subject, or usage. Each Note will be dated the date of its authentication. The Notes will be issuable in denominations of $1,000 in principal amount and any multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof.

 

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Section 2.02. Execution and Authentication.

(a) An Officer shall execute the Notes for the Company by facsimile or manual signature in the name and on behalf of the Company. If an Officer whose signature is on a Note no longer holds that office at the time the Note is authenticated, the Note will still be valid.

(b) A Note will not be valid until the Trustee manually signs the certificate of authentication on the Note, with the signature conclusive evidence that the Note has been authenticated under the Indenture.

(c) At any time and from time to time after the execution and delivery of the Indenture, the Company may deliver Notes executed by the Company to the Trustee for authentication. The Trustee will authenticate and deliver Notes for original issue in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $300,000,000 upon receipt by the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate specifying

(1) the amount of Notes to be authenticated and the date on which the Notes are to be authenticated,

(2) whether the Notes are to be issued as one or more Global Notes or Certificated Notes, and

(3) other information the Company may determine to include or the Trustee may reasonably request.

The Notes shall be issuable only in registered form without coupons and only in denominations of $1,000 in principal amount and any integral multiple thereof.

Section 2.03. Registrar, Paying Agent and Authenticating Agent; Paying Agent to Hold Money in Trust.

(a) The Company may appoint one or more Registrars and one or more Paying Agents, and the Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent, in which case each reference in the Indenture to the Trustee in respect of the obligations of the Trustee to be performed by that Agent will be deemed to be references to the Agent. The Company may act as Registrar or (except for purposes of Article 8) Paying Agent. In each case the Company and the Trustee will enter into an appropriate agreement with the Agent implementing the provisions of the Indenture relating to the obligations of the Trustee to be performed by the Agent and the related rights. The Company initially appoints the Trustee as Registrar and Paying Agent.

(b) The Company will require each Paying Agent other than the Trustee to agree in writing that the Paying Agent will hold in trust for the benefit of the Holders or the Trustee all money held by the Paying Agent for the payment of principal of and interest on the Notes and will promptly notify the Trustee of

 

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any default by the Company in making any such payment. If the Company or any Subsidiary acts as Paying Agent, it shall segregate the money held by it as Paying Agent and hold it as a separate trust fund. The Company at any time may require a Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and account for any funds disbursed, and the Trustee may at any time during the continuance of any payment default, upon written request to a Paying Agent, require the Paying Agent to pay all money held by it to the Trustee and to account for any funds disbursed. Upon doing so, the Paying Agent will have no further liability for the money so paid over to the Trustee.

Section 2.04. Replacement Notes. If a mutilated Note is surrendered to the Trustee or if a Holder claims that its Note has been lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken, the Company will issue and the Trustee will authenticate a replacement Note of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding. Every replacement Note is an additional obligation of the Company and entitled to the benefits of the Indenture; provided that (i) the requirements of Section 8-405 of the Uniform Commercial Code are met, such that the Holder (a) satisfies the Company that such requirements have been met within a reasonable time after such Holder has notice of such loss, destruction or wrongful taking and the Registrar does not register a transfer prior to receiving such notification, (b) makes such request to the Company prior to the Note being acquired by a protected purchaser as defined in Section 8-303 of the Uniform Commercial Code (a “protected purchaser”) and (c) satisfies any other reasonable requirements of the Trustee, and (ii) the requirements of this Section 2.04 are met. An affidavit of lost certificate and an indemnity bond must be furnished that is sufficient in the judgment of both the Trustee and the Company to protect the Company, the Trustee or any Agent from any loss that any of them may suffer if a Note is replaced. The Company may charge the Holder for the expenses of the Company and the Trustee in replacing a Note. In case the mutilated, lost, destroyed or wrongfully taken Note has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may pay the Note instead of issuing a replacement Note.

Section 2.05. Outstanding Notes

(a) Notes outstanding at any time are all Notes that have been authenticated by the Trustee except for

(1) Notes cancelled by the Trustee or delivered to it for cancellation;

(2) any Note which has been replaced pursuant to Section 2.04 unless and until the Trustee and the Company receive proof satisfactory to them that the replaced Note is held by a bona fide purchaser; and

(3) on or after the maturity date or any redemption date or date for purchase of the Notes pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, those Notes

 

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payable or to be redeemed or purchased on that date for which the Trustee (or Paying Agent, other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) holds money sufficient to pay all amounts then due.

(b) A Note does not cease to be outstanding because the Company or one of its Affiliates holds the Note, provided that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the outstanding Notes have given or taken any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action hereunder, Notes owned by the Company or any Affiliate of the Company will be disregarded and deemed not to be outstanding, (it being understood that in determining whether the Trustee is protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action, only Notes which the Trustee knows to be so owned will be so disregarded). Notes so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such Notes and that the pledgee is not the Company or any Affiliate of the Company.

Section 2.06. Temporary Notes. Until definitive Notes are ready for delivery, the Company may prepare and the Trustee will authenticate temporary Notes. Temporary Notes will be substantially in the form of definitive Notes but may have insertions, substitutions, omissions and other variations determined to be appropriate by the Officer executing the temporary Notes, as evidenced by the execution of the temporary Notes. If temporary Notes are issued, the Company will cause definitive Notes to be prepared without unreasonable delay. After the preparation of definitive Notes, the temporary Notes will be exchangeable for definitive Notes upon surrender of the temporary Notes at the office or agency of the Company designated for the purpose pursuant to Section 4.02, without charge to the Holder. Upon surrender for cancellation of any temporary Notes the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a like principal amount of definitive Notes of authorized denominations. Until so exchanged, the temporary Notes will be entitled to the same benefits under the Indenture as definitive Notes.

Section 2.07. Cancellation. The Company at any time may deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever, and may deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any Notes previously authenticated hereunder which the Company has not issued and sold. Any Registrar or the Paying Agent will forward to the Trustee any Notes surrendered to it for transfer, exchange or payment. The Trustee will cancel all Notes surrendered for transfer, exchange, payment or cancellation and dispose of them in accordance with its normal procedures or the written instructions of the Company. The Company may not issue new Notes to replace Notes it has paid in full or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation.

 

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Section 2.08. CUSIP and CINS Numbers. The Company in issuing the Notes may use “CUSIP” and “CINS” numbers, and the Trustee will use CUSIP numbers or CINS numbers in notices of redemption or exchange or in Offers to Purchase as a convenience to Holders, the notice to state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Notes or as contained in any notice of redemption or exchange or Offer to Purchase. The Company will promptly notify the Trustee in writing of any change in the CUSIP or CINS numbers.

Section 2.09. Registration, Transfer and Exchange.

(a) The Notes will be issued in registered form only, without coupons, and the Company shall cause the Trustee to maintain a register (the “Register”) of the Notes, for registering the record ownership of the Notes by the Holders and transfers and exchanges of the Notes.

(b) (1) Each Global Note will be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee and, so long as DTC is serving as the Depositary thereof, will bear the DTC Legend.

(2) Each Global Note will be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for the Depositary. Transfers of a Global Note (but not a beneficial interest therein) will be limited to transfers thereof in whole, but not in part, to the Depositary, its successors or their respective nominees, except (1) as set forth in Section 2.09(b)(4) and (2) transfers of portions thereof in the form of Certificated Notes may be made upon request of an Agent Member (for itself or on behalf of a beneficial owner) by written notice given to the Trustee by or on behalf of the Depositary in accordance with customary procedures of the Depositary and in compliance with this Section 2.09 and Section 2.10.

(3) Agent Members will have no rights under the Indenture with respect to any Global Note held on their behalf by the Depositary, and the Depositary may be treated by the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee as the absolute owner and Holder of such Global Note for all purposes whatsoever. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Depositary or its nominee may grant proxies and otherwise authorize any Person (including any Agent Member and any Person that holds a beneficial interest in a Global Note through an Agent Member) to take any action which a Holder is entitled to take under the Indenture or the Notes, and nothing herein will impair, as between the Depositary and its Agent Members, the operation of customary practices governing the exercise of the rights of a holder of any security.

(4) If (x) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as Depositary for a Global Note and a successor depositary is not appointed by the Company within 90 days of

 

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the notice or (y) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and the Trustee has received a request from the Depositary, the Trustee will promptly exchange each beneficial interest in the Global Note for one or more Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an equal aggregate principal amount registered in the name of the owner of such beneficial interest, as identified to the Trustee by the Depositary, and thereupon the Global Note will be deemed canceled.

(c) Each Certificated Note will be registered in the name of the holder thereof or its nominee.

(d) A Holder may transfer a Note (or a beneficial interest therein) to another Person or exchange a Note (or a beneficial interest therein) for another Note or Notes of any authorized denomination by presenting to the Trustee a written request therefor stating the name of the proposed transferee or requesting such an exchange, accompanied by any certification, opinion or other document required by Section 2.10. The Trustee will promptly register any transfer or exchange that meets the requirements of this Section 2.09 by noting the same in the register maintained by the Trustee for the purpose; provided that

(x) no transfer or exchange will be effective until it is registered in such register and

(y) the Trustee will not be required (i) to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Note for a period of 15 days before a selection of Notes to be redeemed or purchased pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, (ii) to register the transfer of or exchange any Note so selected for redemption or purchase in whole or in part, except, in the case of a partial redemption or purchase, that portion of any Note not being redeemed or purchased, or (iii) if a redemption or a purchase pursuant to an Offer to Purchase is to occur after a Regular Record Date but on or before the corresponding Interest Payment Date, to register the transfer of or exchange any Note on or after the Regular Record Date and before the date of redemption or purchase. Prior to the registration of any transfer, the Company, the Trustee and their agents will treat the Person in whose name the Note is registered as the owner and Holder thereof for all purposes (whether or not the Note is overdue), and will not be affected by notice to the contrary.

From time to time the Company will execute and the Trustee will authenticate additional Notes as necessary in order to permit the registration of a transfer or exchange in accordance with this Section 2.09.

No service charge will be imposed in connection with any transfer or exchange of any Note, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any transfer tax or similar governmental charge payable in connection therewith (other than a transfer tax or other similar governmental charge payable upon exchange pursuant to subsection (b)(4)).

 

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(e) (1) Global Note to Global Note. If a beneficial interest in a Global Note is transferred or exchanged for a beneficial interest in another Global Note, the Trustee will (x) record a decrease in the principal amount of the Global Note being transferred or exchanged equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange and (y) record a like increase in the principal amount of the other Global Note. Any beneficial interest in one Global Note that is transferred to a Person who takes delivery in the form of an interest in another Global Note, or exchanged for an interest in another Global Note, will, upon transfer or exchange, cease to be an interest in such Global Note and become an interest in the other Global Note and, accordingly, will thereafter be subject to all transfer and exchange restrictions, if any, and other procedures applicable to beneficial interests in such other Global Note for as long as it remains such an interest.

(2) Global Note to Certificated Note. If a beneficial interest in a Global Note is transferred or exchanged for a Certificated Note, the Trustee will (x) record a decrease in the principal amount of such Global Note equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange and (y) deliver one or more new Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an equal aggregate principal amount to the transferee (in the case of a transfer) or the owner of such beneficial interest (in the case of an exchange), registered in the name of such transferee or owner, as applicable.

(3) Certificated Note to Global Note. If a Certificated Note is transferred or exchanged for a beneficial interest in a Global Note, the Trustee will (x) cancel such Certificated Note, (y) record an increase in the principal amount of such Global Note equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange and (z) in the event that such transfer or exchange involves less than the entire principal amount of the canceled Certificated Note, deliver to the Holder thereof one or more new Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an aggregate principal amount equal to the untransferred or unexchanged portion of the canceled Certificated Note, registered in the name of the Holder thereof.

(4) Certificated Note to Certificated Note. If a Certificated Note is transferred or exchanged for another Certificated Note, the Trustee will (x) cancel the Certificated Note being transferred or exchanged, (y) deliver one or more new Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an aggregate principal amount equal to the principal amount of such transfer or exchange to the transferee (in the case of a transfer) or the Holder of the canceled Certificated Note (in the case of an exchange), registered in the name of such transferee or Holder, as applicable, and (z) if such transfer or exchange involves less than the entire principal amount of the canceled Certificated Note, deliver to the Holder thereof one or

 

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more Certificated Notes in authorized denominations having an aggregate principal amount equal to the untransferred or unexchanged portion of the canceled Certificated Note, registered in the name of the Holder thereof.

Section 2.10. Restrictions on Transfer and Exchange. The transfer or exchange of any Note (or a beneficial interest therein) may only be made in accordance with Section 2.09 and, in the case of a Global Note (or a beneficial interest therein), the applicable rules and procedures of the Depositary. The Trustee shall refuse to register any requested transfer or exchange that does not comply with the preceding sentence.

ARTICLE III

REDEMPTION; OFFER TO PURCHASE

Section 3.01. Optional Redemption. At any time and from time to time on or after December 1, 2010, the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to the percentage of principal amount set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date.

 

12-. month period

commencing

December 1,

   Percentage  

2010

   103.938 %

2011

   102.625 %

2012

   101.313 %

2013 and thereafter

   100.000 %

Section 3.02. Redemption with Proceeds of Public Equity Offering. At any time and from time to time prior to December 1, 2008, the Company may redeem Notes with the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company from one or more sales of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) at a redemption price equal to 107.875% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, provided that at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of Notes originally issued on the Closing Date remains outstanding after each such redemption and notice of any such redemption is mailed within 90 days of each such sale of Capital Stock.

Section 3.03. Method and Effect of Redemption

(a) If the Company elects to redeem Notes, it must notify the Trustee of the redemption date and the principal amount of Notes to be redeemed by delivering an Officers’ Certificate not less than 15 days nor more than 90 days before the redemption date. If fewer than all of the Notes are being redeemed, the Officers’ Certificate must also specify a record date not less than 15 days after the date of the notice of redemption is given to the Trustee, and the Trustee will select the Notes for redemption (1) in compliance with the requirements of the principal national securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes are listed, or, (2) if the

 

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Notes are not listed on a national securities exchange, by lot or by such other method as the Trustee in its sole discretion shall deem to be fair and appropriate, in each case in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and multiples thereof. The Trustee will notify the Company promptly of the Notes or portions of Notes to be called for redemption. Notice of redemption must be sent by the Company or at the Company’s request, by the Trustee in the name and at the expense of the Company, to Holders whose Notes are to be redeemed at least 10 days but not more than 90 days before the redemption date, except where DTC requires a longer period.

(b) The notice of redemption will identify the Notes (including the CUSIP numbers) to be redeemed and will include or state the following:

(1) the redemption date;

(2) the redemption price, including the portion thereof representing any accrued interest;

(3) the place or places where Notes are to be surrendered for redemption;

(4) Notes called for redemption must be so surrendered in order to collect the redemption price;

(5) on the redemption date the redemption price will become due and payable on Notes called for redemption, and interest on Notes called for redemption will cease to accrue on and after the redemption date;

(6) if any Note is redeemed in part, on and after the redemption date, upon surrender of such Note, new Notes equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion will be issued; and

(7) if any Note contains a CUSIP or CINS number, no representation is being made as to the correctness of the CUSIP or CINS number either as printed on the Notes or as contained in the notice of redemption and that the Holder should rely only on the other identification numbers printed on the Notes.

(c) Once notice of redemption is sent to the Holders, Notes called for redemption become due and payable at the redemption price on the redemption date, and upon surrender of the Notes called for redemption, the Company shall redeem such Notes at the redemption price. Commencing on the redemption date, Notes redeemed will cease to accrue interest. Upon surrender of any Note redeemed in part, the Holder will receive a new Note equal in principal amount to the unredeemed portion of the surrendered Note.

 

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ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

Section 4.01. Payment of Notes. The Company shall pay, or cause to be paid, the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes of any series on the dates and in the manner provided in the Notes of that series and this Indenture. An installment of principal, premium, if any, or interest shall be considered paid on the date due if the Trustee or Paying Agent (other than the Company, a Subsidiary of the Company, or any Affiliate of any of them) holds as of 10:00 a.m. (New York City time) on that date money designated for and sufficient to pay the installment. If the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company or any Affiliate of any of them acts as Paying Agent, an installment of principal, premium, if any, or interest shall be considered paid on the due date if the entity acting as Paying Agent complies with the last sentence of Section 2.02. As provided in Section 6.07, upon any bankruptcy or reorganization procedure relative to the Company, the Trustee shall serve as the Paying Agent, if any, for the Notes.

The Company shall pay interest on overdue principal and premium, if any, and interest on overdue installments of interest, to the extent lawful, at the rate per annum specified in the Notes.

Section 4.02. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Company will maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, an office or agency where Notes of one or more series may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange or for presentation for payment and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Notes of those series and this Indenture may be served. The Company will give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of such office or agency. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, such presentations, surrenders, notices and demands may be made or served at the address of the Trustee set forth in Section 11.03.

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies where the Notes of one or more series may be presented or surrendered for any or all such purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided that no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, for such purposes. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

The Company hereby initially designates the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee as such office of the Company in accordance with Section 2.03.

 

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Section 4.03. Limitation on Indebtedness and Issuances of Preferred Stock

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any of its Restricted Subsidiaries to, Incur any Indebtedness, including Disqualified Stock (other than the Notes, any Notes Guarantees, the 2013 Notes, the 2011 Notes and Indebtedness existing on the Closing Date), and the Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to issue Preferred Stock; provided that the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor may Incur Indebtedness and any Restricted Subsidiary may Incur Acquired Indebtedness if, after giving effect to the Incurrence of such Indebtedness and the receipt and application of the proceeds therefrom, the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio would be greater than 2.5:1.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary (except as specified below) may Incur each and all of the following:

(1) Indebtedness of the Company under any Credit Facility in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding (with letters of credit being deemed to have a principal amount equal to the maximum potential liability of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries thereunder) not to exceed $300 million;

(2) Indebtedness owed (A) to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor evidenced by an unsubordinated promissory note or (B) to any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary; provided that (x) any event which results in any such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary ceasing to be a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary or any subsequent transfer of such Indebtedness (other than to the Company or another Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary) shall be deemed, in each case, to constitute an Incurrence of such Indebtedness not permitted by this clause (2) and (y) if the Company (or any Subsidiary that is a Subsidiary Guarantor at the time such Indebtedness is Incurred) is the obligor on such Indebtedness, such Indebtedness must be expressly contractually subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, in the case of the Company, or the Note Guarantee, in the case of a Subsidiary Guarantor;

(3) Indebtedness issued in exchange for, or the net proceeds of which are used to refinance or refund, then outstanding Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness outstanding under clause (1), (2) or (4)) and any refinancings thereof in an amount not to exceed the amount so refinanced or refunded (plus premiums, accrued interest, fees and expenses); provided that (a) Indebtedness the proceeds of which are used to refinance or refund the Notes or Indebtedness that is pari passu with, or subordinated in right of payment to, the Notes or a Note Guarantee shall only be permitted under this clause (3) if (x) in case the Notes are refinanced in part or the Indebtedness to be refinanced is pari passu with

 

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the Notes or a Note Guarantee, such new Indebtedness, by its terms or by the terms of any agreement or instrument pursuant to which such new Indebtedness is outstanding, is expressly made pari passu with, or subordinate in right of payment to, the remaining Notes or the Note Guarantee, or (y) in case the Indebtedness to be refinanced is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or a Note Guarantee, such new Indebtedness, by its terms or by the terms of any agreement or instrument pursuant to which such new Indebtedness is issued or remains outstanding, is expressly made subordinate in right of payment to the Notes or the Note Guarantee at least to the extent that the Indebtedness to be refinanced is subordinated to the Notes or the Note Guarantee, (b) such new Indebtedness, determined as of the date of Incurrence of such new Indebtedness, does not mature prior to the Stated Maturity of the Indebtedness to be refinanced or refunded, and the Average Life of such new Indebtedness is at least equal to the remaining Average Life of the Indebtedness to be refinanced or refunded and (c) such new Indebtedness is Incurred by the Company or a Subsidiary Guarantor or by the Restricted Subsidiary that is the obligor on the Indebtedness to be refinanced or refunded;

(4) Indebtedness of the Company, to the extent the net proceeds thereof are promptly (A) used to purchase Notes, 2013 Notes or 2011 Notes tendered in an Offer to Purchase made as a result of a Change in Control or (B) deposited to defease the Notes, 2013 Notes or 2011 Notes as set forth in Article 8; and

(5) Guarantees of Indebtedness of the Company or of any Restricted Subsidiary by any Restricted Subsidiary provided the Guarantee of such Indebtedness is permitted by and made in accordance with Section 4.07.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 4.03, the maximum amount of Indebtedness that may be Incurred pursuant to this Section 4.03 will not be deemed to be exceeded, with respect to any outstanding Indebtedness due solely to the result of fluctuations in the exchange rates of currencies or due to fluctuations in the value of commodities or securities which underlie such Indebtedness. For the purposes of determining compliance with any restriction on the Incurrence of Indebtedness (x), the U.S dollar equivalent principal amount of any Indebtedness denominated in a foreign currency shall be calculated based on the relevant currency exchange rate in effect on the date such Indebtedness was Incurred, in the case of term debt, or first committed, in the case of revolving credit debt and (y) the principal amount of any Indebtedness which is calculated by reference to any underlying security or commodity shall be calculated based on the relevant closing price of such commodity or security on the date such Indebtedness was incurred.

 

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(c) For purposes of determining any particular amount of Indebtedness under this Section 4.03, (x) Indebtedness outstanding under any Credit Facility on the Closing Date shall be treated as Incurred pursuant to clause (1) of the second paragraph of clause (a) of this Section 4.03, (y) Guarantees, Liens or obligations with respect to letters of credit supporting Indebtedness otherwise included in the determination of such particular amount shall not be included and (z) any Liens granted pursuant to the equal and ratable provisions referred to in Section 4.09 shall not be treated as Indebtedness. For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.03, if an item of Indebtedness meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Indebtedness described above (other than Indebtedness referred to in clause (x) of the preceding sentence), including under the first paragraph of part (a), the Company, in its sole discretion, shall classify, and from time to time may reclassify, such item of Indebtedness.

(d) Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary Guarantor will Incur any Indebtedness if such Indebtedness is subordinate in right of payment to any other Indebtedness unless such Indebtedness is also subordinate in right of payment to the Notes or the applicable Note Guarantee to the same extent.

(e) The Company will not permit any Regulated Subsidiary (x) to Incur any Indebtedness the proceeds of which are not invested in the business of such Bank Regulated Subsidiary (or any Subsidiary of such Bank Regulated Subsidiary) or such Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary (or any Subsidiary of such Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary which is also a Regulated Subsidiary) and (y) to Incur any Indebtedness for the purpose, directly or indirectly, of dividending or distributing the proceeds of such Indebtedness to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary; except that the Incurrence of Indebtedness by a Regulated Subsidiary that does not comply with (x) and (y) above shall be permitted provided that such Incurrence complies with paragraph (a) of this Section 4.03 as if such paragraph applied to such Regulated Subsidiary.

Section 4.04. Limitation on Restricted Payments.

(a) The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly,

(1) declare or pay any dividend or make any distribution on or with respect to its Capital Stock held by Persons other than the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries (other than (w) dividends or distributions payable solely in shares of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) or in options, warrants or other rights to acquire shares of such Capital Stock, (x) pro rata dividends or distributions on Common Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries held by minority stockholders, (y) dividends or distributions on non-voting Preferred Stock the proceeds from the sale of which were invested in the business of such Regulated Subsidiary (or any Subsidiary of such Regulated Subsidiary which is also a Regulated Subsidiary), and (z) pro rata dividends on Preferred Stock of Subsidiaries that are real estate investment trusts, including Highland REIT, Inc., held by minority stockholders;

 

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(2) purchase, call for redemption or redeem, retire or otherwise acquire for value any shares of Capital Stock of (A) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor (including options, warrants or other rights to acquire such shares of Capital Stock) held by any Person (other than the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Regulated Subsidiary) or (B) a Restricted Subsidiary or Subsidiary Guarantor (including options, warrants or other rights to acquire such shares of Capital Stock) held by any Affiliate of the Company (other than the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiary);

(3) make any voluntary or optional principal payment, or voluntary or optional redemption, repurchase, defeasance, or other acquisition or retirement for value, of Indebtedness of the Company that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any Indebtedness of a Subsidiary Guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to a Note Guarantee; or

(4) (a) with respect to the Company and any Restricted Subsidiary, make any Investment, other than a Permitted Investment, in any Person, and (b) with respect to any Regulated Subsidiary, make any Investment in an Unrestricted Subsidiary (such payments or any other actions described in clauses (1) through (4) above being collectively “Restricted Payments”);

if, at the time of, and after giving effect to, the proposed Restricted Payment:

(A) a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

(B) the Company could not Incur at least $1.00 of Indebtedness under the first paragraph of part (a) of Section 4.03;

(C) the subsidiary subject to the Restricted Payment is both a Regulated Subsidiary and a Significant Subsidiary that is not in compliance with applicable regulatory capital or other material requirements of its regulators, such as the OTS or FDIC, or any applicable state, federal or self regulatory organization, or would fail to be in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements as a consequence of the payment; or

(D) the aggregate amount of all Restricted Payments made after the Closing Date shall exceed the sum of

(1) 50% of the aggregate amount of the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income (or, if the Adjusted Consolidated Net Income is a loss, minus

 

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100% of the amount of such loss) accrued on a cumulative basis during the period (taken as one accounting period) beginning on April 1, 2004 and ending on the last day of such fiscal quarter preceding the Transaction Date for which reports have been filed with the SEC or provided to the Trustee, provided that such Adjusted Consolidated Net Income may only be recognized during those quarters for which the Company has filed reports with the SEC to the extent provided in Section 4.15 or has furnished comparable financial information to the Trustee plus

(2) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company after April 1, 2004 as a capital contribution or from the issuance and sale of its Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock or Preferred Stock) to a Person who is not a Subsidiary of the Company, including an issuance or sale permitted by the Indenture of Indebtedness of the Company for cash subsequent to April 1, 2004 upon the conversion of such Indebtedness into Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company, or from the issuance to a Person who is not a Subsidiary of the Company of any options, warrants or other rights to acquire Capital Stock of the Company (in each case, exclusive of any Disqualified Stock or any options, warrants or other rights that are redeemable at the option of the holder, or are required to be redeemed, prior to the Stated Maturity of the Notes) plus

(3) an amount equal to the net reduction in Investments (other than reductions in Permitted Investments) in any Person resulting from payments of interest on Indebtedness, dividends, repayments of loans or advances, or other transfers of assets, in each case to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary or from the Net Cash Proceeds from the sale of any such Investment (except, in each case, to the extent any such payment or proceeds are included in the calculation of Adjusted Consolidated Net Income), from the release of any Guarantee or from redesignations of Unrestricted Subsidiaries as Restricted Subsidiaries (valued in each case as provided in the definition of “Investments”), not to exceed, in each case, the amount of Investments previously made by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary in such Person or Unrestricted Subsidiary plus

(4) $100 million.

(b) The foregoing provision shall not be violated by reason of:

(1) the payment of any dividend or redemption of any Capital Stock within 60 days after the related date of declaration or call for redemption if, at said date of declaration or call for redemption, such payment or redemption would comply with the preceding paragraph;

(2) the redemption, repurchase, defeasance or other acquisition or retirement for value of Indebtedness that is subordinated in right of

 

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payment to the Notes or any Note Guarantee including premium, if any, and accrued interest, with the proceeds of, or in exchange for, Indebtedness Incurred under clause (3) of the second paragraph of part (a) of Section 4.03;

(3) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of Capital Stock of the Company, a Subsidiary Guarantor, a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary (or options, warrants or other rights to acquire such Capital Stock) or a dividend on such Capital Stock in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of a capital contribution or a substantially concurrent offering of, shares of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (or options, warrants or other rights to acquire such Capital Stock); provided that such options, warrants or other rights are not redeemable at the option of the holder, or required to be redeemed, in each case other than in connection with a Change of Control of the Company (provided that prior to any such repurchase, redemption or other acquisition in connection with a change of control, the Company has made an Offer to Purchase and purchased all Notes, 2013 Notes and 2011 Notes validly tendered for payment in accordance with Section 4.12), prior to the respective Stated Maturity of the Notes, 2013 Notes and 2011 Notes;

(4) the making of any principal payment or the repurchase, redemption, retirement, defeasance or other acquisition for value of Indebtedness which is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any Note Guarantee in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of a capital contribution or a substantially concurrent offering of, shares of the Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company (or options, warrants or other rights to acquire such Capital Stock); provided that such options, warrants or other rights are not redeemable at the option of the holder, or required to be redeemed, in each case other than in connection with a Change of Control of the Company (provided that prior to any such repurchase, redemption or other acquisition in connection with a change of control, the Company has made an Offer to Purchase and purchased all Notes, 2013 Notes and 2011 Notes validly tendered for payment in accordance with Section 4.12), prior to the respective Stated Maturity of the Notes, 2013 Notes and 2011 Notes;

(5) payments or distributions to dissenting stockholders pursuant to applicable law, pursuant to or in connection with a consolidation, merger or transfer of assets of the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Regulated Subsidiary and that, in the case of the Company, comply with the provisions of the Indenture applicable to mergers, consolidations and transfers of all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company;

 

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(6) Investments acquired as a capital contribution to, or in exchange for, or out of the proceeds of a substantially concurrent offering of, Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company;

(7) the repurchase of Capital Stock deemed to occur upon the exercise of options or warrants if such Capital Stock represents all or a portion of the exercise price thereof;

(8) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of the Company’s Capital Stock (or options, warrants or other rights to acquire such Capital Stock) from Persons who are, or were formerly, employees of the Company and their Affiliates, heirs and executors; provided that the aggregate amount of all such repurchases pursuant to this clause (8) shall not exceed $50 million;

(9) the repurchase of Common Stock of the Company, or the declaration or payment of dividends on Common Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company; provided that the aggregate amount of all such declarations, payments or repurchases pursuant to this clause (9) shall not exceed $100 million in any fiscal year; provided further that at the time of declaration of such dividend or at the time of such repurchase (x) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, and (y) the Company is able to Incur at least an additional $1.00 of Indebtedness pursuant to the first paragraph of Section 4.03; or

(10) the repurchase, redemption or other acquisition of the Outstanding Convertible Notes,

provided that, except in the case of clause (1), no Default or Event of Default (excluding, in each case, clause (i) of Section 6.01) shall have occurred and be continuing or occur as a consequence of the actions or payments set forth therein.

(c) Each Restricted Payment permitted pursuant to the preceding paragraph (other than the Restricted Payment referred to in clause (10) thereof, clause (2) thereof, an exchange of Capital Stock for Capital Stock or Indebtedness referred to in clause (3) or (4) thereof, an Investment acquired as a capital contribution or in exchange for Capital Stock referred to in clause (6) thereof, the repurchase of Capital Stock referred to in clause (7) thereof, the repurchase of Common Stock referred to in clause (9) thereof), and the Net Cash Proceeds from any issuance of Capital Stock referred to in clause (3), (4) or (6), shall be included in calculating whether the conditions of clause (D) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.04 have been met with respect to any subsequent Restricted Payments. If the proceeds of an issuance of Capital Stock of the Company are used for the redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of the Notes, or Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes or any Note Guarantee, then the Net Cash Proceeds of such issuance shall be included in clause (D) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.04 only to the extent such proceeds are not used for such redemption, repurchase or other acquisition of Indebtedness.

 

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(d) For purposes of determining compliance with this Section 4.04, (x) the amount, if other than in cash, of any Restricted Payment shall be determined in good faith by the Board of Directors, whose determination shall be conclusive and evidenced by a Board Resolution and (y) if a Restricted Payment meets the criteria of more than one of the types of Restricted Payments described in the above clauses, including the first paragraph of this Section 4.04, the Company, in its sole discretion, may order and classify, and from time to time may reclassify, such Restricted Payment if it would have been permitted at the time such Restricted Payment was made and at the time of such reclassification.

Section 4.05. Limitation on Dividend and Other Payment Restrictions Affecting Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to, create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the ability of any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary (other than any Subsidiary Guarantor) to

(1) pay dividends or make any other distributions permitted by applicable law on any Capital Stock of such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary owned by the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary;

(2) pay any Indebtedness owed to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary;

(3) make loans or advances to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary; or

(4) transfer any of its property or assets to the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary.

The foregoing provisions shall not restrict any encumbrances or restrictions:

(1) existing on the Closing Date in any Credit Facility, the Indentures or any other agreements in effect on the Closing Date, and any extensions, refinancings, renewals or replacements of such agreements; provided that the encumbrances and restrictions in any such extensions, refinancings, renewals or replacements taken as a whole are no less favorable in any material respect to the Holders than those encumbrances or restrictions that are then in effect and that are being extended, refinanced, renewed or replaced;

(2) existing under or by reason of applicable law including rules and regulations of and agreements with any regulatory authority

 

46


having jurisdiction over the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary, or any Regulated Subsidiary, including, but not limited to the OTS, the FDIC, the SEC or any self regulatory organization of which such Regulated Subsidiary is a member, or the imposition of conditions or requirements pursuant to the enforcement authority of any such regulatory authority;

(3) existing with respect to any Person or the property or assets of such Person acquired by the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, existing at the time of such acquisition and not incurred in contemplation thereof, which encumbrances or restrictions are not applicable to any Person or the property or assets of any Person other than such Person or the property or assets of such Person so acquired and any extensions, refinancings, renewals or replacements thereof; provided that the encumbrances and restrictions in any such extensions, refinancings, renewals or replacements taken as a whole are no less favorable in any material respect to the Holders than those encumbrances or restrictions that are then in effect and that are being extended, refinanced, renewed or replaced;

(4) in the case of clause (4) of the first paragraph of this Section 4.05:

(A) that restrict in a customary manner the subletting, assignment or transfer of any property or asset that is a lease, license, conveyance or contract or similar property or asset;

(B) existing by virtue of any transfer of, agreement to transfer, option or right with respect to, or Lien on, any property or assets of the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Regulated Subsidiary not otherwise prohibited by the Indenture; or

(C) arising or agreed to in the ordinary course of business, not relating to any Indebtedness, and that do not, individually or in the aggregate, detract from the value of property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary in any manner material to the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary taken as a whole; or

(5) with respect to a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary and imposed pursuant to an agreement that has been entered into for the sale or disposition of all or substantially all of the Capital Stock of, or property and assets of, such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary.

Nothing contained in this Section 4.05 shall prevent the Company, any Restricted Subsidiary or any Regulated Subsidiary from (1) creating, incurring,

 

47


assuming or suffering to exist any Liens otherwise permitted in Section 4.09 or (2) restricting the sale or other disposition of property or assets of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries that secure Indebtedness of the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries.

Section 4.06. Limitation on the Issuance and Sale of Capital Stock of Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries. The Company will not sell, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to issue or sell, any shares of Capital Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary (including options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of such Capital Stock) except:

(1) (i) with respect to the capital stock of a Restricted Subsidiary, to the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or, (ii) in the case of Regulated Subsidiary, to the Company, a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or a Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiary;

(2) issuances of director’s qualifying shares or sales to foreign nationals of shares of Capital Stock of foreign Restricted Subsidiaries, to the extent required by applicable law;

(3) if, immediately after giving effect to such issuance or sale, such Restricted Subsidiary would no longer constitute a Restricted Subsidiary and any Investment in such Person remaining after giving effect to such issuance or sale would have been permitted to be made under Section 4.04 if made on the date of such issuance or sale;

(4) (i) sales of Common Stock (including options, warrants or other rights to purchase shares of such Common Stock but excluding Disqualified Stock) of a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary by the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary, provided that the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary applies the Net Cash Proceeds of any such sale in accordance with clause (A) or (B) of Section 4.11 and (ii) issuances of Preferred Stock of a Restricted Subsidiary if such Restricted Subsidiary would be entitled to Incur such Indebtedness under Section 4.03; or

(5) sales of Capital Stock, other than Common Stock, by a Regulated Subsidiary or a Subsidiary of such Regulated Subsidiary, the proceeds of which are invested in the business of such Regulated Subsidiary.

Section 4.07. Future Subsidiary Guarantees. The Company will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, directly or indirectly, to Guarantee any Indebtedness (“Guaranteed Indebtedness”) of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary (other than a Foreign Subsidiary), unless (a) such

 

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Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, to the extent permitted by law, simultaneously executes and delivers a supplemental indenture to the Indenture providing for a Guarantee (a “Subsidiary Guarantee”) of payment of the Notes by such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary and (b) such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary waives and will not in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any rights of reimbursement, indemnity or subrogation or any other rights against the Company or any other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary as a result of any payment by such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary under its Subsidiary Guarantee until the Notes have been paid in full. The obligations of any such future Subsidiary Guarantor will be limited so as not to constitute a fraudulent conveyance under applicable federal or state laws.

If the Guaranteed Indebtedness is (A) pari passu in right of payment with the Notes or any Note Guarantee, then the Guarantee of such Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be pari passu in right of payment with, or subordinated to, the Subsidiary Guarantee or (B) subordinated in right of payment to the Notes or any Note Guarantee, then the Guarantee of such Guaranteed Indebtedness shall be subordinated in right of payment to the Subsidiary Guarantee at least to the extent that the Guaranteed Indebtedness is subordinated to the Notes or the Notes Guarantee.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Subsidiary Guarantee by a Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary may provide by its terms that it shall be automatically and unconditionally released and discharged upon any:

(1) sale, exchange or transfer, to any Person not an Affiliate of the Company, of all of the Company’s and each Restricted Subsidiary’s and Regulated Subsidiary’s Capital Stock in, or all or substantially all the assets of, such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary (which sale, exchange or transfer is not prohibited by the Indenture) or upon the designation of such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary as an Unrestricted Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of the Indenture; or

(2) the release or discharge of the Guarantee which resulted in the creation of such Subsidiary Guarantee, except a discharge or release by or as a result of payment under such Guarantee.

Section 4.08. Limitation on Transactions with Shareholders and Affiliates. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into, renew or extend any transaction (including, without limitation, the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of property or assets, or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate of the Company or any Affiliates of any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, except upon fair and reasonable terms no less favorable to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary than could be obtained, at the time of such transaction or, if such transaction is pursuant to a written agreement, at the time of the execution of the agreement providing therefor, in a comparable arm’s-length transaction with a Person that is not such a holder or an Affiliate.

 

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The foregoing limitation does not limit, and shall not apply to:

(1) transactions (A) approved by a majority of the disinterested members of the Board of Directors or (B) for which the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary delivers to the Trustee a written opinion of a nationally recognized investment banking, accounting, valuation or appraisal firm stating that the transaction is fair to the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary from a financial point of view;

(2) any transaction solely among the Company, its Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries or its Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiaries or any combination thereof;

(3) the payment of reasonable and customary regular fees to directors of the Company who are not employees of the Company and customary indemnification arrangements entered into by the Company;

(4) any payments or other transactions pursuant to any tax-sharing agreement between the Company and any other Person with which the Company files a consolidated tax return or with which the Company is part of a consolidated group for tax purposes;

(5) any sale of shares of Capital Stock (other than Disqualified Stock) of the Company;

(6) the granting or performance of registration rights under a written agreement and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company, containing customary terms, taken as a whole;

(7) loans to an Affiliate who is an officer, director or employee of the Company, a Restricted Subsidiary or a Regulated Subsidiary by a Regulated Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business in accordance with Sections 7 and 13(k) of the Exchange Act;

(8) deposit, checking, banking and brokerage products and services typically offered to our customers on substantially the same terms and conditions as those offered to our customers, or in the case of a Bank Regulated Subsidiary, as otherwise permitted under Regulation O promulgated by the Board of Governors of under the Federal Reserve System; or

(9) any Permitted Investments or any Restricted Payments not prohibited by Section 4.04.

 

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, any transaction or series of related transactions covered by the first paragraph of this Section 4.08 and not covered by clauses (2) through (6) of this paragraph, (a) the aggregate amount of which exceeds $15 million in value, must be approved or determined to be fair in the manner provided for in clause (l)(A) or (B) above and (b) the aggregate amount of which exceeds $25 million in value, must be determined to be fair in the manner provided for in clause (l)(B) above.

Section 4.09. Limitation on Liens. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien on any of its assets or properties of any character, or any shares of Capital Stock or Indebtedness of any Restricted Subsidiary, without making effective provision for all of the Notes and all other amounts due under the Indenture to be directly secured equally and ratably with (or, if the obligation or liability to be secured by such Lien is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes, prior to) the obligation or liability secured by such Lien.

The foregoing limitation does not apply to:

(1) Liens existing on the Closing Date;

(2) Liens granted after the Closing Date on any assets or Capital Stock of the Company or its Restricted Subsidiaries created in favor of the Holders;

(3) Liens with respect to the assets of a Restricted Subsidiary granted by such Restricted Subsidiary to the Company or a Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiary or Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiary to secure Indebtedness owing to the Company or such other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary;

(4) Liens securing Indebtedness which is Incurred to refinance secured Indebtedness which is permitted to be Incurred under clause (3) of the second paragraph of Section 4.03; provided that such Liens do not extend to or cover any property or assets of the Company or any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary other than the property or assets securing the Indebtedness being refinanced;

(5) Liens securing Indebtedness (including Hedging Obligations with respect thereto) in an aggregate amount not to exceed the greater of (x) $300 million and (y) an amount equal to the Secured Indebtedness Cap on the date on which such Lien is to be incurred;

(6) Liens (including extensions and renewals thereof) upon real or personal property acquired after the Closing Date; provided that (a) any such Lien is created solely for the purpose of securing Indebtedness Incurred, in accordance with Section 4.03, to finance the cost (including the cost of improvement or construction and fees and expenses related to

 

51


the acquisition) of the item of property or assets subject thereto and such Lien is created prior to, at the time of or within twelve months after the later of the acquisition, the completion of construction or the commencement of full operation of such property, (b) the principal amount of the Indebtedness secured by such Lien does not exceed 100% of such cost and (c) any such Lien shall not extend to or cover any property or assets other than such item of property or assets and any improvements on such item;

(7) Liens on cash set aside at the time of the Incurrence of any Indebtedness, or government securities purchased with such cash, in either case to the extent that such cash or government securities pre-fund the payment of interest on such Indebtedness and are held in a collateral or escrow account or similar arrangement to be applied for such purpose;

(8) Liens incurred by the Company or a Restricted Subsidiary for the benefit of a Regulated Subsidiary in the ordinary course of business including Liens incurred in the Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary’s securities business with respect to obligations that do not exceed $200 million at any one time outstanding and that are not incurred in connection with the borrowing of money or the obtaining of advances or credit (other than trade credit in the ordinary course of business); or

(9) Permitted Liens.

Section 4.10. Limitation on Sale-leaseback Transactions. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to, enter into any Sale-Leaseback Transaction involving any of its assets or properties whether now owned or hereafter acquired.

The foregoing restriction does not apply to any Sale-Leaseback Transaction if:

(1) the lease is for a period, including renewal rights, of not in excess of three years;

(2) the lease secures or relates to industrial revenue or pollution control bonds;

(3) the transaction is solely among the Company, its Wholly Owned Restricted Subsidiaries or its Wholly Owned Regulated Subsidiaries or any combination thereof; or

(4) the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, within 12 months after the sale or transfer of any assets or properties is completed, applies an amount not less than the net proceeds received from such sale in accordance with clause (A) or (B) of the third paragraph of Section 4.11.

 

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Section 4.11. Limitation on Asset Sales. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to, consummate any Asset Sale, unless (1) the consideration received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary is at least equal to the fair market value of the assets sold or disposed of and (2) at least 75% of the consideration received consists of (a) cash or Temporary Cash Investments, (b) the assumption of unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or Indebtedness of any other Restricted Subsidiary (in each case, other than Indebtedness owed to the Company), provided that the Company, such Subsidiary Guarantor, such Restricted Subsidiary, as the case may be is irrevocably and unconditionally released from all liability under such Indebtedness or (c) Replacement Assets.

The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to consummate any Regulated Sale unless (1) the consideration received by the Company or such Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary is at least equal to the fair market value of the assets sold or disposed of and (2) at least 75% of the consideration received consists of (a) cash or Temporary Cash Investments, (b) the assumption of unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor or Indebtedness of any other Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary (in each case, other than Indebtedness owed to the Company), provided that the Company, such Subsidiary Guarantor, such Restricted Subsidiary or such Regulated Subsidiary, as the case may be is irrevocably and unconditionally released from all liability under such Indebtedness or (c) Replacement Assets.

If and to the extent that the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries (excluding the first $300 million of Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries from Asset Sales and Regulated Sales after the Closing Date) from one or more Asset Sales or Regulated Sales in any period of 12 consecutive months exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Worth (determined as of the date closest to the commencement of such 12 month period for which a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries has been filed with the SEC or provided to the Trustee), then the Company shall or shall cause the relevant Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to:

(1) within twelve months after the date Net Cash Proceeds so received exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Worth,

(A) apply an amount equal to such excess Net Cash Proceeds to permanently repay unsubordinated Indebtedness of the Company or Indebtedness or to redeem or repurchase Capital Stock, otherwise permitted by the Indenture, of any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary, in each case owing to or owned by a Person other than the Company or any Affiliate of the Company; or

 

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(B) invest an equal amount, or the amount not so applied pursuant to clause (A) (or enter into a definitive agreement committing to so invest within 12 months after the date of such agreement), in Replacement Assets; and

(2) apply (no later than the end of the 12-month period referred to in clause (1)) such excess Net Cash Proceeds (to the extent not applied pursuant to clause (1)) as provided in the following paragraphs of this Section 4.11.

If and to the extent that the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Company or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries or Regulated Subsidiaries from one or more Regulated Sales in any period of 12 consecutive months exceed 10% of Consolidated Net Worth (determined as of the date closest to the commencement of such 12 month period for which a consolidated balance sheet of the Company and its Subsidiaries has been filed with the SEC or provided to the Trustee), then the Company shall or shall cause the relevant Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to apply (no later than the end of the 12-month period referred to in clause (1)) such excess Net Cash Proceeds (to the extent not applied pursuant to clause (1)) as provided in the following paragraphs of this Section 4.11.

The amount of such excess Net Cash Proceeds required to be applied (or to be committed to be applied) during such 12-month period as set forth in clause (1) of the preceding sentence and not applied as so required by the end of such period shall constitute “Excess Proceeds.”

If, as of the first day of any calendar month, the aggregate amount of Excess Proceeds not theretofore subject to an Offer to Purchase pursuant to this Section 4.11 totals at least $50 million, the Company must commence, not later than the fifteenth Business Day of such month, and consummate an Offer to Purchase from the Holders (and if required by the terms of any Indebtedness that is pari passu with the Notes (“Pari passu Indebtedness”), from the holders of such Pari passu Indebtedness) on a pro rata basis an aggregate principal amount of Notes (and Pari Passu Indebtedness) equal to the Excess Proceeds on such date, at a purchase price equal to 100% of their principal amount, plus, in each case, accrued interest (if any) to the Payment Date.

To the extent that the aggregate amount of Notes and Pari passu Indebtedness so validly tendered and not properly withdrawn pursuant to an Offer to Purchase is less than the Excess Proceeds, the Company may use any remaining Excess Proceeds for any other purpose which is permitted by the Indenture.

If the aggregate principal amount of Notes surrendered by holders thereof and other Pari passu Indebtedness surrendered by holders or lenders, collectively, exceeds the amount of Excess Proceeds, the Trustee shall select the Notes and Pari Passu Indebtedness to be purchased on a pro rata basis on the basis of the aggregate principal amount of tendered Notes and Pari passu Indebtedness. Upon completion of such Offer to Purchase, the amount of Excess Proceeds shall be reset to zero.

 

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Section 4.12. Repurchase of Notes Upon a Change of Control. The Company must commence, within 30 days of the later of (1) the occurrence of a Change of Control, and (2) a Rating Decline, and consummate an Offer to Purchase for all Notes then outstanding, at a purchase price equal to 101% of their principal amount, plus accrued interest (if any) to the Payment Date; provided that the Company shall not be required to make an Offer to Purchase unless a Rating Decline occurs.

The Company will not be required to make an Offer to Purchase upon the occurrence of a Change of Control, if a third party makes an offer to purchase the Notes in the manner, at the times and price and otherwise in compliance with the requirements of the Indenture applicable to an Offer to Purchase for a Change of Control and purchases all Notes validly tendered and not withdrawn in such offer to purchase.

Section 4.13. Limitation on Lines of Business. The Company will not, and will not permit any Restricted Subsidiary or Regulated Subsidiary to, engage in any business other than a Related Business.

Section 4.14. Effectiveness of Covenants. The covenants set forth in Sections 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.10, 4.11, 4.13 and 4.15 will no longer be in effect upon the Company attaining Investment Grade Status (the “Terminated Covenants”). The Terminated Covenants will not be reinstated regardless of whether the Company’s credit rating is subsequently downgraded from Investment Grade Status.

Section 4.15. SEC Reports and Reports to Holders. The Company will deliver to the Trustee within 30 days after the filing of the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of the quarterly and annual reports and of the information, documents and other reports, if any, which the Company is required to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding that the Company may not be subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, the Company will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, to the extent permitted, and provide the Trustee and Holders with such annual reports and such information, documents and other reports specified in Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act, provided that the Company need not file such reports or other information if, and so long as, it would not be required to do so pursuant to Rule 12h-5 under the Exchange Act. The Company will also comply with the other provisions of the TIA, Section 314(a). Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trustee is for informational purposes only and the Trustee’s receipt of such shall not constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or determinable from information contained therein, including the Company’s compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers’ Certificates).

 

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Section 4.16. Payments of Taxes and Other Claims.

[Intentionally Omitted]

Section 4.17. Compliance Certificates.

(a) Officers of the Company must certify, on or before a date not more than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, that a review has been conducted of the activities of the Company and its Restricted Subsidiaries and Regulated Subsidiaries and the Company’s and its Restricted Subsidiaries’ and its Regulated Subsidiaries’ performance under this Indenture and that, to their knowledge, the Company has fulfilled all obligations hereunder, or, if there has been a default in the fulfillment of any such obligation, specifying each such default and the nature and status thereof. The Company will also be obligated to notify the Trustee of any default or defaults in the performance of any covenants or agreements under the Indenture. Such certificate shall contain a certification from the principal executive officer, principal financial officer or principal accounting officer of the Company as to his or her knowledge of the Company’s compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture. For purposes of this Section 4.17, such compliance shall be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice provided under this Indenture. If any of the officers of the Company signing such certificate has knowledge of such a Default or Event of Default, the certificate shall describe any such Default or Event of Default and its status. The first certificate to be delivered pursuant to this Section 4.17(a) shall be for the first fiscal year beginning after the execution of this Indenture.

(b) The Company shall deliver to the Trustee, within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, beginning with the fiscal year in which this Indenture was executed, a certificate signed by the Company’s independent certified public accountants stating (i) that their audit examination has included a review of the terms of this Indenture and the Notes as they relate to accounting matters, (ii) that they have read the most recent Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 4.17 and (iii) whether, in connection with their audit examination, anything came to their attention that caused them to believe that the Company was not in compliance with any of the terms, covenants, provisions or conditions of Article 4 and Section 5.01 of this Indenture as they pertain to accounting matters and, if any Default or Event of Default has come to their attention, specifying the nature and period of existence thereof; provided that such independent certified public accountants shall not be liable in respect of such statement by reason of any failure to obtain knowledge of any such Default or Event of Default that would not be disclosed in the course of an audit examination conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards in effect at the date of such examination. The Company shall not be required to comply with

 

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the foregoing clause (b) with respect to any fiscal year if such compliance would be contrary to the recommendations of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants so long as the Company delivers to the Trustee within 90 days after the end of such fiscal year an Officer’s Certificate stating that such compliance would be so contrary and any facts particular to the Company that may have caused such compliance to be so contrary.

Section 4.18. Waiver of Stay, Extension or Usury Laws. The Company covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner whatsoever claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or extension law or any usury law or other law wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, or that may affect the covenants or the performance of this Indenture; and (to the extent that it may lawfully do so) the Company hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage of any such law and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the execution of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit the execution of every such power as though no such law had been enacted.

ARTICLE V

CONSOLIDATION, MERGER OR SALE OF ASSETS

Section 5.01. Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets. The Company will not consolidate with, merge with or into, or sell, convey, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its property and assets (as an entirety or substantially an entirety in one transaction or a series of related transactions) to, any Person or permit any Person to merge with or into it unless:

(1) it shall be the continuing Person, or the Person (if other than it) formed by such consolidation or into which it is merged or that acquired or leased such property and assets of (the “Surviving Person”) shall be an entity organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States of America or any jurisdiction thereof and shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee, all of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture and the Notes; provided, that if such continuing Person or Person shall not be a corporation, such entity shall organize or have a wholly-owned Subsidiary in the form of a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction thereof, and shall cause such corporation to expressly assume, as a party to the supplemental indenture referenced above, as a co-obligor, each of such continuing Person or Person’s obligations under the Indenture and the Notes;

(2) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

(3) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis, the Company or the Surviving Person, as the case may be, shall have a Consolidated Net Worth equal to or greater than the Consolidated Net Worth of the Company immediately prior to such transaction;

 

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(4) immediately after giving effect to such transaction on a pro forma basis the Company or the Surviving Person, as the case may be, could Incur at least $1.00 of Indebtedness under the first paragraph of Section 4.03;

(5) it delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate (attaching the arithmetic computations to demonstrate compliance with clauses (3) and (4)) and Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that such consolidation, merger or transfer and such supplemental indenture complies with this provision and that all conditions precedent provided for herein relating to such transaction have been complied with; and

(6) each Subsidiary Guarantor, unless such Subsidiary Guarantor is the Person with which the Company has entered into a transaction under this Section 5.01, shall have by amendment to its Note Guarantee confirmed that its Note Guarantee shall apply to the obligations of the Company or the Surviving Person in accordance with the Notes and the Indenture;

provided, however, that clauses (3) and (4) above do not apply if, in the good faith determination of the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution, the principal purpose of such transaction is to change the state of organization or convert the form of organization of the Company to another form, and any such transaction shall not have as one of its purposes the evasion of the foregoing limitations.

Section 5.02. Successor Substituted. Upon any consolidation or merger, or any sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company in accordance with Section 5.01 of this Indenture, the successor Person formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or to which such sale, conveyance, transfer, lease or other disposition is made shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such successor Person had been named as the Company herein; provided that the Company shall not be released from its obligation to pay the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes in the case of a lease of all or substantially all of its property and assets.

 

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ARTICLE VI

EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

Section 6.01. Events of Default. Any of the following events shall constitute an “Event of Default” hereunder with respect to Notes of any Series:

(a) default in the payment of principal of (or premium, if any, on) any Note when the same becomes due and payable at maturity, upon acceleration, redemption or otherwise;

(b) default in the payment of interest on any Note when the same becomes due and payable, and such default continues for a period of 30 days;

(c) default in the performance or breach of the provisions of the Indenture applicable to mergers, consolidations and transfers of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company or the failure by the Company to make or consummate an Offer to Purchase in accordance with Section 4.11 or Section 4.12;

(d) the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor defaults in the performance of or breaches any other covenant or agreement in the Indenture or under the Notes (other than a default specified in clause (a), (b) or (c) of this Section 6.01) and such default or breach continues for a period of 30 consecutive days after written notice by the Trustee or the Holders of 25% or more in aggregate principal amount of the Notes;

(e) there occurs with respect to any issue or issues of Indebtedness of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary having an outstanding principal amount of $20 million or more in the aggregate for all such issues of all such Persons, whether such Indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, (I) an event of default that has caused the holder thereof to declare such Indebtedness to be due and payable prior to its Stated Maturity and such Indebtedness has not been discharged in full or such acceleration has not been rescinded or annulled within 45 days of such acceleration or (II) the failure to make a principal payment at the final (but not any interim) fixed maturity and such defaulted payment shall not have been made, waived or extended;

(f) any final judgment or order (not covered by insurance), that is non-appealable, for the payment of money in excess of $20 million in the aggregate for all such final judgments or orders against all such Persons (treating any deductibles, self-insurance or retention as not so covered) shall be rendered against the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and shall not be paid or discharged, and there shall be any period of 45 consecutive days following entry of the final judgment or order that causes the aggregate amount for all such final judgments or orders outstanding and not paid or discharged against all such Persons to exceed $20 million during which a stay of enforcement of such final judgment or order, by reason of a pending appeal or otherwise, shall not be in effect;

(g) a court having jurisdiction in the premises enters a decree or order for (A) relief in respect of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary in an involuntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, (B) appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee,

 

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custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or (C) the winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary and, in each case, such decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days;

(h) the Company or any Significant Subsidiary (A) commences a voluntary case under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or consents to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law, (B) consents to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or for all or substantially all of the property and assets of the Company or any Significant Subsidiary or (C) effects any general assignment for the benefit of creditors;

(i) failure by any Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary to meet the minimum capital requirements imposed by applicable regulatory authorities, and such condition continues for a period of 30 days after the Company or such Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary first becomes aware of such failure;

(j) failure by any Bank Regulated Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary to be at least “adequately capitalized,” as defined in regulations of applicable regulatory authorities; provided that an Event of Default under this clause (j) shall not have occurred until (x) 45 days from the time that such Bank Regulated Subsidiary has notice or is deemed to have notice of such failure unless a capital restoration plan has been filed the with OTS within that time (y) the expiration of a 90-day period commencing on the earlier the date of initial submission of a capital restoration plan to the OTS (unless such capital plan is approved by the OTS before the expiration of such 90-day period or, if the OTS has notified us that it needs additional time to determine whether to approve such capital plan, in which case such 90-day period shall be extended until the OTS determines whether to approve such capital plan, such capital plan is approved by the OTS upon the expiration of such extended period);

(k) if the Company or any Subsidiary that holds Capital Stock of a Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary shall become ineligible to hold such Capital Stock by reason of a statutory disqualification or otherwise;

(l) the Commission shall revoke the registration of any Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act or any such Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary shall fail to maintain such registration;

 

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(m) the Examining Authority (as defined in Rule 15c3-l) for any Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary shall suspend (and shall not reinstate within 10 days) or shall revoke such Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary’s status as a member organization thereof;

(n) the occurrence of any event of acceleration in a subordination agreement, as defined in Appendix D to Rule 15c3-l of the Exchange Act, to which the Company or any Broker Dealer Regulated Subsidiary that is a Significant Subsidiary is a party; or

(o) any Subsidiary Guarantor that is a Significant Subsidiary repudiates its obligations under its Note Guarantee or, except as permitted by the Indenture, any Note Guarantee is determined to be unenforceable or invalid or shall for any reason cease to be in full force and effect.

Section 6.02. Acceleration . If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 that occurs with respect to the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor) occurs and is continuing under the Indenture, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, then outstanding, by written notice to the Company (and to the Trustee if such notice is given by the Holders), may, and the Trustee at the request of such Holders shall, declare the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes to be immediately due and payable. Upon a declaration of acceleration, such principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest shall be immediately due and payable. In the event of a declaration of acceleration because an Event of Default set forth in clause (e) of Section 6.01 has occurred and is continuing, such declaration of acceleration shall be automatically rescinded and annulled if the event of default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to clause (e) of Section 6.01 shall be remedied or cured by the Company or the relevant Significant Subsidiary or waived by the holders of the relevant Indebtedness within 60 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto. If an Event of Default specified in clause (g) or (h) of Section 6.01 occurs with respect to the Company, the principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes then outstanding shall automatically become and be immediately due and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the Trustee or any Holder. The Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes by written notice to the Company and to the Trustee, may waive all past defaults and rescind and annul a declaration of acceleration and its consequences if (x) all existing Events of Default, other than the nonpayment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes that have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, have been cured or waived and (y) the rescission would not conflict with any judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction.

Section 6.03. Control by Majority . With respect to the Notes of any series, the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes may direct the time, method and place of conducting any

 

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proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee; provided that the Trustee may refuse to follow any direction that conflicts with law or this Indenture, that may involve the Trustee in personal liability, or that the Trustee determines in good faith may be unduly prejudicial to the rights of Holders of Notes not joining in the giving of such direction and may take any other action it deems proper that is not inconsistent with any such direction received from Holders of Notes of that series.

Section 6.04. Limitation on Suits. A Holder of any Note of any series may not institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture or that series of Notes, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

(1) the Holder gives the Trustee written notice of a continuing Event of Default;

(2) the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes make a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;

(3) such Holder or Holders offer the Trustee indemnity satisfactory to the Trustee against any costs, liability or expense;

(4) the Trustee does not comply with the request within 60 days after receipt of the request and the offer of indemnity; and

(5) during such 60-day period, the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes do not give the Trustee a direction that is inconsistent with the request;

For purposes of Section 6.03 of this Indenture and this Section 6.04, the Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 316(a) in making any determination of whether the Holders of the required aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes of a particular series have concurred in any request or direction of the Trustee to pursue any remedy available to the Trustee or the Holders with respect to this Indenture or the Notes of that series or otherwise under the law.

A Holder may not use this Indenture to prejudice the rights of another Holder of Notes of the same series or to obtain a preference or priority over such other Holder (it being understood that the Trustee does not have any affirmative duty to ascertain whether or not such actions or forbearances are unduly prejudicial to such Holders).

Section 6.05. Rights of Holders to Receive Payment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on, such Note or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment, on or after the due date expressed in the Notes, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of the Holder.

 

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Section 6.06. Collection Suit by Trustee. If an Event of Default in payment of principal, premium or interest of any Note specified in clause (a) or (b) of Section 6.01 occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may recover judgment in its own name and as trustee of an express trust against the Company or any other obligor of that Note for the whole amount of principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest remaining unpaid, together with interest on overdue principal, premium, if any, and, to the extent that payment of such interest is lawful, interest on overdue installments of interest, in each case at the rate specified in such Notes, and such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection, including the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel.

Section 6.07. Trustee May File Proofs of Claim. The Trustee may file such proofs of claim and other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07) and the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings relative to the Company (or any other obligor of the Notes), its creditors or its property and shall be entitled and empowered to collect and receive any monies, securities or other property payable or deliverable upon conversion or exchange of the Notes or upon any such claims and to distribute the same, and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amount due to it for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Trustee under Section 7.07. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to empower the Trustee to authorize or consent to, or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder, any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Notes or the rights of any Holder thereof, or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

Section 6.08. Priorities. If the Trustee collects any money pursuant to this Article 6, it shall pay out the money in the following order:

First: to the Trustee for all amounts due under Section 7.07;

Second: to Holders for amounts then due and unpaid for principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, according to the amounts due and payable on such Notes for principal, premium, if any, and interest, respectively; and

Third: to the Company or any other obligors of the Notes, as their interests may appear, or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.

 

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The Trustee, upon prior written notice to the Company, may fix a record date and payment date for any payment to Holders pursuant to this Section 6.08.

Section 6.09. Undertaking for Costs. In any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken or omitted by it as Trustee, a court may require any party litigant in such suit to file an undertaking to pay the costs of the suit, and the court may assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, against any party litigant in the suit having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by the party litigant. This Section 6.09 does not apply to a suit by the Trustee, a suit by a Holder pursuant to Section 6.05, or a suit by Holders of more than 10% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes of any series.

Section 6.10. Restoration of Rights and Remedies. If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or has been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then, and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, the Trustee and the Holders shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Company, Trustee and the Holders shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

Section 6.11. Rights and Remedies Cumulative. Except as otherwise provided with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or wrongfully taken Notes in Section 2.04, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

Section 6.12. Delay or Omission Not Waiver. No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article 6 or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

 

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ARTICLE VII

THE TRUSTEE

Section 7.01. General.

(a) The duties and responsibilities of the Trustee are as provided by the TIA and as set forth herein. Whether or not expressly so provided, every provision of the Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee is subject to this Article.

(b) Except during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Trustee need perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in the Indenture and no others, and no implied covenants or obligations will be read into the Indenture against the Trustee. In case an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise those rights and powers vested in it by the Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

(c) No provision of the Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct.

Section 7.02. Certain Rights of Trustee. Subject to TIA Sections 315(a) through (d):

(1) In the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, and will be protected in acting or refraining from acting, upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any fact or matter stated in the document, but, in the case of any document which is specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee pursuant to any provision hereof, the Trustee shall examine the document to determine whether it conforms to the requirements of the Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein). The Trustee, in its discretion, may make further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it sees fit.

(2) Before the Trustee acts or refrains from acting, it may require an Officers’ Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel conforming to Section 11.05 and the Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on the certificate or opinion.

 

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(3) The Trustee may act through its attorneys and agents and will not be responsible for the misconduct or negligence of any agent appointed with due care.

(4) The Trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by the Indenture at the request or direction of any of the Holders, unless such Holders have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.

(5) The Trustee will not be liable for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith that it believes to be authorized or within its rights or powers or for any action it takes or omits to take in accordance with the direction of the Holders in accordance with Section 6.05 relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under the Indenture.

(6) The Trustee may consult with counsel of its selection, and the advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel will be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon.

(7) No provision of the Indenture will require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of its rights or powers, unless it receives indemnity satisfactory to it against any loss, liability or expense.

(8) The Trustee shall not be deemed to have notice of any Default or Event of Default unless a Responsible Officer of the Trustee has actual knowledge thereof or unless written notice of any event which is in fact such a default is received by the Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and such notice references the Securities and this Indenture;

(9) the rights, privileges, protections, immunities and benefits given to the Trustee, including, without limitation, its right to be indemnified, are extended to, and shall be enforceable by, the Trustee in each of its capacities hereunder, and each agent, custodian and other Person employed to act hereunder; and

(10) the Trustee may request that the Company deliver an Officers’ Certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which Officers’ Certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officers’ Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded.

 

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Section 7.03. Individual Rights of Trustee. The Trustee, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Notes and may otherwise deal with the Company or its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not the Trustee. Any Agent may do the same with like rights. However, the Trustee is subject to TIA Sections 310(b) and 311. For purposes of TIA Section 311(b)(4) and (6):

(a) “cash transaction” means any transaction in which full payment for goods or securities sold is made within seven days after delivery of the goods or securities in currency or in checks or other orders drawn upon banks or bankers and payable upon demand; and

(b) “self-liquidating paper” means any draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation which is made, drawn, negotiated or incurred for the purpose of financing the purchase, processing, manufacturing, shipment, storage or sale of goods, wares or merchandise and which is secured by documents evidencing title to, possession of, or a lien upon, the goods, wares or merchandise or the receivables or proceeds arising from the sale of the goods, wares or merchandise previously constituting the security, provided the security is received by the Trustee simultaneously with the creation of the creditor relationship arising from the making, drawing, negotiating or incurring of the draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation.

Section 7.04. Trustee’s Disclaimer. The Trustee (i) makes no representation as to the validity or adequacy of the Indenture or the Notes, (ii) is not accountable for the Company’s use or application of the proceeds from the Notes and (iii) is not responsible for any statement in the Notes other than its certificate of authentication.

Section 7.05. Notice of Default. If any Default occurs and is continuing and is known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee will send notice of the Default to each Holder within 90 days after it occurs, unless the Default has been cured; provided that, except in the case of a default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any Note, the Trustee may withhold the notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee or a trust committee of directors of the Trustee in good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interest of the Holders. Notice to Holders under this Section will be given in the manner and to the extent provided in TIA Section 313(c).

Section 7.06. Reports by Trustee to Holders. Within 60 days after each May 15, beginning with May 15, 2006 , the Trustee will mail to each Holder, as provided in TIA Section 313(c), a brief report dated as of such May 15, if required by TIA Section 313(a), and file such reports with each stock exchange upon which its Notes are listed and with the Commission as required by TIA Section 313(d).

 

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Section 7.07. Compensation and Indemnity.

(a) The Company will pay the Trustee compensation as agreed upon in writing for its services. The compensation of the Trustee is not limited by any law on compensation of a Trustee of an express trust. The Company will reimburse the Trustee upon request for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Trustee, including the reasonable compensation and expenses of the Trustee’s agents and counsel.

(b) The Company will indemnify the Trustee for, and hold it harmless against, any and all loss, liability, damage, claim or expense, including taxes (other than taxes based upon, measured by or determined by the income of the Trustee) incurred by it without negligence or bad faith on its part arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the Indenture and its duties under the Indenture and the Notes, including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim (whether asserted by the Company, any Holder or any other Person) or liability and of complying with any process served upon it or any of its officers in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties under the Indenture and the Notes.

(c) To secure the Company’s payment obligations in this Section, the Trustee will have a lien prior to the Notes on all money or property held or collected by the Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee, except money or property held in trust to pay principal of, and interest on particular Notes.

This section shall survive the resignation or removal of the Trustee or the termination of the Indenture.

Section 7.08. Replacement of Trustee.

(a) (1) The Trustee may resign at any time by written notice to the Company.

(2) The Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may remove the Trustee by written notice to the Trustee.

(3) If the Trustee is no longer eligible under Section 7.10 or in the circumstances described in TIA Section 310(b), any Holder that satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(b) may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(4) The Company may remove the Trustee if: (i) the Trustee is no longer eligible under Section 7.10; (ii) the Trustee is adjudged a bankrupt or an insolvent; (iii) a receiver or other public officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or (iv) the Trustee becomes incapable of acting.

 

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A resignation or removal of the Trustee and appointment of a successor Trustee will become effective only upon the successor Trustee’s acceptance of appointment as provided in this Section.

(b) If the Trustee has been removed by the Holders, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes may appoint a successor Trustee with the consent of the Company. Otherwise, if the Trustee resigns or is removed, or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason, the Company will promptly appoint a successor Trustee. If the successor Trustee does not deliver its written acceptance within 30 days after the retiring Trustee resigns or is removed, the retiring Trustee, the Company or the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes may petition any court of competent jurisdiction at the expense of the Company in the case of the Trustee, for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

(c) Upon delivery by the successor Trustee of a written acceptance of its appointment to the retiring Trustee and to the Company, (i) the retiring Trustee will transfer all property held by it as Trustee to the successor Trustee, subject to the lien provided for in Section 7.07, (ii) the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee will become effective, and (iii) the successor Trustee will have all the rights, powers and duties of the Trustee under the Indenture. Upon request of any successor Trustee, the Company will execute any and all instruments for fully and vesting in and confirming to the successor Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts. The Company will give notice of any resignation and any removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all Holders, and include in the notice the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its Corporate Trust Office.

(d) Notwithstanding replacement of the Trustee pursuant to this Section, the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 will continue for the benefit of the retiring Trustee.

(e) The Trustee agrees to give the notices provided for in, and otherwise comply with, TIA Section 310(b).

Section 7.09. Successor Trustee by Merger. If the Trustee consolidates with, merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business to, another corporation or national banking association, the resulting, surviving or transferee corporation or national banking association without any further act will be the successor Trustee with the same effect as if the successor Trustee had been named as the Trustee in the Indenture.

Section 7.10. Eligibility. The Indenture must always have a Trustee that satisfies the requirements of TIA Section 310(a) and has a combined capital and surplus of at least $25,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual report of condition.

 

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Section 7.11. Money Held in Trust. The Trustee will not be liable for interest on any money received by it except as it may agree with the Company. Money held in trust by the Trustee need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law and except for money held in trust under Article 8.

ARTICLE VIII

DEFEASANCE AND DISCHARGE

Section 8.01. Discharge of Company’s Obligations.

(a) Subject to paragraph (b), the Company’s obligations under the Notes and the Indenture, and each Subsidiary Guarantor’s obligations under its Note Guarantee, will terminate if:

(1) either:

(a) all Notes that have been authenticated and delivered (other than destroyed, lost or stolen Notes that have been replaced, Notes that are paid pursuant to Section 4.01 and Notes for whose payment money or securities have theretofore been deposited in trust and thereafter repaid to the Company pursuant to Section 8.05) have been delivered to the Trustee for cancellation and the Company has paid all sums payable under such Indenture; or

(b) all Notes mature within one year or are to be called for redemption within one year and the Company has irrevocably deposited with the Trustee, as trust funds in trust solely for the benefit of the holders, money or U.S. Government Obligations sufficient, without consideration of any reinvestment of interest, to pay principal, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes to the date of maturity or redemption and all other sums payable under such Indenture;

(2) no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit and such deposit will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under such Indenture or any other instrument to which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is a party or by which the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor is bound;

(3) the Company has delivered irrevocable instructions to the Trustee to apply the deposited money toward the payment of the Notes at maturity or the redemption date, as applicable; and

 

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(4) the Company delivers to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that all conditions precedent provided for herein relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture have been complied with.

(b) After satisfying the conditions in clause (1)(a), only the Company’s obligations under Section 7.07 will survive. After satisfying the conditions in clause (1)(b), (2) and (3), only the Company’s obligations in Article 2 and Sections 4.01, 4.02, 7.07, 7.08, 8.05 and 8.06 will survive. In either case, the Trustee upon request will acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Notes and the Indenture other than the surviving obligations.

Section 8.02. Legal Defeasance. On the 123rd day following the deposit referred to in clause (1), the Company will be deemed to have paid and will be discharged from its obligations in respect of the Notes and this Indenture, other than its obligations in Article 2 and Sections 4.01, 4.02, 7.07, 7.08, 8.05 and 8.06, and each Subsidiary Guarantor’s obligations under its Note Guarantee will terminate, provided the following conditions have been satisfied:

(1) The Company has irrevocably deposited in trust with the Trustee, as trust funds solely for the benefit of the Holders, money and/or U.S. Government Obligations or a combination thereof sufficient, in the opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants expressed in a written certificate thereof delivered to the Trustee, without consideration of any reinvestment, to pay principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, provided that any redemption before maturity has been irrevocably provided for under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee.

(2) Immediately after giving effect to such deposit on a pro forma basis, no Event of Default, or event that after the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would become an Event of Default, shall have occurred and be continuing on the date of such deposit or during the period ending on the 123rd day after the date of such deposit, and such deposit shall not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound.

(3) The Company has delivered to the Trustee

(A) either (x) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such deposit,

 

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defeasance and discharge had not occurred, which Opinion of Counsel must be based upon (and accompanied by a copy of) a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service to the same effect unless there has been a charge in applicable federal income tax law after the Closing Date such that a ruling is no longer required or (y) a ruling directed to the Trustee received from the Internal Revenue Service to the same effect as the aforementioned Opinion of Counsel; and

(B) the defeasance trust is not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and, after the passage of 123 days following the deposit, the trust fund will not be subject to the effect of Section 547 of the United States Bankruptcy Code or Section 15 of the New York Debtor and Creditor Law.

(4) The Company has delivered to the Trustee an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, in each case stating that all conditions precedent provided for herein relating to the defeasance have been complied with.

Prior to the end of the 123-day period, none of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture will be discharged. Thereafter, the Trustee upon request will acknowledge in writing the discharge of the Company’s obligations under the Notes and the Indenture except for the surviving obligations specified above.

Section 8.03. Covenant Defeasance. The Company may, subject as provided herein, be released from their respective obligations to comply with, and shall have no liability in respect of any term, condition or limitation, set forth in Sections 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11 and 4.13, clauses (3) and (4) of Section 5.01, clause (c) of Section 6.01 with respect to such clauses (3) and (4) of Section 5.01, clause (d) of Section 6.01 with respect to the covenants contained in Sections 4.03, 4.04, 4.05, 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 4.09, 4.10, 4.11 and 4.13, and clauses (e) and (f) of Section 6.01 shall not constitute an Event of Default under Section 6.01 (“Covenant Defeasance”) if:

(i) The Company has complied with clauses (1), (2), 3(B), and (4) of Section 8.02; and

(ii) the Company has delivered to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that the Holders will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such deposit and defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amount and in the same manner and at the same times as would otherwise have been the case if such deposit and defeasance had not occurred.

 

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Except as specifically stated above, none of the Company’s obligations under the Indenture will be discharged.

Section 8.04. Application of Trust Money. Subject to Section 8.05, the Trustee will hold in trust the money or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with it pursuant to Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03, and apply the deposited money and the proceeds from deposited U.S. Government Obligations to the payment of principal of and interest on the Notes in accordance with the Notes and the Indenture. Such money and U.S. Government Obligations need not be segregated from other funds except to the extent required by law.

Section 8.05. Repayment to Company. Subject to Sections 7.07, 8.01, 8.02 and 8.03, the Trustee will promptly pay to the Company upon request any excess money held by the Trustee at any time and thereupon be relieved from all liability with respect to such money. The Trustee will pay to the Company upon request any money held for payment with respect to the Notes that remains unclaimed for two years, provided that before making such payment the Trustee may at the expense of the Company publish once in a newspaper of general circulation in New York City, or send to each Holder entitled to such money, notice that the money remains unclaimed and that after a date specified in the notice (at least 30 days after the date of the publication or notice) any remaining unclaimed balance of money will be repaid to the Company. After payment to the Company, Holders entitled to such money must look solely to the Company for payment, unless applicable law designates another Person, and all liability of the Trustee with respect to such money will cease.

Section 8.06. Reinstatement. If and for so long as the Trustee is unable to apply any money or U.S. Government Obligations held in trust pursuant to Section 8.01, 8.02 or 8.03 by reason of any legal proceeding or by reason of any order or judgment of any court or governmental authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, the Company’s obligations under the Indenture and the Notes will be reinstated as though no such deposit in trust had been made. If the Company makes any payment of principal of or interest on any Notes because of the reinstatement of its obligations, it will be subrogated to the rights of the Holders of such Notes to receive such payment from the money or U.S. Government Obligations held in trust.

ARTICLE IX

AMENDMENTS, SUPPLEMENTS AND WAIVERS

Section 9.01. Amendments Without Consent of Holders.

(a) The Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes without notice to or the consent of any Noteholder

(1) to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in the Indenture or the Notes, provided that such amendments or supplements

 

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shall not, in the good faith opinion of the Board of Directors of the Company as evidenced by a board resolution, adversely affect the interest of the holders in any material respect;

(2) to comply with Section 4.07 or Article 5;

(3) to comply with any requirements of the Commission in connection with the qualification of the Indenture under the TIA;

(4) to evidence and provide for the acceptance of an appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee;

(5) make any change that, in the good faith opinion of the Board of Directors as evidenced by a Board Resolution, does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Holder;

(6) to provide for uncertificated Notes in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;

(7) to provide for the issuance of Additional Notes in accordance with the Indenture;

(8) add Guarantees with respect to the Notes in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Indenture;

(9) secure the Notes; or

(10) to conform any provision contained in this Indenture to the Section titled “Description of the Notes” contained in the Prospectus.

Section 9.02. Amendments with Consent of Holders.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 6.05, Section 9.01 or paragraph (b), the Company and the Trustee may amend the Indenture and the Notes with the consent of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding Notes, and the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes by written notice to the Trustee may waive future compliance by the Company with any provision of the Indenture or the Notes.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a), without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver may not

(1) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of interest on, any Note,

(2) reduce the principal amount of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Note,

 

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(3) change the optional redemption dates or optional redemption prices of the Notes from that stated under the caption “Optional Redemption,”

(4) change the place or currency of payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, any Note,

(5) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the Stated Maturity (or, in the case of a redemption, on or after the Redemption Date) of any Note,

(6) waive a default in the payment of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes or modify any provision of the Indenture relating to modification or amendment thereof,

(7) reduce the above-stated percentage of outstanding notes of such series, the consent of whose holders is necessary to modify or amend the applicable indenture,

(8) release any Subsidiary Guarantor from its Notes Guarantee, except as provided in the Indenture, or

(9) reduce the percentage or aggregate principal amount of outstanding Notes the consent of whose Holders is necessary for waiver of compliance with certain provisions of the Indenture or for waiver of certain defaults.

(c) It is not necessary for Noteholders to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but is sufficient if their consent approves the substance thereof.

(d) An amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section will become effective on receipt by the Trustee of written consents from the Holders of the requisite percentage in principal amount of the outstanding Notes. After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section becomes effective, the Company will send to the Holders affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. The Company will send supplemental indentures to Holders upon request. Any failure of the Company to send such notice, or any defect therein, will not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such supplemental indenture or waiver.

Section 9.03. Effect of Consent.

(a) After an amendment, supplement or waiver becomes effective, it will bind every Holder unless it is of the type requiring the consent of each Holder affected. If the amendment, supplement or waiver is of the type requiring the consent of each Holder affected, the amendment, supplement or waiver will bind each Holder that has consented to it and every subsequent Holder of a Note that evidences the same debt as the Note of the consenting Holder.

 

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(b) If an amendment, supplement or waiver changes the terms of a Note, the Trustee may require the Holder to deliver it to the Trustee so that the Trustee may place an appropriate notation of the changed terms on the Note and return it to the Holder, or exchange it for a new Note that reflects the changed terms. The Trustee may also place an appropriate notation on any Note thereafter authenticated. However, the effectiveness of the amendment, supplement or waiver is not affected by any failure to annotate or exchange Notes in this fashion.

Section 9.04. Trustee’s Rights and Obligations. The Trustee is entitled to receive, and will be fully protected in conclusively relying upon, an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of any amendment, supplement or waiver authorized pursuant to this Article is authorized or permitted by the Indenture. If the Trustee has received such an Opinion of Counsel, it shall sign the amendment, supplement or waiver so long as the same does not adversely affect the rights of the Trustee. The Trustee may, but is not obligated to, execute any amendment, supplement or waiver that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties or immunities under the Indenture.

Section 9.05. Conformity with Trust Indenture Act. Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the TIA.

Section 9.06. Payments for Consents. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates may, directly or indirectly, pay or cause to be paid any consideration, whether by way of interest, fee or otherwise, to any Holder for or as an inducement to any consent, waiver or amendment of any of the terms or provisions of the Indenture or the Notes unless such consideration is offered to be paid or agreed to be paid to all Holders of the Notes that consent, waive or agree to amend such term or provision within the time period set forth in the solicitation documents relating to the consent, waiver or amendment.

ARTICLE X

GUARANTEES

Section 10.01. Guarantees. Subject to this Article 10, each of the Guarantors hereby, jointly and severally, unconditionally guarantees to each Holder of a Note and to the Trustee and its successors and assigns, irrespective of the validity and enforceability of this Indenture, the Notes or the obligations of the Company hereunder or thereunder, that: (a) the principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes will be promptly paid in full when due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, redemption or otherwise, and interest on the overdue principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Notes, if any, if lawful, and all other obligations of the Company to the Holders or the Trustee hereunder or thereunder will be promptly paid in full or performed, all in accordance with the terms hereof

 

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and thereof; and (b) in the case of any extension of time of payment or renewal of any Notes or any of such other obligations, that the same will be promptly paid in full when due or performed in accordance with the terms of the extension or renewal, whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise. Failing payment when due of any amount so guaranteed or any performance so guaranteed for whatever reason, the Guarantors shall be jointly and severally obligated to pay the same immediately. Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that this is a guarantee of payment and not a guarantee of collection.

The Guarantors hereby agree that their obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of the validity, regularity or enforceability of the Notes or this Indenture, the absence of any action to enforce the same, any waiver or consent by any Holder of the Notes with respect to any provisions hereof or thereof, the recovery of any judgment against the Company, any action to enforce the same or any other circumstance which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor. Each Subsidiary Guarantor hereby waives diligence, presentment, demand of payment, filing of claims with a court in the event of insolvency or bankruptcy of the Company, any right to require a proceeding first against the Company, protest, notice and all demands whatsoever and covenant that this Guarantee shall not be discharged except by complete performance of the obligations contained in the Notes and this Indenture or pursuant to Section 10.04.

If any Holder or the Trustee is required by any court or otherwise to return to the Company, the Guarantors or any custodian, trustee, liquidator or other similar official acting in relation to either the Company or the Guarantors, any amount paid by either to the Trustee or such Holder, this Guarantee, to the extent theretofore discharged, shall be reinstated in full force and effect.

Each Subsidiary Guarantor agrees that it shall not be entitled to any right of subrogation in relation to the Holders in respect of any obligations guaranteed hereby until payment in full of all obligations guaranteed hereby. Each Subsidiary Guarantor further agrees that, as between the Guarantors, on the one hand, and the Holders and the Trustee, on the other hand, (x) the maturity of the obligations guaranteed hereby may be accelerated as provided in Article 6 for the purposes of this Guarantee, notwithstanding any stay, injunction or other prohibition preventing such acceleration in respect of the obligations guaranteed hereby, and (y) in the event of any declaration of acceleration of such obligations as provided in Article 6, such obligations (whether or not due and payable) shall forthwith become due and payable by the Guarantors for the purpose of this Guarantee. The Guarantors shall have the right to seek contribution from any non paying Subsidiary Guarantor so long as the exercise of such right does not impair the rights of the Holders under the Guarantee.

Section 10.02. Limitation on Subsidiary Guarantor Liability. Each Subsidiary Guarantor, and by its acceptance of Notes, each Holder, hereby confirms that it is the intention of all such parties that the Guarantee of such

 

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Guarantor not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of Bankruptcy Law, the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal or state law to the extent applicable to any Guarantee. To effectuate the foregoing intention, the Trustee, the Holders and the Guarantors hereby irrevocably agree that the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Guarantee and this Article 10 shall be limited to the maximum amount as will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Subsidiary Guarantor that are relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Subsidiary Guarantor in respect of the obligations of such other Subsidiary Guarantor under this Article 10, result in the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor under its Guarantee to not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance.

Section 10.03. Execution and Delivery of the Guarantee. In the event that the Company is required to cause a Regulated Subsidiary or Restricted Subsidiary to guarantee the Notes pursuant to Section 4.07, the Company shall cause such Subsidiaries to execute supplemental indentures to this Indenture and Guarantees in accordance with Section 4.07 and this Article 10, to the extent applicable.

Section 10.04. Guarantors May Consolidate, etc., on Certain Terms. No Subsidiary Guarantor may consolidate with or merge with or into (whether or not such Subsidiary Guarantor is the surviving Person) another Person whether or not affiliated with such Subsidiary Guarantor unless:

(a) subject to the other provisions of this Section, the Person formed by or surviving any such consolidation or merger (if other than a Subsidiary Guarantor or the Company) shall be a corporation organized and validly existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and unconditionally assumes all the obligations of such Subsidiary Guarantor, pursuant to a supplemental indenture in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, under the Notes, this Indenture, the Registration Rights Agreement and the Guarantee on the terms set forth herein or therein;

(b) immediately after giving effect to such transaction, no Default or Event of Default exists; and

(c) the Company would be permitted, immediately after giving effect to such transaction, to incur at least $1.00 of additional Indebtedness (other than Permitted Indebtedness) pursuant to Section 4.03.

In case of any such consolidation, merger, sale or conveyance and upon the assumption by the successor Person, by supplemental indenture, executed and delivered to the Trustee and satisfactory in form to the Trustee, of the Guarantee endorsed upon the Notes and the due and punctual performance of all of the

 

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covenants and conditions of this Indenture to be performed by the Subsidiary Guarantor, such successor Person shall succeed to and be substituted for the Subsidiary Guarantor with the same effect as if it had been named herein as a Subsidiary Guarantor. Such successor Person thereupon may cause to be signed any or all of the Guarantees to be endorsed upon all of the Notes issuable hereunder which theretofore shall not have been signed by the Company and delivered to the Trustee. All the Guarantees so issued shall in all respects have the same legal rank and benefit under this Indenture as the Guarantees theretofore and thereafter issued in accordance with the terms of this Indenture as though all of such Guarantees had been issued at the date of the execution hereof.

Except as set forth in Articles Four and Five, and notwithstanding clause (c) above, nothing contained in this Indenture or in any of the Notes shall prevent any consolidation or merger of a Subsidiary Guarantor with or into the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor, or shall prevent any sale or conveyance of the property of a Subsidiary Guarantor as an entirety or substantially as an entirety to the Company or another Subsidiary Guarantor.

Section 10.05. Releases Following Certain Events. In the event of a (i) sale or other disposition of all of the assets of any Subsidiary Guarantor, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, or a sale, exchange or transfer to any Person (other than an Affiliate of the Company) of all of the capital stock of any Subsidiary Guarantor, (ii) the designation of any Subsidiary Guarantor as an Unrestricted Subsidiary or (iii) the defeasance of the Notes in accordance with Section 8.01, in each case in compliance with the terms of this Indenture, then such Subsidiary Guarantor (in the event of a sale, exchange, transfer or other disposition, by way of merger, consolidation or otherwise, of all of the capital stock of such Subsidiary Guarantor) or the corporation acquiring the property (in the event of a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of such Subsidiary Guarantor) will be released and relieved of any obligations under its Guarantee and Registration Rights Agreement; provided that, in the case of (i) above, the Net Cash Proceeds of such sale or other disposition are applied in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture, including without limitation Section 4.11. Upon delivery by the Company to the Trustee of an Officers’ Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such sale or other disposition was made by the Company in accordance with the applicable provisions of this Indenture, including, in the case of a release pursuant to (i) above and Section 4.11, the Trustee shall execute any documents reasonably required in order to evidence the release of any Subsidiary Guarantor from its obligations under its Guarantee.

Any Subsidiary Guarantor not released from its obligations under its Guarantee shall remain liable for the full amount of principal of and interest on the Notes and for the other obligations of any Subsidiary Guarantor under this Indenture as provided in this Article 10.

 

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ARTICLE XI

MISCELLANEOUS

Section 11.01. Trust Indenture Act of 1939. The Indenture shall incorporate and be governed by the provisions of the TIA that are required to be part of and to govern indentures qualified under the TIA.

Section 11.02. Noteholder Communications; Noteholder Actions.

(a) The rights of Holders to communicate with other Holders with respect to the Indenture or the Notes are as provided by the TIA, and the Company and the Trustee shall comply with the requirements of TIA Sections 312(a) and 312(b). Neither the Company nor the Trustee will be held accountable by reason of any disclosure of information as to names and addresses of Holders made pursuant to the TIA.

(b) (1) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent to amendment, supplement or waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be given or taken by a Holder (an “act”) may be evidenced by an instrument signed by the Holder delivered to the Trustee. The fact and date of the execution of the instrument, or the authority of the person executing it, may be proved in any manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.

(2) The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or at a meeting of Holders, which will be binding on all the Holders.

(c) Any act by the Holder of any Note binds that Holder and every subsequent Holder of a Note that evidences the same debt as the Note of the acting Holder, even if no notation thereof appears on the Note. Subject to paragraph (d), a Holder may revoke an act as to its Notes, but only if the Trustee receives the notice of revocation before the date the amendment or waiver or other consequence of the act becomes effective.

(d) The Company may, but is not obligated to, fix a record date (which need not be within the time limits otherwise prescribed by TIA Section 316(c)) for the purpose of determining the Holders entitled to act with respect to any amendment or waiver or in any other regard, except that during the continuance of an Event of Default, only the Trustee may set a record date as to notices of default, any declaration or acceleration or any other remedies or other consequences of the Event of Default. If a record date is fixed, those Persons that were Holders at such record date and only those Persons will be entitled to act, or to revoke any previous act, whether or not those Persons continue to be Holders after the record date. No act will be valid or effective for more than 90 days after the record date.

 

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Section 11.03. Notices.

(a) Any notice or communication to the Company will be deemed given if in writing (i) when delivered in person or (ii) five days after mailing when mailed by first class mail, or (iii) when sent by facsimile transmission, with transmission confirmed. Notices or communications to a Subsidiary Guarantor will be deemed given if given to the Company. Any notice to the Trustee will be effective only upon receipt. In each case the notice or communication should be addressed as follows:

if to the Company:

E*TRADE Financial Corporation

135 East 57th Street

New York, New York 10022

if to the Trustee:

The Bank of New York

101 Barclay Street, Floor 8W

New York, New York 10286

Attn: Corporate Trust Administration

Fax: 212 ###-###-####

The Company or the Trustee by notice to the other may designate additional or different addresses for subsequent notices or communications.

(b) Except as otherwise expressly provided with respect to published notices, any notice or communication to a Holder will be deemed given when mailed to the Holder at its address as it appears on the Register by first class mail or, as to any Global Note registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, as agreed by the Company, the Trustee and DTC. Copies of any notice or communication to a Holder, if given by the Company, will be mailed to the Trustee at the same time. Defect in mailing a notice or communication to any particular Holder will not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Holders.

(c) Where the Indenture provides for notice, the notice may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event, and the waiver will be the equivalent of the notice. Waivers of notice by Holders must be filed with the Trustee, but such filing is not a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waivers.

Section 11.04. Certificate and Opinion as to Conditions Precedent. Upon any request or application by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under the Indenture, the Company will furnish to the Trustee:

(1) an Officers’ Certificate stating that, in the opinion of the signers, all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in the Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with; and

 

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(2) an Opinion of Counsel stating that all such conditions precedent have been complied with, except that such Opinion of Counsel need not be provided in connection with the issuance of the Original Notes.

Section 11.05. Statements Required in Certificate or Opinion. Each certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in the Indenture must include:

(1) a statement that each person signing the certificate or opinion has read the covenant or condition and the related definitions;

(2) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statement or opinion contained in the certificate or opinion is based;

(3) a statement that, in the opinion of each such person, that person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable the person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

(4) a statement as to whether or not, in the opinion of each such person, such condition or covenant has been complied with, provided that an Opinion of Counsel may rely on an Officers’ Certificate or certificates of public officials with respect to matters of fact.

Section 11.06. Payment Date Other Than a Business Day. If any payment with respect to a payment of any principal of, premium, if any, or interest on any Note (including any payment to be made on any date fixed for redemption or purchase of any Note) is due on a day which is not a Business Day, then the payment need not be made on such date, but may be made on the next Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on such date, and no interest will accrue for the intervening period.

Section 11.07. Governing Law. The Indenture, including any Note Guaranties, and the Notes shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

Section 11.08. No Adverse Interpretation of Other Agreements. The Indenture may not be used to interpret another indenture or loan or debt agreement of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, and no such indenture or loan or debt agreement may be used to interpret the Indenture.

Section 11.09. Successors. All agreements of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor in the Indenture and the Notes will bind its successors. All agreements of the Trustee in the Indenture will bind its successor.

 

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Section 11.10. Duplicate Originals. The parties may sign any number of copies of the Indenture. Each signed copy shall be an original, but all of them together represent the same agreement.

Section 11.11. Separability. In case any provision in the Indenture or in the Notes is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

Section 11.12. Table of Contents and Headings. The Table of Contents, Cross-Reference Table and headings of the Articles and Sections of the Indenture have been inserted for convenience of reference only, are not to be considered a part of the Indenture and in no way modify or restrict any of the terms and provisions of the Indenture.

Section 11.13. No Liability of Directors, Officers, Employees, Incorporators, Members and Stockholders. No director, officer, employee, incorporator, member or stockholder of the Company or any Subsidiary Guarantor, as such, will have any liability for any obligations of the Company or such Subsidiary Guarantor under the Notes, any Note Guarantee or the Indenture or for any claim based on, in respect of, or by reason of, such obligations. Each Holder of Notes by accepting a Note waives and releases all such liability. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for issuance of the Notes.

 

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SIGNATURES

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused the Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.

 

E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
as Issuer
By:  

/s/ Robert J. Simmons

Name:   Robert J. Simmons
Title:   Chief Financial Officer

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK
as Trustee
By:  

/s/ Stacey B. Poindexter

Name:   Stacey B. Poindexter
Title:   Assistant Vice President

 

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EXHIBIT A

[FACE OF NOTE]

E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

7 7/8% Senior Note Due 2015

CUSIP No. 269246 AP9

$300,000,000

E*TRADE Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”, which term includes any successor under the Indenture hereinafter referred to), for value received, promises to pay to CEDE & Co., or its registered assigns, the principal sum of THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($300,000,000) or such other amount as indicated on the Schedule of Exchange of Notes attached hereto on December 1, 2015.

Interest Rate: 7 7/8% per annum.

Interest Payment Dates: June 1 and December 1, commencing June 1, 2006.

Regular Record Dates: May 15 and November 15.

Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, which will for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Note to be signed manually or by facsimile by its duly authorized officers.

 

Date:   E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
  By:   

 

  Name:   
  Title:   

 

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(Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication)

This is one of the 7 7/8% Senior Notes Due 2015 described in the Indenture referred to in this Note.

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee
By:  

 

  Authorized Signatory

 

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[REVERSE SIDE OF NOTE]

E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

7 7/8% Senior Note Due 2015

1. Principal and Interest.

The Company promises to pay the principal of this Note on December 1, 2015.

The Company promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note on each interest payment date, as set forth on the face of this Note, at the rate of             % per annum (subject to adjustment as provided below).

Interest will be payable semiannually (to the holders of record of the Notes at the close of business on the May 15 or November 15 immediately preceding the interest payment date) on each interest payment date, commencing June 1, 2006.

Interest on this Note will accrue from the most recent date to which interest has been paid on this Note or the Note surrendered in exchange for this Note (or, if there is no existing default in the payment of interest and if this Note is authenticated between a regular record date and the next interest payment date, from such interest payment date) or, if no interest has been paid, from the Issue Date. Interest will be computed in the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.

The Company will pay interest on overdue principal, premium, if any, and, to the extent lawful, interest at the interest rate borne by the Notes. Interest not paid when due and any interest on principal, premium or interest not paid when due will be paid to the Persons that are Holders on a special record date, which will be the 15th day preceding the date fixed by the Company for the payment of such interest, whether or not such day is a Business Day. At least 15 days before a special record date, the Company will send to each Holder and to the Trustee a notice that sets forth the special record date, the payment date and the amount of interest to be paid.

2. Indentures.

This is one of the Notes issued under an Indenture dated as of November 22, 2005 (as amended from time to time, the “Indenture”), between the Company and The Bank of New York, as Trustee. Capitalized terms used herein are used as defined in the Indenture unless otherwise indicated. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture Act. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Holders are referred to the Indenture and the Trust Indenture Act for a statement of all such terms. To the extent permitted by applicable law, in the event of any inconsistency between the terms of this Note and the terms of the Indenture, the terms of the Indenture will control.

 

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The Notes are general unsecured obligations of the Company. The Indenture limits the original aggregate principal amount of the Notes to $300,000,000.

3. Redemption and Repurchase; Discharge Prior to Redemption or Maturity.

This Note is subject to optional redemption, and may be the subject of an Offer to Purchase, as further described in the Indenture. There is no sinking fund or mandatory redemption applicable to this Note.

If the Company deposits with the Trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations sufficient to pay the then outstanding principal of, premium, if any, and accrued interest on the Notes to redemption or maturity, the Company may in certain circumstances be discharged from the Indenture and the Notes or may be discharged from certain of its obligations under certain provisions of the Indenture.

4. Registered Form; Denominations; Transfer; Exchange.

The Notes are in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 principal amount and any multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof. A Holder may register the transfer or exchange of Notes in accordance with the Indenture. The Trustee may require a Holder to furnish appropriate endorsements and transfer documents and to pay any taxes and fees required by law or permitted by the Indenture. Pursuant to the Indenture, there are certain periods during which the Trustee will not be required to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Note or certain portions of a Note.

5. Defaults and Remedies.

If an Event of Default, as defined in the Indenture, occurs and is continuing, the Trustee or the Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the Notes may declare all the Notes to be due and payable. If a bankruptcy or insolvency default with respect to the Company occurs and is continuing, the Notes automatically become due and payable. Holders may not enforce the Indenture or the Notes except as provided in the Indenture. The Trustee may require indemnity satisfactory to it before it enforces the Indenture or the Notes. Subject to certain limitations, Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes then outstanding may direct the Trustee in its exercise of remedies.

6. Amendment and Waiver.

Subject to certain exceptions, the Indenture and the Notes may be amended, or default may be waived, with the consent of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Notes. Without notice to or the consent of

 

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any Holder, the Company and the Trustee may amend or supplement the Indenture or the Notes to, among other things, cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency or make any change that in the good faith opinion of the Board of Directors does not materially and adversely affect the rights of any Holder.

7. Authentication.

This Note is not valid until the Trustee (or Authenticating Agent) signs the certificate of authentication on the other side of this Note.

8. Governing Law.

This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

9. Abbreviations.

Customary abbreviations may be used in the name of a Holder or an assignee, such as: TEN COM (= tenants in common), TEN ENT (= tenants by the entireties), JT TEN (= joint tenants with right of survivorship and not as tenants in common), CUST (= Custodian) and U/G/M/A/ (= Uniform Gifts to Minors Act).

The Company will furnish a copy of the Indenture to any Holder upon written request and without charge.

 

A-6


[FORM OF TRANSFER NOTICE]

FOR VALUE RECEIVED the undersigned registered holder hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto

Insert Taxpayer Identification No.

 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please print or typewrite name and address including zip code of assignee

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing

attorney to transfer said Note on the books of the Company with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

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OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE

If you wish to have all of this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.11 or Section 4.12 of the Indenture, check the box: ¨

If you wish to have a portion of this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 4.11 or Section 4.12 of the Indenture, state the amount (in original principal amount) below:

$            .

Date:                     

Your Signature:                                                              

(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Note)

Signature Guarantee:                                                      

 

A-8


SCHEDULE OF EXCHANGES OF NOTES

The following exchanges of a part of this Global Note for Physical Notes or a part of another Global Note have been made:

 

Date of Exchange

  

Amount of decrease

in principal amount

of this Global Note

  

Amount of increase

in principal amount

of this Global Note

  

Principal amount of

this Global Note

following such

decrease (or

increase)

  

Signature of

authorized signatory
of Trustee

 

A-9


EXHIBIT B

SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE

dated as of                     ,             

among

E*TRADE Financial Corporation,

[the Subsidiary Guarantor]

and

[Any existing Subsidiary Guarantors]

And

The Bank of New York,

as Trustee

 


7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2015


THIS SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE (this “Supplemental Indenture”), entered into as of                     ,             , among E*TRADE Financial Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), (the “Subsidiary Guarantor”), any existing Subsidiary Guarantors and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the “Trustee”).

RECITALS

WHEREAS, the Company, and the Trustee entered into the Indenture, dated as of November 22, 2005 (the “Indenture”), relating to the Company’s 7 7/8% Senior Notes due 2015 (the “Notes”);

WHEREAS, as a condition to the Trustee entering into the Indenture and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders, the Company agreed pursuant to the Indenture to cause Restricted Subsidiaries and Regulated Subsidiaries to provide Guarantees in certain circumstances.

AGREEMENT

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and mutual covenants herein contained and intending to be legally bound, the parties to this Supplemental Indenture hereby agree as follows:

Section 1. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein are used as defined in the Indenture.

Section 2. Each Subsidiary Guarantor, by its execution of this Supplemental Indenture, agrees to be a Subsidiary Guarantor under the Indenture and to be bound by the terms of the Indenture applicable to Subsidiary Guarantors, including, but not limited to, Article 10 thereof.

Section 3. This Supplemental Indenture shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Section 4. This Supplemental Indenture may be signed in various counterparts which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

Section 5. This Supplemental Indenture is an amendment supplemental to the Indenture and the Indenture and this Supplemental Indenture will henceforth be read together.

Section 6. The Recitals herein are statements of the Company and/or the Guarantors, and the Trustee assumes no responsibility as to the correctness thereof. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity of this Supplemental Indenture.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

 

E*TRADE FINANCIAL CORPORATION,
as Issuer
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trustee
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

[Subsidiary Guarantor], as Subsidiary
Guarantor
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

[Any existing Subsidiary Guarantor]
By:  

 

Name:  
Title:  

 

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EXHIBIT C

DTC LEGEND

UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION (“DTC”), TO THE COMPANY OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS A BENEFICIAL INTEREST HEREIN.

TRANSFERS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE ARE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS IN WHOLE, BUT NOT IN PART, TO NOMINEES OF CEDE & CO. OR TO A SUCCESSOR THEREOF OR SUCH SUCCESSOR’S NOMINEE AND TRANSFERS OF PORTIONS OF THIS GLOBAL NOTE ARE LIMITED TO TRANSFERS MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRANSFER PROVISIONS OF THE INDENTURE.

 

C-1