supplement. You should read the more detailed provisions of the applicable indenture, including the defined terms, for provisions that may be important to you. You should also read the particular terms of a series of debt securities, which will be described in more detail in an accompanying prospectus supplement. So that you may easily locate the more detailed provisions, the numbers in parentheses below refer to sections in the applicable indenture or, if no indenture is specified, to sections in each of the indentures. Wherever particular sections or defined terms of the applicable indenture are referred to, such sections or defined terms are incorporated into this prospectus by reference, and the statement in this prospectus is qualified by that reference.
Unless otherwise provided for a particular issuance in an accompanying prospectus supplement, the trustee under each of the indentures will be The Bank of New York Mellon. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, which we describe below. Second, the trustee performs administrative duties for us, such as sending you interest payments and notices. When we refer to the “trustee” with respect to any debt securities, we mean the trustee under that indenture.
The indentures provide that our unsecured senior or subordinated debt securities may be issued in one or more series, with different terms, in each case as we authorize from time to time. The provisions of each indenture allow us not only to issue debt securities with terms different from those of debt securities previously issued under that indenture, but also to “reopen” previously issued debt securities and issue additional debt securities as the same series, with the same CUSIP number, stated maturity, interest payment dates, if any, and other terms, except for the date of issuance and issue price; provided, that if such additional debt securities are not fungible with the outstanding debt securities of that series for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the additional debt securities must have a separate CUSIP number.
Types of Debt Securities
Senior Debt
Senior debt will rank on an equal basis with all our other unsecured debt except subordinated debt.
Subordinated Debt
Subordinated debt will rank subordinated and junior in right of payment, to the extent set forth in the applicable subordinated debt indenture, to all our senior debt.
If we default in the payment of any principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on any senior debt when it becomes due and payable after any applicable grace period then, unless and until the default is cured or waived or ceases to exist, we cannot make a payment on account of or redeem or otherwise acquire the subordinated debt securities.
If there is any insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation or other similar proceeding relating to us or our property, then all senior debt must be paid in full before any payment may be made to any holders of subordinated debt securities.
Furthermore, if we default in the payment of the principal of and accrued interest on any subordinated debt securities that is declared due and payable upon an event of default under the subordinated debt indenture, holders of all our senior debt will first be entitled to receive payment in full in cash before holders of such subordinated debt can receive any payments.
Senior debt means all indebtedness and obligations (other than the securities) of, or guaranteed or assumed by, us that are for borrowed money or are evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, whether outstanding on the date of the subordinated indenture or thereafter created, incurred, assumed or
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