Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and The Bank of New York Mellon, which acts as trustee. The trustee has two main roles:
| • | | First, the trustee can enforce your rights against us or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. if we or The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. default. There are limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, which we describe under “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer — Default, Remedies and Waiver of Default” in the accompanying prospectus; and |
| • | | Second, the trustee performs administrative duties for us, such as sending you interest payments and notices. |
We May Issue Other Series of Debt Securities
The GSFC 2008 indenture permits us to issue, from time to time, different series of debt securities and, within each different series of debt securities, different debt securities. The Series E medium-term notes will be a single, distinct series of debt securities. We may, however, issue notes in such amounts, at such times and on such terms as we wish. The notes may differ from one another, and from other series, in their terms.
When we refer to the “notes”, the “Series E medium-term notes” or “these notes”, we mean the notes issued under our Medium-Term Notes, Series E program. When we refer to a “series” of debt securities, we mean a series, such as the notes, issued under the GSFC 2008 indenture.
Amounts That We May Issue
The GSFC 2008 indenture does not limit the aggregate amount of debt securities that we may issue. Nor does it limit the number of series or notes or the aggregate principal amount of any particular series or notes that we may issue. Also, if we issue notes having the same terms in a particular offering, we may “reopen” that offering at any later time and offer additional notes having the same CUSIP number, stated maturity, interest payment dates, if any, and other terms, except for the date of issuance and issue price.
We have already issued Series E medium-term notes, many of which are currently outstanding. We may issue additional Series E medium-term notes at any time, without your consent and without notifying you.
Our affiliates may use this prospectus supplement to resell notes in market-making transactions from time to time, including both notes that we have issued before the date of this prospectus supplement and notes that we have not yet issued. We describe these transactions under “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” below.
The GSFC 2008 indenture and the notes do not limit our ability to incur other indebtedness or to issue other securities from time to time. Also, we are not subject to financial or similar restrictions by the terms of the notes or the GSFC 2008 indenture, except as described under “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer — Restriction on Liens” in the accompanying prospectus.
How the Notes Rank Against Other Debt
The Series E medium-term notes will not be secured by any of our property or assets or property or assets of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Thus, by owning notes, you are one of our unsecured creditors.
The notes will not be subordinated to any of our other debt obligations. This means that, in a bankruptcy or liquidation proceeding against us, the notes would rank equally in right of payment with all our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt.
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