Senior secured loans ("Secured Loans") are included in the Bond Portfolio and aggregated $246.3 million at March 31, 2001. Secured Loans are senior to subordinated debt and equity and are secured by assets of the issuer. At March 31, 2001, Secured Loans consisted of $71.1 million of publicly traded securities and $175.2 million of privately traded securities. These Secured Loans are composed of loans to 51 borrowers spanning 15 industries, with 18% of these assets concentrated in utilities, 9% concentrated in technology and 8% concentrated in financial institutions. No other industry constituted more than 8% of these assets.
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While the trading market for the Company's privately traded Secured Loans is more limited than for publicly traded issues, management believes that participation in these transactions has enabled the Company to improve its investment yield. As a result of restrictive financial covenants, these Secured Loans involve greater risk of technical default than do publicly traded investment-grade securities. However, management believes that the risk of loss upon default for these Secured Loans is mitigated by such financial covenants and the collateral values underlying the Secured Loans. The Company's Secured Loans are rated by S&P, Moody's, Fitch, the NAIC or by the Company, pursuant to comparable statutory ratings guidelines established by the NAIC.
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MORTGAGE LOANS aggregated $693.9 million at March 31, 2001 and consisted of 131 commercial first mortgage loans with an average loan balance of approximately $5.3 million, collateralized by properties located in 30 states. Approximately 30% of this portfolio was office, 19% was manufactured housing, 18% was multifamily residential, 10% was hotels, 9% was industrial, 5% was retail, and 9% was other types. At March 31, 2001, approximately 32% and 10% of this portfolio were secured by properties located in California and New York, respectively, and no more than 8% of this portfolio was secured by properties located in any other single state. At March 31, 2001, there were 13 mortgage loans with outstanding balances of $10 million or more, which collectively aggregated approximately 39% of this portfolio. At March 31, 2001, approximately 26% of the mortgage loan portfolio consisted of loans with balloon payments due before April 1, 2004. During 2001 and 2000, loans delinquent by more than 90 days, foreclosed loans and restructured loans have not been significant in relation to the total mortgage loan portfolio.
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At March 31, 2001, approximately 9% of the mortgage loans were seasoned loans underwritten to the Company's standards and purchased at or near par from other financial institutions. Such loans generally have higher average interest rates than loans that could be originated today. The balance of the mortgage loan portfolio has been originated by the Company under strict underwriting standards. Commercial mortgage loans on properties such as offices, hotels and shopping centers generally represent a higher level of risk than do mortgage loans secured by multifamily residences. This greater risk is due to several factors, including the larger size of such loans and the more immediate effects of general economic conditions on these commercial property types. However, due to the seasoned nature of the Company's mortgage loan portfolio and its strict underwriting standards, the Company believes that it has prudently managed the risk attributable to its mortgage loan portfolio while maintaining attractive yields. |