Interest Rate Swap Product Disclosure Statement

Interest Rate Swap
Product Disclosure Statement
A Product Disclosure Statement is an informative document. The purpose of a Product Disclosure
Statement is to provide you with enough information to allow you to make an informed decision
about a product’s suitability for your needs. A Product Disclosure Statement is also a tool for
comparing the features of other products you may be considering. If you have any questions
about this product, please contact us on any of the numbers listed at the end of this Product
Disclosure Statement.
Important Information
This Product Disclosure Statement is issued by CIT Capital Markets – Risk Management
th
Products Desk (“CIT”) and is current as of January 18 , 2008. The information contained herein
is subject to change. CIT will provide updated information by issuing a replacement Product
Disclosure Statement.
The information contained in this document is general in nature. It has been prepared without
taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Because of this, you should,
before acting on this information, consider its appropriateness to your objectives, financial
situations and needs. By providing this Product Disclosure Statement, CIT does not intend to
provide financial advice or any financial recommendations. You should read and consider this
Product Disclosure Statement in its entirety and seek independent expert advice before making a
decision about whether or not this product is suitable for you.
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT.
Interest Rate Swap
Counterparty
CIT Lending Services Corporation (CIT, we or us.)
Purpose
What is a Swap?
An Interest Rate Swap (Swap) is an interest rate management
tool for customers who have financing arrangements that are
subject to changing interest rates, for example, a LIBOR based
facility.
A Swap is not a lending facility. It is an interest rate management
tool that can be used in conjunction with any variable rate lending
facility, including a facility with another lender. Your underlying
lending facility will continue to be governed by the terms and
conditions set out in your facility agreement.
It is also important to remember that a Swap only affects the
base interest rate applicable to your underlying lending facility. It
has no effect on any acceptance or other fees and margins
payable under that facility. You remain obligated to pay those
fees and margins no matter what happens with the Swap. For
that reason, this document does not consider or take into
account any fees and margins payable in respect of your
underlying lending facility.
Suitability
Do I have sufficient knowledge about this product?
A Swap may be suitable if you have a good understanding of
interest rate markets and would like to manage your interest rate
exposure.
If you are not confident about your understanding of these items,
we suggest you seek independent advice before making a
decision about this product.
Description
All Swaps involve a variable and a fixed rate
A Swap is an agreement between you and CIT where one party
agrees to pay the other (in cash) the difference between a fixed
interest rate (Swap Rate) and a series of variable interest rates
over an agreed period of time. The fixed interest rate is
established at the beginning of the transaction, while the variable
rate is a Reference Rate determined on period Reset Dates.
The variable Reference Rates used for most swaps are LIBOR or
PRIME (see the market reference rate section for more
information.)
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT
…and a Payer and a Receiver
A Swap is based on an agreed notional amount (the Principal). It
usually involves the exchange of a fixed for a floating rate (fixed
for floating).
In every fixed for floating Swap transaction, one person wants to
pay a fixed interest rate (the Payer) and the other wants to
receive that fixed payment (the Receiver). The motivation of the
Payer in a fixed for floating Swap is to transform an underlying
variable interest rate into a fixed rate obligation, and vice-versa
for the Receiver.
How does it work?
At each reset date:
 if the Reference Rate is greater than the Swap Rate, then the
Payer will receive a cash payment from the Receiver based
on the difference between the Reference Rate and the Swap
Rate
 if the Reference Rate and the Swap Rate are the same, there
is no exchange of payments
 if the Reference Rate is less than the Swap Rate, then the
Receiver will receive a cash payment from the Payer based
on the difference between the Swap Rate and the Reference
Rate.
The following diagram summarizes the variable and fixed rate
payment obligations of a Payer and Receiver in a fixed for
floating Swap. It assumes that the Reference Rate is LIBOR.
LIBOR + SPREAD
Customer
Fixed
Loan payment
LIBOR
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT
Periodic settlement
Settlement occurs on every Reset Date and the relevant amount
is paid at the end of the interest rate period (in arrears). If you are
making a payment, you must do so according to CIT’s
instructions. CIT will make all payments to a bank account
selected by you.
There is no exchange of principal – only exchange of interest
Neither party commits to the exchange of Principal amounts. The
notional Principal remains constant throughout the life of the
Swap (unless an amortization or accretion schedule is built into
the Swap).
Reset (or rollover) Dates
Reset Dates (or rollover dates) divide the term of your underlying
exposure into equal intervals (usually quarterly or monthly) called
Calculation Periods.
Cost of product
Cost of product
There are no fees or other direct costs associated with a Swap.
The price of the Swap is simply the fixed rate of interest
applicable to the Swap. When setting the fixed rate of interest,
CIT takes into account a variety of factors, including:



the amount of the Principal, the term of the Swap, the
Reference Rate and the reset or payment frequency
inter-bank market rates prevailing at the time, and
market volatility
CIT derives a financial benefit from entering into a Swap. CIT
obtains that benefit by incorporating margins into the rates it sets
for Swaps. By that we mean that the agreed upon rates for a
Swap will be different to the base market interest rates prevailing
at the time. In effect, you pay for the Swap by accepting the fixed
interest rate quoted by CIT.
Advantages/benefits
Advantage/benefits



Disadvantages/risks
A Swap is flexible. It allows you to tailor the Principal,
payment frequency and maturity to suit your financing
arrangement.
A Swap allows you to manage interest rate risk without
affecting the financing arrangement.
There is no upfront premium.
Disadvantages/risks

You effectively “lock in” a fixed interest rate. This means you
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT


Early termination
cannot participate in favorable interest rate movements.
Early termination may incur a breakage cost subject to
market movements (see Early termination section).
We generally have performance obligations under all the
financial products into which we enter. Customers depend on
us to perform our obligations. Our ability to do so is linked to
our financial well-being. This type of risk is commonly referred
to as credit or counterparty risk. As we are an A rated credit,
the risk of us failing to perform is very low.
Can I terminate a Swap before maturity?
You may ask us to terminate a Swap at any time up to the
maturity date. CIT will provide you with a quote for canceling the
Swap.
What will the value of a Swap be upon early termination?
Our quote will incorporate the same variables (amount of the
Principal, term of the Swap, Reference Rate, and reset or
payment frequency) used when pricing the original Swap. These
will be adjusted for prevailing market rates over the remaining
term of the Swap.
We will also need to consider the cost of reversing or offsetting
your original transaction. When doing this, CIT takes into account
the current market rates that apply to any such offsetting
transactions.
What happens if I accept?
If you accept the termination quote, the Swap will be cancelled.
You should appreciate that you may lose money as a result of
early termination.
Credit approval
Credit approval
Before entering into a Swap, CIT will assess your financial
position to determine whether or not your situation satisfies our
normal credit requirements. CIT will advise you of the outcome of
its review as soon as possible.
If your application is successful, you will need to enter into the
appropriate agreements as defined by the International Swaps
and Derivatives Association’s (ISDA) documentation.
Documentation
Documentation
You will be required to sign a standard master agreement. The
ISDA Master Agreement is multicurrency, cross border agreement
that comprehensively covers all of the terms and conditions of
one or more derivative transactions. This is the industry standard
documentation.
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT
The ISDA Schedule to the Master Agreement covers all of the
specifics between you and CIT. Both this document and the
Master are drafted by CIT, or its counsel.
Each of the above documents governs the dealing relationship
between you and CIT and set out the terms and conditions that
apply to all transactions that we enter into with you. In particular,
they document the situations where those transactions can be
terminated and the way the amount payable following
termination is calculated.
We will provide you with your own copy of each of these
documents and we strongly recommend that you fully consider
their terms prior to entering into any transaction. You should
obtain independent advice if you do not understand any aspect of
the documents.
Confirmation
Shortly after entering into a Swap, CIT will send you a
confirmation that outlines the economic terms of the transaction.
This confirmation will need to be signed by you and returned to
CIT.
It is extremely important that you check the confirmation to
make sure that it accurately reflects the terms of the transaction.
In the case of a discrepancy, you will need to raise the matter
with your CIT contact as a matter of urgency.
The market
Reference Rate
The market Reference Rate
The Reference Rate provides a benchmark interest rate. The
market Reference Rates that are commonly used are USD LIBOR
or its foreign counterparts.
Where the variable interest rate applicable to the underlying
financing agreement is not referable to LIBOR, the Reference
Rate used for the Swap will be different. The Reference Rate will
correspond to the variable rate applying to the underlying
financing arrangement.
Example
Example
The example below is indicative only and uses rates and figures
that we have selected to demonstrate how the product works. In
order to assess the merits of any particular Swap, you would need
to use the actual rates and figures quoted to you at the time.
(Note that the calculations below include rounding of decimal
places.)
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT
Scenario
You are a borrower with a 3 year US Dollar ($) 10,000,000
variable rate LIBOR based facility, which rolls over on a quarterly
basis at the prevailing 3 month LIBOR rate. In the current
economic environment interest rates look as though they will be
rising and your borrowing costs may exceed 5.00%. You would
like to lock in your borrowing costs at the current Swap rate of
5.00%.
To hedge against the risk of interest rates rising, you elect to
enter into a 3 year Swap with CIT to pay a fixed interest rate of
5.00% (the Swap Rate) on a Notional Principal of $10,000,000
quarterly Reset Dates and 3 month LIBOR as the Reference Rate.
For the purposes of this example, assume that there are 90 days
in the quarter.
If 3 month LIBOR is above 5.00%
Assume that 3 month LIBOR is 6.00%. The variable base rate
that would apply under your LIBOR based facility would then be
6.00%. However, as you have entered into a Swap with CIT with a
Swap rate of 5.00%, CIT will compensate you for the difference
between LIBOR and the Swap Rate. Therefore, you receive an
amount based on the difference of 1.00%. This amount offsets
the increased base amount payable under your underlying
facility, which has risen by 1.00%. This effectively means you
have “locked in” your base interest rate at 5.00%. This process is
repeated on each quarterly Reset Date.
CIT uses the following formula to determine the amount payable
where the financing arrangement is a LIBOR based facility.
Floating Amount:
Floating Amount = Notional Principal x Reference Rate(%) x Actual/360
Fixed Amount:
Fixed Amount = Notional Principal x Fixed Swap Rate(%) x Actual/360
Where Actual means the actual number of days in the Calculation
Period.
The difference between the Floating and Fixed Amounts
(depending on whether it is positive or negative number) will be
paid either by you or by CIT.
Below is a simple way to calculate the amount payable. Using the
figures in the example, this is calculated as follows:
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT
Amount payable at Reference Rate:
Fixed Amount
= $10,000,000 x 5.00% x 90/360
= $125,000.00
Amount received at Swap Rate::
Floating Amount = $10,000,000 x 6.00% x 90/360
= $150,000.00
The payment CIT makes to you is the difference between the
above amounts, that is:
$150,000.00
- $125,000.00
$ 25,000.00
If 3 month LIBOR is below 5.00%
If 3 month LIBOR is below 5.00% (for example, 4.50%) then the
variable base interest rate that would apply under your underlying
facility would be 4.50%. However, as you have entered into a
Swap with CIT at a Swap Rate of 5.00% you will need to
compensate CIT for the difference between the 3 month LIBOR
rate and the Swap Rate. This will result in a cost to you because
you have agreed to forego favorable interest rate movements and
have “locked in” your interest rate at 5.00% (the Swap Rate).
Based on the above, the amount payable in this example would
be as follows:
Amount payable at Reference Rate:
Fixed Amount
= $10,000,000 x 5.00% x 90/360
= $125,000.00
Amount received at Swap Rate::
Floating Amount = $10,000,000 x 4.50% x 90/360
= $112,500.00
The payment made by you to CIT is the difference between the
above amounts, that is:
$112,500.00
- $125,000.00
($ 12,500.00)
What if 3 month LIBOR is the same as the Swap Rate?
If 3 month LIBOR remains at 5.00%, no amount is payable under
the Swap for the period. Your base interest rate would remain at
5.00%.
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT
The chart below illustrates the aforementioned calculations:
Market Interest Rate
CIT pays you if
Reference Rate > Swap Rate
Cost
of
Funds
Swap Interest Rate
You pay CIT if
Reference Rate < Swap Rate
Underlying Interest Rate at Reset Date
LIBOR
Taxation
Taxation
Taxation law is complex and its application will depend on your
circumstances. When determining whether or not this product is
suitable, consider the impact it will have on your taxation position
and seek professional advice on the tax implications it may have
for you.
Factors that may
influence our advice
CIT Contact Details
Factors that may influence our advice
This document has been designed to help you choose the right
product for your needs. When you ask for a recommendation,
please be assured that our professionals will always explain your
choices and suggest a suitable product.
Peter Phelan
Managing Director
(212) 771-9623
[email protected]
Jim Beattie
Analyst
(212) 771-1779
[email protected]
The information contained herein has been compiled from a variety of sources believed to be reliable. We do not
guarantee such information or make any representation as to its accuracy. This publication is intended to provide general
information regarding capital markets and financing matters and is not intended nor should it be construed, to provide
legal, accounting or financial advice. Securities and Investment Banking Services are offered through CIT Capital
Securities LLC, an affiliate of CIT