Ameriprise 2014 Annual Report Download - page 109

financial advisor productivity, retention, recruiting and enrollments, the introduction, cessation, terms or pricing of new
or existing products and services, acquisition integration, benefits and claims expenses, general and administrative
costs, consolidated tax rate, return of capital to shareholders, debt repayment and excess capital position and financial
flexibility to capture additional growth opportunities;
• other statements about future economic performance, the performance of equity markets and interest rate variations
and the economic performance of the United States and of global markets; and
• statements of assumptions underlying such statements.
The words ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘optimistic,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘aim,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘could,’’
‘‘would,’’ ‘‘likely,’’ ‘‘forecast,’’ ‘‘on pace,’’ ‘‘project’’ and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks
and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.
Such factors include, but are not limited to:
• conditions in the interest rate, credit default, equity market and foreign exchange environments, including changes in
valuations, liquidity and volatility;
• changes in and the adoption of relevant accounting standards and securities rating agency standards and processes,
as well as changes in the litigation and regulatory environment, including ongoing legal proceedings and regulatory
actions, the frequency and extent of legal claims threatened or initiated by clients, other persons and regulators, and
developments in regulation and legislation, including the rules and regulations implemented or to be implemented in
connection with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act;
• investment management performance and distribution partner and consumer acceptance of the Company’s products;
• effects of competition in the financial services industry, including pricing pressure, the introduction of new products and
services and changes in product distribution mix and distribution channels;
• changes to the Company’s reputation that may arise from employee or advisor misconduct, legal or regulatory actions,
perceptions of the financial services industry generally, improper management of conflicts of interest or otherwise;
• the Company’s capital structure, including indebtedness, limitations on subsidiaries to pay dividends, and the extent,
manner, terms and timing of any share or debt repurchases management may effect as well as the opinions of rating
agencies and other analysts and the reactions of market participants or the Company’s regulators, advisors,
distribution partners or customers in response to any change or prospect of change in any such opinion;
• changes to the availability and cost of liquidity and the Company’s credit capacity that may arise due to shifts in
market conditions, the Company’s credit ratings and the overall availability of credit;
• risks of default, capacity constraint or repricing by issuers or guarantors of investments the Company owns or by
counterparties to hedge, derivative, insurance or reinsurance arrangements or by manufacturers of products the
Company distributes, experience deviations from the Company’s assumptions regarding such risks, the evaluations or
the prospect of changes in evaluations of any such third parties published by rating agencies or other analysts, and the
reactions of other market participants or the Company’s regulators, advisors, distribution partners or customers in
response to any such evaluation or prospect of changes in evaluation;
• experience deviations from the Company’s assumptions regarding morbidity, mortality and persistency in certain annuity
and insurance products, or from assumptions regarding market returns assumed in valuing or unlocking DAC and DSIC
or market volatility underlying the Company’s valuation and hedging of guaranteed benefit annuity riders, or from
assumptions regarding interest rates assumed in the Company’s loss recognition testing of its long term care business,
or from assumptions regarding anticipated claims and losses relating to the Company’s automobile and home
insurance products;
• changes in capital requirements that may be indicated, required or advised by regulators or rating agencies;
• the impacts of the Company’s efforts to improve distribution economics and to grow third-party distribution of its
products;
• the ability to pursue and complete strategic transactions and initiatives, including acquisitions, divestitures,
restructurings, joint ventures and the development of new products and services;
• the ability to realize the financial, operating and business fundamental benefits of strategic transactions and initiatives
the Company has completed, is pursuing or may pursue in the future, which may be impacted by the ability to obtain
regulatory approvals, the ability to effectively manage related expenses and by market, business partner and consumer
reactions to such strategic transactions and initiatives;
• the ability and timing to realize savings and other benefits from re-engineering and tax planning;
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