Unum 2006 Annual Report Download - page 19

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Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor” to encourage companies to provide
prospective information, as long as those statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by
meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those included in the forward-looking statements. We desire to take advantage of these safe harbor provisions.
Certain information contained in this discussion, or in any other written or oral statements made by us in
communications with the financial community or contained in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), may be considered forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are those not based on
historical information, but rather relate to future operations, strategies, financial results, or other developments and
speak only as of the date made. These statements may be made directly in this document or may be made part of
this document by reference to other documents filed by us with the SEC, which is known as “incorporation by
reference.” You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,”
“believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “goals,” “objectives,” or similar expressions
in this document or in documents incorporated herein.
These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, many of which are
beyond our control. We caution readers that the following factors, in addition to other factors mentioned from time
to time, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements:
• General economic or business conditions, both domestic and foreign, may be less favorable than
expected, which may affect premium levels, claims experience, the level of pension benefit costs and
funding, and investment results, including credit deterioration of investments.
• Competitive pressures in the insurance industry may increase significantly through industry
consolidation or otherwise.
• Events or consequences relating to terrorism and acts of war, both domestic and foreign, may
adversely affect our business and the Company’s results of operations in a period and may also affect
the availability and cost of reinsurance.
• Legislative, regulatory, or tax changes, both domestic and foreign, may adversely affect the businesses
in which we are engaged.
• Actual experience in connection with implementation of the multistate market conduct regulatory
settlement agreements and the California Department of Insurance settlement agreement may deviate
from our assumptions.
• Rating agency actions, state insurance department market conduct examinations and other inquiries,
other governmental investigations and actions, and negative media attention may adversely affect our
business and the Company’s results of operations in a period.
• The level and results of litigation and rulings in the multidistrict litigation or other purported class
actions may not be favorable to the Company and may adversely affect our business and the
Company’s results of operations in a period.
• Investment results, including, but not limited to, realized investment losses resulting from impairments,
may differ from our assumptions and prior experience and may adversely affect our business and the
Company’s results of operations in a period.
• Changes in the interest rate environment may adversely affect our reserve and policy assumptions and
ultimately profit margins and reserve levels.
• Sales growth may be less than planned, which could affect revenue and profitability.
• Effectiveness in supporting new product offerings and providing customer service may not meet
expectations.
• Actual experience in pricing, underwriting, and reserving may deviate from our assumptions.
• Actual persistency may be lower than projected persistency, resulting in lower than expected revenue
and higher than expected amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs.