§ 25117 Usury Exemption For Rated Debt

This law says that certain loans or bonds are allowed to ignore the state’s interest‑rate limits if the borrower is a highly rated or financially strong company.

Key Takeaways

•If a debt is rated AAA‑BBB (or the equivalent from Moody’s) it’s automatically exempt.
•A company that is listed on a certified national exchange or meets the $1 M equity and $500 k net‑income tests is also exempt.
•The exemption stays in place even if a court later decides the debt is a “security.”

Example

A large corporation that has a AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s wants to sell bonds to raise money.

Because the bonds are rated AAA, the corporation can issue them without worrying about the state’s usury caps, even if a court later calls the bonds a “security.”

How to Calculate

Equity ≥ $1,000,000 AND NetIncomeYears ≥ 3 of the last 4 years where NetIncome ≥ $500,000 each year

Get the company’s financial statements for the most recent four fiscal years.
For each year, look at the consolidated net income after taxes and extraordinary items (but ignore extraordinary gains).
Count how many of those four years have net income of at least $500,000.
If the count is 3 or more, the net‑income test is passed.
Look at the total shareholders’ equity at the end of the most recent fiscal year.
If that equity number is $1,000,000 or more, the equity test is passed.
If both tests are passed, the debt instrument is exempt from the usury limits.

Company X wants to issue a $10 million bond.

Result: Net‑income test passes (3 years ≥ $500,000) and equity test passes (≥ $1,000,000), so the bond is exempt from usury limits.

(a) An evidence of indebtedness, and the purchasers or holders thereof, shall be exempt from the usury provisions of Section 1 of Article XV of the California Constitution if (1) the evidence of indebtedness is rated or provisionally rated by Standard & Poor’s Corporation as AAA, AA, A, BBB, or investment grade commercial paper, or by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. as Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, or investment grade commercial paper, including any such ratings with “+” or “—” designation or other variations that occur within these ratings, or has a rating or a provisional rating by another nationally recognized rating agency or system, which rating and agency or system have been certified by rule or order of the commissioner, or (2) the issuer thereof either (A) has any security listed or approved for listing upon notice of issuance on a national securities exchange, if the exchange has been certified by the commissioner, pursuant to subdivision (o) of Section 25100, or (B) meets each of the following requirements: (i) The issuer is a corporation which is subject to Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. (ii) The issuer had total shareholders’ equity of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000) at the end of its most recent fiscal year, and had consolidated net income, after all charges, including taxes and extraordinary losses, and excluding extraordinary gains, of at least five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for three of its last four fiscal years, including its most recent fiscal year. The determination of total shareholders’ equity and net income shall be determined in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles applicable to that fiscal year or years, on a consolidated basis, or (3) the evidence of indebtedness is issued by any corporation all of the outstanding shares of which are owned by an issuer which meets the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2). (b) This section creates and authorizes a class of transactions and persons pursuant to Section 1 of Article XV of the California Constitution. (c) Any evidence of indebtedness issued in compliance with this section shall be entitled to the benefits of the usury exemption contained in this section regardless of whether subsequent to its issuance the evidence of indebtedness is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a “security.” (Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 131, Sec. 11. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2010.)

This law says that certain loans or bonds are allowed to ignore the state’s interest‑rate limits if the borrower is a highly rated or financially strong company.

Key Takeaways

•If a debt is rated AAA‑BBB (or the equivalent from Moody’s) it’s automatically exempt.
•A company that is listed on a certified national exchange or meets the $1 M equity and $500 k net‑income tests is also exempt.
•The exemption stays in place even if a court later decides the debt is a “security.”

Example

A large corporation that has a AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s wants to sell bonds to raise money.

Because the bonds are rated AAA, the corporation can issue them without worrying about the state’s usury caps, even if a court later calls the bonds a “security.”

How to Calculate

Equity ≥ $1,000,000 AND NetIncomeYears ≥ 3 of the last 4 years where NetIncome ≥ $500,000 each year

Get the company’s financial statements for the most recent four fiscal years.
For each year, look at the consolidated net income after taxes and extraordinary items (but ignore extraordinary gains).
Count how many of those four years have net income of at least $500,000.
If the count is 3 or more, the net‑income test is passed.
Look at the total shareholders’ equity at the end of the most recent fiscal year.
If that equity number is $1,000,000 or more, the equity test is passed.
If both tests are passed, the debt instrument is exempt from the usury limits.

Company X wants to issue a $10 million bond.

Result: Net‑income test passes (3 years ≥ $500,000) and equity test passes (≥ $1,000,000), so the bond is exempt from usury limits.

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

References

§ 25117 Usury Exemption For Rated Debt

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

References

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

How to Calculate

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References