Item 1. Business.
Item 1A.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Item 2. Properties.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
Item 1B.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not applicable.
Item 4.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.
Substitute information provided in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K:
Item 1112(b) of Regulation AB. Significant Obligors of Pool Assets (Financial Information).
The primary asset of Discover Card Execution Note Trust (the “Note Issuance Trust”) is the Discover Card Master Trust I, Series 2007-CC collateral certificate, which represents an undivided interest in Discover Card Master Trust I (the “Master Trust”), whose assets include Discover Card receivables existing as of specified dates in designated accounts, which receivables have been transferred to the Master Trust by Discover Bank and Discover Funding LLC, as applicable. The investor interest in receivables for the collateral certificate reflects the aggregate nominal liquidation amount of notes issued by the Note Issuance Trust. The Master Trust, therefore, may be considered a significant obligor in relation to the Note Issuance Trust. Pursuant to Instruction 3.b. to Item 1112(b) of Regulation AB, the information required by Instruction J to Form 10-K in respect of the Master Trust has been disclosed in this report on Form 10-K in lieu of the information otherwise contemplated by Item 1112(b).
The pool assets held by the Master Trust do not include any significant obligors.
Item 1114(b)(2) of Regulation AB. Credit Enhancement and Other Support, Except for Certain Derivatives Instruments (Information Regarding Significant Enhancement Providers) (Financial Information).
Not applicable.
Item 1115(b) of Regulation AB. Certain Derivatives Instruments (Financial Information).
Not applicable.
Item 1117 of Regulation AB. Legal Proceedings.
Discover Bank
In the normal course of business, from time to time, Discover Bank and/or one or more of its affiliates have been named as a defendant in various legal actions, including arbitrations, class actions, and other litigation, arising in connection with our activities. Certain of the actual or threatened legal actions include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitive damages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. Discover Bank contests liability and/or the amount of damages as appropriate in each pending matter.
Discover Bank and its affiliates are also involved, from time to time, in other reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental regulatory and enforcement agencies regarding its business, including, among other matters, accounting, tax and operational matters, some of which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions, decreases in regulatory ratings or other relief, which could materially impact Discover Bank’s financial results, increase its cost of operations, require a change in business activities and product offerings or limit its ability to execute its business strategies and engage in certain business activities.
On July 22, 2015, Discover Bank, The Student Loan Corporation and Discover Products Inc. (“DPI”) agreed to a consent order with the CFPB resolving the CFPB’s investigation into certain student loan servicing practices. As required by the consent order, on October 19, 2015, Discover Bank, the Student Loan Corporation and DPI submitted to the CFPB a redress plan and a compliance plan designed to ensure that they provide redress and otherwise comply with the terms of the order.
U.S. Bank National Association
Since 2014 various plaintiffs or groups of plaintiffs, primarily investors, have filed claims against U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”), in its capacity as trustee or successor trustee (as the case may be) under certain residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”) trusts. The plaintiffs or plaintiff groups have filed substantially similar complaints against other RMBS trustees, including Deutsche Bank, Citibank, HSBC, Bank of New York Mellon and Wells Fargo. The complaints against U.S. Bank allege the trustee caused losses to investors as a result of alleged failures by the sponsors, mortgage loan sellers and servicers for these RMBS trusts and assert causes of action based upon the trustee’s purported failure to enforce repurchase obligations of mortgage loan sellers for alleged breaches of representations and warranties concerning loan quality. The complaints also assert that the trustee failed to notify securityholders of purported events of default allegedly caused by breaches of servicing standards by mortgage loan servicers and that the trustee purportedly failed to abide by a heightened standard of care following alleged events of default.
Currently U.S. Bank is a defendant in multiple actions alleging individual or class action claims against the trustee with respect to multiple trusts as described above. Previously, U.S. Bank disclosed that the most substantial case was: BlackRock Balanced Capital Portfolio et al v. U.S. Bank National Association, No. 605204/2015 (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) (class action alleging claims with respect to approximately 770 trusts) and a companion class action case involving additional trusts (collectively, the “BlackRock cases”). Some of the trusts implicated in the aforementioned BlackRock cases, as well as other trusts, are involved in actions brought by separate groups of plaintiffs related to no more than 100 trusts per case.
U.S. Bank cannot assure you as to the outcome of any of the litigation, or the possible impact of these litigations on the trustee or the RMBS trusts. However, U.S. Bank denies liability and believes that it has performed its obligations under the RMBS trusts in good faith, that its actions were not the cause of losses to investors and that it has meritorious defenses, and it intends to contest the plaintiffs’ claims vigorously.
Other than as set forth above, there are no legal proceedings pending or known to be contemplated by authorities against any of U.S. Bank National Association, as indenture trustee, Wilmington Trust Company, as owner trustee, Discover Bank, as sponsor and servicer, Discover Card Master Trust I, as issuing entity of the collateral certificate, Discover Card Execution Note Trust, as issuing entity of the notes, Discover Funding LLC, as depositor, or any sub-servicer, or of which any property of the foregoing is subject, that are material to holders of the notes.
PART II
The following Items have been omitted in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K:
Item 5.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Item 6.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
Item 7.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Item 7A.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Item 8.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Item 9.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
Item 9A.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Item 9B.
Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
PART III
The following Items have been omitted in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K:
Item 10.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
Item 11.
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
Item 12.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.
Item 13.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
Item 14.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
Substitute information provided in accordance with General Instruction J to Form 10-K:
Item 1119 of Regulation AB. Affiliations and Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.
Discover Bank, which acts as the sponsor of its securitizations, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Discover Financial Services. Discover Funding LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Discover Bank, acts as depositor and beneficiary for the Note Issuance Trust and as holder of the residual transferor interest of the Master Trust. Discover Financial Services acquired Discover Bank in January 1985. Discover Bank and the trustee for the Master Trust formed the Master Trust in October 1993. Discover Bank originates the credit card receivables generated under certain designated Discover card accounts and transfers such credit card receivables to Discover Funding LLC for further transfer to the Master Trust. Discover Bank and the owner trustee formed the Note Issuance Trust on July 2, 2007. Discover Bank transferred an undivided interest in the receivables and other assets of the Master Trust, represented by the collateral certificate, to the Note Issuance Trust to support the issuance of notes on July 26, 2007.
Discover Bank acts as master servicer for the Master Trust and is currently the only servicer under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement with respect to the receivables. During the reporting period, Discover Bank outsourced certain servicing functions to its affiliate, DPI. While DPI has contracted with third-party service providers for certain services, Discover Bank is ultimately responsible for the overall servicing function. Discover Bank also acts as calculation agent for the Note Issuance Trust, which is part of the servicing function.
Item 1122 of Regulation AB. Compliance with Applicable Servicing Criteria.
Each of Discover Bank, DPI and U.S. Bank National Association (each, a “Servicing Participant”) has been identified as a party participating in the servicing function during the reporting period with respect to the pool assets held by each of the Master Trust and the Note Issuance Trust. Each of Discover Bank, DPI, and U.S. Bank National Association has completed a report on an assessment of compliance with the servicing criteria applicable to such Servicing Participant (each, a “Report on Assessment”) during the year ended December 31, 2018, which Reports on Assessment are attached as exhibits to this Form 10-K. In addition, each of Discover Bank, DPI, and U.S. Bank National Association has provided an attestation report (each, an “Attestation Report”) by a registered independent public accounting firm regarding its related Report on Assessment. Each Attestation Report is attached as an exhibit to this Form 10-K. None of the Reports on Assessment or the related Attestation Reports has identified any material instances of noncompliance with the servicing criteria applicable to such Servicing Participant described in the related Report on Assessment.
Item 1123 of Regulation AB. Servicer Compliance Statement.
Each of Discover Bank and DPI has been identified as a servicer during the reporting period with respect to the pool assets held by each of the Master Trust and the Note Issuance Trust. Each of Discover Bank and DPI has provided a statement of compliance (each, a “Compliance Statement”) with respect to the servicing activities conducted during the Note Issuance Trust’s year ended December 31, 2018, signed by an authorized officer, and each such Compliance Statement is attached as an exhibit to this Form 10-K.
PART IV
Item 15.
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.
(a) List of documents filed as part of this Report
(1) Not applicable.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) The exhibits filed in response to Item 601 of Regulation S-K are listed below and either included or incorporated by reference as indicated:
(b) See Item 15(a)(3) above for a list of exhibits filed in response to Item 601 of Regulation S-K.
(c) Not applicable.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
Not applicable.
Confidential treatment granted for portions of this Exhibit.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date: March 21, 2019