Note 9 -Commitments and Contingencies Management Agreement with ACM We are externally managed by ACM pursuant to a management agreement (the Management Agreement) see also Note 14 ,  Related Party Transactions . The Management Agreement entitles ACM to receive a management fee payable monthly in arrears. Currently, the monthly management fee is 1/12th of the sum of (a) 1.5% of gross equity raised up to $1.0 billion plus (b) 0.75% of gross equity raised in excess of $1.0 billion . The cost of repurchased stock and any dividend representing a return of capital for tax purposes will reduce the amount of gross equity raised used to calculate the monthly management fee. At December 31, 2015 , December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 , the effective management fee was 1.049% , 1.028% and 1.026% based on gross equity raised of $2,507,505 , $2,697,223 and $2,769,661 , respectively. The ACM monthly management fee is not calculated based on the performance of our assets. Accordingly, the payment of our monthly management fee may not decline in the event of a decline in our earnings and may cause us to incur losses. We are also responsible for any costs and expenses that ACM incurred solely on behalf of ARMOUR other than the various overhead expenses specified in the terms of the Management Agreement. ACM is further entitled to receive a termination fee from us under certain circumstances. Indemnifications and Litigation We enter into certain contracts that contain a variety of indemnifications, principally with ACM and underwriters, against third party claims for errors and omissions in connection with their services to us. We have not incurred any costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, the estimated fair value of these agreements, as well as the maximum amount attributable to past events, is not material. Accordingly, we have no liabilities recorded for these agreements at December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 . We are not party to any pending, threatened o