1. General Lincoln Benefit Life Company (the  Company  or  Lincoln Benefit ) is a stock insurance company domiciled in the State of Nebraska. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Resolution Life, Inc. ( Resolution ), which in turn is a wholly owned subsidiary of Resolution Life Holdings, Inc. ( Holdings ). Resolution was formed on July 2, 2013 under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. On April 1, 2014, Lancaster Re Captive Insurance Company ( Lancaster Re ), a Nebraska domiciled captive insurance company, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Lincoln Benefit when it was contributed to Lincoln Benefit by Resolution. The Company became a wholly owned subsidiary of Resolution on April 1, 2014 after receiving all required regulatory approvals. Prior to this date, it was a wholly owned subsidiary of Allstate Life Insurance Company ( ALIC ). On July 17, 2013, Holdings executed a Stock Purchase Agreement (the  Acquisition ) to acquire 100% of the Company from ALIC. In November 2013, Holdings assigned the right to acquire all of Lincoln Benefit s outstanding capital stock to Resolution pursuant to an Assignment Agreement. The purchase price was $595.8 million. The Company is authorized to sell life insurance and retirement products in all states except New York, as well as in the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Prior to July 18, 2013, the Company sold interest-sensitive, traditional and variable life insurance products through both exclusive agencies ( Allstate Financial Sales channel ) and independent master brokerage agencies. Effective July 17, 2013, sales through the independent master brokerage agencies ceased, and sales through the Allstate Financial sales channel will continue for a period up to 30 months after the closing date of Acquisition. We operate as a single segment entity, based on the manner in which we use financial information to evaluate business performance and to determine the allocation of resources. On April 1, 2014, immediately prior to the Acquisition (Prede