Element Financial Receives BBB+ Issuer and Senior Unsecured Rating

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sept. 18, 2014) - Element Financial Corporation (TSX:EFN) ("Element" or the "Company") announced today that it has received an issuer and senior unsecured rating of BBB+ from Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) . "The ratings are supported by Element's franchise strength and growing market position in Canada as well as the U.S., a highly experienced management team, focus on key business relationships, and strong asset quality," noted KBRA in announcing the rating. The assigned rating carries a stable outlook.

Following the July 7, 2014 closing of the Company's acquisition of PHH Arval, Element's total sources of liquidity amounted to more than $9.7 billion provided to the Company through term funding agreements, various private and public securitization conduits and unsecured convertible debt with Canadian and US-based banks and life insurance companies. With the confirmation of a BBB+ investment grade issuer and senior unsecured rating, the Company plans to further diversify its funding sources by accessing the US term note market as a source of additional liquidity that will complement these established facilities and lower its overall funding costs.

"This initial investment grade rating of our unsecured debt by Kroll is an important step in maturing our capital structure," said Steven K. Hudson, Chairman and CEO of Element Financial Corporation. "In addition to offering an independent third party assessment of the quality of the balance sheet that supports our business model, this rating sets Element on a path to achieving reduced funding costs that will help drive the strong equity returns that our business has been designed to deliver," added Mr. Hudson.

About Element Financial Corporation

With total assets of $10 billion, Element Financial Corporation is one of North America's leading equipment finance companies. Element operates across North America in four verticals of the equipment finance market - Commercial & Vendor Finance, Aviation Finance, Railcar Finance and Fleet Management.

Forward Looking Statements

This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Element and its business. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of Element's management. In some cases the forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include those related to Element's plans to access the US term note market and lower its funding costs. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Element, including risks regarding the equipment finance industry, economic factors and many other factors beyond the control of Element. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Element undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.