DBRS Morningstar Confirms Ratings on SPSS 2021-A

DBRS, Inc. (DBRS Morningstar) confirmed its ratings on the following securities issued by SPSS 2021-A LLC:

-- Class A at AAA (sf)
-- Class B at A (sf)
-- Class C at BBB (sf)
-- Class D at BB (sf)

The rating actions are based on the following analytical considerations:

-- The transaction assumptions consider DBRS Morningstar’s baseline macroeconomic scenarios for rated sovereign economies, available in its commentary Baseline Macroeconomic Scenarios For Rated Sovereigns - June 2022 Update, published on June 29, 2022. These baseline macroeconomic scenarios replace DBRS Morningstar’s moderate and adverse Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic scenarios, which were first published in April 2020.

-- The generally high credit quality of annuity providers and their improved capitalization positions and risk management frameworks, which have been enhanced since the global financial crisis of 2008–09.

-- The ability of the transaction to withstand stresses in the cash flow scenarios and repay investors in accordance with the terms of the transaction.

-- The transaction parties’ capabilities with regard to origination, underwriting, and servicing.

-- The transaction’s capital structure, and form and sufficiency of available credit enhancement.

-- The transaction’s performance to date, with minimal defaults and zero losses.

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONS
There were no Environmental/Social/Governance factors that had a significant or relevant effect on the credit analysis.

A description of how DBRS Morningstar considers ESG factors within the DBRS Morningstar analytical framework can be found in the DBRS Morningstar Criteria: Approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance Risk Factors in Credit Ratings at https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/396929/dbrs-morningstar-criteria-approach-to-environmental-social-and-governance-risk-factors-in-credit-ratings.

Notes:
The principal methodology is DBRS Morningstar Master U.S. ABS Surveillance (May 16, 2022), which can be found on dbrsmorningstar.com under Methodologies & Criteria.

The DBRS Morningstar Sovereign group releases baseline macroeconomic scenarios for rated sovereigns. DBRS Morningstar analysis considered impacts consistent with the baseline scenarios as set forth in the following report: https://www.dbrsmorningstar.com/research/384482/baseline-macroeconomic-scenarios-application-to-credit-ratings.

The rated entity or its related entities did not participate in the rating process for this rating action. DBRS Morningstar had access to the accounts and other relevant internal documents of the rated entity or its related entities in connection with this rating action.

Please see the related appendix for additional information regarding the sensitivity of assumptions used in the rating process.

For more information on this credit or on this industry, visit www.dbrsmorningstar.com or contact us at [email protected].

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