Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. In addition to the other information contained in this annual report on Form 10-K, investors should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our common stock. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case the net asset value of our common stock could decline, and investors may lose all or part of their investment.

Risks Related to Economic Conditions

Future disruptions or instability in capital markets could negatively impact our ability to raise capital and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time, the global capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability, which could materially and adversely impact the broader financial and credit markets and reduce the availability to us of debt and equity capital. For example, between 2008 and 2009, instability in the global capital markets resulted in disruptions in liquidity in the debt capital markets, significant write-offs in the financial services sector, the re-pricing of credit risk in the broadly syndicated credit market and the failure of major domestic and international financial institutions. In particular, the financial services sector was negatively impacted by significant write-offs as the value of the assets held by financial firms declined, impairing their capital positions and abilities to lend and invest. We believe that such value declines were exacerbated by widespread forced liquidations as leveraged holders of financial assets, faced with declining prices, were compelled to sell to meet margin requirements and maintain compliance with applicable capital standards. Such forced liquidations also impaired or eliminated many investors and investment vehicles, leading to a decline in the supply of capital for investment and depressed pricing levels for many assets. These events significantly diminished overall confidence in the debt and equity markets, engendered unprecedented declines in the values of certain assets, caused extreme economic uncertainty and significantly reduced the availability of debt and equity capital for the market as a whole and financial services firms in particular. While market conditions have experienced relative stability in recent years, there have been continuing periods of volatility and there can be no assurance that adverse market conditions will not repeat themselves in the future.

Future volatility and dislocation in the capital markets could create a challenging environment in which to raise or access capital. For example, the re-appearance of market conditions similar to those experienced from 2008 through 2009 for any substantial length of time could make it difficult to extend the maturity of or refinance our existing indebtedness or obtain new indebtedness with similar terms. Significant changes or volatility in the capital markets may also have a negative effect on the valuations of our investments. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity) and impairments of the market values or fair market values of our investments, even if unrealized, must be reflected in our financial statements for the applicable period, which could result in significant reductions to our net asset value for the period. With certain limited exceptions, we are only allowed to borrow amounts or issue debt securities if our asset coverage, as calculated pursuant to the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% immediately after such borrowing. Equity capital may also be difficult to raise during periods of adverse or volatile market conditions because, subject to some limited exceptions, as a BDC, we are generally not able to issue additional shares of our common stock at a price less than net asset value without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. If we are unable to raise capital or refinance existing debt on acceptable terms, then we may be limited in our ability to make new commitments or to fund existing commitments to our portfolio companies. Significant changes in the capital markets may also affect the pace of our investment activity and the potential for liquidity events involving our investments. Thus, the illiquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell such investments to access capital if required, and as a result, we could realize significantly less than the value at which we have recorded our investments if we were required to sell them for liquidity purposes.

26

Table of Contents

Uncertainty with respect to the financial stability of the United States and several countries in the European Union (EU) could have a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In August 2011, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the U.S. from “AAA” to “AA+,” which was affirmed by S&P in June 2013. Moody’s and Fitch have also warned that they may downgrade the U.S. federal government’s credit rating. In addition, the economic downturn and the significant government interventions into the financial markets and fiscal stimulus spending over the last several years have contributed to significantly increased U.S. budget deficits. The U.S. government has on several occasions adopted legislation to suspend the federal debt ceiling, most recently until March 16, 2015. Further downgrades or warnings by S&P or other rating agencies, and the U.S. government’s credit and deficit concerns in general, including issues around the federal debt ceiling, could cause interest rates and borrowing costs to rise, which may negatively impact both the perception of credit risk associated with our debt portfolio and our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms. Furthermore, in February 2014, the Federal Reserve began scaling back its bond-buying program, or quantitative easing, which it ended in October 2014. Quantitative easing was designed to stimulate the economy and expand the Federal Reserve’s holdings of long-term securities until key economic indicators, such as the unemployment rate, showed signs of improvement. The Federal Reserve has also indicated that it may raise interest raise interest rates as early as mid-2015. It is unclear what effect, if any, the end of quantitative easing and the Federal Reserves’ stated intentions to raise interest rates will have on the value of our investments or our ability to access the debt markets on favorable terms.

In 2010, a financial crisis emerged in Europe, triggered by high budget deficits and rising direct and contingent sovereign debt in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, which created concerns about the ability of these nations to continue to service their sovereign debt obligations. In January 2012, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating for France, Italy, Spain and six other European countries, which has negatively impacted global markets and economic conditions. In addition, in April 2012, S&P further lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating for Spain. While the financial stability of such countries has improved, risks resulting from any future debt crisis in Europe or any similar crisis could have a detrimental impact on the global economic recovery, sovereign and non-sovereign debt in these countries and the financial condition of U.S. and European financial institutions. Market disruptions in Europe, including the increased cost of funding for certain governments and financial institutions, could negatively impact the global economy, and there can be no assurance that assistance packages will be available, or if available, will be sufficient to stabilize countries and markets in Europe. To the extent uncertainty regarding any economic recovery in Europe negatively impacts consumer confidence levels and spending, personal bankruptcy rates, levels of incurrence and default on consumer debt and home prices, or other credit factors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be significantly and adversely affected.

Future economic recessions or downturns could impair our portfolio companies and harm our operating results.

Many of our portfolio companies may be susceptible to economic slowdowns or recessions (such as the economic downturn that occurred from 2008 through 2009) and may be unable to repay our debt investments during these periods. Therefore, our non-performing assets are likely to increase, and the value of our portfolio is likely to decrease during these periods. Adverse economic conditions may also decrease the value of any collateral securing our debt investments. A prolonged recession may further decrease the value of such collateral and result in losses of value in our portfolio and a decrease in our revenues, net income and net asset value. Unfavorable economic conditions also could increase our funding costs, limit our access to the capital markets or result in a decision by lenders not to extend credit to us on terms we deem acceptable. These events could prevent us from increasing investments and harm our operating results. Economic downturns or recessions may also result in a portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders, which could lead to defaults and, potentially, acceleration of the time when the loans are due and foreclosure on its assets representing collateral for its obligations, which could trigger cross defaults under other agreements and

27

Table of Contents

jeopardize our portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt that we hold and the value of any equity securities we own. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting portfolio company.

Price declines in the large corporate leveraged loan market may adversely affect the fair value of our syndicated loan portfolio, reducing our net asset value through increased net unrealized depreciation.

Prior to the onset of the financial crisis, CLOs, a type of leveraged investment vehicle holding corporate loans, hedge funds and other highly leveraged investment vehicles comprised a substantial portion of the market for purchasing and holding first and second lien secured loans. As the secondary market pricing of the loans underlying these portfolios deteriorated during the fourth quarter of 2008, it is our understanding that many investors, as a result of their generally high degrees of leverage, were forced to raise cash by selling their interests in performing loans in order to satisfy margin requirements or the equivalent of margin requirements imposed by their lenders. This resulted in a forced deleveraging cycle of price declines, compulsory sales and further price declines, with widespread redemption requests and other constraints resulting from the credit crisis generating further selling pressure. This pervasive forced selling and the resultant price declines eliminated or significantly impaired many of our leveraged competitors for investment opportunities, especially those having built their investment portfolios prior to the financial crisis. Where prices appreciated measurably in recent years, conditions in the large corporate leveraged loan market may experience similar disruptions or deterioration, which may cause pricing levels to similarly decline or be volatile. As a result, we may suffer unrealized depreciation and could incur realized losses in connection with the sale of our syndicated loans, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Business and Structure

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends on FSIC II Advisor’s and GDFM’s ability to manage and support our investment process and if either our agreement with FSIC II Advisor or FSIC II Advisor’s agreement with GDFM were to be terminated, or if either FSIC II Advisor or GDFM lose any members of their respective senior management teams, our ability to achieve our investment objectives could be significantly harmed.

Since we have no employees, we depend on the investment expertise, skill and network of business contacts of FSIC II Advisor and GDFM. FSIC II Advisor, with the assistance of GDFM, evaluates, negotiates, structures, executes, monitors and services our investments. Our future success depends to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of FSIC II Advisor and GDFM, as well as their respective senior management teams. The departure of any members of the senior management team or other key employees of either FSIC II Advisor or GDFM could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objectives.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends on FSIC II Advisor’s ability, with the assistance of GDFM, to identify, analyze, invest in, finance and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. FSIC II Advisor’s capabilities in structuring the investment process, providing competent, attentive and efficient services to us, and facilitating access to financing on acceptable terms depend on the employment of investment professionals in an adequate number and of adequate sophistication to match the corresponding flow of transactions. To achieve our investment objectives, FSIC II Advisor may need to hire, train, supervise and manage new investment professionals to participate in our investment selection and monitoring process. FSIC II Advisor may not be able to find investment professionals in a timely manner or at all. Failure to support our investment process could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, the investment advisory and administrative services agreement that FSIC II Advisor has entered into with us, as well as the investment sub-advisory agreement that FSIC II Advisor has entered into with GDFM, have termination provisions that allow the parties to terminate the agreements without penalty. The investment advisory and administrative services agreement may be terminated at any time, without penalty, by

28

Table of Contents

FSIC II Advisor, upon 120 days’ notice to us. The investment sub-advisory agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon 60 days’ written notice by GDFM or, if our board of directors or the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities determine that the investment sub-advisory agreement with GDFM should be terminated, by FSIC II Advisor. If either agreement is terminated, it may adversely affect the quality of our investment opportunities. In addition, in the event such agreements are terminated, it may be difficult for us to replace FSIC II Advisor or for FSIC II Advisor to replace GDFM. Furthermore, the termination of either of these agreements may adversely impact the terms of any financing facility into which we may enter, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Because our business model depends to a significant extent upon relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks and commercial banks, the inability of FSIC II Advisor and GDFM to maintain or develop these relationships, or the failure of these relationships to generate investment opportunities, could adversely affect our business.

If FSIC II Advisor or GDFM fails to maintain its existing relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks and commercial banks on which they rely to provide us with potential investment opportunities, or develop new relationships with other sponsors or sources of investment opportunities, we may not be able to grow our investment portfolio. In addition, individuals with whom FSIC II Advisor and GDFM have relationships are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us.

We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities, which could delay deployment of our capital, reduce returns and result in losses.

We compete for investments with other BDCs and investment funds (including private equity funds, mezzanine funds and CLO funds), as well as traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and other sources of funding. Moreover, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, have begun to invest in areas in which they have not traditionally invested, including making investments in private U.S. middle market companies. As a result of these new entrants, competition for investment opportunities in middle market private U.S. companies may intensify. Many of our competitors are substantially larger and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of capital and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we have. These characteristics could allow our competitors to consider a wider variety of investments, establish more relationships and offer better pricing and more flexible structuring than we are able to do. We may lose investment opportunities if we do not match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure. If we are forced to match our competitors’ pricing, terms and structure, we may not be able to achieve acceptable returns on our investments or may bear substantial risk of capital loss. A significant part of our competitive advantage stems from the fact that the market for investments in private U.S. middle market companies is underserved by traditional commercial banks and other financial sources. A significant increase in the number and/or the size of our competitors in this target market could force us to accept less attractive investment terms. Furthermore, many of our competitors have greater experience operating under, or are not subject to, the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a BDC.

Our board of directors may change our operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval.

Our board of directors has the authority to modify or waive our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. Moreover, we have significant investment flexibility within our investment strategies. Therefore, we may invest our assets in ways with which investors may not agree. We also cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies,

29

Table of Contents

investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net asset value, operating results and the value of our stock. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay stockholders distributions and cause them to lose all or part of their investment.

If we internalize our management functions, a stockholder’s interest in us could be diluted, and we could incur other significant costs associated with being self-managed.

Our board of directors may decide in the future to internalize our management functions. If we do so, we may elect to negotiate to acquire FSIC II Advisor’s assets and personnel. At this time, we cannot anticipate the form or amount of consideration or other terms relating to any such acquisition. Such consideration could take many forms, including cash payments, promissory notes and shares of our common stock. The payment of such consideration could result in dilution of a stockholder’s interest in us and could reduce the earnings per share attributable to their investment.

In addition, while we would no longer bear the costs of the various fees and expenses we expect to pay to FSIC II Advisor under the investment advisory and administrative services agreement, we would incur the entire compensation and benefits costs of our officers and other employees and consultants. In addition, we may issue equity awards to officers, employees and consultants. These awards would decrease net income and may further dilute an investment in us. We cannot reasonably estimate the amount of fees we would save or the costs we would incur if we became self-managed. If the expenses we assume as a result of an internalization are higher than the expenses we avoid paying to FSIC II Advisor, our earnings per share would be lower as a result of the internalization than it otherwise would have been, potentially decreasing the amount of funds available to distribute to our stockholders and the value of our shares. As we are currently organized, we do not have any employees. If we elect to internalize our operations, we would employ personnel and would be subject to potential liabilities commonly faced by employers, such as workers disability and compensation claims and other employee-related liabilities and grievances.

If we internalize our management functions, we could have difficulty integrating these functions as a standalone entity. Currently, individuals employed by FSIC II Advisor and its affiliates perform asset management and general and administrative functions, including accounting and financial reporting, for multiple entities. These personnel have a great deal of know-how and experience. We may fail to properly identify the appropriate mix of personnel and capital needs to operate as a standalone entity. An inability to manage an internalization transaction effectively could thus result in our incurring excess costs and/or suffering deficiencies in our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal control over financial reporting. Such deficiencies could cause us to incur additional costs and our management’s attention could be diverted from effectively managing our investments.

Internalization transactions have also, in some cases, been the subject of litigation. Even if these claims are without merit, we could be forced to spend significant amounts of money defending such claims, which would reduce the amount of funds we have available for investment in targeted assets.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations or the operations of our business partners may adversely affect our business or cause us to alter our business strategy.

We, our portfolio companies and our business partners are subject to regulation at the local, state and federal level. New legislation may be enacted or new interpretations, rulings or regulations could be adopted, including those governing the types of investments we are permitted to make, potentially with retroactive effect. In particular, over the last several years there has been an increase in regulatory attention to the extension of credit outside of the traditional banking sector, raising the possibility that some portion of the non-bank financial sector will be subject to new regulation. New legislation, interpretations, rulings or regulations could require changes to certain business practices of us or our portfolio companies, negatively impact the operations, cash flows or financial condition of us or our portfolio companies, impose additional costs on us or our portfolio companies or otherwise adversely affect our business or the business of our portfolio companies. In addition, any changes to

30

Table of Contents

the laws and regulations governing our operations, including with respect to permitted investments, may cause us to alter our investment strategy to avail ourselves of new or different opportunities or make other changes to our business. Such changes could result in material differences to our strategies and plans as set forth in this annual report on Form 10-K and may result in our investment focus shifting from the areas of expertise of FSIC II Advisor and GDFM to other types of investments in which FSIC II Advisor and GDFM may have less expertise or little or no experience. Thus, any such changes, if they occur, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of a stockholder’s investment.

The impact on us of recent financial reform legislation, including the Dodd-Frank Act, is uncertain.

In light of recent conditions in the U.S. and global financial markets and the U.S. and global economy, legislators, the presidential administration and regulators have increased their focus on the regulation of the financial services industry. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, as amended, or the Dodd-Frank Act, institutes a wide range of reforms that will have an impact on all financial institutions. Many of the requirements called for in the Dodd-Frank Act will be implemented over time, most of which will be subject to implementing regulations over the course of several years. Given the uncertainty associated with the manner in which the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act will be implemented by the various regulatory agencies and through regulations, the full impact such requirements will have on our business, results of operations or financial condition is unclear. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make necessary changes in order to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with any such laws, regulations or principles, or changes thereto, may negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. While we cannot predict what effect any changes in the laws or regulations or their interpretations would have on us as a result of recent financial reform legislation, these changes could be materially adverse to us and our stockholders.

Future legislation may allow us to incur additional leverage.

As a BDC, we are generally not permitted to incur indebtedness unless immediately after such borrowing we have an asset coverage for total borrowings of at least 200% (i.e., the amount of debt may not exceed 50% of the value of our assets). Legislation was previously introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that proposed a modification of this section of the 1940 Act to permit an increase in the amount of debt that BDCs could incur by modifying the percentage from 200% to 150%. Similar legislation may be reintroduced and may pass that permits us to incur additional leverage under the 1940 Act. As a result, we may be able to incur additional indebtedness in the future, and, therefore, the risk of an investment in us may increase.

As a public company, we are subject to regulations not applicable to private companies, such as provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Efforts to comply with such regulations will involve significant expenditures, and non-compliance with such regulations may adversely affect us.

As a public company, we incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and other rules implemented by the SEC. Our management is required to report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder. In particular, our management is required to review on an annual basis our internal control over financial reporting, and on a quarterly and annual basis to evaluate and disclose changes in our internal control over financial reporting. Although not required, we also elect to obtain an attestation from our independent registered public accounting firm on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.

We incur significant expenses in connection with our compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other regulations applicable to public companies, which may negatively impact our financial performance and our

31

Table of Contents

ability to make distributions. Compliance with such regulations also requires a significant amount of our management’s time and attention. For example, we cannot be certain as to the timing of the completion of our Sarbanes-Oxley mandated evaluations, testings and remediation actions, if any, or the impact of the same on our operations, and we may not be able to ensure that the process is effective or that our internal control over financial reporting is or will be deemed effective in the future. In the event that we are unable to maintain an effective system of internal control and maintain compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and related rules, we may be adversely affected.

We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

We could experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including our ability or inability to make investments in companies that meet our investment criteria, the interest rate payable on the debt securities we acquire, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. As a result of these factors, results for any previous period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

Risks Related to FSIC II Advisor, GDFM and their respective Affiliates

FSIC II Advisor, GDFM and their respective affiliates, including our officers and some of our directors, face conflicts of interest caused by compensation arrangements between us and FSIC II Advisor, and FSIC II Advisor and GDFM, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.

FSIC II Advisor, GDFM and their respective affiliates receive substantial fees from us in return for their services, and these fees could influence the advice provided to us. We pay to FSIC II Advisor an incentive fee that is based on the performance of our portfolio and an annual base management fee that is based on the average value of our gross assets, and FSIC II Advisor shares a portion of these fees with GDFM pursuant to the investment sub-advisory agreement between FSIC II Advisor and GDFM. Because the incentive fee is based on the performance of our portfolio, FSIC II Advisor may be incentivized to make investments on our behalf, and GDFM to recommend investments for us to FSIC II Advisor, that are riskier or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. The way in which the incentive fee is determined may also encourage FSIC II Advisor to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. In addition, because the management fee is based upon the average value of our gross assets, which includes any borrowings for investment purposes, FSIC II Advisor may be incentivized to recommend the use leverage or the issuance of additional equity to make additional investments and increase the average value of or gross assets. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which could disfavor holders of our common stock. Our compensation arrangements could therefore result in our making riskier or more speculative investments, or relying more on leverage to make investments, than would otherwise be the case. This could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns.

We may be obligated to pay FSIC II Advisor incentive compensation even if we incur a net loss due to a decline in the value of our portfolio, or on income that we have not received.

The investment advisory and administrative services agreement entitles FSIC II Advisor to receive incentive compensation on income regardless of any capital losses. In such case, we may be required to pay FSIC II Advisor incentive compensation for a fiscal quarter even if there is a decline in the value of our portfolio or if we incur a net loss for that quarter.

In addition, any incentive fee payable by us that relates to our net investment income may be computed and paid on income that may include interest that has been accrued but not yet received. If a portfolio company defaults on a loan that is structured to provide accrued interest, it is possible that accrued interest previously included in the calculation of the incentive fee will become uncollectible. FSIC II Advisor is not under any

32

Table of Contents

obligation to reimburse us for any part of the incentive fee it received that was based on accrued income that we never received as a result of a default by an entity on the obligation that resulted in the accrual of such income, and such circumstances would result in our paying an incentive fee on income we never received.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we are required to recognize taxable income (such as deferred interest that is accrued as original issue discount) in some circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash and to make distributions with respect to such income to maintain our status as a RIC. Under such circumstances, we may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under the Code. This difficulty in making the required distribution may be amplified to the extent that we are required to pay an incentive fee with respect to such accrued income. As a result, we may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital, or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.

There may be conflicts of interest related to obligations FSIC II Advisor’s and GDFM’s senior management and investment teams have to our affiliates and to other clients.

The members of the senior management and investment teams of both FSIC II Advisor and GDFM serve or may serve as officers, directors or principals of entities that operate in the same or a related line of business as we do, or of investment funds managed by the same personnel. For example, the officers, managers and other personnel of FSIC II Advisor also serve in similar capacities to the investment advisers to Franklin Square Holdings’ three other affiliated BDCs, FS Investment Corporation, FS Energy and Power Fund and FS Investment Corporation III, and Franklin Square Holdings’ affiliated closed-end management investment company, FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund. In serving in these multiple and other capacities, they may have obligations to other clients or investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which may not be in our best interests or in the best interest of our stockholders. Our investment objectives may overlap with the investment objectives of such investment funds, accounts or other investment vehicles. For example, we rely on FSIC II Advisor to manage our day-to-day activities and to implement our investment strategy. FSIC II Advisor and certain of its affiliates are presently, and plan in the future to continue to be, involved with activities which are unrelated to us. As a result of these activities, FSIC II Advisor, its employees and certain of its affiliates will have conflicts of interest in allocating their time between us and other activities in which they are or may become involved, including the management of other entities affiliated with Franklin Square Holdings. FSIC II Advisor and its employees will devote only as much of its or their time to our business as FSIC II Advisor and its employees, in their judgment, determine is reasonably required, which may be substantially less than their full time.

Furthermore, GDFM, on which FSIC II Advisor relies to assist it in identifying investment opportunities and making investment recommendations, has similar conflicts of interest. GDFM or its parent, GSO, serves as investment sub-adviser to Franklin Square Holdings’ three other affiliated BDCs and Franklin Square Holdings’ affiliated closed-end management investment company. GDFM, its affiliates and their respective members, partners, officers and employees will devote as much of their time to our activities as they deem necessary and appropriate. GDFM and its affiliates are not restricted from forming additional investment funds, from entering into other investment advisory relationships or from engaging in other business activities, even though such activities may be in competition with us and/or may involve substantial time and resources of GDFM. Also, in connection with such business activities, GDFM and its affiliates may have existing business relationships or access to material, non-public information that may prevent it from recommending investment opportunities that would otherwise fit within our investment objectives. All of these factors could be viewed as creating a conflict of interest in that the time, effort and ability of the members of GDFM, its affiliates and their officers and employees will not be devoted exclusively to our business but will be allocated between us and the management of the monies of other advisees of GDFM and its affiliates.

33

Table of Contents

The time and resources that individuals employed by FSIC II Advisor and GDFM devote to us may be diverted and we may face additional competition due to the fact that individuals employed by FSIC II Advisor and GDFM are not prohibited from raising money for or managing another entity that makes the same types of investments that we target.

Neither FSIC II Advisor nor GDFM, or individuals employed by FSIC II Advisor or GDFM, are prohibited from raising money for and managing another investment entity that makes the same types of investments as those we target. As a result, the time and resources that these individuals may devote to us may be diverted. In addition, we may compete with any such investment entity for the same investors and investment opportunities. In an order dated June 4, 2013, the SEC granted exemptive relief permitting us, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to co-invest in certain privately negotiated investment transactions with our co-investment affiliates. Because we did not seek exemptive relief to engage in co-investment transactions with GDFM and its affiliates, we will continue to be permitted to co-invest with GDFM and its affiliates only in accordance with existing regulatory guidance. Affiliates of GDFM, whose primary businesses include the origination of investments, engage in investment advisory business with accounts that compete with us. Affiliates of GDFM have no obligation to make their originated investment opportunities available to GDFM or to us.

FSIC II Advisor’s liability is limited under our investment advisory and administrative services agreement, and we are required to indemnify it against certain liabilities, which may lead it to act in a riskier manner on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

Pursuant to our investment advisory and administrative services agreement, FSIC II Advisor and its officers, managers, partners, members (and their members, including the owners of their members), agents, employees, controlling persons and any other person or entity affiliated with FSIC II Advisor will not be liable to us for their acts under our investment advisory and administrative services agreement, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties. We have agreed to indemnify, defend and protect FSIC II Advisor and its officers, managers, partners, members (and their members, including the owners of their members), agents, employees, controlling persons and any other person or entity affiliated with FSIC II Advisor with respect to all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses resulting from acts of FSIC II Advisor not arising out of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties under our investment advisory and administrative services agreement. These protections may lead FSIC II Advisor to act in a riskier manner when acting on our behalf than it would when acting for its own account.

Risks Related to Business Development Companies

Failure to maintain our status as a BDC would reduce our operating flexibility.

If we do not remain a BDC, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.

We are uncertain of our sources for funding our future capital needs and if we cannot obtain debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, or at all, our ability to acquire investments and to expand our operations will be adversely affected.

Any working capital reserves we maintain may not be sufficient for investment purposes, and we may require debt or equity financing to operate. We may also need to access the capital markets to refinance existing debt obligations to the extent maturing obligations are not repaid with cash flows from operations. In order to maintain our RIC status we must distribute to our stockholders on a timely basis generally an amount equal to at least 90% of our investment company taxable income, and the amounts of such distributions will therefore not be available to fund investment originations or to repay maturing debt. In addition, with certain limited exceptions, we are only allowed to borrow amounts or issue debt securities or preferred stock, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” such that our asset coverage, as calculated pursuant to the 1940 Act, equals at least 200%

34

Table of Contents

immediately after such borrowing, which, in certain circumstances, may restrict our ability to borrow or issue debt securities or preferred stock. In the event that we develop a need for additional capital in the future for investments or for any other reason, and we cannot obtain debt or equity financing on acceptable terms, or at all, our ability to acquire investments and to expand our operations will be adversely affected. As a result, we would be less able to allocate our portfolio among various issuers and industries and achieve our investment objectives, which may negatively impact our results of operations and reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

The requirement that we invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets could preclude us from investing in accordance with our current business strategy; conversely, the failure to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets could result in our failure to maintain our status as a BDC.

As a BDC, we may not acquire any assets other than “qualifying assets” unless, at the time of such acquisition, at least 70% of our total assets are qualifying assets. Therefore, we may be precluded from investing in what we believe are attractive investments if such investments are not qualifying assets. Similarly, these rules could prevent us from making additional investments in existing portfolio companies, which could result in the dilution of our position, or could require us to dispose of investments at an inopportune time to comply with the 1940 Act. If we were forced to sell non-qualifying investments in the portfolio for compliance purposes, the proceeds from such sale could be significantly less than the current value of such investments. Conversely, if we fail to invest a sufficient portion of our assets in qualifying assets, we could lose our status as a BDC, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions and significantly decrease our operating flexibility.

Regulations governing our operation as a BDC and a RIC will affect our ability to raise, and the way in which we raise, additional capital or borrow for investment purposes, which may have a negative effect on our growth.

As a result of the Annual Distribution Requirement to qualify as a RIC, we may need to periodically access the capital markets to raise cash to fund new investments. We may issue “senior securities,” as defined in the 1940 Act, including issuing preferred stock, borrowing money from banks or other financial institutions, or issuing debt securities only in amounts such that our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% after such incurrence or issuance. Our ability to issue certain other types of securities is also limited. Under the 1940 Act, we are also generally prohibited from issuing or selling our common stock at a price per share, after deducting underwriting commissions, that is below our net asset value per share, without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. Compliance with these limitations on our ability to raise capital may unfavorably limit our investment opportunities. These limitations may also reduce our ability in comparison to other companies to profit from favorable spreads between the rates at which we can borrow and the rates at which we can lend.

In addition, because we incur indebtedness for investment purposes, if the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy the asset coverage test under the 1940 Act, which would prohibit us from paying distributions and could prevent us from qualifying as a RIC. If we cannot satisfy the asset coverage test, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our debt financing, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous.

Our ability to enter into transactions with our affiliates is restricted.

We are prohibited under the 1940 Act from participating in certain transactions with certain of our affiliates without the prior approval of a majority of the independent members of our board of directors and, in some cases, the SEC. Any person that owns, directly or indirectly, 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities will be our affiliate for purposes of the 1940 Act, and we will generally be prohibited from buying or selling any securities from or to such affiliate, absent the prior approval of our board of directors. The 1940 Act also prohibits certain “joint” transactions with certain of our affiliates, which could include investments in the same portfolio company

35

Table of Contents

(whether at the same or different times), without prior approval of our board of directors and, in some cases, the SEC. In an order dated June 4, 2013, the SEC granted exemptive relief permitting us, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to co-invest in certain privately negotiated investment transactions with our co-investment affiliates. If a person acquires more than 25% of our voting securities, we will be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to such person or certain of that person’s affiliates, or entering into prohibited joint transactions with such persons to the extent not covered by our exemptive relief, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their affiliates. As a result of these restrictions, we may be prohibited from buying or selling any security from or to any portfolio company of a private equity fund managed by FSIC II Advisor without the prior approval of the SEC, which may limit the scope of investment opportunities that would otherwise be available to us.

Risks Related to Our Investments

Our investments in prospective portfolio companies may be risky, and we could lose all or part of our investment.

Our investments in senior secured loans, second lien secured loans, senior secured bonds, subordinated debt and equity of private U.S. companies, including middle market companies, may be risky and there is no limit on the amount of any such investments in which we may invest.

Senior Secured Loans, Second Lien Secured Loans and Senior Secured Bonds . There is a risk that any collateral pledged by portfolio companies in which we have taken a security interest may decrease in value over time or lose its entire value, may be difficult to sell in a timely manner, may be difficult to appraise and may fluctuate in value based upon the success of the business and market conditions, including as a result of the inability of the portfolio company to raise additional capital. To the extent our debt investment is collateralized by the securities of a portfolio company’s subsidiaries, such securities may lose some or all of their value in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the portfolio company. Also, in some circumstances, our security interest may be contractually or structurally subordinated to claims of other creditors. In addition, deterioration in a portfolio company’s financial condition and prospects, including its inability to raise additional capital, may be accompanied by deterioration in the value of the collateral for the debt. Secured debt that is under-collateralized involves a greater risk of loss. In addition, second lien secured debt is granted a second priority security interest in collateral, which means that any realization of collateral will generally be applied to pay senior secured debt in full before second lien secured debt is paid. Consequently, the fact that debt is secured does not guarantee that we will receive principal and interest payments according to the debt’s terms, or at all, or that we will be able to collect on the debt should we be forced to enforce our remedies.

Subordinated Debt . Our subordinated debt investments will generally rank junior in priority of payment to senior debt and will generally be unsecured. This may result in a heightened level of risk and volatility or a loss of principal, which could lead to the loss of the entire investment. These investments may involve additional risks that could adversely affect our investment returns. To the extent interest payments associated with such debt are deferred, such debt may be subject to greater fluctuations in valuations, and such debt could subject us and our stockholders to non-cash income. Since we will not receive any principal repayments prior to the maturity of some of our subordinated debt investments, such investments will be of greater risk than amortizing loans.

Equity Investments . We may make select equity investments. In addition, in connection with our debt investments, we on occasion receive equity interest such as warrants or options as additional consideration. The equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience.

Non-U.S. securities . We may invest in non-U.S. securities, which may include securities denominated in U.S. dollars or in non-U.S. currencies, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. Because evidences of ownership of such securities usually are held outside the United States, we would be subject to additional risks if we

36

Table of Contents

invested in non-U.S. securities, which include possible adverse political and economic developments, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits and adoption of governmental restrictions which might adversely affect or restrict the payment of principal and interest on the non-U.S. securities to investors located outside the country of the issuer, whether from currency blockage or otherwise. Since non-U.S. securities may be purchased with and payable in foreign currencies, the value of these assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected unfavorably by changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations.

In addition, we invest in securities that are rated below investment grade by rating agencies or that would be rated below investment grade if they were rated. Below investment grade securities, which are often referred to as “junk,” have predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal. They may also be difficult to value and illiquid.

Investing in middle market companies involves a number of significant risks, any one of which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Investments in middle market companies involve some of the same risks that apply generally to investments in larger, more established companies. However, such investments have more pronounced risks in that they:

Our portfolio companies may incur debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, our investments in such companies.

Our portfolio companies may have, or may be permitted to incur, other debt that ranks equally with, or senior to, the debt in which we invest. By their terms, such debt instruments may entitle the holders to receive payment of interest or principal on or before the dates on which we are entitled to receive payments with respect to the debt instruments in which we invest. Also, in the event of insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of a portfolio company, holders of debt instruments ranking senior to our investment in that portfolio company would typically be entitled to receive payment in full before we receive any proceeds. After repaying such senior creditors, such portfolio company may not have any remaining assets to use for repaying its obligation to us. In the case of debt ranking equally with debt instruments in which we invest, we would have to share on an equal basis any distributions with other creditors holding such debt in the event of an insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or bankruptcy of the relevant portfolio company.

37

Table of Contents

There may be circumstances where our debt investments could be subordinated to claims of other creditors or we could be subject to lender liability claims.

If one of our portfolio companies were to go bankrupt, depending on the facts and circumstances, including the extent to which we actually provided managerial assistance to that portfolio company, a bankruptcy court might recharacterize our debt investment and subordinate all or a portion of our claim to that of other creditors. In situations where a bankruptcy carries a high degree of political significance, our legal rights may be subordinated to other creditors. We may also be subject to lender liability claims for actions taken by us with respect to a borrower’s business or in instances where we exercise control over the borrower or render significant managerial assistance.

Second priority liens on collateral securing debt investments that we make to our portfolio companies may be subject to control by senior creditors with first priority liens. If there is a default, the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both the first priority creditors and us.

Certain debt investments that we make to portfolio companies may be secured on a second priority basis by the same collateral securing first priority debt of such companies. The first priority liens on the collateral will secure the portfolio company’s obligations under any outstanding senior debt and may secure certain other future debt that may be permitted to be incurred by such company under the agreements governing the loans. The holders of obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral will generally control the liquidation of and be entitled to receive proceeds from any realization of the collateral to repay their obligations in full before us. In addition, the value of the collateral in the event of liquidation will depend on market and economic conditions, the availability of buyers and other factors. There can be no assurance that the proceeds, if any, from the sale or sales of all of the collateral would be sufficient to satisfy the debt obligations secured by the second priority liens after payment in full of all obligations secured by the first priority liens on the collateral. If such proceeds are not sufficient to repay amounts outstanding under the debt obligations secured by the second priority liens, then we, to the extent not repaid from the proceeds of the sale of the collateral, will only have an unsecured claim against such company’s remaining assets, if any.

The rights we may have with respect to the collateral securing the debt investments we make in our portfolio companies with senior debt outstanding may also be limited pursuant to the terms of one or more intercreditor agreements that we enter into with the holders of senior debt. Under such an intercreditor agreement, at any time that obligations that have the benefit of the first priority liens are outstanding, any of the following actions that may be taken in respect of the collateral will be at the direction of the holders of the obligations secured by the first priority liens: the ability to cause the commencement of enforcement proceedings against the collateral; the ability to control the conduct of such proceedings; the approval of amendments to collateral documents; releases of liens on the collateral; and waivers of past defaults under collateral documents. We may not have the ability to control or direct such actions, even if our rights are adversely affected.

We generally will not control our portfolio companies.

We do not expect to control most of our portfolio companies, even though we may have board representation or board observation rights, and our debt agreements with such portfolio companies may contain certain restrictive covenants. As a result, we are subject to the risk that a portfolio company in which we invest may make business decisions with which we disagree and the management of such company, as representatives of the holders of their common equity, may take risks or otherwise act in ways that do not serve our interests as debt investors. Due to the lack of liquidity for our investments in non-traded companies, we may not be able to dispose of our interests in our portfolio companies as readily as we would like or at an appropriate valuation. As a result, a portfolio company may make decisions that could decrease the value of our portfolio holdings.

38

Table of Contents

Declines in market values or fair market values of our investments could result in significant net unrealized depreciation of our portfolio, which in turn would reduce our net asset value.

Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our investments at market value or, if no market value is ascertainable, at fair value as determined in good faith by or under the direction of our board of directors. While most of our investments are not publicly traded, applicable accounting standards require us to assume as part of our valuation process that our investments are sold in a principal market to market participants (even if we plan on holding an investment through its maturity) and impairments of the market values or fair market values of our investments, even if unrealized, must be reflected in our financial statements for the applicable period as unrealized depreciation, which can result in significant reductions our net asset values for a given period.

A significant portion of our investment portfolio is and will be recorded at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors and, as a result, there is and will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments.

Under the 1940 Act, we are required to carry our portfolio investments at market value or, if there is no readily available market value, at fair value, as determined by our board of directors. There is not a public market for the securities of the privately-held companies in which we invest. Most of our investments are not publicly-traded or actively-traded on a secondary market but are, instead, traded on a privately negotiated over-the-counter secondary market for institutional investors or are not traded at all. As a result, we value these securities quarterly at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors.

Certain factors that may be considered in determining the fair value of our investments include dealer quotes for securities traded on the secondary market for institutional investors, the nature and realizable value of any collateral, the portfolio company’s earnings and its ability to make payments on its indebtedness, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to comparable publicly-traded companies, discounted cash flow and other relevant factors. Because such valuations, and particularly valuations of private securities and private companies, are inherently uncertain, may fluctuate over short periods of time and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these non-traded securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize upon the sale of one or more of our investments.

We are exposed to risks associated with changes in interest rates.

We are subject to financial market risks, including changes in interest rates. General interest rate fluctuations may have a substantial negative impact on our investments, investment opportunities and cost of capital and, accordingly, may have a material adverse effect on our investment objectives, our rate of return on invested capital and our ability to service our debt and make distributions to our stockholders.

Our investment portfolio primarily consists of senior secured debt with maturities typically ranging from three to seven years. The longer the duration of these securities, generally, the more susceptible they are to changes in market interest rates. As market interest rates increase, those securities with a lower yield-at-cost can experience a mark-to-market unrealized loss. An impairment of the fair market value of our investments, even if unrealized, must be reflected in our financial statements for the applicable period and may therefore have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for that period.

Because we incur indebtedness to make investments, our net investment income is dependent, in part, upon the difference between the rate at which we borrow funds or pay interest on outstanding debt securities and the rate at which we invest these funds. An increase in interest rates would make it more expensive to use debt to finance our investments or to refinance our current financing arrangements. In addition, the majority of our financing arrangements provide for adjustments in the loan interest rate along with changes in market interest

39

Table of Contents

rates. Therefore, in periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds will increase, which could materially reduce our net investment income. Any reduction in the level of interest rates on new investments relative to interest rates on our current investments could also adversely impact our net investment income.

We have and may continue to structure the majority of our debt investments with floating rates to position our portfolio for rate increases. However, there can be no assurance that this will successfully mitigate our exposure to interest rate risk. For example, in the event of a rising interest rate environment, payments under floating rate debt instruments generally would rise and there may be a significant number of issuers of such floating rate debt instruments that would be unable or unwilling to pay such increased interest costs and may otherwise be unable to repay their loans. Investments in floating rate debt instruments may also decline in value in response to rising interest rates if the interest rates of such investments do not rise as much, or as quickly, as market interest rates in general. Similarly, during periods of rising interest rates, our fixed rate investments may decline in value because the fixed rate of interest paid thereunder may be below market interest rates.

We may also use interest rate risk management techniques in an effort to limit our exposure to interest rate fluctuations. These techniques may include various interest rate hedging activities to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. However, these activities may limit our ability to participate in the benefits of lower interest rates with respect to the hedged portion of our portfolio. We also have limited experience in entering into hedging transactions, and we will initially have to develop such expertise or arrange for such expertise to be provided. Adverse developments resulting from hedging transactions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Furthermore, because a rise in the general level of interest rates can be expected to lead to higher interest rates applicable to our debt investments, an increase in interest rates would make it easier for us to meet or exceed the incentive fee hurdle rate in our investment advisory and administrative services agreement and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to FSIC II Advisor with respect to pre-incentive fee net investment income.

A covenant breach by our portfolio companies may harm our operating results.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its secured assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize a portfolio company’s ability to meet its obligations under the debt or equity securities that we hold. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms, which may include the waiver of certain financial covenants, with a defaulting portfolio company.

Our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged.

Some of our portfolio companies may be highly leveraged, which may have adverse consequences to these companies and to us as an investor. These companies may be subject to restrictive financial and operating covenants and the leverage may impair these companies’ ability to finance their future operations and capital needs. As a result, these companies’ flexibility to respond to changing business and economic conditions and to take advantage of business opportunities may be limited. Further, a leveraged company’s income and net assets will tend to increase or decrease at a greater rate than if borrowed money were not used.

We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

Certain investments that we may make may include equity-related securities, such as rights and warrants that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or the cash value of the common stock. In addition, we may make direct equity investments in portfolio companies. The equity interests we receive may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our

40

Table of Contents

equity interests and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We may also be unable to realize any value if a portfolio company does not have a liquidity event, such as a sale of the business, recapitalization or public offering, which would allow us to sell the underlying equity interests. We may be unable to exercise any put rights we acquire, which grant us the right to sell our equity securities back to the portfolio company, for the consideration provided in our investment documents if the issuer is in financial distress.

An investment strategy focused primarily on privately-held companies presents certain challenges, including the lack of available information about these companies.

Our investments are primarily in privately-held companies. Investments in private companies pose significantly greater risks than investments in public companies. First, private companies have reduced access to the capital markets, resulting in diminished capital resources and the ability to withstand financial distress. As a result, these companies, which may present greater credit risk than public companies, may be unable to meet the obligations under their debt securities that we hold. Second, the investments themselves often may be illiquid. The securities of most of the companies in which we invest are not publicly-traded or actively-traded on the secondary market and are, instead, traded on a privately negotiated over-the-counter secondary market for institutional investors. In addition, such securities may be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale. As such, we may have difficulty exiting an investment promptly or at a desired price prior to maturity or outside of a normal amortization schedule. These investments may also be difficult to value because little public information generally exists about private companies, requiring an experienced due diligence team to analyze and value the potential portfolio company. Finally, these companies may not have third-party debt ratings or audited financial statements. We must therefore rely on the ability of FSIC II Advisor and/or GDFM to obtain adequate information through due diligence to evaluate the creditworthiness and potential returns from investing in these companies. These companies and their financial information will generally not be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other rules and regulations that govern public companies. If we are unable to uncover all material information about these companies, we may not make a fully informed investment decision, and we may lose money on our investments.

A lack of liquidity in certain of our investments may adversely affect our business.

We invest in certain companies whose securities are not publicly-traded or actively-traded on the secondary market and are, instead, traded on a privately negotiated over-the-counter secondary market for institutional investors and whose securities are subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or are otherwise less liquid than publicly-traded securities. The illiquidity of certain of our investments may make it difficult for us to sell these investments when desired. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we had previously recorded these investments. The reduced liquidity of our investments may make it difficult for us to dispose of them at a favorable price, and, as a result, we may suffer losses.

We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies.

We may not have the funds or ability to make additional investments in our portfolio companies. After our initial investment in a portfolio company, we may be called upon from time to time to provide additional funds to such company or have the opportunity to increase our investment through the exercise of a warrant to purchase common stock. There is no assurance that we will make, or will have sufficient funds to make, follow-on investments. Any decisions not to make a follow-on investment or any inability on our part to make such an investment may have a negative impact on a portfolio company in need of such an investment, may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation or may reduce the expected return on the investment.

41

Table of Contents

Prepayments of our debt investments by our portfolio companies could adversely impact our results of operations and reduce our return on equity.

We are subject to the risk that the investments we make in our portfolio companies may be repaid prior to maturity. When this occurs, we will generally reinvest these proceeds in temporary investments, pending their future investment in new portfolio companies. These temporary investments will typically have substantially lower yields than the debt being prepaid and we could experience significant delays in reinvesting these amounts. Any future investment in a new portfolio company may also be at lower yields than the debt that was repaid. As a result, our results of operations could be materially adversely affected if one or more of our portfolio companies elect to prepay amounts owed to us. Additionally, prepayments, net of prepayment fees, could negatively impact our return on equity.

Our investments may include original issue discount instruments.

To the extent that we invest in original issue discount instruments and the accretion of original issue discount constitutes a portion of our income, we will be exposed to risks associated with the requirement to include such non-cash income in taxable and accounting income prior to receipt of cash, including the following:

We may from time to time enter into total return swaps, credit default swaps or other derivative transactions which expose us to certain risks, including credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk and other risks similar to those associated with the use of leverage.

We may from time to time enter into total return swaps, credit default swaps or other derivative transactions that seek to modify or replace the investment performance of a particular reference security or other asset. These transactions are typically individually negotiated, non-standardized agreements between two parties to exchange payments, with payments generally calculated by reference to a notional amount or quantity. Swap contracts and similar derivative contracts are not traded on exchanges; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in these markets. These investments may present risks in excess of those resulting from the referenced security or other asset. Because these transactions are not an acquisition of the referenced security or other asset itself, the investor has no right directly to enforce compliance with the terms of the referenced security or other asset and has no voting or other consensual rights of ownership with respect to the referenced security or other asset. In the event of insolvency of a counterparty, we will be treated as a general creditor of the counterparty and will have no claim of title with respect to the referenced security or other asset.

A total return swap is a contract in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to another party based on the change in the market value of the referenced security or other assets underlying the total return swap during a specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate. A total return swap is subject to market risk, liquidity risk and risk of imperfect correlation between the value of the total return swap and the debt obligations underlying the total return swap. In addition, we may incur certain costs in connection with a total return swap that could in the aggregate be significant.

42

Table of Contents

A credit default swap is a contract in which one party buys or sells protection against a credit event with respect to an issuer, such as an issuer’s failure to make timely payments of interest or principal on its debt obligations, bankruptcy or restructuring during a specified period. Generally, if we sell credit protection using a credit default swap, we will receive fixed payments from the swap counterparty and if a credit event occurs with respect to the applicable issuer, we will pay the swap counterparty par for the issuer’s defaulted debt securities and the swap counterparty will deliver the defaulted debt securities to us. Generally, if we buy credit protection using a credit default swap, we will make fixed payments to the counterparty and if a credit event occurs with respect to the applicable issuer, we will deliver the issuer’s defaulted securities underlying the swap to the swap counterparty and the counterparty will pay us par for the defaulted securities. Alternatively, a credit default swap may be cash settled and the buyer of protection would receive the difference between the par value and the market value of the issuer’s defaulted debt securities from the seller of protection. Credit default swaps are subject to the credit risk of the underlying issuer. If we are selling credit protection, there is a risk that we will not properly assess the risk of the underlying issuer, a credit event will occur and we will have to pay the counterparty. If we are buying credit protection, there is a risk that we will not properly assess the risk of the underlying issuer, no credit event will occur and we will receive no benefit for the premium paid.

A derivative transaction is also subject to the risk that a counterparty will default on its payment obligations thereunder or that we will not be able to meet our obligations to the counterparty. In some cases, we may post collateral to secure our obligations to the counterparty, and we may be required to post additional collateral upon the occurrence of certain events such as a decrease in the value of the reference security or other asset. In some cases, the counterparty may not collateralize any of its obligations to us. Derivative investments effectively add leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or investing directly in such market. In addition to the risks described above, such arrangements are subject to risks similar to those associated with the use of leverage.

Risks Related to Debt Financing

We currently incur indebtedness to make investments, which magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested in our common shares and may increase the risk of investing in our common shares.

The use of indebtedness, also known as leverage, increases the volatility of investments by magnifying the potential for gain or loss on invested equity capital. When we use leverage to partially finance our investments, through borrowing from banks and other lenders or issuing debt securities, our stockholders will experience increased risks of investing in our common stock. If the value of our assets increases, then leverage would cause the net asset value attributable to our common stock to increase more sharply than it would have had we not utilized leverage. Conversely, if the value of our assets decreases, leverage would cause net asset value to decline more sharply than it otherwise would have had we not utilized leverage. Similarly, any increase in our income in excess of consolidated interest payable on our indebtedness would cause our net income to increase more than it would without leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net income to decline more sharply than it would have had we not utilized leverage. Such a decline could negatively affect our ability to make distributions to stockholders.

The agreements governing our debt financing arrangements contain various covenants which, if not complied with, have a material adverse effect on our ability to meet our investment obligations and to pay distributions to our stockholders.

The agreements governing certain of our and our special purpose financing subsidiaries’ financing arrangements require us and our subsidiaries to comply with certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants require us and our subsidiaries to, among other things, maintain certain financial ratios, including asset coverage and minimum stockholders’ equity. Compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our and their control. For example, in the event of deterioration in the capital markets and pricing levels, net unrealized depreciation in our and our subsidiaries’ portfolio may increase and could result in non-compliance with certain covenants, or our taking actions which could disrupt our business and impact our

43

Table of Contents

ability to meet our investment objectives. There can be no assurance that we and our subsidiaries will continue to comply with the covenants under our financing arrangements. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default which, if we and our subsidiaries were unable to obtain a waiver from the debt holders, could accelerate repayment under any or all of our and their debt instruments and thereby force us to liquidate investments at a disadvantageous time and/or at a price which could result in losses, or allow our lenders to sell assets pledged as collateral under our financing arrangements in order to satisfy amounts due thereunder. These occurrences could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay distributions. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources—Financing Arrangements” for a more detailed discussion of the terms of our debt financing arrangements.

We are subject to risks associated with our debt securitization facilities.

On April 23, 2013, through our two wholly-owned, special-purpose financing subsidiaries, Lehigh River LLC, or Lehigh River, and Cobbs Creek LLC, or Cobbs Creek, we entered into an amendment, or the April 2013 amendment, to our debt financing arrangement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., London Branch, or JPM, pursuant to which up to $550.0 million is available to us (the “JPM Facility”). In addition, on December 15, 2014, through two wholly-owned special-purpose subsidiaries, Green Creek LLC, or Green Creek, and Schuylkill River LLC, or Schuylkill River, we entered into a debt financing arrangement with Goldman pursuant to which up to $400.0 million is available to us (the “Goldman facility”).

The JPM facility and the Goldman facility are both structured as debt securitizations. We use the term “debt securitization” to describe a form of secured borrowing under which an operating company, sometimes referred to as an originator, acquires or originates loans or other assets that earn income, whether on a one-time or recurring basis, or collectively referred to herein as “income producing assets”, and borrows money on a non-recourse basis against a legally separate pool of income producing assets. In a typical debt securitization, the originator transfers the income producing assets to a special-purpose, bankruptcy-remote subsidiary, also referred to as a “special purpose entity,” which is established solely for the purpose of holding income producing assets and issuing debt secured by these income producing assets. The special purpose entity completes the borrowing through the issuance of notes secured by the income producing assets.

Pursuant to the JPM facility, the assets held by Lehigh River secure the obligations of Lehigh River under Class A Floating Rate Notes, or the Class A Notes, to be issued from time to time by Lehigh River to Cobbs Creek pursuant to an Amended and Restated Indenture, dated as of February 6, 2013, as supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 1, dated as of April 23, 2013, with Citibank N.A., or Citibank as trustee, or the Amended and Restated Indenture. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Indenture, the aggregate principal amount of Class A Notes that may be issued by Lehigh River from time to time is $660.0 million. All principal and interest on the Class A Notes will be due and payable on the stated maturity date of May 20, 2024. Cobbs Creek will purchase the Class A Notes to be issued by Lehigh River from time to time at a purchase price equal to their par value.

Cobbs Creek, in turn, has entered into an amended repurchase transaction with JPM pursuant to the terms of an amended and restated global master repurchase agreement and the related annex and amended and restated confirmation thereto, each dated as of April 23, 2013. Pursuant to the JPM facility, JPM has agreed to purchase from time to time Class A Notes held by Cobbs Creek for an aggregate purchase price equal to approximately 83.33% of the principal amount of Class A Notes purchased. Subject to certain conditions, the maximum principal amount of Class A Notes that may be purchased under the JPM facility is $660.0 million. Accordingly, the maximum amount payable at any time to Cobbs Creek under the JPM facility will not exceed $550.0 million.

Although the specific terms are different, the Goldman facility is structured in a similar manner as the JPM facility. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources—Financing Arrangements” for a more detailed discussion of the terms of these debt securitization facilities.

44

Table of Contents

As a result of these debt securitization facilities, we are subject to certain risks. Set forth below are certain risks relating to the JPM facility. The Goldman facility is subject to risks similar to those of the JPM facility described below.

Our equity investment in Lehigh River is subordinated to the debt obligations of Lehigh River.

Any dividends or other payments in respect of our equity interest in Lehigh River are subordinated in priority of payment to the Class A Notes. In addition, Lehigh River is subject to certain payment restrictions set forth in the Amended and Restated Indenture in respect of our equity interest.

We will receive cash distributions based on our investment in Lehigh River only if Lehigh River has made all required cash interest payments on the Class A Notes. We cannot assure stockholders that distributions on the assets held by Lehigh River will be sufficient to make any distributions to us or that the yield on our investment in Lehigh River will meet our expectations.

Our equity investment in Lehigh River is unsecured and ranks behind all of the creditors, known or unknown, of Lehigh River, including the holders of the Class A Notes. Consequently, if the value of Lehigh River’s assets decreases as a result of conditions in the credit markets, defaulted loans, capital gains and losses on the underlying assets, prepayment or changes in interest rates generally, the value of our equity investment in Lehigh River could be reduced. Accordingly, our investment in Lehigh River may not produce a profit and may be subject to a loss in an amount up to the entire amount of such equity investment.

In addition, if the value of Lehigh River’s assets decreases and Lehigh River is unable to make any required payments to Cobbs Creek pursuant to the terms of the Class A Notes, Cobbs Creek may, in turn, be unable to make any required payments to JPM pursuant to the terms of the JPM facility. In such event, if the value of Cobbs Creek’s assets is not sufficient to meet Cobbs Creek’s payment obligations to JPM, we would need to loan or otherwise provide additional funds to Cobbs Creek to cover Cobbs Creek’s payment obligations to JPM, or otherwise be subject to a loss in an amount up to the entire amount of our equity investment in Cobbs Creek.

Our equity investment in Cobbs Creek is subordinated to the debt obligations of Cobbs Creek.

Any dividends or other payments in respect of our equity interest in Cobbs Creek are subordinated in priority of payment to Cobbs Creek’s payment obligations under the JPM facility. In addition, Cobbs Creek is subject to certain payment restrictions set forth in the JPM facility in respect of our equity interest.

We will receive cash distributions based on our investment in Cobbs Creek only if Cobbs Creek has made all required payments under the JPM facility. We cannot assure stockholders that distributions on the assets held by Cobbs Creek, including the Class A Notes, will be sufficient to make any distributions to us or that the yield on our investment in Cobbs Creek will meet our expectations.

Our equity investment in Cobbs Creek is unsecured and ranks behind all of the creditors, known or unknown, of Cobbs Creek, including JPM. Consequently, if the value of Cobbs Creek’s assets decreases as a result of conditions in the credit markets, defaulted loans, capital gains and losses on the underlying assets or prepayment or changes in interest rates generally, the value of our equity investment in Cobbs Creek could be reduced. Accordingly, our investment in Cobbs Creek may not produce a profit and may be subject to a loss in an amount up to the entire amount of such equity investment.

In addition, if the value of Cobbs Creek’s assets decreases or Lehigh River fails to make any required payments to Cobbs Creek pursuant to the terms of the Class A Notes, Cobbs Creek may be unable to make any required payments to JPM pursuant to the terms of the JPM facility. In such event, if the value of Cobbs Creek’s assets is not sufficient to meet Cobbs Creek’s payment obligations to JPM, we may be required to loan or otherwise provide additional funds to Cobbs Creek to cover Cobbs Creek’s payment obligations to JPM, or otherwise be subject to a loss in an amount up to the entire amount of our equity investment in Cobbs Creek.

45

Table of Contents

Our equity investments in Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek have a high degree of leverage.

As of December 31, 2014, Lehigh River had issued Class A Notes in an aggregate amount of $660.0 million (the maximum amount of Class A Notes permitted to be issued by Lehigh River under the Amended and Restated Indenture). The fair value of assets held by Lehigh River as of December 31, 2014 was approximately $1,189.4 million, which included assets purchased by Lehigh River with proceeds from the issuance of Class A Notes. The repurchase amount payable by Cobbs Creek to JPM under the JPM facility in respect of the issued Class A Notes is $550.0 million, plus applicable interest, and as of December 31, 2014, the fair value of assets held by Cobbs Creek was approximately $392.2 million. The market value of our equity assets in Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek may be significantly affected by a variety of factors, including changes in the market value of the assets held by Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek, changes in distributions on the assets held by Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek, defaults and recoveries on those assets, capital gains and losses on those assets, prepayments on those assets and other risks associated with those assets. Our investments in Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek may not produce a profit and may be subject to a loss in an amount up to the entire amount of such equity investment. The leveraged nature of our equity investment may magnify the adverse impact of any loss on our equity investment.

The interests of JPM, as the holder of the Class A Notes, may not be aligned with our interests, and we will not have control over remedies in respect of the Class A Notes.

The Class A Notes rank senior in right of payment to any equity securities issued by Lehigh River. As a result, there are circumstances in which the interests of JPM, as the holder of the Class A Notes, may not be aligned with our interests. For example, under the terms of the Class A Notes, JPM has the right to receive payments of principal and interest prior to Lehigh River making any distributions or dividends to holders of its equity securities.

For as long as the Class A Notes remain outstanding, JPM has the right to act in certain circumstances with respect to the portfolio of assets that secure the obligations of Lehigh River under the Class A Notes in ways that may benefit their interests but not ours, including by exercising remedies or directing the Amended and Restated Indenture trustee to declare events of default under or accelerate the Class A Notes in accordance with the terms of the Amended and Restated Indenture. JPM has no obligation to consider any possible adverse effect that actions taken may have on our equity interests. For example, upon the occurrence of an event of default with respect to the Class A Notes, the trustee, which is currently Citibank, may declare the outstanding principal amount of all of the Class A Notes, together with any accrued interest thereon, to be immediately due and payable. This would have the effect of accelerating the outstanding principal amount of the Class A Notes and triggering a repayment obligation on the part of Lehigh River. Lehigh River may not have funds sufficient to make required payments on the Class A Notes and make any distributions to us. Any failure of Lehigh River to make distributions on the equity interests we hold could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and may result in our inability to make distributions to our stockholders in amounts sufficient to maintain our qualification as a RIC, or at all.

Lehigh River may fail to meet certain asset coverage and quality tests, which would have an adverse effect on us.

Under the Amended and Restated Indenture, there are coverage tests and quality tests applicable to the collateral securing the Class A Notes. The first coverage test, or the Class A Interest Coverage Test, compares the amount of interest received on the portfolio of assets held by Lehigh River to the amount of interest payable in respect of the Class A Notes on the following payment date. To meet the Class A Interest Coverage Test, the aggregate amount of interest received on the portfolio of assets held by Lehigh River must equal at least 150% of the interest payable in respect of the Class A Notes. The second coverage test, or the Class A Par Value Test, compares the aggregate par value of the portfolio of assets (other than any asset acquired for a purchase price of less than 80% of its par value which asset will be assigned a value equal to its purchase price) plus cash held by Lehigh River to the aggregate outstanding par value of the Class A Notes. To meet the Class A Par Value Test,

46

Table of Contents

the aggregate par value of the portfolio of assets (other than any assets acquired for a purchase price of less than 80% of its par value, which asset will be assigned a value equal to its purchase price) plus cash held by Lehigh River must equal at least 164.44% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Class A Notes. The third coverage test, or the Additional Class A Par Value Test, compares the aggregate par value of the portfolio of assets (other than any defaulted asset, which asset will be assigned a value equal to its market value) held by Lehigh River to the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Class A Notes. To meet the Additional Class A Par Value Test, the aggregate principal amount of the portfolio of assets (other than any defaulted asset, which asset will be assigned a value equal to its market value) held by Lehigh River must equal at least 147.07% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Class A Notes. The quality tests compare the minimum weighted average fixed coupon rates, the minimum weighted average floating coupon rates, the weighted average life, the anticipated recovery rates and the anticipated default rates of the portfolio of assets held by Lehigh River to certain benchmarks as described more fully in the Amended and Restated Indenture.

If the Class A Interest Coverage Test or the Class A Par Value Test is not satisfied on any date on which compliance is measured, Lehigh River is required to apply available amounts to the repayment of the outstanding principal of the Class A Notes to satisfy the applicable tests. Failure to satisfy the Additional Class A Par Value Test on any measurement date constitutes an event of default under the Amended and Restated Indenture. Obligations that may be added to the portfolio of assets held by Lehigh River and constituting collateral from time to time under the Amended and Restated Indenture are subject to certain restrictions in respect of the quality tests referenced above and more fully described in the Amended and Restated Indenture.

The market value of the underlying assets held by Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek may decline causing Cobbs Creek to borrow funds from us in order to meet certain margin posting and minimum market value requirements, which would have an adverse effect on the timing of payments to us.

If at any time during the term of the JPM facility the market value of the underlying assets held by Lehigh River securing the Class A Notes declines by an amount greater than 27% of their initial aggregate purchase price, or the Margin Threshold, Cobbs Creek will be required to post cash collateral with JPM in an amount at least equal to the amount by which the market value of such assets at such time is less than the Margin Threshold. Similarly, pursuant to the JPM facility, the market value of the underlying assets held by Cobbs Creek must be at least $270.0 million, or the Market Value Requirement. In either such event, in order to satisfy these requirements, Cobbs Creek intends to borrow funds from us pursuant to a revolving credit agreement, dated as of October 26, 2012 and as amended as of February 6, 2013 and April 23, 2013, between Cobbs Creek, as borrower, and us, as lender, or the Revolving Credit Agreement. We may, in our sole discretion, make such loans from time to time to Cobbs Creek pursuant to the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement. Borrowings under the Revolving Credit Agreement will accrue interest at a rate equal to one-month LIBOR plus a spread of 0.75% per annum. To the extent we loan additional funds to Cobbs Creek to satisfy the Margin Threshold or the Market Value Requirement, such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and may result in our inability to make distributions to our stockholders in amounts sufficient to maintain our qualification as a RIC, or at all. There is no assurance that loans made pursuant to the Revolving Credit Agreement will be repaid.

Restructurings of investments held by Lehigh River or Cobbs Creek, if any, may decrease their value and reduce the value of our equity interests in these entities.

As collateral manager, we have broad authority to direct and supervise the investment and reinvestment of the assets held by Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek, which may require from time to time the execution of amendments, waivers, modifications and other changes to the investment documentation in accordance with the related collateral management agreements we have entered into with Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek. During periods of economic uncertainty and recession, the necessity for amendments, waivers, modifications and restructurings of investments may increase. Such amendments, waivers, modifications and other restructurings of an investment may change the terms of the investments and, in some cases, may result in Lehigh River or Cobbs

47

Table of Contents

Creek holding assets that do not meet certain specified criteria for the investments specified in the JPM facility documentation. This could adversely impact the coverage and quality tests under the Amended and Restated Indenture applicable to Lehigh River. This could also adversely impact the ability of Lehigh River to meet the Margin Threshold and Cobbs Creek to meet the Market Value Requirement. Any amendment, waiver, modification or other restructuring of an investment that reduces Lehigh River’s compliance with the coverage and quality tests under the Amended and Restated Indenture will make it more likely that Lehigh River will need to pay cash to reduce the unpaid principal amount of the Class A Notes so as to cure any breach of such tests. Similarly, any amendment, waiver, modification or other restructuring of an investment that reduces Lehigh River’s ability to meet the Margin Threshold or Cobbs Creek’s ability to meet the Market Value Requirement will make it more likely that Cobbs Creek will need to retain assets, including cash, to increase the market value of the assets held by Cobbs Creek and to post cash collateral with JPM in an amount at least equal to the amount by which the market value of the underlying assets held by Lehigh River is less than the Margin Threshold. Any such use of cash by Lehigh River or Cobbs Creek would reduce distributions available to us or delay the timing of distributions to us.

We may not receive cash from Lehigh River or Cobbs Creek.

We receive cash from Lehigh River and Cobbs Creek only to the extent that Lehigh River or Cobbs Creek, respectively, makes distributions to us. Lehigh River may make distributions to us, in turn, only to the extent permitted by the Amended and Restated Indenture. The Amended and Restated Indenture generally provides that distributions by Lehigh River may not be made unless all amounts owing with respect to the Class A Notes have been paid in full. Cobbs Creek may make distributions to us only to the extent permitted by the JPM facility. The JPM facility generally provides that distributions by Cobbs Creek may not be made if the Margin Threshold has not been met or if the market value of the underlying loans held by Cobbs Creek is less than the Market Value Requirement. If we do not receive cash from Lehigh River or Cobbs Creek, we may be unable to make distributions to our stockholders in amounts sufficient to maintain our qualification as a RIC, or at all. We also could be forced to sell investments in our portfolio at less than their fair value in order to continue making such distributions.

We are subject to the credit risk of JPM.

If JPM fails to sell the Class A Notes back to Cobbs Creek at the end of the applicable period, Cobbs Creek’s recourse will be limited to an unsecured claim against JPM for the difference between the value of such Class A Notes at such time and the amount that would be owing by Cobbs Creek to JPM had JPM performed under the JPM facility. The ability of JPM to satisfy such a claim will be subject to JPM’s creditworthiness at that time.

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock

Our shares are not listed on an exchange or quoted through a quotation system, and will not be for the foreseeable future, if ever, and there can be no assurance that we will complete a liquidity event by a specified date, or at all. Therefore, stockholders will have limited liquidity and may not receive a full return of invested capital upon selling shares.

Our shares are illiquid assets for which there is not a secondary market and it is not expected that a secondary market will develop in the foreseeable future. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will complete a liquidity event by a specified date or at all. A liquidity event could include (1) a listing of our shares on a national securities exchange, (2) the sale of all or substantially all of our assets either on a complete portfolio basis or individually followed by a liquidation or (3) a merger or another transaction approved by our board of directors in which our stockholders likely will receive cash or shares of a publicly-traded company. If our shares are listed, we cannot assure stockholders that a public trading market will develop. In addition, a liquidity event involving a listing of our shares on a national securities exchange may include certain restrictions on the ability of stockholders to sell their shares. Further, even if we do complete a liquidity event, stockholders may not receive a return of all of their invested capital.

48

Table of Contents

If we do not successfully complete a liquidity event, liquidity for an investor’s shares will be limited to our share repurchase program, which we have no obligation to maintain. Any shares repurchased pursuant to our share repurchase program may be purchased at a price which reflects a significant discount from the purchase price a stockholder paid for the shares being repurchased. In addition, there are significant limitations placed on the number of shares we may repurchase under our share repurchase program, which may prevent a stockholder from selling all of its shares under the program. See “Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities—Share Repurchase Program” for a detailed description of our share repurchase program.

Only a limited number of shares may be repurchased pursuant to our share repurchase program and stockholders may not be able to sell all of their shares under our share repurchase program or recover the amount of their investment in those shares.

Our share repurchase program includes numerous restrictions that limit stockholders’ ability to sell their shares. We intend to limit the number of shares repurchased pursuant to our share repurchase program as follows: (1) we currently intend to limit the number of shares to be repurchased during any calendar year to the number of shares we can repurchase with the proceeds we receive from the sale of our shares under our distribution reinvestment plan, although, at the discretion of our board of directors, we may also use cash on hand, cash available from borrowings and cash from the liquidation of securities investments as of the end of the applicable period to repurchase shares; (2) we intend to limit the number of shares to be repurchased in any calendar year to 10% of the weighted average number of shares outstanding in the prior calendar year, or 2.5% in each calendar quarter (though the actual number of shares that we offer to repurchase may be less in light of the limitations noted above); (3) unless stockholders tender all of their shares, stockholders must tender at least 25% of the number of shares they have purchased and generally must maintain a minimum balance of $5,000 subsequent to submitting a portion of their shares for repurchase by us; and (4) to the extent that the number of shares tendered for repurchase exceeds the number of shares that we are able to purchase, we will repurchase shares on a pro rata basis, not on a first-come, first-served basis. Further, we will have no obligation to repurchase shares if the repurchase would violate the restrictions on distributions under federal law or Maryland law, which prohibits distributions that would cause a corporation to fail to meet statutory tests of solvency. Any of the foregoing limitations may prevent us from accommodating all repurchase requests made in any year.

In addition, our board of directors may also amend, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program upon 30 days’ notice. We will notify stockholders of such developments (1) in our quarterly reports or (2) by means of a separate mailing to stockholders, accompanied by disclosure in a current or periodic report under the Exchange Act. Notwithstanding that we have adopted a share repurchase program, we also have discretion to not repurchase shares, to suspend the share repurchase program and to cease repurchases. In addition, any shares repurchased pursuant to our share repurchase program may be purchased at a significant discount from the purchase price you paid for the shares being repurchased. The share repurchase program has many limitations and should not be relied upon as a method to sell shares promptly or at a desired price.

Stockholders who choose to participate in our share repurchase program will not know the purchase price per share at the time they submit their intent to participate and their shares may be repurchased at a significant discount from the purchase price paid for the shares being repurchased.

In the event a stockholder chooses to participate in our share repurchase program, the stockholder will be required to provide us with notice of intent to participate prior to knowing what the repurchase price will be on the repurchase date. Although a stockholder will have the ability to withdraw a repurchase request prior to the repurchase date, to the extent a stockholder seeks to sell shares to us as part of our share repurchase program, the stockholder will be required to do so without knowledge of the repurchase price of our shares. In addition, when we make quarterly repurchase offers pursuant to our share repurchase program, we may offer to repurchase shares at a price that is lower than the price that stockholders paid for shares in our continuous public offering.

49

Table of Contents

As a result, to the extent stockholders have the ability to sell their shares to us as part of our share repurchase program, the price at which a stockholder may sell shares may be at a significant discount to what such stockholder paid in connection with the purchase of shares in our offering.

There is a risk that investors in our common stock may not receive distributions or that our distributions may not grow over time.

We cannot assure stockholders that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. All distributions will be paid at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our net investment income, our financial condition, maintenance of our RIC status, compliance with applicable BDC regulations and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. In addition, due to the asset coverage test applicable to us as a BDC, we may be limited in our ability to make distributions. See “Item 1. Business-Regulation-Senior Securities.”

Our distribution proceeds may exceed our earnings. Therefore, portions of the distributions that we make may represent a return of capital to stockholders, which will lower their tax basis in their shares.

A return of capital generally is a return of a stockholder’s investment rather than a return of earnings or gains derived from our investment activities. We may pay all or a substantial portion of our distributions from the proceeds of the sale of shares of our common stock or from borrowings in anticipation of future cash flow, which could constitute a return of stockholders’ capital and will lower such stockholders’ tax basis in their shares, which may result in increased tax liability to stockholders when they sell their shares.

We may pay distributions from proceeds of the sale of shares of our common stock, borrowings, the sale of assets or from the reimbursement of certain expenses by our affiliate, Franklin Square Holdings.

To the extent declared distributions exceed our net investment income or cash flow from operations, we may fund distributions from the uninvested proceeds of the sale of shares of our common stock and borrowings, the sale of assets or from the reimbursement of certain expenses by our affiliate, Franklin Square Holdings, and we have not established limits on the amount of funds we may use from these sources to make future distributions. Distributions from any of the aforementioned sources could reduce the amount of capital we ultimately invest in our portfolio companies.

A stockholder’s interest in us will be diluted if we issue additional shares, which could reduce the overall value of an investment in us.

Our investors do not have preemptive rights to any shares we issue in the future. Our charter authorizes us to issue 450,000,000 shares of common stock. Pursuant to our charter, a majority of our entire board of directors may amend our charter to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock without stockholder approval. After an investor purchases shares, our board of directors may elect to sell additional shares in the future, issue equity interests in private offerings or issue share-based awards to our independent directors or employees of FSIC II Advisor. To the extent we issue additional equity interests after an investor purchases our shares, an investor’s percentage ownership interest in us will be diluted. In addition, depending upon the terms and pricing of any additional offerings and the value of our investments, an investor may also experience dilution in the book value and fair value of his or her shares.

Certain provisions of our charter and bylaws as well as provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the value of our common stock.

The Maryland General Corporation Law, or the MGCL, and our charter and bylaws contain certain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging, delaying or making difficult a change in control of our

50

Table of Contents

company or the removal of our incumbent directors. Under the Business Combination Act of the MGCL, certain business combinations between us and an “interested stockholder” (defined generally to include any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding shares) or an affiliate thereof is prohibited for five years and thereafter is subject to special stockholder voting requirements, to the extent that such statute is not superseded by applicable requirements of the 1940 Act. However, our board of directors has adopted a resolution exempting from the Business Combination Act any business combination between us and any person to the extent that such business combination receives the prior approval of our board of directors, including a majority of our directors who are not interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act. Under the Control Share Acquisition Act of the MGCL, “control shares” acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares owned by the acquirer, by officers or by directors who are employees of the corporation. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Acquisition Act any and all acquisitions by any person of shares of our common stock, but such provision may be repealed at any time (before or after a control share acquisition). However, we will amend our bylaws to repeal such provision (so as to be subject to the Control Share Acquisition Act) only if our board of directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if the staff of the SEC does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Control Share Acquisition Act does not conflict with the 1940 Act. The Business Combination Act (if our board of directors should repeal the resolution) and the Control Share Acquisition Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to that Act) may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.

In addition, at any time that we have a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and we have at least three independent directors, certain provisions of the MGCL permit our board of directors, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in our charter or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses, including adopting a classified board or increasing the vote required to remove a director. Moreover, our board of directors may, without stockholder action, authorize the issuance of shares of stock in one or more classes or series, including preferred stock; and our board of directors may, without stockholder action, amend our charter to increase the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. These provisions may inhibit a change of control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the value of our common stock.

The net asset value of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

The net asset value of our common stock may be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include: (i) changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines, particularly with respect to RICs or BDCs; (ii) loss of RIC or BDC status; (iii) changes in earnings or variations in operating results; (iv) changes in the value of our portfolio of investments; (v) changes in accounting guidelines governing valuation of our investments; (vi) any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by investors; (vii) departure of our investment adviser or sub-adviser or certain of their respective key personnel; (viii) general economic trends and other external factors; and (ix) loss of a major funding source.

Holders of any preferred stock that we may issue will have the right to elect members of the board of directors and have class voting rights on certain matters.

The 1940 Act requires that holders of shares of preferred stock must be entitled as a class to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred stock are in arrears by two years or more, until such arrearage is eliminated. In addition, certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock, including changes in fundamental investment restrictions and conversion to open-end status and, accordingly, preferred stockholders could veto any such changes. Restrictions imposed on the declarations and payment of dividends or other distributions to the holders of our common stock and preferred stock, both by the 1940 Act and by requirements imposed by rating agencies, might impair our ability to maintain our qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

51

Table of Contents

Risks Related to U.S. Federal Income Tax

We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code or to satisfy RIC distribution requirements.

To qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code, we must meet the following annual distribution, income source and asset diversification requirements. See “Item 1. Business-Taxation as a RIC.”

If we fail to qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment for any reason and are subject to corporate income tax, the resulting corporate taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash. For example, if we hold debt instruments that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (such as debt instruments with PIK interest or, in certain cases, increasing interest rates or debt instruments that were issued with warrants), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same tax year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. We anticipate that a portion of our income may constitute original issue discount or other income required to be included in taxable income prior to receipt of cash. Further, we may elect to amortize market discount and include such amounts in our taxable income in the current year, instead of upon disposition, as an election not to do so would limit our ability to deduct interest expenses for tax purposes.

Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in order

52

Table of Contents

to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty maintaining RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our investments at times and/or at prices we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or forgo new investment opportunities for this purpose. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for or maintain RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.

Our portfolio investments may present special tax issues.

Investments in below-investment grade debt instruments and certain equity securities may present special tax issues for us. U.S. federal income tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when we may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless debt in equity securities, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and interest income, as well as whether exchanges of debt instruments in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. Such matters could cause us to recognize taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, even in the absence of cash or economic gain, and require us to make taxable distributions to our stockholders to maintain our RIC status or preclude the imposition of either U.S. federal corporate income or excise taxation. Additionally, because such taxable income may not be matched by corresponding cash received by us, we may be required to borrow money or dispose of other investments to be able to make distributions to our stockholders. These and other issues will be considered by us, to the extent determined necessary, in order that we minimize the level of any U.S. federal income or excise tax that we would otherwise incur. See “Item 1. Business-Taxation as a RIC.”