UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

OR

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER: 814-00757

FS Investment Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (215) 495-1150

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ☐    No  ☐.

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definition of “accelerated filer,” “large accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒.

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant (assuming solely for the purpose of this disclosure, but without conceding, all executive officers and directors of the registrant are “affiliates”), as of June 30, 2017, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $2.2 billion.

There were 245,725,416 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding as of February 28, 2018.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the registrant’s 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days following the end of the registrant’s fiscal year, are incorporated by reference in Part III of this annual report on Form 10-K as indicated herein.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I

Many of the amounts and percentages presented in Part I have been rounded for convenience of presentation and all dollar amounts, excluding share and per share amounts, are presented in thousands unless otherwise noted.

Summary

FS Investment Corporation (NYSE: FSIC), or the Company, which may also be referred to as “we,” “us” or “our,” was incorporated under the general corporation laws of the State of Maryland on December 21, 2007 and formally commenced investment operations on January 2, 2009. We are an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company, or BDC, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the 1940 Act. As such, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. In addition, we have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually, as a regulated investment company, or RIC, under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. As of December 31, 2017, we had total assets of approximately $4.1 billion.

We are managed by FB Income Advisor, LLC, or FB Advisor, a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or the Advisers Act, which oversees the management of our operations and is responsible for making investment decisions with respect to our portfolio. FB Advisor engaged GSO / Blackstone Debt Funds Management LLC, or GDFM, to act as our investment sub-adviser. GDFM currently assists FB Advisor in identifying investment opportunities and makes investment recommendations for approval by FB Advisor, according to guidelines set by FB Advisor. GDFM, a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSO Capital Partners LP, or GSO. GSO is the credit platform of The Blackstone Group L.P., or Blackstone, a leading global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. GSO is one of the world’s largest credit platforms in the alternative asset business with approximately $138.1 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2017.

As previously announced by the Company on December 11, 2017, GDFM intends to resign as the investment sub-adviser to the Company and terminate the investment sub-advisory agreement, dated April 13, 2008, or the investment sub-advisory agreement, that FB Advisor has entered into with GDFM, effective April 9, 2018 (the date of such termination, the GDFM end date). In connection with GDFM’s resignation as the investment sub-adviser to the Company, Franklin Square Holdings, L.P. (which does business as FS Investments), or FS Investments, and KKR Credit Advisors (US) LLC, or KKR Credit, desire to enter into a relationship whereby FS Investments and KKR Credit will create a premier alternative lending platform for certain BDCs sponsored, advised and/or sub-advised by them. See “—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding the Company’s potential investment advisory relationship with KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor, LLC, or FS/KKR Advisor, a newly-formed investment adviser jointly operated by an affiliate of FS Investments, or FS Adviser, and by KKR Credit.

Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. We currently seek to meet our investment objectives by:

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Our portfolio is comprised primarily of investments in senior secured loans and second lien secured loans of private middle market U.S. companies and, to a lesser extent, subordinated loans of private U.S. companies. Although we do not expect a significant portion of our portfolio to be comprised of subordinated loans, there is no limit on the amount of such loans in which we may invest. We may purchase interests in loans or make other debt investments, including investments in senior secured bonds, through secondary market transactions in the “over-the-counter” market or directly from our target companies as primary market or directly originated investments. In connection with our debt investments, we may on occasion receive equity interests such as warrants or options as additional consideration. We may also purchase or otherwise acquire minority interests in the form of common or preferred equity or equity-related securities, such as rights and warrants that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or other equity or the cash value of common stock or other equity, in our target companies, generally in conjunction with one of our debt investments or through a co-investment with a financial sponsor, such as an institutional investor or private equity firm. In addition, a portion of our portfolio may be comprised of corporate bonds, collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs, other debt securities and derivatives, including total return swaps and credit default swaps. FB Advisor will seek to tailor our investment focus as market conditions evolve. Depending on market conditions, we may increase or decrease our exposure to less senior portions of the capital structure or otherwise make opportunistic investments.

The senior secured loans, second lien secured loans and senior secured bonds in which we invest generally have stated terms of three to seven years and subordinated debt investments that we make generally have stated terms of up to ten years, but the expected average life of such securities is generally between three and seven years. However, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of any security in our portfolio. Our debt investments may be rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization, or NRSRO, and, in such case, generally will carry a rating below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., or Moody’s, or lower than “BBB-” by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, or S&P). We also invest in non-rated debt securities.

To seek to enhance our returns, we employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of FB Advisor, but in no event will leverage employed exceed 50% of the value of our assets, as required by the 1940 Act.

As a BDC, we are subject to certain regulatory restrictions in making our investments. For example, BDCs generally are not permitted to co-invest with certain affiliated entities in transactions originated by the BDC or its affiliates in the absence of an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. However, BDCs are permitted to, and may, simultaneously co-invest in transactions where price is the only negotiated term. In an order dated June 4, 2013, or the Order, the SEC granted exemptive relief permitting us, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, to co-invest in certain privately negotiated investment transactions with certain affiliates of FB Advisor, including FS Energy and Power Fund, FS Investment Corporation II, FS Investment Corporation III, FS Investment Corporation IV and any future BDCs that are advised by FB Advisor or its affiliated investment advisers, or collectively our co-investment affiliates. However, in connection with the potential investment advisory relationship with KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor, and in an effort to mitigate potential future conflicts of interest, our board of directors has authorized and directed that the Company exercise its rights under the Order to decline to participate in any new potential co-investment transaction pursuant to the Order that would be within the then-current investment objectives and strategies of the Company unless sourced by GDFM, KKR Credit or FS/KKR Advisor. We believe this relief has and may

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continue to enhance our ability to further our investment objectives and strategy. We believe this relief may also increase favorable investment opportunities for us, in part, by allowing us to participate in larger investments, together with our co-investment affiliates, than would be available to us if such relief had not been obtained. Because we did not seek exemptive relief to engage in co-investment transactions with GDFM and its affiliates, we are permitted to co-invest with GDFM and its affiliates only in accordance with existing regulatory guidance (e.g., where price is the only negotiated term). See “—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding the exemptive relief KKR Credit is seeking with respect to the Company’s potential investment advisory relationship with FS/KKR Advisor.

About FB Advisor

FB Advisor is a subsidiary of our affiliate, FS Investments, a national sponsor of alternative investments designed for the individual investor. FB Advisor is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act and is led by substantially the same personnel as the senior management teams of the investment advisers to certain other BDCs, open and closed-end management investment companies and a real estate investment trust sponsored by FS Investments and such personnel may serve in similar or other capacities for the investment advisers to future investment vehicles sponsored by FS Investments.

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In addition to managing our investments, the managers, officers and other personnel of FB Advisor also currently manage the following entities, or together with the Company, the Fund Complex, through affiliated investment advisers:

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Our chairman and chief executive officer, Michael C. Forman, has led FB Advisor since its inception. In 2007, he co-founded FS Investments with the goal of delivering alternative investment solutions, advised by what FS Investments believes to be best-in-class institutional asset managers, to individual investors nationwide. In addition to leading FB Advisor, Mr. Forman currently serves as chairman, president and/or chief executive officer of each of the other funds in the Fund Complex and each of their respective investment advisers.

FB Advisor’s senior management team has significant experience in private lending and private equity investing, and has developed an expertise in using all levels of a firm’s capital structure to produce income-generating investments, while focusing on risk management. The team also has extensive knowledge of the managerial, operational and regulatory requirements of publicly registered alternative asset entities, such as BDCs. We believe that the active and ongoing participation by FS Investments and its affiliates in the credit markets, and the depth of experience and disciplined investment approach of FB Advisor’s management team, will allow FB Advisor to successfully execute our investment strategy.

All investment decisions currently require the unanimous approval of FB Advisor’s investment committee, which is currently comprised of Sean Coleman, Brian Gerson and Michael Kelly. Our board of directors, including a majority of independent directors, oversees and monitors our investment performance and annually reviews our amended and restated investment advisory agreement, dated July 17, 2014, or the investment advisory agreement, and the investment sub-advisory agreement to determine, among other things, whether the fees payable under such agreements are reasonable in light of the services provided.

About FS Investments

FS Investments is a leading asset manager dedicated to helping individuals, financial professionals and institutions design better portfolios. The firm provides access to alternative sources of income and growth and focuses on setting the industry standards for investor education and transparency.

FS Investments is headquartered in Philadelphia with offices in Orlando, FL, New York, NY and Washington, D.C. The firm had more than $20 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2017.

About GDFM

From time to time, FB Advisor may enter into sub-advisory relationships with registered investment advisers that possess skills that FB Advisor believes will aid it in achieving our investment objectives. FB Advisor engaged GDFM to act as our investment sub-adviser. GDFM currently assists FB Advisor in identifying investment opportunities and makes investment recommendations for approval by FB Advisor according to guidelines set by FB Advisor. GDFM also serves as the investment sub-adviser to FS Investment Corporation II, FS Investment Corporation III and FS Investment Corporation IV. Furthermore, GDFM’s parent, GSO, currently serves as the investment sub-adviser to FS Energy and Power Fund and FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund. GDFM is a Delaware limited liability company with principal offices located at 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154.

GDFM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GSO. GSO is the credit platform of Blackstone, a leading global alternative asset manager. As of December 31, 2017, GSO and its affiliates, excluding Blackstone, managed approximately $138.1 billion of assets across multiple strategies and investment types within the leveraged finance marketplace, including leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, distressed, mezzanine and private equity. As investment sub-adviser, GDFM currently makes recommendations to FB Advisor in a manner that is consistent with its existing investment and monitoring processes.

Blackstone is a leading global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. It is one of the largest independent managers of private capital in the world, with assets under management of approximately $434.1 billion as of December 31, 2017. Blackstone’s alternative asset management businesses include the management of private equity funds, real estate funds, funds of hedge funds, credit-oriented funds, collateralized loan obligation vehicles, separately managed accounts and publicly-traded closed-end mutual

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funds. Blackstone is a publicly traded limited partnership that has common units which trade on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the ticker symbol “BX.” Information about Blackstone and its various affiliates, including certain ownership, governance and financial information, is disclosed in Blackstone’s periodic filings with the SEC, which can be obtained from Blackstone’s website at http://ir.blackstone.com or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Information contained on Blackstone’s website and in Blackstone’s filings with the SEC is not incorporated by reference into this annual report on Form 10-K and you should not consider that information to be part of this annual report on Form 10-K.

Potential Market Opportunity

We believe that there are and will continue to be significant investment opportunities in the senior secured and second lien secured loan asset class, as well as investments in debt securities of middle market companies.

Attractive Opportunities in Senior Secured and Second Lien Secured Loans

We believe that opportunities in senior secured and second lien secured loans are significant because of the variable rate structure of most senior secured debt issues and because of the strong defensive characteristics of this investment class. Given current market conditions, we believe that debt issues with variable interest rates often offer a superior return profile to fixed-rate securities, since variable interest rate structures are generally less susceptible to declines in value experienced by fixed-rate securities in a rising interest rate environment.

Senior secured debt also provides strong defensive characteristics. Because this debt has priority in payment among an issuer’s security holders (i.e., holders are due to receive payment before junior creditors and equityholders), they carry the least potential risk among investments in the issuer’s capital structure. Further, these investments are secured by the issuer’s assets, which may be seized in the event of a default, if necessary. They generally also carry restrictive covenants aimed at ensuring repayment before junior creditors, such as most types of unsecured bondholders, and other security holders and preserving collateral to protect against credit deterioration.

The chart below illustrates examples of the collateral used to secure senior secured and second lien secured debt.

Source: Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

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Opportunity in Middle Market Private Companies

In addition to investing in senior secured and second lien secured loans generally, we believe that the market for lending to private companies, particularly middle market private companies within the United States, is underserved and presents a compelling investment opportunity. We believe that the following characteristics support our belief:

Large Target Market

According to The U.S. Census Bureau, in its 2012 economic census, there were approximately 42,600 middle market companies in the United States with annual revenues between $50 million and $2.5 billion, compared with approximately 1,350 companies with revenues greater than $2.5 billion. These middle market companies represent, we believe, a significant portion of the growth segment of the U.S. economy and often require substantial capital investment to grow their businesses. Middle market companies have generated a significant number of investment opportunities for us and investment programs managed by our affiliates and GDFM over the past several years, and we believe that this market segment will continue to produce significant investment opportunities for us.

Limited Investment Competition

Despite the size of the market, we believe that regulatory changes and other factors have diminished the role of traditional financial institutions in providing financing to middle market companies. As tracked by S&P Capital IQ LCD, U.S. banks’ share of senior secured loans to middle market companies represented approximately just 1% of overall middle market loan volume in 2017, down from 6% in 2016 and nearly 20% in 2011. However, the continuation of this trend is uncertain as a result of the potentially changing regulatory landscape.

We also believe that lending and originating new loans to middle market companies, which are often private, generally requires a greater dedication of the lender’s time and resources compared to lending to larger companies, due in part to the smaller size of each investment and the often fragmented nature of information available from these companies. Further, many investment firms lack the breadth and scale necessary to identify investment opportunities, particularly in regards to directly originated investments in middle market companies, and thus we believe that attractive investment opportunities are often overlooked. In addition, middle market companies may require more active monitoring and participation on the lender’s part. We believe that many large financial organizations, which often have relatively high cost structures, are not suited to deal with these factors and instead emphasize services and transactions to larger corporate clients with a consequent reduction in the availability of financing to middle market companies.

Attractive Market Segment

We believe that the underserved nature of such a large segment of the market can at times create a significant opportunity for investment. In many environments, we believe that middle market companies are more likely to offer attractive economics in terms of transaction pricing, up-front and ongoing fees, prepayment penalties and security features in the form of stricter covenants and quality collateral than loans to larger companies. In addition, as compared to larger companies, middle market companies often have simpler capital structures and carry less leverage, thus aiding the structuring and negotiation process and allowing us greater flexibility in structuring favorable transactions. We believe that these factors will result in advantageous conditions in which to pursue our investment objectives of generating current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation.

Characteristics of and Risks Related to Investments in Private Companies

We invest primarily in the debt of private middle market U.S. companies. Investments in private companies pose significantly greater risks than investments in public companies. First, private companies have

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reduced access to the capital markets, resulting in diminished capital resources and 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 may often 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, our directly originated investments generally will not be traded on any secondary market and a trading market for such investments may not develop. These securities may also 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 often may not have third-party debt ratings or audited financial statements. We must therefore rely on the ability of FB Advisor and/or GDFM to obtain adequate information through their due diligence efforts to evaluate the creditworthiness of, and risks involved in, investing in these companies, and to determine the optimal time to exit an investment. These companies and their financial information will also generally not be subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and other rules and regulations that govern public companies that are designed to protect investors.

Investment Strategy

Our principal focus is to invest in senior secured and second lien secured loans of private middle market U.S. companies, and to a lesser extent, subordinated loans of private U.S. companies. Although we do not expect a significant portion of our portfolio to be comprised of subordinated loans, there is no limit on the amount of such loans in which we may invest. We may purchase interests in loans or make other debt investments, including investments in senior secured bonds, through secondary market transactions in the “over-the-counter” market or directly from our target companies as primary market or directly originated investments. In connection with our debt investments, we may on occasion receive equity interests such as warrants or options as additional consideration. We may also purchase or otherwise acquire minority interests in the form of common or preferred equity or equity-related securities, such as rights and warrants that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or other equity or the cash value of common stock or other equity, in our target companies, generally in conjunction with one of our debt investments or through a co-investment with a financial sponsor, such as an institutional investor or private equity firm. In addition, a portion of our portfolio may be comprised of corporate bonds, CLOs, other debt securities and derivatives, including total return swaps and credit default swaps. FB Advisor will seek to tailor our investment focus as market conditions evolve. Depending on market conditions, we may increase or decrease our exposure to less senior portions of the capital structure or otherwise make opportunistic investments.

When identifying prospective portfolio companies, we focus primarily on the attributes set forth below, which we believe will help us generate higher total returns with an acceptable level of risk. While these criteria provide general guidelines for our investment decisions, we caution investors that, if we believe the benefits of investing are sufficiently strong, not all of these criteria necessarily will be met by each prospective portfolio company in which we choose to invest. These attributes are:

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In addition, in an order dated June 4, 2013, the SEC granted exemptive relief that, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, expands our ability to co-invest in certain privately negotiated investment transactions with our co-investment affiliates, which we believe has and may continue to enhance our ability to further our investment objectives and strategy. See “—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding the exemptive relief KKR Credit is seeking with respect to the Company’s potential investment advisory relationship with FS/KKR Advisor.

Potential Competitive Strengths

We believe that we offer investors the following potential competitive strengths:

Global platform with seasoned investment professionals

We believe that the breadth and depth of the experience of FB Advisor’s senior management team, and currently, together with the wider resources of GSO’s investment team, which is dedicated to sourcing, structuring, executing, monitoring and harvesting a broad range of private investments, as well as the specific expertise of GDFM, provide us with a significant competitive advantage in sourcing and analyzing attractive investment opportunities.

Long-term investment horizon

Our long-term investment horizon gives us great flexibility, which we believe allows us to maximize returns on our investments. Unlike most private equity and venture capital funds, as well as many private debt funds, we are not required to return capital to our stockholders once we exit a portfolio investment. We believe that freedom from such capital return requirements, which allows us to invest using a longer-term focus, provides us with the opportunity to increase total returns on invested capital, compared to other private company investment vehicles.

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GDFM transaction sourcing capability

FB Advisor currently seeks to leverage GDFM’s significant access to transaction flow. GDFM seeks to generate investment opportunities through syndicate and club deals (generally, investments made by a small group of investment firms) and, subject to regulatory constraints as discussed under “—Regulation,” and the allocation policies of GDFM and its affiliates, as applicable, also through GSO’s direct origination channels. GDFM also relies on its relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks and commercial banks to source investment opportunities. These include significant contacts to participants in the credit and leveraged finance marketplace, which it can draw upon in sourcing investment opportunities for us. With respect to syndicate and club deals, GDFM has built a network of relationships with commercial and investment banks, finance companies and other investment funds as a result of the long track record of its investment professionals in the leveraged finance marketplace. With respect to GDFM’s origination channel, FB Advisor currently seeks to leverage the global presence of GSO to generate access to a substantial amount of directly originated transactions with attractive investment characteristics. We believe that the broad network of GDFM currently provides a significant pipeline of investment opportunities for us. GDFM also has a significant trading platform, which, we believe, currently allows us access to the secondary market for investment opportunities.

Disciplined, income-oriented investment philosophy

FB Advisor employs a defensive investment approach focused on long-term credit performance and principal protection. This investment approach involves a multi-stage selection process for each investment opportunity, as well as ongoing monitoring of each investment made, with particular emphasis on early detection of deteriorating credit conditions at portfolio companies which would result in adverse portfolio developments. This strategy is designed to maximize current income and minimize the risk of capital loss while maintaining the potential for long-term capital appreciation.

Investment expertise across all levels of the corporate capital structure

FB Advisor and GDFM believe that their broad expertise and experience investing at all levels of a company’s capital structure enable us to manage risk while affording us the opportunity for significant returns on our investments. We attempt to capitalize on this expertise in an effort to produce and maintain an investment portfolio that will perform in a broad range of economic conditions.

See “—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding GDFM’s resignation as our investment sub-adviser and our potential investment advisory relationship with KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor.

Operating and Regulatory Structure

Our investment activities are managed by FB Advisor and supervised by our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent. Under the investment advisory agreement, we have agreed to pay FB Advisor an annual base management fee based on the average value of our gross assets and an incentive fee based on our performance. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Contractual Obligations” for a description of the fees we pay to FB Advisor.

From time to time, FB Advisor may enter into sub-advisory relationships with registered investment advisers that possess skills or attributes that FB Advisor believes will aid it in achieving our investment objectives. FB Advisor engaged GDFM to act as our investment sub-adviser. GDFM currently assists FB Advisor in identifying investment opportunities and makes investment recommendations for approval by FB Advisor according to guidelines set by FB Advisor.

FB Advisor oversees our day-to-day operations, including the provision of general ledger accounting, fund accounting, legal services, investor relations, certain government and regulatory affairs activities, and other administrative services. FB Advisor also performs, or oversees the performance of, our corporate operations and

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required administrative services, which includes being responsible for the financial records that we are required to maintain and preparing reports for our stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. In addition, FB Advisor assists us in calculating our net asset value, overseeing the preparation and filing of tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others.

Pursuant to our administration agreement, dated April 16, 2014, or the administration agreement, we reimburse FB Advisor for expenses necessary to perform services related to our administration and operations, including FB Advisor’s allocable portion of the compensation and related expenses of certain personnel of FS Investments providing administrative services to us on behalf of FB Advisor. We reimburse FB Advisor no less than quarterly for all costs and expenses incurred by FB Advisor in performing its obligations and providing personnel and facilities under the administration agreement. FB Advisor allocates the cost of such services to us based on factors such as total assets, revenues, time allocations and/or other reasonable metrics. Our board of directors reviews the methodology employed in determining how the expenses are allocated to us and the proposed allocation of administrative expenses among us and certain affiliates of FB Advisor. Our board of directors then assesses the reasonableness of such reimbursements for expenses allocated to us based on the breadth, depth and quality of such services as compared to the estimated cost to us of obtaining similar services from third-party service providers known to be available. In addition, our board of directors considers whether any single third-party service provider would be capable of providing all such services at comparable cost and quality. Finally, our board of directors compares the total amount paid to FB Advisor for such services as a percentage of our net assets to the same ratio as reported by other comparable BDCs.

We have contracted with State Street Bank and Trust Company to provide various accounting and administrative services, including, but not limited to, preparing preliminary financial information for review by FB Advisor, preparing and monitoring expense budgets, maintaining accounting and corporate books and records, processing trade information provided by us and performing testing with respect to RIC compliance. Prior to April 1, 2015, we had contracted with Vigilant Compliance, LLC to provide the services of Salvatore Faia as our chief compliance officer.

As a BDC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. Also, while we are permitted to finance investments using debt, our ability to use debt will be limited in certain significant respects pursuant to the 1940 Act. Within the limits of existing regulation, we will adjust our use of debt, according to market conditions, to the level we believe will allow us to generate maximum risk-adjusted returns. See “—Regulation.” We have elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

Investment Types

Our portfolio is comprised primarily of investments in senior secured loans and second lien secured loans of private middle market U.S. companies and, to a lesser extent, subordinated loans of private U.S. companies. Although we do not expect a significant portion of our portfolio to be comprised of subordinated loans, there is no limit on the amount of such loans in which we may invest. We may purchase interests in loans or make other debt investments, including investments in senior secured bonds, through secondary market transactions in the “over-the- counter” market or directly from our target companies as primary market or directly originated investments. In connection with our debt investments, we may on occasion receive equity interests such as warrants or options as additional consideration. We may also purchase or otherwise acquire minority interests in the form of common or preferred equity or equity-related securities, such as rights and warrants that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or other equity or the cash value of common stock or other equity, in our target companies, generally in conjunction with one of our debt investments or through a co-investment with a financial sponsor, such as an institutional investor or private equity firm. In addition, a portion of our portfolio may be comprised of corporate bonds, CLOs, other debt securities and derivatives, including total return swaps and credit default swaps. FB Advisor will seek to tailor our investment focus as market conditions evolve. Depending on market conditions, we may increase or decrease our exposure to less

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senior portions of the capital structure, where returns tend to be stronger in a more stable or growing economy, but less secure in weak economic environments. Below is a diagram illustrating where these investments lie in a typical portfolio company’s capital structure. Senior secured debt is situated at the top of the capital structure and typically has the first claim on the assets and cash flows of the company, followed by second lien secured debt, subordinated debt, preferred equity and, finally, common equity. Due to this priority of cash flows, an investment’s risk increases as it moves further down the capital structure. Investors are usually compensated for this risk associated with junior status in the form of higher returns, either through higher interest payments or potentially higher capital appreciation. We currently rely on FB Advisor’s and GDFM’s experience to structure investments, possibly using all levels of the capital structure, which we believe will perform in a broad range of economic environments.

Typical Leveraged Capital Structure Diagram

Senior Secured Loans

Senior secured loans are situated at the top of the capital structure. Because these loans generally have priority in payment, they carry the least risk among all investments in a firm. Generally, our senior secured loans are expected to have maturities of three to seven years, offer some form of amortization, and have first priority security interests in the assets of the borrower. Generally, we expect that the interest rate on our senior secured loans typically will have variable rates ranging between 6.0% and 13.0% over a standard benchmark, such as the prime rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR.

Second Lien Secured Loans

Second lien secured loans are immediately junior to senior secured loans and have substantially the same maturities, collateral and covenant structures as senior secured loans. Second lien secured loans, however, are granted a second priority security interest in the assets of the borrower, which means that any realization of collateral will generally be applied to pay senior secured loans in full before second lien secured loans are paid and the value of the collateral may not be sufficient to repay in full both senior secured loans and second lien secured loans. In return for this junior ranking, second lien secured loans generally offer higher returns compared to senior secured debt. These higher returns come in the form of higher interest and in some cases the potential for equity participation through warrants, though to a lesser extent than with subordinated loans. Generally, we expect these loans to carry a fixed rate, or a floating current yield of 8.0% to 15.0% over a standard benchmark. In addition, we may receive additional returns from any warrants we may receive in connection with these investments.

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Senior Secured Bonds

Senior secured bonds are generally secured by collateral on a senior, pari passu or junior basis with other debt instruments in an issuer’s capital structure and have similar maturities and covenant structures as senior secured loans. Generally, we expect these investments to carry a fixed rate of 8.0% to 16.0%.

Subordinated Debt

In addition to senior secured loans, second lien secured loans and senior secured bonds, we may invest a portion of our assets in subordinated debt. Subordinated debt investments usually rank junior in priority of payment to senior debt and are often unsecured, but are situated above preferred equity and common equity in the capital structure. In return for their junior status compared to senior debt, subordinated debt investments typically offer higher returns through both higher interest rates and possible equity ownership in the form of warrants, enabling the lender to participate in the capital appreciation of the borrower. These warrants typically require only a nominal cost to exercise. We generally target subordinated debt with interest-only payments throughout the life of the security, with the principal due at maturity. Typically, subordinated debt investments have maturities of five to ten years. Generally, we expect these securities to carry a fixed rate, or a floating current yield of 8.0% to 18.0% over a standard benchmark. In addition, we may receive additional returns from any warrants we may receive in connection with these investments. In some cases, a portion of the total interest may accrue or be paid-in-kind, or PIK.

Equity and Equity-Related Securities

While we intend to maintain our focus on investments in debt securities, from time to time, when we see the potential for extraordinary gain, or in connection with securing particularly favorable terms in a debt investment, we may enter into investments in preferred or common equity, typically in conjunction with a private equity sponsor we believe to be sophisticated and seasoned. In addition, we typically receive the right to make equity investments in a portfolio company whose debt securities we hold in connection with the next equity financing round for that company. This right may provide us with the opportunity to further enhance our returns over time through equity investments in our portfolio companies. In addition, we may hold equity-related securities, such as rights and warrants that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or other equity or the cash value of common stock or other equity, generally obtained in conjunction with one of our debt investments or through a co-investment with a financial sponsor, such as an institutional investor or private equity firm. In the future, we may achieve liquidity through a merger or acquisition of a portfolio company, a public offering of a portfolio company’s stock or by exercising our right, if any, to require a portfolio company to repurchase the equity-related securities we hold. With respect to any preferred or common equity investments, we expect to target an annual investment return of at least 15%.

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.

Collateralized Loan Obligations

We may invest in CLOs, which are a form of securitization where payments from multiple loans are pooled together. Investors may purchase one or more tranches of a CLO and each tranche typically reflects a different level of seniority in payment from the CLO.

Other Securities

We may also invest from time to time in derivatives, including total return swaps and credit default swaps. We anticipate that any use of derivatives would primarily be as a substitute for investing in conventional securities.

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Cash and Cash Equivalents

We may maintain a certain level of cash or equivalent instruments, including money market funds, to make follow-on investments, if necessary, in existing portfolio companies or to take advantage of new opportunities.

Comparison of Targeted Debt Investments to Corporate Bonds

Loans to private companies are debt instruments that can be compared to corporate bonds to aid an investor’s understanding. As with corporate bonds, loans to private companies can range in credit quality depending on security-specific factors, including total leverage, amount of leverage senior to the security in question, variability in the issuer’s cash flows, the quality of assets securing debt and the degree to which such assets cover the subject company’s debt obligations. As is the case in the corporate bond market, we will require greater returns for securities that we perceive to carry increased risk. The companies in which we invest may be leveraged, often as a result of leveraged buyouts or other recapitalization transactions, and, in many cases, will not be rated by national rating agencies. When our targeted debt investments do carry ratings from a NRSRO, we believe that such ratings generally will be below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s or lower than “BBB-” by S&P). To the extent we make unrated investments, we believe that such investments would likely receive similar ratings if they were to be examined by a NRSRO. Compared to below-investment grade corporate bonds that are typically available to the public, our targeted senior secured and second lien secured loan investments are higher in the capital structure, have priority in receiving payment, are secured by the issuer’s assets, allow the lender to seize collateral if necessary, and generally exhibit higher rates of recovery in the event of default. Corporate bonds, on the other hand, are often unsecured obligations of the issuer.

The market for loans to private companies possesses several key differences compared to the corporate bond market. For instance, due to a possible lack of debt ratings for certain middle market firms, and also due to the reduced availability of information for private companies, investors must conduct extensive due diligence investigations before committing to an investment. This intensive due diligence process gives the investor significant access to management, which is often not possible in the case of corporate bondholders, who rely on underwriters, debt rating agencies and publicly available information for due diligence reviews and monitoring of corporate issuers. While holding these investments, private debt investors often receive monthly or quarterly updates on the portfolio company’s financial performance, along with possible representation on the company’s board of directors, which allows the investor to take remedial action quickly if conditions happen to deteriorate. Due to reduced liquidity, the relative scarcity of capital and extensive due diligence and expertise required on the part of the investor, we believe that private debt securities typically offer higher returns than corporate bonds of equivalent credit quality.

Sources of Income

The primary means through which our stockholders will receive a return of value is through interest income, dividends and capital gains generated by our investments. In addition to these sources of income, we may receive fees paid by our portfolio companies, including one-time closing fees paid at the time each investment is made. Closing fees typically range from 1.0% to 2.0% of the purchase price of an investment. In addition, we may generate revenues in the form of non-recurring commitment, origination, structuring or diligence fees, fees for providing managerial assistance, consulting fees and performance-based fees.

Risk Management

We seek to limit the downside potential of our investment portfolio by:

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We may also enter into interest rate hedging transactions at the sole discretion of FB Advisor. Such transactions will enable us to selectively modify interest rate exposure as market conditions dictate.

Affirmative Covenants

Affirmative covenants require borrowers to take actions that are meant to ensure the solvency of the company, facilitate the lender’s monitoring of the borrower, and ensure payment of interest and loan principal due to lenders. Examples of affirmative covenants include covenants requiring the borrower to maintain adequate insurance, accounting and tax records, and to produce frequent financial reports for the benefit of the lender.

Negative Covenants

Negative covenants impose restrictions on the borrower and are meant to protect lenders from actions that the borrower may take that could harm the credit quality of the lender’s investments. Examples of negative covenants include restrictions on the payment of dividends and restrictions on the issuance of additional debt without the lender’s approval. In addition, certain covenants restrict a borrower’s activities by requiring it to meet certain earnings interest coverage ratio and leverage ratio requirements. These covenants are also referred to as financial or maintenance covenants.

Investment Process

The investment professionals employed by FB Advisor and GDFM have spent their careers developing the resources necessary to invest in private companies. Our current transaction process is highlighted below. See “—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding GDFM’s resignation as our investment sub-adviser and our potential investment advisory relationship with KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor.

Our Transaction Process

Sourcing

In order to source transactions, FB Advisor currently seeks to leverage GDFM’s significant access to transaction flow, along with GDFM’s trading platform. GDFM seeks to generate investment opportunities through its trading platform, through syndicate and club deals, through relationships with investment banks, which may be exclusive to GDFM, and, subject to regulatory constraints and the allocation policies of GDFM and its affiliates, as applicable, through GSO’s direct origination channels. With respect to syndicate and club deals, GDFM has built a network of relationships with commercial and investment banks, finance companies and other investment funds as a result of the long track record of its investment professionals in the leveraged finance marketplace. GDFM may compensate certain brokers or other financial services firms out of its own profits or revenues for services provided in connection with the identification of appropriate investment opportunities. With respect to GDFM’s origination channel, FB Advisor currently seeks to leverage the global presence of GSO to generate access to a substantial amount of directly originated transactions with attractive investment characteristics. We believe that the broad network of GDFM currently provides a significant pipeline of investment opportunities for us.

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Evaluation

Initial Review. In its initial review of an investment opportunity to present to FB Advisor, GDFM’s transaction team examines information furnished by the target company and external sources, including rating agencies, if applicable, to determine whether the investment meets our basic investment criteria and other guidelines specified by FB Advisor, within the context of proper allocation of our portfolio among various issuers and industries, and offers an acceptable probability of attractive returns with identifiable downside risk. For the majority of securities available on the secondary market, a comprehensive analysis is conducted and continuously maintained by a dedicated GDFM research analyst, the results of which are available for the transaction team to review. In the case of a directly originated transaction, FB Advisor and GDFM conduct detailed due diligence investigations as necessary.

Credit Analysis/Due Diligence. Before undertaking an investment, the transaction teams from FB Advisor and GDFM conduct a thorough due diligence review of the opportunity to ensure the company fits our investment strategy, which may include:

When possible, our advisory team seeks to structure transactions in such a way that our target companies are required to bear the costs of due diligence, including those costs related to any outside consulting work we may require.

Execution

Recommendation. FB Advisor currently engages GDFM to identify and recommend investment opportunities for its approval. GDFM seeks to maintain a defensive approach toward its investment recommendations by emphasizing risk control in its transaction process, which includes (i) the pre-review of each opportunity by one of its portfolio managers to assess the general quality, value and fit relative to our portfolio, (ii) where possible, transaction structuring with a focus on preservation of capital in varying economic environments and (iii) ultimate approval of investment recommendations by GDFM’s investment committee.

Approval. After completing its internal transaction process, GDFM makes formal recommendations for review and approval by FB Advisor. In connection with its recommendation, it transmits any relevant underwriting material and other information pertinent to the decision-making process. In addition, GDFM makes its staff available to answer inquiries by FB Advisor in connection with its recommendations. The consummation of a transaction requires unanimous approval of the members of FB Advisor’s investment committee.

Monitoring

Portfolio Monitoring. FB Advisor, currently with the help of GDFM, monitors our portfolio with a focus toward anticipating negative credit events. To maintain portfolio company performance and help to ensure a

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successful exit, FB Advisor and GDFM currently work closely with, as applicable, the lead equity sponsor, loan syndicator, portfolio company management, consultants, advisers and other security holders to discuss financial position, compliance with covenants, financial requirements and execution of the company’s business plan. In addition, depending on the size, nature and performance of the transaction, we may occupy a seat or serve as an observer on a portfolio company’s board of directors or similar governing body.

Typically, FB Advisor and GDFM receive financial reports detailing operating performance, sales volumes, margins, cash flows, financial position and other key operating metrics on a quarterly basis from our portfolio companies. FB Advisor and GDFM use this data, combined with due diligence gained through contact with the company’s customers, suppliers, competitors, market research and other methods, to conduct an ongoing, rigorous assessment of the company’s operating performance and prospects. GDFM may rely on brokers or other financial services firms that may help identify potential investments from time to time for assistance in monitoring these investments.

In addition to various risk management and monitoring tools, FB Advisor uses an investment rating system to characterize and monitor the expected level of returns on each investment in our portfolio. FB Advisor uses an investment rating scale of 1 to 5. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Portfolio Asset Quality” for a description of the conditions associated with each investment rating.

Valuation Process. Each quarter, we value investments in our portfolio, and such values are disclosed each quarter in reports filed with the SEC. Investments for which market quotations are readily available are recorded at such market quotations. With respect to investments for which market quotations are not readily available, our board of directors determines the fair value of such investments in good faith, utilizing the input of our valuation committee, FB Advisor and any other professionals or materials that our board of directors deems relevant, including GDFM, independent third-party pricing services and independent third-party valuation services, if applicable. See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies—Valuation of Portfolio Investments.”

Managerial Assistance. As a BDC, we must offer, and provide upon request, managerial assistance to certain of our portfolio companies. This assistance could involve, among other things, monitoring the operations of our portfolio companies, participating in board and management meetings, consulting with and advising officers of portfolio companies and providing other organizational and financial guidance. Depending on the nature of the assistance required, FB Advisor or currently GDFM will provide such managerial assistance on our behalf to portfolio companies that request this assistance. To the extent fees are paid for these services, we, rather than FB Advisor or GDFM, will retain any fees paid for such assistance.

Exit

While we attempt to invest in securities that may be sold in a privately negotiated over-the-counter market, providing us a means by which we may exit our positions, we expect that a large portion of our portfolio may not be sold on this secondary market. For any investments that are not able to be sold within this market, we focus primarily on investing in companies whose business models and growth prospects offer attractive exit possibilities, including repayment of our investments, an initial public offering of equity securities, a merger, a sale or a recapitalization, in each case with the potential for capital gains.

The Transition of Investment Advisory Services

Summary of the Transition

We currently receive investment advisory and administrative services from FB Advisor pursuant to the investment advisory agreement and the administration agreement. GDFM acts as our investment sub-adviser pursuant to the investment sub-advisory agreement. As we previously announced on December 11, 2017, GDFM intends to resign as our investment sub-adviser and terminate the investment sub-advisory agreement effective as

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of the GDFM end date. In connection with GDFM’s resignation as the investment sub-adviser to the Company, FS Investments and KKR Credit desire to enter into a relationship whereby FS Investments and KKR Credit will create a premier alternative lending platform for certain BDCs sponsored, advised and/or sub-advised by them. Accordingly, FB Advisor, together with FSIC II Advisor, LLC, FSIC III Advisor, LLC and FSIC IV Advisor, LLC, collectively the FS Advisor Entities, and KKR Credit and certain other parties have entered into a master transaction agreement setting out the terms of the relationship between FB Advisor and KKR Credit. In furtherance thereof, we desire to enter into (i) an investment advisory agreement with FB Advisor and an investment advisory agreement with KKR Credit, or collectively, the investment co-advisory agreements, pursuant to which FB Advisor and KKR Credit would act as our investment co-advisers, and/or (ii) an investment advisory agreement with FS/KKR Advisor or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, pursuant to which FS/KKR Advisor would act as our investment adviser. In addition, prior to the effectiveness of the investment co-advisory agreements or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, we may enter into an interim investment advisory agreement pursuant to Rule 15a-4 of the 1940 Act with KKR Credit.

We ultimately intend to receive investment advisory services from FS/KKR Advisor pursuant to the joint advisor investment advisory agreement. However, due to the various conditions required for the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement to each become effective, we are seeking, as required by the 1940 Act, stockholder approval of each of the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement in order to ensure the continuous provision of investment advisory services to the Company by FB Advisor, KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor, as applicable, each of which would replace the investment advisory agreement and the investment sub-advisory agreement.

If the joint advisor investment advisory agreement becomes effective on the same day as or prior to the date the investment co-advisory agreements would otherwise become effective, then FS/KKR Advisor would serve as investment adviser to the Company pursuant to the joint advisor investment advisory agreement and the investment co-advisory agreements would not become effective. If the joint advisor investment advisory agreement becomes effective after the investment co-advisory agreements have become effective, then the investment co-advisory agreements would automatically terminate upon the effectiveness of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement. Accordingly, the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement would not be simultaneously effective at any time.

Concurrently with seeking stockholder approval of the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, KKR Credit is seeking exemptive relief, or the KKR exemptive relief, in the form of a new co-investment exemptive relief order issued by the SEC to KKR Credit that would permit us, following the effectiveness of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, to co-invest in privately negotiated investment transactions with certain accounts managed by KKR Credit. There can be no assurance of the timing of the approval of the application or whether the requested KKR exemptive relief will be granted. Receipt of KKR exemptive relief is one of the conditions to the effectiveness of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement.

In order to transition our advisory services, FB Advisor, GDFM and certain of their affiliates have entered into a transition agreement, which provides that GDFM will continue to act as our investment sub-adviser through the GDFM end date and will cooperate with FB Advisor in implementing the transition of our investment advisory services from GDFM.

FS Investments and its affiliates (including FB Advisor) and KKR Credit are committed to transition our advisory services as described herein. To help the FS Investments and FB Advisor teams during the transition, KKR Credit will provide certain administrative services to the FS Advisor Entities and KKR Credit’s broker-dealer affiliate will provide certain sourcing and other services to the FS Advisor Entities, in each case, pursuant to a sourcing and administrative services agreement, or the sourcing agreement. FB Advisor intends to obtain services from KKR Credit’s broker-dealer affiliate pursuant to the sourcing agreement, such as identifying new investment opportunities for FB Advisor, prior to the Company’s entry into any advisory agreement with KKR Credit or one of its affiliates, including FS/KKR Advisor. The sourcing agreement will terminate with respect to

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FB Advisor on the earlier of the effective date of the investment co-advisory agreements or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement.

About KKR Credit

KKR Credit is a Delaware limited liability company, located at 555 California Street, 50th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104, registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act. It had over $45 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2017 across investment funds, structured finance vehicles, specialty finance companies and separately managed accounts that invest capital in both liquid and illiquid credit strategies on behalf of some of the largest public and private pension plans, global financial institutions, university endowments and other institutional and public market investors. Its investment professionals utilize an industry and thematic approach to investing and benefit from access, where appropriate, to the broader resources and intellectual capital of KKR & Co. L.P., or KKR & Co. KKR Credit is a subsidiary of KKR & Co., a leading global investment firm with over $168 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2017 that manages investments across multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and hedge funds. KKR & Co. aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation in the assets it manages. KKR & Co. invests its own capital alongside the capital it manages for fund investors and brings debt and equity investment opportunities to others through its capital markets business.

KKR & Co.’s business offers a broad range of investment management services to its fund investors and provides capital markets services to KKR & Co., its portfolio companies and third parties. Throughout KKR & Co.’s history, KKR & Co. has consistently been a leader in the private equity industry. KKR & Co. has grown its firm by expanding its geographical presence and building businesses in new areas, such as credit, special situations, hedge funds, collateralized loan obligations, capital markets, infrastructure, energy and real estate. These efforts build on KKR & Co.’s core principles and industry expertise, allowing KKR & Co. to leverage the intellectual capital and synergies in its businesses, and to capitalize on a broader range of the opportunities it sources. Additionally, KKR & Co. has increased its focus on meeting the needs of its existing fund investors and in developing relationships with new investors in its funds.

KKR & Co. conducts its business with offices throughout the world, providing it with a pre-eminent global platform for sourcing transactions, raising capital and carrying out capital markets activities. KKR & Co.’s growth has been driven by value that it has created through its operationally focused investment approach, the expansion of its existing businesses, its entry into new lines of business, innovation in the products that it offers investors in its funds, an increased focus on providing tailored solutions to its clients and the integration of capital markets distribution activities.

KKR & Co. has also used its balance sheet as a significant source of capital to further grow and expand its business, increase its participation in its existing businesses and further align its interests with those of its fund investors and other stakeholders.

Below are the gross assets of two other BDCs advised or sub-advised by KKR Credit, each of which has a similar investment objective to that of the Company:

About FS/KKR Advisor

FS/KKR Advisor is a newly-formed Delaware limited liability company, located at 201 Rouse Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19112. Prior to the effectiveness of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, FS/KKR Advisor will register as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Advisers Act. FS/KKR Advisor will be

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jointly operated by FS Adviser and KKR Credit. The Company’s chairman and chief executive officer, Michael C. Forman, will serve as FS/KKR Advisor’s chairman and chief executive officer, and Todd C. Builione, the president of KKR Credit, will serve as FS/KKR Advisor’s president.

FS/KKR Advisor’s senior management team will have significant experience in private lending and private equity investing, and will have developed an expertise in using all levels of a firm’s capital structure to produce income-generating investments, while focusing on risk management. The team will also have extensive knowledge of the managerial, operational and regulatory requirements of publicly registered alternative asset entities, such as BDCs. The Company believes that the active and ongoing participation by FS Investments, KKR Credit and their respective affiliates in the credit markets, and the depth of experience and disciplined investment approach of FS/KKR Advisor’s management team, will allow FS/KKR Advisor to successfully execute the Company’s investment strategies.

Duties of FB Advisor, KKR Credit and FS/KKR Advisor

FB Advisor, together with the other FS Advisor Entities, and KKR Credit have agreed to coordinate their activities during the period in which the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement would be in effect to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure a balanced and effective allocation of responsibilities and net fee revenue earned by the FS Advisor Entities, KKR Credit and FS/KKR Advisor, and efficiency in the provision of the required services to the Company thereunder.

Investment Co-Advisory Agreements

During the period the investment co-advisory agreements are in effect, the management of the Company’s investment portfolio will be the responsibility of a joint investment committee which will be comprised of three appointees of FS Investments or one of its affiliates (initially Sean Coleman, Brian Gerson and Michael Kelly) and three appointees of KKR Credit (initially Todd Builione, Daniel Pietrzak and Ryan Wilson). A team of dedicated investment professionals consisting of personnel from FB Advisor and KKR Credit will provide services to the Company. In performing their duties under the investment co-advisory agreements, FB Advisor and KKR Credit will provide the Company with services to facilitate the conduct of its business, including but not limited to: (a) sourcing, structuring, underwriting, performing diligence, executing and monitoring investments; (b) researching, selecting, trading and underwriting new investment opportunities; (c) investor account management; (d) legal, compliance, finance, accounting, operations and human resources services; and (e) risk management functions. The FS Advisor Entities and KKR Credit are collectively responsible for providing appropriate assets, resources, time and personnel in order to provide to the Company the services required under the investment co-advisory agreements.

Among other changes, the base management fee will be reduced from 1.75% under the investment advisory agreement to 1.50% under the investment co-advisory agreements (in the aggregate). For the incentive fee under the investment co-advisory agreements (in the aggregate), (i) the hurdle rate will be reduced to 1.75% per quarter and (ii) the “catch-up” feature will be reduced to begin at 2.1875%.

Joint Advisor Investment Advisory Agreement

During the period the joint advisor investment advisory agreement is in effect, the management of the Company’s investment portfolio will be the responsibility of FS/KKR Advisor’s investment committee which will be comprised of three appointees of FS Adviser (initially Sean Coleman, Brian Gerson and Michael Kelly) and three appointees of KKR Credit (initially Todd Builione, Daniel Pietrzak and Ryan Wilson). A team of dedicated investment professionals consisting of personnel from FS Investments and KKR Credit will provide services to the Company on behalf of FS/KKR Advisor. The investment committee will be responsible for establishing and monitoring the Company’s investment program, developing the portfolio, setting the risk parameters for the Company and approving all Company investments. Initial investment decisions will require the unanimous approval of the investment committee.

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In performing its duties under the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, FS/KKR Advisor will provide the Company with services to facilitate the conduct of its business, including but not limited to: (a) sourcing, structuring, underwriting, performing diligence, executing and monitoring investments; (b) researching, selecting, trading and underwriting new investment opportunities; (c) investor account management; (d) legal, compliance, finance, accounting, operations and human resources services; and (e) risk management functions. KKR Credit and FS Adviser will be collectively responsible for providing appropriate assets, resources, time and personnel to allow FS/KKR Advisor to provide to the Company the services required under the joint advisor investment advisory agreement.

Among other changes, the base management fee will be reduced from 1.75% under the investment advisory agreement to 1.50% under the joint advisor investment advisory agreement. For the incentive fee under the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, (i) the hurdle rate will be reduced to 1.75% per quarter and (ii) the “catch-up” feature will be reduced to begin at 2.1875%.

For additional information, see the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed on January 18, 2018.

Financing Arrangements

To seek to enhance our returns, we employ leverage as market conditions permit and at the discretion of FB Advisor, but in no event will leverage employed exceed 50% of the value of our assets, as required by the 1940 Act. See Note 8 to our consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding our financing arrangements.

Regulation

We have elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act contains prohibitions and restrictions relating to transactions between BDCs and their affiliates, principal underwriters and affiliates of those affiliates or underwriters. The 1940 Act requires that a majority of our directors be persons other than “interested persons,” as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that we may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or to withdraw our election as, a BDC unless approved by a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

The 1940 Act defines “a majority of the outstanding voting securities” as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a meeting if the holders of more than 50% of our outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy or (ii) 50% of our voting securities.

We will generally not be able to issue and sell our common stock at a price per share, after deducting underwriting commissions and discounts, that is below our net asset value per share. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Business Development Companies—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.” We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of our common stock if our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. At the 2017 annual stockholders meeting, our stockholders approved the sale of shares of our common stock at a price below the then-current net asset value per share, subject to certain conditions, during the period beginning on July 27, 2017 and expiring on July 27, 2018. We currently do not intend to utilize this authority to sell shares of our common stock at a price below the then-current net asset value per share. In addition, we may generally issue new shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value per share in rights offerings to existing stockholders, in payment of dividends and in certain other limited circumstances.

As a BDC, we are subject to certain regulatory restrictions in making our investments. For example, BDCs generally are not permitted to co-invest with certain affiliated entities in transactions originated by the BDC or its affiliates in the absence of an exemptive order from the SEC. However, BDCs are permitted to, and may,

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simultaneously co-invest in transactions where price is the only negotiated term. 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. However, in connection with the potential investment advisory relationship with KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor, and in an effort to mitigate potential future conflicts of interest, our board of directors has authorized and directed that the Company exercise its rights under the Order to decline to participate in any new potential co-investment transaction pursuant to the Order that would be within the then-current investment objectives and strategies of the Company unless sourced by GDFM, KKR Credit or FS/KKR Advisor. Under the terms of this relief, a “required majority” (as defined in Section 57(o) of the 1940 Act) of our independent directors must make certain conclusions in connection with a co-investment transaction, including that (1) the terms of the proposed transaction, including the consideration to be paid, are reasonable and fair to us and our stockholders and do not involve overreaching of us or our stockholders on the part of any person concerned and (2) the transaction is consistent with the interests of our stockholders and is consistent with our investment objectives and strategy. We believe this relief has and may continue to enhance our ability to further our investment objectives and strategy. We believe this relief may also increase favorable investment opportunities for us, in part, by allowing us to participate in larger investments, together with our co-investment affiliates, than would be available to us if such relief had not been obtained. Because we did not seek exemptive relief to engage in co-investment transactions with GDFM and its affiliates, we are permitted to co-invest with GDFM and its affiliates only in accordance with existing regulatory guidance (e.g., where price is the only negotiated term). See “Item 1. Business—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding the exemptive relief KKR Credit is seeking with respect to the Company’s potential investment advisory relationship with FS/KKR Advisor.

Qualifying Assets

Under the 1940 Act, a BDC may not acquire any asset other than assets of the type listed in Section 55(a) of the 1940 Act, which are referred to as qualifying assets, unless, at the time the acquisition is made, qualifying assets represent at least 70% of the company’s total assets. The principal categories of qualifying assets relevant to our business are any of the following:

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In addition, a BDC must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above.

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

In order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, we must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where we purchase such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Making available managerial assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the BDC, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.

Temporary Investments

Pending investment in other types of “qualifying assets,” as described above, our investments may consist of cash, cash equivalents, including money market funds, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment, which we refer to, collectively, as temporary investments, so that 70% of our assets are qualifying assets. Typically, we will invest in U.S. Treasury bills or in repurchase agreements, provided that such agreements are fully collateralized by cash or securities issued by the U.S. government or its agencies. A repurchase agreement involves the purchase by an investor, such as us, of a specified security and the simultaneous agreement by the seller to repurchase it at an agreed-upon future date and at a price that is greater than the purchase price by an amount that reflects an agreed-upon interest rate. There is no percentage restriction on the proportion of our assets that may be invested in such repurchase agreements. However, if more than 25% of our total assets constitute repurchase agreements from a single counterparty, we would not meet the diversification tests in order to maintain our qualification as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes as described below under “—Taxation as a RIC.” Thus, we do not intend to enter into repurchase agreements with a single counterparty in excess of this limit. FB Advisor will monitor the creditworthiness of the counterparties with which we enter into repurchase agreement transactions.

Senior Securities

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of debt and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the

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applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our total assets for temporary purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Debt Financing” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Business Development Companies.”

Code of Ethics

We and FB Advisor have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 promulgated under the 1940 Act that, among other things, establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain personal securities transactions. Personnel subject to the codes may invest in securities for their personal investment accounts, including securities that may be purchased or held by us, so long as such investments are made in accordance with each code’s requirements. Our code of ethics was filed as an exhibit to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on August 4, 2016 and FB Advisor’s code of ethics was filed as an exhibit to pre-effective amendment no. 1 to our registration statement on Form N-2 filed with the SEC on June 16, 2014. You may also read and copy these codes of ethics at the SEC’s Public Reference Room located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. In addition, each code of ethics is available on our website at www.fsinvestmentcorp.com and on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at www.sec.gov. You may also obtain a copy of each code of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

Compliance Policies and Procedures

We and FB Advisor have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violation of the federal securities laws and are required to review these compliance policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation. Our chief compliance officer and the chief compliance officer of FB Advisor are responsible for administering these policies and procedures.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to FB Advisor. The proxy voting policies and procedures of FB Advisor are set forth below. The guidelines are reviewed periodically by FB Advisor and our independent directors, and, accordingly, are subject to change.

As an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act, FB Advisor has a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of its clients. As part of this duty, it recognizes that it must vote client securities in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest and in the best interests of its clients. These policies and procedures for voting proxies for the investment advisory clients of FB Advisor are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 promulgated under, the Advisers Act.

FB Advisor will vote proxies relating to our securities in the best interest of its clients’ stockholders. It will review on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted for a stockholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by its clients. Although FB Advisor will generally vote against proposals that may have a negative impact on its clients’ portfolio securities, it may vote for such a proposal if there exists compelling long-term reasons to do so.

The proxy voting decisions of FB Advisor are made by the senior officers who are responsible for monitoring each of its clients’ investments. To ensure that its vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, it will require that: (a) anyone involved in the decision-making process disclose to its chief compliance officer any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (b) employees involved in the decision making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how FB Advisor intends to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.

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You may obtain information, without charge, regarding how FB Advisor voted proxies with respect to our portfolio securities by making a written request for proxy voting information to: Chief Compliance Officer, FS Investment Corporation, 201 Rouse Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19112 or by calling us collect at (215) 495-1150.

Other

We will be periodically examined by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act.

We are required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect us against larceny and embezzlement. Furthermore, as a BDC, we are prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misconduct, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

Securities Exchange Act and Sarbanes-Oxley Act Compliance

We are subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, including the filing of quarterly, annual and current reports, proxy statements and other required items. In addition, we are subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which imposes a wide variety of regulatory requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. For example:

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires us to review our current policies and procedures to determine whether we comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder. We monitor our compliance with all regulations that are adopted under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and take actions necessary to ensure that we are in compliance therewith.

Taxation as a RIC

We have elected to be subject to tax as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we timely distribute each tax year as distributions to our stockholders. To qualify for and maintain our qualification as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, in order to maintain RIC tax treatment, we must distribute to our stockholders, for each tax year, distributions generally of an amount at least equal to 90% of our “investment company taxable income,” which is generally the sum of our net ordinary income plus the excess, if any, of realized net short-term capital gains over realized net long-term capital losses, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid, or the Annual Distribution Requirement.

If we:

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then we will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of our income or capital gains we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) as distributions to our stockholders. We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the regular corporate rates on any income or capital gains not distributed (or deemed distributed) as distributions to our stockholders.

As a RIC, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute distributions in a timely manner to our stockholders generally of an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our net ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income, which is the excess of capital gains in excess of capital losses, or “capital gain net income” (as adjusted for certain ordinary losses), for the one-year period ending October 31 of that calendar year and (3) any net ordinary income and capital gain net income for the preceding years that were not distributed during such years and on which we paid no U.S. federal income tax, or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement. Any distribution declared by us during October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to stockholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following calendar year, will be treated as if it had been paid by us, as well as received by our U.S. stockholders, on December 31 of the calendar year in which the distribution was declared.

We have previously incurred, and may incur in the future, such excise tax on a portion of our income and capital gains. While we intend to distribute income and capital gains to minimize exposure to the 4% excise tax, we may not be able to, or may choose not to, distribute amounts sufficient to avoid the imposition of the tax entirely. In that event, we generally will be liable for the excise tax only on the amount by which we do not meet the excise tax avoidance requirement.

In order to qualify as a RIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

A RIC is limited in its ability to deduct expenses in excess of its investment company taxable income. If our expenses in a given tax year exceed our investment company taxable income, we may experience a net operating loss for that tax year. However, a RIC is not permitted to carry forward net operating losses to subsequent tax years and such net operating losses do not pass through to its stockholders. In addition, deductible expenses can be used only to offset investment company taxable income, not net capital gain. A RIC may not use any net capital losses (that is, the excess of realized capital losses over realized capital gains) to offset its investment company taxable income, but may carry forward such net capital losses, and use them to offset future

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capital gains, indefinitely. Due to these limits on deductibility of expenses and net capital losses, we may for tax purposes have aggregate taxable income for several years that we are required to distribute and that is taxable to our stockholders even if such taxable income is greater than the net income we actually earn during those years.

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 tax 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 tax year, instead of upon their disposition, as an election not to do so would limit our ability to deduct interest expense for tax purposes.

We invest a portion of our net assets in below investment grade instruments. Investments in these types of instruments 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 instruments, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income and whether exchanges of debt instruments in a bankruptcy or workout context are taxable. We will address these and other issues to the extent necessary in order to seek to ensure that we distribute sufficient income to avoid any material U.S. federal income or excise tax.

Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the tax year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell or otherwise dispose of 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.

Although we do not presently expect to do so, we are authorized to borrow funds and to sell or otherwise dispose of assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. See “—Regulation—Senior Securities.” Moreover, our ability to sell or otherwise dispose of assets to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we sell or otherwise dispose of assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.

A portfolio company in which we invest may face financial difficulties that require us to work-out, modify or otherwise restructure our investment in the portfolio company. Any such transaction could, depending upon the specific terms of the transaction, result in unusable capital losses and future non-cash income. Any such transaction could also result in our receiving assets that give rise to non-qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test or otherwise would not count toward satisfying the Diversification Tests.

Some of the income that we might otherwise earn, such as fees for providing managerial assistance, certain fees earned with respect to our investments, income recognized in a work-out or restructuring of a portfolio

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investment, or income recognized from an equity investment in an operating partnership, may not satisfy the 90% Income Test. To manage the risk that such income might disqualify us as a RIC for failure to satisfy the 90% Income Test, one or more subsidiary entities treated as U.S. corporations for entity-level income tax purposes may be employed to earn such income and (if applicable) hold the related asset. Such subsidiary entities will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on their earnings, which ultimately will reduce the yield to our stockholders on such fees and income.

Competition

Our primary competitors for investments include other BDCs and investment funds (including private equity funds, mezzanine funds and CLO funds). In addition, alternative investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, have begun to invest in areas in which they have not traditionally invested, including making investments in middle market private U.S. companies. We also compete with traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks. We believe we will be able to compete with these entities for financing opportunities on the basis of, among other things, the experience of FB Advisor’s senior management team, together with the wider resources of GSO’s investment team. Furthermore, while we believe that regulatory changes and other factors have diminished the role of traditional financial institutions and certain other capital providers in providing financing to middle market private U.S. companies, we are not certain whether this trend will continue as a result of the potentially changing regulatory landscape due to the presidential administration. For additional information, see “—Potential Market Opportunity” and “—Potential Competitive Strengths.”

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 us. 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. For additional information concerning the competitive risks we face, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Structure—We may face increasing competition for investment opportunities, which could delay deployment of our capital, reduce returns and result in losses.”

Employees

We do not currently have any employees. Each of our executive officers is a principal, officer or employee of FB Advisor, which manages and oversees our investment operations. In the future, FB Advisor may retain additional investment personnel based upon its needs.

Available Information

We file with or submit to the SEC annual, quarterly and current periodic reports, proxy statements and other information meeting the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. This information is available free of charge by calling us collect at (215) 495-1150 or on our website at www.fsinvestmentcorp.com. Information contained on our website is not incorporated into this annual report on Form 10-K and you should not consider such information to be part of this annual report on Form 10-K. You also may inspect and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information, as well as this annual report on Form 10-K and related exhibits and schedules, at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Such information is also available from the EDGAR database on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. You also can obtain copies of such information, after paying a duplicating fee, by sending a request by e-mail to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Branch, Office of Consumer Affairs and Information Services, Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the SEC’s Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090.

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Investing in our securities 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 securities. 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 and market price of our common stock could decline or the value of our debt or equity investments may 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 the valuation of our investments and our ability to raise capital.

From time to time, the global capital markets may experience periods of disruption and instability, which could be prolonged and which could materially and adversely impact the broader financial and credit markets, have a negative impact on the valuations of our investments 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. More recently, the macroeconomic environment, including recent social and political tensions in the U.S. and around the world (e.g., the United Kingdom referendum to leave the European Union), concerns regarding the Chinese economy and declines in commodity prices, has led to, and may continue to lead to, volatility in the broadly syndicated credit market as investors re-price credit risk.

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.

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 last affirmed by S&P in November 2016. Moody’s and Fitch Ratings, Inc. 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 to allow the U.S. Treasury Department to issue

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additional debt. 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 also raised interest rates several times since the fourth quarter of 2015. To the extent the Federal Reserve continues to raise rates, and without quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve, there is a risk that the debt markets may experience increased volatility and that the liquidity of certain of our investments may be reduced. It is unclear what other effects, if any, the end of quantitative easing, future interest rate raises, if any, and the pace of any such raises 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. Furthermore, following the United Kingdom’s referendum to leave the European Union, S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating. In addition, the terms of the United Kingdom’s exit and any future referendums in other European countries may disrupt the global market. 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 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 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.

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A prolonged continuation of depressed oil and natural gas prices could negatively impact the energy and power industry and energy-related investments within our investment portfolio.

Prices for oil and natural gas, which historically have been volatile and may continue to be volatile, may be subject to large fluctuations in response to relatively minor changes in the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas. A prolonged continuation of depressed oil and natural gas prices would adversely affect the credit quality and performance of certain of our debt and equity investments in energy and power and related companies. A decrease in credit quality and performance would, in turn, negatively affect the fair value of these investments, which would consequently negatively affect our net asset value. Should a prolonged period of depressed oil and natural gas prices occur, the ability of certain of our portfolio companies in the energy and power and related industries to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by us or other lenders may be adversely affected, which could, in turn, negatively impact their financial condition and their ability to satisfy their debt service and other obligations. Likewise, should a prolonged period of depressed oil and natural gas prices occur, it is possible that the cash flow and profit generating capacity of these portfolio companies could also be adversely affected thereby negatively impacting their ability to pay us dividends or distributions on our investments.

Risks Related to Our Business and Structure

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

Because we have no employees, we depend on the investment expertise, skill and network of business contacts of FB Advisor and, currently, GDFM. FB 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 FB Advisor and GDFM, as well as their respective senior management teams. The departure of any members of FB Advisor’s senior management team could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objectives. Likewise, the departure of any key employees of GDFM or termination of key industry relationships may impact its ability to render services to us under the terms of its investment sub-advisory agreement with FB Advisor.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends on FB Advisor’s ability, with the assistance of GDFM, to identify, analyze, invest in, finance and monitor companies that meet our investment criteria. FB 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, FB Advisor may need to hire, train, supervise and manage new investment professionals to participate in our investment selection and monitoring process. FB 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, each of the investment advisory agreement and administration agreement that FB Advisor has entered into with us, as well as the investment sub-advisory agreement that FB Advisor has entered into with GDFM, have termination provisions that allow the parties to terminate the agreements without penalty. The investment advisory agreement and administration agreement may each be terminated at any time, without penalty, by FB Advisor, upon 60 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 FB 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 FB Advisor or for FB Advisor to replace GDFM. Furthermore,

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the termination of either of these agreements may adversely impact the terms of any financing arrangement into which we may enter, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition. It is currently contemplated that the investment sub-advisory agreement will terminate on the GDFM end date and that subject to certain conditions, we will enter into the proposed investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement with FB Advisor, KKR Credit or FS/KKR Advisor, as applicable. GDFM intends to resign as our investment sub-adviser effective as of the GDFM end date regardless of whether the proposed investment co-advisory agreements and/or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement with FB Advisor, KKR Credit or FS/KKR Advisor, as applicable, have become effective. See “—There can be no assurance that the proposed investment co-advisory agreements or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement with FB Advisor, KKR Credit or FS/KKR Advisor, as applicable, will receive stockholder approval or go into effect. The failure of such investment advisory agreements to go into effect could adversely affect our stock price, business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to achieve our investment objective.” In the event that KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor becomes our investment co-adviser or adviser as contemplated, at the time of such replacement, all of the risk factors identified in Item 1A of this annual report on Form 10-K that relate to GDFM will also be applicable to KKR Credit and FS/KKR Advisor.

There can be no assurance that the proposed investment co-advisory agreements or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement with FB Advisor, KKR Credit or FS/KKR Advisor, as applicable, will receive stockholder approval or go into effect. The failure of such investment advisory agreements to go into effect could adversely affect our stock price, business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to achieve our investment objective.

On January 18, 2018, the Company filed a definitive proxy statement soliciting stockholder approval of each of the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, each of which would replace the investment advisory agreement and the investment sub-advisory agreement. The effectiveness of each of the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement is subject to various conditions, including stockholder approval thereof. If any of these conditions are not satisfied or (to the extent permitted) waived, the investment co-advisory agreements and/or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement may not go into effect. GDFM intends to resign as the Company’s investment sub-adviser effective as of the GDFM end date regardless of whether the investment co-advisory agreements and/or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement have become effective. There can be no assurance that the investment co-advisory agreements and/or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement will become effective prior to the GDFM end date or at all. As a result, the failure of the investment co-advisory agreements and/or the joint advisor investment advisory agreement to go into effect could adversely affect our stock price, business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to achieve our investment objective.

There can be no assurance of the timing of the approval of the application for the KKR exemptive relief or that the KKR exemptive relief will be granted by the SEC.

Concurrently with the Company soliciting stockholder approval of the investment co-advisory agreements and the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, KKR Credit is seeking the KKR exemptive relief in the form of a new co-investment exemptive relief order issued by the SEC to KKR Credit that will cover the Company and would permit the Company, following the effectiveness of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement, to co-invest in privately negotiated investment transactions with certain accounts managed by KKR Credit. There can be no assurance of the timing of the approval of the application for the KKR exemptive relief or whether the requested KKR exemptive relief will be granted by the SEC. Receipt of the KKR exemptive relief is one of the conditions to the effectiveness of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement. Thus, if the KKR exemptive relief is not granted, the joint advisor investment advisory agreement may not go into effect. The failure of the joint advisor investment advisory agreement to go into effect could adversely affect our stock price, business, financial condition, results of operations or ability to achieve our investment objectives.

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FS/KKR Advisor will be a newly-formed investment adviser without a track record of acting as an investment adviser to a BDC, and any failure by FS/KKR Advisor to manage and support our investment process may hinder the achievement of our investment objectives.

Because FS/KKR Advisor will be a newly-formed investment adviser jointly operated by FS Adviser (an affiliate of FB Advisor) and KKR Credit, FS/KKR Advisor will have no prior experience acting as an investment adviser to a BDC. The 1940 Act and the Code impose numerous constraints on the operations of BDCs that do not apply to other investment vehicles. While both FB Advisor and KKR Credit have individually acted as investment advisers to BDCs previously, FS/KKR Advisor’s lack of experience in managing a portfolio of assets under the constraints of the 1940 Act and the Code may hinder FS/KKR Advisor’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and, as a result, may adversely affect our ability to achieve our investment objectives. FB Advisor’s and KKR Credit’s individual track records and achievements are not necessarily indicative of the future results they will achieve as a joint investment adviser. Accordingly, we can offer no assurance that we will replicate the historical performance of other investment companies with which FB Advisor and KKR Credit have been affiliated, and we caution that our investment returns could be lower than the returns achieved by such other companies.

The transactions contemplated by the transition agreement may not be consummated, and the transition of our investment advisory services may not be completed or may not deliver the benefits we anticipate.

In order to transition the Company’s investment advisory services, on December 10, 2017, FB Advisor, GDFM and certain of their respective affiliates entered into a transition agreement, which provides that GDFM will continue to act as the investment sub-adviser to the Company through the GDFM end date and will cooperate with FB Advisor in implementing the transition of investment advisory services from GDFM for both the Company and several other BDCs. The transition of investment advisory services is subject to certain conditions that may not occur, and if we do not consummate the transactions contemplated by the transition agreement, we may not successfully complete the proposed transition of investment advisory services and/or realize the anticipated benefits of the transition.

We are devoting a significant portion of our time and resources to consummating the transactions contemplated by the transition agreement. However, there can be no assurance that such activities will result in the consummation of the transactions or the completion of the proposed transition of investment advisory services. Additionally, even if we are able to consummate the transactions and complete the transition, the transition may not deliver the benefits we anticipate.

Because our business model depends to a significant extent upon relationships with private equity sponsors, investment banks and commercial banks, the inability of FB 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 FB 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 FB Advisor and GDFM have relationships generally are not obligated to provide us with investment opportunities, and, therefore, there is no assurance that such relationships will generate investment opportunities for us. GDFM may compensate certain brokers or other financial services firms out of its own profits or revenues for services provided in connection with the identification of appropriate investment opportunities.

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

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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 middle market private U.S. companies. Furthermore, the potentially changing regulatory landscape as a result of the presidential administration may increase the number of middle-market investors. 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 middle market private U.S. 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, 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.

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 and the deductability of interest expense by our portfolio companies, 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 or repealed 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 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 FB Advisor and GDFM to other types of investments in which FB 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.

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

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 financial institutions. Many of the requirements called for in the Dodd-Frank Act are expected to be implemented over time, most of which will likely be subject to implementing regulations over the course of several years. However, the presidential administration has announced its intention to repeal, amend or replace certain portions of Dodd-Frank and the regulations implemented thereunder. Given the uncertainty associated with the manner in which and whether the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act will be implemented, repealed, amended or replaced, 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 or any changes to the regulations already implemented thereunder 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.

Future legislation or rules could modify how we treat derivatives and other financial arrangements for purposes of our compliance with the leverage limitations of the 1940 Act.

Future legislation or rules may modify how we treat derivatives and other financial arrangements for purposes of our compliance with the leverage limitations of the 1940 Act. For example, the SEC proposed a new rule in December 2015 that is designed to enhance the regulation of the use of derivatives by registered investments companies and business development companies. While the adoption of the December 2015 rule is currently uncertain, the proposed rule, if adopted, or any future legislation or rules, may modify how leverage is calculated under the 1940 Act and, therefore, may increase or decrease the amount of leverage currently available to us under the 1940 Act, which may be materially adverse to us and our stockholders.

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 Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and other rules implemented by the SEC and the listing standards of the NYSE. 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. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act also generally requires 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

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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 are 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 fee income and 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.

If we, our affiliates and our and their respective third-party service providers are unable to maintain the availability of electronic data systems and safeguard the security of data, our ability to conduct business may be compromised, which could impair our liquidity, disrupt our business, damage our reputation or otherwise adversely affect our business.

Cybersecurity refers to the combination of technologies, processes, and procedures established to protect information technology systems and data from unauthorized access, attack, or damage. We, our affiliates and our and their respective third-party service providers are subject to cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity risks have significantly increased in recent years and, while we have not experienced any material losses relating to cyber attacks or other information security breaches, we could suffer such losses in the future. Our, our affiliates and our and their respective third-party service providers’ computer systems, software and networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses or other malicious code and other events that could have a security impact. If one or more of such events occur, this potentially could jeopardize confidential and other information, including nonpublic personal information and sensitive business data, processed and stored in, and transmitted through, computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations or the operations of our affiliates and our and their respective third-party service providers. This could result in significant losses, reputational damage, litigation, regulatory fines or penalties, or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Privacy and information security laws and regulation changes, and compliance with those changes, may result in cost increases due to system changes and the development of new administrative processes. In addition, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures and to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures arising from operational and security risks.

Our business and operations could be negatively affected if we become subject to stockholder activism, which could cause us to incur significant expense, hinder the execution of our investment strategy or impact our stock price.

Stockholder activism, which could take many forms, including making public demands that we consider certain strategic alternatives for the Company, engaging in public campaigns to attempt to influence our corporate governance and/or our management, and commencing proxy contests to attempt to elect the activists’ representatives or others to our board of directors, or arise in a variety of situations, has been increasing in the BDC space recently. While we are currently not subject to any stockholder activism, due to the potential volatility of our stock price and for a variety of other reasons, including the recently announced proposed transition as described under “Item 1. Business—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services,” we may in the future become the target of stockholder activism. Stockholder activism could result in substantial costs and divert management’s and our board of directors’ attention and resources from our business. Additionally, such

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stockholder activism could give rise to perceived uncertainties as to our future and adversely affect our relationships with service providers and our portfolio companies. Also, we may be required to incur significant legal and other expenses related to any activist stockholder matters. Further, our stock price could be subject to significant fluctuation or otherwise be adversely affected by the events, risks and uncertainties of any stockholder activism.

Risks Related to FB Advisor, GDFM and their respective Affiliates

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

FB 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 FB 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 FB Advisor shares a portion of these fees with GDFM pursuant to the investment sub-advisory agreement between FB Advisor and GDFM. Because the incentive fee is based on the performance of our portfolio, FB Advisor may be incentivized to make investments on our behalf, and GDFM may be incentivized to recommend investments for us to FB 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 FB Advisor to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. In addition, because the base management fee is based upon the average value of our gross assets, which includes any borrowings for investment purposes, FB Advisor may be incentivized to recommend the use of leverage or the issuance of additional equity to make additional investments and increase the average value of our 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 FB Advisor incentive compensation on income that we have not received.

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. FB Advisor is not under any 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. 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 FB 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 FB 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

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do, or of investment vehicles managed by the same personnel. For example, the officers, managers and other personnel of FB Advisor also serve in similar capacities for the investment advisers to the other funds in the Fund Complex, and may serve in similar or other capacities for the investment advisers to future investment vehicles affiliated with FS Investments. 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 FB Advisor to manage our day-to-day activities and to implement our investment strategy. FB 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, FB 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 FS Investments. FB Advisor and its employees will devote only as much of its or their time to our business as FB Advisor and its employees, in their judgment, determine is reasonably required, which may be substantially less than their full time.

Furthermore, GDFM, on which FB Advisor currently relies to assist it in identifying investment opportunities and making investment recommendations, has similar conflicts of interest. GDFM or its parent, GSO, currently serves as investment sub-adviser to FS Investments’ four other affiliated BDCs and FS Investments’ 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 vehicles, 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.

The time and resources that individuals employed by FB Advisor and GDFM devote to us may be diverted and we may face additional competition due to the fact that individuals employed by FB 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 FB Advisor nor GDFM, or individuals employed by FB 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 are permitted to co-invest with GDFM and its affiliates only in accordance with existing regulatory guidance (e.g., where price is the only negotiated term). 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.

FB Advisor’s liability is limited under each of the investment advisory agreement and our administration 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 each of the investment advisory agreement and our administration agreement, FB Advisor and its officers, managers, partners, members (and their members, including the owners of their members), agents,

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employees, controlling persons and any other person or entity affiliated with FB Advisor will not be liable to us for their acts under the investment advisory agreement or our administration agreement, as applicable, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties. We have agreed to indemnify, defend and protect FB 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 FB Advisor with respect to all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses resulting from acts of FB Advisor not arising out of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their duties under the investment advisory agreement or our administration agreement, as applicable. These protections may lead FB 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 RIC tax treatment, we must distribute distributions to our stockholders each tax year on a timely basis generally of an amount at least equal to 90% of our investment company taxable income, determined without regard to any deduction for distributions paid, 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% 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.

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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 our need to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement in order to maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code, 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, as a result, could cause us to be subject to corporate-level tax on our income and capital gains, regardless of the amount of distributions paid. 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 (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 the exemptive relief, absent the prior approval of the SEC. Similar restrictions limit our ability to transact business with our officers or directors or their respective 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 fund managed by FB 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.

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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. Because 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 interests 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 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. Because 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.

Below Investment Grade Risk. 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.

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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.

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.

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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 in 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.

Our investments in CLOs may be riskier than a direct investment in the debt or other securities of the underlying companies.

When investing in CLOs, we may invest in any level of a CLO’s subordination chain, including subordinated (lower-rated) tranches and residual interests (the lowest tranche). CLOs are typically highly levered and therefore, the junior debt and equity tranches that we may invest in are subject to a higher risk of total loss and deferral or nonpayment of interest than the more senior tranches to which they are subordinated. In addition, we will generally have the right to receive payments only from the CLOs, and will generally not have direct rights against the underlying borrowers or entities that sponsored the CLOs. Furthermore, the investments we make in CLOs are at times thinly traded or have only a limited trading market. As a result, investments in such CLOs may be characterized as illiquid securities.

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.

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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 could result in a significant reduction to our net asset value 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 flows 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. In addition, an increase in interest rates would make it more expensive to use debt for our financing needs, if any.

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, certain of our financing arrangements provide for adjustments in the loan interest rate along with changes in market interest rates. Therefore, in periods of rising interest rates, our cost of funds will increase, which could materially reduce our

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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 interest 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. Rising interest rates could also cause portfolio companies to shift cash from other productive uses to the payment of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on their business and operations and could, over time, lead to increased defaults. 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.

In July 2017, the head of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority announced the desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Because the statements made by the head of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority are recent in nature, there is no definitive information regarding the future utilization of LIBOR or of any particular replacement rate. As such, the potential effect of any such event on our cost of capital and net investment income cannot yet be determined.

We may 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 the investment advisory agreement and may result in a substantial increase of the amount of incentive fees payable to FB 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.

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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 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. In addition, in a restructuring, we may receive substantially different securities than our original investment in a portfolio company, including securities in a different part of the capital structure. 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 often may not have third-party debt ratings or audited financial statements. We must therefore rely on the ability of FB 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 or at all, 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

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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.

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 and PIK instruments.

To the extent that we invest in original issue discount or PIK instruments and the accretion of original issue discount or PIK interest income 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:

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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.

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.

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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 stock and may increase the risk of investing in our common stock.

The use of borrowings and other types of financing, also known as leverage, magnifies the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and, therefore, increases the risks associated with investing in our common stock. When we use leverage to partially finance our investments, through borrowing from banks and other lenders or issuing debt securities, we, and therefore our stockholders, will experience increased risks of investing in our common stock. Any lenders and debt holders would have fixed dollar claims on our assets that are senior to the claims of our stockholders. 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 interest payable on our indebtedness would cause our net investment income to increase more than it would without leverage, while any decrease in our income would cause net investment 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. Leverage is generally considered a speculative investment technique.

In addition, the decision to utilize leverage will increase our assets and, as a result, will increase the amount of base management fees payable to FB Advisor. See “Risks Related to FB Advisor, GDFM and their respective Affiliates—FB Advisor, GDFM and their respective affiliates, including our officers and some of our directors, face conflicts of interest as a result of compensation arrangements between us and FB Advisor, and FB Advisor and GDFM, which could result in actions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.”

Illustration. The following table illustrates the effect of leverage on returns from an investment in shares of our common stock assuming various annual returns, net of expenses. The calculations in the table below are hypothetical and actual returns may be higher or lower than those appearing below. The calculation assumes (i) $4.1 billion in total assets, (ii) a weighted average cost of funds of 4.18%, (iii) $2.0 billion in debt outstanding (i.e., assumes that the full $2.0 billion available to us as of December 31, 2017 under our financing arrangements as of such date is outstanding) and (iv) $2.3 billion in stockholders’ equity. In order to compute the “Corresponding return to stockholders,” the “Assumed Return on Our Portfolio (net of expenses)” is multiplied by the assumed total assets to obtain an assumed return to us. From this amount, the interest expense is calculated by multiplying the assumed weighted average cost of funds times the assumed debt outstanding, and the product is subtracted from the assumed return to us in order to determine the return available to stockholders. The return available to stockholders is then divided by our stockholders’ equity to determine the “Corresponding return to stockholders.” Actual interest payments may be different.

Similarly, assuming (i) $4.1 billion in total assets, (ii) a weighted average cost of funds of 4.18% and (iii) $2.0 billion in debt outstanding (i.e., assuming that the full $2.0 billion available to us as of December 31, 2017 under the financing arrangements as of such date is outstanding), our assets would need to yield an annual return (net of expenses) of approximately 2.04% in order to cover the annual interest payments on our outstanding debt.

The agreements governing our debt financing arrangements contain, and agreements governing future debt financing arrangements may contain, various covenants which, if not complied with, could 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 debt financing arrangements contain, and agreements governing future debt financing arrangements may contain, certain financial and operational covenants. These covenants require us and our subsidiaries to, among other things, maintain certain financial ratios, including asset coverage

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and minimum stockholders’ equity. Compliance with these covenants depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our and their control. In the event of deterioration in the capital markets and pricing levels subsequent to this period, net unrealized depreciation in our and our subsidiaries’ portfolios may increase in the future and could result in non-compliance with certain covenants, or our taking actions which could disrupt our business and impact our 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, including any covenants related to the identity of our investment adviser. Failure to comply with these covenants could result in a default which, if we and our subsidiaries were unable to obtain a waiver, consent or amendment 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” for a more detailed discussion of the terms of our debt financings.

Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock

There is a risk that investors in our common stock may not receive distributions.

We cannot assure stockholders that we will achieve investment results that will allow us to make a specified level of 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. Furthermore, we are permitted to issue senior securities, including multiple classes of debt and one class of stock senior to our shares of common stock. If any such senior securities are outstanding, we are prohibited from paying distributions to holders of shares of our common stock unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of distribution. As a result, 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 of common stock.

The tax treatment and characterization of our distributions may vary significantly from time to time due to the nature of our investments. The ultimate tax characterization of our distributions made during a tax year may not finally be determined until after the end of that tax year. We may make distributions during a tax year that exceed our investment company taxable income and net capital gains for that tax year. In such a situation, the amount by which our total distributions exceed investment company taxable income and net capital gains generally would be treated as a return of capital up to the amount of a stockholder’s tax basis in the shares, with any amounts exceeding such tax basis treated as a gain from the sale or exchange of such 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. Moreover, 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 our shares, which may result in increased tax liability to stockholders when they sell such shares.

Our shares of common stock may trade at a discount to net asset value, and such discount may be significant.

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, may trade at a market price that is less than the net asset value that is attributable to those shares. This characteristic of closed-end investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. It is not possible to predict whether shares of our common stock will trade at, above, or below net asset value. In the recent past, including during much of 2009, the stocks of BDCs as an industry traded below net asset value and at near historic lows as

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a result of concerns over liquidity, leverage restrictions and distribution requirements. If our common stock is trading at a price below its net asset value per share, we will generally not be able to issue additional shares of our common stock at their market price without first obtaining approval for such issuance from our stockholders and our independent directors. In past years, we obtained the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of common stock at prices below the then-current net asset value of our common stock, subject to certain conditions, during the twelve-month periods beginning on the dates of such approvals. The current authorization expires on July 27, 2018. We may again seek the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of our common stock at prices below the then-current net asset value per share for a twelve-month period following stockholder approval. However, we may not obtain the necessary approvals to sell shares of common stock below net asset value after July 27, 2018.

We may pay distributions from offering proceeds, borrowings or the sale of assets to the extent our cash flows from operations, net investment income or earnings are not sufficient to fund declared distributions.

We may fund distributions from the uninvested proceeds of a securities offering and borrowings, and we have not established limits on the amount of funds we may use from such proceeds or borrowings to make any such distributions. We have paid and may continue to pay distributions from the sale of assets to the extent distributions exceed our earnings or cash flows from operations. Distributions from offering proceeds or from borrowings 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 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 FB 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.

Stockholders may experience dilution in their ownership percentage if they do not participate in our distribution reinvestment plan.

Stockholders who do not participate in our distribution reinvestment plan may experience accretion to the net asset value of their shares if our shares are trading at a premium to net asset value and dilution if our shares are trading at a discount to net asset value. The level of accretion or discount would depend on various factors, including the proportion of our stockholders who participate in the plan, the level of premium or discount at which our shares are trading and the amount of the distribution payable to a stockholder.

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 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

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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.

We have also adopted measures that may make it difficult for a third party to obtain control of us, including provisions of our charter: (a) classifying our board of directors into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, (b) providing that a director may be removed only for cause and only by vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast, and (c) authorizing our board of directors to (i) classify or reclassify shares of our stock into one or more classes or series, (ii) cause the issuance of additional shares of our stock, and (iii) amend our charter from time to time, without stockholder approval, to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. These provisions, as well as other provisions of our charter and bylaws, may discourage, delay, defer, make more difficult or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

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

The net asset value and liquidity, if any, of the market for shares 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.

The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.

The market price and liquidity of the market for 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:

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In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. If the market price of our common stock fluctuates significantly, we may be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.

If we issue preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt securities, the net asset value and market value of our common stock may become more volatile.

We also cannot assure you that the issuance of preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt securities would result in a higher yield or return to the holders of our common stock. The issuance of preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt securities would likely cause the net asset value and market value of our common stock to become more volatile. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock, or the interest rate on the debt securities, were to approach the net rate of return on our investment portfolio, the benefit of leverage to the holders of our common stock would be reduced. If the dividend rate on the preferred stock, or the interest rate on the debt securities, were to exceed the net rate of return on our portfolio, the use of leverage would result in a lower rate of return to the holders of common stock than if we had not issued the preferred stock or debt securities. Any decline in the net asset value of our investment would be borne entirely by the holders of our common stock. Therefore, if the market value of our portfolio were to decline, the leverage would result in a greater decrease in net asset value to the holders of our common stock than if we were not leveraged through the issuance of preferred stock. This decline in net asset value would also tend to cause a greater decline in the market price for our common stock.

There is also a risk that, in the event of a sharp decline in the value of our net assets, we would be in danger of failing to maintain required asset coverage ratios which may be required by the preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units or of a downgrade in the ratings of the preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or units or our current investment income might not be sufficient to meet the dividend requirements on the preferred stock or the interest payments on the debt securities. In order to counteract such an event, we might need to liquidate investments in order to fund redemption of some or all of the preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt. In addition, we would pay (and the holders of our common stock would bear) all costs and expenses relating to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of the preferred stock, debt securities, convertible debt or any combination of these securities. Holders of preferred stock, debt securities or convertible debt may have different interests than holders of common stock and may at times have disproportionate influence over our affairs.

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

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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.

We may again obtain the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of our common stock at prices below the then-current net asset value per share of our common stock, and any such issuance could materially dilute our stockholders’ interest in our common stock and reduce our net asset value per share.

In past years, we obtained the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of our common stock at prices below the then-current net asset value of our common stock, subject to certain conditions, during the twelve-month periods beginning on the dates of such approvals. The current authorization expires on July 27, 2018. We may again seek the approval of our stockholders to issue shares of our common stock at prices below the then-current net asset value per share of our common stock in one or more offerings for a twelve-month period following stockholder approval. If such approval is obtained, it may allow us to access the capital markets in a way that we typically are unable to do as a result of restrictions that, absent stockholder approval, apply to BDCs under the 1940 Act.

Any sale or other issuance of shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value per share would result in an immediate dilution to our common stock and a reduction of our net asset value per share. This dilution would occur as a result of a proportionately greater decrease in a stockholder’s interest in our earnings and assets and voting interest in us than the increase in our assets resulting from such issuance. Because the number of future shares of common stock that may be issued below our net asset value per share and the price and timing of such issuances are not currently known, we cannot predict the actual dilutive effect of any such issuance nor can we predict the resulting reduction in our net asset value per share, however, such effects may be material. We undertake to describe the material risks and dilutive effects of any offering that we make at a price below our then-current net asset value in the future in a prospectus supplement issued in connection with any such offering.

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 the RIC annual distribution requirements.

Besides maintaining our election to be treated as a BDC under the 1940 Act, in order for us to qualify as a RIC 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.”

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In any tax year in which we qualify as a RIC, in order for us to be able to be subject to tax as a RIC, we are required to meet an annual distribution requirement. The annual distribution requirement for RIC tax treatment will be satisfied if we distribute to our stockholders, for each tax year, dividends of an amount generally at least equal to the sum of 90% of our investment company taxable income, which is generally the sum of our ordinary net income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, without regard to any deduction for dividends paid. Because we may use debt financing, we are subject to an asset coverage ratio requirement under the 1940 Act and may in the future become subject to certain financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we could fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus become subject to corporate-level income tax.

We must satisfy these tests on an ongoing basis in order to maintain RIC tax treatment, and may be required to make distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to invest cash in our existing or other investments, or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Compliance with the RIC tax requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits and the value of our stockholders’ investments. Also, the rules applicable to our qualification as a RIC are complex, with many areas of uncertainty. 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. Such a failure may have a material adverse effect on us and on any investment in us. The Code provides certain forms of relief from RIC disqualification due to failures of the 90% Income Test or any of the Diversification Tests, although there may be additional taxes due in such cases. We cannot assure you that we would qualify for any such relief should we fail either the 90% Income Test or any of the Diversification Tests.

Some of our investments may be subject to corporate-level income tax.

We may invest in certain debt and equity investments through taxable subsidiaries and the taxable income of these taxable subsidiaries will be subject to federal and state corporate income taxes. We may invest in certain foreign debt and equity investments which could be subject to foreign taxes (such as income tax, withholding and value added taxes).

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, our investments may include 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). To the extent original issue discount or PIK interest constitutes a portion of our income, we must include in taxable income each tax year a portion of the original issue discount or PIK interest that accrues over the life of the instrument, 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 tax year, instead of upon disposition, as not making the election 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 tax year of the accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount. As a result, we may have difficulty meeting the Annual Distribution Requirement necessary to qualify for and maintain RIC tax treatment under Subchapter M of the Code. We may have to sell some of our

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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.

Furthermore, we may invest in the equity securities of non-U.S. corporations (or other non-U.S. entities classified as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that could be treated under the Code and U.S. Treasury regulations as “passive foreign investment companies” and/or “controlled foreign corporations.” The rules relating to investment in these types of non-U.S. entities are designed to ensure that U.S. taxpayers are either, in effect, taxed currently (or on an accelerated basis with respect to corporate level events) or taxed at increased tax rates at distribution or disposition. In certain circumstances, these rules also could require us to recognize taxable income or gains where we do not receive a corresponding payment in cash and, under recently proposed U.S. federal income tax regulations, all or a portion of such taxable income and gains may not be considered qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Income Test.

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.”

If we do not qualify as a “publicly offered regulated investment company,” as defined in the Code, you will be taxed as though you received a distribution of some of our expenses.

A “publicly offered regulated investment company” is a RIC whose shares are either (i) continuously offered pursuant to a public offering, (ii) regularly traded on an established securities market or (iii) held by at least 500 persons at all times during the tax year. If we do not qualify as a publicly offered regulated investment company for any tax year, a noncorporate stockholder’s allocable portion of our affected expenses, including our management fees, will be treated as an additional distribution to the stockholder and will be deductible by such stockholder only to the extent permitted under the limitations described below. For noncorporate stockholders, including individuals, trusts, and estates, significant limitations generally apply to the deductibility of certain expenses of a non-publicly offered regulated investment company, including management fees. In particular, these expenses, referred to as miscellaneous itemized deductions, are deductible to an individual only to the extent they exceed 2% of such a stockholder’s adjusted gross income, are not deductible for alternative minimum tax purposes and are subject to the overall limitation on itemized deductions imposed by the Code. Although we believe that we are currently considered a publicly offered regulated investment company, as defined in the Code, there can be no assurance, however, that we will be considered a publicly offered regulated investment company in the future.

Legislative or regulatory tax changes could adversely affect investors.

At any time, the federal income tax laws governing RICs or the administrative interpretations of those laws or regulations may be amended. Any of those new laws, regulations or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the taxation of us or our stockholders. Therefore, changes in tax laws, regulations or administrative interpretations or any amendments thereto could diminish the value of an

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investment in our shares or the value or the resale potential of our investments. In particular, on December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law. This tax legislation lowers the general corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, makes changes regarding the use of net operating losses, repeals the corporate alternative minimum tax and makes significant changes with respect to the U.S. international tax rules. In addition, the legislation generally requires a holder that uses the accrual method of accounting for U.S. tax purposes to include certain amounts in income no later than the time such amounts are reflected on certain financial statements, which therefore if applicable would require us to accrue income earlier than under prior law, although the precise application of this rule is un-clear at this time. The legislation also limits the amount or value of interest deductions of borrowers and in that way may potentially affect the loan market and our and our portfolio companies’ use of leverage. For individual taxpayers, the legislation reduces the maximum individual income tax rate and eliminates the deductibility of miscellaneous itemized deductions for taxable years 2018 through 2025. The impact of this new legislation is uncertain.

None.

We do not own any real estate or other physical properties materially important to our operation. Our headquarters are located at 201 Rouse Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19112. We believe that our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is presently conducted.

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us. From time to time, we may be party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of any legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material adverse effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.

Not applicable.

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PART II

Many of the amounts and percentages presented in Part II have been rounded for convenience of presentation, and all dollar amounts, excluding share and per share amounts, are presented in thousands unless otherwise noted.

Market Information

Our common stock has been listed on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “FSIC” since April 16, 2014. Prior to such date, there was no public market for our common stock. Our shares of common stock have historically traded at prices both above and below our net asset value per share. It is not possible to predict whether shares of our common stock will trade at, above or below our net asset value in the future. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock—Our shares of common stock may trade at a discount to net asset value.”

The following table sets forth: (i) the net asset value per share of our common stock as of the applicable period end, (ii) the range of high and low closing sales prices of our common stock as reported on the NYSE during the applicable period and (iii) the closing high and low sales prices as a premium (discount) to net asset value during the applicable period. On February 28, 2018, the last reported closing sales price of our common stock on the NYSE was $7.10 per share.

As of February 28, 2018, we had 2,039 record holders of our common stock which does not include beneficial owners of shares of common stock held in “street name” by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders.

Distributions

Subject to applicable legal restrictions and the sole discretion of our board of directors, we intend to declare and pay regular cash distributions on a quarterly basis. From time to time, we may also pay special interim distributions in the form of cash or shares of our common stock at the discretion of our board of directors. As previously announced by the Company, subject to market conditions, our board of directors currently intends to make a special distribution in the fourth quarter of 2018 that equates to the cumulative amount, if any, of net

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investment income earned during the twelve months following October 1, 2017 that is in excess of $0.76 per share. The timing and amount of any future distributions to stockholders are subject to applicable legal restrictions and the sole discretion of our board of directors.

The following table reflects the cash distributions per share that we have declared on our common stock during the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015:

See “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—RIC Status and Distributions” and Note 5 to our consolidated financial statements contained in this annual report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding our distributions and our distribution reinvestment plan.

Stock Repurchase Program

In February 2018, our board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program. Under the program, we may repurchase up to $50 million in the aggregate of our outstanding common stock in the open market at prices below the current net asset value per share, in accordance with the guidelines specified in Rule 10b-18 of the Exchange Act. The timing, manner, price and amount of any share repurchases will be determined by us, in our discretion, based upon the evaluation of economic and market conditions, our stock price, applicable legal and regulatory requirements and other factors. The program will be in effect through February 21, 2019, unless extended or until the aggregate repurchase amount that has been approved by our board of directors has been expended. The program does not require us to repurchase any specific number of shares and we cannot assure stockholders that any shares will be repurchased under the program. The program may be suspended, extended, modified or discontinued at any time

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Stock Performance Graph

This performance graph shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing of FS Investment Corporation under the Securities Act.

The following graph shows a comparison from April 16, 2014 (the date our shares of common stock commenced trading on the NYSE) through December 31, 2017 of the cumulative total return for our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index and the Wells Fargo^® BDC Index. The graph assumes that $100 was invested at the market close on April 16, 2014 in our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the Russell 2000 Financial Services Index and the Wells Fargo^® BDC Index, is based on historical stock prices and assumes all dividends or distributions are reinvested on the respective dividend or distribution payment dates without commissions. The stock price performance reflected by the following graph is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

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The following selected consolidated financial data for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 is derived from our consolidated financial statements which have been audited by RSM US LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm. The data should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

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The information contained in this section should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto appearing elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this annual report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements because they relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report on Form 10-K may include statements as to:

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In addition, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect” and “intend” indicate a forward-looking statement, although not all forward-looking statements include these words. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report on Form 10-K involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those implied or expressed in the forward-looking statements for any reason, including those factors set forth in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include:

We have based the forward-looking statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K on information available to us on the date of this annual report on Form 10-K. Except as required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Stockholders are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to stockholders or through reports that we may file in the future with the SEC, including annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements and projections contained in this annual report on Form 10-K are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act.

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Overview

We were incorporated under the general corporation laws of the State of Maryland on December 21, 2007 and formally commenced investment operations on January 2, 2009. We are an externally managed, non-diversified, closed-end management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a BDC under the 1940 Act and has elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and intends to qualify annually, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code.

On April 16, 2014, shares of our common stock began trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “FSIC”. This listing accomplished our goal of providing our stockholders with greatly enhanced liquidity.

Our investment activities are managed by FB Advisor and supervised by our board of directors, a majority of whom are independent. Under the investment advisory agreement, we have agreed to pay FB Advisor an annual base management fee based on the average value of our gross assets and an incentive fee based on our performance. FB Advisor engaged GDFM to act as our investment sub-adviser. GDFM currently assists FB Advisor in identifying investment opportunities and makes investment recommendations for approval by FB Advisor according to guidelines set by FB Advisor.

As we previously announced on December 11, 2017, GDFM intends to resign as our investment sub-adviser and terminate the investment sub-advisory agreement effective as of the GDFM end date. In connection with GDFM’s resignation as our investment sub-adviser, FS Investments and KKR Credit desire to enter into a relationship whereby FS Investments and KKR Credit will create a premier alternative lending platform for certain BDCs sponsored, advised and/or sub-advised by them. See “Item 1. Business—The Transition of Investment Advisory Services” for information regarding our potential investment advisory relationship with KKR Credit and/or FS/KKR Advisor.

Our investment objectives are to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, long-term capital appreciation. We have identified and intend to focus on the following investment categories, which we believe will allow us to generate an attractive total return with an acceptable level of risk.

Direct Originations: We intend to leverage our relationships and, currently, our relationship with GDFM and its global sourcing and origination platform, including its industry relationships, to directly source investment opportunities. Such investments are originated or structured for us or made by us and are not generally available to the broader market. These investments may include both debt and equity components, although we do not generally make equity investments independent of having an existing credit relationship. We believe directly originated investments may offer higher returns and more favorable protections than broadly syndicated transactions.

Opportunistic: We intend to seek to capitalize on market price inefficiencies by investing in loans, bonds and other securities where the market price of such investment reflects a lower value than deemed warranted by our fundamental analysis. We believe that market price inefficiencies may occur due to, among other things, general dislocations in the markets, a misunderstanding by the market of a particular company or an industry being out of favor with the broader investment community. We seek to allocate capital to these securities that have been misunderstood or mispriced by the market and where we believe there is an opportunity to earn an attractive return on our investment. Such opportunities may include event driven investments, anchor orders (i.e. opportunities that are originated and then syndicated by a commercial or investment bank but where we provide a capital commitment significantly above the average syndicate participant) and CLOs.

In the case of event driven investments, we intend to take advantage of dislocations that arise in the markets due to an impending event and where the market’s apparent expectation of value differs substantially from our fundamental analysis. Such events may include a looming debt maturity or default, a merger, spin-off or other corporate reorganization, an adverse regulatory or legal ruling, or a material contract expiration, any of which may significantly improve or impair a company’s financial position. Compared to other investment strategies, event driven investing depends more heavily on our ability to successfully predict the outcome of an

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individual event rather than on underlying macroeconomic fundamentals. As a result, successful event driven strategies may offer both substantial diversification benefits and the ability to generate performance in uncertain market environments.

We may also invest in anchor orders. In these types of investments, we may receive fees, preferential pricing or other benefits not available to other lenders in return for our significant capital commitment. Our decision to provide an anchor order to a syndicated transaction is predicated on a rigorous credit analysis, our familiarity with a particular company, industry or financial sponsor, and the broader investment experiences of FB Advisor and GDFM.

In addition, we opportunistically invest in CLOs. CLOs are a form of securitization where the cash flow from a pooled basket of syndicated loans is used to support distribution payments made to different tranches of securities. While collectively CLOs represent nearly fifty percent of the broadly syndicated loan universe, investing in individual CLO tranches requires a high degree of investor sophistication due to their structural complexity and the illiquid nature of their securities.

Broadly Syndicated/Other: Although our primary focus is to invest in directly originated transactions and opportunistic investments, in certain circumstances we will also invest in the broadly syndicated loan and high yield markets. Broadly syndicated loans and bonds are generally more liquid than our directly originated investments and provide a complement to our less liquid strategies. In addition, and because we typically receive more attractive financing terms on these positions than we do on our less liquid assets, we are able to leverage the broadly syndicated portion of our portfolio in such a way that maximizes the levered return potential of our portfolio.

Our portfolio is comprised primarily of investments in senior secured loans and second lien secured loans of private middle market U.S. companies and, to a lesser extent, subordinated loans of private U.S. companies. Although we do not expect a significant portion of our portfolio to be comprised of subordinated loans, there is no limit on the amount of such loans in which we may invest. We may purchase interests in loans or make other debt investments, including investments in senior secured bonds, through secondary market transactions in the “over-the-counter” market or directly from our target companies as primary market or directly originated investments. In connection with our debt investments, we may on occasion receive equity interests such as warrants or options as additional consideration. We may also purchase or otherwise acquire interests in the form of common or preferred equity or equity-related securities, such as rights and warrants that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or other equity or the cash value of common stock or other equity, in our target companies, generally in conjunction with one of our debt investments, including though the restructuring of such investments, or through a co-investment with a financial sponsor, such as an institutional investor or private equity firm. In addition, a portion of our portfolio may be comprised of corporate bonds, CLOs, other debt securities and derivatives, including total return swaps and credit default swaps. FB Advisor will seek to tailor our investment focus as market conditions evolve. Depending on market conditions, we may increase or decrease our exposure to less senior portions of the capital structure or otherwise make opportunistic investments.

The senior secured loans, second lien secured loans and senior secured bonds in which we invest generally have stated terms of three to seven years and subordinated debt investments that we make generally have stated terms of up to ten years, but the expected average life of such securities is generally between three and seven years. However, there is no limit on the maturity or duration of any security in our portfolio. Our debt investments may be rated by a NRSRO and, in such case, generally will carry a rating below investment grade (rated lower than “Baa3” by Moody’s or lower than “BBB-” by S&P). We also invest in non-rated debt securities.

Revenues

The principal measure of our financial performance is net increase in net assets resulting from operations, which includes net investment income, net realized gain or loss on investments, net realized gain or loss on foreign currency, net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments and net unrealized gain or loss on

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foreign currency. Net investment income is the difference between our income from interest, dividends, fees and other investment income and our operating and other expenses. Net realized gain or loss on investments is the difference between the proceeds received from dispositions of portfolio investments and their amortized cost, including the respective realized gain or loss on foreign currency for those foreign denominated investment transactions. Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency is the portion of realized gain or loss attributable to foreign currency fluctuations. Net unrealized appreciation or depreciation on investments is the net change in the fair value of our investment portfolio, including the respective unrealized gain or loss on foreign currency for those foreign denominated investments. Net unrealized gain or loss on foreign currency is the net change in the value of receivables or accruals due to the impact of foreign currency fluctuations.

We principally generate revenues in the form of interest income on the debt investments we hold. In addition, we generate revenues in the form of non-recurring commitment, closing, origination, structuring or diligence fees, monitoring fees, fees for providing managerial assistance, consulting fees, prepayment fees and performance-based fees. We may also generate revenues in the form of dividends and other distributions on the equity or other securities we hold.

Expenses

Our primary operating expenses include the payment of management and incentive fees and other expenses under the investment advisory agreement and the administration agreement, interest expense from financing facilities and other indebtedness, and other expenses necessary for our operations. The management and incentive fees compensate FB Advisor for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, executing, monitoring and servicing our investments. FB Advisor is responsible for compensating our investment sub-adviser.

FB Advisor oversees our day-to-day operations, including the provision of general ledger accounting, fund accounting, legal services, investor relations, certain government and regulatory affairs activities, and other administrative services. FB Advisor also performs, or oversees the performance of, our corporate operations and required administrative services, which includes being responsible for the financial records that we are required to maintain and preparing reports for our stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. In addition, FB Advisor assists us in calculating our net asset value, overseeing the preparation and filing of tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others.

Pursuant to the administration agreement, we reimburse FB Advisor for expenses necessary to perform services related to our administration and operations, including FB Advisor’s allocable portion of the compensation and related expenses of certain personnel of FS Investments providing administrative services to us on behalf of FB Advisor. We reimburse FB Advisor no less than quarterly for all costs and expenses incurred by FB Advisor in performing its obligations and providing personnel and facilities under the administration agreement. FB Advisor allocates the cost of such services to us based on factors such as total assets, revenues, time allocations and/or other reasonable metrics. Our board of directors reviews the methodology employed in determining how the expenses are allocated to us and the proposed allocation of administrative expenses among us and certain affiliates of FB Advisor. Our board of directors then assesses the reasonableness of such reimbursements for expenses allocated to us based on the breadth, depth and quality of such services as compared to the estimated cost to us of obtaining similar services from third-party service providers known to be available. In addition, our board of directors considers whether any single third-party service provider would be capable of providing all such services at comparable cost and quality. Finally, our board of directors compares the total amount paid to FB Advisor for such services as a percentage of our net assets to the same ratio as reported by other comparable BDCs.

We bear all other expenses of our operations and transactions, including (without limitation) fees and expenses relating to:

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In addition, we have contracted with State Street Bank and Trust Company to provide various accounting and administrative services, including, but not limited to, preparing preliminary financial information for review by FB Advisor, preparing and monitoring expense budgets, maintaining accounting and corporate books and records, processing trade information provided by us and performing testing with respect to RIC compliance.

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Portfolio Investment Activity for the Years Ended December 31, 2017 and 2016

Total Portfolio Activity

The following tables present certain selected information regarding our portfolio investment activity for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016:

The following table summarizes the composition of our investment portfolio at cost and fair value as of December 31, 2017 and 2016: