RESTRICTED CASH (Note)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2016

Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]

Restricted cash and cash equivalents consists of the following (in thousands):



	June 30, 2016		December 31, 2015
Cash in escrow for surety bonds ^(a)	$	—	$	2,453
Cash in escrow from sale of LendingTree Loans ^(b)	4,032		4,028
Other	55		60
Total restricted cash and cash equivalents	$	4,087	$	6,541

(a)

State laws and regulations generally require businesses which engage in mortgage brokering activity to maintain a mortgage broker or similar license. Mortgage brokering activity is generally defined to include, among other things, receiving valuable consideration for offering assistance to a buyer in obtaining a residential mortgage or soliciting financial and mortgage information from the public and providing that information to an originator of residential mortgage loans. All states require that the Company maintain surety bonds for potential claims. In February 2016, $2.5 million in escrow for the surety bonds was released due to a reduction in collateral requirements.


(b)	Home Loan Center, Inc. ("HLC"), a subsidiary of the Company, continues to be liable for certain indemnification obligations, repurchase obligations and premium repayment obligations following the sale of substantially all of the operating assets of its LendingTree Loans business in the second quarter of 2012.