EQUITY INVESTMENT

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

EQUITY INVESTMENT

EQUITY INVESTMENT

In January 2022, the Company acquired an equity interest in EarnUp Inc. ("EarnUp") for $15.0 million. The company is a consumer-first mortgage payment platform that intelligently automates loan payment scheduling and helps consumers better manage their money and improve their financial well-being.

On February 28, 2020, the Company acquired an equity interest in Stash Financial, Inc. (“Stash”) for $80.0 million. On January 6, 2021, the Company acquired additional equity interest for $1.2 million. On October 18, 2021, the Company entered into a stock transfer agreement with third parties to sell a portion of its Stash equity securities for $46.3 million. The Company sold $35.3 million in October and closed on an additional $11.0 million in November 2021. The Company recorded a realized gain of $27.9 million based on the sale of Stash equity securities under the stock transfer agreement, which is included within other income on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income. Stash is a consumer investing and banking platform. Stash brings together banking, investing, and financial services education into one seamless experience offering a full suite of personal investment accounts, traditional and Roth IRAs, custodial investment accounts, and banking services, including checking accounts and debit cards with a Stock-Back® rewards program.

The equity securities do not have a readily determinable fair value and, upon acquisition, the Company elected the measurement alternative to value its securities. The equity securities will be carried at cost and subsequently marked to market upon observable market events with any gains or losses recorded to the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income. In 2021, the Company recorded a net unrealized gain on the investment in Stash of $95.4 million as a result of an adjustment to the fair value of the Stash equity securities based on observable market events, which is included within other income on the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income.

As of March 31, 2022, there have been no impairments to the acquisition cost of the equity securities.