Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited financial statements and related notes have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation S-X and the instructions to Form 10-Q. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include only normal recurring adjustments) necessary have been made to state fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations and cash flows. The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year or any future period. These consolidated financial statements should be read in

conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on March 6, 2020.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) in which it is considered the primary beneficiary.  All intercompany amounts between the Company and its subsidiaries and consolidated VIEs have been eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities

VIEs are defined as entities that by design either lack sufficient equity for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support or are unable to direct the entity’s activities or are not exposed to the entity’s losses or entitled to its residual returns. The Company evaluates all of its interests in VIEs for consolidation. When the interests are determined to be variable interests, the Company assesses whether it is deemed the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is determined to be the party that has both the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

To assess whether the Company has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, it considers all facts and circumstances, including its role in establishing the VIE and its ongoing rights and responsibilities. This assessment includes: first, identifying the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and second, identifying which party, if any, has power over those activities. In general, the parties that make the most significant decisions affecting the VIE or have the right to unilaterally remove those decision makers is deemed to have the power to direct the activities of a VIE.

To assess whether the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE, it considers all of its economic interests. This assessment requires the Company to apply judgment in determining whether these interests, in the aggregate, are considered potentially significant to the VIE. Factors considered in assessing significance include: the design of the VIE, including its capitalization structure; subordination of interests; payment priority; relative share of interests held across various classes within the VIE’s capital structure; and the reasons why the interests are held by the Company.

In instances where the Company and its related parties have variable interests in a VIE, the Company considers whether there is a single party in the related party group that meets both the power and losses or benefits criteria on its own as though no related party relationship existed.  If one party within the related party group meets both these criteria, such reporting entity is the primary beneficiary of the VIE and no further analysis is needed.  If no party within the related party group on its own meets both the power and losses or benefits criteria, but the related party group as a whole meets these two criteria, the determination of primary beneficiary within the related party group requires significant judgment. The analysis is based upon qualitative as well as quantitative factors, such as the relationship of the VIE to each of the members of the related-party group, as well as the significance of the VIE's activities to those members, with the objective of determining which party is most closely associated with the VIE. 

Ongoing assessments of whether an enterprise is the primary beneficiary of a VIE are required.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of COVID-19, which the World Health Organization has designated a pandemic, has created unprecedented market disruption and dislocation across fixed income markets. The conditions caused by the pandemic created an extreme lack of liquidity in mortgage markets, combined with forced selling led to swift and dramatic price declines. The

illiquidity was exacerbated by inadequate demand for MBS among primary dealers due to balance sheet constraints. The significant decline in value of the Company's investment portfolio resulted in substantial margin calls from its repurchase agreement counterparties. In order to satisfy the margin calls, the Company sold a significant portion of its investments resulting in a material adverse impact on book value, earnings and financial position.

The full impact of COVID-19 on the mortgage REIT industry, the credit markets and consequently on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations is uncertain and cannot be predicted at the current time as it depends on several factors beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to (i) the uncertainty around the severity, duration and spread of the outbreak, (ii) the effectiveness of the United States public health response, (iii) the pandemic’s impact on the U.S. and global economies, (iv) the timing, scope and effectiveness of additional governmental responses to the pandemic, including the availability of a treatment or vaccination for COVID-19, (v) the impact of government interventions, and (vi) the negative impact on our borrowers, asset values and cost of capital.

Significant Accounting Policies

        There have been no changes to our accounting policies included in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, other than the the below new accounting policy.

As of January 1, 2020, the Company has adopted ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments or CECL in the first quarter of 2020. The standard significantly changes how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through the income statement. The standard replaced the current "incurred loss" approach with an "expected loss" model for instruments measured at amortized cost. Because the Company elected the Fair Value Option on most of its investments, an allowance is recorded rather than reduce the carrying amount, as was done under the “other than temporary impairment model”. The difference between the amortized cost basis and the fair value are recorded in the “Unrealized, gain (loss), net”. The Company performs both qualitative and quantitative analysis factors to determine if a credit loss exist. The qualitative analysis includes assessing the security’s collateral, industry, geographic area, credit enhancement, payment structure, and credit rating. Solely for the purposes of calculating interest income the Company maintains a “shadow allowance” used for determining accretable basis. Subsequent declines in expected cash flows do not create yield adjustments and subsequent improvements in cash flows would first reduce the “shadow allowance” and then be treated as prospective yield adjustments. The “shadow allowance” is an operational account for the purposes of determining and calculating accretable yield and would not be recorded in the Company’s financial statements.

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

Description	Adoption Date	Effect on Financial Statements
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” This standard significantly changes how an entity will measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that aren't measured at fair value through the income statement. The standard will replace the current "incurred loss" approach with an "expected loss" model for instruments measured at amortized cost. For available for sale debt securities, entities will be required to record an allowance rather than reduce the carrying amount, as is currently done under the other than temporary impairment model. It also simplifies the accounting model for purchased credit impaired debt securities and loans. In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-19, "Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses." This update was issued related to ASU 2016-13 to increase the stakeholders' awareness of the amendments to scope and transition and effective date requirements and to expedite the improvements. In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-11, "Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses." The amendments in this update clarify or address stakeholders' specific issues about certain aspects of the amendments in Update 2016-13.	First quarter 2020.	The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, "Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820), Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement." The amendments in this update modify the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements including the consideration of costs and benefits.	First quarter 2020.	The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In April 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-04, "Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments." The amendments in this update represent changes to clarify, correct errors in, or improve the Codification. The amendments should make the Codification easier to understand and easier to apply by eliminating inconsistencies and providing clarification.	First quarter 2020.	The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In May 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05, "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326)." The amendments in this Update provide entities that have certain instruments within the scope of Subtopic 326-20 with an option to irrevocably elect the fair value option in the Subtopic 825-10, Financial Instruments-Overall, upon adoption of Topic 326. An entity that elects the fair value option should subsequently apply the guidance in Subtopic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement-Overall, and 825-10.	First quarter 2020.	The adoption of this standard did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Recently issued accounting pronouncements

Description	Effective Date	Effect on Financial Statements
In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01, “Investments-Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investment-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323, and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815).” The amendments in this Update clarify the interaction of the accounting for equity securities under Topic 321 and investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting in Topic 323 and the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchase options accounted for under Topic 815.	First quarter 2021.	The Company is evaluating the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848), Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting.” The amendments in this Update provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. The amendments in this Update apply only to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform.	March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022	The Company is evaluating the impact this standard may have on its consolidated financial statements.