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Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Collaborative Arrangement and Arrangement Other than Collaborative [Line Items]  
Basis of Presentation
Basis of Presentation
In the opinion of management, the financial statements of the Trust as of March 31, 2020 and for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 include all adjustments and accruals, consisting only of normal, recurring accrual adjustments, which are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods. These interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year.
Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP") have been condensed in or omitted from this report pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). These financial statements should be read together with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Trust's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Plan.
The Trust’s primary purpose is the liquidation of the Trust’s assets and the distribution of proceeds to its beneficial interest holders. The Trust expects that fulfilling its purpose requires a significant amount of time, and that the Trust will have significant ongoing operations during that period due to the nature of its assets and its plan to maximize the proceeds to its beneficiaries by maintaining the majority of its life insurance policies until maturity. As a result, the Trust has concluded that its liquidation is not imminent, in accordance with the definitions under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and has not applied the liquidation basis of accounting in presenting its financial statements. The Trust will continue to evaluate its operations to determine when its liquidation becomes imminent and the liquidation basis of accounting is required.
Investments in Life Insurance Policies
Investments in Life Insurance Policies
The Trust accounts for its interests in life insurance policies at fair value in accordance with ASC 325-30, Investments in Insurance Contracts. Any resulting changes in estimates are reflected in operations in the period the change becomes apparent.
Fair Value of Life Insurance Policies
Fair Value of Life Insurance Policies
The Trust follows ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, in estimating the fair value of its life insurance policies, which defines fair value as an exit price representing the amount that would be received if an asset were sold or that would be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. As such, fair value is a market-based measurement that should be determined based on assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.
As a basis for considering such assumptions, the guidance establishes a three-level, fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value. Level 1 relates to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2 relates to observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1. Level 3 relates to unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. The Trust’s investments in life insurance policies are considered to be Level 3 as there is currently no active market where the Trust is able to observe quoted prices for identical assets and the Trust’s valuation model incorporates significant inputs that are not observable.
The Trust’s valuation of life insurance policies is a critical estimate within the financial statements. The Trust currently uses a probabilistic method of valuing life insurance policies, which the Trust believes to be the preferred valuation method in its industry. The Trust calculates the assets’ fair value using a present value technique to estimate the fair value of the projected future cash flows. The most significant assumptions in estimating the fair value are the Trust’s estimate of the insureds’ longevity, anticipated future premium obligations and the discount rate. See Note 6, “Fair Value Measurements.”
Income Recognition
Income Recognition
The Trust’s investments in life insurance policies are its primary source of income. Gain or loss is recognized from ongoing changes in the portfolio’s estimated fair value, including any gains or losses at maturity. Gains or losses from maturities are recognized on receipt of an insured party’s death notice or verified obituary and determined based on the difference between the death benefit and the policy’s estimated fair value at maturity.
Premiums Receivable
Premiums Receivable
The Trust assumed the Debtors’ receivables related to life insurance policy premiums and service fees that were paid to the Debtors on behalf of fractional interest holders prior to the Trust’s effective date. After December 9, 2016, the policy premiums allocable to continuing fractional interest holders are those persons' obligations and not the Trust. If a continuing fractional interest holder defaults on future premium obligations, such position is deemed contributed to the Trust in exchange for the number of Units provided by the Plan.
The Trust maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability to collect premiums and service fees receivable. Such estimates are based on the position holder’s payment history and other indications of potential uncollectability. After all attempts to collect a receivable have failed, receivables are written off against the allowance. At March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the allowance for doubtful accounts was $3.2 million, which fully offset receivables assumed from the Debtors on the effective date. Outstanding receivable balances may be recoverable pursuant to the Trustee’s set-off rights under the Plan.
Maturities Receivable
Maturities Receivable
Maturities receivable consist of the Trust’s portion of life insurance policy maturities that occurred, but payment was not yet received as of the end of the reporting period.
Premium Liability
Premium Liability
Premium liabilities are funds in escrow on behalf of continuing fractional holders for future payment of their premium obligations. If such funds are not used for such continuing fractional holder’s premium payments, they are refunded to the respective continuing fractional holder.
Maturity Liability
Maturity Liability
Maturity liabilities are maturities collected on behalf of continuing factional holders pending payment.
Distributions Payable
Distributions Payable

Distributions payable are distributions declared by the Trust pending payment.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
No provision for state or federal income taxes from operations has been made as the liability for such taxes is attributable to the Unit holders rather than the Trust. The Trust is a grantor trust with taxable income or loss passing through to the Unit holders. In certain instances, however, the Trust may be required under applicable state laws to withhold amounts otherwise due to Unit holders and remit them directly to state or federal tax authorities. Such payments on behalf of the Unit holders are deemed distributions to them.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (the ”FASB”) has provided guidance for how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, disclosed, and presented in the financial statements. This requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Trust’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are more-likely-than-not of being sustained when challenged or when examined by the applicable taxing authority.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of these financial statements, in conformity with GAAP, requires the Trust to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from these estimates and such differences could be material. The estimates related to the valuation of the life insurance policies represent significant estimates made by the Trust.
Risks and Uncertainties
Risks and Uncertainties
The Trust encounters economic, legal, and longevity risk. The main components of economic risk potentially impacting the Trust are market risk, concentration of credit risk, and the increasing cost of insurance risk. The Trust’s market risks include interest rate risk and the risk of declines in valuation of the Trust’s life insurance policies, including declines caused by the selection of increased discount rates associated with the Trust’s fair value model. It is reasonably possible that future changes to estimates involved in valuing life insurance policies could change and materially affect future financial statements. Concentration of credit risk is the risk that an insurance carrier who has issued life insurance policies held by the Trust, does not remit the amount due under those policies due to the carrier’s deteriorating financial condition or otherwise. Another credit risk potentially impacting the Trust is the risk continuing fractional holders may default on their future premium obligations, increasing the Trust’s premium obligations. The increasing cost of insurance risk includes the carriers’ attempts to change a policy’s cost of insurance. While some cost of insurance increases are anticipated and taken into consideration in the Trust's forecasts, other cost of insurance increases are unilaterally imposed by the carrier.
The main components of legal risk are: (i) the risk that an insurer could successfully challenge its obligation to pay policy benefits at maturity; and (ii) that an insured’s family could successfully challenge the Trust’s entitlement to an insurance policy’s benefits. In either case, there is also risk that the Trust would be unable to recover the premiums it paid towards the insurance policy.
Longevity risk refers to the reasonable possibility that actual mortalities of insureds in the Trust’s portfolio extend over longer periods than are anticipated, resulting in the Trust paying more in premiums and delaying its collection of death benefits. Further, increased longevity may encourage additional continuing fraction holders to default on their premium obligations, increasing the Trust’s positions and its premium payment burden. The Trust management is continuing to evaluate any potential impact; however, such future revisions could have a material impact on the valuation.
The Trust maintains the majority of its cash in several accounts with a commercial bank. Balances on deposit are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). However, from time to time the Trust's balances may exceed the FDIC insurable amounts.
Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance
Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, "Disclosure Framework—Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement" which modified the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 820, Fair Value Measurement. The update removed or modified some existing disclosure requirements and added other requirements including requiring disclosure of the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. For certain unobservable inputs, an entity may disclose other quantitative information (such as the median or arithmetic average) in lieu of the weighted average if the entity determines that other quantitative information would be a more reasonable and rational method to reflect the distribution of unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. The amendments in this Update are effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2019. The amendments on changes in unrealized gains and losses, the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements, and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty have been applied prospectively as of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019 for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial fiscal year of adoption. All other amendments were applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. There is no significant impact to the Trust's disclosures associated with the adoption of ASU 2018-13.
Life Partners IRA Holder Partnership, Llc  
Collaborative Arrangement and Arrangement Other than Collaborative [Line Items]  
Distributions Payable
Distributions Payable

Distributions payable are distributions declared by the IRA Partnership pending payment.
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
No provision for State or Federal income taxes has been made as the liability for such taxes is attributable to the members rather than the Partnership. In certain instances, however, the Partnership may be required under applicable state laws to remit directly to state tax authorities amounts otherwise due to members prior to any distributions. Such payments on behalf of the members are deemed distributions to them. The Partnership currently includes franchise taxes as part of the state and local tax expense.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) has provided guidance for how uncertain tax positions should be recognized, measured, disclosed, and presented in the financial statements. This requires the evaluation of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the course of preparing the Partnership’s tax returns to determine whether the tax positions are more-likely-than-not of being sustained when challenged or when examined by the applicable taxing authority. The Partnership has no material uncertain income tax positions as of March 31, 2020 nor December 31, 2019.
Use of Estimates
Use of Estimates
The preparation of these financial statements, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), requires the Partnership to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from these estimates and such differences could be material
Risks and Uncertainties
Risks and Uncertainties
The Partnership, due to the nature of its assets and operations, is subject to significant risks and uncertainties affecting the Trust which encounters economic risk. The two main components of economic risk potentially impacting the Partnership’s interest in the Trust are market risk and concentration of credit risk. The market risks include interest rate risk and the risk of declines in valuation of the Trust’s life insurance policies, including declines caused by the selection of increased discount rates associated with the Trust’s fair value model and changes in other assumptions to the Trust’s fair value model. Concentration of credit risk is the risk that an insurance carrier who has issued life insurance policies held by the Trust, does not remit the amount due under those policies due to the deteriorating financial condition of the carrier or otherwise. It is reasonably possible that future changes to estimates involved in valuing life insurance policies could result in material effects to the Partnership’s financial position and results of operations.