MERCHANDISE TRUSTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]

7.	MERCHANDISE TRUSTS

At December 31, 2019 and 2018 the Company’s merchandise trusts consisted of investments in debt and equity marketable securities and cash equivalents, both directly and through mutual and investment funds. All of these investments are carried at fair value. All of these investments are subject to the fair value hierarchy and considered either Level 1 or Level 2 assets pursuant to the three-level hierarchy described in Note 18 Fair Value of Financial Instruments. There were no Level 3 assets in the Company’s merchandise trusts. When the Company receives a payment from a pre-need customer, the Company deposits the amount required by law into the merchandise trusts that may be subject to cancellation on demand by the pre-need customer. The Company’s merchandise trusts related to states in which pre-need customers may cancel contracts with the Company comprises 53.6% of the total merchandise trust as of December 31, 2019. The merchandise trusts are variable interest entities (“VIE”) of which the Company is deemed the primary beneficiary. The assets held in the merchandise trusts are required to be used to purchase the merchandise and provide the services to which they relate. If the value of these assets falls below the cost of purchasing such merchandise and providing such services, the Company may be required to fund this shortfall.

The Company included $9.7 million and $8.7 million of investments held in trust as required by law by the West Virginia Funeral Directors Association at December 31, 2019 and 2018 respectively, in its merchandise trust assets. These trusts are recognized at their account value, which approximates fair value.

A reconciliation of the Company’s merchandise trust activities for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 is presented below (in thousands):

	Year ended December 31,
	2019			2018
Balance—beginning of period	$	488,248		$	515,456
Contributions		54,742			66,408
Distributions		(59,776	)		(79,862	)
Interest and dividends		29,367			27,228
Capital gain distributions		1,699			543
Realized gains and losses, net		3,246			(1,012	)
Other than temporary impairment		(6,056	)		(28,555	)
Taxes		(556	)		(347	)
Fees		(4,268	)		(3,855	)
Unrealized change in fair value		17,219			(7,756	)
Total		523,865			488,248
Less: Assets held for sale		(6,673	)		—
Balance—end of period	$	517,192		$	488,248

During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, purchases of available for sale securities were approximately $54.4 million and $117.7 million, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, sales, maturities and paydowns of available for sale securities were approximately $38.1 million and $109.5 million, respectively. Cash flows from pre-need contracts are presented as operating cash flows in the Company’s consolidated statement of cash flows.

The cost and market value associated with the assets held in the merchandise trusts as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (in thousands):

December 31, 2019	Fair Value Hierarchy Level	Cost			Gross Unrealized Gains			Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
Short-term investments	1	$	144,610		$	—		$	—		$	144,610
Fixed maturities:
U.S. governmental securities	2		456			6			(65	)		397
Corporate debt securities	2		783			14			(133	)		664
Total fixed maturities			1,239			20			(198	)		1,061
Mutual funds—debt securities	1		67,801			1,857			(6	)		69,652
Mutual funds—equity securities	1		46,609			1,744			—			48,353
Other investment funds⁽¹⁾			213,024			6,366			(2,953	)		216,437
Equity securities	1		24,386			1,327			(4	)		25,709
Other invested assets	2		8,360			32			—			8,392
Total investments			506,029			11,346			(3,161	)		514,214
West Virginia Trust Receivable			9,651			—			—			9,651
Total		$	515,680		$	11,346		$	(3,161	)	$	523,865
Less: Assets held for sale			(6,369	)		(304	)		—			(6,673	)
Total		$	509,311		$	11,042		$	(3,161	)	$	517,192

⁽¹⁾

Other investment funds are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient and have not been categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value amounts presented in this table are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to the amounts presented in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. This asset class is composed of fixed income funds and equity funds, which have redemption periods ranging from 1 to 30 days, and private credit funds, which have lockup periods of one to six years with three potential one year extensions at the discretion of the funds’ general partners. As of December 31, 2019, there were $57.3 million in unfunded investment commitments to the private credit funds, which are callable at any time.

December 31, 2018	Fair Value Hierarchy Level	Cost		Gross Unrealized Gains		Gross Unrealized Losses			Fair Value
Short-term investments	1	$	16,903	$	—	$	—		$	16,903
Fixed maturities:
U.S. governmental securities	2		392		—		(147	)		245
Corporate debt securities	2		1,311		29		(328	)		1,012
Total fixed maturities			1,703		29		(475	)		1,257
Mutual funds—debt securities	1		187,840		262		(2,645	)		185,457
Mutual funds—equity securities	1		45,023		110		(18	)		45,115
Other investment funds⁽¹⁾			210,655		388		(7,784	)		203,259
Equity securities	1		18,097		1,327		(213	)		19,211
Other invested assets	2		8,398		2		(17	)		8,383
Total investments		$	488,619	$	2,118	$	(11,152	)	$	479,585
West Virginia Trust Receivable			8,663		—		—			8,663
Total		$	497,282	$	2,118	$	(11,152	)	$	488,248

⁽¹⁾

Other investment funds are measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient and have not been categorized in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value amounts presented in this table are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to the amounts presented in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. This asset class is composed of fixed income funds and equity funds, which have redemption periods ranging from 1 to 30 days, and private credit funds, which have lockup periods of two to seven years with three potential one year extensions at the discretion of the funds’ general partners. As of December 31, 2018, there were $71.0 million in unfunded investment commitments to the private credit funds, which are callable at any time.

The contractual maturities of debt securities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows below (in thousands):

December 31, 2019	Less than 1 year		1 year through 5 years		6 years through 10 years		More than 10 years
U.S. governmental securities	$	112	$	78	$	193	$	13
Corporate debt securities		101		546		16		—
Total fixed maturities	$	213	$	624	$	209	$	13

December 31, 2018	Less than 1 year		1 year through 5 years		6 years through 10 years		More than 10 years
U.S. governmental securities	$	—	$	137	$	108	$	—
Corporate debt securities		68		873		55		16
Total fixed maturities	$	68	$	1,010	$	163	$	16

Temporary Declines in Fair Value

The Company evaluates declines in fair value below cost for each asset held in the merchandise trusts on a quarterly basis.

An aging of unrealized losses on the Company’s investments in debt and equity securities within the merchandise trusts as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 is presented below (in thousands):

	Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
December 31, 2019	Fair Value		Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Unrealized Losses
Fixed maturities:
U.S. governmental securities	$	90	$	1	$	397	$	64	$	487	$	65
Corporate debt securities		198		29		424		104		622		133
Total fixed maturities		288		30		821		168		1,109		198
Mutual funds—debt securities		241		6		—		—		241		6
Mutual funds—equity securities		—		—		—		—		—		—
Other investment funds		54,782		2,953		—		—		54,782		2,953
Equity securities		3		4		—		—		3		4
Other invested assets		—		—		—		—		—		—
Total	$	55,314	$	2,993	$	821	$	168	$	56,135	$	3,161

	Less than 12 months				12 months or more				Total
December 31, 2018	Fair Value		Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Unrealized Losses		Fair Value		Unrealized Losses
Fixed maturities:
U.S. governmental securities	$	—	$	—	$	243	$	147	$	243	$	147
Corporate debt securities		103		2		549		326		652		328
Total fixed maturities		103		2		792		473		895		475
Mutual funds—debt securities		46,005		2,011		1,195		634		47,200		2,645
Mutual funds—equity securities		131		18		—		—		131		18
Other investment funds		169,929		7,784		—		—		169,929		7,784
Equity securities		—		—		597		213		597		213
Other invested assets		—		4		790		13		790		17
Total	$	216,168	$	9,819	$	3,374	$	1,333	$	219,542	$	11,152

For all securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company evaluated the severity of the impairment and length of time that a security has been in a loss position and concluded the decline in fair value below the asset’s cost was temporary in nature. In addition, the Company is not aware of any circumstances that would prevent the future market value recovery for these securities.

Other-Than-Temporary Impairment of Trust Assets

The Company assesses its merchandise trust assets for other-than-temporary declines in fair value on a quarterly basis. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company determined, based on its review, that there were 102 securities with an aggregate cost basis of approximately $178.2 million and an aggregate fair value of approximately $172.2 million, resulting in an impairment of $6.1 million, with such impairment considered to be other-than-temporary due to credit indicators. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company determined, based on its review, that there were 214 securities with an aggregate cost basis of approximately $285.5 million and an aggregate fair value of approximately $256.9 million, resulting in an impairment of $28.6 million, with such impairment considered to be other-than-temporary due to credit indicators. Accordingly, the Company adjusted the cost basis of these assets to their current value and offset these changes against deferred merchandise trust revenue. These adjustments to deferred revenue will be reflected within the Company’s consolidated statements of operations in future periods as the underlying merchandise is delivered or the underlying service is performed.