PERPETUAL CARE TRUSTS

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Investments Debt And Equity Securities [Abstract]

8.	PERPETUAL CARE TRUSTS

At December 31, 2019 and 2018 the Company’s perpetual care trusts consisted of investments in debt and equity marketable securities and cash equivalents, both directly as well as through mutual and investment funds.

All of these investments are carried at fair value. All of the investments subject to the fair value hierarchy are 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 perpetual care trusts. The perpetual care trusts are VIEs for which the Company is the primary beneficiary.

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

	Year ended December 31,
	2019			2018
Balance—beginning of period	$	330,562		$	339,928
Contributions		7,575			13,162
Distributions		(20,598	)		(18,390	)
Interest and dividends		20,201			22,198
Capital gain distributions		2,112			808
Realized gains and losses, net		3,121			473
Other than temporary impairment		(3,941	)		(18,038	)
Taxes		(547	)		(237	)
Fees		(3,176	)		(4,412	)
Unrealized change in fair value		10,780			(4,930	)
Total		346,089			330,562
Less: Assets held for sale		(2,470	)		—
Balance—end of period	$	343,619		$	330,562

During the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, purchases of available for sale securities were approximately $46.4 million and $59.4 million, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, sales, maturities and paydowns of available for sale securities were approximately $29.0 million and $51.1 million, respectively. Cash flows from perpetual care trust related contracts are presented as operating cash flows in the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows.

The cost and market value associated with the assets held in the perpetual care 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	$	50,358		$	—		$	—		$	50,358
Fixed maturities:
U.S. governmental securities	2		1,069			32			(52	)		1,049
Corporate debt securities	2		2,020			22			(142	)		1,900
Total fixed maturities			3,089			54			(194	)		2,949
Mutual funds—debt securities	1		49,963			1,439			(38	)		51,364
Mutual funds—equity securities	1		16,698			1,617			(66	)		18,249
Other investment funds⁽¹⁾			186,355			10,526			(5,472	)		191,409
Equity securities	1		30,423			1,333			(12	)		31,744
Other invested assets	2		16			—			—			16
Total investments		$	336,902		$	14,969		$	(5,782	)	$	346,089
Less: Assets held for sale			(2,416	)		(54	)		—			(2,470	)
Total		$	334,486		$	14,915		$	(5,782	)	$	343,619

⁽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 a redemption period ranging from 1 to 30 days, and private credit funds, which have lockup periods ranging from one to seven years with three potential one year extensions at the discretion of the funds’ general partners. As of December 31, 2019 there were $62.4 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	$	12,835	$	—	$	—		$	12,835
Fixed maturities:
U.S. governmental securities	2		960		4		(121	)		843
Corporate debt securities	2		4,883		161		(321	)		4,723
Total fixed maturities			5,843		165		(442	)		5,566
Mutual funds—debt securities	1		108,451		227		(837	)		107,841
Mutual funds—equity securities	1		19,660		304		(142	)		19,822
Other investment funds⁽¹⁾			165,284		3,039		(4,607	)		163,716
Equity securities	1		20,025		826		(145	)		20,706
Other invested assets	2		56		20		—			76
Total investments		$	332,154	$	4,581	$	(6,173	)	$	330,562

⁽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 a redemption period ranging from 1 to 30 days, and private credit funds, which have lockup periods ranging from two to eight years with three potential one year extensions at the discretion of the funds’ general partners. As of December 31, 2018 there were $94.5 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 December 31, 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	$	60	$	192	$	684	$	114
Corporate debt securities		294		1,522		84		—
Total fixed maturities	$	354	$	1,714	$	768	$	114

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	$	—	$	416	$	395	$	32
Corporate debt securities		705		3,702		265		51
Total fixed maturities	$	705	$	4,118	$	660	$	83

Temporary Declines in Fair Value

The Company evaluates declines in fair value below cost of each individual asset held in the perpetual care trusts on a quarterly basis.

An aging of unrealized losses on the Company’s investments in debt and equity securities within the perpetual care 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	$	291	$	4	$	942	$	48	$	1,233	$	52
Corporate debt securities		463		46		1,887		96		2,350		142
Total fixed maturities		754		50		2,829		144		3,583		194
Mutual funds—debt securities		2,856		38		—		—		2,856		38
Mutual funds—equity securities		566		66		—		—		566		66
Other investment funds		53,426		5,472		—		—		53,426		5,472
Equity securities		121		12		—		—		121		12
Total	$	57,723	$	5,638	$	2,829	$	144	$	60,552	$	5,782

	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	$	—	$	—	$	790	$	121	$	790	$	121
Corporate debt securities		405		15		2,902		306		3,307		321
Total fixed maturities		405		15		3,692		427		4,097		442
Mutual funds—debt securities		21,867		591		2,814		246		24,681		837
Mutual funds—equity securities		1,382		141		—		1		1,382		142
Other investment funds		101,536		4,607		—		—		101,536		4,607
Equity securities		241		16		583		129		824		145
Total	$	125,431	$	5,370	$	7,089	$	803	$	132,520	$	6,173

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 perpetual care trust assets for other-than-temporary declines in fair value on a quarterly basis. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company determined that there were 79 securities with an aggregate cost basis of approximately $85.7 million and an aggregate fair value of approximately $81.8 million, resulting in an impairment of $3.9 million, with such impairment considered to be other-than-temporary. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company determined that there were 176 securities with an aggregate cost basis of approximately $181.4 million and an aggregate fair value of approximately $163.3 million, resulting in an impairment of $18.1 million, with such impairment considered to be other-than-temporary. Accordingly, the Company adjusted the cost basis of these assets to their current value with the offset going against the liability for perpetual care trust corpus in its consolidated balance sheet.