Security National Financial Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Dec 31, 2015

Security National Financial Corporation (the "Company") operates in three main business segments: life insurance, cemetery and mortuary, and mortgage loans. The life insurance segment is engaged in the business of selling and servicing selected lines of life insurance, annuity products, and accident and health insurance. These products are marketed in 38 states through a commissioned sales force of independent licensed insurance agents who may also sell insurance products of other companies. The cemetery and mortuary segment consists of seven mortuaries and five cemeteries in the state of Utah and one cemetery in the state of California. The Company also engages in pre-need selling of funeral, cemetery, mortuary and cremation services through its Utah and California operations. Many of the insurance agents also sell pre-need funeral, cemetery and cremation services. The mortgage loan segment originates and underwrites or otherwise purchases residential and commercial loans for new construction, existing homes and real estate projects. The mortgage loan segment operates through 121 wholesale and retail offices in 23 states, and is an approved mortgage lender in several other states.

The Company's design and structure are that each business segment is related to the other business segments and contributes to the profitability of the other segments. The Company's cemetery and mortuary segment provides a level of public awareness that assists in the sales and marketing of insurance and pre-need cemetery and funeral products. The Company's insurance segment invests their assets (including, in part, pre-paid funeral products and services) in investments authorized by the respective insurance departments of their states of domicile. The Company also pursues growth through acquisitions. The Company's mortgage segment provides mortgage loans and real estate investment opportunities.

The Company was organized as a holding company in 1979, when Security National Life Insurance Company ("Security National Life") became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company and the former stockholders of Security National Life became stockholders of the Company. Security National Life was formed in 1965 and has acquired or purchased significant blocks of business which include Capital Investors Life Insurance Company (1994), Civil Service Employees Life Insurance Company (1995), Southern Security Life Insurance Company (1998), Menlo Life Insurance Company (1999), Acadian Life Insurance Company (2002), Paramount Security Life Insurance Company (2004), Memorial Insurance Company of America (2005), Capital Reserve Life Insurance Company (2007), Southern Security Life Insurance Company, Inc. (2008), North America Life Insurance Company (2011, 2015), Trans-Western Life Insurance Company (2012), Mothe Life Insurance Company (2012), DLE Life Insurance Company (2012) and American Republic Insurance Company (2015).

The cemetery and mortuary operations have also grown through the acquisition of other cemetery and mortuary companies. The cemetery and mortuary companies that the Company has acquired are Holladay Memorial Park, Inc. (1991), Cottonwood Mortuary, Inc. (1991) and Deseret Memorial, Inc. (1991).

In 1993, the Company formed SecurityNational Mortgage Company ("SecurityNational Mortgage") to originate and refinance residential mortgage loans. In 2012, the Company formed Green Street Mortgage Services, Inc. ("Green Street Mortgage") also to originate and refinance residential mortgage loans. Green Street Mortgage ceased its operations on March 31, 2015, but has elected to maintain several licenses and approvals.

See Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding business segments of the Company.

Life Insurance

Products

The Company, through Security National Life, issues and distributes selected lines of life insurance and annuities. The Company's life insurance business includes funeral plans and interest-sensitive life insurance, as well as other traditional life, accident and health insurance products. The Company places specific marketing emphasis on funeral plans through pre-need planning. The Company's other insurance subsidiaries, Memorial Insurance Company of America ("Memorial Insurance Company"), Southern Security Life Insurance Company, Inc. ("Southern Security") and Trans-Western Life Insurance Company ("Trans-Western"), service and maintain policies that were purchased prior to their acquisition by Security National Life.

A funeral plan is a small face value life insurance policy that generally has face coverage of up to $25,000. The Company believes that funeral plans represent a marketing niche that has lower competition because most insurance companies do not offer similar coverage. The purpose of the funeral plan policy is to pay the costs and expenses incurred at the time of a person's death. On a per thousand dollar cost of insurance basis, these policies can be more expensive to the policyholder than many types of non-burial insurance due to their low face amount, requiring the fixed cost of the policy administration to be distributed over a smaller policy size, and the simplified underwriting practices that result in higher mortality costs.

Markets and Distribution

The Company is licensed to sell insurance in 38 states. The Company, in marketing its life insurance products, seeks to locate, develop and service specific niche markets. The Company's funeral plan policies are sold primarily to persons who range in age from 45 to 85 and have low to moderate income.

A majority of the Company's funeral plan premiums come from the states of Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and Utah.

The Company sells its life insurance products through direct agents, brokers and independent licensed agents who may also sell insurance products of other companies. The commissions on life insurance products range from approximately 50% to 120% of first year premiums. In those cases where the Company utilizes its direct agents in selling such policies, those agents customarily receive advances against future commissions.

In some instances, funeral plan insurance is marketed in conjunction with the Company's cemetery and mortuary sales force. When it is marketed by that group, the beneficiary is usually the Company's cemeteries and mortuaries. Thus, death benefits that become payable under the policy are paid to the Company's cemetery and mortuary subsidiaries to the extent of services performed and products purchased.

In marketing funeral plan insurance, the Company also seeks and obtains third-party endorsements from other cemeteries and mortuaries within its marketing areas. Typically, these cemeteries and mortuaries will provide letters of endorsement and may share in mailing and other lead-generating costs since these businesses are usually made the beneficiary of the policy. The following table summarizes the life insurance business for the five years ended December 31, 2015:

(1) Includes the assumption reinsurance of North America Life Insurance Company.

(2) Includes coinsurance with Mothe Life Insurance Company and DLE Life Insurance Company.

Underwriting

The factors considered in evaluating an application for ordinary life insurance coverage can include the applicant's age, occupation, general health and medical history. Upon receipt of a satisfactory (non-funeral plan insurance) application, which contains pertinent medical questions, the Company issues insurance based upon its medical limits and requirements subject to the following general non‑medical limits:

When underwriting life insurance, the Company will sometimes issue policies with higher premium rates for substandard risks.

The Company's funeral plan insurance is written on a simplified medical application with underwriting requirements being a completed application, a phone inspection on the applicant, and a Medical Information Bureau inquiry. There are several underwriting classes in which an applicant can be placed.

Annuities

Products

The Company's annuity business includes single premium deferred annuities, flexible premium deferred annuities and immediate annuities. A single premium deferred annuity is a contract where the individual remits a sum of money to the Company, which is retained on deposit until such time as the individual may wish to annuitize or surrender the contract for cash. A flexible premium deferred annuity gives the contract holder the right to make premium payments of varying amounts or to make no further premium payments after his initial payment. These single and flexible premium deferred annuities can have initial surrender charges. The surrender charges act as a deterrent to individuals who may wish to prematurely surrender their annuity contracts. An immediate annuity is a contract in which the individual remits a sum of money to the Company in return for the Company's obligation to pay a series of payments on a periodic basis over a designated period of time, such as an individual's life, or for such other period as may be designated.

Annuities have guaranteed interest rates that range from 1% to 6.5% per annum. Rates above the guaranteed interest rate credited are periodically modified by the Board of Directors at their discretion. In order for the Company to realize a profit on an annuity product, the Company must maintain an interest rate spread between its investment income and the interest rate credited to the annuities. Commissions, issuance expenses and general and administrative expenses are deducted from this interest rate spread.

Markets and Distribution

The general market for the Company's annuities is middle to older age individuals. A major source of annuity sales come from direct agents and are sold in conjunction with other insurance sales. If an individual does not qualify for a funeral plan, the agent will often sell that individual an annuity to fund final expenses.

The following table summarizes the annuity business for the five years ended December 31, 2015:

(1) Includes the assumption reinsurance of North America Life Insurance Company.

Accident and Health

Products

With the acquisition of Capital Investors in 1994, the Company acquired a small block of accident and health policies. Since 1999, the Company has offered a low-cost comprehensive diver's accident policy that provides worldwide coverage for medical expense reimbursement in the event of a diving accident.

Markets and Distribution

The Company currently markets its diver's accident policies through the internet.

The following table summarizes the accident and health insurance business for the five years ended December 31, 2015:

5

Reinsurance

The primary purpose of reinsurance is to enable an insurance company to issue an insurance policy in an amount larger than the risk the Company is willing to assume for itself. The Company remains obligated for the amounts reinsured (ceded) in the event the reinsurers do not meet their obligations.

The Company currently cedes and assumes certain risks with various authorized unaffiliated reinsurers pursuant to reinsurance treaties, which are generally renewed annually. The premiums paid by the Company are based on a number of factors, primarily including the age of the insured and the risk ceded to the reinsurer.

The Company's policy is to retain no more than $100,000 of ordinary insurance per insured life, with the excess risk being reinsured. The total amount of life insurance reinsured by other companies as of December 31, 2015 was $65,824,000, which represents approximately 2.3% of the Company's life insurance in force on that date.

See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition" and "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" for additional disclosure and discussion regarding reinsurance.

Investments

The investments that support the Company's life insurance and annuity obligations are determined by the investment committees of the Company's subsidiaries and ratified by the full Board of Directors of the respective subsidiaries. A significant portion of the Company's investments must meet statutory requirements governing the nature and quality of permitted investments by its insurance subsidiaries. The Company maintains a diversified portfolio consisting of common stocks, preferred stocks, municipal bonds, investment and non‑investment grade bonds, mortgage loans, real estate, short-term investments and other securities and investments.

See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition" and "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" for additional disclosure and discussion regarding investments.

Cemetery and Mortuary

Products

Through its cemetery and mortuary operations, the Company markets a variety of products and services both on a pre-need basis (prior to death) and an at-need basis (at the time of death). The products include: plots, interment vaults, mausoleum crypts, markers, caskets, flowers and other death care related products. These services include: professional services of funeral directors, opening and closing of graves, use of chapels and viewing rooms, and use of automobiles and clothing. The Company has a mortuary at each of its cemeteries, other than Holladay Memorial Park and Singing Hills Memorial Park, and has three separate stand-alone mortuary facilities.

Markets and Distribution

The Company's pre‑need cemetery and mortuary sales are marketed to persons of all ages but are generally purchased by persons 45 years of age and older. The Company is limited in its geographic distribution of these products to areas lying within an approximate 20-mile radius of its mortuaries and cemeteries. The Company's at-need sales are similarly limited in geographic area.

The Company actively seeks to sell its cemetery and funeral products to customers on a pre‑need basis. The Company employs cemetery sales representatives on a commission basis to sell these products. Many of these pre-need cemetery and mortuary sales representatives are also licensed insurance salesmen and sell funeral plan insurance. In some instances, the Company's cemetery and mortuary facilities are the named beneficiary of the funeral plan policies.

Potential customers are located via telephone sales prospecting, responses to letters mailed by the pre planning consultants, newspaper inserts, referrals, and door-to-door canvassing. The Company trains its sales representatives and helps generate leads for them.

Mortgage Loans

Products

The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, SecurityNational Mortgage is active in the residential real estate market. SecurityNational Mortgage is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and other secondary market investors, to originate a variety of residential mortgage loan products, which are subsequently sold to investors. The Company uses internal and external funding sources to fund mortgage loans. Green Street Mortgage ceased its operations on March 31, 2015. The Company has elected to maintain several licenses and approvals that would allow Green Street Mortgage to resume originating mortgage loans.

Security National Life originates commercial real estate loans, residential construction loans and land development loans for internal investment.

Markets and Distribution

The Company's residential mortgage lending services are marketed primarily to real estate brokers and some independent mortgage loan originators. The Company has a strong retail origination presence in the Utah, Florida, Nevada, and Texas markets in addition to three wholesale branch offices located in Florida, Texas and Utah, with sales representatives in these and other states. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition" and "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" for additional disclosure and discussion regarding mortgage loans.

Recent Acquisitions and Other Business Activities

Reinsurance Agreement with North America Life Insurance Company

On May 8, 2015, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Security National Life, signed a paid-up business offer under the coinsurance agreement effective December 1, 2010 to reinsure certain life insurance policies from North America Life Insurance Company ("North America Life"). Pursuant to the paid-up business offer, North America Life ceded and transferred to Security National Life all contractual obligations and risks under the coinsured policies. Security National Life paid a ceding commission to North America Life in the amount of $281,908. As a result of the ceding commission, North America Life transferred $8,900,282 of cash and $9,182,190 in statutory reserves, or liabilities, to Security National Life.

Reinsurance Agreement with American Republic Insurance Company

On February 11, 2015, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Security National Life, signed a coinsurance agreement to reinsure certain life insurance policies from American Republic Insurance Company ("American Republic"). The policies were previously reinsured by North America Life under a coinsurance agreement between World Insurance Company ("World Insurance") and North America Life entered into on July 22, 2009 which was commuted. World Insurance was subsequently purchased by and merged into American Republic. The current coinsurance agreement is between Security National Life and American Republic and became effective on January 1, 2015. As part of the coinsurance agreement, American Republic transferred all contractual obligations and risks to Security National Life and Security National Life took control of $15,004,771 of assets in a trust account held by Texas Capital Bank as the trustee.

Reinsurance Agreement with LJA Insurance Company

On December 19, 2014, the Company entered into a Coinsurance Funds Withheld Reinsurance Agreement with LJA Insurance Company ("LJA Insurance"), a Republic of the Marshall Islands domiciled insurance company. This agreement was effective November 1, 2014. Under the terms of the funds withheld agreement, the Company ceded to LJA Insurance 100% of three blocks of deferred annuities in the amount of $4,337,000 and retained the assets and recorded a funds held under coinsurance liability for the same amount. LJA Insurance agreed to pay the Company an initial ceding commission of $60,000 and an asset management fee of $16,000 per quarter to administer the policies. The Company will also receive a 90% experience refund for any profits from the business. The Company has the right to recapture the business by giving LJA Insurance 90 days written notice, or it may be terminated by mutual consent of both parties.

Sale of Paradise Chapel Funeral Home, Inc. – Phoenix, Arizona

On December 8, 2014, the Company and its subsidiaries, Paradise Sunset Chapel Funeral Home, Inc. ("Paradise Sunset Chapel"), and Security National Life completed an asset sales transaction with 40th Street Developers, LLC ("40th Street"), to sell certain real estate. Under the terms of the asset purchase agreement among Paradise Sunset Chapel, Security National Life and 40th Street, 40th Street paid $1,505,000 at closing to Paradise Sunset Chapel and Security National Life.

Acquisition of American Funeral Financial

On June 4, 2014, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, SNFC Subsidiary, LLC, completed a purchase transaction with American Funeral Financial, LLC, a South Carolina limited liability company, and Hypershop, LLC, a North Carolina limited liability company and sole owner of all the limited liability company interests of American Funeral Financial, to purchase all of the outstanding limited liability company interests, or membership units, of American Funeral Financial. American Funeral Financial is engaged in the operation of a factoring business with the principal purpose to provide funding for funeral homes and mortuaries. For the year ended December 31, 2014, American Funeral Financial had revenues of $5,026,000 with a net income of $164,000. As of December 31, 2014, the total assets of American Funeral Financial were $19,153,000 and total equity was $1,680,000.

Under the terms of the transaction, as set forth in the Purchase Agreement dated June 4, 2014, among the Company, SNFC Subsidiary, American Funeral Financial and Hypershop, the Company paid Hypershop purchase consideration equal to (i) $3,000,000 in cash, of which $175,000 was deposited into an interest bearing escrow account to be held for a period of twelve months from the closing date to pay off the indebtedness and other liabilities of American Funeral Financial, plus (ii) $12,011,183, representing the amount of the good standing receivables of American Funeral Financial, plus (iii) earn-out payments equal to .0042 of the aggregate amount of life insurance assignments funded by American Funeral Financial during the three year period following the closing date of the transaction. This earn-out liability was estimated to be $1,368,000. The purchase consideration was to be used to pay off the indebtedness that American Funeral Financial owed to Security Finance Corporation of Spartanburg, as well as to pay off all other indebtedness and liabilities of American Funeral Financial.

Real Estate Development

The Company is capitalizing on the opportunity to develop commercial assets on its existing properties. The cost to acquire existing for-sale assets currently exceeds the replacement costs, thus creating the opportunity for development and redevelopment of the land the company currently owns. The Company has developed, or is in the process of developing assets that have an initial development cost exceeding $100,000,000. The group plans to continue its development endeavors as the market demands.

Dry Creek at East Village Apartments

The construction of Dry Creek at East Village Apartments ("Dry Creek") was completed in December 2015. The total project consists of 282 units and contains a mixture of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. It is located within close proximity to a transit hub and as of December 31, 2015 was 69% occupied. Rental rates increased in the market by 9.8% over pro forma rents, and effective (achieved) rates net of concessions also increased. Leasing remains strong and vacancy rates in the market remain below the long-term average.

Following the market trend of leasing units as delivered, instead of waiting until the project completed, allowed revenue to begin ahead of final completion. The management company pushed lease rates throughout construction due to the strong leasing performance and overall market demand dynamics. Vacancy rates in the Salt Lake City market continue to outperform the national average as employment and population in-migration remain strong in Utah.

53rd Corporate Development

In 2015 the Company broke ground and commenced development on the first phase of its new corporate campus. The anticipated project, comprising nearly 20 acres of land that is currently owned by the Company in the central valley of Salt Lake City, is envisioned to be a multi-year, phased development. At full development, the project will include nearly one million square-feet in six buildings, ranging from four to 12 stories, and will be serviced by three parking structures with over 4,000 stalls.

The first phase of the project includes a building and a parking garage consisting of nearly 200,000 square feet of office and retail space with 914 structured parking stalls. This phase of the campus is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2017. This asset is included in property and equipment in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

Regulation

The Company's insurance subsidiaries, Security National Life, Memorial Insurance Company, Southern Security and Trans-Western are subject to comprehensive regulation in the jurisdictions in which they do business under statutes and regulations administered by state insurance commissioners. Such regulation relates to, among other things, prior approval of the acquisition of a controlling interest in an insurance company; standards of solvency which must be met and maintained; licensing of insurers and their agents; nature of and limitations on investments; deposits of securities for the benefit of policyholders; approval of policy forms and premium rates; periodic examinations of the affairs of insurance companies; annual and other reports required to be filed on the financial condition of insurers or for other purposes; and requirements regarding aggregate reserves for life policies and annuity contracts, policy claims, unearned premiums, and other matters. The Company's insurance subsidiaries are subject to this type of regulation in any state in which they are licensed to do business. Such regulation could involve additional costs, restrict operations or delay implementation of the Company's business plans.

The Company's life insurance subsidiaries are currently subject to regulation in Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas under insurance holding company legislation, and other states where applicable. Generally, intercompany transfers of assets and dividend payments from insurance subsidiaries are subject to prior notice of approval from the state insurance department, if they are deemed "extraordinary" under these statutes. The insurance subsidiaries are required, under state insurance laws, to file detailed annual reports with the supervisory agencies in each of the states in which they do business. Their business and accounts are also subject to examination by these agencies. The Texas Department of Banking also audits pre-need insurance policies that are issued in the state of Texas. Pre-need policies are life and annuity products sold as the funding mechanism for funeral plans through funeral homes by Security National agents. The Company is required to send the Texas Department of Banking an annual report that summarizes the number of policies in force and the face amount or death benefit for each policy. This annual report also indicates the number of new policies issued for that year, all death claims paid that year, and all premiums received.

The Company's cemetery and mortuary subsidiaries are subject to the Federal Trade Commission's comprehensive funeral industry rules and to state regulations in the various states where such operations are domiciled. The morticians must be licensed by the respective state in which they provide their services. Similarly, the mortuaries and cemeteries are governed and licensed by state statutes and city ordinances in Utah and California. Reports are required to be kept on file on a yearly basis which include financial information concerning the number of spaces sold and, where applicable, funds provided to the Endowment Care Trust Fund. Licenses are issued annually on the basis of such reports. The cemeteries maintain city or county licenses where they conduct business.

The Company's mortgage subsidiaries are subject to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and to various state licensing acts and regulations and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). These regulations, among other things, specify minimum capital requirements, procedures for loan origination and underwriting, licensing of brokers and loan officers, quality review audits and the fees that can be charged to borrowers. Each year, the Company is required to have an audit completed for each mortgage subsidiary by an independent registered public accounting firm to verify compliance under some of these regulations. In addition to the government regulations, the Company must meet loan requirements, and underwriting guidelines of various investors who purchase the loans.

Income Taxes

The Company's insurance subsidiary, Security National Life, is taxed under the Life Insurance Company Tax Act of 1984. Under the act, life insurance companies are taxed at standard corporate rates on life insurance company taxable income. Life insurance company taxable income is gross income less general business deductions, reserves for future policyholder benefits (with modifications), and a small life insurance company deduction (up to 60% of life insurance company taxable income). The Company may be subject to the corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Also, under the Tax Reform Act of 1986, distributions in excess of stockholders' surplus account or a significant decrease in life reserves will result in taxable income.

Security National Life computes its life insurance taxable income after establishing a provision representing a portion of the costs of acquisition of such life insurance business. The effect of the provision is that a certain percentage of the Company's premium income is characterized as deferred expenses and recognized over a five or ten year period.

The Company's non‑life insurance company subsidiaries are taxed in general under the regular corporate tax provisions. The following subsidiaries are regulated as life insurance companies but do not meet the Internal Revenue Code definition of a life insurance company so are taxed as insurance companies other than life insurance companies: Memorial Insurance Company, Southern Security and Trans-Western.

Competition

The life insurance industry is highly competitive. There are approximately 2,000 legal reserve life insurance companies in business in the United States. These insurance companies differentiate themselves through marketing techniques, product features, price and customer service. The Company's insurance subsidiaries compete with a large number of insurance companies, many of which have greater financial resources, a longer business history, and more diversified line of insurance products than the Company. In addition, such companies generally have a larger sales force. Further, the Company competes with mutual insurance companies which may have a competitive advantage because all profits accrue to policyholders. Because the Company is smaller by industry standards and lacks broad diversification of risk, it may be more vulnerable to losses than larger, better-established companies. The Company believes that its policies and rates for the markets it serves are generally competitive.

The cemetery and mortuary industry is also highly competitive. In the Utah and California markets where the Company competes, there are a number of cemeteries and mortuaries which have longer business histories, more established positions in the community, and stronger financial positions than the Company. In addition, some of the cemeteries with which the Company must compete for sales are owned by municipalities and, as a result, can offer lower prices than can the Company. The Company bears the cost of a pre‑need sales program that is not incurred by those competitors which do not have a pre‑need sales force. The Company believes that its products and prices are generally competitive with those in the industry.

The mortgage industry is highly competitive with a large number of mortgage companies and banks in the same geographic area in which the Company is operating. The mortgage industry in general is sensitive to changes in interest rates and the refinancing market is particularly vulnerable to changes in interest rates.

Employees

As of December 31, 2015, the Company had 1,271 full-time and 316 part-time employees.

The following table sets forth the location of the Company's office facilities and certain other information relating to these properties.

11

Lehman Brothers and Aurora Loan Services Litigation - Utah

On April 15, 2005, SecurityNational Mortgage entered into a Loan Purchase Agreement with Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB ("Lehman Bank"), which agreement incorporated a Seller's Guide. Pursuant to the Loan Purchase Agreement, Lehman Bank purchased mortgage loans from time to time from SecurityNational Mortgage. Lehman Bank asserted that certain of the mortgage loans that it purchased several years ago from SecurityNational Mortgage contained alleged misrepresentations and early payment defaults. As a result, Lehman Bank contended it had the right to require SecurityNational Mortgage to repurchase certain loans or be liable for losses related to such Loans under the Loan Purchase Agreement. SecurityNational Mortgage disagreed with these claims.

On December 17, 2007, SecurityNational Mortgage entered into an Indemnification Agreement with Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services. Under the terms of the Indemnification Agreement, SecurityNational Mortgage agreed to indemnify Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services for 75% of actual losses, as defined, that Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services may incur on account of the breaches pertaining to certain identified loans. The Indemnification Agreement also required SecurityNational Mortgage to indemnify Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services for 100% of any future actual losses, as defined, incurred on mortgage loans with breaches not covered by the 75% provision. A reserve account was set up for covering said losses.

In addition to initial payments into the reserve account, SecurityNational Mortgage was to pay to Aurora Loan Services each calendar month the difference between the reserve account balance and $645,000, but in no event would SecurityNational Mortgage be required to make payments into the reserve account in excess of $125,000 for any calendar month. Since the time the reserve account was established, approximately $4,300,000 was taken from the reserve account to indemnify Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services for alleged losses. On March 28, 2011 Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services assigned certain rights and remedies under the Indemnification Agreement to Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. ("Lehman Holdings").

On May 11, 2011, SecurityNational Mortgage filed a complaint against Aurora Bank FSB (formerly known as Lehman Bank) and Aurora Loan Services in the United States District Court, Utah, which was assigned to Judge David Nuffer. The allegations in the complaint include breach of the Indemnification Agreement. SecurityNational Mortgage claimed it was entitled to a judgment of approximately $4,000,000 against Lehman Bank, as well as Aurora Loan Services to the extent of its involvement, for payments which should not have been taken from the reserve account.

On June 8, 2011, Lehman Holdings, which had filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, filed a complaint in the United States District Court, Utah against SecurityNational Mortgage. The case was assigned to Judge Ted Stewart. The complaint alleged claims for damages for breach of contract and breach of warranty pursuant to the Loan Purchase Agreement, and initially claimed damages in excess of $5,000,000. Lehman Holdings further alleged that Lehman Bank sold mortgage loans to it and assigned the contractual rights. SecurityNational Mortgage strongly disagreed with the claims in Lehman Holdings' complaint.

Discovery was completed in the two foregoing lawsuits. On December 24, 2014, Judge Nuffer issued an amended order granting SecurityNational Mortgage's motion for summary judgment against Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services for $3,892,974, plus prejudgment interest at 9% per annum. The total amount of prejudgment interest awarded was $1,674,240 through May 31, 2014, with a per diem of $960 for each day after May 31, 2014 until final judgment. The court also indicated that further replenishment of the reserve account under the Indemnification Agreement appeared to be barred by a waiver, but that this issue had not been briefed.

Additionally, the court stated that the offset that Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services pled as an affirmative defense had not yet been adjudicated by the court. SecurityNational Mortgage asserts that Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services have no rights to a replenishment of the Indemnification Agreement reserve account, or for any offset. On March 30, 2015, SecurityNational Mortgage filed a response in opposition to the partial summary judgment motion of Lehman Bank and Aurora Loan Services concerning the reserve account replenishment and offset; SecurityNational Mortgage also filed its own partial summary judgment motion on the same issues. These motions are currently under advisement.

On April 21, 2015, Judge Stewart issued a memorandum decision and order denying SecurityNational Mortgage's motion for summary judgment against Lehman Holdings in the Lehman Holdings case. On January 16, 2015, SecurityNational Mortgage filed a separate motion for summary judgment against Lehman Holdings based on the statute of limitations. Because certain cases that arose in Colorado were pending before the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit concerning statute of limitations issues involving Lehman Holdings, Judge Stewart inquired at a hearing as to whether his ruling on SecurityNational Mortgage's motion should be held in abeyance until a ruling is rendered by the Tenth Circuit. The parties agreed to an abeyance and Judge Stewart issued an order on May 11, 2015 postponing his ruling.

On January 27, 2016, the Tenth Circuit entered its order and judgment concerning the five cases before it upholding rulings of the U.S. District Court, Colorado dismissing the cases filed by Lehman Holdings with prejudice. Pursuant to an order from Judge Stewart, SecurityNational Mortgage and Lehman Holdings filed supplemental briefs on March 3, 2016 pertaining to SecurityNational Mortgage's summary judgment motion in view of the ruling of the Tenth Circuit. On March 23, 2016, the court denied SecurityNational Mortgage's motion based on a certain tolling provision in one of the agreements.

Lehman Brothers Litigation – Delaware and New York

In January 2014, Lehman Holdings entered into a settlement with the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) concerning the mortgage loan claims asserted by Fannie Mae against Lehman Holdings that were allegedly based on breaches of certain representations and warranties by Lehman Holdings. Lehman Holdings had acquired these loans from Lehman Bank, which in turn purchased the loans from residential mortgage loan originators, including SecurityNational Mortgage. A settlement based on similar circumstances was entered into between Lehman Holdings and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) in February 2014. As a result of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac settlements, Lehman Holdings filed a motion in May 2014 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York to require the mortgage loan originators, including SecurityNational Mortgage, to engage in mediation, a nonbinding alternative dispute resolution process, as Lehman Holdings asserted alleged indemnification claims against the mortgage loan originators.

The mediation was not successful in resolving the potential issues between SecurityNational Mortgage and Lehman Holdings relative to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac settlements with Lehman Holdings. On January 26, 2016, SecurityNational Mortgage filed a declaratory judgment action against Lehman Holdings in the Superior Court for the State of Delaware. In the Delaware action, SecurityNational Mortgage asserted its right to obtain a declaration of rights in that there is allegedly millions of dollars in dispute with Lehman Holdings pertaining to approximately 136 loans. SecurityNational Mortgage seeks declaratory judgment as to its rights as it contends that it has no liability to Lehman Holdings as a result of Lehman Holdings' settlements with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

On February 3, 2016, Lehman Holdings filed an adversary proceeding against approximately 150 parties, including SecurityNational Mortgage, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York seeking a declaration of rights similar in nature to the declaration of rights that SecurityNational Mortgage seeks in its Delaware lawsuit, and for damages relating to the defendants' obligations under indemnification provisions of the alleged agreements in an amount to be determined at trial, including interest, and attorneys' fees and related costs incurred by Lehman Holdings in enforcing the obligations of the defendants. The complaint filed on February 3, 2016 was not served on SecurityNational Mortgage and an amended complaint materially similar to the original complaint was filed March 7, 2016. As with SecurityNational Mortgage's Delaware action, and although SecurityNational Mortgage has not yet filed a response to the amended complaint, SecurityNational Mortgage denies that it has any liability to Lehman Holdings and intends to vigorously protect and defend such position.

The Company is not a party to any other material legal proceedings outside the ordinary course of business or to any other legal proceedings, which if adversely determined, would have a material adverse effect on its financial condition or results of operation.

Overview

The Company's operations over the last several years generally reflect three trends or events which the Company expects to continue: (i) increased attention to "niche" insurance products, such as the Company's funeral plan policies and traditional whole life products; (ii) emphasis on cemetery and mortuary business; and (iii) capitalizing on relatively low interest rates by originating mortgage loans.

Insurance Operations

The following table shows the condensed financial results for the Company's insurance operations for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013. See Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Intersegment revenues for the Company's insurance operations are primarily interest income from the warehouse line provided to SecurityNational Mortgage Company. Profitability in 2015 has increased due to increases in net investment income, increases in insurance premiums and increases in realized gains on investments and other assets.

Cemetery and Mortuary Operations

The following table shows the condensed financial results for the Company's cemetery and mortuary operations for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013. See Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

The majority of the realized gain in the Company's cemetery and mortuary operations in 2014 was due to the sale of certain real estate of Paradise Sunset Chapel. Included in other revenue was rental income from residential and commercial properties purchased from Security National Life. Memorial Estates used financing provided by Security National Life to purchase these properties. The rental income was offset by property insurance, taxes, maintenance expenses and interest payments made to Security National Life. Memorial Estates recorded depreciation on these properties of $858,000, $945,000 and $1,029,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Mortgage Operations

Approximately 65% of the Company's revenues for the fiscal year 2015 were through its wholly owned subsidiaries, SecurityNational Mortgage and Green Street Mortgage. Both mortgage subsidiaries are mortgage lenders incorporated under the laws of the State of Utah and obtain loans from their retail offices and independent brokers and pay a commission to brokers for loans that are funded by them. SecurityNational Mortgage is also approved by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a department of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to originate mortgage loans that qualify for government insurance in the event of default by the borrower. Mortgage loans originated by the Company's mortgage subsidiaries are funded through loan purchase agreements from Security National Life, its wholly owned subsidiary, and unaffiliated financial institutions.

The Company's mortgage subsidiaries receive fees from the borrowers and secondary fees from third party investors that purchase their loans. Loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage may be sold with mortgage servicing rights released to third party investors or retained by SecurityNational Mortgage. SecurityNational Mortgage currently retains the mortgage servicing rights on approximately 30% of its annual origination volume. These loans are serviced by an approved third party sub-servicer.

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, SecurityNational Mortgage originated and sold 14,976 loans ($2,843,455,000 total volume), 10,794 loans ($2,037,337,000 total volume), and 11,484 loans ($2,147,040,000 total volume), respectively. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, Green Street Mortgage originated and sold 79 loans ($17,949,000 total volume), 33 loans ($7,298,000 total volume), and seven loans ($1,731,000 total volume), respectively. Green Street Mortgage ceased its operations on March 31, 2015. The Company has elected to maintain several licenses and approvals that would allow Green Street Mortgage to resume originating mortgage loans.

The following table shows the condensed financial results for the Company's mortgage operations for the years ended 2015, 2014 and 2013. See Note 14 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

The increase in earnings for the Company's mortgage operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 as compared to December 31, 2014 was due to higher secondary gains on mortgage loans sold to investors and an increase in loan origination volume.

Mortgage Loan Loss Settlements

Future loan losses can be extremely difficult to estimate. However, management believes that the Company's reserve methodology and its current practice of property preservation allow it to estimate potential losses on loans sold. The amounts expensed for loan losses in years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 were $6,295,000 and $3,053,000, respectively. The estimated liability for indemnification losses is included in other liabilities and accrued expenses and, as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the balances were $2,806,000 and $1,718,000, respectively.

Mortgage Loan Loss Demands

Inquiry Regarding FHA Insured Loans

SecurityNational Mortgage has been cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in a civil investigation regarding compliance with requirements relating to certain loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). No demand has been made and SecurityNational Mortgage has not established a liability for this matter absent a specific demand because it is not able to estimate a range of reasonably potential loss due to significant uncertainties regarding: the absence of any specific demand, the potential remedies, including possible defenses, and the lack of information concerning the performance of its FHA insured originations, the majority of which SecurityNational Mortgage does not service. The investigation has focused on loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage on or after January 1, 2006. The FHA mortgage loans that SecurityNational Mortgage originated between January 1, 2006 and May 21, 2013 totaled approximately 45,900 loans with an original principal balance of approximately $7.9 billion.

Mortgage Loan Loss Litigation

For a description of the litigation involving SecurityNational Mortgage and Lehman Brothers and Aurora Loan Services, reference is to Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Significant Accounting Policies

The following is a brief summary of our significant accounting policies and a review of our most critical accounting estimates. See Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Insurance Operations

In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP), premiums and other considerations received for interest sensitive products are reflected as increases in liabilities for policyholder account balances and not as revenues. Revenues reported for these products consist of policy charges for the cost of insurance, administration charges, amortization of policy initiation fees and surrender charges assessed against policyholder account balances. Surrender benefits paid relating to these products are reflected as decreases in liabilities for policyholder account balances and not as expenses.

The Company receives investment income earned from the funds deposited into account balances, a portion of which is passed through to the policyholders in the form of interest credited. Interest credited to policyholder account balances and benefit claims in excess of policyholder account balances are reported as expenses in the consolidated financial statements.

Premiums and other considerations received for traditional life insurance products are recognized as revenues when due. Future policy benefits are recognized as expenses over the life of the policy by means of the provision for future policy benefits.

The costs related to acquiring new business, including certain costs of issuing policies and other variable selling expenses (principally commissions), defined as deferred policy acquisition costs, are capitalized and amortized into expense. For nonparticipating traditional life products, these costs are amortized over the premium paying period of the related policies, in proportion to the ratio of annual premium revenues to total anticipated premium revenues. Such anticipated premium revenues are estimated using the same assumption used for computing liabilities for future policy benefits and are generally "locked in" at the date the policies are issued. For interest sensitive products, these costs are amortized generally in proportion to expected gross profits from surrender charges and investment, mortality and expense margins. This amortization is adjusted when the Company revises the estimate of current or future gross profits or margins. For example, deferred policy acquisition costs are amortized earlier than originally estimated when policy terminations are higher than originally estimated or when investments backing the related policyholder liabilities are sold at a gain prior to their anticipated maturity.

Death and other policyholder benefits reflect exposure to mortality risk and fluctuate from year to year on the level of claims incurred under insurance retention limits. The profitability of the Company is primarily affected by fluctuations in mortality, other policyholder benefits, expense levels, interest spreads (i.e., the difference between interest earned on investments and interest credited to policyholders) and persistency. The Company has the ability to mitigate adverse experience through sound underwriting, asset and liability duration matching, sound actuarial practices, adjustments to credited interest rates, policyholder dividends and cost of insurance charges.

Cemetery and Mortuary Operations

Pre-need sales of funeral services and caskets, including revenue and costs associated with the sales of pre-need funeral services and caskets, are deferred until the services are performed or the caskets are delivered.

Pre-need sales of cemetery interment rights (cemetery burial property), including revenue and costs associated with the sales of pre-need cemetery interment rights, are recognized in accordance with the retail land sales provisions of GAAP. Under GAAP, recognition of revenue and associated costs from constructed cemetery property must be deferred until a minimum percentage of the sales price has been collected. Revenues related to the pre-need sale of unconstructed cemetery property will be deferred until such property is constructed and meets the criteria of GAAP, described above.

Pre-need sales of cemetery merchandise (primarily markers and vaults), including revenue and costs associated with the sales of pre-need cemetery merchandise, are deferred until the merchandise is delivered.

Pre-need sales of cemetery services (primarily merchandise delivery and installation fees and burial opening and closing fees), including revenue and costs associated with the sales of pre-need cemetery services, are deferred until the services are performed.

Prearranged funeral and pre-need cemetery customer obtaining costs, including costs incurred related to obtaining new pre-need cemetery and prearranged funeral business are accounted for under the guidance of the provisions of GAAP related to Financial Services - Insurance. Obtaining costs, which include only costs that vary with and are primarily related to the acquisition of new pre-need cemetery and prearranged funeral business, are deferred until the merchandise is delivered or services are performed.

Revenues and costs for at‑need sales are recorded when a valid contract exists, the services are performed, collection is reasonably assured, and there are no significant obligations remaining.

Mortgage Operations

Mortgage fee income consists of origination fees, processing fees and certain other income related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans. For mortgage loans sold to third party investors, mortgage fee income and related expenses are recognized pursuant to GAAP at the time the sales of the mortgage loans comply with the sales criteria for the transfer of financial assets. The sales criteria is as follows: (i) the transferred assets have been isolated from the Company and its creditors, (ii) the transferee has the right to pledge or exchange the mortgage, and (iii) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred mortgage.

The Company must determine that all three sales criteria are met at the time a mortgage loan is funded. All rights and title to the mortgage loans are assigned to unrelated financial institution investors, including investor commitments for the loans made prior to warehouse banks purchasing the loans under the purchase commitments.

The Company sells all mortgage loans to third party investors without recourse. It may be required, however, to repurchase a loan or pay a fee instead of repurchase under certain events, which include the following:

• Failure to deliver original documents specified by the investor,
• The existence of misrepresentation or fraud in the origination of the loan,
• The loan becomes delinquent due to nonpayment during the first several months after it is sold,
• Early pay-off of a loan, as defined by the agreements,
• Excessive time to settle a loan,
• Investor declines purchase, and
• Discontinued product and expired commitment.

Loan purchase commitments generally specify a date 30 to 45 days after delivery upon which the underlying loans should be settled. Depending on market conditions, these commitment settlement dates can be extended at a cost to the Company.

It is the Company's policy to cure any documentation problems regarding such loans at a minimal cost for up to a six-month time period and to pursue efforts to enforce loan purchase commitments from third-party investors concerning the loans. The Company believes that six months allows adequate time to remedy any documentation issues, to enforce purchase commitments, and to exhaust other alternatives. Remedial methods include the following:

• Research reasons for rejection,
• Provide additional documents,
• Request investor exceptions,
• Appeal rejection decision to purchase committee, and
• Commit to secondary investors.

Once purchase commitments have expired and other alternatives to remedy are exhausted, which could be earlier than the six month time period, the loans are repurchased and transferred to the long term investment portfolio at the lower of cost or fair value and the previously recorded sales revenue is reversed. Any loan that later becomes delinquent is evaluated by the Company at that time and any impairment is adjusted accordingly.

Determining lower of cost or market. Cost is equal to the amount paid to the warehouse bank and the amount originally funded by the Company. Market value, while often difficult to determine, is based on the following guidelines:

• For loans that have an active market, the Company uses the market price on the repurchase date.
• For loans where there is no market but there is a similar product, the Company uses the market value for the similar product on the repurchase date.
• For loans where no active market exists on the repurchase date, the Company determines that the unpaid principal balance best approximates the market value on the repurchase date, after considering the fair value of the underlying real estate collateral and estimated future cash flows.

The appraised value of the real estate underlying the original mortgage loan adds significance to the Company's determination of fair value because, if the loan becomes delinquent, the Company has sufficient value to collect the unpaid principal balance or the carrying value of the loan. In determining the market value on the date of repurchase, the Company considers the total value of all of the loans because any sale of loans would be made as a pool.

Loans that are foreclosed on are reclassified as other real estate held for investment. The Company carries the foreclosed properties in Security National Life, Memorial Estates, and SecurityNational Mortgage and rents the properties until it is deemed economically desirable to sell them.

The majority of loans originated are sold to third party investors. The amounts sold to investors are shown on the balance sheet as mortgage loans sold to investors, and include the fees due from the investors.

Use of Significant Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. It is reasonably possible that actual experience could differ from the estimates and assumptions utilized which could have a material impact on the financial statements. The following is a summary of our significant accounting estimates, and critical issues that impact them:

Interest Rate Locks and Commitments

The Company estimates the fair value of a mortgage loan commitment based on the change in estimated fair value of the underlying mortgage loan and the probability that the mortgage loan will fund within the terms of the commitment. The change in fair value of the underlying mortgage loan is measured from the date the mortgage loan commitment is issued. Therefore, at the time of issuance, the estimated fair value is zero. Following issuance, the value of a mortgage loan commitment can be either positive or negative depending upon the change in value of the underlying mortgage loans. Fallout rates derived from the Company's recent historical empirical data are used to estimate the quantity of mortgage loans that will fund within the terms of the commitments.

Deferred Acquisition Costs

Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs for interest sensitive products is dependent upon estimates of current and future gross profits or margins on this business. Key assumptions used include the following: yield on investments supporting the liabilities, amount of interest or dividends credited to the policies, amount of policy fees and charges, amount of expenses necessary to maintain the policies, amount of death and surrender benefits, and the length of time the policies will stay in force.

For nonparticipating traditional life products, these costs are amortized over the premium paying period of the related policies in proportion to the ratio of annual premium revenues to total anticipated premium revenues. Such anticipated premium revenues are estimated using the same assumption used for computing liabilities for future policy benefits and are generally "locked in" at the date the policies are issued.

Value of Business Acquired

Value of business acquired is the present value of estimated future profits of the acquired business and is amortized similar to deferred acquisition costs. The critical issues explained for deferred acquisition costs would also apply for value of business acquired.

Mortgage Loans Foreclosed to REO

These properties are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value upon foreclosure. The Company believes that in an orderly market fair value will approximate the replacement cost of a home and the rental income provides a cash flow stream for investment analysis. The Company believes the highest and best use of the properties are as income producing assets since it is the Company's intent to hold the properties as rental properties, matching the income from the investment in rental properties with the funds required for future estimated policy claims. Accordingly, the fair value determination will be weighted more heavily toward the rental analysis.

Future Policy Benefits

Reserves for future policy benefits for traditional life insurance products requires the use of many assumptions, including the duration of the policies, mortality experience, expenses, investment yield, lapse rates, surrender rates, and dividend crediting rates.

These assumptions are made based upon historical experience, industry standards and a best estimate of future results and, for traditional life products, include a provision for adverse deviation. For traditional life insurance, once established for a particular series of products, these assumptions are generally held constant.

Unearned Revenue

The universal life products the Company sells have significant policy initiation fees (front-end load) that are deferred and amortized into revenues over the estimated expected gross profits from surrender charges and investment, mortality and expense margins. The same issues that impact deferred acquisition costs would apply to unearned revenue.

Deferred Pre-need Cemetery and Funeral Contracts Revenues and Estimated Future Cost of Pre-need Sales

The revenue and cost associated with the sales of pre-need cemetery merchandise and funeral services are deferred until the merchandise is delivered or the service is performed.

The Company, through its cemetery and mortuary operations, provides a guaranteed funeral arrangement wherein a prospective customer can receive future goods and services at guaranteed prices. To accomplish this, the Company, through its life insurance operations, sells to the customer an increasing benefit life insurance policy that is assigned to the mortuaries. If, at the time of need, the policyholder/potential mortuary customer utilizes one of the Company's facilities, the guaranteed funeral arrangement contract that has been assigned will provide the funeral goods and services at the contracted price. The increasing life insurance policy will cover the difference between the original contract prices and current prices. Risks may arise if the difference cannot be fully met by the life insurance policy.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

Mortgage Service Rights (MSR) arise from contractual agreements between the Company and third-party investors (or their agents) when mortgage loans are sold. Under these contracts, the Company is obligated to retain and provide loan servicing functions on the loans sold, in exchange for fees and other remuneration. The servicing functions typically performed include, among other responsibilities, collecting and remitting loan payments; responding to borrower inquiries; accounting for principal and interest, holding custodial (impound) funds for payment of property taxes and insurance premiums; counseling delinquent mortgagors; and supervising the acquisition of REO and property dispositions. The Company initially accounts for MSRs at fair value and subsequently accounts for them using the amortization method. MSR amortization is determined by amortizing the balance straight-line over an estimated seven and nine year life. The Company periodically assesses MSRs accounted for using the amortization method for impairment.

Mortgage Allowance for Loan Loss and Loan Loss Reserve

The Company provides allowances for losses on its mortgage loans through an allowance for loan losses (a contra-asset account) and through the mortgage loan loss reserve (a liability account). The allowance for loan losses is an allowance for losses on the Company's mortgage loans held for investment. The allowance is comprised of two components. The first component is an allowance for collectively evaluated impairment that is based upon the Company's historical experience in collecting similar receivables. The second component is based upon individual evaluation of loans that are determined to be impaired. Upon determining impairment the Company establishes an individual impairment allowance based upon an assessment of the fair value of the underlying collateral.

When a mortgage loan is past due more than 90 days, the Company, where appropriate, sets up an allowance to approximate the excess of the carrying value of the mortgage loan over the estimated fair value of the underlying real estate collateral. When foreclosure is commenced on a delinquent loan, all expenses for foreclosure are expensed as incurred. Once foreclosed the carrying value should approximate its fair value and the amount will be classified as real estate owned. The Company is currently able to rent properties at a 2% to 8% gross return.

The mortgage loan loss reserve is an estimate of probable losses at the balance sheet date that the Company will realize in the future on mortgage loans sold to third party investors. The Company may be required to reimburse third party investors for costs associated with early payoff of loans within the first six months of such loans and to repurchase loans where there is a default in any of the first four monthly payments to the investors or, in lieu of repurchase, to pay a negotiated fee to the investors. The Company's estimates are based upon historical loss experience and the best estimate of the probable loan loss liabilities.

Upon completion of a transfer that satisfies the conditions to be accounted for as a sale, the Company initially measures at fair value liabilities incurred in a sale relating to any guarantee or recourse provisions. The Company accrues a monthly allowance for indemnification losses to investors based on total production. This estimate is based on the Company's historical experience. The amount accrued for and the charge to expense is included in selling, general and administrative expenses. The estimated liability for indemnification losses is included in other liabilities and accrued expenses. The Company believes the allowance for loan losses and the loan loss reserve represent probable loan losses incurred as of the balance sheet date.

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

Deferred tax assets and liabilities require various estimates and judgments and may be affected favorably or unfavorably by various internal and external factors. These estimates and judgments occur in the calculation of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities that arise from temporary differences in the recognition of revenues and expenses for tax and financial reporting purposes and in estimating the ultimate amount of deferred tax assets recoverable in future periods. Factors affecting the deferred tax assets and liabilities include, but are not limited to, changes in tax laws, regulations and/or rates, changing interpretations of existing tax laws or regulations, and changes to overall levels of pre-tax earnings. Changes in these estimates, judgments or factors may result in an increase or decrease to the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities with a related increase or decrease in the Company's provision for income taxes.

Results of Consolidated Operations

2015 Compared to 2014

Total revenues increased by $56,224,000, or 24.8%, to $283,161,000 for fiscal year 2015 from $226,937,000 for the fiscal year 2014. Contributing to this increase in total revenues was a $45,626,000 increase in mortgage fee income, a $5,704,000 increase in net investment income, a $3,401,000 increase in insurance premiums and other considerations, a $1,375,000 increase in other revenues, a $483,000 increase in realized gains on investments and other assets, and a $76,000 increase in net cemetery and mortuary sales. This increase in total revenues was partially offset by a $441,000 increase in other than temporary impairments.

Insurance premiums and other considerations increased by $3,401,000, or 6.4%, to $56,410,000 for 2015, from $53,009,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was due to an increase in renewal premiums and an increase in first year premiums as a result of increased insurance sales in 2015.

Net investment income increased by $5,704,000, or 20.2%, to $34,008,000 for 2015, from $28,304,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was primarily attributable to a $4,119,000 increase in income from short-term investments, a $1,021,000 increase in income from real estate, a $414,000 decrease in investment expenses, a $146,000 increase in interest from mortgage loans, a $57,000 increase in equity securities income, and an $8,000 increase in policy loans income. This increase was partially offset by a $61,000 decrease in fixed maturity securities income.

Net cemetery and mortuary sales increased by $76,000, or 0.7%, to $11,502,000 for 2015, from $11,426,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was primarily due to a $249,000 increase in cemetery pre-need and at-need sales. This increase was partially offset by a $173,000 decrease in mortuary at-need sales.

Realized gains on investments and other assets increased by $483,000, or 25.2%, to $2,401,000 in realized gains for 2015, from $1,918,000 in realized gains for the comparable period in 2014. This increase in realized gains and losses on investments and other assets was primarily due to a $677,000 increase in gains and losses on other assets. This increase was partially offset by a $180,000 decrease in gains and losses on marketable securities, and a $14,000 decrease in gains and losses on fixed maturity securities held to maturity.

Other than temporary impairments on investments increased by $441,000, or 268.6%, to $605,000 for 2015 from $164,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was due to a $192,000 increase in impairments on real estate held for investment and mortgage loans, and a $249,000 increase in impairments on marketable securities.

Mortgage fee income increased by $45,626,000, or 35.5%, to $174,323,000 for 2015, from $128,697,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was primarily attributable to higher secondary gains from mortgage loans sold to investors and an increase in mortgage loan originations.

Other revenues increased by $1,375,000, or 36.7%, to $5,122,000 for 2015 from $3,747,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was due to an increase in mortgage servicing revenues.

Total benefits and expenses were $263,339,000, or 93.0% of total revenues, for 2015, as compared to $214,456,000, or 94.5% of total revenues, for the comparable period in 2014.

Death benefits, surrenders and other policy benefits, and future policy benefits increased by an aggregate of $2,912,000, or 6.1%, to $50,762,000 for 2015, from $47,850,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was primarily the result of an increase of $4,058,000 in death benefits, which was partially offset by decreases of $848,000 in future policy benefits, and $298,000 in surrenders and other policy benefits.

Amortization of deferred policy and pre-need acquisition costs and value of business acquired decreased by $1,252,000, or 18.2%, to $5,641,000 for 2015, from $6,893,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This decrease was primarily due to improved persistency in the payment of premiums in the traditional life business.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $45,809,000, or 29.6%, to $200,674,000 for 2015, from $154,865,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was primarily due to a $22,059,000 increase in commission expenses, an $11,500,000 increase in personnel expenses, a $4,154,000 increase in other expenses, a $3,242,000 increase in the provision for loan losses, a $1,987,000 increase in costs related to funding mortgage loans, and a $1,715,000 increase in rent and rent related expenses. These increases were partially offset by a $1,146,000 decrease in advertising expenses. These increased expenses in 2015 were primarily due to the additional costs and expenses associated with the Company's significant increases in the number of mortgage loan originations in 2015.

Interest expense increased by $1,464,000, or 48.9%, to $4,458,000 for 2015, from $2,994,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This increase was primarily due to an increase in outstanding balances on warehouse lines of credit used to fund mortgage loans.

Cost of goods and services sold of the cemeteries and mortuaries decreased by $50,000, or 2.7%, to $1,803,000 for 2015, from $1,853,000 for the comparable period in 2014. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in mortuary at-need sales, which was offset by an increase in cemetery pre-need and at-need sales.

Other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 amounted to gains of $95,000 and $220,000, respectively. This decrease of $125,000 in 2015 was primarily the result of a $706,000 unrealized loss in marketable securities offset by a gain of $581,000 in derivatives related to mortgage loans.

2014 Compared to 2013

Total revenues increased by $11,622,000, or 5.4%, to $226,937,000 for fiscal year 2014 from $215,315,000 for the fiscal year 2013. Contributing to this increase in total revenues was a $7,950,000 increase in net investment income, a $2,537,000 increase in insurance premiums and other considerations, a $1,141,000 increase in other revenues, a $500,000 increase in realized gains on investments and other assets, and an $172,000 decrease in other than temporary impairments. This increase in total revenues was partially offset by a $574,000 decrease in net cemetery and mortuary sales, and a $104,000 decrease in mortgage fee income.

Insurance premiums and other considerations increased by $2,537,000, or 5.0%, to $53,009,000 for 2014, from $50,472,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This increase was due to an increase in renewal premiums and an increase in first year premiums as a result of increased insurance sales in 2014.

Net investment income increased by $7,950,000, or 39.1%, to $28,304,000 for 2014, from $20,354,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This increase was primarily attributable to a $3,445,000 increase in income from short-term investments, a $2,883,000 increase in interest from mortgage loans, and a $1,776,000 increase in income from real estate. This increase was partially offset by a $61,000 increase in investment expenses, a $58,000 decrease in policy loans income, and a $37,000 decrease in fixed maturity securities income.

Net cemetery and mortuary sales decreased by $574,000, or 4.8%, to $11,426,000 for 2014, from $12,000,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This decrease was primarily due to a $294,000 decrease in cemetery pre-need and at-need sales, and a $280,000 decrease in mortuary at-need sales.

Realized gains on investments and other assets increased by $500,000, or 0.5%, to $1,918,000 in realized gains for 2014, from $1,418,000 in realized gains for the comparable period in 2013. This increase in realized gains and losses on investments and other assets was primarily due to a $482,000 increase in gains and losses on other assets, and a $262,000 increase in gains and losses on fixed maturity securities held to maturity. This increase was partially offset by a $244,000 decrease in gains and losses on marketable securities.

Other than temporary impairments on investments decreased by $172,000, or 51.2%, to $164,000 for 2014 from $336,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This decrease was due to a $116,000 decrease in impairments on real estate held for investment and mortgage loans, and a $56,000 decrease in impairments on marketable securities.

Mortgage fee income decreased by $104,000, or 0.1%, to $128,697,000 for 2014, from $128,801,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This decrease was primarily attributable to lower secondary gains from mortgage loans sold to investors and the decline in refinance activity as a result of the increase in mortgage loan rates in 2014.

Other revenues increased by $1,141,000, or 43.8%, to $3,747,000 for 2014 from $2,606,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This increase was due to an increase in mortgage servicing revenues.

Total benefits and expenses were $214,456,000, or 94.5% of total revenues, for 2014, as compared to $205,491,000, or 95.3% of total revenues, for the comparable period in 2013.

Death benefits, surrenders and other policy benefits, and future policy benefits decreased by an aggregate of $280,000, or 0.6%, to $47,850,000 for 2014, from $48,130,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This decrease was primarily the result of a $1,535,000 decrease in future policy benefits, which was partially offset by increases of $1,052,000 in death benefits, and $203,000 in surrender and other policy benefits.

Amortization of deferred policy and pre-need acquisition costs and value of business acquired increased by $1,711,000, or 33.0%, to $6,893,000 for 2014, from $5,182,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This increase was primarily due to increased amortization of the value of business acquired for new acquisitions and increased amortization for deferred policy costs due to an increased amount of insurance business terminating.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by $7,458,000, or 5.1%, to $154,865,000 for 2014, from $147,407,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This increase was primarily due to a $6,564,000 increase in personnel expenses, a $4,472,000 increase in other expenses, a $1,302,000 increase in the provision for loan losses, a $678,000 increase in rent and rent related expenses, a $556,000 increase in depreciation expense on property and equipment, and a $242,000 increase in costs related to funding mortgage loans. This increase was partially offset by a $6,103,000 decrease in commission expenses and a $253,000 decrease in advertising expenses.

Interest expense increased by $140,000, or 4.9%, to $2,994,000 for 2014, from $2,854,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This increase was primarily due to a new bank loan entered into by Security National Life for real estate offset by a reduction in outstanding balances on warehouse lines of credit used to fund mortgage loans.

Cost of goods and services sold of the cemeteries and mortuaries decreased by $66,000, or 3.4%, to $1,853,000 for 2014, from $1,919,000 for the comparable period in 2013. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in mortuary at-need sales and a decrease in cemetery pre-need and at-need sales.

Other comprehensive income for the years ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 amounted to gain of $220,000 and a loss of $716,000, respectively. This increase of $936,000 in 2014 was primarily the result of a gain of $1,307,000 in derivatives related to mortgage loans offset by a $371,000 unrealized loss in marketable securities.

Risks

The following is a description of the most significant risks facing the Company and how it mitigates those risks:

Legal and Regulatory Risks. The risk that changes in the legal or regulatory environment in which the Company operates will create additional expenses and risks not anticipated by the Company in developing and pricing its products. Regulatory initiatives designed to reduce insurer profits, new legal theories or insurance company insolvencies through guaranty fund assessments may create costs for the insurer beyond those recorded in the consolidated financial statements. In addition, changes in tax law with respect to mortgage interest deductions or other public policy or legislative changes may affect the Company's mortgage sales. Also, the Company may be subject to further regulations in the cemetery and mortuary business. The Company mitigates these risks by offering a wide range of products and by diversifying its operations, thus reducing its exposure to any single product or jurisdiction, and also by employing underwriting practices that identify and minimize the adverse impact of such risks.

Mortgage Industry Risks. Developments in the mortgage industry and credit markets can adversely affect the Company's ability to sell its mortgage loans to investors, which can impact the Company's financial results by requiring it to assume the risk of holding and servicing any unsold loans.

The mortgage loan loss reserve is an estimate of probable losses at the balance sheet date that the Company could realize in the future on mortgage loans sold to third party investors. The Company's mortgage subsidiaries may be required to reimburse third party investors for costs associated with early payoff of loans within the first six months of such loans and to repurchase loans where there is a default in any of the first four monthly payments to the investors or, in lieu of repurchase, to pay a negotiated fee to the investors. The Company's estimates are based upon historical loss experience and the best estimate of the probable loan loss liabilities.

Upon completion of a transfer that satisfies the conditions to be accounted for as a sale, the Company initially measures at fair value liabilities incurred in a sale relating to any guarantee or recourse provisions. The amounts expensed for loan losses in years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were $6,295,000, $3,053,000 and $1,846,000, respectively, and the charge to expense has been included in selling, general and administrative expenses. The estimated liability for indemnification losses is included in other liabilities and accrued expenses and, as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, the balances were $2,806,000 and $1,718,000, respectively. The Company believes the allowance for loan losses and the loan loss reserve represent probable loan losses incurred as of December 31, 2015. There is a risk, however, that future loan losses may exceed the loan loss reserves and allowances.

As of December 31, 2015, the Company's long term mortgage loan portfolio consisted of $5,458,000 in mortgage loans with delinquencies more than 90 days. Of this amount, $3,180,000 of the loans were in foreclosure proceedings. The Company has not received or recognized any interest income on the $5,458,000 in mortgage loans with delinquencies more than 90 days. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company decreased its allowance for mortgage losses by $31,000 and increased its allowance for mortgage losses by $389,000, respectively, which was charged to bad debt expense and included in selling, general and administrative expenses for the period. The allowances for mortgage loan losses as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 were $1,848,000 and $2,003,000, respectively.

At various times third party investors have asserted that SecurityNational Mortgage sold mortgage loans that allegedly contained borrower misrepresentations or experienced early payment defaults, or that were otherwise allegedly defective or not in compliance with loan purchase agreements involving SecurityNational Mortgage. As a result of these claims, third party investors have made demands at times that SecurityNational Mortgage repurchase certain alleged defective mortgage loans that were sold to such investors or indemnify them against any losses related to such loans.

The total amount of potential claims by third party investors is difficult to determine. The Company has reserved and accrued $2,806,000 as of December 31, 2015 to settle all such investor related claims. The Company believes that the reserve for mortgage loan losses, which includes provisions for probable losses and indemnification on mortgage loans sold to investors, is reasonable based on available information. Moreover, the Company has successfully negotiated acceptable settlement terms with other third party investors that asserted claims for mortgage loan losses against SecurityNational Mortgage.

SecurityNational Mortgage disagrees with the repurchase demands and notices of potential claims from third party investors. Furthermore, SecurityNational Mortgage believes there is potential to resolve the alleged claims by the third party investors on acceptable terms. If SecurityNational Mortgage is unable to resolve such claims on acceptable terms, legal action may ensue. In the event of legal action by any third party investor, SecurityNational Mortgage believes it has significant defenses to any such action and intends to vigorously defend itself against such action.

Interest Rate Risk. The risk that interest rates will change which may cause a decrease in the value of the Company's investments or impair the ability of the Company to market its mortgage and cemetery/mortuary products. This change in rates may cause certain interest-sensitive products to become uncompetitive or may cause disintermediation. The Company mitigates this risk by charging fees for non-conformance with certain policy provisions, by offering products that transfer this risk to the purchaser, and by attempting to match the maturity schedule of its assets with the expected payouts of its liabilities. To the extent that liabilities come due more quickly than assets mature, the Company might have to borrow funds or sell assets prior to maturity and potentially recognize a loss on the sale.

Mortality and Morbidity Risks. The risk that the Company's actuarial assumptions may differ from actual mortality and morbidity experiences may cause the Company's products to be underpriced, may cause the Company to liquidate insurance or other claims earlier than anticipated, and other potentially adverse consequences to the business. The Company minimizes this risk through sound underwriting practices, asset and liability duration matching, and sound actuarial practices.

Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The estimates susceptible to significant change are those used in determining the liability for future policy benefits and claims, those used in determining valuation allowances for mortgage loans on real estate, construction loans, estimate of probable loan loss reserve, and other receivables, and those used in determining the estimated future costs for pre-need sales. Although some variability is inherent in these estimates, management believes the amounts provided are adequate.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company's life insurance subsidiaries and cemetery and mortuary subsidiaries realize cash flow from premiums, contract payments and sales on personal services rendered for cemetery and mortuary business, from interest and dividends on invested assets, and from the proceeds from the maturity of held to maturity investments or sale of other investments. The mortgage subsidiaries realize cash flow from fees generated by originating and refinancing mortgage loans and interest earned on mortgages sold to investors. The Company considers these sources of cash flow to be adequate to fund future policyholder and cemetery and mortuary liabilities, which generally are long-term, and adequate to pay current policyholder claims, annuity payments, expenses related to the issuance of new policies, the maintenance of existing policies, debt service, and to meet current operating expenses.

During the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company's operations used and provided cash of $15,831,000 and $31,016,000, respectively. This was due primarily to a $47,752,000 increase in 2015 and a $7,362,000 decrease in 2014 in the balance of mortgage loans sold to investors.

The Company's liability for future life, annuity and other benefits is expected to be paid out over the long-term due to the Company's market niche of selling funeral plans. Funeral plans are small face value life insurance that will pay the costs and expenses incurred at the time of a person's death. A person generally will keep these policies in force and will not surrender them prior to a person's death. Because of the long-term nature of these liabilities, the Company is able to hold to maturity its bonds, real estate and mortgage loans thus reducing the risk of liquidating these long-term investments as a result of any sudden changes in market values.

The Company attempts to match the duration of invested assets with its policyholder and cemetery and mortuary liabilities. The Company may sell investments other than those held to maturity in the portfolio to help in this timing. The Company purchases short-term investments on a temporary basis to meet the expectations of short-term requirements of the Company's products. The Company's investment philosophy is intended to provide a rate of return, which will persist during the expected duration of policyholder and cemetery and mortuary liabilities regardless of future interest rate movements.

The Company's investment policy is also to invest predominantly in fixed maturity securities, real estate, mortgage loans, and warehousing of mortgage loans on a short-term basis before selling the loans to investors in accordance with the requirements and laws governing the life insurance subsidiaries. Bonds owned by the insurance subsidiaries amounted to $144,946,000 and $134,406,000 as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. This represents 35.8% and 30.9% of the total investments as of December 31, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Generally, all bonds owned by the life insurance subsidiaries are rated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Under this rating system, there are six categories used for rating bonds. At December 31, 2015, 8.3% (or $11,990,000) and at December 31, 2014, 6.8% (or $9,192,000) of the Company's total bond investments were invested in bonds in rating categories three through six, which are considered non‑investment grade.

The Company has classified certain of its fixed income securities, including high-yield securities, in its portfolio as available for sale, with the remainder classified as held to maturity. In accordance with Company policy, however, any such securities purchased in the future will be classified as held to maturity. Notwithstanding, business conditions may develop in the future which may indicate a need for a higher level of liquidity in the investment portfolio. In that event, the Company believes it could sell short-term investment grade securities before liquidating higher yielding longer-term securities.

See Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for the schedule of the maturity of fixed maturity securities and for the schedule of principal payments for mortgage loans on real estate and construction loans held for investment.

If market conditions were to cause interest rates to change, the market value of the Company's fixed income portfolio, which includes bonds, preferred stock, and mortgage loans, could change by the following amounts based on the respective basis point swing (the change in the market values were calculated using a modeling technique):

The Company is subject to risk based capital guidelines established by statutory regulators requiring minimum capital levels based on the perceived risk of assets, liabilities, disintermediation, and business risk. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the life insurance subsidiaries exceeded the regulatory criteria.

The Company's total capitalization of stockholders' equity, and bank debt and notes payable were $152,154,000 as of December 31, 2015, as compared to $126,111,000 as of December 31, 2014. Stockholders' equity as a percent of total capitalization was 73.1% and 77.0% as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. Bank debt and notes payable increased by $11,889,000 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 as compared to December 31, 2014, thus decreasing the stockholders equity percentage.

Lapse rates measure the amount of insurance terminated during a particular period. The Company's lapse rate for life insurance was 7.4% in 2015 as compared to a rate of 7.0% for 2014.

At December 31, 2015, $35,960,000 of the Company's consolidated stockholders' equity represents the statutory stockholders' equity of the Company's life insurance subsidiaries. The life insurance subsidiaries cannot pay a dividend to its parent company without the approval of state insurance regulatory authorities.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their businesses without fear of litigation so long as those statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in such statements. The Company desires to take advantage of the "safe harbor" provisions of the act.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, together with related data and projections, about the Company's projected financial results and its future plans and strategies. However, actual results and needs of the Company may vary materially from forward-looking statements and projections made from time to time by the Company on the basis of management's then-current expectations. The business in which the Company is engaged involves changing and competitive markets, which may involve a high degree of risk, and there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements and projections will prove accurate.

Factors that may cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or projected, forecast, estimated or budgeted in such forward looking statements include among others, the following possibilities: (i) heightened competition, including the intensification of price competition, the entry of new competitors, and the introduction of new products by new and existing competitors; (ii) adverse state and federal legislation or regulation, including decreases in rates, limitations on premium levels, increases in minimum capital and reserve requirements, benefit mandates and tax treatment of insurance products; (iii) fluctuations in interest rates causing a reduction of investment income or increase in interest expense and in the market value of interest rate sensitive investment; (iv) failure to obtain new customers, retain existing customers or reductions in policies in force by existing customers; (v) higher service, administrative, or general expense due to the need for additional advertising, marketing, administrative or management information systems expenditures; (vi) loss or retirement of key executives or employees; (vii) increases in medical costs; (viii) changes in the Company's liquidity due to changes in asset and liability matching; (ix) restrictions on insurance underwriting based on genetic testing and other criteria; (x) adverse changes in the ratings obtained by independent rating agencies; (xi) failure to maintain adequate reinsurance; (xii) possible claims relating to sales practices for insurance products and claim denials and (xiii) adverse trends in mortality and morbidity; (xiv) deterioration of real estate markets and (xv) lawsuits in the ordinary course of business.

Off-Balance Sheet Agreements

At December 31, 2015, the Company was contingently liable under a standby letter of credit aggregating $576,776, to be used as collateral to cover any contingency related to additional risk assessments pertaining to the Company's captive insurance program. The Company does not expect any material losses to result from the issuance of the standby letter of credit because claims are not expected to exceed premiums paid. Accordingly, the estimated fair value of these instruments is zero.

At December 31, 2015, the Company was contingently liable under a standby letter of credit aggregating $1,250,000, to be used as collateral to cover any contingency related to claims filed in states where the Company is licensed. The Company does not expect any material losses to result from the issuance of the standby letter of credit. Accordingly, the estimated fair value of these instruments is zero.

At December 31, 2015 the Company was contingently liable under a standby letter of credit aggregating $48,220, issued as a security deposit to guarantee payment of final bills for electric and gas utility services for a commercial real estate property owned by the Company in Wichita, Kansas.

SecurityNational Mortgage has entered into loan purchase agreements to originate and sell mortgage loans to three unaffiliated warehouse banks. On March 19, 2012, SecurityNational Mortgage and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. ("Wells Fargo") entered into a loan purchase agreement in which Wells Fargo agreed to provide a warehouse line of up to $55,000,000 to fund certain approved mortgage loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage. On December 10, 2015, SecurityNational Mortgage and Wells Fargo agreed to an amendment to the March 19, 2012 loan purchase agreement to increase the amount of the warehouse line available to fund mortgage loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage from $55,000,000 to $70,000,000.

On July 16, 2012, SecurityNational Mortgage and UBS Real Estate Securities Inc. ("UBS") entered into a loan purchase agreement in which UBS agreed to provide a warehouse line of up to $30,000,000 to fund mortgage loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage. On October 26, 2012, SecurityNational Mortgage and UBS agreed to an amendment to the July 16, 2012 loan purchase agreement to increase the amount of the warehouse line available to fund mortgage loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage from $30,000,000 to $40,000,000. The loan purchase agreement between SecurityNational Mortgage and UBS expired on December 23, 2015.

On August 14, 2015, SecurityNational Mortgage entered into a loan purchase agreement with Texas Capital Bank. The loan purchase agreement provides a warehouse line of up to $30,000,000 to fund mortgage loans originated by SecurityNational Mortgage. SecurityNational Mortgage is listed as seller and the Company as guarantor in the agreement.

Generally, when mortgage loans are sold to the warehouse banks, the Company is no longer obligated to pay the amounts outstanding on the mortgage loans, but is required to pay a fee in the form of interest on the mortgage loans between the date the loans are sold to warehouse banks and the settlement date with the third party investors. The terms of the loan purchase agreements are typically for one year, with interest accruing on the mortgage loans at annual rates ranging from 2.5% to 2.75% over the 30-day LIBOR rate.

As of December 31, 2015, SecurityNational Mortgage had $197,890,000 in mortgage loans in which settlements with third party investors were still pending and Green Street Mortgage had $2,061,000 in mortgage loans in which settlements with third party investors were still pending.

The total of the Company unfunded residential construction loan commitments as of December 31, 2015 was $26,216,000.

The Company entered into a Construction and Term Loan Agreement ("Agreement") between Zions First National Bank and Dry Creek Property Development, Inc., the Company's wholly owned subsidiary. Under the terms of this Agreement the Company agrees to pay Zions First National Bank the current outstanding principal up to $27,500,000 plus interest. These funds are being used for the construction of a 282-unit multifamily development in Sandy City Utah. As of December 31, 2015, the Company has used $24,933,000 of these funds.

Contractual Obligations

The Company's contractual obligations as of December 31, 2015 and the payments due by period are shown in the following table:

Casualty Insurance Program

In conjunction with the Company's casualty insurance program, limited equity interests are held in a captive insurance entity. This program permits the Company to self-insure a portion of losses, to gain access to a wide array of safety-related services, to pool insurance risks and resources in order to obtain more competitive pricing for administration and reinsurance and to limit its risk of loss in any particular year. The maximum exposure to loss related to the Company's involvement with this entity is limited to approximately $576,776, which is collateralized under a standby letter of credit issued on the insurance entity's behalf. See Note 9, "Reinsurance, Commitments and Contingencies," for additional discussion of commitments associated with the insurance program and Note 1, "Significant Accounting Policies", for further information on a standby letter of credit. As of December 31, 2015, there are no other entities that met the definition of a variable interest entity.

The Company has no activities in derivative financial or commodity instruments other than those recorded and disclosed in the financial statements. See Note 18 of the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. The Company's exposure to market risks (i.e., interest rate risk, foreign currency exchange rate risk and equity price risk) through other financial instruments, including cash equivalents, accounts receivable and lines of credit, is not material.

Under the supervision and with the participation of the Company's management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the Company has evaluated the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures as required by Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(b) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that these disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(a) Management's annual report on internal control over financial reporting.

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. The Company's internal control over financial reporting is a process that is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and includes those policies and procedures that:

• Pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of assets of the Company,
• Provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and the Board of Directors of the Company, and
• Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies and procedures may deteriorate.

Management performed an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2015 based on the framework in "Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013)" issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The objective of this assessment was to determine whether the Company's internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2015. Based on that assessment the Company believes that, at December 31, 2015, its internal control over financial reporting was effective.

This annual report on internal control over financial reporting does not include an attestation report of the Company's registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management's report was not subject to attestation by the Company's registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the Securities Exchange Commission that permit the Company to provide only management's report in this annual report.

(b) Changes in internal control over financial reporting.

There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2015 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.