The words “believe,” “could,” “possibly,” “probably,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “expect,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “seek,” “intend,” “plan,” “expect,” or “consider” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.
● changes resulting from the evolution of our business model and strategy with respect to the life insurance industry;
● the reliability of assumptions underlying our actuarial models, including our life expectancy estimates;
● risks relating to our ability to license and effectively apply technologies to improve and expand the scope of our business;
● our ability to make cash distributions in satisfaction of dividend obligations and redemption requests.
We initially record our purchase of life insurance policies at the transaction price, which is the amount paid for the policy, inclusive of all external fees and costs associated with the acquisition. The fair value of our investment in our portfolio of insurance policies is evaluated at the end of each subsequent reporting period. Changes in the fair value of our portfolio are based on periodic evaluations and are recorded in our consolidated and combined statement of operations as changes in fair value of life insurance policies.
In the past, we attempted to update the independent life expectancy estimates on the insured lives in our portfolio, other than insured lives covered under small face amount policies (i.e., $1 million in face value benefits or less), on a continuous rotating three-year cycle. Under the terms of our senior credit facility with LNV Corporation, however, we are required to attempt to update life expectancies on a rotating two-year cycle. Our prior experience in updating life expectancies has generally resulted in longer life expectancies for most, but not all, of the insureds within our portfolio. For more information about life expectancy estimates and their impact upon our business and financial statements, please see Risk Factors (“If actuarial assumptions we obtain from third-party providers . . . .”), and Note 4 to our financial statements.
Financing costs, which include issuance costs, sales commissions and other direct expenses, incurred under the senior credit facilities were capitalized and are amortized using the straight-line method over the term of the senior credit facilities. The Series I Secured Note obligations are reported net of financing costs, which are amortized using the interest method over the term of each respective borrowing. The L Bonds are reported net of financing costs, which are amortized using the interest method over the term of each respective borrowing.
● Sale of a Life Insurance Policy. In the event of a sale of a policy, we recognize gain or loss as the difference between the sale price and the carrying value of the policy on the date of the receipt of payment on such sale.
(1) The discount rate applied to estimate the fair value of the portfolio of life insurance policies we own was 10.96% and 11.09% as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The carrying value of policies acquired during each quarterly reporting period is adjusted to current fair value using the fair value discount rate applied to the entire portfolio as of that reporting date.
(1) We hired additional members to our sales, marketing and information technology teams. At the end of 2015 we employed approximately 50 employees, at the end of 2016 our headcount rose to approximately 70 employees.
(3) Increase is due to SEC filings and other costs related to securities offerings and on-going compliance.
(4) Increase is due to increased insurance, investor relations, marketing and business development expenses.
The most significant temporary differences between GAAP net income and taxable net income are the treatment of interest costs with respect to the acquisition of the life insurance policies and revenue recognition with respect to the mark-to-market of life insurance portfolio.
As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, we had approximately $121.7 million and $74.4 million, respectively, in combined available cash, cash equivalents, policy benefits receivable, if any, and available borrowing base surplus capacity, if any, under our senior credit facilities for the purpose of purchasing additional life insurance policies, paying premiums on existing policies, paying portfolio servicing expenses, and paying principal and interest on our outstanding financing obligations.
We had the following outstanding debt balances as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015:
In November 2009, our wholly owned subsidiary GWG Life began a private placement of Series I Secured Notes to accredited investors only. This offering was closed in November 2011. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we had approximately $16.6 million and $23.6 million, respectively, in principal amount of Series I Secured Notes outstanding.
In October 2015, we began publicly offering up to 100,000 shares of our RPS at a per-share price of $1,000. As of December 31, 2016 we had issued approximately $59.0 million stated value of RPS.
The weighted-average interest rate of our outstanding Series I Secured Notes as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 was 8.68% and 8.47%, respectively, and the weighted-average maturity at those dates was 1.14 and 1.06 years, respectively. The Series I Secured Notes have renewal features. Since we first issued our Series I Secured Notes, we have experienced $166.3 million in maturities, of which as of December 31, 2016, $125.0 million has renewed for an additional term. This has provided us with an aggregate renewal rate of approximately 75% for investments in these securities. Effective September 1, 2016, we no longer renew the Series I Secured Notes.
The weighted-average interest rate of our outstanding L Bonds as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 was 7.23% and 7.18%, respectively, and the weighted-average maturity at those dates was 2.13 and 2.02 years, respectively. Our L Bonds have renewal features. Since we first issued our L Bonds, we have experienced $282.1 million in maturities, of which $181.5 million has renewed through December 31, 2016 for an additional term. This has provided us with an aggregate renewal rate of approximately 64% for investments in these securities. Effective September 1, 2016, we discontinued the sales and renewals of 6-month and 1-year L Bonds.
The L Bonds and Series I Secured Notes are secured by all of our assets, and are subordinate to our senior credit facilities. The L Bonds and Series I Secured Notes are pari passu with respect to a security interest in our assets pursuant to an intercreditor agreement (see Notes 7 and 8).
We expect to meet our ongoing operational capital needs through a combination of policy benefit receipts, origination fees, and proceeds from financing transactions. We expect to meet our policy acquisition, servicing, and financing capital needs principally from the receipt of policy benefit revenues from our portfolio of life insurance policies, net proceeds from our offering of L Bonds, RPS and RPS 2, and from our senior credit facilities. Because we only receive origination fees when we purchase a policy, our receipt of those fees is contingent upon our consummation of policy purchases, which is, in turn, contingent upon our receipt of external funding. Despite capital market conditions that are still recovering from the prolonged credit crisis, we have demonstrated continued access to credit and financing markets. Furthermore, we expect that policy benefit receipts will increase as the average age of the insureds increase and mortality events occur over time with greater frequency. As a result of the foregoing, we estimate that our liquidity and capital resources are sufficient for our current and projected financial needs. Nevertheless, if we are unable to continue our offerings for any reason (or if we become unsuccessful in selling our securities), and we are unable to obtain capital from other sources, our business will be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our business will be materially and adversely affected if we do not receive the policy benefits we forecast and if holders of our L Bonds or Series I Secured Notes fail to renew with the frequency we have historically experienced. In such a case, we could be forced to sell our investments in life insurance policies to service or satisfy our debt-related and other obligations.
The table illustrates that our ability to fully satisfy amounts owing under the L Bonds and Series I Secured Notes would likely be impaired upon the sale of all our life insurance assets at a price equivalent to a discount rate of approximately 13.94% or higher. At December 31, 2015, the impairment occurred at a discount rate of approximately 14.09% or higher. The discount rates used to calculate the fair value of our portfolio were 10.96% and 11.09% as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.
For the quarter-end dates set forth below, the following table illustrates the total amount of face value of policy benefits owned, and the trailing 12 months of life insurance policy benefits collected and premiums paid on our portfolio. The trailing 12-month benefits/premium coverage ratio indicates the ratio of policy benefits received to premiums paid over the trailing 12-month period from our portfolio of life insurance policies.
We believe that the portfolio cash flow results set forth above are consistent with our general investment thesis: that the life insurance policy benefits we receive will continue to increase over time in relation to the premiums we are required to pay on the remaining polices in the portfolio. Nevertheless, we expect that our portfolio cash flow on a period-to-period basis will remain inconsistent until such time as we achieve our goal of acquiring a larger, more diversified portfolio of life insurance policies. As our receipt of life insurance policy benefits increases, we expect to use these cash flows to begin paying down our outstanding indebtedness and purchase additional life insurance policies.
We review the credit risk associated with our portfolio of life insurance policies when estimating its fair value. In evaluating the policies’ credit risk, we consider insurance company solvency, credit risk indicators, economic conditions, ongoing credit evaluations, and company positions. We attempt to manage our credit risk related to life insurance policies typically by purchasing policies issued only from companies with an investment-grade credit rating by either Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, or A.M. Best Company. As of December 31, 2016, 96.3% of our life insurance policies, by face value benefits, were issued by companies that maintained an investment-grade rating (BBB or better) by Standard & Poor’s.
Non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by our management are provided as additional information to investors in order to provide an alternative method for assessing our financial condition and operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP measures used by other companies, including other companies within our industry. This presentation of non-GAAP financial information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for comparable amounts prepared in accordance with GAAP. See our consolidated financial statements and our audited financial statements contained herein.
Therefore, in contrast to a GAAP fair valuation (mark-to-market), we seek to measure the accrual of the actuarial gain occurring within the portfolio of life insurance policies at our expected internal rate of return based on statistical mortality probabilities for the insureds (using primarily the insured’s age, sex, health and smoking status). The expected internal rate of return tracks actuarial gain occurring within the policies according to a mortality table as the insureds’ age increases. By comparing the actuarial gain accruing within our portfolio of life insurance policies against our adjusted costs during the same period, we can estimate, manage and evaluate the overall financial profitability of our business without regard to mark-to-market volatility. We use this information to balance our life insurance policy purchasing and manage our capital structure, including the issuance of debt and utilization of our other sources of capital, and to monitor our compliance with borrowing covenants. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide information that is useful for investors to understand period-over-period operating results separate and apart from fair value items that could have a disproportionately positive or negative impact on GAAP results in any particular period.
Our senior credit facility with Autobahn/DZ Bank requires us to maintain a “positive net income” and “tangible net worth,” each of which are calculated on an adjusted non-GAAP basis using the method described above, without regard to GAAP-based fair value measures. In addition, our senior credit facility with Autobahn/DZ Bank requires us to maintain an “excess spread,” which is the difference between (i) the weighted average of our expected internal rate of return of our portfolio of life insurance policies and (ii) the weighted average of the Autobahn/DZ Bank senior credit facility’s interest rate.
(3) Accrual of actuarial gain at expected internal rate of return based on the non-GAAP investment cost basis for the period.
(4) We must maintain an annual positive consolidated net income, calculated on a non-GAAP basis, to maintain compliance with our senior credit facility with Autobahn/DZ Bank.
Excess Spread. The expected internal rate of return on the portfolio is the rate of return the portfolio would earn if all future cash flows occurred over time in proportion to the likelihood of their occurrence. Expected future cash flows represent the size of each potential payment (premiums and death benefits), multiplied by the probability of that particular payment occurring. This calculation is known as the “probabilistic expectation” and it is based on actuarial estimations of life expectancy. For instance, a required premium payment of $10,000 might be projected for a given policy at a date five years from now. If there is a 50% chance of survival for the next five years, then that particular expected cash-outflow is calculated at $5,000. Similarly, if the death benefit amount on the same policy is $1 million, then during the next five years, the probable expected cash-inflow of policy benefits will total $500,000 with the other $500,000 projected to occur over the remaining life of the insured. The rate of return generated by the net of all such future expected cash flows for the portfolio is thus the expected IRR for the portfolio. Our senior credit facility with Autobahn/DZ Bank requires us to maintain a 2.00% “excess spread” between our weighted-average expected internal rate of return of our portfolio of life insurance policies and the senior credit facility’s interest rate.
A presentation of our excess spread and our total excess spread is set forth below. Management uses the “total excess spread” to gauge expected profitability of our investments, and uses the “excess spread” to monitor compliance with our borrowing covenants.
(1) This represents the weighted-average expected internal rate of return of the life insurance policies as of the measurement date based upon our non-GAAP investment cost basis of the insurance policies and the expected cash flows from the life insurance portfolio.
(B) Adjusted cost basis is increased to interest, premiums and servicing fees which are expensed under GAAP.
(C) This is the non-GAAP investment cost basis in life insurance policies from which our expected internal rate of return is calculated.
(2) This is the weighted-average revolving credit for both senior credit facilities as of the measurement date.
Debt Coverage Ratio and Subordination Ratio. Our L Bond and Series I Secured Notes borrowing covenants require us to maintain a “debt coverage ratio” of less than 90%. The “debt coverage ratio” is calculated by dividing the sum of our total interest-bearing indebtedness by the sum of our cash, cash equivalents, policy benefits receivable, if any, and the net present value of the life insurance portfolio. The “subordination ratio” for our L Bonds is calculated by dividing the total interest-bearing indebtedness that is senior to L Bonds and Series I Secured Notes by the sum of our cash, cash equivalents, policy benefits receivable, if any, and the net present value of the life insurance portfolio. The “subordination ratio” was required to be less than 50%. For purposes of both ratio calculations, the net present value of the life insurance portfolio is calculated using a discount rate equal to the weighted average interest rate of all indebtedness. As of the date of this report, the subordination ratio provisions under the Indenture have expired.
Non-GAAP Expected Portfolio Internal Rate of Return at Purchase. The non-GAAP expected portfolio internal rate of return (“IRR”) at purchase is calculated as the weighted average (by face amount of policy benefits) of the IRR expected at the time of purchase for all life insurance policies held in the portfolio. This non-GAAP measure isolates our IRR expectation at purchase utilizing our underwriting life expectancy assumptions at that time. This measure does not change with the passage of time as compared to our non-GAAP investment cost basis that increases with the payment of premiums, financing costs, and the effective life expectancy which changes over time, both of which are used to calculate our expected portfolio IRR.
During the fourth quarter of 2016, we corrected an immaterial error related to the presentation of preferred stock dividends on the statement of operations and the statement of changes in shareholders’ equity. We had previously incorrectly included preferred stock dividends as a component of interest expense. As corrected, preferred stock dividends are presented as a reduction of paid in capital. We also corrected an immaterial error in the “as converted” method of calculating fully diluted earnings per share.
The effects of this correction on each of the quarters and periods during 2015 as we previously reported are presented below:
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audits of the financial statements include examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall consolidated financial statement presentation. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
( 1 ) Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
On September 30, 2015, GWG Holdings formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Wirth Park Agency, LLC. Wirth Park Agency was formed to convert term life insurance policies into universal, or permanent life insurance. Wirth Park Agency produces commission revenue through this activity.
On December 7, 2015, GWG Holdings formed a wholly owned subsidiary, GWG MCA, LLC. On January 13, 2016, GWG MCA, LLC was converted to a corporation and became GWG MCA Capital, Inc. GWG MCA Capital, Inc. was formed to engage in the merchant cash advance business.
Cash and Cash Equivalents - We consider cash in demand deposit accounts and temporary investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. We maintain our cash and cash equivalents with highly rated financial institutions. The balances in our bank accounts may exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation limits. We periodically evaluate the risk of exceeding insured levels and may transfer funds as we deem appropriate.
Other Assets - Actüa Life & Annuity Ltd. (“Actüa”) is a new wholly-owned subsidiary of GWG Holdings engaged in various life insurance businesses and activities. In August 2016, Actüa entered into an exclusive option agreement with the Regents of the University of California to explore the use of predictive mortality forecasting using an epigenetic mortality predictor invented by Dr. Steve Horvath. The cost of entering into this exclusive option agreement is listed as “other assets.”
Stock-Based Compensation: We measure and recognize compensation expense for all stock-based payments at fair value over the requisite service period. We use the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the weighted average fair value of options. For restricted stock grants, fair value is determined as the average price of our common stock on the date of grant. Equity-based compensation expense is recorded in administrative expenses based on the classification of the employee or vendor. The determination of fair value of stock-based payment awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model is affected by our stock price as well as by assumptions regarding a number of subjective variables. These variables include, but are not limited to, the expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards, and actual and projected employee stock option exercise behaviors.
The expected terms of the options are based on evaluations of historical and expected future employee exercise behavior. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury rates at the date of grant with maturity dates approximately equal to the expected life at grant date. Volatility is based on historical and expected future volatility of our stock. To date, we have not paid any dividends on our common stock. Forfeitures for both option and restricted stock grants are estimated at the time of the grant and revised in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from estimates.
Recently Adopted Pronouncements - On April 7, 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU 2015-03”), as part of its simplification initiative. ASU 2015-03 changes the presentation of debt issuance costs by presenting those costs in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability. Amortization of the costs is reported as interest expense. We adopted ASU 2015-03 effective January 1, 2016, as required for public reporting entities.
We recognized life insurance benefits of $48,452,000 and $31,232,000 during 2016 and 2015, respectively, related to policies with a carrying value of $10,993,000 and $4,511,000, respectively, and as a result recorded realized gains of $37,459,000 and $26,721,000.
The estimated fair value of our portfolio of life insurance policies is determined on a quarterly basis by our portfolio management committee, taking into consideration changes in discount rate assumptions, estimated premium payments and life expectancy estimate assumptions, as well as any changes in economic and other relevant conditions. The discount rate incorporates current information about discount rate applied by other reporting companies owning portfolios of life insurance policies, the discount rates observed in the life insurance secondary market, market interest rates, the credit exposure to the insurance company that issued the life insurance policy and management’s estimate of the risk premium a purchaser would require to receive the future cash flows derived from our portfolio as a whole.
The carrying value of receivables, prepaid expenses, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate fair value due to their short-term maturities and low credit risk. Using the income-based valuation approach, the estimated fair value of our Series I Secured Notes and L Bonds, having a combined aggregate face value of $403,681,000 as of December 31, 2016, is approximately $414,419,000 based on a weighted-average market interest rate of 6.45%. The carrying value of the senior credit facilities reflects interest charged at the commercial paper rate or 12-month LIBOR, as applicable, plus an applicable margin. The margin represents our credit risk, and the strength of the portfolio of life insurance policies collateralizing the debt. The overall rate reflects market, and the carrying value of the facility approximates fair value.
Through DLP III, we are party to a $105 million senior credit facility with Autobahn Funding Company LLC (“Autobahn”), with a maturity date of June 30, 2018. The facility is governed by a Credit and Security Agreement (the “Agreement”), and DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank (“DZ Bank”) acts as the agent for Autobahn under the Agreement. On September 14, 2016, we paid off the senior credit facility in full with funds received from a new senior credit facility with LNV Corporation as described in Note 6.
The amount outstanding under this facility was $0 and $65,011,000 at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. GWG Holdings is a performance guarantor of the various obligations of GWG Life, as servicer, under the Agreement. Obligations under the facility are secured by our pledge of ownership in our life insurance policies to DZ Bank through an arrangement under which Wells Fargo serves as a securities intermediary.
The Agreement has certain financial (as described below) and nonfinancial covenants, and we were in compliance with these covenants at both December 31, 2016 and 2015.
Total funds available for additional borrowings under the facility at December 31, 2016 and 2015, were $0 and $39,989,000, respectively.
On September 14, 2016, we entered into a senior credit facility with LNV Corporation as lender through our subsidiary GWG DLP Funding IV, LLC (“DLP IV”). The facility is governed by a Loan and Security Agreement (the “Loan Agreement”), with CLMG Corp. acting as administrative agent on behalf of the lenders under the Loan Agreement. The Loan Agreement makes available a total of up to $172,300,000 in credit with a maturity date of September 14, 2026. Additional quarterly advances are available under the Loan Agreement at the LIBOR rate as defined by the lender. Interest will accrue on amounts borrowed under the agreement at an annual interest rate, determined as of each date of borrowing or quarterly if there is no borrowing, equal to (A) the greater of 12-month LIBOR or the federal funds rate (as defined in the agreement) plus one-half of one percent per annum, plus (B) 5.75% per annum. Interest payments are made on a quarterly basis.
The amount outstanding under this facility was $162,725,000 at December 31, 2016. Obligations under the facility are secured by a security interest in DLP IV’s assets, for the benefit of the lenders under the Loan Agreement, through an arrangement under which Wells Fargo serves as security intermediary. The life insurance policies owned by DLP IV do not serve as direct collateral for the obligations of GWG Holdings under its L Bonds or Series I Secured Notes. The difference between the outstanding balance as of December 31, 2016 and the carrying amount relates to unamortized debt issuance costs.
The Agreement has certain financial and nonfinancial covenants, and we were in compliance with these covenants at December 31, 2016.
Series I Secured Notes (“Series I”) are legal obligations of GWG Life and were privately offered and sold from August 2009 through June 2011. The Series I are secured by the assets of GWG Life and are subordinate to obligations under our senior credit facilities (see Notes 5 and 6). We are party to a Third Amended and Restated Note Issuance and Security Agreement dated November 1, 2011, as amended, under which GWG Life is obligor, GWG Holdings is guarantor, and Lord Securities Corporation serves as trustee of the GWG Life Trust (“Trust”). This agreement contains certain financial and non-financial covenants, and we were in compliance with these covenants at both December 31, 2016 and 2015.
Interest on the Series I is payable monthly, quarterly, annually or at maturity depending on the election of the investor. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, the weighted-average interest rate of our Series I was 8.68% and 8.47%, respectively. The principal amount of Series I outstanding was $16,614,000 and $23,578,000 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The difference between the amount outstanding on the Series I and the carrying amount on our balance sheet is due to netting of unamortized deferred issuance costs. Overall, interest expense includes amortization of deferred financing and issuance costs of $332,000 and $362,000 in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Future expected amortization of deferred financing costs is $209,000 in total over the next five years.
Our L Bonds are legal obligations of GWG Holdings. Obligations under the L Bonds are secured by the assets of GWG Holdings and by GWG Life, as a guarantor, and are subordinate to the obligations under our senior credit facilities (see Notes 5 and 6). We began publicly offering and selling L Bonds in January 2012 under the name “Renewable Secured Debentures.” These debt securities were re-named “L Bonds” in January 2015. L Bonds are publicly offered and sold on a continuous basis under a registration statement permitting us to sell up to $1.0 billion in principal amount of L Bonds. We are party to an indenture governing the L Bonds dated October 19, 2011, as amended (“Indenture”), under which GWG Holdings is obligor, GWG Life is guarantor, and Bank of Utah serves as indenture trustee. The Indenture contains certain financial and non-financial covenants, and we were in compliance with these covenants at December 31, 2016 and 2015.
Effective September 1, 2016, we ceased selling 6-month and 1-year L Bonds until further notice. In addition, effective September 1, 2016, the L Bond interest rates changed to 5.50%, 6.25%, 7.50% and 8.50% for the 2-, 3-, 5- and 7-year L Bonds, respectively. The bonds have renewal features under which we may elect to permit their renewal, subject to the right of bondholders to elect to receive payment at maturity. Interest is payable monthly or annually depending on the election of the investor.
Future contractual maturities of L Bonds, and future amortization of their deferred financing costs, at December 31, 2016 are as follows:
In September 2014, we completed, at our discretion, a public offering of our common stock and, as a result, the Series A was reclassified from temporary equity to permanent equity. We may redeem Series A shares at a price equal to 110% of their liquidation preference ($7.50 per share) at any time. As of December 31, 2016, we have redeemed an aggregate of 277,000 shares of Series A.
The RPS ranks senior to our common stock and pari passu with our Series A, and entitles its holders to a liquidation preference equal to the stated value per share (i.e., $1,000) plus accrued but unpaid dividends. Holders of RPS may presently convert their RPS into our common stock at a conversion price equal to the volume-weighted average price of our common stock for the 20 trading days immediately prior to the date of conversion, subject to a minimum conversion price of $15.00 and in an aggregate amount limited to 15% of the stated value of RPS originally purchased by such holder from us and still held by such holder.
At the time of its issuance, we determined that the RPS contained two embedded features: (1) optional redemption by the holder at our discretion and (2) optional conversion by the holder. We determined that each of the embedded features met the definition of a derivative and that the RPS should be considered an equity host for the purposes of assessing the embedded derivatives for potential bifurcation. Based on our assessment under ASC 470 “Debt” we do not believe bifurcation of either the holder’s redemption or conversion feature is appropriate.
On February 14, 2017, our public offering up to 150,000 shares of Series 2 Redeemable Preferred Stock (“RPS 2”) at $1,000 per share was declared effective. Holders of RPS 2 are entitled to cumulative dividends at the rate of 7% per annum, paid monthly. Dividends on the RPS 2, when payable, will be recorded as a reduction to additional paid-in capital. Under certain circumstances described in the Certificate of Designation for the RPS 2, additional shares of RPS 2 may be issued in lieu of cash dividends.
Holders of RPS 2 may request that we redeem their RPS 2 at a price equal to their liquidation preference at a price equal to their stated value plus accrued but unpaid dividends, less an applicable redemption fee, if any. Nevertheless, the Certificate of Designation for RPS 2 permits us complete discretion to decline requests for redemption. Subject to certain restrictions and conditions, we may also redeem shares of RPS 2 without a redemption fee upon a holder’s death, total disability or bankruptcy. In addition, we may, at our option, call and redeem shares of RPS 2 at a price equal to their liquidation preference (subject to a minimum redemption price, in the event of redemptions occurring less than one year after issuance, of 107% of the stated value of the shares being redeemed).
Beginning March 31, 2016, GWG MCA began privately offering up to 2,000,000 shares of GWG MCA 9% Preferred Stock (“MCA Preferred”) at $10.00 per share. Holders of MCA Preferred are entitled to cumulative dividends at a rate of 9% per annum, paid monthly. Dividends on the MCA Preferred are included as interest expense in the statements of operations. As of December 31, 2016, a total of 7,155 shares of MCA Preferred had been sold for aggregate gross consideration of $72,000 and approximately $7,000 of selling costs related to the sale of these shares were incurred.
Holders of MCA Preferred were redeemed as of December 31, 2016 at the stated value of their shares plus accrued but unpaid dividends.
We also provided a valuation allowance against the deferred tax asset related to a tax basis capital loss generated with respect to our settlement and subsequent disposal of an earlier investment. As we have no expectation of generating capital gains with the applicable carryforward period, we do not believe that it is “more likely than not” that the deferred asset will be realized.
The primary differences between the December 31, 2016 effective tax rate and the statutory federal rate are state taxes, and other non-deductible expenses. The most significant temporary differences between GAAP net income and taxable net income are the treatment of interest costs with respect to the acquisition of the life insurance policies and revenue recognition with respect to the mark-to-market of our life insurance portfolio.
At December 31, 2016 and 2015, we had federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $26,642,000 and $17,451,000, respectively, and aggregate state NOL carryforwards of approximately $26,616,000 and $17,423,000, respectively. The NOL carryforwards will begin to expire in 2031. Future utilization of NOL carryforwards is subject to limitations under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. This section generally relates to a more than 50 percent change in ownership over a three-year period. We currently do not believe that any issuance of common stock has resulted in an ownership change under Section 382.
We adopted our 2013 Stock Incentive Plan in March 2013. The Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors is responsible for the administration the plan. Incentives under the plan may be granted incentive stock options and non-statutory stock options; stock appreciation rights; stock awards; restricted stock; restricted stock units; and performance shares. Eligible participants include officers and employees of GWG Holdings and its subsidiaries, members of our Board of Directors, and consultants. 2,000,000 common shares are presently issuable under the plan.
In September 2014, we entered into a stock option agreement with a new management employee granting the employee the right to purchase up to 318,000 of our common stock at an exercise price of $12.50. The grant of such rights to purchase our common stock was treated as an inducement grant and was issued outside the GWG Holdings Inc. 2013 Stock Incentive Plan.
Stock Appreciation Rights (SARs) - On September 19, 2016 we issued SARs for 145,388 shares of the common stock to employees. The strike price of the SARs was $8.76, which was equal to the market price of the common stock at the close of business on September 19, 2016. 56,358 of the SARs were vested as of December 31, 2016, on which date the market price of the common stock was $8.82. A forfeiture rate of 15% was used in calculating our liability for the SARs.
We are party to an office lease with U.S. Bank National Association as the landlord. On September 1, 2015, we entered into an amendment to our original lease that expanded the leased space to 17,687 square feet and extended the term through 2026. Under the amended lease we are obligated to pay base rent plus common area maintenance and a share of building operating costs. Rent expenses under this agreement were $415,000 and $283,000 during 2016 and 2015, respectively.
We are publicly offering and selling L Bonds under a registration statement declared effective by the SEC, as described in Note 8. Our obligations under the L Bonds are secured by substantially all the assets of GWG Holdings, a pledge of all our common stock held individually by our largest stockholders, and by a guarantee and corresponding grant of a security interest in substantially all the assets of GWG Life. As a guarantor, GWG Life has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the payment of principal and interest on the L Bonds. Substantially all of our life insurance policies are held by DLP III, DLP IV and the Trust. The policies held by DLP III and DLP IV are not collateral for the L Bond obligations as such policies serve as direct collateral for the senior credit facilities.
The following represents consolidating financial information as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, with respect to the financial position, and as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, with respect to results of operations and cash flows of GWG Holdings and its subsidiaries. The parent column presents the financial information of GWG Holdings, the primary obligor for the L Bonds. The guarantor subsidiary column presents the financial information of GWG Life, the guarantor subsidiary of the L Bonds, presenting its investment in DLP III, DLP IV and the Trust under the equity method. The non-guarantor subsidiaries column presents the financial information of all non-guarantor subsidiaries, including DLP III, DLP IV and the Trust.
Subsequent to December 31, 2016 we have issued approximately $16,871,000 of RPS.
For the quarter ended December 31, 2016, we identified an error relating to prior periods in the classification of preferred stock dividends on the consolidated statement of operations and balance sheet. Preferred stock dividends have been classified as interest expense since the third quarter of 2014, when our initial public offering became effective. As a result, dividend cost resulted in an increase of the accumulated deficit on the balance sheet. The preferred stock dividends should have been charged directly to additional paid-in capital and are separately reflected as preferred stock dividends on the consolidated statement of operations. The reclassification of preferred stock dividends did not result in any changes to total equity in any of the periods effected. Additionally, the reclassification did not result in any changes to net loss attributable to common shareholders or net loss per common share for the year ended December 31, 2015.