During 2016 the Company foreclosed on seven residential mortgage loans of real estate totaling $394,427 and transferred those properties to investment real estate that are now held for sale. The Company reduced the carrying value of this residential real estate obtained through foreclosure to the lower of acquisition cost or net realizable value. On November 30, 2016, the Company sold one investment real estate property with an aggregate carrying value of $63,931. The Company recorded a gross realized investment loss on sale of $20,662 based on an aggregate sales price of $43,269.
Our net realized investment gains result from sales of fixed maturity and equity securities available-for-sale, sale and early payoff gain (loss) of mortgage loans on real estate that the Company previously acquired and sales of investment real estate.
Our net realized investment gains (losses) for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 and the $45,071 increase in net realized investment gains for the year ended December 31, 2016 are summarized as follows:
$1,481,554 increase in final expense first year commissions that correspond to the $1,229,440 increase in final expense first year premiums.
We believe gradual increases in interest rates do not present a significant liquidity exposure for the life insurance policies and annuity contracts. We maintain conservative durations in our fixed maturity portfolio. As of December 31, 2016, cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, the fair value of fixed maturity available-for-sale securities with maturities of less than one year and the fair value of lottery receivables with maturities of less than one year equaled 17.0% of total policy liabilities. If interest rates rise significantly in a short time frame, there can be no assurance that the life insurance industry, including the Company, would not experience increased levels of surrenders and reduced sales, and thereby be materially adversely affected.
On December 23, 2008, FTFC acquired 100% of the outstanding common stock of First Life America Corporation (“FLAC”) from an unaffiliated company. The acquisition of FLAC was accounted for as a purchase. The aggregate purchase price for FLAC was $2,695,234 including direct cost associated with the acquisition of $195,234. The acquisition of FLAC was financed with the working capital of FTFC.
In May 2014, the FASB issued updated guidance to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue. While insurance contracts are not within the scope of this updated guidance, the Company's fee income related to providing services will be subject to this updated guidance. The updated guidance requires an entity to recognize revenue as performance obligations are met, in order to reflect the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity is entitled to receive for those goods or services. The following steps are applied in the updated guidance: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (5) recognize revenue when, or as, the entity satisfies a performance obligation.
If conditions or events raise substantial doubt that is not alleviated, an entity should disclose that there is substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued (or available to be issued), along with the principal conditions or events that raise substantial doubt, management's evaluation of the significance of those conditions or events in relation to the entity's ability to meet its obligations and management's plans that are intended to mitigate those conditions. The guidance is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim and annual periods thereafter. The adoption of this guidance will not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial position or liquidity since there are no uncertainties about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
In January 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance for troubled debt restructurings clarifying when an in substance repossession or foreclosure occurs, and when a creditor is considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a consumer mortgage loan. The new guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. This guidance can be elected for prospective adoption or by using a retrospective transition method. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial position or liquidity.
The Company’s investment real estate as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 is summarized as follows:
The Company leases 6,769 square feet of office space pursuant to an original five-year lease that began October 1, 2010 and was amended on October 1, 2015 for another five-year term. Under the terms of the original home office lease, the monthly rent was $7,897 from October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2015. Under the terms of the amended home office lease, the monthly rent is $8,461 from October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016 and $8,630 from October 1, 2016 through September 30, 2017 with increases of two percent each twelve month period from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2020. The Company incurred rent expense (including charges for the lessor’s building operating expenses above those specified in the lease agreement less monthly amortization of the leasehold improvement allowance received from the lessor) of $93,415 and $67,961 for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, under this lease.
The future minimum lease payments to be received under the non-cancellable lease agreement are $357,932, $323,938, $219,592, $219,592 and $91,497 for the years 2017 through 2021, respectively.
A lawsuit filed by the Company and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Gregg E. Zahn, against former Company Board of Directors member Wayne Pettigrew and Mr. Pettigrew's company, Group & Pension Planners, Inc. (the "Defendants"), concluded on February 17, 2017. The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma (Case No. CJ-2013-03385). In the lawsuit, the Company alleged that Mr. Pettigrew had defamed the Company by making untrue statements to certain shareholders of the Company, to the press and to regulators of the state of Oklahoma and had breached his fiduciary duties.
On February 1, 2016, the plaintiffs asked that the Court certify the case as a class action. With their motion, Plaintiffs filed an affidavit from an actuary stating the opinion that FBLIC has collected at least $2,548,939 in premiums on the Decreasing Term to 95 policies. This presumably is the amount that Plaintiffs will seek to be refunded to policyholders if the policies are declared void. FBLIC opposed the request for class certification. On July 21, 2016, the Court certified three classes to maintain the claims for breach of contract, anticipatory breach of contract, violation of the MMPA, reformation, and to void the Decreasing Term to 95 policies. On August 1, 2016, FBLIC filed a Petition for Leave to Appeal with the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District asking for permission to appeal the Court’s class certification. The Petition for Leave to Appeal was denied.