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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Tiptree have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP) and include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. The condensed consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, the main operating currency of the Company. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented herein should be read in conjunction with the annual audited financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited interim financial information reflects all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for each of the interim periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year ending on December 31, 2021.Non-controlling interests on the condensed consolidated balance sheets represent the ownership interests in certain consolidated subsidiaries held by entities or persons other than Tiptree. Accounts and transactions between consolidated entities have been eliminated.
Reclassifications As a result of changes in presentation made in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. These reclassifications had no effect on the reported results of operations.
Recent Accounting Standards
Recent Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

StandardDescriptionAdoption DateImpact on Financial Statements
2019-12 Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income TaxesThe standard eliminates the need for an organization to analyze whether the following apply in a given period: (1) exceptions to the incremental approach for intraperiod tax allocation, (2) exceptions to accounting for basis differences when there are ownership changes in foreign investments and (3) exceptions in interim period income tax accounting for year-to-date losses that exceed anticipated losses. The ASU also is designed to improve financial statement preparers’ application of income tax-related guidance and simplify GAAP for (1) franchise taxes that are partially based on income, (2) transactions with a government that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill, (3) separate financial statements of legal entities that are not subject to tax, and (4) enacted changes in tax laws in interim periods.January 1, 2021The standard makes changes to areas of tax accounting for transactions and situations which do not currently apply to the Company’s activity, so the adoption of the standard does not currently impact the Company’s financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements, Not Yet Adopted

During the three months ended March 31, 2021, there were no accounting standards issued applicable to the Company.
Segment Reporting
Tiptree is a holding company that allocates capital across a broad spectrum of businesses, assets and other investments. Tiptree’s principal operating subsidiary, The Fortegra Group, LLC and its subsidiaries (Fortegra), is a leading provider of specialty insurance underwriting, warranty and service contract products and related service solutions. Based on the ASC 280 quantitative analysis performed as of December 31, 2020, our reportable segments are Insurance and Mortgage. We refer to our non-insurance operations, assets and other investments, which is comprised of our Mortgage reportable segment and our non-reportable operating segments and other business activities, as Tiptree Capital. Corporate activities include holding company interest expense, employee compensation and benefits, and other expenses.

Our reportable segments’ income or loss is reported before income taxes and non-controlling interests. Segment results incorporate the revenues and expenses of these subsidiaries since they commenced operations or were acquired. For the three months ended March 31, 2021, Mortgage has been broken out of Tiptree Capital as a reportable segment since it meets the quantitative threshold for disclosure. Prior year segments have been conformed to the current year presentation. Intercompany transactions are eliminated.

Descriptions of our Insurance reportable segment and Tiptree Capital, including our Mortgage reportable segment, are as follows:

Insurance operations are conducted through Fortegra, which includes Fortegra Financial Corporation and Fortegra Warranty. Fortegra underwrites and administers specialty insurance programs and products, and is a leading provider of credit and asset protection products and administration services. Fortegra’s programs are provided across a diverse range of products and services including credit protection insurance, warranty and service contract products, premium finance, and niche personal and commercial lines of insurance.

Tiptree Capital:

Mortgage operations are conducted through Reliance. The Company’s mortgage origination business originates loans for sale to institutional investors, including GSEs and FHA/VA and services loans on behalf of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and GNMA.

Other includes our asset management, mortgage operations of Luxury, shipping operations, and other investments (including our Invesque shares).
Derivatives
The Company utilizes derivative financial instruments as part of its overall investment and hedging activities. Derivative contracts are subject to additional risk that can result in a loss of all or part of an investment. The Company’s derivative activities are primarily classified by underlying credit risk and interest rate risk. In addition, the Company is also subject to additional counterparty risk should its counterparties fail to meet the contract terms. The derivative financial instruments are reported in other investments. Derivative liabilities are reported within other liabilities and accrued expenses.

Derivatives, at fair value
Interest Rate Lock Commitments

The Company enters into interest rate lock commitments (IRLCs) with customers in connection with its mortgage banking activities to fund residential mortgage loans with certain terms at specified times in the future. IRLCs that relate to the origination of mortgage loans that will be classified as held-for-sale are considered derivative instruments under applicable accounting guidance. As such, these IRLCs are recorded at fair value with changes in fair value typically resulting in recognition of a gain when the Company enters into IRLCs. In estimating the fair value of an IRLC, the Company assigns a probability that the loan commitment will be exercised and the loan will be funded (“pull through”). The fair value of the commitments is derived from the fair value of related mortgage loans, net of estimated costs to complete. Outstanding IRLCs expose the Company to the risk that the price of the loans underlying the commitments might decline from inception of the rate lock to funding of the loan. To manage this risk, the Company utilizes forward delivery contracts and to be announced (TBA) mortgage backed securities to economically hedge the risk of potential changes in the value of the loans that would
result from the commitments.

Forward Delivery Contracts and TBA Mortgage Backed Securities
The Company enters into forward delivery contracts with loan aggregators and other investors as one of the tools to manage the interest rate risk associated with IRLCs and loans held for sale. In addition, the Company enters into TBA mortgage backed securities which facilitate hedging and funding by allowing the Company to prearrange prices for mortgages that are in the process of originating. The Company utilizes these hedging instruments for Agency (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) and FHA/VA (Ginnie Mae) eligible IRLCs.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs to the extent possible to measure a financial instrument’s fair value. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, and are affected by the type of product, whether the product is traded on an active exchange or in the secondary market, as well as current market conditions. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Fair value is estimated by applying the hierarchy discussed in Note (2) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

The Company’s fair value measurements are based primarily on a market approach, which utilizes prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable financial instruments. Sources of inputs to the market approach include third-party pricing services, independent broker quotations and pricing matrices. Management analyzes the third-party valuation methodologies and its related inputs to perform assessments to determine the appropriate level within the fair value hierarchy and to assess reliability of values. Further, management has a process in place to review all changes in fair value that occurred during each measurement period. Any discrepancies or unusual observations are followed through to resolution through the source of the pricing as well as utilizing comparisons, if applicable, to alternate pricing sources.

The Company utilizes observable and unobservable inputs within its valuation methodologies. Observable inputs may include: benchmark yields, reported trades, broker-dealer quotes, issuer spreads, benchmark securities, bids, offers and reference data. In addition, specific issuer information and other market data is used. Broker quotes are obtained from sources recognized to be market participants. Unobservable inputs may include: expected cash flow streams, default rates, supply and demand considerations and market volatility.

Available for Sale Securities, at fair value

The fair values of available for sale securities are based on prices provided by an independent pricing service and a third-party investment manager. The Company obtains an understanding of the methods, models and inputs used by the independent pricing service and the third-party investment manager by analyzing the investment manager-provided pricing report.

The following details the methods and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of each class of AFS securities and the applicable level each security falls within the fair value hierarchy:

U.S Treasury Securities, Obligations of U.S. Government Authorities and Agencies, Obligations of State and Political Subdivisions, Corporate Securities, Asset Backed Securities, and Obligations of Foreign Governments: Fair values were obtained from an independent pricing service and a third-party investment manager. The prices provided by the independent pricing service and third-party investment manager are based on quoted market prices, when available, non-binding broker quotes, or matrix pricing and fall under Level 2 or Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Certificates of Deposit: The estimated fair value of certificates of deposit approximate carrying value and fall under Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy.

Equity Securities

The fair values of publicly traded common and preferred equity securities and exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) are obtained from market value quotations provided by an independent pricing service and fall under Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of non-publicly traded common and preferred stocks are based on prices obtained from an independent pricing service using unobservable inputs and fall under Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.
Loans, at fair value

Corporate Loans: These loans are comprised of a diversified portfolio of middle market and broadly syndicated leveraged loans and are generally classified under either Level 2 or Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. To determine fair value, the Company uses quoted prices which include those provided from pricing vendors, where available. We perform internal price verification procedures to ensure that the prices and quotes provided from the independent pricing vendors are reasonable. Such verification procedures include comparison of pricing sources and analysis of variances among pricing sources. The Company has evaluated each loan’s respective liquidity and has additionally performed valuation benchmarking. The key characteristics which were evaluated as part of this determination were liquidity ratings, price changes to index benchmarks, depth of quotes, credit ratings and industry trends.

Mortgage Loans Held for Sale: Mortgage loans held for sale are generally classified under Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy and fair value is based upon forward sales contracts with third-party investors, including estimated loan costs.

Derivative Assets and Liabilities

Derivatives are primarily comprised of IRLCs, forward delivery contracts and TBA mortgage backed securities. The fair value of these instruments is based upon valuation pricing models, which represent the amount the Company would expect to receive or pay at the balance sheet date to exit the position. Our mortgage origination subsidiaries issue IRLCs to their customers, which are carried at estimated fair value on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. The estimated fair values of these commitments are generally calculated by reference to the value of the underlying loan associated with the IRLC net of costs to produce and an expected pull through assumption. The fair values of these commitments generally fall under Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Our mortgage origination subsidiaries manage their exposure by entering into forward delivery commitments with loan investors. For loans not locked with investors under a forward delivery commitment, the Company enters into hedge instruments, primarily TBAs, to protect against movements in interest rates. The fair values of TBA mortgage backed securities and forward delivery contracts generally fall under Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.

Corporate Bonds

Corporate bonds are generally classified under Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy and fair value is provided by a third-party investment manager, based on quoted market prices. We perform internal price verification procedures monthly to ensure that the prices provided are reasonable.

Securities Sold, Not Yet Purchased

Securities sold, not yet purchased are generally classified under Level 1 or Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy, based on the leveling of the securities sold short, and fair value is provided by a third-party investment manager, based on quoted market prices. We perform internal price verification procedures monthly to ensure that the prices provided are reasonable.

Mortgage Servicing Rights

Mortgage servicing rights are classified under Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy and fair value is provided by a third-party valuation service. Various observable and unobservable inputs are used to determine fair value, including discount rate, cost to service and weighted average prepayment speed.
Debentures: Since interest rates on debentures are at current market rates for similar credit risks, the carrying amount approximates fair value. These values are net of allowance for doubtful accounts.

Notes Receivable, net: To the extent that carrying amounts differ from fair value, fair value is determined based on contractual cash flows discounted at market rates for similar credits. Categorized under Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. See Note (7) Notes and Accounts Receivable, net.

Debt: The carrying value, which approximates fair value of LIBOR based debt, represents the total debt balance at face value excluding the unamortized discount. The fair value of the Junior subordinated notes is determined based on dealer quotes. Categorized under Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.

Additionally, the following financial assets and liabilities on the condensed consolidated balance sheets are not carried at fair value, but whose carrying amounts approximate their fair value:

Cash and Cash Equivalents: The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents are carried at cost which approximates fair value. Categorized under Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy.
Accounts and Premiums Receivable, net, Retrospective Commissions Receivable and Other Receivables: The carrying amounts approximate fair value since no interest rate is charged on these short duration assets. Categorized under Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. See Note (7) Notes and Accounts Receivable, net.

Due from Brokers, Dealers, and Trustees and Due to Brokers, Dealers and Trustees: The carrying amounts are included in other assets and other liabilities and accrued expenses and approximate their fair value due to their short term nature. Categorized under Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
Revenue Recognition
Service and Administrative Fees
Service fee revenue is recognized as the services are performed. These services include fulfillment, software development, and claims handling for our customers. Management reviews the financial results under each significant contract on a monthly basis. Any losses that may occur due to a specific contract would be recognized in the period in which the loss is determined probable.

Administrative fee revenue includes the administration of premium associated with our producers and their producer owned reinsurance companies (PORCs). In addition, we also earn fee revenue from debt cancellation programs, motor club programs, and warranty programs. Related administrative fee revenue is recognized consistent with the earnings recognition pattern of the underlying insurance policies, debt cancellation contracts and motor club memberships being administered, using Rule of 78's, modified Rule of 78's, pro rata, or other methods as appropriate for the contract. Management selects the appropriate method based on available information, and periodically reviews the selections as additional information becomes available.

We do not disclose information about remaining performance obligations pertaining to contracts that have an original expected duration of one year or less. The transaction price allocated to remaining unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations with an original expected duration exceeding one year was not material at March 31, 2021.
The timing of our revenue recognition may differ from the timing of payment by our customers. We record a receivable when revenue is recognized prior to payment and we have an unconditional right to payment. Alternatively, when payment precedes the provision of the related services, we record deferred revenue until the performance obligations are satisfied.

Vessel Related Revenue
The Company generates its revenues from charterers for the charter hire of its vessels. Vessels are chartered under time or voyage charters, where a contract is entered into for the use of a vessel for a specific voyage or a specific period of time and at a specified daily charter rate. Charter revenues are recognized as earned on the straight-line basis over the term of the charter as service is provided.
 
Revenue is recognized when a charter agreement exists, the vessel is made available to the charterer and collection of the related revenue is reasonably assured. Unearned revenue includes revenue received prior to the balance sheet date relating to services to be rendered after the balance sheet date.
Earnings Per Share
The Company calculates basic net income per share of common stock (common share) based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, which includes vested corporate RSUs. Unvested corporate RSUs have a non-forfeitable right to participate in dividends declared and paid on the Company’s common stock on an as vested basis and are therefore considered a participating security. The Company calculates basic earnings per share using the “two-class” method under which the income available to common stockholders is allocated to the unvested corporate RSUs.

Diluted net income attributable to common stockholders includes the effect of unvested subsidiaries’ RSUs, when dilutive. The assumed exercise of all potentially dilutive instruments are included in the diluted net income per common share calculation, if dilutive.