1) Significant Accounting Policies: Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Policies
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Accounting Standards Adopted in 2018 Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2017-01: “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business” – Issued in January 2017, ASU 2017-01 intends to clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Under the current implementation guidance in Topic 805, there are three elements of a business: inputs, processes, and outputs. While an integrated set of assets and activities, collectively referred to as a “set,” that is a business usually has outputs, outputs are not required to be present. ASU 2017-01 provides a screen to determine when a set is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. While the Company’s acquisitions have historically been classified as either business combinations or asset acquisitions, certain acquisitions that were classified as business combinations by the Company would have been considered asset acquisitions under the new standard. As a result, transaction costs may be capitalized more often since the Company expects some of its future acquisitions to be classified as asset acquisitions under this new standard. ASU 2017-01 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018 and it will be applied prospectively to transactions occurring after the adoption date, as applicable. ASU No. 2016-18: “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash” – Issued in November 2016, ASU 2016-18 requires restricted cash and cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated statement of cash flows and disclose the nature of the restrictions on cash and cash equivalents. The Company currently discloses the restrictions on cash and cash equivalents in Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and will continue these disclosures. Note 8 also discloses the components of the Company’s restricted assets and cemetery perpetual care trust investments which include restricted cash and cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company previously presented changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents under investing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-18, the Company amended the presentation in the consolidated statements of cash flows to include the restricted cash and cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents and retrospectively reclassified all periods presented. The amounts of restricted cash and cash equivalents reclassified are summarized in the reconciliation at the bottom of the consolidated statement of cash flows. The adoption of this standard does not impact the Company’s total cash and cash equivalents but is a change in presentation within the consolidated statements of cash flows. ASU No. 2016-01: “Financial Instruments – Overall (Topic 825-10)” – Issued in January 2016, ASU 2016-01 changes the accounting for non-consolidated equity investments that are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting by requiring changes in fair value to be recognized in income. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of the adoption made to the balance sheet as of the date of adoption. Thus, the adoption resulted in a reclassification of the related accumulated net unrealized gains of $603,170 included in accumulated other comprehensive income as of December 31, 2017 to retained earnings. Under previous guidance, changes in fair value for investments of this nature were recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income as a component of stockholders’ equity. Additionally, ASU 2016-01 simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values; requires entities to use the exit price when estimating the fair value of financial instruments; and modifies various presentation disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The Company holds equity securities that were previously measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through other comprehensive income. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-01 the Company now recognizes the changes in the fair value of these equity securities through earnings as part of gains on investments and other assets on the condensed consolidated statements of earnings, thus increasing the volatility of the Company’s earnings. The adoption of this standard does not significantly affect the Company’s comprehensive income or stockholders’ equity. ASU No. 2014-09: “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” - Issued in May 2014, ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition”. ASU 2014-09 clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue in order to improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities and industries. ASU 2014-09 provides guidance to assist in the identification of contracts with customers and separate performance obligations within those contracts, the determination and allocation of the transaction price to those identified performance obligations and the recognition of revenue when a performance obligation has been satisfied. ASU 2014-09 also requires disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers. Premiums and related fees from insurance contracts and mortgage banking revenues are excluded from the scope of this new guidance. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2018 using a modified retrospective approach. No cumulative effect adjustment was made to beginning retained earnings. The Company’s revenues from contracts with customers that are subject to ASU 2014-09 include revenues on mortuary and cemetery contracts, which is less than 5% of the Company’s total revenues. The recognition and measurement of these items did not change as a result of the Company’s adoption of ASU 2014-09 and thus the adoption of ASU 2014-09 does not significantly impact the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings or condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The Company reclassified $856,479 of amounts due from customers for unfulfilled performance obligations on cancelable pre-need contracts from Receivables, net to Deferred pre-need cemetery and mortuary contract revenues on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets. The standard primarily impacts the manner in which the Company recognizes a) certain nonrefundable up-front fees and b) incremental costs to acquire new pre-need funeral trust contracts and pre-need and at-need cemetery contracts (i.e., selling costs). The nonrefundable fees will continue to be deferred and recognized as revenue when the underlying goods and services are delivered to the customer. The incremental selling costs will continue to be deferred and amortized by specific identification to the delivery of the underlying goods and services. Additionally, the amounts due from customers for undelivered performance obligations on cancelable pre-need contracts represent contract assets, which are required to be netted with deferred pre-need cemetery and mortuary contract revenues, instead of receivables on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Accounting Standards Adopted in 2019 ASU No. 2016-02: “Leases (Topic 842)” - Issued in February 2016, ASU 2016-02 supersedes the requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 840, “Leases”, and was issued to increase transparency and comparability among organizations. The new standard sets forth the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to classify leases as either finance or operating leases and to record on the balance sheet right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, equal to the present value of the remaining lease payments. The lease classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest rate method or a straight-line basis over the term of the leases. The FASB further clarified ASU 2016-02 and provided targeted improvements by issuing ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11 and ASU 2018-20. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method with no cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Under this transition method, the application date was the beginning of the reporting period, January 1, 2019, in which the Company first applied the standard. Under this transition option, the Company will apply the legacy guidance in ASC 840, “Leases”, including its disclosure requirements, in the comparative periods presented in the year of adoption. The Company has made an accounting policy election not to apply the recognition requirements to short-term leases, which are leases that, at the commencement date, have a lease term of 12 months or less and do not include an option to purchase the underlying assets that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise. The new authoritative guidance allows for certain practical expedients to be utilized to assist with the implementation of the new standard. The Company has elected the transition package of practical expedients which allows the Company to not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, to not reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing leases and to not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases. The Company implemented a third-party lease accounting system to assist with the measurement of the lease liabilities and the related right-of-use assets. The Company compiled an inventory of its leases, determined the appropriate discount rates and has determined the impact of this standard which is not material to the Company’s results of operations, but has an effect on the balance sheet presentation for leased assets and obligations. The Company will recognize a right-of-use asset and related lease liability for approximately $12,076,000 on January 1, 2019. The right-of-use asset will be presented on the line item Property and equipment, net on the consolidated balance sheets. The lease liability will be presented on the line item Other liabilities and accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets. Interest expense on finance leases will be presented on the line item Interest expense on the consolidated statements of earnings. Amortization of the right-of-use assets for finance leases will be presented on the line item Depreciation on property and equipment on the consolidated statements of earnings. Lease expense for operating leases will be presented on the line item Rent and rent related expenses on the consolidated statements of earnings. Required disclosures will also be provided in the notes to consolidated financial statements. This standard did not impact the Company’s accounting for leases where the Company is the lessor. Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted ASU No. 2016-13: “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326)” – Issued in September 2016, ASU 2016-13 amends guidance on reporting credit losses for assets held at amortized cost basis (such as mortgage loans and held to maturity debt securities) and available for sale debt securities. For assets held at amortized cost basis, Topic 326 eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold in current general accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and, instead, requires an entity to reflect its current estimate of all expected credit losses. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial assets to present the net amount expected to be collected. For available for sale debt securities, credit losses should be measured in a manner similar to current GAAP, however Topic 326 will require that credit losses be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down. The new authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential impact of this standard. ASU No. 2018-13: “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” – Issued in August 2018, ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements of Topic 820 by removing, modifying or adding certain disclosures. Among the changes, entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 does not change the fair value measurements already required or permitted by existing standards. This new authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential impact of this standard, which is not expected to materially impact the Company’s financial statements. ASU No. 2018-12: “Financial Services – Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts” – Issued in August 2018, ASU 2018-12 is intended to improve the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits and modify the rate used to discount future cash flows. The ASU will simplify and improve the accounting for certain market-based options or guarantees associated with deposit or account balance contracts, simplify amortization of deferred acquisition costs while improving and expanding required disclosures. This new authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2021. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential impact of this standard. The Company has reviewed other recent accounting pronouncements and has determined that they will not significantly impact the Company’s results of operations or financial position.

1) Significant Accounting Policies: Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Standards Adopted in 2018

Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2017-01: “Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business” – Issued in January 2017, ASU 2017-01 intends to clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. Under the current implementation guidance in Topic 805, there are three elements of a business: inputs, processes, and outputs. While an integrated set of assets and activities, collectively referred to as a “set,” that is a business usually has outputs, outputs are not required to be present. ASU 2017-01 provides a screen to determine when a set is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. While the Company’s acquisitions have historically been classified as either business combinations or asset acquisitions, certain acquisitions that were classified as business combinations by the Company would have been considered asset acquisitions under the new standard. As a result, transaction costs may be capitalized more often since the Company expects some of its future acquisitions to be classified as asset acquisitions under this new standard. ASU 2017-01 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018 and it will be applied prospectively to transactions occurring after the adoption date, as applicable.

ASU No. 2016-18: “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash” – Issued in November 2016, ASU 2016-18 requires restricted cash and cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated statement of cash flows and disclose the nature of the restrictions on cash and cash equivalents. The Company currently discloses the restrictions on cash and cash equivalents in Note 8 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and will continue these disclosures. Note 8 also discloses the components of the Company’s restricted assets and cemetery perpetual care trust investments which include restricted cash and cash equivalents. ASU 2016-18 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company previously presented changes in restricted cash and cash equivalents under investing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-18, the Company amended the presentation in the consolidated statements of cash flows to include the restricted cash and cash equivalents with cash and cash equivalents and retrospectively reclassified all periods presented. The amounts of restricted cash and cash equivalents reclassified are summarized in the reconciliation at the bottom of the consolidated statement of cash flows. The adoption of this standard does not impact the Company’s total cash and cash equivalents but is a change in presentation within the consolidated statements of cash flows.

ASU No. 2016-01: “Financial Instruments – Overall (Topic 825-10)” – Issued in January 2016, ASU 2016-01 changes the accounting for non-consolidated equity investments that are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting by requiring changes in fair value to be recognized in income. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of the adoption made to the balance sheet as of the date of adoption. Thus, the adoption resulted in a reclassification of the related accumulated net unrealized gains of $603,170 included in accumulated other comprehensive income as of December 31, 2017 to retained earnings. Under previous guidance, changes in fair value for investments of this nature were recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income as a component of stockholders’ equity. Additionally, ASU 2016-01 simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values; requires entities to use the exit price when estimating the fair value of financial instruments; and modifies various presentation disclosure requirements for financial instruments. The Company holds equity securities that were previously measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through other comprehensive income. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-01 the Company now recognizes the changes in the fair value of these equity securities through earnings as part of gains on investments and other assets on the condensed consolidated statements of earnings, thus increasing the volatility of the Company’s earnings. The adoption of this standard does not significantly affect the Company’s comprehensive income or stockholders’ equity.

ASU No. 2014-09: “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” - Issued in May 2014, ASU 2014-09 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in ASC Topic 605, “Revenue Recognition”. ASU 2014-09 clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue in order to improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities and industries. ASU 2014-09 provides guidance to assist in the identification of contracts with customers and separate performance obligations within those contracts, the determination and allocation of the transaction price to those identified performance obligations and the recognition of revenue when a performance obligation has been satisfied. ASU 2014-09 also requires disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers. Premiums and related fees from insurance contracts and mortgage banking revenues are excluded from the scope of this new guidance.

The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2018 using a modified retrospective approach. No cumulative effect adjustment was made to beginning retained earnings. The Company’s revenues from contracts with customers that are subject to ASU 2014-09 include revenues on mortuary and cemetery contracts, which is less than 5% of the Company’s total revenues. The recognition and measurement of these items did not change as a result of the Company’s adoption of ASU 2014-09 and thus the adoption of ASU 2014-09 does not significantly impact the Company’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings or condensed consolidated statements of cash flows. The Company reclassified $856,479 of amounts due from customers for unfulfilled performance obligations on cancelable pre-need contracts from Receivables, net to Deferred pre-need cemetery and mortuary contract revenues on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets.

The standard primarily impacts the manner in which the Company recognizes a) certain nonrefundable up-front fees and b) incremental costs to acquire new pre-need funeral trust contracts and pre-need and at-need cemetery contracts (i.e., selling costs). The nonrefundable fees will continue to be deferred and recognized as revenue when the underlying goods and services are delivered to the customer. The incremental selling costs will continue to be deferred and amortized by specific identification to the delivery of the underlying goods and services. Additionally, the amounts due from customers for undelivered performance obligations on cancelable pre-need contracts represent contract assets, which are required to be netted with deferred pre-need cemetery and mortuary contract revenues, instead of receivables on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

Accounting Standards Adopted in 2019

ASU No. 2016-02: “Leases (Topic 842)” - Issued in February 2016, ASU 2016-02 supersedes the requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 840, “Leases”, and was issued to increase transparency and comparability among organizations. The new standard sets forth the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of leases for both lessees and lessors. ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to classify leases as either finance or operating leases and to record on the balance sheet right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, equal to the present value of the remaining lease payments. The lease classification will determine whether the lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest rate method or a straight-line basis over the term of the leases. The FASB further clarified ASU 2016-02 and provided targeted improvements by issuing ASU 2018-01, ASU 2018-10, ASU 2018-11 and ASU 2018-20.

The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method with no cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. Under this transition method, the application date was the beginning of the reporting period, January 1, 2019, in which the Company first applied the standard. Under this transition option, the Company will apply the legacy guidance in ASC 840, “Leases”, including its disclosure requirements, in the comparative periods presented in the year of adoption. The Company has made an accounting policy election not to apply the recognition requirements to short-term leases, which are leases that, at the commencement date, have a lease term of 12 months or less and do not include an option to purchase the underlying assets that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise. The new authoritative guidance allows for certain practical expedients to be utilized to assist with the implementation of the new standard. The Company has elected the transition package of practical expedients which allows the Company to not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases, to not reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing leases and to not reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases.

The Company implemented a third-party lease accounting system to assist with the measurement of the lease liabilities and the related right-of-use assets. The Company compiled an inventory of its leases, determined the appropriate discount rates and has determined the impact of this standard which is not material to the Company’s results of operations, but has an effect on the balance sheet presentation for leased assets and obligations. The Company will recognize a right-of-use asset and related lease liability for approximately $12,076,000 on January 1, 2019. The right-of-use asset will be presented on the line item Property and equipment, net on the consolidated balance sheets. The lease liability will be presented on the line item Other liabilities and accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets. Interest expense on finance leases will be presented on the line item Interest expense on the consolidated statements of earnings. Amortization of the right-of-use assets for finance leases will be presented on the line item Depreciation on property and equipment on the consolidated statements of earnings. Lease expense for operating leases will be presented on the line item Rent and rent related expenses on the consolidated statements of earnings. Required disclosures will also be provided in the notes to consolidated financial statements. This standard did not impact the Company’s accounting for leases where the Company is the lessor.

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted

ASU No. 2016-13: “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326)” – Issued in September 2016, ASU 2016-13 amends guidance on reporting credit losses for assets held at amortized cost basis (such as mortgage loans and held to maturity debt securities) and available for sale debt securities. For assets held at amortized cost basis, Topic 326 eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold in current general accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and, instead, requires an entity to reflect its current estimate of all expected credit losses. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial assets to present the net amount expected to be collected. For available for sale debt securities, credit losses should be measured in a manner similar to current GAAP, however Topic 326 will require that credit losses be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down. The new authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential impact of this standard.

ASU No. 2018-13: “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” – Issued in August 2018, ASU 2018-13 modifies the disclosure requirements of Topic 820 by removing, modifying or adding certain disclosures. Among the changes, entities will no longer be required to disclose the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, but will be required to disclose the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs for Level 3 fair value measurements. ASU 2018-13 does not change the fair value measurements already required or permitted by existing standards. This new authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential impact of this standard, which is not expected to materially impact the Company’s financial statements.

ASU No. 2018-12: “Financial Services – Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts” – Issued in August 2018, ASU 2018-12 is intended to improve the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits and modify the rate used to discount future cash flows. The ASU will simplify and improve the accounting for certain market-based options or guarantees associated with deposit or account balance contracts, simplify amortization of deferred acquisition costs while improving and expanding required disclosures. This new authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2021. The Company is in the process of evaluating the potential impact of this standard.

The Company has reviewed other recent accounting pronouncements and has determined that they will not significantly impact the Company’s results of operations or financial position.