Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill and Intangible Assets Level 3 (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows: (in thousands):



	2017									2016
	Funeral			Cemetery			Total			Funeral			Cemetery			Total
	(In thousands)
Balance as of January 1	$	1,493,655		$	305,426		$	1,799,081		$	1,490,502		$	305,838		$	1,796,340

Increase (decrease) in goodwill related to acquisitions	8,013			1,215			9,228			26,809			(151		)	26,658
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures	(5,413		)	(224		)	(5,637		)	(26,554		)	(270		)	(26,824		)
Held for sale	(3,082		)	(177		)	(3,259		)	—			—			—
Effect of foreign currency	6,568			—			6,568			2,898			9			2,907
Activity	6,086			814			6,900			3,153			(412		)	2,741
Balance as of December 31	$	1,499,741		$	306,240		$	1,805,981		$	1,493,655		$	305,426		$	1,799,081

Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:



	Useful Life
	Minimum		Maximum	2017		2016
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	2	-	20	$	214,628	$	211,549
Customer relationships	10	-	20	129,516		146,876
Tradenames	5	-	5	9,150		9,150
Other	5	-	40	11,927		11,927
				365,221		379,502
Less: accumulated amortization:
Covenants-not-to-compete				192,296		186,430
Customer relationships				61,321		71,903
Tradenames				7,320		5,490
Other				4,830		4,238
				265,767		268,061

Amortizing intangibles, net				99,454		111,441

Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	263,880		245,984
Other			Indefinite	10,765		10,640
Non-amortizing intangibles				274,645		256,624

Intangible assets, net				$	374,099	$	368,065

Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the performance of a preneed contract, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2017 (in thousands):



2018	$	11,718
2019	9,100
2020	7,371
2021	6,613
2022	5,554
Total estimated amortization expense	$	40,356