Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy

The fair value of our long-term, fixed-rate loans was estimated using market prices for those loans, and therefore they are classified within Level 2 of the fair value measurements hierarchy. The Term Loan, Bank Credit Facility agreement, and the mortgage notes and other debt are classified within Level 3 of the fair value measurements hierarchy. The fair value of these instruments has been estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on our incremental borrowing rate for similar borrowing arrangements.

Consolidation, Policy

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Service Corporation International (SCI) and all subsidiaries in which we hold a controlling financial interest. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Our consolidated financial statements also include the accounts of the merchandise and service trusts and cemetery perpetual care trusts in which we have a variable interest and are the primary beneficiary. We have retained the specialized industry accounting principles when consolidating the trusts. Our trusts are variable interest entities, for which we have determined that we are the primary beneficiary as we absorb a majority of the losses and returns associated with these trusts. Although we consolidate the trusts, it does not change the legal relationships among the trusts, us, or our customers. The customers are the legal beneficiaries of these trusts; therefore, their interests in these trusts represent a liability to us.

Our interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited but include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals and any other adjustments, which management considers necessary for a fair statement of our results for these periods. Our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in a manner consistent with the accounting policies described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, unless otherwise disclosed herein, and should be read in conjunction therewith. The accompanying year-end Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year period.

Use of Estimates, Policy

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions as described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. These estimates and assumptions may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. As a result, actual results could differ from these estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounting Standards Adopted in 2019

Leases

In February 2016 and in January, July, and December 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued and amended new guidance on "Leases" to increase transparency and comparability among organizations. Under the new guidance, we are required to recognize right-of-use (ROU) lease assets and liabilities on our balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. In addition, the new guidance offers specific accounting considerations for lessees, lessors, and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases.

We adopted the new guidance on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method. As a result of the adoption, we recorded:

• a $0.7 million reclass from Other current assets to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities for prepaid operating lease expenses,

• a $2.7 million reclass from Accounts payable and accrued liabilities to Deferred charges and other assets for accrued operating lease expenses,

• a $62.6 million increase to Deferred charges and other assets for operating lease right-of-use assets, and

• a $9.4 million and $53.2 million increase to Accounts payable and accrued liabilities and Other liabilities, respectively, for operating lease liabilities.

The modified retrospective transition method includes a number of optional practical expedients and accounting policy elections:

1.We elected a package of practical expedients to not reassess:

• whether a contract is or contains a lease,

• lease classification, or

• initial direct costs.

2.We did not elect a practical expedient to use hindsight when determining lease term.

3.We elected the short-term lease recognition exemption.

4.The remaining practical expedients do not apply or do not have a material impact.

We established a project team to implement the new guidance. We implemented a new enterprise-wide lease management system in the form of a pre-configured cloud-based application to support the adoption and ongoing lease requirements under the new guidance. This system serves as a lease database to manage our lease inventory centrally and ensure completeness of our lease inventory. The system also produces accounting entries and financial reporting disclosures required under the new guidance and provides lease activity business intelligence reporting. We thoroughly tested the new system to ensure it produces accurate data to prepare the required accounting entries and disclosures under the new guidance upon adoption and on an ongoing basis. We evaluated and implemented additional changes to our processes and internal controls to facilitate adoption on January 1, 2019 and to meet the standard’s ongoing reporting and disclosure requirements.

Our current operating lease portfolio is primarily composed of real estate and equipment. As a result of the adoption, we recognized ROU assets and lease liabilities related to substantially all operating lease arrangements. The adoption of "Leases" did not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations or cash flows. We made the required enhanced lease-related disclosures above and in Note 9 of this Form 10-Q.

Internal Use Software

In August 2018, the FASB amended "Internal Use Software" to align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement for software-as-a-service with the requirements for capitalizing those costs in a hosting arrangement that includes a software license. Costs for implementation activities in the application development stage are capitalized, depending on the nature of the costs, while costs incurred during the preliminary project and post-implementation stages are expensed. Any capitalized costs are amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement. Cash payments for the implementation costs, whether capitalized or not, are presented as operating outflows as that is consistent with the presentation of the fees in the hosting arrangement. We adopted the new guidance on a prospective basis to implementation costs incurred after January 1, 2019 with an immaterial impact on our consolidated results of operations and consolidated financial position and no impact on cash flows.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the FASB amended "Financial Instruments" to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on debt instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. During November 2018 and April 2019, the FASB made amendments to the new standard that clarified guidance on several matters, including accrued interest, recoveries, and various codification improvements. The new standard, as amended, replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology in the current standard with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to support credit loss estimates.

The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020, and early in 2019, we established an implementation team and began analyzing the impact on our current policies and procedures to identify potential differences that would result from applying the requirements of the new standard. The implementation team reports findings and progress of the project to management on a frequent basis. Through this process, we have identified appropriate changes to our processes, systems, and controls to support recognition and disclosure under the new standard.

We have made significant progress towards completing the development of our methodology, data/input gathering and validation, and initial testing of our designed models. Our models were validated during the third quarter, enabling us to complete a parallel run using second quarter 2019 data. During the third quarter, we continued validation of our reasonable and supportable forecast models, as well as refinement and documentation of our end-to-end processes, which we expect to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2019. We are still evaluating the impact of the new standard on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows.

Goodwill

In January 2017, the FASB amended "Goodwill" to simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill. The amended guidance eliminates Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, impairment is defined as the amount by which the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, up to the total amount of goodwill of the reporting unit. The new guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020, and is not expected to have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows.

Fair Value Measurements

In August 2018, the FASB amended "Fair Value Measurements" to modify the disclosure requirements related to fair value. The amendment removes requirements to disclose (1) the amount of and reasons for transfers between levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy, (2) our policy related to the timing of transfers between levels, and (3) the valuation processes used in level 3 measurements. It clarifies that, for investments measured at net asset value, disclosure of liquidation timing is only required if the investee has communicated the timing either to us or publicly. It also clarifies that the narrative disclosure of the effect of changes in level 3 inputs should be based on changes that could occur at the reporting date. The amendment adds a requirement to disclose the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used in level 3 measurements. The guidance is effective for us with our quarterly filing for the period ended March 31, 2020 and we will make the required disclosure changes in that filing. Adoption will not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows.

Retirement Plans

In August 2018, the FASB amended "Retirement Plans" to modify the disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans. For us, the amendment requires the disclosure of the weighted average interest crediting rate used for cash balance plans and an explanation of the reasons for significant gains and losses related to changes in the benefit obligation for the period. It removes the requirement to disclose the approximate amount of future benefits covered by insurance contracts. The guidance is effective for us with our annual filing for the year ended December 31, 2020 and we will make the required disclosure changes in that filing. Adoption will not have an impact on our consolidated results of operations, consolidated financial position, and cash flows.

Lessee, Leases [Policy Text Block]

Leases

We have operating and finance leases. Our operating leases primarily include funeral service real estate and office equipment for funeral service locations, cemetery locations, and administrative offices. Our finance leases primarily include transportation equipment but also include real estate and office equipment. Lease terms related to real estate generally range from one to forty years with options to renew at varying terms. Lease terms related to office and transportation equipment generally range from one to eight years with options to renew at varying terms.

We determine whether an arrangement is or contains a lease at the inception of the arrangement based on the unique facts and circumstances present. Right-of-use (ROU) assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Leases with a term greater than one year are recognized on the balance sheet as ROU assets and lease liabilities. We have elected not to recognize on the balance sheet leases with terms of one year or less.

Lease liabilities and their corresponding ROU assets are recorded at commencement date based on the present value of

lease payments over the expected lease term. For transportation equipment, we use the rate implicit in each lease to calculate the present value. For real estate and non-transportation equipment leases, the interest rate implicit in lease contracts is typically not readily determinable. Therefore, we use the appropriate collateralized incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments for real estate and non-transportation equipment leases. Certain adjustments to the ROU asset may be required for items such as initial direct costs paid or incentives received.

We calculate operating lease expense ratably over the lease term plus any reasonably assured renewal periods. We consider reasonably assured renewal options and fixed escalation provisions in our calculation. Generally, our leases do not include options to terminate the lease prior to the contractual lease expiration date, but future renewal periods are generally cancelable. The majority of our contractually available renewal periods for leases of buildings and land are considered reasonably certain of being exercised. This determination is made by our real estate team based on facts and circumstances surrounding each property. Leases with a term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet. The majority of our lease arrangements contain options to (i) purchase the property at fair value on the exercise date, (ii) purchase the property for a value determined at the inception of the lease, or (iii) renew the lease for the fair rental value at the end of the primary lease term. The depreciable life of assets and leasehold improvements are generally limited by the expected lease term.

Certain of our lease agreements include variable rental payments based on a percentage of sales over base contractual levels and others include rental payments adjusted periodically for inflation. Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. We generally do not have sublease arrangements, sale-leaseback arrangements, or leveraged leases.

We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. For leases commencing before January 1, 2019, we have elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components on certain equipment leases, such as copiers where the cost-per-copy maintenance charges are included in the lease charge. On these leases, we have elected to account for the lease and non-lease components as a single component. For leases commencing on or after January 1, 2019, we account for the maintenance charges (non-lease components) separately from the lease components.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property and equipment, net

During the fourth quarter of 2018, based on a review of our historical usage patterns for similar assets, we increased our estimate of the remaining useful life of certain building improvements and equipment by one to three years. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, these changes in useful life, which were made prospectively, reduced depreciation expense by $4.0 million ($0.02 per basic and diluted share) and $12.1 million ($0.07 and $0.06 per basic and diluted share, respectively).