describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value and categorize the assets and liabilities within the hierarchy:
Level 1 – Fair value is based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible to the Company for identical assets or liabilities. These prices generally provide the most reliable evidence and are used to measure fair value whenever available. Active markets are defined as having the following for the measured asset/liability: (i) many transactions, (ii) current prices, (iii) price quotes not varying substantially among market makers, (iv) narrow bid/ask spreads and (v) most information publicly available.
The Company’s Level 1 assets include bond exchange-traded funds.
Level 2 – Fair value is based on significant inputs, other than Level 1 inputs, that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset through corroboration with observable market data. Level 2 inputs include quoted market prices in active markets for similar assets, nonbinding quotes in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets and other market observable inputs (e.g., interest rates, yield curves, prepayment speeds, default rates, loss severities, etc.).
The Company’s Level 2 assets include U.S. Treasury securities, government agency securities, municipal debt obligations, RMBS, CMBS, CLO, ABS, corporate debt securities, and non-redeemable preferred stock securities.
The Company generally obtains valuations from third-party pricing services and/or security dealers for identical or comparable assets or liabilities by obtaining nonbinding broker quotes (when pricing service information is not available) in order to determine an estimate of fair value. The Company bases all of its estimates of fair value for assets on the bid price as it represents what a third-party market participant would be willing to pay in an arm’s-length transaction.
Level 3 – Fair value is based on at least one or more significant unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity for the asset. These inputs reflect the Company’s understanding about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.
The Company’s Level 3 assets include its investments in certain corporate debt securities, certain non-redeemable preferred stock securities and commercial levered loans as they are illiquid and trade in inactive markets. These markets are considered inactive as a result of the low level of trades of such investments. Commercial levered loans are also not considered within the Level 3 tabular disclosure, because they are in the “held for investment” category and are also not measured at fair value on a recurring basis.
The corporate debt securities and non-redeemable preferred stock securities classified under Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy are either provided to the Company by an independent valuation service provider or calculated by the Company. For certain securities, the Company uses observable inputs such as readily available indices as well as change in estimated fund returns provided by third party investment managers. Unobservable inputs, significant to the measurement and valuation of the corporate debt securities are assumptions about prepayment speed, default rates and recovery rates. Significant changes to any of these inputs, or combination of inputs, could significantly change the fair value measurement for these securities when using the income approach.
The primary pricing sources for the Company’s investments in commercial levered loans are reviewed for reasonableness, based on the Company’s understanding of the respective market. Prices may then be determined using valuation methodologies such as discounted cash flow models, as well as matrix pricing analyses performed on nonbinding quotes from brokers or other market makers.