10-K
1
form10-k.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
DC 20549
FORM
10-K
(Mark
One)
[X]
ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021
or
[ ]
TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from ________ to ________
Commission
file number: 000-50547
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada
88-0515333
(State or other jurisdiction
of
incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
4626
North 300 West, Suite No. 365, Provo, Utah
84604
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
Code)
(801)
717-3935
(Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code)
Securities
registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
None
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Title
of each
class
Trading
Symbol(s)
Name
of each exchange on which
registered
Common
Stock, $0.001 par value
SUND
OTCQB
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes [ ] No
[X]
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes [ ]
No [X]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports)
and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X] No [ ]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant
to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that
the registrant was required to submit such files.) Yes [X] No [ ]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “ large accelerated filer ,” “ accelerated filer ” “ smaller
reporting company ” and “ emerging growth company ” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer [ ]
Accelerated
filer [ ]
Non-accelerated
filer [X]
Smaller
reporting company [X]
Emerging
Growth Company [X]
If
an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying
with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [X]
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.) Yes [ ] No [X]
As
of June 29, 2021 the registrant had 41,308,441 shares of common stock, par value $0.001, issued and outstanding. The aggregate
market value of common shares held by non-affiliates as of September 30, 2020 (the most recent second quarter) was $33,843,844.
Documents
incorporated by reference .
None.
Table
of Contents
PART I
4
Item
1.
Business
4
Item
1A.
Risk Factors
8
Item
1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
22
Item
2.
Properties
22
Item
3.
Legal Proceedings
22
Item
4.
Mine Safety Disclosures
22
PART II
23
Item
5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
23
Item
6.
Selected Financial Data
24
Item
7.
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
24
Item
8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
29
Item
9.
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
30
Item
9A.
Controls and Procedures
30
Item
9B.
Other Information
31
PART III
32
Item
10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
32
Item
11.
Executive Compensation
35
Item
12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
38
Item
13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
40
Item
14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
42
PART IV
43
Item
15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
43
Item
16.
Form 10-K Summary
44
Signatures
45
2
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC.
In
this Annual Report, references to “Sundance,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our”
and words of similar import refer to Sundance Strategies, Inc., a Nevada corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ANEW LIFE, INC.,
a Utah corporation (“ANEW LIFE”), unless the context requires otherwise.
Information
Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This
annual report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
(the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)
that are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. For this purpose any
statement contained in this report that is not a statement of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking, including, but not
limited to, statements relating to our future actions, intentions, plans, strategies, objectives, results of operations, cash flows and
the adequacy of or need to seek additional capital resources and liquidity. Without limiting the foregoing, words such as “ may ”,
“ should ”, “ expect ”, “ project ”, “ plan ”, “ anticipate ”,
“ believe ”, “ estimate ”, “ intend ”, “ budget ”, “ forecast ”,
“ predict ”, “ potential ”, “ continue ”, “ should ”, “ could ”,
“ will ” or comparable terminology or the negative of such terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements,
however, the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements by their nature
involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially depending
on a variety of factors, many of which are not within our control. Such factors include, but are not limited to, economic conditions
generally and in the industry in which we and our customers participate; competition within our industry; legislative requirements or
changes which could render our products or services less competitive or obsolete; our failure to successfully develop new products and/or
services or to anticipate current or prospective customers’ needs; price increases; employee limitations; or delays, reductions,
or cancellations of contracts we have previously entered into; sufficiency of working capital, capital resources and liquidity and other
factors detailed herein and in our other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or
“Commission”). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect,
actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated.
Forward-looking
statements are predictions and not guarantees of future performance or events. Forward-looking statements are based on current industry,
financial and economic information which we have assessed but which by its nature is dynamic and subject to rapid and possibly abrupt
changes. Our actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to risks and
uncertainties associated with our business. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Moreover, neither we nor any other person
assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of these forward-looking statements and we hereby qualify all our forward-looking
statements by these cautionary statements.
These
forward-looking statements speak only as of their dates and should not be unduly relied upon. We undertake no obligation to amend this
report or revise publicly these forward-looking statements (other than pursuant to reporting obligations imposed on registrants pursuant
to the Exchange Act) to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The
following discussion should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the related notes contained elsewhere in this report
and in our other filings with the Commission.
3
PART
I
Item
1. Business
Organizational
Background
Java
Express, Inc., was organized under the laws of the State of Nevada on December 14, 2001, for the purpose of selling coffee and other
related items to the general public from retail coffee shop locations. These endeavors ceased in 2006, and it had no material business
operations from 2006 until March of 2013. On March 29, 2013, the Company, its newly formed and wholly-owned subsidiary, Anew Acquisition
Corp., a Utah corporation (“Merger Sub”), and ANEW LIFE, INC., a Utah corporation (“ANEW LIFE”), executed and
delivered an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into ANEW
LIFE, ANEW LIFE was the surviving company under the merger and became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company on the closing of the
merger (the “Merger”). On April 17, 2013, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment with the Secretary of State of the
State of Nevada to change its name from “Java Express, Inc.” to “Sundance Strategies, Inc.” Sundance Strategies,
Inc. is referred to as the Company, us or we.
Our
Business
Our
historical business model has focused on purchasing or acquiring life insurance policies and residual interests in or financial products
tied to life insurance policies, including notes, drafts, acceptances, open accounts receivable and other obligations representing part
or all of the sales price of insurance, life settlements and related insurance contracts being traded in the secondary marketplace, often
referred to as the “life settlements market.”
We
currently do not hold life settlement or life insurance policies but, rather, previously held a contractual right to receive the net
insurance benefits, or “NIBs”, from a portfolio of life insurance policies held by a third party (“the Owners”
or “the Holders”). These NIBs represented an indirect, residual ownership interest in a portfolio of individual life insurance
policies, and they allowed us to receive a portion of the settlement proceeds from such policies, after expenses related to the acquisition,
financing, insuring and servicing of the policies underlying our NIBs have been paid.
NIBs
are generally sold by an entity that holds the underlying life settlement or life insurance policies, either directly or indirectly through
a subsidiary, such an entity being referred to herein as a “Holder.” A Holder, either directly or through a wholly owned
subsidiary, purchases life insurance policies either from the insured or on the secondary market and aggregates them into a portfolio
of policies. At the time of purchase, the Holder also (i) contracts with a service provider to manage the servicing of the policies until
maturity, (ii) consider purchasing mortality re-insurance (“MRI”) coverage under which payments will be made to the Holder
in the event the insurance policies do not mature according to actuarial life expectancies, and (iii) arranges financing to cover the
initial purchase of the insurance policies, the servicing of the life insurance policies until maturity and the payment of the MRI premiums.
The financing obtained by the Holder for a portfolio of life settlement or life insurance policies is secured by the insurance policies
for which the financing was obtained. After a Holder purchases policies, aggregates them into a portfolio and arranges for the servicing,
MRI coverage and financing, the Holder contracts to sell NIBs related to the policies, which gives the holder of the NIBs the right to
receive the proceeds from the settlement of the insurance policies after all of the expenses related to such policies have been paid.
When an insurance policy underlying our NIBs comes to maturity, the insurance proceeds are first used to pay expenses associated with
such policy. Once all of the expenses have been paid, the Holder will retain a small percentage of the proceeds and then will pay the
remaining insurance proceeds to us.
During
the latter part of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, the Company began developing an additional business offering, providing professional
services to specialty structured finance groups, bond issuers and life settlement aggregators. The Company has now assembled an experienced
team from the life settlement marketplace, as well as from other areas such as financial services and public financial markets. As a
professional services provider, the Company applies industry best practices to advise on the selection of specific portfolios of life
insurance policies that are tailored to meet the needs of its clients. The Company’s clients may include bond issuers, bond investors,
or other structured finance product issuers. The Company develops strategies and methodologies which include the acquisition of life
insurance portfolios, then uses common structured finance techniques and proprietary analytics to structure bonds for issuances, including
principal protected bonds. The Company’s goal is to deliver long-term value and profitability to shareholders by growing the Company’s
professional services business and asset base, resulting in the ability to pay dividends to its shareholders.
4
Most
recently the Company began working closely with bond placement agents and aggregators to establish various aspects of a proprietary,
investment grade bond offering. In this arrangement, the Company participates as the sole originator in the role of structuring and advising
on the structure of the proprietary bond instrument. Included in the role of structuring financial assets, the Company uses proprietary
analytics to establish the makeup of the rated instrument, including but not limited to, life settlement assets (life insurance policies)
and managed cash, and implements a process of selective assembly of the underlying assets and cash management that will meet the policy
requirements and analytics. The Company provides current and ongoing resources for all analytics, as well as advisement support for the
investment and non-investment grade ratings for the managed asset pool and the managed cash accounts. In its advisory role, the Company
is reimbursed for all expenses associated with the structuring and preparation of any bond offering, will receive an advisory payment
upon the closing of any bond offering, and then will hold residual rights on the balance of assets once the bond is retired.
Subsequent
to March 31, 2021, the Company and US Capital Global Securities LLC, an affiliate of US Capital Global, entered into an arrangement wherein
the Company is the lead advisor and lead originator of tailored life insurance portfolios to be used in a life insurance-linked bond
offering (“bond offering”) of between $250 million to $500 million. US Capital Global Securities LLC is the lead placement
agent and is marketing the bond offering on behalf of the issuer on a best efforts basis to qualified investors. The Company has worked
with Egan Jones rating agency to obtain a minimum of BBB plus to an A minus rating on the bond offering. This initial rating is based
upon a sample portfolio of life settlement assets similar to those expected to be utilized in the bond offering. Once a percentage of
the bond offering is in escrow, then the actual life settlement portfolios will be purchased and held until the bond offering closes.
Once the final group of assets are assembled, then a final rating will be obtained. The Company has engaged a licensed asset manager,
whose projected returns will be approved by the rating agency. Important for the success of the bond is the treatment of the various
cash accounts that will support the bond. The two primary accounts will be the Investment account and the Cash Reserve account. These
accounts will represent approximately 40% of the total cash raised from the bond offering. The Investment and Cash Reserve accounts are
projected to produce sufficient annual returns to support the cost associated to maintain the bonds. A nationally recognized trust manager
has been engaged to ensure that all the workings of the bond are handled properly and timely. An actuarial company has also been engaged
to provide the modeling needed for the rating agency, asset manager and bond issuer. For services provided, the Company will receive
a fee upon the closing on the bond offering and will also hold a residual monetary right to cash flows from the life settlement assets
once the bond is retired.
Life
Settlements Market
There
are a number of reasons a policy owner may choose to sell his or her life insurance policy. The policy owner may no longer need or want
his or her policy, he or she may wish to purchase a different kind of insurance policy, premium payments may no longer be affordable
or the policy owner may need cash to fund healthcare or other expenses. In particular, policy holders 65 years of age and older and their
families are faced with a variety of challenges as they seek to address their post-retirement financial needs and selling one’s
life insurance policy may provide a unique and valuable financial solution to such challenges. From the early 2000s through 2008, the
market for newly originated life settlements grew from virtually no activity to a peak of an estimated $12 billion of face value of U.S.
life settlement policies settled annually in 2007 and 2008. Economic factors slowed the growth in 2009, when an estimated $8 billion
of face value of U.S. life insurance was settled and growth has continued to decline since that time. According to a 2015 study prepared
by the insurance research group Conning & Co., investors purchased $1.7 billion worth of U.S. life insurance face value in 2014,
bringing its estimate of the total face value of life settlements held at year end to just over $32 billion. Looking ahead, however,
Conning & Co. projected steady growth in the amount of face value available for life settlements, though it may take years to re-attract
capital to pre-2009 levels to meet that supply. Regardless, we believe that the supply of policies has the potential to increase over
time due to the aging population and increased awareness of the life settlement market as an alternative to allowing a policy to lapse
for little or no value. A report from the AAP Life Settlement Market Update indicated that internal rates of return for life settlement
transactions conducted in 2013 were in the high-teens. Participants in the secondary life settlement market have included major insurance
companies which have purchased available pools of policies for their own investment, portfolio aggregators, private equity funds, and
independent third-party investors.
5
Predictability
of Future Cash Flows . Predictability of future cash flows is one of the biggest challenges facing companies engaged in the life
settlements industry. If a Holder is not able to adequately predict future cash flows and does not continually have enough cash to make
a policy portfolio’s premium payments, the policies in the portfolio may lapse and we may lose our right to receive the proceeds
from the settlement of the policies at maturity. Prediction of future cash flow requires the use of financial models, which rely on various
assumptions. These assumptions include the amount and timing of projected net cash receipts, expected maturity events, counter party
performance risk, changes to applicable regulation of the investment, shortage of funds needed to maintain the asset until maturity,
changes in discount rates, life expectancy estimates and their relation to premiums, interest, and other costs incurred, among other
items. These uncertainties and contingencies are difficult to predict and are subject to future events that may impact our estimates
and interest income. As a result, actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. If projections of life expectancies
are wrong, Holders may be obligated to service the related insurance policies for longer than expected, thereby increasing their costs
and reducing the net insurance benefit available.
Financing
a portion of the purchase price . Financing a portion of the purchase price of a policy portfolio allows the Holder to leverage
its investment and create a larger and diversified policy portfolio. When making an investment in a portfolio of life insurance policies,
a Holder utilizes actuarial tables to determine when the policies in the portfolio can be expected to come to maturity. However, the
Holder assumes the risk that the policies in the portfolio will come to maturity later than was predicted by the actuarial tables used
at the time of purchase. The life expectancies provided by the actuarial tables are based on actual death rates in large populations
of individuals with similar demographic characteristics. Thus, the more policies underlying a policy portfolio, the more reliable the
use of actuarial tables becomes. In other words, the larger the policy portfolio, the more closely the underlying insureds would be expected
to, on average, follow actuarial predictions and the lower the risk associated with future cash flows will be. Because of the general
uncertainty of maturity of life insurance policies, financing for their purchase and servicing has historically been difficult to secure.
The lender (the “Holders’ Lender”) has provided financing to the Holders to finance the purchase of the insurance policies.
We believe there are few lenders within this market.
Mortality
Re-Insurance (MRI) Coverage . Because of the uncertainty of maturity of insurance policies the Holders had, on occasion, previously
contracted with an insurance provider for MRI coverage. MRI coverage typically provides guaranteed cash flow based on the expected death
benefits of the pool of policies being insured calculated at the issuance of the coverage and thereby provides credit enhancement to
any bank providing financing to a Holder. The term of the MRI policies is usually 15 years. Any claims paid by the MRI to the Holder
must be paid back to the MRI provider out of death benefit proceeds from the pool of policies being insured when such death benefit proceeds
are eventually received. This enables the Holder to receive a smoother cash flow from a pool of policies over time and avoid “lumpiness”
in the cash flows that would otherwise be more pronounced in the absence of the MRI coverage. Any claim payment balances would accrue
interest, typically at a spread of 250 basis points over LIBOR, to the extent they remain outstanding. The MRI coverage is obtained by
paying an MRI premium, typically at equal to 2% of the cumulative death benefit of the covered life insurance policies, at the outset
of the coverage and, depending on the specific terms of the MRI policy, possibly an additional premium amount at a predetermined time
during the effective coverage period (the “Commitment Fee”), which is typically 1% of the cumulative death benefits of the
covered policies. The insurer under the MRI policy typically must approve the sale of any life insurance policies covered by the MRI
policy if such sale does not result in the full repayment of any outstanding recovery amounts. It is our understanding that there is
only one MRI Provider. While the MRI coverage is relatively expensive, we believe that insurance policies that are covered by MRI have
less volatility, are more liquid and should achieve higher values for purposes of financing and secondary market sales.
Financing
a policy portfolio’s premium payments gives a Holder additional cash needed to satisfy the premium obligations of its portfolio.
In addition, obtaining MRI increases the probability that the Holder will receive future cash flows in the event the underlying insureds
live longer than expected. This combination provides the Holder with sufficient liquidity to stabilize its cash position.
6
Life
Settlement Purchasing Guidelines as an Advisor
Our
objective is to advise and assist entities as they acquire Life Insurance policies and portfolios that will produce returns in excess
of any and all purchase, financing, servicing and insuring costs incurred by the Holder. The guidelines we generally follow regarding
the purchase of policies and portfolios include:
●
the
insured is 75 years old or older;
●
all
NIBs relate to U.S. Universal Life Insurance policies;
●
all
underlying insurance policies have qualified for financing that will cover at least four years of premiums;
●
each
policy must first be reviewed by the legal due diligence team of the lender providing financing for the acquisition and servicing
of the life insurance policies, second by the MRI company’s due diligence team and then finally approved by our due diligence
processes;
●
all
policies must qualify for MRI; and
●
the
projected proceeds payable on each life insurance policy upon the death of the underlying insured are projected to exceed the costs
to service the life insurance policies, amounts due to creditors secured by such life insurance policy, such as the Holders’
Lender or the MRI provider, other costs and fees incurred by the Holder and the percentage of the remaining insurance benefit retained
by the Holder
Competition
We
encounter significant competition in the life settlements industry generally from numerous companies, including hedge funds, investment
banks, secured lenders, specialty life insurance finance companies and life insurance companies themselves who purchase life settlements.
Many of these competitors have greater financial and other resources than we do and may have significantly lower cost of funds because
they have greater access to insured deposits or the capital markets. Moreover, some of these competitors have significant cash reserves
and can better fund shortfalls in collections that might have a more pronounced impact on companies such as ours. They also have greater
market share. For example, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a portfolio of $300 million (face value) in life insurance policies in 2013.
According to The Deal Pipeline, total life settlement transactions grew to $2.57 billion (face value) in 2013. In 2014 transaction
volumes were reported higher by market participants in all major segments of the industry and Conning & Co. forecast an average annual
gross market potential for life settlements of $180 billion from 2014-2023, with an average volume of approximately $3 billion per year
in life settlement transactions.
A
report from the AAP Life Settlement Market Update indicated that internal rates of return for life settlement transactions conducted
in 2013 were in the high-teens, an attractive return at a time when fixed income and other hedge positions were delivering minimal rates
of return. In the event that certain better-financed companies make a significant effort to compete against our business or the secondary
market in general, prices paid for existing portfolios of life insurance policies may rise and our ability to purchase satisfactory assets
may decline. In addition, recent shrinking of the market for life settlements has resulted in fewer available pools of insurance policies.
As a result, price competition for the remaining pools has increased. Our limited resources prohibit us from competing for larger pools.
These factors could adversely affect our profitability by reducing our return on investment or increasing our risk.
Employee s
On
March 31, 2021, we had two full-time employees: Randall F. Pearson, our President; and Lisa L. Fuller, Esq., our general legal counsel.
Available
Information
Our
website address is www.sundancestrategies.com. We make available free of charge on the Investor Relations portion of our website, our
annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file
such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
7
Item
1A. Risk Factors
We
have identified the following risks and uncertainties that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results
of operations and future growth prospects. Our business could be harmed by any of these risks. The risks and uncertainties described
below are not the only ones we face. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose
all or part of your investment. In assessing these risks, you should also refer to other information contained in this Form 10-K, including
our consolidated financial statements and related notes.
Risk
Factors relating to Our Business
A
pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease in the United States or elsewhere may adversely affect our business.
If
a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease occurs in the United States or elsewhere, our business may be adversely affected.
In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, was identified in Wuhan, China. This virus continues to spread globally and,
as of March 2021, has spread to over 100 countries, including the United States. The spread of COVID-19 from China to other countries
has resulted in the World Health Organization declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 as a “pandemic,” or a worldwide spread of
a new disease, on March 11, 2020.
Federal,
state, and local government actions to address and contain the impact of COVID-19 may adversely affect us. For example, we could be subject
to proposed legislative and/or regulatory action that seeks to regulate the insurance industry to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic. It is also possible that changes in economic conditions and steps taken by federal, state, and local governments in response
to COVID-19 could require an increase in taxes at the federal, state, and local levels, which would adversely impact our results of operations.
Though
some jurisdictions have begun to ease certain restriction related to the COVID-19 pandemic, recent spikes in the spread of the disease
have caused governmental authority to slow the re-opening to reinstate restrictions on businesses. We are still assessing the effect
on our business, from the spread of COVID-19 and the actions implemented by the governments across the globe. A significant outbreak
of contagious diseases, such as COVID-19, could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial
markets of many countries, resulting in an economic downturn. As a result, our ability to raise additional funds, if necessary, may be
adversely impacted by risks, or the public perception of the risks, related to the recent outbreak of COVID-19.
We
have historically used significant amounts of cash in operating activities since our inception and may continue to use significant amounts
of cash for operating activities in the foreseeable future.
We
have historically used substantial amounts of cash in operating activities. To date, our operations have not generated sufficient cash
flow to fund our operations and we have relied on cash provided by financing activities, including amounts received under notes payable
and lines-of-credit with related parties. Our default under these obligations may also limit our ability to obtain future financing from
related or third parties.
Our
inability to access capital may limit our ability to adequately fund our operations. In order to continue to fund our operations, including
the potential purchase of NIBs, we will need to raise substantial amounts of capital. Absent additional financing, we will not have the
resources to execute our business plan.
Our
management team relies on outside consultants and others in our industry to make informed business decisions; potential conflicts of
interest involving those parties who are relied upon could adversely affect the execution of our business model
Our
management team has relied and will continue to rely on consultants and service providers in our industry. Many of these consultants
or service providers represent or provide services to others in this industry, and no assurance can be given that we, as a small competitor
competing with larger competitors in our industry, will be able to engage these consultants. In addition, our inability to retain such
consultants would negatively affect our ability to identify and evaluate life insurance products for purchase. Even as our management
accumulates expertise in this industry, we will still rely on the expertise of outside consultants for a variety of information, including
valuation, life expectancies, actuarials and other matters specific to life insurance policies. If we cannot obtain such services at
an affordable price, our business will be harmed.
8
Current
and future federal regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act’s consumer protection provisions may have an adverse effect on our business
and our planned business operations.
On
July 21, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank
Act”). The Dodd-Frank Act contains significant changes to the regulation of financial institutions including the creation of new
federal regulatory agencies and the granting of additional authorities and responsibilities to existing regulatory agencies to identify
and address emerging systemic risks posed by the activities of financial services firms. The Dodd-Frank Act also provides for enhanced
regulation of derivatives and asset-backed securities offerings, restrictions on executive compensation and enhanced oversight of credit
rating agencies. The provisions include a new independent Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to regulate consumer financial services
and products, and life settlement transactions may be within the scope of its jurisdiction. Actions taken by the Bureau of Consumer Financial
Protection may have material adverse effects on the life settlement industry and could affect the value of insurance policies. In addition,
the Dodd-Frank Act also limits the ability of federal laws to preempt state and local consumer laws. Prospective investors should be
aware that the changes in the regulatory and business landscape as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act could have an adverse impact on us
and the entities from which we acquire NIBs and similar life settlement products.
On
February 3, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pursuant to which he ordered the Secretary of the Treasury to consult
with the heads of the member agencies of the Financial Stability Oversight Council on the extent to which existing laws, treaties, regulations,
guidance, reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and other government policies promote certain core principles laid out in the executive
order. This may result in repeals of or amendments to existing laws, treaties, regulations, guidance, reporting and recordkeeping requirements
and other government policies, including regulations implementing the Dodd-Frank Act. The changes resulting from this executive order
and the continuing implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act may impact the profitability of our business activities or otherwise adversely
affect our business. Failure to comply with the requirements may negatively impact our results of operations and financial condition.
While we cannot predict what effect any presently contemplated or future changes in the laws or regulations or their interpretations
would have on us, these changes could be materially adverse to investors in our common stock.
General
economic conditions could have an adverse effect on our business.
Changes
in general economic conditions, including, for example, interest rates, investor sentiment, market and regulatory changes specifically
affecting the insurance industry, competition, technological developments, political and diplomatic events, tax laws, and other factors
not known to us today, can substantially and adversely affect our business and prospects. There continues to be uncertainty about the
prospects for growth in the U.S. economy as well as economies of other countries, driven by factors such as high current unemployment,
rising government debt levels, prospective Federal Reserve (and similar foreign bodies) policy shifts, the withdrawal of government interventions
in financial markets, changing consumer spending patterns, and changing expectations for inflation and deflation. These factors have
adversely affected the financial markets and the claims-paying ability of many insurers. Such uncertainties and general economic trends
can affect the ability to obtain funds to finance life settlement products. None of these risks are or will be within our control.
The
costs in time and expense of being a publicly-held company are substantial and will only increase if our business model is successful.
We
are a “reporting issuer” under Section 13 of the Exchange Act, required to file annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q and current reports respecting certain events on Form 8-K, along with proxy or information statements for any meeting of
stockholders or written consents of stockholders holding sufficient securities to effect corporate actions. Most of these reports require
generating and compiling significant accounting, legal and financial information, including audited year-end financial statements and
reviewed quarterly financial statements. The preparation of these reports, their review by management and professionals and the auditing
and review process of such financial statements consumes significant resources, in terms of management time and focus, as well as expenses
related to legal, accounting and audit fees. It is difficult to quantify these costs, but we believe them to be not less than between
approximately $175,000 and $250,000 annually. As our business grows, these costs can only increase.
9
Inadequate
funding will impede execution of our business model.
At
present, we are a minor participant in both the life settlement market and in the bond advisory industry. We face significant competition
from much larger competitors. We will need substantial additional funds to effectively compete in these industries, and no assurance
can be given that we will be able to adequately fund our current and intended operations. We expect to finance our operating working
capital requirements, with proceeds from planned public and/or private offerings of our securities and debt financing. There can be no
assurance that we will be successful in raising debt or equity capital or that we will be successful in raising additional capital in
the future on terms acceptable to us, or at all. If we are not able to obtain sufficient funding to execute our business strategies,
we may be required to scale back or discontinue our operations, which would materially adversely affect our financial condition and results
of operations.
We
may be unable to access capital on a timely basis to fund our operations, which would adversely affect our ability to continue as a going
concern.
Our
inability to access capital may limit our ability to adequately fund our operations and continue as a going concern. To continue as a
going concern we will need to raise substantial amounts of capital. Absent additional financing, we will not have the resources to execute
our business plan and continue as a going concern.
We
may default on our obligations under various debt arrangements, which may accelerate our repayment obligations or otherwise limit our
access to future financing.
If
we fail to make timely repayments of amounts received under notes payable and lines-of-credit with related parties or the 8% convertible
debenture agreement we will be in default of such obligations, which could materially adversely affect our operations and financial condition.
Our default under these obligations may also limit our ability to obtain future financing from related or third parties, which would
materially adversely affect our operations and our ability to execute our business strategy.
We
are new to the bond, life settlement, and financial advisory industry and may not be able to successfully compete in this industry.
We
only recently began providing advisory services relating to bond issuances and life settlement transactions. In order for these operations
to be successful, we will need to develop sufficient expertise and establish relationships with clients. Identifying and acquiring clients
in this industry will require us to compete with other larger, more experienced, and better capitalized service providers and we may
not be successful in developing such client relationships. If we are not able to successful market our advisory business, our financial
condition and results of operations will be materially adversely affected.
Historically,
99% of our total assets are interests in life settlement policies, resulting in a lack of diversification of assets and concentration
in assets that are subject to significant fluctuations in value.
Although
we currently have no ownership in life settlement policies, generally speaking, our previous investment in NIBs was usually the primary
asset on our balance sheet. Life settlement products like NIBs are subject to substantial fluctuations in value, primarily based upon
matters that are not within our control, such as the current health and life expectancy of the insureds underlying our NIBs, the solvency
of the Holders of the policies and the Holders’ Lender, the Holders’ financing costs and ability to acquire policies and
the solvency of the insurance companies. Each of these factors can result in significant fluctuations of the value of the life insurance
policies underlying the NIBs, thereby affecting potential future interests.
10
Limitations
to the financial model we use may result in inaccurate or incomplete projections of future cash flow from the insurance policies
The
financial model we utilized to project future cash flows from potential life settlement assets was chosen because of its straight-forward
approach in calculating expected cash flows. We believe the methodology used in the model is particularly desirable because it has parameters
that are easily verifiable and does not require complex calculations or mathematic simulations to confirm results. However, with every
financial model, there are limitations. Most require assumptions to be made. Our model is no exception. Our assumptions may prove to
be incorrect and, therefore, our model may be incorrect. Our model relies on actuarial life-expectancy reports prepared by third parties
from which the estimated date of maturity is calculated. It is assumed that these reports were accurately made and properly reflect real
life expectancies. Our model also requires
other inputs including but not limited to the following: (i) a 15-year period for projections; (ii) a distinct number of lives; (iii)
a distinct number of policies; (iv) life expectancy tables and projections; (v) premiums; (vi) senior lending fees; (vii) MRI fees; and
(viii) insurance, servicing and custodial fees. While this method of modeling cash flows is helpful in setting general expectations of
potential returns that might be produced from a given portfolio, there is no way such results can be guaranteed. In addition to our assumptions,
there are many factors that may affect the selection of inputs for the model.
The
individuals insured by the life insurance policies may live longer than their actuarial life expectancies and thereby, cash flows from
life insurance policies may be delayed.
The
actual date of death of an insured with respect to a life insurance policy is uncertain. Life expectancies are projected from the medical
records of the insured and actuarial data based upon the historical experience of similarly situated persons. However, it is impossible
to predict with certainty any insured’s life expectancy. We have and will continue to base our longevity assumptions on the reports
of third-party life expectancy providers, among whom there is no uniformity of assumptions, approach or procedure. There are also significant
disputes among third-party life expectancy providers regarding the mortality rate relating to certain disease states and the efficacy
of certain treatments. Some factors that may affect the accuracy of a life expectancy report or other calculation of the estimated length
of an individual’s life are:
●
the
experience and qualifications of the medical professional or life expectancy company providing the life expectancy estimate;
●
the
completeness and accuracy of medical records received by the life expectancy company;
●
the
reliability of, and revisions to, actuarial tables or other mortality data published by public and private organizations or developed
by a life expectancy company and utilized by its medical professionals;
●
the
nature of any illness or health conditions of the insured disclosed or undisclosed;
●
changes
in living habits and lifestyle of an insured and medical treatments, medications and therapies available to and used by an insured;
and
●
future
improvements in medical treatments and cures, and the quality of medical care the insured receives.
We
rely primarily on various different life expectancy providers. A life expectancy, or LE, can be considered the life expectancy provider’s
“best estimate” as to how long a person would live. We assume that the life expectancies were accurately calculated and properly
assessed for purposes of our model. To introduce some “checks and balances” into our cash flow projections, we use at least
two LE reports from different third-party LE providers for each policy. We do this to try to avoid any systemic bias introduced by dependency
on life expectancies produced by a single source. In addition, our model gives greater weight to the longer (and more conservative) of
the two LEs. By using such a long/short weighted average, our model attempts to hedge against unexpected longevities in a portfolio.
11
Changes
in actuarial based life expectancy methodologies (which are determined by the Society of Actuaries and are amended every three to five
years) could have the effect of reducing the internal rate of return on the life insurance policies and could cause increased difficulty
in financing premiums. If changes are significant, they could lower prices for life insurance policies, but could also lower the value
of the life insurance policies due to the lower resulting present value of the death benefits forecasted to be paid at later dates. Holders’
senior loans require that certain loan to value ratios be maintained and decreases in policy values could result in violations of these
provisions. Default by Holders on their senior loans may impair their ability to obtain financing necessary to maintain the life insurance
policies.
In
addition, because our cash flow is usually dependent on life insurance policies coming to maturity, if life expectancies prove wrong
cash flows will change. If the insured lives longer than any or all of the life expectancy appraisals predict, then the amounts available
to life settlement interests could be diminished, perhaps significantly, due to the additional time during which premiums will have to
be paid and financing and other related expenses incurred in order to keep the related policy in force. If the insureds with respect
to too many life insurance policies live longer than their respective life expectancies, then Holders may have to liquidate such life
insurance policies. The market value of such Policies will necessarily be significantly less than the related death benefits.
Having
relatively few insureds could cause the overall performance to be unduly influenced by a relatively small number of underlying policies
that perform better or worse than expected.
Our
life expectancy actuarial results related to smaller portfolios may not be as reliable as they would be if the underlying portfolios
were larger. We understand that Standard & Poors has stated that at least 1,000 lives are required to achieve actuarial stability,
while A.M. Best concluded that at least 300 lives are necessary. Having fewer lives in a policy portfolio can cause the overall performance
of such portfolio to be unduly influenced by a relatively small number of “outliers” where the assets perform better or worse
than expected. The industry has sought to mitigate this risk by obtaining MRI coverage, which has the effect of accelerating cash flows
in cases where the assets underperform and reducing the volatility normally associated with a portfolio with fewer lives.
Increased
general market interests rates could increase the carrying costs of the life insurance policies and reduce the related cash flows.
If
general market interest rates increase, the value of life insurance portfolios would likely decrease. Some of the Holder’s carrying
costs associated with the life insurance policy portfolios (specifically interest payments on the MRI coverage outstanding balance) are
tied to interest rates. If interest rates increase, the Holder’s carrying costs will increase and the return on our investment
will decrease. Because the Holders pay all of the costs associated with the life insurance policy portfolios, an increase in the Holder’s
carrying costs will correspondingly decrease the amount cash flows.
In
addition, if the interest rates used to determine the market value of a life insurance policy change, the present value of the policy
may also change. Generally, as interest rates increase, the present value of a life insurance policy decreases. If a Holder is forced
to sell a policy in a higher interest rate environment, the market price for the policies may be less than the price at which such policy
was acquired. Furthermore, Holders are generally obligated under the senior loans financing the purchase of life insurance policies to
maintain certain loan to value ratios. If the present value of the life insurance policies decreases significantly, the Holder may be
in breach of such obligations, which could impair the Holder’s ability to obtain financing necessary to service existing life insurance
policies or acquire new policies. As a result, any life insurance portfolios may decline in value or become worthless.
Changes
to foreign banking laws and regulations or decreased lending capacity for life settlements could have a negative impact on ability of
Holders to obtain loans with respect to purchases of life settlements.
Our
current business model relies on the availability to the Holders of senior loans from the Holders’ Lender or any other lender.
In the event of adverse regulatory changes or reduced capacity for life settlement lending, the Holders could experience the same liquidity
issues that have plagued other market participants. Changes to the Holders’ Lender’s loan to value requirements, compliance
with regulatory large exposure limits and changes to regulatory large exposure limits could also result in liquidity issues for the Holders
and corresponding liquidity issues for us. As mentioned above, changes in life expectancies could cause decreases in policy values, which
could result in loan to value violations and violations of large exposure limits.
12
Holders
may be required to obtain MRI coverage as a condition of our business model, which, if unavailable, could potentially increase our risk
of failure.
The
MRI is a relatively new product and there are no guarantees that the MRI provider will be able to meet the Holders’ coverage needs.
In addition, it is our understanding that there is only one MRI provider. The MRI provider has refused to provide future coverage to
the Holders. Without the MRI coverage, the Holders have limited options when the senior loans mature. The Holders’ Lender has demanded
repayment of all outstanding amounts under the senior loans.
The
lapse of life insurance policies will result in the entire loss of our interest in the death benefits from those particular policies.
The
Holders are required to make premium payments on the life insurance policies in order to keep such policies in force. These payments
generally will be made from amounts available to the Holders pursuant to the senior loans, death benefits, and MRI payments, if available.
Actual
results from life settlement products may not match expected results, which could reduce returns and also adversely affect the ability
to service and grow a portfolio for actuarial stability.
Our
business model relies on achieving actual results similar to those projected by using actuarial estimates. We believe that the larger
the portfolio of policies, the more reliable actuarial estimates will be and, likewise, the greater the likelihood that expected results
will be achieved.
In
a study published in 2012, A.M. Best concluded that at least 300 lives are necessary to narrow the band of cash flow volatility and achieve
actuarial stability, while Standard & Poor’s has indicated that actuarial stability is unlikely to be achieved with a pool
of less than 1,000 lives. While there is a risk with a portfolio of any size that actual yield may be less than expected, we believe
that the risk we face is presently more significant given the relatively low number of insureds underlying our potential NIBs as compared
to rating agency recommendations. Even if our portfolio reaches the size that is actuarially stable according to the rating agencies,
we still may experience differences between the actuarial models we use and actual mortalities. Differences between our expectations
and actuarial models, and actual mortality results, could have a materially adverse effect on our operating results and cash flow. In
such a case, we would face liquidity problems, including difficulties acquiring new NIBs and other life settlement products. Continued
or material failures to meet our expected results could decrease the attractiveness of our securities in the eyes of potential investors,
thereby making it even more difficult to obtain capital needed to acquire additional NIBs and obtain desired diversification and expansion
of the underlying insureds.
The
limited number of sellers of life settlement products in the secondary market may limit the ability to negotiate favorable prices in
the acquisition of such life settlement interests.
Because
we are not currently licensed to purchase life insurance policies directly from the insureds, we rely on re-sellers like Del Mar, PCH
and HFII for such products.
Unless
other sources become available, the ability to purchase the life settlement products desired may be limited. In addition, the limited
number of sellers could limit the ability to negotiate favorable prices to purchase life settlement products, which could reduce profitability.
Furthermore, recent declines in the secondary market for life settlements have limited the availability of pools of life insurance policies,
resulting in increased price competition.
We
do not track concentrations of pre-existing medical conditions of insureds in our guidelines for purchasing life settlement products.
Concentrations
of pre-existing medical conditions in insureds could affect the valuation of the portfolios that such policies underlie. We do not track
concentrations of pre-existing medical conditions in purchases of life settlement products. Thus, the valuation of such interests and
our estimates of cash flows therefrom could be inaccurate.
13
If
life settlement products are determined to be “securities,” Holders may be required to register as an investment company
under the Investment Company Act, which would substantially increase SEC reporting costs and oversight of a Holder’s business operations.
On
July 22, 2010, the SEC released a Staff Report by the Life Settlements Task Force that recommended the SEC consider recommending to Congress
that it amend the definition of “security” under the federal securities laws to include life settlement policies as securities.
One U.S. Congressman has sought to introduce a bill to make such amendment. While that attempt did not result in any action, there can
be no assurance that such a bill will not be passed at some future date. If federal securities laws are indeed amended to include such
policies within the definition of “security,” or if courts with relevant jurisdiction interpret existing securities laws
to that effect, our ability to operate our business under our current business model may be constrained by additional regulatory requirements
under the Securities Act, the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act.
Such
requirements could, among other things, limit our or Holder’s ability to change investment policies without stockholder approval,
prohibit our acquisition of assets from an affiliate without SEC approval, limit leveraging of our assets to one-third of our total asset
value, require accounting for all derivatives as a leverage of assets to the extent that they create an obligation on our part to pay
out assets to a counterparty ahead of our stockholders and generally require 40% of our directors to be independent directors. In addition,
intermediaries used to purchase life settlement products may be required to register as broker-dealers or registered investment advisers
and would otherwise be subject to oversight by the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, which require adherence to numerous
rules and regulations. Such regulations could substantially increase our compliance and reporting costs, which would negatively affect
profitability.
There
is poor liquidity in the secondary market for life insurance and life settlements.
The
secondary market for life insurance policies and life settlements is relatively illiquid, and it is often difficult to sell life insurance
policies or interests in life insurance policies at attractive prices, if at all. The ability to sell life insurance policies may be
made even more difficult due to the nature in which the policies were originated, especially with respect to policies where the premiums
were financed by the original owner, creating an increased risk associated with holding such policies. Holders may be limited in their
ability to liquidate assets if they need to do so in order to raise funds to pay premiums, or otherwise.
Life
settlements, and therefore our common stock, are highly speculative and may lose all of their value.
Life
settlements are highly speculative investments. With respect to life insurance policies, it is not possible to determine in advance either
the exact time that a life insurance policy will reach maturity (i.e., at the death of the insured) or the profit, loss or return on
an investment in a life insurance policy. The longer the period between the purchase of a life settlement and the payout on the underlying
policy at maturity, the lower return will be because of the cost to maintain the underlying policies.
In
addition, no assurance can be given that any life insurance policy will perform in accordance with projections, and any such life insurance
policy may decline in value. Consequently, there can be no assurance that, to the extent we invest in NIBs, we will realize a positive
return on our investment. These types of investments should be considered to be highly speculative in nature. This, in turn, may directly
affect the amount and timing of funding sought or received by us, which in turn will affect our ability to conduct our business. Thus,
an investment in our Company is suitable only for investors having substantial financial resources, a clear understanding of the risk
factors associated with such investments and the ability to withstand the potential loss of their entire investment.
Risks
Related to the Life Insurance Policies
Policies
may be determined to have been issued without an “insurable interest” and could be void or voidable.
State
insurance laws in the United States require that an insurance policy may only be initially procured by a person that has an insurable
interest in the continuance of the life of the insured. Whether an owner has an insurable interest in the insured is a question of applicable
state law. The general concept is that a person with an insurable interest is a person that has a continuing interest in the insured
remaining alive, whether through the bonds of love and affection or due to certain recognized economic relationships. Typically this
includes the insured, the insured’s spouse and children, and in some states, other close relatives. In some jurisdictions, however,
this could also include entities such as the insured’s creditors, employer, business partners or certain charitable institutions.
It also typically includes a trust that owns a life insurance policy insuring the life of the grantor or settlor of the trust where the
beneficiaries of the trust are persons, who, by virtue of certain familial relationships with the grantor or settlor, also have an insurable
interest in the life of the insured.
14
A
policy purchased by a person without an insurable interest may, depending on relevant state insurance law, be (i) void, (ii) voidable
by the insurer that issued the policy and/or (iii) subject to the claims of the insured’s presumptive beneficiaries, such as his
or her spouse or other family members. In some states, the insured must consent to the purchase of a policy by a person other than the
insured.
Generally,
state insurance law is clear that an individual has an insurable interest in his or her own life and may procure life insurance on his
or her own life and may name any person as beneficiary. However, if a person purchases insurance on his or her own life for the benefit
of a party who does not have an insurable interest in the life of the insured for the purpose of evading the insurable interest laws,
the purchase may be viewed under applicable state law as a violation of the state’s insurable interest laws. Should the issuer
own an interest in a policy that was originally issued to an owner or for the benefit of a beneficiary (if required) that did not have
an insurable interest, it is possible that the issuer may not have a valid claim for the death benefits on such policy, and upon the
death of the insured, the issuing insurance company may refuse to pay the death benefits on the policy to us or may be required to pay
the death benefit to other beneficiaries of the insured. Should any such claims be successful in relation to the policies underlying
NIBs, we could lose some or all of the amounts we have invested in NIBs, although in some states the issuing insurance company may be
required to repay the premiums if it rescinds the policy. Some states, such as New Jersey, allow the carrier to retain all the premiums
in the event the policy is rescinded, and some states, such as Delaware, require premiums to be returned in cases where the policy is
successfully challenged by the carrier. Even if such claims are unsuccessful, significant amounts may need to be expended in defending
such claims, thereby reducing the amounts we may receive from NIBs and other life settlement interests we may purchase.
Concern
also exists regarding the applicability of state insurable interest requirements applicable to the purchase of a policy by an insured
or a person with an insurable interest in the life of the insured in circumstances in which the owner of the policy obtains a loan secured
by the policy to finance the payment of premiums on the policy, often referred to as a premium finance transaction. A substantial number
of the life insurance policies underlying NIBs have been originated pursuant to premium finance transactions. While it is generally accepted
by state law that an individual has an insurable interest in his or her own life, it is possible that a court might construe a premium
finance transaction as an attempt to evade the requirement that an insurable interest exist at the time an insurance policy is issued.
If the borrower in such a transaction is found to be acting, in fact, on behalf of a premium finance company to procure an insurance
policy, it is possible that a court might find that the real party in interest is the premium finance company, which by itself would
not have an insurable interest sufficient to support the insurance policy. As a result, the insurance policy may be void or subject to
attack, which could diminish the value of the policy. States have varying precedent on this subject. California, New York and Florida
have case law that is very favorable to the policy owner ( see Lincoln v. Jack Teren and Jonathan S. Berck, as trustee of the
Jack Teren Insurance Trust (Superior Court of the State of California, San Diego), Alice Kramer v. Lockwood Pension Services,
Inc., et al. , (United States District Court – Southern District of New York)). These courts have held life insurance policies
to be enforceable even where the policies were clearly purchased with an intent to sell the policies in the future. Florida has case
law that is also favorable ( see PrucoLife Insurance Company v. Wells Fargo (Florida Supreme Court, which held that a policy
may not be contested after the expiration of the policy’s contestability period). Delaware has laws which benefit the insurance
carrier and others that are more favorable to the policy owner ( see PHL Variable Insurance Co. vs. Price Dawe , (Supreme
Court of Delaware) and Principal Life Insurance Company v. Lawrence Rucker 2007 Insurance Trust (District Court of Delaware) ).
These courts have invalidated policies where the original policy owners financed the policies and did not intend to purchase the policies
with their own money and further intended to ultimately sell the policies in the life settlement markets. However, the Rucker case did
provide that premium financing could qualify as an insured procuring a policy and satisfy requirements related to insurable interest.
There is also legislation in most states regulating premium financing that must be complied with for policies originated after the legislation
was enacted.
15
Also,
in every state that has addressed the question other than New York and Michigan, the expiration of an insurance policy’s contestability
period may not cut off the insurer’s ability to raise the insurable interest issue as a defense to the payment of the policy proceeds.
One
or more states could adopt legislation that would require a holder of an insurance policy to have an insurable interest in the insured
at the time a policy is purchased and at the time of death of the insured. Neither us nor the Holders will have an insurable interest
in the insureds polices acquired by or on our behalf. If such legislation were to be adopted without a ‘grandfathering’ provision
(i.e., so as not to be applicable to insurance policies then in force), then we may be unable to collect the proceeds on the death benefits
of the insured persons under our NIBs purchased prior to the enactment of such legislation and our NIBs would be worthless.
Additional
insurable interest concerns regarding life insurance policies originated pursuant to premium finance transactions may also result in
adverse decisions that could effect policies.
The
legality and merit of “investor-initiated” or “stranger-originated” life insurance products have been questioned
by members of the insurance industry, including by many life insurance companies and insurance regulators. For example, the New York
Department of Insurance issued a General Counsel’s opinion in 2005 concluding that a premium finance program that was coupled with
the right of the policy owner to put the financed insurance policy to a third party violated New York’s insurable interest statute
and may also constitute a violation of New York State’s prohibition against premium rebates/free insurance. More recently, many
states have enacted laws expressly defining and prohibiting stranger-originated life insurance (“STOLI”) practices, which
in general involve the issuance of life insurance policies as part of or in connection with a practice or plan to initiate life insurance
policies for the benefit of a third-party investor who, at the time of the policy issuance, lacks a valid insurable interest in the life
of the insured. Under these laws, certain premium finance loan structures are treated as life settlements and, accordingly, may not be
entered into at the time of policy issuance and for a two or five year period thereafter, depending on the state. Certain court decisions
issued over the past few years may also increase concerns with premium financed policies. In 2011, the Delaware Supreme Court stated
in PHL Variable Insurance Company v. Price Dawe 2006 Insurance Trust that the key focus in insurable interest cases is who paid
the premiums. While the decision was not issued in connection with a premium financed policy, investors were concerned with how the court
would apply such reasoning to premium financed policies. This concern was alleviated in the 2012 Delaware District Court case of Principal
Life Insurance Company v. Lawrence Rucker 2007 Insurance Trust that concluded that “an insured’s ability to procure a
policy is not limited to paying the premiums with his own funds; borrowing money with an obligation to repay would also qualify as an
insured procuring a policy.”
We
cannot predict whether a state regulator, insurance carrier or other party will assert that any policies should be treated as having
been issued as part of a STOLI transaction or otherwise were issued in contravention of applicable insurable interest laws. This risk
is greater where the insured materially misstated his or her income and/or net worth in the life insurance application. Decisions in
Florida have increased the risk that challenges to premium financed policies may be decided in favor of the issuing insurance company.
Moreover, because the life insurance policies are often originated in the same or a similar manner and in a limited number of states
(generally, California and Wisconsin, although the insured may reside in other states), there is a heightened risk that an adverse court
decision or other challenge or determination by a regulatory or other interested party with respect to a policy could have a material
adverse effect on a significant number of other policies, including the rescission of policies or the occurrence of other actions that
prevent us from being entitled to receive or retain the net death benefit related to the policies. Concerns of such nature could also
negatively affect the market value and/or liquidity of the life insurance policies.
Fraud
in the application for life insurance can also affect assets and interest in policies.
There
are risks that policies may be procured on the basis of fraud or misrepresentation in connection with the application for the policy.
Types of fraud that have enabled carriers to successfully rescind or void the related policies include, among others, misrepresentations
concerning an insured’s financial net worth and/or income, need for and purpose of the life insurance protection, medical history
and current physical condition, including age and whether the insured is a smoker. Such risk of fraud and misrepresentation is heightened
in connection with life insurance policies for which the premiums are financed through premium finance loans or other structured programs.
In particular, there is a significant risk that applicants and potential insureds may not answer truthfully or completely questions related
to whether the life insurance policy premiums will be financed through a premium finance loan or otherwise, the applicants’ purpose
for purchasing the policy or the applicants’ intention regarding the future sale or transfer of the life insurance policy. Such
risk may be further increased to the extent life insurance agents communicate to applicants and potential insureds regarding potential
premium finance arrangements or profits to be made on policies that will be sold after the contestability period. If an insured has made
any material misrepresentation on his/her application for life insurance, there is a heightened risk that the insurance company will
contest or successfully rescind or void the related policy, although an issuing insurance company may not be able to raise such claims
after the expiration of the contestability period. There has been significant litigation regarding whether or not a policy can be contested
for fraud after the expiration of the contestability period. Florida, California and New York have concluded that a carrier may not contest
a policy after the contestability period. New Jersey and Delaware have allowed such contests by the carriers. Even if such fraud in the
application could not serve as a basis to challenge a policy because the contestability period has expired, it may be raised as evidence
that the policy was provided as part of a STOLI arrangement. Furthermore, such misrepresentations can adversely affect the actuarial
value of the death benefit under the related life insurance policies.
16
The
risk of litigation with issuing insurance companies could substantially raise our costs of operation and increase our risk of loss.
Some
of the programs relating to the premium finance transactions through which certain underlying insurance policies are originated, or other
programs having similar characteristics, may be objectionable to certain life insurance companies and other parties, including certain
regulators, on the basis of constituting a means of originating stranger-originated life insurance. Additionally, as described above,
life insurance policies that are originated through the use of premium finance programs often present a greater risk of there having
been fraud and/or misrepresentations in connection with the issuance of the policies. For these reasons, among others, it is possible
that holders may become subject to, or may otherwise become affected by, litigation involving one or more issuing insurance companies
(either as a plaintiff or a defendant), including claims by an issuing insurance company seeking to rescind a policy prior to or after
the death of the related insured. Moreover, such risk may be enhanced with respect to an issuing insurance company that is experiencing
financial difficulty, since a successful claim by an issuing insurance company could reduce its financial liabilities. In the event any
litigation involving the policy holder was to occur, the policy holder would bear the costs of such litigation, and would be unable to
predict its outcome, which could include losing the right to receive (or retain) the proceeds otherwise payable under one or more of
the underlying policies.
The
contestation of the life insurance policies by the applicable issuing insurance companies could result in the loss of the benefits from
such life insurance policies
The
ability of an issuing insurance company to seek to rescind one or more life insurance policies depends on whether such issuing insurance
company is barred from bringing a rescission action by operation of an incontestability clause contained in the life insurance policies
or contestability limitations applicable as a matter of state law. Each life insurance policy, in accordance with laws adopted in virtually
every state in the United States, contains a provision that provides that, absent a failure to pay premiums, a policy shall be incontestable
after it has been in force during the lifetime of the insured for a period of not more than two years after its date of issue. However,
as stated above, some states recognize an exception to incontestability where there was actual fraud in the procurement of the policy.
A new contestability period may also arise in connection with information provided on any application for reinstatement of a life insurance
policy following lapse of a policy due to non-payment of premiums, or an application for an increase in policy benefits. The successful
contestation of the life insurance policies by the applicable issuing insurance companies could materially and adversely affect cash
flows.
Increases
in cost of insurance could reduce estimated returns and lower revenues.
Insurers
pass on a portion of their expenses to operate their business and administer their life insurance policies in the form of policy charges
borne by each policyholder. In the event an insurer experiences significantly higher than anticipated expenses associated with operation
and/or policy administration, the insurer has the right to increase the charges to each of its policy owners. In the event the charges
to a life insurance policy are materially increased, additional premium payments may be required to maintain enforceability of such policy.
17
AXA
Equitable issued cost-of-insurance, referred to herein as “COI,” increases on eleven (11) of the previously held life insurance
policies underlying our prior NIBs. In addition, one Transamerica and one Lincoln policy, both of which were Policies underlying our
prior NIBs, were subject to increased COI’s. Other carriers have been issuing COI increases that impact life insurance policies
held by large settlement funds. Multiple lawsuits, including class actions, against Phoenix Life, Lincoln National Insurance Company,
AXA Equitable, Banner Life, and Transamerica Life Insurance Company are currently ongoing. However, most of these lawsuits are in the
very early stages.
Carrier
and service partner credit risk can adversely affect life settlements.
Holders
are subject to the credit risk associated with the viability of the various insurance companies that issued the life insurance policies.
The insolvency of an issuing insurance company or a downgrade in the ratings of an issuing insurance company could have a material adverse
impact on the value of a policy issued by such issuing insurance company, as the collectability of the related death benefits and the
ability of such issuing insurance company to pay the cash surrender value or other amounts agreed to be paid by the issuing insurance
company may be reduced. Any such impairment of the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company could materially and adversely
affect the value of the policies issued by such insurance company, the ability of the Holder to pay the premiums due on other insurance
policies and the Holders ability to pay any required policy premiums, fees and expenses of the service providers and our other expenses,
which could materially and adversely affect the value of a policy.
The
inability to keep track of the insureds could keep us from updating the medical records of the insured.
It
is important for the Holder of the life insurance policies to track the health status of an insured and keep information current, which
is done by contacting the insured and/or other designated persons and obtaining updated medical records from an insured’s physician.
There are significant U.S. federal and state laws relating to privacy of personal information that affect the operations of the servicer
and its ability to properly service the policies, especially with regard to obtaining current information from an insured’s physician.
Under
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA, the federal law that governs the release of medical records from medical
record custodians, an insured may revoke his or her authorization for previously authorized third parties to receive medical records
at any time, leaving the Holder unable to receive additional medical records.
The
Holder may have to rely on a third party servicer to track an insured, especially if states continue to adopt laws that would limit the
ability of person other than a licensed life settlement provider or its authorized representative to contact insureds for tracking purposes,
and the servicer may lose contact with such insured. For example, the insured may move and not notify the servicer or any other third
party that has authority to contact the insured. The servicer attempts to maintain contact information for the insured and/or one or
more close family friends or relatives whenever possible so it can maintain contact with the insured. Additionally, the servicer subscribes
to various databases that use public records and other information to track individuals. The servicer also subscribes to death notification
services which use Social Security and public records information to notify the servicer if an insured has passed away so that it can
begin the process of obtaining a death certificate and arranging for the payout of the policy. Changes to the Social Security Administration’s
Death Master File have resulted in the elimination of many state records that were previously included in the Death Master File. The
number of new records being added to the Death Master File has been reduced by approximately 40%. Thus, it has become necessary to enhance
alternative methods for learning of an insured’s death. On average, it now takes longer to learn about an insured’s death
as compared to periods prior to the changes in the Death Master File.
Despite
these various tracking methods, it is still possible for the Holder to lose contact with an insured, making any additional updates of
medical condition for the insured impossible. There can also be no assurance that the Holder will learn of an insured’s death on
a timely basis. Delays in receiving insurance proceeds result in a decrease in the death benefit.
18
Lost
insureds can result in a delay or a loss of an insurance benefit that would have a negative effect on revenues and prospects.
Occasionally,
the issuing insurance company may encounter (or assert) situations where the body of the insured or reasonable other evidence of death
cannot be located and/or identified. For example, the insured may have been lost at sea and there may not be proof of death available
for several years or at all. Alternatively, the fact that the original beneficiaries no longer have any financial interest in a claim
under the policy may mean that the issuing insurance company faces practical obstructions to recording accurately and in a timely manner
the death of the insured. In the event of a “lost” insured, the death claim may be delayed for up to seven years by the issuing
insurance company. Under these circumstances, typically, the claim will then be paid with interest from the date that the insured was
originally presumed lost. Nonetheless, it remains possible that it will be difficult or impossible to locate and/or identify an insured
to establish proof of death and, as a result, the related issuing insurance company may significantly delay (but not ultimately avoid)
payment of the underlying death benefit. This delay could result in a longer than anticipated holding period for a policy which, in turn,
could result in a loss.
The
death of an insured must have occurred to permit the servicer to file a claim with the issuing insurance company for the death benefit.
Obtaining actual knowledge of death of an insured, as discussed above, may prove difficult and time-consuming due to the need to comply
with applicable law regarding the contacting of the insured’s family to ascertain the fact of death and to obtain a copy of the
death certificate or other necessary documents in order to file the claim. The death benefit typically increases subsequent to death
by an interest rate that is less than the interest rate under the senior loan; thus, the policy proceeds become less valuable as time
passes.
U.S.
life settlement and viatical regulations may result in determination(s) of applicable law violations.
The
purchase and sale of insurance policies in the secondary market from the policy’s original owner and among secondary market participants
is subject to regulation in approximately 45 states and Puerto Rico. The scope of the regulations and the consequences of their violation
vary from state to state. In addition, within a given state, the regulations may vary based upon the life expectancy of the insured at
the time of sale or purchase. In many states, a policy on an insured with a life expectancy of two years or less is referred to as a
“viatical settlement” or a “viatical.” A policy on an insured with a life expectancy of more than two years is
referred to as a “life settlement.” The Holders have not, and do not intend to, purchase viatical settlements and should
not be subject to the regulatory regimes that govern these policies. However, the states vary in their technical definitions of viatical
settlements and life settlements, and state insurance regulators, who are charged with interpretation and administration of insurance
laws and regulations, vary in their interpretations. Therefore, despite expectations, it may be possible that under the rules of a particular
state, a policy that is not commonly thought of as a viatical settlement may meet the technical definition thereof. Engaging in the purchase
or sale of life settlements or viatical settlements in violation of applicable regulatory regimes could result in fines, administrative
and civil sanctions and, in some instances, criminal sanctions. United States and state securities laws could have an adverse effect
on the Holders’ ability to liquidate any policies we or they believe should be sold.
It
is possible that, depending on the facts and circumstances attending a particular sale of a life insurance policy, a sale could implicate
state and federal securities laws. The failure to comply with applicable securities laws in connection with dealings in life settlement
transactions could result in fines, administrative and civil sanctions and, in some instances, criminal sanctions. In addition, parties
may be entitled to a remedy of rescission regarding such transactions. State guaranteed funds give some protection for payments under
life insurance policies, but no assurance can be given that we will benefit from them.
State
protections for the insolvency of an insurance company are limited.
With
respect to the life insurance policies, the payment of death benefits by issuing insurance companies is supported by state regulated
reserves held by the issuing insurance companies and, under certain circumstances and in limited amounts that vary from state to state,
state-supported life and health insurance guaranty associations or funds. However, such reserves and guaranty funds, to the extent in
existence, may be insufficient to pay all death benefits under the life insurance policies issued by an issuing insurance company if
such issuing insurance company becomes insolvent. Even if such guaranty funds are sufficient, the obligation of a state guaranty fund
to make payments may not be triggered in certain circumstances.
19
The
benefits of most or all of such state supported guaranty funds are capped per insured life (irrespective of the number of policies issued
and outstanding on the life of such individual), which caps are generally less than the net death benefits of the insurance policies.
Guaranty fund laws often include aggregate limits payable with respect to any one life across different types of insurance policies,
generally $300,000 to $500,000 depending on the state. Most state guaranty funds are statutorily created and the legislatures may amend
or repeal the laws that govern them. In addition, most state guaranty fund laws were enacted with the stated goal of assisting policy
holders resident in such states. Therefore, non-resident policyholders, beneficiaries, and claimants may not be covered or may be covered
only in limited circumstances. As a result, state guaranty funds will likely provide little protection to us in the event of the insolvency
of an issuing insurance company. In addition, in the event of an issuing insurance company’s insolvency, courts and receivers may
impose moratoriums or delays on payments of cash surrender values and/or death benefits.
Liability
for failing to comply with U.S. privacy safeguards.
Both
federal and state statutes safeguard an insured’s private health information. In addition, insureds frequently have an expectation
of confidentiality even if they are not legally entitled to it. If any of the entities providing services related to the life insurance
policies properly obtains and uses otherwise private health information, but fails to maintain the confidentiality of such information,
such service provider may receive complaints from the affected individuals, their families and relatives and, potentially, interested
regulatory authorities. Because of the uncertainty of applicable law, it is not possible to predict the outcome of such disputes.
Additionally,
it is possible that, due to a misunderstanding regarding the scope of consents that a service provider possesses, such service provider
may request and receive from health care providers information that it in fact did not have a right to request or receive. Once again,
if a service provider receives complaints for these acts, it is not possible to predict what the results will be. This uncertainty also
increases the likelihood that a service provider may sell, or cause to be sold, life insurance policies in violation of applicable law,
which could potentially result in additional costs related to defending claims or enduring regulatory inquiries, rescinding such transactions,
possible legal damages and penalties and probable reduced market value of the affected life insurance policies. Each of the foregoing
factors may delay or reduce the return on life insurance policies.
Cyber-attacks
or other security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our business.
In
the normal course of business, we may have access to sensitive and confidential information regarding insureds. Although we devote significant
resources and management focus to ensuring the integrity of our systems through information security and business continuity programs,
our facilities and systems, and those of third party service providers, are vulnerable to external or internal security breaches, acts
of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming or human errors or other similar events.
Information
security risks have increased recently in part because of new technologies, the use of the Internet and telecommunications technologies
(including mobile devices) to conduct financial and other business transactions and the increased sophistication and activities of organized
crime, perpetrators of fraud, hackers, terrorists and others. In addition to cyber-attacks or other security breaches involving the theft
of sensitive and confidential information, hackers recently have engaged in attacks designed to disrupt key business services, such as
customer-facing websites. We are not able to anticipate or implement effective preventive measures against all security breaches of these
types, especially because the techniques used change frequently and because attacks can originate from a wide variety of sources. We
employ detection and response mechanisms designed to contain and mitigate security incidents, but early detection may be thwarted by
sophisticated attacks and malware designed to avoid detection.
The
access by unauthorized persons to, or the improper disclosure by us of, confidential information regarding the insureds could result
in significant legal and financial exposure, supervisory liability, damage to our reputation or a loss of confidence in our business,
which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
20
U.S.
privacy concerns may affect the access to accurate and current medical information regarding the insured under life insurance policies.
The
value of a life insurance policy is inherently tied to the remaining life expectancy of the insured and information necessary to perform
this valuation may not be available at the time of purchase or sale. For example, if a policy is being purchased in the secondary market
from an entity that had earlier purchased the policy directly from the insured, it is likely that the insured made his or her medical
records available at the time of his or her sale of the policy to the initial purchaser. However, if necessary consents were not obtained
from the insured, it is possible that this information cannot legally be made available at the time of the subsequent purchase of the
policy. If it is legally available to the subsequent purchaser, it is possible that such information is outdated and of little utility
for a current evaluation of the remaining life expectancy of the insured. Even if the insured granted a general consent that gave the
owner of the policy the right to subsequently request and receive medical information from the insured’s health providers, it is
possible for the insured to subsequently revoked such consent. Likewise, it is possible that, under applicable law, the consent expires
after a certain period of time. Even if the consent is effective, without the cooperation of the insured, it may be difficult to convince
the insured’s health care providers of the consent’s efficacy and such health providers may be reluctant to release medical
information. These impediments to accessing current medical information can prove to be a significant obstacle to the proper valuation
of a policy at the time of either the policy’s purchase or sale.
Risk
Factors Related To Our Common Stock
There
is a limited public market for our common stock, and any market that may develop could be volatile.
The
market for our common stock has been limited due to, among other factors, low public float of our common stock, low trading volume and
the small number of brokerage firms acting as market makers. There were 16,921,922 shares of our common stock held by non-affiliates
as of March 31, 2021. Thus, our common stock will be less liquid than the stock of companies with broader public ownership, and, as a
result, the trading price for shares of our common stock may be more volatile. Among other things, trading of a relatively small volume
of our common stock may have a greater impact on the trading price for our stock than would be the case if our public float were larger.
In addition, because our common stock is thinly traded, its market price may fluctuate significantly more than the stock market in general
or the stock prices of other companies listed on major stock exchanges. The average daily trading volume for our stock has varied significantly
from week to week and from month to month, and the trading volume often varies widely from day to day. Because of the limitations of
our market and volatility of the market price of our stock, investors may face difficulties in selling shares at attractive prices when
they want to.
An
active trading market for shares of our common stock may never develop or be sustained. If no trading market develops, securities analysts
may not initiate or maintain research coverage of our company, which could further depress the market for our common stock. As a result,
investors may not be able to sell their shares of our common stock at the time that they would like to sell. The limited market for our
shares may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling additional shares and our ability to acquire other companies or technologies
by using our common stock as consideration. The following may result in short-term or long-term negative pressure on the trading price
of our shares, among other factors:
●
Conditions
and publicity regarding the life settlement market and related regulations generally;
●
Regulatory
developments in the life settlement market;
●
Lack
of listing for our common stock;
●
Lack
of shares of our common stock in public float;
●
Lack
of market makers with respect to our common stock;
●
Inability
to raise needed capital;
●
Low
volume of trading of our common stock;
●
Price
and volume fluctuations in the stock market at large, which do not relate to our operating performance; and
●
Comments
by securities analysts or government officials, including those with regard to the viability or profitability of the life settlement
industry generally or with regard to our ability to meet market expectations.
The
stock market has from time to time experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that are unrelated to the operating performance
of particular companies.
21
We
are an emerging growth company and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies
will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We
are an emerging growth company under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to
be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable
to other public companies including, but not limited to, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic
reports and proxy statements, exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory stockholder vote on executive compensation
and any golden parachute payments not previously approved, exemption from the requirement of auditor attestation in the assessment of
our internal control over financial reporting and exemption from any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board. If we do, the information that we provide stockholders may be different than what is available with respect to other
public companies. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we will rely on these exemptions.
If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and
our stock price may be more volatile.
We
will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of (1) the end of the fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock
that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the end of the second fiscal quarter, (2) the end of the fiscal year in which
we have total annual gross revenues of $1.07 billion or more during such fiscal year, (3) the date on which we issue more than $1 billion
in non-convertible debt in a three-year period or (4) the end of the fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first
sale of our common stock pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act. Decreased disclosures in our
SEC filings due to our status as an “emerging growth company” may make it harder for investors to analyze our results of
operations and financial prospects.
Our
management and two stockholders beneficially own approximately 58% of our outstanding common stock and therefore can exert control over
our business.
Members
of our management team and two stockholders together beneficially own approximately 58% of our outstanding common stock. This percentage
of stock ownership is significant in that it could carry any vote on any matter requiring stockholder approval, including the subsequent
election of directors, who in turn appoint all officers. As a result, these persons control the Company, regardless of the vote of other
stockholders. As a result, other stockholders may not have an effective voice in our affairs.
Future
sales of our common stock could adversely affect our stock price and our ability to raise capital in the future, resulting in our inability
to raise required funding for our operations.
Sales
of substantial amounts of our common stock could harm the market price of our common stock. This also could harm our ability to raise
capital in the future. Of the 40,108,441 shares of our common stock that were outstanding as of March 31, 2021, 225,000 of such shares
are subject to leak-out agreements. Pursuant to such agreements, each of these stockholder’s common stock can only be sold in an
amount equal to 0.0025% (1/4%) of our outstanding securities (to be defined for all purposes thereof as the amount indicated in our most
recent filing with the SEC) during each of the four quarterly periods beginning on January 1, 2017; 0.01 (1%) of our outstanding securities
during each of the next four successive quarterly periods, all on a non-cumulative basis, meaning that if no common stock was sold during
any quarterly period while common stock was qualified to be sold, such shares of common stock cannot be sold in the next successive quarterly
period (the “Leak-Out Period”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any stockholder subject to a lock-up/leak-out agreement that
owns less than 100,000 shares of common stock that are covered thereby, is allowed to sell such stockholder’s common stock. Our
remaining outstanding shares are mostly freely tradable under Rule 144 and certain limitations on the number of shares that can be sold
quarterly by “affiliates” of the Company as defined under the Securities Act. Any sales of substantial amounts of our common
stock in the public market, or the perception that those sales might occur, could harm the market price of our common stock. See the
captions “Market Price of Common Stock and Related Matters” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and
Management” of Part II, Item 5, below for further information. Further, certain stockholders have “piggy-back” registration
rights afforded to them if we file a registration statement with the SEC; these shares or any registered securities we may register can
also have an adverse effect on any market for our common stock.
We
will not solicit the approval of our stockholders for the issuance of authorized but unissued shares of our common stock unless this
approval is deemed advisable by our Board of Directors or is required by applicable law, regulation or any applicable stock exchange
listing requirements. The issuance of additional shares would dilute the value of our outstanding shares of common stock.
Item
1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item
2. Properties
We
conduct our business through our executive office, located in Provo, Utah, with approximately 1,600 square feet of office space. We believe
that the lease to which we are subject is generally on terms consistent with prevailing market terms, and none of the leases are with
our affiliates. We believe that our facilities are in good condition and are adequate to meet our operating needs for the foreseeable
future.
Item
3. Legal Proceedings
To
the best of our knowledge, there are no legal proceedings pending or threatened against us; and there are no actions pending or threatened
against any of our directors or officers that are adverse to us.
Item
4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not
applicable.
22
PART
II
Item
5. Market for Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market
Information
Our
common stock is quoted on the OTCQB under the symbol “SUND.” There is no “established trading market” for our
shares of common stock. No assurance can be given that any established trading market for our common stock will develop or be maintained,
and if an established trading market develops in the future, the sale of shares of our common stock that are deemed to be “restricted
securities” or “control securities” pursuant to Rule 144 of the SEC by members of management or others may have a substantial
adverse impact on any such market.
Set
forth below are the high and low closing bid prices for our common stock for each quarter of fiscal years ended March 31, 2021, and 2020.
These bid prices were obtained from the FINRA composite feed or other qualified interdealer quotation medium. All prices listed herein
reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commissions and may not represent actual transactions.
Closing Bid
Fiscal Year Ended
High
Low
March 31, 2021
April 1 through June 30, 2020
2.00
1.80
July 1 through September 30, 2020
2.00
1.66
October 1 through December 31, 2020
4.20
1.50
January 1 through March 31, 2021
8.25
4.00
March 31, 2020
April 1 through June 30, 2019
1.70
0.80
July 1 through September 30, 2019
1.50
0.80
October 1 through December 31, 2019
1.60
1.50
January 1 through March 31, 2020
4.50
1.60
23
Holders
We
had 94 stockholders of record as of June 29, 2021 and an indeterminate number of stockholders who hold shares in “street
name.”
Dividends
There
are no present material restrictions that limit our ability to pay dividends on our common or preferred stock. Presently, we have no
plans to pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. Our Board of Directors intends to pursue a policy of retaining earnings, if any,
for use in our operations and to finance expansion of our business. Any declaration and payment of dividends in the future, of which
there can be no assurance, will be determined by our Board of Directors in light of conditions then existing, including our earnings,
financial condition, capital requirements and other factors. There are presently no dividends which are accrued or owing with respect
to our outstanding common stock. No assurance can be given that dividends will ever be declared or paid on our common stock in the future.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
On
November 10, 2020, the Company issued a private placement memorandum offering, which relied upon exemption from registration provided
by Regulation D, to raise up to $1,000,000 through the issuance of restricted shares of the Company’s common stock (par value $0.001)
to qualified investors. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had received subscription agreements from family members and business associations
of a stockholder for 500,000 common shares at a purchase price of $1 per share, with proceeds to the Company totaling $500,000. It is
anticipated that the proceeds will be used to fund general operational activities and exploration of additional financing alternatives.
Purchases
of Equity Securities by Us and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Item
6. Selected Financial Data
Not
required of smaller reporting companies.
Item
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Forward-looking
Statements
When
used in this Annual Report, the words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “continue,”
“estimate,” “project,” “intend,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking
statements regarding events, conditions, and financial trends that may affect our future plans of operations, business strategy, operating
results, and financial position. Persons reviewing this Annual Report are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees
of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those included within
the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such factors are discussed further below under “Trends and Uncertainties,”
and also include general economic factors and conditions that may directly or indirectly impact our financial condition or results of
operations. Reference is also made to the caption “Forward-Looking Statements” at the forepart of this Annual Report, which
information is incorporated herein by reference.
Overview
Our
historical business model has focused on purchasing or acquiring life insurance policies and residual interests in or financial products
tied to life insurance policies, including notes, drafts, acceptances, open accounts receivable and other obligations representing part
or all of the sales price of insurance, life settlements and related insurance contracts being traded in the secondary marketplace, often
referred to as the “life settlements market.”
24
We
currently do not hold life settlement or life insurance policies but, rather, previously held a contractual right to receive the net
insurance benefits, or “NIBs”, from a portfolio of life insurance policies held by a third party (“the Owners”
or “the Holders”). These NIBs represented an indirect, residual ownership interest in a portfolio of individual life insurance
policies, and they allowed us to receive a portion of the settlement proceeds from such policies, after expenses related to the acquisition,
financing, insuring and servicing of the policies underlying our NIBs have been paid.
NIBs
are generally sold by an entity that holds the underlying life settlement or life insurance policies, either directly or indirectly through
a subsidiary, such an entity being referred to herein as a “Holder.” A Holder, either directly or through a wholly owned
subsidiary, purchases life insurance policies either from the insured or on the secondary market and aggregates them into a portfolio
of policies. At the time of purchase, the Holder also (i) contracts with a service provider to manage the servicing of the policies until
maturity, (ii) consider purchasing mortality re-insurance (“MRI”) coverage under which payments will be made to the Holder
in the event the insurance policies do not mature according to actuarial life expectancies, and (iii) arranges financing to cover the
initial purchase of the insurance policies, the servicing of the life insurance policies until maturity and the payment of the MRI premiums.
The financing obtained by the Holder for a portfolio of life settlement or life insurance policies is secured by the insurance policies
for which the financing was obtained. After a Holder purchases policies, aggregates them into a portfolio and arranges for the servicing,
MRI coverage and financing, the Holder contracts to sell NIBs related to the policies, which gives the holder of the NIBs the right to
receive the proceeds from the settlement of the insurance policies after all of the expenses related to such policies have been paid.
When an insurance policy underlying our NIBs comes to maturity, the insurance proceeds are first used to pay expenses associated with
such policy. Once all of the expenses have been paid, the Holder will retain a small percentage of the proceeds and then will pay the
remaining insurance proceeds to us.
During
the latter part of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, we began developing an additional business offering, providing professional
services to specialty structured finance groups, bond issuers and life settlement aggregators. We have assembled an experienced team
from the life settlement marketplace, as well as from other areas such as financial services and public financial markets. As a professional
services provider, we apply industry best practices to advise on the selection of specific portfolios of life insurance policies that
are tailored to meet the needs of its clients. Our clients may include bond issuers, bond investors, or other structured finance product
issuers. We develop strategies and methodologies which include the acquisition of life insurance portfolios, then uses common structured
finance techniques and proprietary analytics to structure bonds for issuances, including principal protected bonds. Our goal is to deliver
long-term value and profitability to shareholders by growing our professional services business and asset base, resulting in the ability
to pay dividends to its shareholders.
Most
recently we began working closely with bond placement agents and aggregators to establish various aspects of a proprietary, investment
grade bond offering. In this arrangement, we participate as the sole originator in the role of structuring and advising on the structure
of the proprietary bond instrument. Included in the role of structuring financial assets, we use proprietary analytics to establish the
makeup of the rated instrument, including but not limited to, life settlement assets (life insurance policies) and managed cash, and
implements a process of selective assembly of the underlying assets and cash management that will meet the policy requirements and analytics.
We provide current and ongoing resources for all analytics, as well as advisement support for the investment and non-investment grade
ratings for the managed asset pool and the managed cash accounts. In our advisory role, we are reimbursed for all expenses associated
with the structuring and preparation of any bond offering, will receive an advisory payment upon the closing of any bond offering, and
then will hold residual rights on the balance of assets once the bond is retired.
Subsequent
to March 31, 2021, we and US Capital Global Securities LLC, an affiliate of US Capital Global, entered into an arrangement wherein we
are the lead advisor and lead originator of tailored life insurance portfolios to be used in a life insurance-linked bond offering (“bond
offering”) of between $250 million to $500 million. US Capital Global Securities LLC is the lead placement agent and is marketing
the bond offering on behalf of the issuer on a best efforts basis to qualified investors. We have worked with Egan Jones rating agency
to obtain a minimum of BBB plus to an A minus rating on the bond offering. This initial rating is based upon a sample portfolio of life
settlement assets similar to those expected to be utilized in the bond offering. Once a percentage of the bond offering is in escrow,
then the actual life settlement portfolios will be purchased and held until the bond offering closes. Once the final group of assets
are assembled, then a final rating will be obtained. We have engaged a licensed asset manager, whose projected returns will be approved
by the rating agency. Important for the success of the bond is the treatment of the various cash accounts that will support the bond.
The two primary accounts will be the Investment account and the Cash Reserve account. These accounts will represent approximately 40%
of the total cash raised from the bond offering. The Investment and Cash Reserve accounts are projected to produce sufficient annual
returns to support the cost associated to maintain the bonds. A nationally recognized trust manager has been engaged to insure all the
workings of the bond are handled properly and timely. An actuarial company has also been engaged to provide the modeling needed for the
rating agency, asset manager and bond issuer. For services provided, we will receive a fee upon the closing on the bond offering and
will also hold a residual monetary right to cash flows from the life settlement assets once the bond is retired.
25
Results
of Operations
2021
Compared to 2020
General
& Administrative Expenses
General
and administrative expenses totaled $907,978 and $828,446 during the years ended March 31, 2021, and 2020, respectively. A significant
portion of these expenses were professional fees, payroll and travel expenses. The slight increase in expenses from March 31, 2020 to
March 31, 2021 was primarily due to increased professional fees.
Other
Income and Expenses
During
the year ended March 31, 2021, we received notice that the full PPP Loan amount of $26,458 had been forgiven. As such, the Company recorded
$26,458 of Gain on Extinguishment of Debt.
For
the year ended March 31, 2021, other expenses totaled $648,047, consisting of $422,751 of expenses incurred pursuing potential financing
alternatives and $225,296 in interest expense.
For
the year ended March 31, 2020, other income and expenses totaled $284,388, consisting of $110,000 of expenses incurred pursuing potential
financing alternatives and $174,388 in interest expense. The increase in other expenses from March 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021 was primarily
due to increases in fees associated with our ongoing efforts to pursue financing alternatives.
Income
Taxes
During
the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company recorded a net loss before income taxes of $1,529,567 and $1,112,834, respectively,
and had no income tax expense or benefit during either year as a result of a full valuation allowance on the net deferred tax asset.
Liquidity
and Capital Resources
Since
our inception our operations have been primarily financed through sales of equity instruments, debt financing, lines of credit and notes
payable from related parties and the issuance of convertible debentures. As of March 31, 2021, we had $21,179 of cash, compared to $28,784
as of March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had access to draw an additional $4,814,192 on the notes payable, related party
and $3,000,000 on the Convertible Debenture Agreement. Our monthly expenses are approximately $75,000, which includes salaries of our
employees, policy servicing expenses, consulting agreements and contract labor, general and administrative expenses and estimated legal
and accounting expenses. Outstanding Accounts Payable as of March 31, 2021 totaled $893,674, and other accrued liabilities totaled $711,152.
We believe that our availability under our existing lines of credit with related parties, our existing capital resources, together with
the issuance of additional notes payable and convertible debentures will be sufficient to fund our operating working capital requirements
for at least the next 12 months, or through June 2022.
26
2021
Cash Flows Compared to 2020 Cash Flows
For
the year ended March 31, 2021, we recorded net cash used in operating activities of $818,363, compared to $750,295 used in operating
activities during the year ended March 31, 2020. The increase in cash used in operating activities was primarily due to an increase of
operating expenses and cash used in exploring potential financing options.
For
the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 no cash was used in or provided by investing activities.
During
the year ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 net cash provided by financing activities was $810,758, and $778,500, respectively. Financing
activities for both years consisted of borrowing on new related party promissory notes and existing notes payable and lines-of-credits.
Additionally, financing activities for the year ended March 31, 2021 included $500,000 in proceeds raised by issuance of our common stock
through a private placement memorandum.
Debt
At
March 31, 2021, we owed $3,379,698, including accrued interest, for debt obligations. We owed $2,741,808 in principal pursuant
to notes payable and lines-of-credits from related parties and had fully paid off the principal owing on the 8% Convertible Debenture.
As of March 31, 2021, one note payable and line-of-credit had a principal balance of $859,508 and is due on November 30, 2022,
or when the Company completes a successful equity raise, at which time principal and interest is due in full. The second note
payable and line-of-credit had a principal balance of $1,056,300, and the line of credit is currently extended through November
30, 2022. A third series of promissory notes had a total principal balance of $826,000 and are due on November 30, 2021. The convertible
debenture agreement, which has no principal balance due as of March 31, 2021 is open through November 30, 2021. As of June 29,
2021, there was $4,814,192 available under the lines-of-credit we currently have with related parties and $3,000,000 available
under the 8% convertible debenture agreement.
We
may borrow money in the future to finance our operations but can make no guarantees that such credit will be made available to us. Any
such borrowing will increase the risk of loss to the debt holder in the event we are unsuccessful in repaying such loans.
The
accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which the Company is expected to be able to realize
its assets and satisfy its liabilities in the normal course of business. As the company has no current source of revenues, in order to
meet financial obligations, the Company will need to continue to rely on debt financing from related parties and/or raise additional
capital. Management has concluded that its existing capital resources and availability under its existing convertible debentures and
debt agreements with related parties will be sufficient to fund its operating working capital requirements for at least the next 12 months,
or through June 2022. Related parties have given assurance that their continued support, by way of either extensions of due dates, or
increases in lines-of-credit, can be relied on. The Company also continues to evaluate other debt and equity financing opportunities.
27
Contractual
Obligations and Contingencies
The
following table sets forth payments due by period for fixed contractual obligations by maturity date as of March 31, 2021:
Maturity Date
Total
Year Ended March 31, 2022
Year Ended March 31, 2023
Thereafter
Debt Obligations (1)
$ 2,741,808
$ 826,000
$ 1,915,808
$ -
Interest payable
637,890
142,182
495,708
-
Total
$ 3,379,698
$ 968,182
$ 2,411,516
$ -
(1)
Debt
obligations consist of the principal pursuant to the notes payable and lines-of-credits from related parties (as mentioned
above)
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
The
preparation of our financial statements requires that we make estimates and judgments. We base these on historical experience and on
other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable.
Estimates,
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent
assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting
period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Stock
Based Compensation , We measure stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock-based awards based on the estimated fair
value of the awards as determined on the date of grant and is recognized as expense over the remaining requisite service period. We utilize
the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options issued as compensation. The Black-Scholes model requires
the input of highly subjective and complex assumptions, including the estimated fair value of our common stock on the date of grant,
the expected term of the stock option, and the expected volatility of our common stock over the period equal to the expected term of
the grant. We estimate forfeitures at the date of grant and revises the estimates, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures
differ from those estimates.
Fair
Value, As defined by ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”), fair value is
the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants
at the measurement date. ASC 820 also requires the consideration of differing levels of inputs in the determination of fair values.
Those
levels of input are summarized as follows:
●
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
●
Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices, such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted
prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant
assumptions are observable in the market.
●
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments
whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques as well as instruments for
which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.
The
level in the fair value hierarchy within which a fair value measurement in its entirety falls is based on the lowest level input that
is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
We
did not have any transfers of assets and liabilities between Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the fair value measurement hierarchy during the years
ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.
Our
recorded values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values based on their short-term
nature. The recorded values of the Notes Payable, Related Parties and Convertible Debenture approximates the fair values as the interest
rate approximates market interest rates.
Off
Balance Sheet Arrangements
None.
28
Item
8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
INDEX
TO AUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page(s)
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
F-1
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of March 31, 2021 and 2020
F-3
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
F-4
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit for the Years Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
F-5
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
F-6
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
F-7
29
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Sundance Strategies, Inc.:
Opinion
on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Sundance
Strategies, Inc. and Subsidiaries (“the Company”) as of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations
, stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended March 31, 2021 and the related notes
(collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present
fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of March 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations
and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended March 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America.
Basis
for Opinion
These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on
the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company
in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit
to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error
or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial
reporting. As part of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but
not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to
error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining on a test basis, evidence
regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles
used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical
Audit Matters
The
critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the consolidated financial statements
that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that
are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication
of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not,
by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing a separate audit opinion on the critical audit matters or on the
accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
F- 1
Evaluation
of a Going Concern
Description
of the Critical Audit Matter
As
described further in Note 9 to the financial statements, the Company has relied on debt and equity financing to finance operations,
as there are not sufficient cash flows from operations, which raises doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Management
has implemented plans to alleviate the substantial doubt. Management plans to address the concerns, as needed, by (a) utilizing
recent financing obtained through notes payable; (b) utilizing current lines of credit. When considering these factors in conjunction
with the Company’s operating plan, management believes it has sufficient ability to fund operations and satisfy the Company’s
obligations as they come due for at least one year from the financial statement issuance date.
We
determined the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern is a critical audit matter due to the estimation and execution
uncertainty regarding the Company’s available capital and the risk of bias in management’s judgments and assumptions
in their determination.
How
the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our
audit procedures related to the Company’s assertion on its ability to continue as a going concern included the following,
among others:
●
We
performed testing procedures such as analytical procedures to identify conditions and events that indicate there could be
substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time.
●
We
reviewed and evaluated management’s plans for dealing with adverse effect of these conditions and events that raised
doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
●
We
tested the reasonableness of management’s assessment of whether the Company has sufficient liquidity to fund operations
for at least one year from the financial statement issuance date.
●
We
assessed whether the Company’s determination that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going
concern was adequately disclosed.
Valuation
of Equity-based Compensation
Description
of the Critical Audit Matter
During
the year ended March 31, 2021, the Company issued common stock and warrants that required management to assess the fair value
of these instruments in order to record and disclose the transactions. The Company’s common stock does not trade on an active
market. The Company utilized a third-party valuation specialist to assist in the determination of the fair value of the Company’s
common stock. The valuation specialist utilized an income method approach to discern the equity value of the Company. The model
uses certain assumptions related to scenario weighting, revenue and expense projections, weighted average cost of capital and
lack of marketability discount.
We
identified auditing the valuation of the equity-based compensation as a critical audit matter due to the significant judgements
used by the Company in determining value of its common stock. Auditing the determination and valuation of the common stock involved
a high degree of auditor judgement, and specialized skills and knowledge were needed.
How
the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our
audit procedures included the following, among others:
●
We
evaluated the reasonableness and appropriateness of the choice of valuation methodology and model used for valuing the common
stock.
●
We
tested the reasonableness of the assumptions used by the third-party specialist and the Company in the valuation model, including
scenario weighting, revenue and expense projections and discount rates.
●
We
tested the accuracy and completeness of data used in developing the assumptions used in the valuation models.
●
We
developed an independent expectation for comparison to the Company’s estimates, which included developing our own discount
rates.
●
We
evaluated the knowledge, skill and ability of the third-party specialist and the specialist’s independence in relation
to the Company.
●
We
evaluated the accuracy and completeness of the Company’s presentation of these instruments in the financial statements
and related disclosures, including evaluating whether such disclosures were in accordance with relevant accounting standards.
●
Professionals
with specialized skill and knowledge were utilized by the Firm to assist in the evaluation of the valuation models deployed
by management.
/s/
Sadler, Gibb & Associates, LLC
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since 2018.
Draper,
UT
June
29, 2021
F- 2
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
Consolidated
Balance Sheets
March 31,
March 31,
2021
2020
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
$ 21,179
$ 28,784
Prepaid expenses and other assets
9,393
2,205
Total Current Assets
$ 30,572
$ 30,989
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable
$ 893,675
$ 481,716
Accrued expenses
215,443
-
Current portion of notes payable, related parties
826,000
-
Stock repurchase payable
400,000
400,000
Total Current Liabilities
2,335,118
881,716
Long-Term Liabilities
Accrued expenses
495,708
424,954
Notes payable, related parties, net of current portion
1,915,808
2,450,508
Total Long-Term Liabilities
2,411,516
2,875,462
Total Liabilities
4,746,634
3,757,178
Stockholders’ Deficit
Preferred stock, authorized 10,000,000 shares, par value $0.001; -0- shares issued and outstanding
-
-
Common stock, authorized 500,000,000 shares, par value $0.001; 40,108,441 and 37,828,441 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively
40,109
37,829
Additional paid in capital
24,728,638
24,191,224
Accumulated deficit
(29,484,809 )
(27,955,242 )
Total Stockholders’ Deficit
(4,716,062 )
(3,726,189 )
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Deficit
$ 30,572
$ 30,989
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 3
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
Consolidated
Statements of Operations
Year Ended
Year Ended
March 31,
March 31,
2021
2020
Interest Income on Investment in Net Insurance Benefits
$ -
$ -
General and Administrative Expenses
907,978
828,446
Loss from Operations
(907,978 )
(828,446 )
Other Income (Expense)
Gain on Extinguishment of Debt
26,458
-
Interest expense
(225,296 )
(174,388 )
Financing expense
(422,751 )
(110,000 )
Total Other Income (Expense)
(621,589 )
(284,388 )
Loss Before Income Taxes
(1,529,567 )
(1,112,834 )
Income Tax Provision (Benefit)
-
-
Net Loss
$ (1,529,567 )
$ (1,112,834 )
Basic:
Loss per share - basic and diluted
$ (0.04 )
$ (0.03 )
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic and diluted
38,904,715
37,828,441
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
Consolidated
Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit
For
the Years Ended March 31, 2021 and 2020
Additional
Total
Common Stock
Paid In
Accumulated
Stockholders’
Shares
Amount
Capital
Deficit
Deficit
Balance, March 31, 2019
37,828,441
$ 37,829
$ 24,191,224
$ (26,842,408 )
$ (2,613,355 )
Net Loss
-
-
-
(1,112,834 )
(1,112,834 )
Balance, March 31, 2020
37,828,441
37,829
24,191,224
(27,955,242 )
(3,726,189 )
Common stock issued for consulting services
280,000
280
5,964
-
6,244
Common stock issued for director compensation
1,500,000
1,500
31,950
-
33,450
Common stock issued for cash
500,000
500
499,500
-
500,000
Net Loss
-
-
-
(1,529,567 )
(1,529,567 )
Balance, March 31, 2021
40,108,441
$ 40,109
$ 24,728,638
$ (29,484,809 )
$ (4,716,062 )
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
Consolidated
Statements of Cash Flows
Year Ended March 31.
2021
2020
Operating Activities
Net Loss
$ (1,529,567 )
$ (1,112,834 )
Adjustments to reconcile to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Share based compensation - common stock
39,694
-
Expense paid on behalf of Company by director
7,000
-
Gain on Extinguishment of Debt
(26,458 )
-
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other assets
(7,188 )
2,903
Accounts payable
411,959
174,845
Accrued expenses
286,197
184,791
Net Cash used in Operating Activities
(818,363 )
(750,295 )
Financing Activities
Proceeds from issuance of notes payable, related party
284,300
778,500
Common Stock Issued for Cash
500,000
-
Proceeds from Paycheck Protection Program Loan
26,458
-
Net Cash provided by Financing Activities
810,758
778,500
Net Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents
(7,605 )
28,205
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period
28,784
579
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period
$ 21,179
$ 28,784
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
$ -
$ -
Cash paid for income taxes
$ -
$ -
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these audited consolidated financial statements.
F- 6
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
(1)
ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Sundance
Strategies, Inc. (formerly known as Java Express, Inc.) was organized under the laws of the State of Nevada on December 14, 2001, and
engaged in the retail selling of beverage products to the general public until these endeavors ceased in 2006; it had no material business
operations from 2006, until its acquisition of ANEW LIFE, INC. (“ANEW LIFE”), a subsidiary of Sundance Strategies, Inc. (“Sundance
Strategies”, “the Company”, “we” or “our”).
Our
historical business model has focused on purchasing or acquiring life insurance policies and residual interests in or financial products
tied to life insurance policies, including notes, drafts, acceptances, open accounts receivable and other obligations representing part
or all of the sales price of insurance, life settlements and related insurance contracts being traded in the secondary marketplace, often
referred to as the “life settlements market.”
During
the latter part of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, the Company began developing an additional business offering, providing professional
services to specialty structured finance groups, bond issuers and life settlement aggregators. The Company has now assembled an experienced
team from the life settlement marketplace, as well as from other areas such as financial services and public financial markets. As a
professional services provider, the Company applies industry best practices to advise on the selection of specific portfolios of life
insurance policies that are tailored to meet the needs of its clients. The Company’s clients may include bond issuers, bond investors,
or other structured finance product issuers. The Company develops strategies and methodologies which include the acquisition of life
insurance portfolios, then uses common structured finance techniques and proprietary analytics to structure bonds for issuances, including
principal protected bonds. The Company’s goal is to deliver long-term value and profitability to shareholders by growing the Company’s
professional services business and asset base, resulting in the ability to pay dividends to its shareholders.
Most
recently the Company began working closely with bond placement agents and aggregators to establish various aspects of a proprietary,
investment grade bond offering. In this arrangement, the Company participates as the sole originator in the role of structuring and advising
on the structure of the proprietary bond instrument. Included in the role of structuring financial assets, the Company uses proprietary
analytics to establish the makeup of the rated instrument, including but not limited to, life settlement assets (life insurance policies)
and managed cash, and implements a process of selective assembly of the underlying assets and cash management that will meet the policy
requirements and analytics. The Company provides current and ongoing resources for all analytics, as well as advisement support for the
investment and non-investment grade ratings for the managed asset pool and the managed cash accounts. In its advisory role, the Company
is reimbursed for all expenses associated with the structuring and preparation of any bond offering, will receive an advisory payment
upon the closing of any bond offering, and then will hold residual rights on the balance of assets once the bond is retired.
Subsequent
to March 31, 2021, the Company and US Capital Global Securities LLC, an affiliate of US Capital Global, entered into an arrangement wherein
the Company is the lead advisor and lead originator of tailored life insurance portfolios to be used in a life insurance-linked bond
offering (“bond offering”) of between $250 million to $500 million. US Capital Global Securities LLC is the lead placement
agent and is marketing the bond offering on behalf of the issuer on a best efforts basis to qualified investors. The Company has worked
with Egan Jones rating agency to obtain a minimum of BBB plus to an A minus rating on the bond offering. This initial rating is based
upon a sample portfolio of life settlement assets similar to those expected to be utilized in the bond offering. Once a percentage of
the bond offering is in escrow, then the actual life settlement portfolios will be purchased and held until the bond offering closes.
Once the final group of assets are assembled, then a final rating will be obtained. The Company has engaged a licensed asset manager,
whose projected returns will be approved by the rating agency. Important for the success of the bond is the treatment of the various
cash accounts that will support the bond. The two primary accounts will be the Investment account and the Cash Reserve account. These
accounts will represent approximately 40% of the total cash raised from the bond offering. The Investment and Cash Reserve accounts are
projected to produce sufficient annual returns to support the cost associated to maintain the bonds. A nationally recognized trust manager
has been engaged to insure all the workings of the bond are handled properly and timely. An actuarial company has also been engaged to
provide the modeling needed for the rating agency, asset manager and bond issuer. For services provided, the Company will receive a fee
upon the closing on the bond offering and will also hold a residual monetary right to cash flows from the life settlement assets once
the bond is retired.
F- 7
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
(2)
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Estimates,
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent
assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting
period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash
and Cash Equivalents, For purposes of reporting cash flows, the Company considers all highly-liquid debt instruments purchased with
an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Basic
and Diluted Net Loss Per Common Share, Basic net loss per common share is computed by dividing net loss by the weighted average number
of common shares outstanding during the periods presented using the treasury stock method. Diluted net loss per common share is computed
by including common shares that may be issued subject to existing rights with dilutive potential, when applicable. Potential dilutive
common stock equivalents are primarily comprised of potential dilutive shares resulting from convertible debt agreements and common stock
warrants. Potentially dilutive shares resulting from convertible debt agreements are evaluated using the if-converted method. Potentially
dilutive securities are not included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share for the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, because
to do so would be anti-dilutive. Potentially dilutive securities outstanding as of March 31, 2021 and 2020 include warrants convertible
into 3,488,754 and 1,702,000 shares of common stock, respectively.
Stock
Based Compensation , The Company measures stock-based compensation expense related to employee stock-based awards based on the estimated
fair value of the awards as determined on the date of grant and is recognized as expense over the remaining requisite service period.
The Company utilizes the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options issued as compensation. The Black-Scholes
model requires the input of highly subjective and complex assumptions, including the estimated fair value of the Company’s common
stock on the date of grant, the expected term of the stock option, and the expected volatility of the Company’s common stock over
the period equal to the expected term of the grant. The Company estimates forfeitures at the date of grant and revises the estimates,
if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates.
Income
Taxes, The Company accounts for income taxes under FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes”. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities
are determined based upon differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using
the enacted tax rates and laws that will be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. Accounting standards require the
consideration of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that some component or all
of the benefits of deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The
tax effects from an uncertain tax position can be recognized in the financial statements only if the position is more likely than not
of being sustained if the position were to be challenged by a taxing authority. The Company has examined the tax positions taken in its
tax returns and determined that there are no uncertain tax positions. As a result, the Company has recorded no uncertain tax liabilities
in its balance sheet. Interest and penalties for uncertain positions, when applicable, would be recognized as a component of income tax
expense.
The
Company files United States Federal and State income tax returns. The income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by
taxing authorities for three to five years from the date they are filed. The Company has tax returns subject to examination for 2015-2020.
Principles
of Consolidation, The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiary. The subsidiary is
wholly owned. All intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.
F- 8
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
Fair
Value, As defined by ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”), fair value is
the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants
at the measurement date. ASC 820 also requires the consideration of differing levels of inputs in the determination of fair values.
Those
levels of input are summarized as follows:
●
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
●
Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices, such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted
prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant
assumptions are observable in the market.
●
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments
whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques as well as instruments for
which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.
The
level in the fair value hierarchy within which a fair value measurement in its entirety falls is based on the lowest level input that
is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The
Company did not have any transfers of assets and liabilities between Levels 1, 2 and 3 of the fair value measurement hierarchy during
the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.
The
Company’s recorded values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate their fair values
based on their short-term nature. The recorded values of the Notes Payable, Related Parties and Convertible Debenture approximates the
fair values as the interest rate approximates market interest rates.
(3)
NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Adopted
During the Year Ended March 31, 2021
In
June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses. ASU 2016-13 requires entities to report “expected”
credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit rather than the current “incurred loss” model.
These expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date are to be based on historical experience, current conditions,
and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU will also require enhanced disclosures relating to significant estimates and judgments
used in estimating credit losses, as well as the credit quality. The amendments are effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning
April 1, 2020, including interim periods within that fiscal year. The adoption of this standard did not have an impact on the consolidated
financial statements because the Company does not hold financial instruments subject to credit losses.
Not
Yet Adopted
The
Company has reviewed all other recently issued, but not yet adopted, accounting standards, in order to determine their effects, if any,
on its results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Based on that review, the Company believes that none of these pronouncements
will have a significant effect on its financial statements.
(4)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Cash
and cash equivalents consist principally of currency on hand and demand deposits at commercial banks. The Company had $21,179 and $28,784
in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2021, and 2020, respectively. The Company maintains non-interest-bearing accounts at one
financial institution. The accounts at this institution are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) up to $250,000.
F- 9
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
(5)
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Common
Stock
Effective
December 6, 2018, three existing stockholders have contributed to the Company a portion of their common shares held at a repurchase price
to the Company of $0.05 per share. The Company has cancelled the acquired shares, which decreased the outstanding common shares on the
books of the Company. The total number of common shares canceled/retired was 8,000,000. The total liability related to the repurchase
of these shares is $400,000, with repayment contingent on a major financing event.
During
August 2020, the Company awarded members of the Board of Directors a total of 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, in
lieu of director cash compensation. The stock awards vested 25% on the date of grant and the remainder of the shares vested equally over
the three months following the date grant. As of March 31, 2021, all grant shares were 100% vested. Using a fair value stock price of
$0.0223 per share, the transaction resulted in a compensation expense of $33,450, which was fully recognized during the year ended March
31, 2021.
On
October 5, 2020, the Company granted one of its consultants 280,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in exchange for services
performed. The shares vested upon issuance, and the Company is under no obligation to register the restricted shares. Using a fair value
stock price of $0.0223 per share, the transaction resulted in a consulting expense of $6,244, which was fully recognized during
the year ended March 31, 2021.
On
November 10, 2020, the Company issued a private placement memorandum offering to raise up to $1,000,000 through the issuance of restricted
shares of the Company’s common stock (par value $0.001) to qualified investors. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had received
subscription agreements from related parties, which are family members and business associates of a significant stockholder for 500,000
common shares at a purchase price of $1 per share, with proceeds to the Company totaling $500,000.
Warrants
to Purchase Common Stock
Effective
April 3, 2020, the related party, note payable and line of credit agreement with the Chairman of the Board of Directors and a stockholder
(see Note 6) was amended to include a formal provision that provides the related party lender with common stock warrants upon the lenders
extension of a maturity due date or upon the loaning of additional monies. The number of warrants issued will be based on the following
formula: 10,000 warrants per month the due date is extended plus 1 warrant for every $2 of the principal balance outstanding (not including
interest) at the time of the extension (rounded to the nearest whole warrant). Effective April 3, 2020, the number of warrants to be
issued upon the loaning of additional monies is 2 warrants for each dollar loaned.
In
addition, Mr. Dickman, the holder of the related party, unsecured promissory notes (see Note 6) has informed the Company that, at such
time the Company requests either an extension or additional monies from the lender, in addition to interest, the lender will require
10,000 warrants per month the due date is extended plus 1 warrant for every $2 of the principal balance outstanding (not including interest)
at the time of the extension (rounded to the nearest whole warrant). Upon the loaning of additional monies, the lender will also require
2 warrants for each dollar loaned.
On
October 1, 2020, the related party, note payable and line of credit agreement with Radiant Life, LLC, an entity partially owned by the
Chairman of the Board of Directors (see Note 6) was amended to include a formal provision that provides the related party lender with
common stock warrants upon the lenders extension of a maturity due date or upon the loaning of additional monies. The number of warrants
issued will be based on the following formula: 10,000 warrants per month the due date is extended plus 1 warrant for every $2 of the
principal balance outstanding (not including interest) at the time of the extension (rounded to the nearest whole warrant). In addition,
the number of warrants to be issued upon the loaning of additional monies is 2 warrants for each dollar loaned. In this amendment, the
due date was extended from August 31, 2021 to November 30, 2022 or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds
are received. As per the provision outlined above, and in conjunction with the extension of the due date of the agreement, the Company
also agreed to provide the Radiant Life, LLC with warrants for 579,754 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05 per share.
The warrants have a 5-year exercise window from the date of the extension agreement.
F- 10
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company held outstanding warrants to related parties totaling 3,488,754 and 1,702,000, respectively.
All warrants have an exercise price of $0.05 per share, a five-year life as of the date of grant and expire between November 2024 and
October 2025. The estimated fair value of the warrants on the date of grant, as calculated by the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model,
was not significant. The inputs used in this calculation included a fair value of $0.0223 per share, a risk-free rate of 0.23% to 1.67%,
volatility of 20% to 123% and a dividend rate of 0%. The average remaining outstanding life of the warrants as of March 31, 2021, was
4.13 years. The shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission
and the holders of the warrants do not have registration rights with respect to the warrants or the underlying shares of common stock.
(6)
NOTES PAYABLE, RELATED PARTY
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had borrowed $2,741,808 and $2,450,508 respectively, excluding accrued interest, from related
parties. The interest associated with the Notes Payable, Related Party of $513,665 and $288,369 is recorded on the balance sheet as an
Accrued Expense obligation at March 31, 2021 and March 31, 2020, respectively.
Related
Party Promissory Notes
As
of both March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $826,000 under the unsecured promissory notes from Mr. Glenn S. Dickman, a stockholder
and member of the Board of Directors. The promissory notes bear interest at a rate of 8% annually. The notes are due on November 30,
2021, or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds are received. In addition, as mentioned in Note 5, prior
to March 31, 2020, the Company had provided Mr. Dickman warrants for 1,202,000 shares of common stock. During the year ended March 31,
2021, the Company neither borrowed any additional funds under this agreement nor made any principal repayments. As of March 31, 2021,
accrued interest on the notes totaled $142,182. In the event the Company completes a successful equity raise all principal and interest
on the notes are due in full at that time.
Related
Party Note Payable and Line of Credit Agreements
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $1,056,300 and $795,000, respectively, exclusive
of accrued interest, under the note payable and line of credit agreement with the Chairman of the Board of Directors and a stockholder.
On October 27, 2020, the Company agreed to amend the agreement to extend the due date on the agreement to extend the due date from August
31, 2021 to November 30, 2022 or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds are received. As of March
31, 2021 , the agreement allowed for borrowings of up to $4,600,000. During the year ended March
31, 2021 the Company borrowed $256,800 in cash, and another $7,000 of expense paid on behalf of the Company, totaling and additional
$263,800 in principal borrowed under this agreement. During the year ended March 31, 2021 ,
the company repaid $2,500 in principal on this agreement. The note payable and line of credit agreement incurs interest at 7.5% per annum
and are collateralized by the Company’s NIBS, if any. As of March 31, 2021 , accrued
interest on this note totaled $142,511.
As
discussed in Note 5, effective April 3, 2020, a provision to the lending agreement provides the related party lender with common stock
warrants upon the lenders extension of a maturity due date or upon the loaning of additional monies. Under this provision, additional
warrants for 527,600 shares of common stock were issued in conjunction with the $263,800 borrowed during the year ended March
31, 2021 , and warrants for 679,400 shares of common stock were issued in conjunction with the October 2020 due date extension,
bringing the total number of warrants issued to the related party lender to 1,707,000 as of March
31, 2021 (see Note 5 for further details on these warrants). These warrants have an exercise price of $0.05 per share and have
a 5-year exercise window from the respective dates of issuance.
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $859,508 and $829,508 in principal, respectively, under the note payable and lines of credit
agreement with Radiant Life, LLC, an entity partially owned by the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The agreement allows for borrowings
of up to $2,130,000. On October 1, 2020, the related party, note payable and line of credit agreement was amended to extend the due date
from August 31, 2021 to November 30, 2022 or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds are received. The note
payable and line of credit agreement incurs interest at 7.5% per annum and is collateralized by the Company’s NIBS, if any. During
the year ended March 31, 2021 the Company borrowed $30,000 of principal under this agreement and made no repayments. As of March 31,
2021, accrued interest on this agreement totaled $228,972.
F- 11
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
As
per the provision outlined in Note 5, and in conjunction with the extension of the due date of the agreement, the Company also agreed
to provide the Radiant Life, LLC with warrants for 579,754 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05 per share. The warrants
have a 5-year exercise window from the date of the extension agreement.
(7)
CONVERTIBLE DEBENTURE AGREEMENT
The
Company has entered into an 8% convertible debenture agreement with Satco International, Ltd., that allows for borrowings of up to $3,000,000.
The holder originally had the option to convert the outstanding principal and accrued interest to unregistered, restricted common stock
of the Company on June 2, 2016. Per the agreement, the number of shares issuable at conversion shall be determined by the quotient obtained
by dividing the outstanding principal and accrued and unpaid interest by 90% of the 90 day average closing price of the Company’s
common stock from the date the notice of conversion is received; and the price at which the Debenture may be converted will be no lower
than $1.00 per share. The original maturity date was June 2, 2016, but was later extended, through a series of extensions, to December
1, 2020. On July 13, 2020, the Company agreed to amend the convertible debenture agreement to extend the due date and conversion rights
from December 1, 2020 to November 30, 2021. As of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $0 under the agreement, excluding accrued
interest. The associated interest of $124,225 is recorded on the balance sheet as an accrued expense obligation at March 31, 2021 and
2020.
(8)
OTHER DEBT
On
April 20, 2020, the Company received funding under a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan (the “PPP Loan”)
from CCBank (the “Lender”). The principal amount of the PPP Loan was $26,458. The PPP was established under the Coronavirus
Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) and is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (the
“SBA”). The PPP Loan has a two-year term, maturing on April 20, 2022. The interest rate on the PPP Loan is 1.0% per annum.
Principal and interest are payable in monthly installments, beginning on November 20, 2020, until maturity with respect to any portion
of the PPP Loan which is not forgiven as described below. The Company did not provide any collateral or guarantees for the PPP Loan,
nor did the Company pay any facility charge to obtain the PPP Loan. The PPP Loan provides for customary events of default, including,
among others, those relating to failure to make payment, bankruptcy, breaches of representations and material adverse effects. The PPP
Loan could be partially or fully forgiven if the Company complied with the provisions of the CARES Act, including the use of PPP Loan
proceeds for payroll costs, rent, utilities and other expenses, provided that such amounts are incurred during a 24-week period that
commenced on April 20, 2020, and at least 60% of any forgiven amount had been used for covered payroll costs as defined by the CARES
Act.
On
December 9, 2020, the Company received notice that the full PPP Loan amount of $26,458 had been forgiven. As such, the Company recorded
$26,458 of Gain on Extinguishment of Debt on its Statement of Operations for the year ended March
31, 2021 .
(9)
LIQUIDITY REQUIREMENTS
Since
the Company’s inception on January 31, 2013, its operations have been primarily financed through sales of equity, debt financing
from related parties and the issuance of notes payable and convertible debentures. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had $21,179 of cash
assets, compared to $28,784 as of March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2021, the Company had access to draw an additional $4,814,192 on the
notes payable, related party (see Note 6) and $3,000,000 on the Convertible Debenture Agreement (See Note 7). For the year ended March
31, 2021, the Company’s average monthly operating expenses were approximately $75,000, which includes salaries of our employees,
consulting agreements and contract labor, general and administrative expenses and legal and accounting expenses. The Company anticipates
the average monthly expenses of $75,000 to decrease by approximately $10,000 over the next 12 months, resulting in ongoing, average monthly
expenses of approximately $65,000. In addition to the monthly operating expenses, the Company continues to pursue other debt and equity
financing opportunities, and as a result, financing expenses of $422,751 and $110,000 were incurred during the years ended March 31,
2021, and 2020, respectively. As management continues to explore additional financing alternatives, beginning April 1, 2021 the Company
is expected to spend up to an additional $400,000 on these efforts. Outstanding Accounts Payable as of March 31, 2021 totaled $893,674.
Management has concluded that its existing capital resources and availability under its existing convertible debentures and debt agreements
with related parties will be sufficient to fund its operating working capital requirements for at least the next 12 months, or through
June 2022. Related parties have given assurance that their continued support, by way of either extensions of due dates, or increases
in lines-of-credit, can be relied on. As mentioned above, the Company also continues to evaluate other debt and equity financing opportunities.
F- 12
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
The
recent outbreak of COVID-19 originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since spread to multiple countries, including the United
States and several European countries. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic. The COVID-19
pandemic is affecting the United States and global economies and may affect the Company’s operations and those of third parties
on which the Company relies. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult
to assess or predict, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global financial markets may reduce the Company’s ability to access
capital, which could negatively impact the Company’s short-term and long-term liquidity. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
is highly uncertain and subject to change. The Company does not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on its business,
financing or other activities or on healthcare systems or the global economy as a whole. However, these effects could have a material
impact on the Company’s liquidity, capital resources, operations and business and those of the third parties on which we rely.
The
accompanying financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under which the Company is expected to be able to realize
its assets and satisfy its liabilities in the normal course of business.
(10)
INCOME TAXES
The
Company provides for income taxes under ASC 740, Income Taxes. ASC 740 requires the use of an asset and liability approach in accounting
for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recorded based on the differences between the financial statement and tax bases
of assets and liabilities and the tax rates in effect when these differences are expected to reverse.
The
Company recorded no provision for income taxes for the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020.
The
income tax provision differs from the amount of income tax determined by applying the U.S. federal tax rate of 21% to pretax income from
continuing operations for the years ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, due to the following:
2021
2020
Income tax benefit at U. S. federal statutory rates:
$ (321,209 )
$ (233,695 )
State tax, net of federal benefit
(59,814 )
(43,517 )
Permanent and other differences
6,616
20
Change in valuation allowance
374,407
277,273
Change in statutory rate
-
-
Other
-
(81 )
$ -
$ -
F- 13
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
March
31, 2021 and 2020
The
tax effects of significant items comprising the Company’s net deferred taxes as of March 31, 2021 and 2020 were as follows:
2021
2020
Deferred Tax assets:
Net operating loss carry forwards
$ 6,948,511
$ 6,574,104
Stock and warrant compensation
479,708
479,708
Valuation allowance
(7,428,219 )
(7,053,812 )
Net deferred tax asset
$ -
$ -
Deferred tax liability:
Investment in net insurance benefits
-
Net deferred tax liability
$ -
$ -
The
Company assesses the need for a valuation allowance against its deferred income tax assets at March 31, 2021. Factors considered in this
assessment include recent and expected future earnings and the Company’s liquidity and equity positions. During the year ended
March 31, 2018, the underlying policies related to the Company’s NIBs were subject to foreclosure (see Note 1). As a result, the
Company has placed a 100% valuation allowance on the deferred tax assets. The deferred tax assets primarily relate to net operating loss
carryforwards.
As
of March 31, 2021, the Company has U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of $27,893,903. These carry forwards are available to
offset future taxable income, if any, and begin to expire in 2021. The utilization of the net operating loss carry forwards is dependent
upon the tax laws in effect at the time the net operating loss carry forwards can be utilized and may be significantly limited based
on ownership changes within the meaning of section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Under
FASB ASC 740-10-05-6, tax benefits are recognized only for the tax positions that are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination
by tax authorities. The amount recognized is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely to be realized
upon ultimate settlement. Unrecognized tax benefits are tax benefits claimed in the company’s tax return that do not meet these
recognition and measurement standards.
The
Company had no liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits and the Company has recorded no additional interest or penalties.
(11)
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Subsequent
to year end, the following events transpired:
On
April 6, 2021, the Company borrowed $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note with Satco International,
Ltd.. This promissory note bears interest at a rate of 8% annually and is due July 5, 2021. This note is separate from the 8%
convertible debenture agreement that the Company has in place with Satco International, Ltd.. In conjunction with this note, the Company
issued a warrant for 1,000,000 shares of common stock, exercisable at $1.00 per share and expiring in 3 years from the date of
the promissory note.
On
May 4, 2021, the Company issued 1,200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to members of the Board of Directors. The stock
awards vested 25% on the date of grant and the remainder of the shares vested equally over the three months following the date grant.
Using a fair value stock price of $0.062 per share, the transaction resulted in a compensation expense of $73,200, which is to be recognized
according to the vesting schedule outlined above.
F- 14
Item
9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures
(a)
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
maintain disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports filed
or submitted under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified by the Commission’s
rules and forms.
We
carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer
and principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of these disclosure controls and procedures, as such
term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e), as of March 31, 2021. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal
financial officer concluded our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2021, the end of the period covered
by this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(b)
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Management
of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules
13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act.
Internal
control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting
and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because
of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of
any evaluation of effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that controls
may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our
internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving its objectives as specified above.
Management does not expect, however, that our internal control over financial reporting will prevent or detect all error and fraud. Any
control system, no matter how well designed and operated, is based upon certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute,
assurance that its objectives will be met. Further, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to
error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within the Company have been detected.
Management,
including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting as of March 31, 2021. In making our assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting,
management used the criteria set forth in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations
of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of March 31, 2021, our internal
control over financial reporting was effective.
This
Annual Report does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm regarding our internal controls over financial
reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by our registered public accounting firm pursuant to rules of the
SEC that permit us to provide only management’s report in this Annual Report.
30
(c)
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There
were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the year ended March 31, 2021 that have materially
affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item
9B. Other Information
On
April 6, 2021, the Company borrowed $300,000 under an unsecured promissory note with
Satco International, Ltd.. This promissory note bears interest at a rate of 8% annually and is due July 5, 2021. This note is
separate from the 8% convertible debenture agreement that the Company has in place with Satco International,
Ltd.. In conjunction with this note, the Company issued a warrant for 1,000,000 shares of common stock, exercisable at $1.00
per share and expiring in 3 years from the date of the promissory note.
On
May 4, 2021, the Company issued 1,200,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to members of the Board of Directors. The stock
awards vested 25% on the date of grant and the remainder of the shares vested equally over the three months following the date grant.
Using a fair value stock price of $0.061 per share, the transaction resulted in a compensation expense of $73,200, which is to be recognized
according to the vesting schedule outlined above.
31
PART
III
ITEM
10: DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Identification
of Directors and Executive Officers
Our
executive officers and directors and their respective ages, positions and biographical information are set forth below.
Name
Positions
Held
Date
of Election or Designation
Date
of Termination or Resignation
Kraig
T. Higginson
Chairman
of the Board
1/12/2015
*
Glenn
S. Dickman
Director
12/6/18
*
Stephen
E. Quesenberry
Director
12/6/18
*
Randall
F. Pearson
President
03/29/13
*
Randall
F. Pearson
Principal
Executive Officer
03/29/13
*
Randall
F. Pearson
Principal
Financial Officer
03/29/13
*
Randall
F. Pearson
Director
04/01/13
*
*
Presently
serves in the capacities indicated opposite his name.
The
Board of Directors has set the size of the Company’s Board of Directors at four, which is within the number allowed by our Bylaws.
Director
Qualifications
In
evaluating members for services on the Board of Directors, emphasis was placed on the following factors: (i) the appropriate size of
our Board of Directors; (ii) our needs with respect to the particular talents and experience of our directors; (iii) the knowledge, skills
and experience of the directors, including experience in development stage companies and new enterprises and innovations, finance, administration
and management skills; and (iv) the dedication of the directors to familiarize themselves with the our selected business industry.
Our
goal was to assemble a Board of Directors that brings together a variety of perspectives and skills derived from high quality business
and professional experience. We believe each of the members of our Board of Directors possesses these qualities.
Background
and Business Experience
Kraig
T. Higginson is 64 years of age and was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Higginson served as Chief
Executive Officer of VIA Motors, Inc. (“Via Motors”), a hybrid electric vehicle company (PHEV), from November 2010 to January
2014, where he was responsible for overseeing the management and business of Via Motors and its employees. From October 2003 until November
2010, he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Raser Technologies, Inc. (“Raser Technologies”), which was an NYSE
listed company at that time. Mr. Higginson resigned as a director of Raser Technologies on February 11, 2011. Raser Technologies filed
bankruptcy proceedings on April 29, 2011, and was subsequently delisted from NYSE. Mr. Higginson also founded American Telemedia Network,
Inc. (“American Telemedia”), a publicly-traded NASDAQ company that developed a nationwide satellite network broadcasting
data, video programming and advertising to shopping centers and malls, and he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of American
Telemedia from 1984 through 1988.
Mr.
Glenn S. Dickman is 71 years of age. In 1984, Mr. Dickman started a “sales rack” jobbing operation supplying grocery stores
with movies for rent and purchase. As founder and CEO of Video II, the business grew from servicing one store to over 1,400 located in
38 states. Video II had over 400 employees at one time, with Mr. Dickman overseeing all facets of the business as its CEO. In 2005, Mr.
Dickman sold his interest in Video II, and has since concentrated his efforts on a variety of investments, including stocks and real
estate.
32
Stephen
Quesenberry is 58 years old. He has practiced law since 1989 in Washington and Utah, including complex business litigation and SEC matters.
Mr. Quesenberry was one of the (many) attorneys representing Exxon Shipping in the Exxon Valdez litigation in Alaska in the early 1990s.
Mr. Quesenberry has also been a principal in various property development projects in Washington and elsewhere. Mr. Quesenberry graduated
from Brigham Young University in 1986 with a degree in English and was a pitcher for the BYU Cougars varsity baseball team from 1983-1986.
He attended law school at the University of Kansas from 1986-1989, where he was an editor of the Kansas Law Review and a member of the
Order of the Coif. He also speaks fluent German.
Mr.
Randall F. Pearson is 66 years old. He is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors and as President and Principal Financial
Officer. Mr. Pearson has served as President of the Company since inception in 2013. Prior to Sundance he worked with JWD Management
Corp. for 26 years. During his time with JWD Management he served in several positions including Vice President of Operations, Vice President,
President and CEO. JWD Management was a nationally recognized distribution supplier providing products to grocery stores in 33 states
and managing over 450 employees. Prior to JWD Management he worked with Capital Resources investing in and managing his own and client
owned residential and commercial real estate properties. Mr. Pearson attended Brigham Young University until 1977, received his real
estate brokers license in 1977 and his Series 7 securities license in 1978.
Significant
Employee
Lisa
L. Fuller, Esq. is 56 years of age and is our general legal counsel. She is licensed in California, Texas and Oklahoma, with 15 years
of law firm experience and 10 years of in-house counsel experience in the areas of tax, contracts, corporations and partnerships, estate
planning, insurance and exempt organizations. From 2009 to the beginning of April 2013, she was general legal counsel for NorthStar Life
Services, LLC, of Irvine, California, the Servicer, of the current portfolio of policies underlying the Company’s NIBs, where she
managed a four person legal department; Structured international and domestic companies and transactions, reviewed and negotiated contracts;
Managed all company litigation; tax planning (U.S. and internationally, with a focus in Luxembourg, Germany and the Cayman Islands);
and oversaw purchase of a European financial institution and assisted with obtaining various approvals from regulators related to business
plans and deposits. She also served as general legal counsel for Pacifica Group, LLC, of Irvine, California, a predecessor of NorthStar,
from 2006 until 2009, where, in addition to other services similar to those performed for NorthStar, she lobbied for the passage of regulations
related to life settlements. She graduated from New York University, New York, NY, with an LL.M. Degree in Taxation, 1993; the University
of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, receiving a J.D. Degree, 1992; and Trinity University, San Antonio, TX, receiving a B.A. Degree in Finance,
1988. Lisa is a member of the Bar Associations of Oklahoma and Texas.
Directorships
Held in Other Reporting Companies
None
of our directors or executive officer is a director of a company that is required to file reports under Sections 15 or 13(d) of the Exchange
Act.
Promoters
and control person
To
the best of our management’s knowledge, and except as indicated below, no person who may be deemed to have been a promoter or founder
of our Company was the subject of any of the legal proceedings listed under the heading “Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings”
above; however, Kraig T. Higginson, our Board Chairman, and who was the incorporator and one of the founding directors of ANEW LIFE,
resigned as a director of Raser Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation, on February 11, 2011. Raser Technologies, Inc. filed bankruptcy
proceedings on April 29, 2011.
Corporate
Governance
Overview
Our
Bylaws provide that the size of our Board is to be determined by resolution of the Board. Our Board has fixed the exact number of directors
at four. Our Board currently consists of four members.
33
We
are subject to a number of technological, regulatory, product, legal and other types of risks. The Board is responsible for overseeing
these risks, and we employ a number of procedures to help them carry out that duty. For example, Board members regularly consult with
executive management about pending issues and expected challenges, and at each Board meeting directors receive updates from, and have
an opportunity to interview and ask questions of, key personnel and management. Furthermore, because our President serves as a member
of our Board, we believe that the Board has a direct channel and better access to insights into our performance, business and challenges.
Board
Leadership Structure
The
Board does not have a policy regarding the separation of the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board as the Board
believes it is in the best interests of the Company to make that determination based upon the position and direction of the Company and
the membership of the Board. The Board has determined at this time that the Company’s Chairman should not be its President.
The
Board has determined that of the current directors or nominees, Messrs. Higginson, Dickman and Quesenberry would qualify as independent
directors as that term is defined in the listing standards of The NASDAQ Capital Market if we were listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market.
Such independence definition includes a series of objective tests, including that the director is not an employee of the Company and
has not engaged in various types of business dealings with the Company. As Mr. Pearson is also employed by the Company, the Board has
determined that Mr. Pearson is not currently independent. Although the Company’s common stock is not listed on The NASDAQ Capital
Market, the Company has applied The NASDAQ Capital Market independence rules to make its independence determinations.
Committees
of the Board of Directors
The
Board has not established an Audit Committee, a Compensation Committee or a Nominating Committee. Therefore, the Board has not adopted
written charters for any of these committees. Because we have only four directors and one executive officer, we believe that we are able
to effectively manage the issues normally considered by such committees. The Board also does not have an audit committee financial expert.
We believe we are currently able to manage our audit and financial reporting obligations without an audit committee financial expert.
However, as we grow, we will consider adding an audit committee financial expert.
In
evaluating a director candidate, our Board of Directors will review his or her qualifications including capability, availability to serve,
conflicts of interest, general understanding of business, understanding of the Company’s business and technology, educational and
professional background, personal accomplishment and other relevant factors. Our Board of Directors has not established any specific
qualification standards for director nominees and we do not have a formal diversity policy relating to the identification and evaluation
of nominees for director, although from time to time the Board of Directors may identify certain skills or attributes as being particularly
desirable to help meet specific needs that have arisen. Our Board of Directors may also interview prospective nominees in person or by
telephone. After completing this evaluation, the Board of Directors will determine the nominees.
The
Board has not adopted a formal process for considering director candidates who may be recommended by stockholders. However, our policy
is to give due consideration to any and all such candidates. A stockholder may submit a recommendation for director candidates to us
at our corporate offices, to the attention of Randall F. Pearson. We do not pay fees to any third parties to assist us in identifying
potential nominees.
Number
of Meetings
The
Board held a total of one (1) meeting during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. Each incumbent director attended the Board meetings.
Although we do not have a formal policy regarding attendance by directors at our annual meeting, we encourage directors to attend.
34
Codes
of Ethics and Business Conduct
We
have adopted a corporate Code of Ethics and Business Conduct which is available as Exhibit 14.1 to this filing. The Code of Ethics and
Business Conduct applies to all our officers, directors and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial
officer and controller, or persons performing similar functions. If we effect an amendment to, or waiver from, a provision of our Code
of Ethics and Business Conduct, we intend to satisfy our disclosure requirements by posting a description of such amendment or waiver
on our website at www.sundancestrategies.com.
ITEM
11: EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Director
Compensation
The
following table outlines information regarding equity awards granted to our named executive officers or directors for
the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 (no equity awards granted during 2020):
Equity
Awards Granted during fiscal year ended March 31, 2021
Name
Date of Grant
Shares
$ Value
Randall F. Pearson
10/1/20
300,000
$ 6,690
Glenn S. Dickman
10/1/20
300,000
$ 6,690
Stephen E. Quesenberry
10/1/20
300,000
$ 6,690
Kraig T. Higginson
10/1/20
600,000
$ 13,880
Executive
Compensation Objectives and Principles
The
overall objective of our executive compensation program is to help create long-term value for our stockholders by attracting and retaining
talented executives, rewarding superior operating and financial performance, and aligning the long-term interests of our executives with
those of our stockholders. Accordingly, our executive compensation program incorporates the following principles:
●
Compensation
should be based upon individual job responsibility, demonstrated leadership ability, management experience, individual performance,
and Company performance.
●
Compensation
should reflect the fair market value of the services received. We believe that a fair and competitive pay package is essential to
attract and retain talented executives in key positions.
●
Compensation
should reward executives for long-term strategic management and enhancement of stockholder value.
●
Compensation
should reward performance and promote a performance-oriented environment.
Executive
Compensation Procedures
We
believe that compensation paid to our executive officers should be closely aligned with our performance and the performance of each individual
executive officer on both a short-term and a long-term basis, should be based upon the value each executive officer provides to us, and
should be designed to assist us in attracting and retaining the best possible executive talent, which we believe is critical to our long-term
success. To attain our executive compensation objectives and implement the underlying compensation principles, we follow the procedures
described below.
35
Role
of the Board . The Board has responsibility for establishing and monitoring our executive compensation programs and for
making decisions regarding the compensation of our Named Executive Officers. The Board sets the compensation package of the Named Executive
Officers. Our President, Mr. Randall Pearson, suggests items to be considered by the Board from time to time, including the compensation
package for the other Named Executive Officer; and participates in meetings in which the compensation package of the other Named Executive
Officer is discussed.
The
Board relies on its judgment in making compensation decisions after reviewing our performance and evaluating our executives’ leadership
abilities and responsibilities with our Company and their current compensation arrangements. The Board’s assessment process is
designed to be flexible so as to better respond to the evolving business environment and individual circumstances. The last Annual Meeting
of Stockholders was held in 2016.
Role
of Compensation Consultant . We have not engaged a compensation consultant.
Elements
of Compensation
Our
executive compensation objectives and principles are implemented through the use of the following elements of compensation, each discussed
more fully below:
●
Base
Salary
●
Annual
Incentive Bonuses
●
Stock-Based
Compensation
●
Other
Benefits
Base
Salary . The Board approved the salaries of all our executive officers for Fiscal Year 2021. Base salaries are offered to ensure that
our executive officers receive an ongoing level of compensation. Salary decisions concerning these officers were based upon a variety
of considerations consistent with the compensation philosophy stated above. First, salaries were competitively set relative to both other
companies in our industry and other comparable companies. The Board considered each officer’s level of responsibility and individual
performance, including an assessment of the person’s overall value to the Company. In addition, internal equity among employees
was factored into the decision. Finally, the Board considered our financial performance and our ability to absorb any increases in salaries.
Annual
Incentive Bonuses . Annual incentive bonuses are designed to reward extraordinary performance by our executives. For Fiscal Year 2021,
the Board did not precisely define the parameters of a bonus program for the Named Executive Officers, and no bonuses were awarded to
the Named Executive Officers.
Stock-Based
Compensation . Each Named Executive Officer or Director is eligible to receive stock-based compensation. Stock-based
compensation is designed to more closely align the interests of management with those of our stockholders. We do not have any
securities authorized for issuance under an equity compensation plan, or any policies for allocating compensation between long-term
and currently paid out compensation or between cash and non-cash compensation or among different forms of non-cash compensation.
On September 14, 2020 the Company awarded members of the Board of Directors a total of 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s
common stock, in lieu of director cash compensation. The stock awards vested 25% on the date of grant and the remainder of the
shares vested equally over the three months following the date grant. As of March 31, 2021, all grant shares were 100% vested.
Using a fair value stock price of $0.0223 per share, the transaction resulted in a compensation expense of $33,450, which was
fully recognized in the year ended March 31, 2021.
Other
Benefits . Our Named Executive Officers receive the same benefits that are available to all other full-time employees, including the
payment of health, dental, life and disability insurance premiums.
36
Deductibility
of Executive Compensation
Internal
Revenue Service (“IRS”) Code Section 162(m) limits the amount that we may deduct annually for compensation paid to our principal
executive officer, principal financial officer, and to each of our three most highly compensated officers to $1.0 million per person.
According to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, exemptions to this deductibility limit for various forms of performance-based compensation
have been repealed for compensation payable under a written binding contract put into effect after November 2, 2017. Written binding
contracts regarding officer compensation are subject to a transition rule that states that contracts in effect prior to November 2, 2017
may continue to qualify for performance-based exemptions so long as the contract has not been materially modified after that date. In
the past, annual salary and bonus compensation to our executive officers has not exceeded $1.0 million per person, so the compensation
has been deductible. In addition to salary and bonus compensation, upon the exercise of stock options that are not treated as incentive
stock options, the excess of the current market price over the option price, or option spread, is treated as compensation and accordingly,
in any year, such exercise may cause an officer’s total compensation to exceed $1.0 million. Under the aforementioned transition
rule, option spread compensation from options that meet certain requirements will not be subject to the $1.0 million cap on deductibility.
The Board cannot predict how the deductibility limit may impact our compensation program in future years. The Board intends to pay competitive
compensation consistent with our philosophy to attract, retain and motivate executive officers to manage our business in the best interests
of the Company and our shareholders. The Board, therefore, may choose to provide non-deductible compensation to our executive officers
if it deems such compensation to be in the best interests of the Company and our shareholders.
Summary
Compensation Table
The
following information presents the compensation paid to our executive officers in Fiscal Year 2021 and 2020. We refer to these executive
officers as the Named Executive Officers.
Name and Principal Position
Year
Salary
($)
Bonus
($)
Stock Awards
($)(1)
Option Awards
($)
Non-Equity
Incentive Plan
Compensation
($)
All Other
Compensation
($)
Total
($)
Randall F. Pearson
2021
136,900
—
6,690
—
—
—
143,590
President, Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer
2020
120,000
—
—
—
—
—
120,000
(1)
The
fair value of stock awards was calculated in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, using a fair value stock price of $0.0223 per share
(see Note 5 to the Consolidated Financial Statements)
37
ITEM
12: SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Security
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
The
following table shows information regarding the beneficial ownership of our common stock as of the date of this filing by (a) each stockholder,
or group of affiliated stockholders, that we know owns more than 5% of our outstanding common stock; (b) each of our named executive
officers; (c) each of our directors; and (d) all of our current directors and executive officers as a group. The table is based upon
information supplied by directors, executive officers and principal stockholders, and Schedules 13D and 13G filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Percentage
ownership in the table below is based on 41,308,441 shares of common stock outstanding as of June 29, 2021. Beneficial ownership
is determined in accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and generally includes voting power and/or investment
power with respect to the securities held. Any securities not outstanding but which are subject to options or warrants exercisable within
60 days of June 29, 2021 are deemed outstanding and beneficially owned for the purpose of computing the percentage of outstanding
common stock beneficially owned by the stockholder holding such options or warrants, but are not deemed outstanding for the purpose of
computing the percentage of common stock beneficially owned by any other stockholder.
Unless
otherwise indicated, each of the stockholders listed below has sole voting and investment power with respect to the shares beneficially
owned. The address for each director or named executive officer is c/o Sundance Strategies, Inc., Attention: Randall F. Pearson, 4626
North 300 West, Suite No. 365, Provo, Utah 84604.
Shares Beneficially Owned
Name and Address of Beneficial Owner
Number
Percent
Directors and Named Executive Officers
Kraig T. Higginson (1)
4,472,000
10.8 %
Glenn S. Dickman (5)
3,969,881
9.6 %
Randall F. Pearson
1,191,432
2.9 %
Stephen E. Quesenberry
970,206
2.4 %
All executive officers and directors as a group (4 persons)
10,603,519
25.7 %
5% Stockholders Not Listed Above
ZOE, LLC (2)
10,100,000
24.5 %
Ty Mattingly (3)
3,500,000
8.5 %
Smartrade Consulting, Inc. (4)
4,000,000
9.7 %
Radiant Life, LLC (2)
3,031,754
7.3 %
(1)
Mr.
Higginson’s ownership includes 750,000 shares owned by Eclipse Fund LLC; 320,000 shares owned by Radion Energy LLC; 425,000
shares owned by Peoples Philanthropic, 370,000 shares owned by Ecosystems Resources LLC and 600,000 shares owned by KGPR, LLC. Also
included are 1,707,000 warrants held by Mr. Higginson.
(2)
ZOE,
LLC and Radiant Life, LLC are beneficially owned by Mitchell D. Burton, for an aggregate percentage of ownership of approximately
31.8%. On December 6, 2018, the Company agreed to repurchase 6,000,000 shares from ZOE, LLC (see note 5 for more detail).
The address of ZOE, LLC is 4626 N. 300 W., Provo, Utah 84604. The address of Radiant Life, LLC is 4626 N. 300 W., Provo, Utah 84604.
Mr. Burton’s ownership includes 579,754 held by Radiant Life, LLC.
(3)
Mr.
Mattingly’s ownership includes 3,500,000 shares owned in the name of Primary Colors, LLC. On December 6, 2018, the Company
agreed to repurchase 1,500,000 shares from North Shore Foundation, LLP, an entity beneficially owned by Mr. Mattingly (see note 5
for more detail). Mr. Mattingly is the beneficial owner of Primary Colors, LLC.
(4)
Smartrade
Consulting, Inc. is held by Summit Trustees PLLC for the beneficial owner, Lam Ping of Hong Kong. The address of Smartrade Consulting,
Inc. is 22G Tower 4, The Metropolis, 8 Mau Yip Road, Tsung Kwan Q, N.T., Hong Kong.
(5)
Mr.
Dickman’s ownership includes 1,202,000 warrants.
38
Changes
in Control
See
the heading “Business Development” of Part I, Item 1. To the knowledge of management, there are no arrangements or understandings
that may result in a change in control of the Company.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans
The
following table provides information as of March 31, 2021, about our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options, warrants
and rights under all of our existing equity compensation plans (including individual arrangements):
Plan Category
Number of securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options, warrants and rights
(a)
Weighted-average exercise price of outstanding options, warrants and rights
(b)
Number of securities remaining available for future issuance under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in column (a))
(c)
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders
-
-
-
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders
-
$ -
-
Total
-
$ -
-
39
ITEM
13: CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTORS INDEPENDENCE
Review
and Approval of Related Person Transactions
Before
engaging in a related person transaction, the transaction is presented to non-interested board members for approval. In considering related
person transactions, the non-interested board members are guided by their fiduciary duty to our stockholders. The Board of Directors
does not have any written or oral policies or procedures regarding the review, approval and ratification of transactions with related
person. Additionally, each of our directors and executive officers are required to annually complete a directors’ and officers’
questionnaire that elicits information about related person transactions. Approval of a related person transaction is provided either
verbally or in writing.
Related
Person Transactions
Other
than as described below, there were no material transactions, or series of similar transactions, during our last two fiscal years, or
any currently proposed transactions, or series of similar transactions, to which we or any of our subsidiaries was or is to be a party,
in which the amount involved exceeded the lesser of $120,000 or 1% of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed
fiscal years and in which any director, executive officer or any security holder who is known to us to own of record or beneficially
more than 5% of any class of our common stock, or any member of the immediate family of any of the foregoing persons, had an interest,
except as stated below.
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had borrowed $2,741,808 and $2,450,508 respectively, excluding accrued interest, from related
parties. The interest associated with the Notes Payable, Related Party of $513,665 and $288,369 is recorded on the balance sheet as an
Accrued Expense obligation at March 31, 2021 and March 31, 2020, respectively.
Warrants
to Purchase Common Stock
Effective
April 3, 2020, the related party, note payable and line of credit agreement with the Chairman of the Board of Directors and a stockholder
(see Note 6) was amended to include a formal provision that provides the related party lender with common stock warrants upon the lenders
extension of a maturity due date or upon the loaning of additional monies. The number of warrants issued will be based on the following
formula: 10,000 warrants per month the due date is extended plus 1 warrant for every $2 of the principal balance outstanding (not including
interest) at the time of the extension (rounded to the nearest whole warrant). Effective April 3, 2020, the number of warrants to be
issued upon the loaning of additional monies is 2 warrants for each dollar loaned.
In
addition, Mr. Dickman, the holder of the related party, unsecured promissory notes (see Note 6) has informed the Company that, at such
time the Company requests either an extension or additional monies from the lender, in addition to interest, the lender will require
10,000 warrants per month the due date is extended plus 1 warrant for every $2 of the principal balance outstanding (not including interest)
at the time of the extension (rounded to the nearest whole warrant). Upon the loaning of additional monies, the lender will also require
2 warrants for each dollar loaned.
On
October 1, 2020, the related party, note payable and line of credit agreement with Radiant Life, LLC, an entity partially owned by the
Chairman of the Board of Directors (see Note 6) was amended to include a formal provision that provides the related party lender with
common stock warrants upon the lenders extension of a maturity due date or upon the loaning of additional monies. The number of warrants
issued will be based on the following formula: 10,000 warrants per month the due date is extended plus 1 warrant for every $2 of the
principal balance outstanding (not including interest) at the time of the extension (rounded to the nearest whole warrant). In addition,
the number of warrants to be issued upon the loaning of additional monies is 2 warrants for each dollar loaned. In this amendment, the
due date was extended from August 31, 2021 to November 30, 2022 or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds
are received. As per the provision outlined above, and in conjunction with the extension of the due date of the agreement, the Company
also agreed to provide the Radiant Life, LLC with warrants for 579,754 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.05 per share.
The warrants have a 5-year exercise window from the date of the extension agreement.
40
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company held outstanding warrants to related parties totaling 3,488,754 and 1,702,000, respectively.
All warrants have an exercise price of $0.05 per share, a five-year life as of the date of grant and expire between November 2024 and
October 2025. The value of the warrants on the date of grant, as calculated by the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model, was not significant.
The inputs used in this calculation included a fair value of $0.0223 per share, a risk-free rate of 0.23% to 1.67%, volatility of 20%
to 123% and a dividend rate of 0%. The average remaining outstanding life of the warrants as of March 31, 2021, was 4.13 years. The shares
of common stock issuable upon exercise of the warrants are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the holders
of the warrants do not have registration rights with respect to the warrants or the underlying shares of common stock.
As
of both March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $826,000 under the unsecured promissory notes from Mr. Glenn S. Dickman, a stockholder
and member of the Board of Directors. The promissory notes bear interest at a rate of 8% annually. The notes are due on November 30,
2021, or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds are received. In addition, as mentioned in Note 5, prior
to March 31, 2020, the Company had provided Mr. Dickman warrants for 1,202,000 shares of common stock. During the year ended March 31,
2021, the Company neither borrowed any additional funds under this agreement nor made any principal repayments. As of March 31, 2021,
accrued interest on the notes totaled $142,182. In the event the Company completes a successful equity raise all principal and interest
on the notes are due in full at that time.
Related
Party Note Payable and Line of Credit Agreements
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $1,056,300 and $795,000, respectively, exclusive
of accrued interest, under the note payable and line of credit agreement with the Chairman of the Board of Directors and a stockholder.
On October 27, 2020, the Company agreed to amend the agreement to extend the due date on the agreement to extend the due date from August
31, 2021 to November 30, 2022 or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds are received. As of March
31, 2021 , the agreement allowed for borrowings of up to $4,600,000. During the year ended March
31, 2021 the Company borrowed $256,800 in cash, and another $7,000 of expense paid on behalf of the Company, totaling and additional
$263,800 in principal borrowed under this agreement. During the year ended March 31, 2021 ,
the company repaid $2,500 in principal on this agreement. The note payable and line of credit agreement incurs interest at 7.5% per annum
and are collateralized by the Company’s NIBS, if any. As of March 31, 2021 , accrued
interest on this note totaled $142,511.
Effective
April 3, 2020, a provision to the lending agreement provides the related party lender with common stock warrants upon the lenders extension
of a maturity due date or upon the loaning of additional monies. Under this provision, additional warrants for 527,600 shares of common
stock were issued in conjunction with the $263,800 borrowed during the year ended March 31, 2021 ,
and warrants for 679,400 shares of common stock were issued in conjunction with the October 2020 due date extension, bringing the total
number of warrants issued to the related party lender to 1,707,000 as of March 31, 2021. These
warrants have an exercise price of $0.05 per share and have a 5-year exercise window from the respective dates of issuance.
As
of March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company owed $859,508 and $829,508 in principal, respectively, under the note payable and lines of credit
agreement with Radiant Life, LLC, an entity partially owned by the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The agreement allows for borrowings
of up to $2,130,000. On October 1, 2020, the related party, note payable and line of credit agreement was amended to extend the due date
from August 31, 2021 to November 30, 2022 or at the immediate time when alternative financing or other proceeds are received. The note
payable and line of credit agreement incurs interest at 7.5% per annum and is collateralized by the Company’s NIBS, if any. During
the year ended March 31, 2021 the Company borrowed $30,000 of principal under this agreement and made no repayments. As of March 31,
2021, accrued interest on this agreement totaled $228,972.
As
per the provision outlined in Note 5 of the Company’s financial statements, and in conjunction with the extension of the due date
of the agreement, the Company also agreed to provide the Radiant Life, LLC with warrants for 579,754 shares of common stock at an exercise
price of $0.05 per share. The warrants have a 5-year exercise window from the date of the extension agreement.
41
Parents
We
have no parents.
Director
Independence
The
Board has determined that of the current directors or nominees, Messrs. Higginson, Dickman and Quesenberry would qualify as independent
directors as that term is defined in the listing standards of The NASDAQ Capital Market if we were listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market.
Such independence definition includes a series of objective tests, including that the director is not an employee of the Company and
has not engaged in various types of business dealings with the Company. As Mr. Pearson is also employed by the Company, the Board has
determined that Mr. Pearson is not currently independent. Although the Company’s common stock is not listed on The NASDAQ Capital
Market, the Company has applied The NASDAQ Capital Market independence rules to make its independence determinations.
ITEM
14: PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The
following is a summary of the fees billed to us by our principal accountants during fiscal years ended March 31, 2021, and 2020:
Fee Category
2021
2020
Audit Fees
$ 46,000
$ 46,000
Audit-related Fees
-
-
Tax Fees
-
-
All Other Fees
-
-
Total Fees
$ 46,000
$ 46,000
Audit
Fees - Consists of fees for professional services rendered by our principal accountants for the audit of our annual financial statements
and review of the financial statements included in our Forms 10-Q or services that are normally provided by our principal accountants
in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements including out of pocket expenses.
Audit-related
Fees - Consists of fees for assurance and related services by our principal accountants that are reasonably related to the performance
of the audit or review of our financial statements and are not reported under “Audit fees.”
Tax
Fees - Consists of fees for professional services rendered by our principal accountants for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
All
Other Fees - Consists of fees for products and services provided by our principal accountants, other than the services reported under
“Audit fees,” “Audit-related fees,” and “Tax fees” above.
Policy
on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors
We
have not adopted an Audit Committee; therefore, there is no Audit Committee policy in this regard. However, we do require approval in
advance of the performance of professional services to be provided to us by our principal accountant. Additionally, all services rendered
by our principal accountant are performed pursuant to a written engagement letter between us and the principal accountant.
42
PART
IV
Item
15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a)
The
following documents are filed as part of this report:
(1)
Financial
Statements
The
financial statements listed on the accompanying Index to Consolidated Financial Statements are filed as part of this report.
(2)
Financial
statement schedules
There
are no financial statements schedules included because they are either not applicable or the required information is shown in the consolidated
financial statements or the notes thereto.
(3 )
Exhibits
The
following exhibits are filed or incorporated by reference as part of this Form 10-K.
Exhibit
No.
Exhibit
Description
3.1
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i) to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
3.2
Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i)(a) to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
3.3
Certificate of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i)(b) to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-KA-1 filed May 24, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
3.4
Amended Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(ii) to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
4.1
Description of Securities Registered Under Section 12 of the Exchange Act
10.1
Agreement and Plan of Merger (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
10.2
Form of Lock-Up/Leak-Out Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
43
10.22
8% Convertible Debenture (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 10, 2015, file no. 000-50547)
10.24
Amendment to the notes payable and lines-of-credit agreements, dated February 4, 2016, between the Company, Kraig Higginson and Radiant Life, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed February 9, 2016, file no. 000-50547)
10.25
Amendment to the Convertible Debenture Agreement, dated February 2, 2016, between the Company and Sactco International, Limited (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed February 9, 2016, file no. 000-50547)
10.27
Promissory Note between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Glenn S. Dickman, dated April 10, 2019.
10.28
Promissory Note between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Glenn S. Dickman, dated November 5, 2019
10.29
Promissory Note between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Glenn S. Dickman, dated February 4, 2020
10.30
Extension to Promissory Note between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Kraig T. Higginson, dated January 8, 2020
10.31
First Amendment to the Note Payable and Line of Credit Agreement between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Kraig Higginson, dated April 3, 2020
10.32
Extension to Promissory Notes between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Glenn S. Dickman, dated November 5, 2019
10.33
Amendment to $3,000,000 Convertible Debenture Agreement between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Satco International, Limited, dated July 13, 2020
10.34
Extension Agreement to Promissory Note between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Radiant Life, dated December 19, 2019
10.35
Promissory Note between Sundance Strategies, Inc. and Satco International, Limited, dated April 6, 2021*
14.1
Code of Ethics (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 14 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed April 5, 2013, file no. 000-50547)
31.1
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)*
31.2
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a)*
32
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350*
101
INS
XBRL
Instance Document**
101
SCH
XBRL
Schema Document**
101
CAL
XBRL
Calculation Linkbase Document**
101
DEF
XBRL
Definition Linkbase Document**
101
LAB
XBRL
Labels Linkbase Document**
101
PRE
XBRL
Presentation Linkbase Document**
*
Filed herewith.
**
The XBRL related information in Exhibit 101 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to liability of that section and shall not be incorporated by reference into any filing
or other document pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in
such filing or document.
Item
16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
44
SIGNATURES
Pursuant
to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
SUNDANCE
STRATEGIES, INC.
Date:
June 29, 2021
By:
/s/
Randall F. Pearson
Randall
F. Pearson
President,
Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer
(Duly
Authorized Representative)
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
Registrant and in the capacities and on the dated indicated.
Signatures
Title
Date
/s/
Kraig T. Higginson
Chairman
of the Board of Directors
June
29, 2021
Kraig
T. Higginson
/s/
Randall F. Pearson
President
(Principal Executive Officer),
June
29, 2021
Randall
F. Pearson
Director
and Principal Financial Officer
/s/
Glenn S. Dickman
Director
June
29, 2021
Glenn
S. Dickman
/s/
Stephen E. Quesenberry
Director
June
29, 2021
Stephen
E. Quesenberry
45
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.