ITEM 1A.
RISK FACTORS
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk and is subject to many uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties may adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In order to attain an appreciation for these risks and uncertainties, you should read this Annual Report in its entirety and consider all of the information and advisements contained herein, including the following risk factors and uncertainties. If any of the following risks occur, our business, operating results and financial condition could be seriously harmed, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
We depend on the availability of significant amounts of credit to meet our liquidity needs and our failure to maintain our sources of credit could materially and adversely affect our liquidity in the future.
Our business model is dependent upon our ability to borrow to maintain and grow our ability to lend money to our customers. On February 3, 2021, we entered into a new two-year line of credit in the maximum amount of $35 million, which was immediately funded for $25,974,695 to pay off the prior line of credit lender. In October 2021, the line of credit facility increased by $10 million to a total of $45 million. In November 2022, the term of the line of credit was extended until November 30, 2025. In June 2025, the Company increased its line of credit with First Horizon Bank from $45,000,000 to $50,000,000. In September 2025, the Company increased its line of credit with First Horizon Bank from $50,000,000 to $75,000,000 and extended the maturity until September 25, 2028. If we fail to renew or replace our line of credit at the expiration of the current term, or we default on our line of credit, then our ability to continue our lending business at current levels and meet our other obligations, would be materially adversely affected. Since the amount of money we can borrow on our revolving credit line is based on a percentage of our entire loan portfolio less certain ineligible items, our other corporate debt (i.e., subordinated and un-subordinated debt) plus our retained earnings and stockholder equity alone may limit our ability to increase the size of our loan portfolio.
If our growth requires us to raise additional capital, that capital may not be available when it is needed, or the cost of that capital may be very high.
As we grow, organically and through possible acquisitions, the amount of capital required to support our operations grows as well. We may need to raise additional capital to support continued growth both organically and through possible acquisitions. Any equity capital we obtain may result in the dilution of the interests of existing holders of our common stock. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time which are outside our control and on our financial condition and performance. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, or on terms acceptable to us, our ability to expand our operations through organic growth and possible acquisitions could be materially impaired and our financial condition and liquidity could be materially and negatively affected.
Our reliance on third party insurance agents and brokers to originate our premium finance loans may result in increased exposure to credit risk and fraud.
Our premium finance loans are issued primarily through relationships with a large number of unaffiliated insurance agents and brokers. As a result, risk management and general supervisory oversight may be difficult since we have little direct contact with the borrowers and such loans may also be more susceptible to third party fraud. In certain cases, insurance agents and brokers may be funded directly on behalf of the insurance company and/or its affiliates. If the agent or broker fails to remit these funds accordingly, or fails to provide an underlying insurance policy, there may be little or no collateral. Acts of fraud are difficult to detect and deter, and we cannot assure investors that our risk management procedures and controls will prevent losses from fraudulent activity.
If our allowance for credit losses is not sufficient to absorb losses that may occur in our loan portfolio, our financial condition and liquidity could suffer.
We maintain an allowance for credit losses that is intended to absorb credit losses that we expect to incur in our loan portfolio. At each balance sheet date, our management determines the amount of the allowance for credit losses based on our estimate of probable and reasonably estimable losses in our loan portfolio, taking into account probable losses that have been identified relating to specific borrowing relationships, as well as probable losses inherent in the loan portfolio and credit undertakings that are not specifically identified. Because our allowance for credit losses represents an estimate of inherent losses, there is no certainty that it will be adequate over time to cover credit losses in the loan portfolio, particularly if there is deterioration in general economic or market conditions or events that adversely affect specific customers. Although we believe our credit loss allowance is adequate to absorb reasonably estimable losses in our loan portfolio, if our estimates are inaccurate and our actual loan losses exceed the amount that is anticipated, or if the loss assumptions we used in calculating our reserves are significantly different from those we actually experience, our financial condition and liquidity could be materially adversely affected.
Failures of our information technology systems may adversely affect our operations.
We are increasingly dependent upon computers and other information technology systems to manage our business. We rely upon information technology systems to process, record, monitor and disseminate information about our operations. In some cases, we depend on third parties to provide or maintain these systems. While we perform a review of controls instituted by our critical vendors in accordance with industry standards, we must rely on the continued maintenance of these controls by the outside party, including safeguards over the security of customer data. Additionally, we must rely on our employees to safeguard access to our information technology systems and avoid inadvertent complicity with external security threats. Although we take protective measures and endeavor to modify them as circumstances warrant, the security of our computer systems, software and networks may be vulnerable to breaches, unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses or other malicious code and cyberattacks that could have a security impact. If one or more of these events occur, or if any of our financial, accounting or other data processing systems fail or have other significant shortcomings, this could jeopardize our or our customers’ confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations or the operations of our customers or counterparties. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by us. Security breaches in our online systems could also have an adverse effect on our reputation. Our systems may also be affected by events that are beyond our control, which may include, for example, electrical or telecommunications outages or other damage to our property or assets. Although we take precautions against malfunctions and security breaches, we cannot assure that such efforts will be adequate to prevent problems that could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to attract and retain experienced and qualified personnel, our ability to provide high quality service will be diminished, we may lose key customer relationships, and our results of operations may suffer.
We believe that our success depends, in part, on our ability to attract and retain experienced personnel, including our senior management and other key personnel. The departure of senior manager or other key personnel may damage relationships with certain customers, or certain customers may choose to follow such personnel to a competitor. The loss of any of our senior managers or other key personnel, or our inability to identify, recruit and retain such personnel, could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. All of our employees are “at will” with no guaranteed period of employment except our CEO and CFO who have executive contracts through March 2030.
Our lack of contractual marketing relationships with our loan referral base could adversely affect our revenue, profits and financial condition.
We do not have contractual marketing arrangements with the insurance brokers and agents. Since we depend upon the insurance brokers and agents to refer their customers to us for premium loans, our premium loan volume could decline if our referral base decided to refer their clients to other sources of premium loans.
Since our business is concentrated in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, declines in the economy of these states could adversely affect our business.
Our success depends primarily on the general economic conditions of the specific local markets in which we operate. We provide premium finance loans to customers primarily in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. The local economic conditions in these market states significantly impact the demand for our premium finance loans as well as the ability of our customers to repay loans. Declines in economic conditions, including inflation, recession, unemployment, changes in securities markets or other factors impacting these local markets, including natural disasters, hurricanes, and pandemics, could, in turn, have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Competition in the insurance premium finance industry is intense, and some of our competitors have greater financial, technological and other resources than we currently possess. If we are not able to compete effectively, we may lose market share and our business could suffer.
We face intense competition from other insurance premium finance firms. Many competing companies have longer operating histories, greater access to capital, lower cost of capital, more lending experience, greater name recognition, larger staffs and substantially greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we currently possess. The superior resources that some of these competitors have available could allow them to compete successfully against us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and prospects.
We face competition in financing insurance premiums throughout our market area. Our competitors include national, regional and other community banks, and a wide range of other financial institutions such as credit unions, insurance companies, factoring companies and other non-bank financial companies. Many of these competitors have access to cheaper capital, substantially greater resources and market presence than Standard and, as a result of their size, may be able to offer a broader range of products at better prices.
If we fail to establish and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, our operating results and our ability to operate our business could be harmed.
Ensuring that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place so that we can produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis is a costly and time-consuming effort that needs to be re-evaluated frequently. 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 in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
In addition, we are required to be compliant with public company internal control requirements mandated under Section 302 and 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We implement measures designed to improve our internal controls over financial reporting, including the hiring of accounting personnel and establishing new accounting and financial reporting procedures to establish an appropriate level of internal controls over financial reporting. However, we cannot provide assurances that we will be successful in doing so. If we are unable to successfully implement internal controls over financial reporting, the accuracy and timing of our financial reporting, and our stock price, may be adversely affected and we may be unable to maintain compliance with the applicable stock market listing requirements.
Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may distract our officers and employees, entail substantial costs to modify existing processes and take significant time to complete. These changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase operating costs and harm the business.
We do not anticipate that we will pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
The current expectation is that for the foreseeable future, we will retain our future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be the sole source of gain, if any, for any stockholders for the foreseeable future.
Our common stock began trading on the OTCQX on March 21, 2022 and there is no assurance that an active market will develop or be maintained.
Our common stock commenced trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol SPFX on March 21, 2022. We cannot assure that an active trading market for our shares will develop or be maintained. In the absence of an active trading market for our common stock, stockholders may not be able to sell their shares at the time that they would like to sell and may have to hold their shares indefinitely.
We may not realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisitions that we are able to complete.
Part of our business strategy is to grow through potential acquisitions in order to achieve economies of scale. Acquisitions involve several risks, including, but not limited to:
it may occur that the acquired company or assets do not further Standard’s business strategy, or that it overpaid for the company or assets, or that industry or economic conditions change, all of which may require a future impairment charge;
management may have difficulty integrating the operations and personnel of the acquired business and may have difficulty retaining the key personnel of the acquired business;
management may have difficulty incorporating the acquired services with its existing services;
there may be customer confusion where Standard’s services overlap with those of entities that are acquired;
Standard’s ongoing business and management's attention may be disrupted or diverted by transition or integration issues and the complexity of managing geographically and culturally diverse locations;
There may be difficulty maintaining uniform standards, controls, procedures and policies across locations;
Standard may acquire companies that have material liabilities, including, among other things, for the failure to comply with insurance laws and regulations;
the acquisition may result in litigation from terminated employees or third parties;
management may experience significant problems or liabilities associated with service quality, technology and legal contingencies;
Standard may spend considerable amounts of money (legal, accounting, diligence, etc.) in seeking an acquisition candidate and never complete the acquisition; and
acquisition candidate letters of intent may have large break-up fees if the acquisition is not completed.
We may not be able to make future acquisitions without obtaining additional financing.
To finance any acquisitions, Standard may, from time to time, issue additional equity securities or incur additional debt. A greater amount of debt or additional equity financing could be required to the extent that its common stock fails to achieve or to maintain a market value sufficient to warrant its use in future acquisitions, or to the extent that acquisition targets are unwilling to accept common stock in exchange for their businesses. Furthermore, the Company would require bank approval of any additional debt or equity financing. Even if Standard were permitted to incur additional debt or determine to sell equity, management may not be able to obtain additional required capital on acceptable terms, if at all, which would limit its plans for growth. In addition, any capital they may be able to raise could result in increased leverage on its balance sheet, additional interest and financing expense, and decreased operating income.
Compliance with securities laws.
The Company’s common stock, preferred stock and promissory notes were sold to investors pursuant to exemptions under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to transactions involving limited offers and sales without registration. If the Company should fail to comply with each and every one of the requirements of the available exemptions from registration, the investors may have the right to rescind their purchase of shares if they so desire. Compliance is highly technical. There is always the possibility that if any investor or investors should obtain rescission of their investments, the Company may be required to repurchase the securities. In addition, failure to comply with any of the requirements for exemption under state securities laws could occasion the same results as a failure to comply with the above-mentioned federal rule exemptions.
We depend on the accuracy and completeness of information we receive about our customers and counterparties to make credit decisions. Reliance on inaccurate or misleading information may adversely affect our business, operations, and financial condition.
We rely on information furnished by or on behalf of customers and counterparties in deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions. This information could include financial statements, credit reports, and other financial information. We also rely on representations of those customers, counterparties, or other third parties, such as independent auditors, as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. Reliance on inaccurate or misleading financial statements, credit reports, or other financial information could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Certain protective provisions of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock may prevent us from entering into certain transactions, issuing certain securities or making changes in the rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications, limitations or restrictions of, or applicable to, the Series A Preferred Stock which may be beneficial to the holders of our common stock.
Our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock has certain protective provisions as set forth in Item 11 herein which may prevent us from engaging in transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, or taking other actions which alter the provisions of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock or issuing other equity securities which may have rights senior to or on parity with the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, or increasing the amount of authorized Series A Convertible Preferred Stock even if such matters were beneficial to the holders of our common stock.
We may cause the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock to be converted into common stock which may reduce the price of our common stock.
We may increase the number of outstanding shares of our common stock by causing the conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock into common stock. The issuance of additional shares of our common stock may cause a reduction in the market price of the shares of our common stock.
Particular Risks Associated with the Specialized Insurance Premium Services Industry
Our premium finance business may involve a higher risk of delinquency or collection than other lending operations and could expose us to losses.
We provide financing for the payment of commercial insurance premiums through our subsidiary Standard Premium Finance Management Corporation. Commercial insurance premium finance loans involve a unique, and possibly higher, risk of delinquency or collection than other types of loans. These are initiated primarily through relationships with unaffiliated independent insurance agents. As a result, risk management is critical and may be difficult. Roughly one-third of all new borrowers fail to make all of their payments. In such an event, we request cancellation of the insurance policy and anticipate a refund from the insurance company and the agent. Under ideal conditions the down payment made by the insured should create sufficient equity to pay off our loan in the event of cancellation. However, as a consequence of competitive market conditions, we may have accepted a down payment that did not fully cover our loan. If, after the unearned premium on a cancelled policy is fully refunded, there is still an outstanding balance, the insured must be billed directly. The cost of pursuing these funds often exceeds the amount collected and most often results in write-offs by the Company. Many commercial loans have underwriting provisions that may affect our collateral. Such instances may include but are not limited to fully earned policy fees or inspection fees, audit provisions, state reporting requirements, and cancellation limitations. Such circumstances could greatly reduce the unearned premium in the event of cancellation. Since we depend on the unearned premium for collateral, we could experience greater write-offs and thus, increased risk.
A Decline in the Economy in General May Result in a Decrease in Loan Originations.
Declines in the economy generally could have an adverse impact on our operating results by reducing the number of businesses purchasing insurance. Further, those who are currently financing their policies may have more difficulty making their payments, thus raising our default rates.
Increases in the Secured Overnight Financing Rate may reduce the profitability of our loans.
The rate at which we lend money is set by the state. However, our revolving line of credit, which comprises our senior debt, is based, in part, on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). When the SOFR rate increases, the interest we pay on our line of credit increases while our interest income continues to be based on the interest rate established at the initiation of each premium finance loan. Thus, with each increase, the spread between the interest we earn and the interest we pay narrows, reducing our net interest income.
Changes in Insurance Law may adversely affect our business.
Our industry is subject to laws, rules, and regulations established by the states in which we operate. Any changes in such laws, rules, and regulations could be detrimental to the premium finance industry, thus having a negative effect on our operating income.
Aggressive Marketing by our Competitors may adversely affect our business.
There may be changes in the insurance market such as aggressive marketing by other premium finance companies or the emergence of new premium finance companies. Many insurance companies offer payment plans in-house or through affiliates. This practice could increase. Such an event would reduce the market share of all independent premium finance companies and would have a negative effect on our company.
Insurance Company Insolvency may cause us losses.
Insurance companies, although closely regulated by the various states, can also fail. When an insurance company fails, we may have significant exposure. Such an event would put us at considerable risk. Although most insurance companies are covered through a guarantee fund, there may be a lengthy delay in recovering these funds, and all funds due to us may not be recovered. Such an event would have a negative effect on cash flow. In the event of insurance company failure of a carrier not covered under such guarantee fund, our exposure will be much greater. There are rating services that evaluate the financial condition and stability of insurance companies. We use these to help us lower our risks. However, conditions for any insurance company can change rapidly and the rating services we use may not give us sufficient warning of any changes. In such an event, our risk factor could be increased.
We may experience cash flow problems due to delays in receiving proceeds from our bank loan or premium finance loan documentation.
We issue drafts on our bank account to fund new premium finance loans. These drafts clear our bank on a daily basis. To meet this funding need, we draw funds on our revolving credit line with our senior lender on a regular basis. Should the senior lender be unable to fund us in a timely fashion, we would have difficulty in funding these drafts. Failure on our part to cover all or part of these drafts could result in cancellation or non-issuance of an insurance policy for which we may be liable. Further, if drafts fail to clear our bank it may jeopardize our relationships with insurance agents and insurance companies, adversely affecting our ability to conduct business in the future. Insurance agents that do business with our Company have the authority to issue drafts on our bank account to pay a portion of the insured’s premium upon initiation of the premium finance loan. We review these drafts daily to make certain they are all paid to and cashed by proper parties. Improper items can be returned to the bank and will not be honored. Under normal circumstances, we receive the finance agreement before the draft is presented to our bank. Frequently however, the draft is presented to our bank before we receive the finance agreement. Since we cannot draw on our revolving line of credit without first presenting the loan agreement, this may cause a cash flow problem for us. Such an event temporarily causes us to, in effect, use funds for which no loans have been secured. Such an event can reduce our profitability and increase risk to the Company. In the event that a draft has not been cashed for an undue period of time, we may have a liability for the draft, and the insured may have no coverage.
Business Interruption from natural disasters, including hurricanes and pandemics.
In the event of a natural disaster or other occurrence beyond our control, we may be unable to conduct our normal course of business that could cause temporary or permanent harm to the Company due to loss of customers, increased defaults on our premium finance loans, interruptions to our operations, and reduced demand for our premium finance loans.
Insurance Company Concentration
To reduce our exposure, we try to limit the amount of financing we do for any one insurance company. The senior lender providing our revolving credit line has placed certain limits on the percentage of our business that can be financed with any one insurance company. Although we endeavor to keep our concentration within the limits authorized by our senior lender, this is not always possible. Market conditions may cause fluctuations in our concentration, creating disproportionate exposure to one or several insurance companies. Such an event could increase our risks.
Our dependance on Insurance Agents may expose us to losses.
We are continually adding new insurance agents to our customer base. Each new agent is screened by us to verify that he or she is licensed and is in good standing with state authorities. In addition, we attempt to gather as much information as possible to assist us in evaluating prospective customers. The risk of doing business with a new agent is significantly greater than that of doing business with an agent with whom we have established a business history.
Liability Arising from Wrongful Cancellation of an Insurance Policy
Through the normal course of business, we cancel many insurance policies for non-payment. In the event we cancel an insurance policy in error, we could be deemed liable for claims that would normally be paid by the insurance carrier. Such claims and resultant damages could be significant. Although we carry professional liability insurance to cover such instances, certain provisions could prevent us from recovering all or part of our claim.
