What the changes say
- Trust fund investment return figures for 2025 were added to risk 1.
- Cremation percentage rose to 64.4 percent for 2025 in risk 21.
- Inflation wording was tweaked in risk 5.
- Risk 14 had minor stylistic updates.
What changed since the prior 10-K
Reworded
- 38% rewrittenRisks Related to Our Business
Our affiliated trust funds own investments in securities, which are affected by market conditions that are beyond our control
Added a table of investment returns for 2025, 2024, and 2023 across preneed funeral, preneed cemetery, and perpetual care trust funds.
- 36% rewrittenRisks Related to Our Business
We may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation
Removed references to past high inflation and added a mention of potential mitigation measures against inflationary cost increases.
- 30% rewrittenRisks Related to Our Industry
The continuing upward trend in life expectancy and the number of cremations performed in North America could result in lower revenue, operating profit, and cash flows
Updated the cremation percentage for 2025 to 64.4 percent, compared to 63.9 percent in 2024 and 63.1 percent in 2023.
- 30% rewrittenRisks Related to Our Business
A failure of a key information technology system or process could disrupt and adversely affect our business
Minor edits made to the introductory description of reliance on IT systems without changing the core risk.
All 29 risk factors
Headings as the filing states them, in filing order.
Other
- 01Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements
Risks Related to Our Business
- 02Our affiliated trust funds own investments in securities, which are affected by market conditions that are beyond our control38% rewritten
- 03Combined trust funds 15.1 % 12.3 % 16.3 %
- 04We may be required to replenish our affiliated funeral and cemetery trust funds to meet minimum funding requirements, which would have a negative effect on our earnings and cash flow
- 05Our ability to execute our strategic plan depends on many factors, some of which are beyond our control
- 06We may be adversely affected by the effects of inflation36% rewritten
- 07Our results may be adversely affected by significant weather events, natural disasters, catastrophic events or public health crises
- 08Our credit agreements contain covenants that may prevent us from engaging in certain transactions
- 09If we lost the ability to use surety bonding to support our preneed activities, we may be required to make material cash payments to fund certain trust funds
- 10The financial condition of third-party insurance companies that fund our preneed contracts may impact our future revenue
- 11Unfavorable publicity could affect our reputation and business
- 12Our failure to attract and retain qualified sales personnel and licensed funeral professionals could have an adverse effect on our business and financial condition
- 13We use a combination of insurance, self-insurance, and large deductibles in managing our exposure to certain inherent risks; therefore, we could be exposed to unexpected costs that could negatively affect our financial performance
- 14Declines in overall economic conditions beyond our control could reduce future potential earnings and cash flows and could result in future impairments to goodwill and/or other intangible assets
- 15A failure of a key information technology system or process could disrupt and adversely affect our business30% rewritten
- 16Our Canadian business exposes us to operational, economic, and currency risks
- 17Our level of indebtedness could adversely affect our cash flows, our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react to changes in the economy or our industry, and may prevent us from fulfilling our obligations under our indebtedness
- 18Any of the above listed factors could materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows
Risks Related to Our Industry
- 19The funeral and cemetery industry is competitive
- 20If the number of deaths in our markets declines, our cash flows and revenue may decrease. Changes in the number of deaths are not predictable from market to market or over the short term
- 21If we are not able to respond effectively to changing consumer preferences, our market share, revenue, and/or profitability could decrease
- 22The continuing upward trend in life expectancy and the number of cremations performed in North America could result in lower revenue, operating profit, and cash flows30% rewritten
- 23Our funeral and cemetery businesses are high fixed-cost businesses
- 24Risks associated with our supply chain, such as tariffs, could materially adversely affect our financial performance
Regulatory and Legal Risks
- 25Regulation and compliance could have a material adverse impact on our financial results
- 26Unfavorable results of litigation could have a material adverse impact on our financial statements
- 27Cemetery burial practice claims could have a material adverse impact on our financial results
- 28The application of unclaimed property laws by certain states to our preneed funeral and cemetery backlog could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity, cash flows, and financial results
- 29Changes in taxation, or the interpretation of tax laws or regulations, as well as the inherent difficulty in quantifying potential tax effects of business decisions could have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations, financial condition, or cash flows
Other Service Corp. International 10-Ks
- FY2024 10-K risk factors29 risks
The company relies heavily on trust fund performance, death rates, and cremation trends affecting its funeral and cemetery operations. Preneed sales face unique risks from state regulations, trust replenishment rules, and third-party insurance or surety bond stability.
Filed Feb 13, 2025
About this page
The headings are the filing's own. The one-line readings and the overview are automated and can be wrong: read Item 1A of the 10-K for the exact wording.