Rocket Companies, Inc. (RKT)
SIC breadcrumb: Finance, Insurance, And Real Estate > SIC Major Group 61 > SIC 6162 Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1805284. Latest filing source: 0001628280-26-013283.
Informational only - descriptive public-record data, not investment advice.
Business
Read RKT's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read RKT's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 6,695,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-03-02 |
| Net income | -68,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-03-02 |
| Assets | 60,685,000,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-03-02 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-03-02. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001805284.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 4,209,564,000 | 5,069,102,000 | 15,650,067,000 | 12,914,466,000 | 5,838,493,000 | 3,799,000,000 | 5,101,000,000 | 6,695,000,000 | |
| Net income | 0.00 | 0.00 | 197,951,000 | 308,210,000 | 46,421,000 | -16,000,000 | 29,000,000 | -68,000,000 | |
| Gross profit | 1,671,757,000 | 2,097,006,000 | 11,062,648,000 | 8,255,850,000 | 2,599,252,000 | 1,307,066,000 | 2,312,959,000 | ||
| Diluted EPS | 1.76 | 2.32 | 0.28 | -0.15 | 0.21 | -0.05 | |||
| Operating cash flow | 1,431,181,000 | -6,978,725,000 | -1,677,370,000 | 7,743,928,000 | 10,823,495,000 | 111,000,000 | -2,630,000,000 | -3,927,000,000 | |
| Capital expenditures | 64,473,000 | 48,842,000 | 106,346,000 | 118,291,000 | 93,124,000 | 60,000,000 | 68,000,000 | 91,000,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 231,584,000 | 177,700,000 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Assets | 20,122,846,000 | 37,534,602,000 | 32,774,895,000 | 20,082,212,000 | 19,231,740,000 | 24,510,000,000 | 60,685,000,000 | ||
| Liabilities | 16,607,291,000 | 29,652,446,000 | 23,015,363,000 | 11,606,663,000 | 10,930,030,000 | 15,467,000,000 | 37,787,000,000 | ||
| Stockholders' equity | 2,842,435,000 | 2,788,786,000 | 3,515,555,000 | 7,882,156,000 | 9,759,532,000 | 8,475,000,000 | 8,302,000,000 | 9,043,000,000 | 22,898,000,000 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 1,089,039,000 | 1,394,571,000 | 1,971,085,000 | 2,131,174,000 | 722,293,000 | 1,108,000,000 | 1,273,000,000 | 2,696,000,000 | |
| Free cash flow | 1,366,708,000 | -7,027,567,000 | -1,783,716,000 | 7,625,637,000 | 10,730,371,000 | 51,000,000 | -2,698,000,000 | -4,018,000,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.26% | 2.39% | 0.80% | -0.42% | 0.57% | -1.02% | |
| Return on equity | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.51% | 3.16% | 0.55% | -0.19% | 0.32% | -0.30% | |
| Return on assets | 0.00% | 0.53% | 0.94% | 0.23% | -0.08% | 0.12% | -0.11% | ||
| Liabilities / equity | 4.72 | 3.76 | 2.36 | 1.37 | 1.32 | 1.71 | 1.65 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Bridges
Free cash flow = operating cash flow - capital expenditures
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts FY 2025. Operating cash flow: accession 0001628280-26-013283; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities | Capital expenditures: accession 0001628280-26-013283; concept PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment | Free cash flow: accession 0001628280-26-013283; concept NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment; source concepts us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: RevenuesNetOfInterestExpense. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenuesNetOfInterestExpense.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2024 ended 2024-12-31; accession 0001805284-25-000010; filed 2025-03-03. Concept: GrossProfit. Source concepts: us-gaap:GrossProfit.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2024 ended 2024-12-31; accession 0001805284-25-000010; filed 2025-03-03. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: Liabilities. Source concepts: us-gaap:Liabilities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0001628280-26-013283; filed 2026-03-02. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities - PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities; us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment.
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-05-12. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0001805284.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-Q2 | 2022-06-30 | 0.02 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2022-Q3 | 2022-09-30 | 0.04 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q1 | 2023-03-31 | -0.16 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q2 | 2023-06-30 | 1,236,227,000 | 7,438,000 | 0.05 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 1,203,168,000 | 6,206,000 | 0.04 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 693,806,000 | -10,635,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 1,383,716,000 | 16,215,000 | 0.11 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 1,300,722,000 | 1,295,000 | 0.01 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 646,948,000 | -22,011,000 | -0.19 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 1,769,412,000 | 33,871,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 1,037,264,000 | -10,383,000 | -0.08 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 1,360,251,000 | -1,785,000 | -0.01 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 1,605,284,000 | -123,854,000 | -0.06 | reported discrete quarter |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 2,692,201,000 | 68,022,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 2,941,000,000 | 297,000,000 | 0.10 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001628280-26-033694; filed 2026-05-12. Concept: RevenuesNetOfInterestExpense. Source concepts: us-gaap:RevenuesNetOfInterestExpense.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001628280-26-033694; filed 2026-05-12. Concept: NetIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-03-31; accession 0001628280-26-033694; filed 2026-05-12. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Macro Cross-References
- CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items in U.S. City Average
- UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
- FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Effective Rate
- CES0500000003 - Average Hourly Earnings of All Employees, Total Private
- DFEDTARU - Federal Funds Target Range - Upper Limit
- DFEDTARL - Federal Funds Target Range - Lower Limit
- DGS3MO - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 3-Month Constant Maturity
- DGS2 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 2-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS10 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 10-Year Constant Maturity
- DGS30 - Market Yield on U.S. Treasury Securities at 30-Year Constant Maturity
- T10Y2Y - 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Minus 2-Year Treasury Constant Maturity
- CPILFESL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food and Energy
- CPIUFDSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Food
- CPIENGSL - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Energy
- CUSR0000SAH1 - Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Shelter
- PCEPI - Personal Consumption Expenditures: Chain-type Price Index
- PCEPILFE - Personal Consumption Expenditures Excluding Food and Energy: Chain-type Price Index
- PPIACO - Producer Price Index by Commodity: All Commodities
- T10YIE - 10-Year Breakeven Inflation Rate
- U6RATE - Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers Plus Total Employed Part Time for Economic Reasons
- PAYEMS - All Employees, Total Nonfarm
- CIVPART - Labor Force Participation Rate
- EMRATIO - Employment-Population Ratio
- UNEMPLOY - Unemployed
- CE16OV - Employment Level
- ICSA - Initial Claims
- JTSJOL - Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
- JTSQUR - Quits: Total Nonfarm
- GDPC1 - Real Gross Domestic Product
- A191RL1Q225SBEA - Real Gross Domestic Product: Percent Change from Preceding Period
- INDPRO - Industrial Production: Total Index
- TCU - Capacity Utilization: Total Index
- HOUST - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Started: Total Units
- PERMIT - New Privately-Owned Housing Units Authorized in Permit-Issuing Places: Total Units
- RSAFS - Advance Retail Sales: Retail Trade
- PCE - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- DSPIC96 - Real Disposable Personal Income
- PSAVERT - Personal Saving Rate
- M2SL - M2
- BOPGSTB - U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: Balance
- MSPUS - Median Sales Price of Houses Sold for the United States
- HSN1F - New One Family Houses Sold: United States
- RHORUSQ156N - Homeownership Rate in the United States
- TTLCONS - Total Construction Spending: Total Construction in the United States
- RRVRUSQ156N - Rental Vacancy Rate in the United States
- TOTALSL - Total Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- REVOLSL - Revolving Consumer Credit Owned and Securitized
- DRCCLACBS - Delinquency Rate on Credit Card Loans, All Commercial Banks
- GDP - Gross Domestic Product
- GPDI - Gross Private Domestic Investment
- GCE - Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment
- PCEC - Personal Consumption Expenditures
- NETEXP - Net Exports of Goods and Services
- GFDEBTN - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
- GFDEGDQ188S - Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as Percent of Gross Domestic Product
- FYFSD - Federal Surplus or Deficit
- FGRECPT - Federal Government Current Receipts
- FGEXPND - Federal Government: Current Expenditures
- MANEMP - All Employees, Manufacturing
- USCONS - All Employees, Construction
- USTRADE - All Employees, Retail Trade
- USFIRE - All Employees, Financial Activities
- USGOVT - All Employees, Government
- AWHAETP - Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
- DGORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Durable Goods
- NEWORDER - Manufacturers' New Orders: Nondefense Capital Goods Excluding Aircraft
- BUSINV - Total Business Inventories
- EXPGS - Exports of Goods and Services
- IMPGS - Imports of Goods and Services
- IR - Import Price Index (End Use): All Commodities
- PPIFIS - Producer Price Index by Commodity: Final Demand
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0001628280-26-033694.
Item 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes and other information included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part I. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Form 10-K and elsewhere in this Form 10-Q.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-Q, our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. As you read this Form 10-Q, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-Q. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-Q, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-Q. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-Q.
Objective
The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part I, Item 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our objective is to provide a discussion of events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause the reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to also offer information that provides an understanding of our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Executive Summary
We are a Detroit‑based homeownership platform including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses. We are committed to delivering industry-best client experiences through our AI-powered, vertically integrated homeownership platform. Our full suite of products empowers our clients across financial wellness, personal loans, home search, mortgage finance, title and closing. We believe our widely recognized “Rocket” brand is synonymous with simple, fast and trusted digital experiences.
42
Recent Developments
Business Trends
In the first quarter of 2026, inflation remained near 3%, above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and the Federal Reserve held the federal funds rate steady at 3.50% to 3.75% in its January and March meetings. In March, conflict in the Middle East disrupted the global energy supply, leading to higher oil prices and raising concerns over further inflation, which caused market expectations for future rate cuts to diminish.
During the quarter, in this backdrop, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate was volatile—starting at 6.15% at the beginning of January, declining to 5.98% in late February, and rising to 6.38% by the end of March. While January and February saw heightened mortgage activity, by March the sharp increase in the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate renewed pressure on affordability and home purchase demand across the housing market, contributing to softer housing activity.
Acquisitions and Up-C Collapse
On June 30, 2025, we completed the Up-C Collapse to simplify our organizational and capital structure. On July 1, 2025, we completed our all-stock acquisition of Redfin. On October 1, 2025, we completed our all-stock acquisition of Mr. Cooper. Integration continues to proceed as expected. Refer to Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies and Note 2, Acquisitions to our Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-Q.
Three months ended March 31, 2026 summary
We originated $44.7 billion in residential mortgage loans, an increase of $23.1 billion, compared to $21.6 billion in 2025. Our Net income for the period was $297 million, an increase of $509 million, compared to a Net loss of $212 million in 2025. We generated Adjusted EBITDA of $738 million, an increase of $569 million, compared to $169 million in 2025. For more information on Adjusted EBITDA, please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures ($ In Millions, Except Per Share Amounts)
To provide investors with information in addition to our results as determined by GAAP, we disclose Adjusted revenue, Adjusted net income, Adjusted diluted earnings per share and Adjusted EBITDA as non-GAAP measures which management believes provide useful information to investors. We believe the presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because each measure assists both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for revenue, net income (loss), or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may define non-GAAP financial measures differently, and as a result, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures provide indicators of performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period, and management relies on these measures for planning and forecasting of future periods. Additionally, these measures allow management to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing and capital structures.
We define “Adjusted revenue” as Total revenue, net of the Change in fair value of MSRs and related liabilities due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges). We define “Adjusted net income” as Tax-effected Net income (loss) before Share-based compensation expense, the Change in fair value of MSRs and related liabilities due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), Acquisition-related expenses, Amortization of acquired intangible assets, Other adjustments and Tax impact of adjustments as applicable. We define “Adjusted diluted earnings per share” as Adjusted net income divided by the Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding which includes Diluted weighted average Participating Common Stock outstanding and the Assumed pro forma conversion of Class D shares for the applicable period presented. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as Net income (loss) before Bond interest expense, (Provision for) benefit from income taxes, Depreciation and amortization, Share-based compensation expense, Change in fair value of MSRs and related liabilities due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), Acquisition-related expenses, Amortization of acquired intangible assets and Other.
43
We exclude from each of our non-GAAP financial measures the Change in fair value of MSRs and related liabilities due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), as this represents a non-cash non-realized adjustment to our total revenues, reflecting changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including OAS and prepayment speeds, which are not indicative of our performance or results of operation. We also exclude gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs. Further, we exclude the amortization of intangible assets recognized from the Acquisitions from Adjusted net income and Adjusted EBITDA. The intangible assets related to the Acquisitions were recorded as part of purchase accounting and the related amortization recorded over their useful lives represents a fixed non-cash expense that is not indicative of our ongoing performance or results of operations. Adjusted EBITDA includes interest expense on secured financing which is recorded as a component of Interest expense, as these expenses are a direct cost driven by loan origination volume. By contrast, Bond interest expense is a function of our capital structure and is therefore excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Adjustment to Income taxes
In determining our non-GAAP provision for income taxes, which can differ significantly from our GAAP provision for income taxes, we apply a long-term projected non-GAAP tax rate that excludes certain significant, non-recurring and period-specific income tax effects, such as changes in judgment or estimates of tax matters related to prior years, changes in the valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets, changes in tax laws, and changes to our business structure including impacts from business combinations. The application of a long-term non-GAAP tax rate helps us assess the core profitability of our business operations and compare to our historical operating results. In arriving at the long-term non-GAAP tax rate used in fiscal year 2026, we evaluated our structure after the Up-C Collapse in 2025 and projections and currently available information for fiscal year 2026 through 2028. In projecting this long-term non-GAAP tax rate, we utilized a three-year financial projection that excludes the direct and indirect income tax effects of the other non-GAAP adjustments reflected above including tax impacts related to nondeductible executive equity compensation. Additionally, we considered our current operating structure and other factors such as our existing and potential tax positions in various jurisdictions and key legislation in major jurisdictions where we operate. The projected long-term non-GAAP tax rate could be subject to change for several reasons, including significant changes in our geographic earnings mix or in application of tax laws in major jurisdictions in which we operate. As such, we periodically re-evaluate the appropriateness of the long-term non-GAAP tax rate and may adjust for significant changes.
Our definitions of each of our non-GAAP financial measures all
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes and other information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed below under the heading “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part I and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
All dollar amounts presented herein are in millions, except per share data and other key metrics, unless otherwise noted.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. As you read this Form 10-K, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K.
Objective
The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our objective is to provide discussion of events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause the reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to also offer information that provides an understanding of our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2025 and 2024 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2025 and 2024. Discussions of 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024.
Executive Summary
We are a Detroit‑based fintech company including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses. We are committed to delivering industry-best client experiences through our AI-powered, vertically integrated homeownership ecosystem. Our full suite of products empowers our clients across financial wellness, personal loans, home search, mortgage finance, title and closing. We believe our widely recognized “Rocket” brand is synonymous with simple, fast and trusted digital experiences.
56
Recent Developments
Business Trends
In 2025, the housing and mortgage origination markets continued to show growth and recovery over 2024, with overall mortgage origination volume increasing 15% from $1.7 trillion in 2024 to $1.9 trillion in 2025. In light of a cooling labor market and despite inflation remaining above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, the FOMC cut the Federal Funds rate by 75 basis points in 2025 to a target range of 3.50%–3.75%. These adjustments, along with narrowing primary and secondary spreads, helped push the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage from 6.9% at the start of the year to 6.15% by year-end. Throughout the year, affordability showed signs of improvement as rates moderated, though they remained elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Home prices were generally flat. These factors, along with the cooling labor market impacting consumer sentiment, collectively weighed on refinance and purchase origination activity relative to historical levels.
Acquisitions and Up-C Collapse
On June 30, 2025, we completed the Up-C Collapse to simplify our organizational and capital structure. On July 1, 2025, we completed our all-stock acquisition of Redfin. On October 1, 2025, we completed our previously announced all-stock acquisition of Mr. Cooper. Integration efforts continue to proceed as expected. Refer to Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies and Note 2, Acquisitions to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K for further details.
Year ended December 31, 2025 Summary
We originated $130.4 billion in residential mortgage loans, an increase of $29.2 billion, or 29%, compared to $101.2 billion in 2024. Our Net loss was $234 million, compared to a Net income of $636 million in 2024. We also generated $1.3 billion of Adjusted EBITDA, which was an increase of $419 million, compared to $862 million in 2024. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for more information on Adjusted EBITDA.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors with information in addition to our results as determined by GAAP, we disclose Adjusted revenue, Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share and Adjusted EBITDA as non-GAAP measures which management believes provide useful information to investors. We believe that the presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because each measure assists both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for revenue, net income (loss), or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may define their non-GAAP financial measures differently and as a result, our non-GAAP financial measures may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures provide indicators of performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period and management relies on these measures for planning and forecasting of future periods. Additionally, these measures allow management to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing and capital structures.
We define “Adjusted revenue” as Total revenue, net of the Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges). We define “Adjusted net income (loss)” as Tax-effected net (loss) income before Share-based compensation expense, the Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), Acquisition-related expenses, Amortization of acquired intangible assets, Restructuring costs, Litigation accrual reversal, Career transition program, Other adjustments, and the tax effects of those and other adjustments as applicable. We define “Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share” as Adjusted net income (loss) divided by the Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding which includes diluted weighted average number of Participating Common Stock outstanding for the applicable period and assumes the pro forma exchange and conversion of all outstanding Class D common stock for Class A common stock. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as Net (loss) income before Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt associated with our Senior Notes, Provision for (benefit from) income taxes, Depreciation and amortization, Share-based compensation expense, Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), Acquisition-related expenses, Amortization of acquired intangible assets, Restructuring costs, Litigation accrual reversal, Career transition program, and Other.
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We exclude from each of our non-GAAP financial measures the Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), as this represents a non-cash non-realized adjustment to our total revenues, reflecting changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, which are not indicative of our performance or results of operation. We also exclude the effects of gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs. Adjusted EBITDA includes Interest expense on funding facilities, which are recorded as a component of Interest income, net, as these expenses are a direct cost driven by loan origination volume. By contrast, Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt associated with our Senior Notes is a function of our capital structure and is therefore excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Our definitions of each of our non-GAAP financial measures allow us to add back certain cash and non-cash charges and deduct certain gains that are included in calculating Total revenue, net, Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies or Net (loss) income. However, these expenses and gains vary greatly and are difficult to predict. From time to time in the future, we may include or exclude other items if we believe that doing so is consistent with the goal of providing useful information to investors.
Although we use our non-GAAP financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. Our presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items. Our non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Because of these limitations, our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations.
Limitations to our non-GAAP financial measures included, but are not limited to:
(a) they do not reflect every cash expenditure, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
(b) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our debt;
(c) although Depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements in the future and Adjusted net income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirement for such replacements or improvements; and
(d) they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
We compensate for these limitations by using our non-GAAP financial measures along with other comparative tools, together with U.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. See below for reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Additionally, our U.S. GAAP-based measures can be found in the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
Reconciliation of Adjusted revenue to Total revenue, net
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Total revenue, net | $ | 6,695 | $ | 5,101 | $ | 3,799 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (1) | 164 | (199) | (29) | |||||||
| Adjusted revenue | $ | 6,859 | $ | 4,902 | $ | 3,770 |
(1) Reflects changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted net income (loss) to Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | (68) | $ | 29 | $ | (16) | ||||
| Net (loss) income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares (1) | (166) | 608 | (373) | |||||||
| Adjustment to the benefit from (provision for) income tax (2) | 73 | (131) | 85 | |||||||
| Tax-effected net (loss) income (2) | $ | (161) | $ | 506 | $ | (304) | ||||
| Share-based compensation expense (3)(4) | 341 | 145 | 177 | |||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (5) | 164 | (199) | (29) | |||||||
| Acquisition-related expenses (6) | 333 | — | — | |||||||
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets (7) | 174 | — | — | |||||||
| Restructuring costs (8) | 18 | — | — | |||||||
| Litigation accrual reversal (9) | — | (15) | — | |||||||
| Career transition program (10) | — | — | 51 | |||||||
| Other adjustments (11) | 18 | — | 11 | |||||||
| Tax impact of adjustments (12) | (259) | 19 | (50) | |||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) | $ | 628 | $ | 456 | $ | (144) |
(1) Reflects net (loss) income to Class A common stock from a weighted average, based on the period prior to the Up-C Collapse, pro forma exchange and conversion of corresponding shares of our Class D common shares held by non-controlling interest holders during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
(2) Rocket Companies is subject to U.S. Federal income taxes, in addition to state, local and foreign taxes with respect to its allocable share of any net taxable income or loss of Holdings. The Adjustment to the benefit from (provision for) income tax reflects the difference between (a) the income tax computed using the effective tax rates below applied to the Net (loss) income before income taxes assuming Rocket Companies, Inc. owns 100% of the Holdings LP Units for the year ended December 31, 2025 and Holdings LLC Units, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 and (b) the Provision for (benefit from) income taxes.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | (68) | $ | 29 | $ | (16) | ||||
| Net (loss) income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares | (166) | 608 | (373) | |||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 20 | 32 | (13) | |||||||
| Adjusted (loss) income before income taxes | (214) | 669 | (402) | |||||||
| Effective income tax rate for adjusted net (loss) income | 24.70 | % | 24.32 | % | 24.40 | % | ||||
| Adjusted (benefit from) provision for income taxes | (53) | 163 | (98) | |||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 20 | 32 | (13) | |||||||
| Adjustment to the benefit from (provision for) income tax | $ | 73 | $ | (131) | $ | 85 |
| December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rate | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | ||
| Foreign taxes | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |||||
| State and local income taxes (net of federal benefit) | 3.69 | 3.31 | 3.39 | |||||
| Effective income tax rate for adjusted net (loss) income | 24.70 | % | 24.32 | % | 24.40 | % |
(3) The year ended December 31, 2025 amounts exclude the impact of acquisition-related expenses.
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(4) The year ended December 31, 2023 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
(5) Reflects changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs.
(6) Primarily consists of transaction costs associated with the Redfin Acquisition and the Mr. Cooper Acquisition and Up-C Collapse, such as professional service fees (including integration costs), debt financing fees related to the Bridge Facility, and severance expense (including accelerated share-based compensation).
(7) Reflects amortization of intangible assets related to the Acquisitions.
(8) Consists of one-time restructuring costs associated with exiting non-core operations.
(9) Reflects litigation accrual reversal related to a specific legal matter recorded as an adjustment in 2021.
(10) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(11) Other adjustments consist of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Tax benefits due to the amortization of intangible assets and other tax attributes resulting from the historical purchase of Holdings Units, net of payment obligations under Tax Receivable Agreement | $ | 4 | $ | 4 | $ | 4 | ||||
| Change in equity investments | 5 | — | — | |||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability | 9 | (4) | 7 | |||||||
| Total Other Adjustments | $ | 18 | $ | — | $ | 11 |
(12) Tax impact of adjustments gives effect to the income tax related to Share-based compensation expense, Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), Acquisition-related expenses, Amortization of acquired intangible assets, Restructuring costs, Litigation accrual reversal, Career transition program and Other adjustments at the effective tax rates for each period.
Reconciliation of Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding to Diluted weighted average Participating Common Stock outstanding
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions, except per share) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Diluted weighted average Participating Common Stock outstanding | 1,322,362,708 | 141,037,083 | 1,980,523,690 | |||||
| Assumed pro forma conversion of Class D shares (1) | 911,776,183 | 1,848,879,483 | — | |||||
| Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 2,234,138,891 | 1,989,916,566 | 1,980,523,690 | |||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) | $ | 628 | $ | 456 | $ | (144) | ||
| Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share | $ | 0.28 | $ | 0.23 | $ | (0.07) |
(1) Reflects the pro forma exchange and conversion of non-dilutive Class D common stock to Class A common stock. For the year ended December 31, 2023, Class D common shares were dilutive and are included in the dilutive weighted average Participating Common Stock outstanding in the table above.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net (loss) income
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (234) | $ | 636 | $ | (390) | ||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt (1) | 335 | 154 | 153 | |||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 20 | 32 | (13) | |||||||
| Depreciation and amortization (2) | 116 | 113 | 110 | |||||||
| Share-based compensation expense (3)(4) | 341 | 145 | 177 | |||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (5) | 164 | (199) | (29) | |||||||
| Acquisition-related expenses (6) | 333 | — | — | |||||||
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets (7) | 174 | — | — | |||||||
| Restructuring costs (8) | 18 | — | — | |||||||
| Litigation accrual reversal (9) | — | (15) | — | |||||||
| Career transition program (10) | — | — | 51 | |||||||
| Other (11) | 14 | (4) | 7 | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 1,281 | $ | 862 | $ | 66 |
(1) Includes interest and amortization expense related to our Senior Notes. Debt financing fees related to the Bridge Facility are a nonrecurring acquisition-related expense impacting the year ended December 31, 2025, and therefore excluded from Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt, and included as Acquisition-related expenses.
(2) The year ended December 31, 2025 amounts exclude the impact of amortization of acquired intangible assets.
(3) The year ended December 31, 2025 amounts exclude the impact of Share-based compensation expense related to Acquisition-related expenses of Redfin and Mr. Cooper.
(4) The year ended December 31, 2023 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
(5) Reflects changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs.
(6) Primarily consists of transaction costs associated with the Acquisitions and Up-C Collapse, such as professional service fees (including integration costs), debt financing fees related to the Bridge Facility, and severance expense (including accelerated share-based compensation).
(7) Reflects amortization of intangible assets related to the Acquisitions.
(8) Consists of one-time restructuring costs associated with exiting non-core operations.
(9) Reflects legal accrual reversal related to a specific legal matter recorded as an adjustment in 2021.
(10) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(11) Other consist of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Change in equity investments | $ | 5 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability | 9 | (4) | 7 | |||||||
| Total Other Adjustments | $ | 14 | $ | (4) | $ | 7 |
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Key Performance Indicators
We monitor a number of key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of our business operations. Our mortgage loan production key performance indicators enable us to monitor our ability to generate gain on sale revenue as well as understand how our performance compares to the total mortgage origination market. Our servicing portfolio key performance indicators enable us to monitor the overall size of our servicing portfolio of business, the related value of our MSRs and the health of the business as measured by the average MSR delinquency rate. Other key performance indicators for other Rocket Companies subsidiaries, not including mortgage loan production or servicing, allow us to monitor both revenues and unit sales generated by these businesses.
The following summarizes key performance indicators of the business:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Units in thousands, $ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Mortgage Metrics | |||||||||
| Loan Production Data | |||||||||
| Closed loan origination volume | $ | 130,352 | $ | 101,152 | $ | 78,712 | |||
| Direct to Consumer origination volume | $ | 71,921 | $ | 54,761 | $ | 43,763 | |||
| Partner Network origination volume | $ | 58,431 | $ | 46,391 | $ | 34,949 | |||
| Gain on sale margin (1) | 2.83 | % | 2.95 | % | 2.63 | % | |||
| Refinance market share (2) | 12.1 | % | 12.1 | % | 12.1 | % | |||
| Purchase market share (2) | 4.3 | % | 4.0 | % | 3.7 | % | |||
| Servicing Portfolio Data | |||||||||
| Total serviced UPB (includes subserviced) | $ | 2,121,883 | $ | 593,261 | $ | 509,105 | |||
| MSRs UPB of loans serviced | $ | 1,290,325 | $ | 525,518 | $ | 468,238 | |||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 831,558 | $ | 67,743 | $ | 40,867 | |||
| Total loans serviced (includes subserviced) | 9,460 | 2,766 | 2,457 | ||||||
| Number of MSRs loans serviced | 6,585 | 2,589 | 2,357 | ||||||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 2,875 | 177 | 100 | ||||||
| MSR fair value multiple (3) | 5.19 | 5.13 | 4.94 | ||||||
| Total serviced MSR delinquency rate (60+) | 1.50 | % | 1.54 | % | 1.23 | % | |||
| Net client retention rate (4) | 97 | % | 97 | % | 97 | % | |||
| Select Other Rocket Companies | |||||||||
| Rocket Close closings | 294 | 225 | 162 | ||||||
| Rocket Money paying subscribers, at period end | 4,583 | 4,117 | 3,017 | ||||||
| Rocket Loans closed units | 82 | 43 | 39 |
(1) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. A detailed description of the components of Gain on sale of loans, net can be found below in Description of Certain Components of Financial Data. For purposes of calculating this metric, gain on sale revenue includes all those components, but excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes in the investor reserve, and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts.
(2) 2025 market share information is based on Fannie Mae mortgage volume market share estimates as of January 2026.
(3) MSR fair market value multiple is a metric used to determine the relative value of the MSR asset in relation to the annualized retained servicing fee, which is the cash that the holder of the MSR asset would receive from the portfolio as of such date. It is calculated as the quotient of (a) the MSR fair market value as of a specified date divided by (b) the weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio as of such date. The weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio was 0.29%, 0.28% and 0.28% for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The vast majority of our portfolio consists of originated MSRs and consequently, the impact of purchased MSRs does not have a material impact on our weighted average retained service fee.
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(4) This metric measures our retention across a greater percentage of our client base versus our recapture rate. We define “net client retention rate” as the number of clients that were active at the beginning of a period and which remain active at the end of the period, divided by the number of clients that were active at the beginning of the period. This metric excludes clients whose loans were sold during the period as well as clients to whom we did not actively market to due to contractual prohibitions or other business reasons. We define “active” as those clients who do not pay-off their mortgage with us and originate a new mortgage with another lender during the period.
Description of Certain Components of Financial Data
Components of revenue
Our sources of revenue include Gain on sale of loans, net, Loan servicing income, net, Interest income, net, and Other income.
Gain on sale of loans, net
Gain on sale of loans, net includes all components related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans, including (1) net gain on sale of loans, which represents the premium we receive in excess of the loan principal amount and certain fees charged by investors upon sale of loans into the secondary market, (2) loan origination fees (credits), points and certain costs, (3) provision for or benefit from investor reserves, (4) unrealized change in fair value of the Pipeline, (5) realized and unrealized change in fair value of derivative financial instruments economically hedging the Pipeline, and (6) Fair value of originated MSRs.
An estimate of the Gain on sale of loans, net is recognized at the time an IRLC is issued, net of an estimated pull-through factor. The pull-through factor is a key assumption and estimates the loan funding probability, as not all loans that reach IRLC status will result in a closed loan. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and MLHFS are recognized in current period earnings. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market (i.e., funded), any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
Loan origination fees generally include underwriting and processing fees. Loan origination costs include lender paid mortgage insurance, recording taxes, investor fees and other related expenses. Net loan origination fees and costs related to the origination of mortgage loans are recognized as a component of the fair value of IRLCs.
We establish reserves for our estimated liabilities associated with the potential repurchase or indemnity of purchasers of loans previously sold due to representation and warranty claims by investors. Additionally, the reserves are established for the estimated liabilities from the need to repay, where applicable, a portion of the premium received from investors on the sale of certain loans if such loans are repaid in their entirety within a specified time period after the sale of the loans. The provision for or benefit from investor reserves is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
Our Pipeline hedges protect against the risk of adverse interest rate movements that could impact the fair value of IRLCs and MLHFS. We primarily use forward loan sale commitments to hedge our interest rate risk exposure. Unrealized changes in fair value of our Pipeline hedges, or realized hedging gains and losses, are included in Gain on sale of loans, net.
Included in Gain on sale of loans, net is the capitalization of originated MSRs at fair value upon sale of loans on a servicing-retained basis. MSR assets are created at the time MLHFS are securitized and sold to investors for cash, while the Company retains the right to service the loan.
Loan servicing income, net
Loan servicing income, net includes Servicing fee income and Change in fair value of MSRs, net. Servicing fee income includes contractual servicing fees, late charges, prepayment penalties and other ancillary fees, and such fees are recorded as income as earned upon collection of payments from borrowers. The Company also acts as a sub-servicer for certain parties that own the underlying servicing rights for loans and receives sub-servicing fees, which are generally a stated monthly fee per loan that varies based upon loan type and loan status. Sub-servicing fees are accrued in the period that services are performed. The Change in fair value of MSRs, net primarily includes the realization of expected cash flows and/or changes in valuation inputs and estimates, which are recognized in current period earnings.
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We regularly perform a comprehensive analysis of the MSR portfolio in order to identify and sell certain MSRs that do not align with our strategy for retaining MSRs. To economically hedge against interest rate exposure and resulting fluctuations in the MSR asset value, we enter into certain derivative financial instruments, primarily forward LPCs. Unrealized and realized changes in fair value of such derivative instruments are recorded as a component of Change in fair value of MSRs, net.
Interest income, net
Interest income, net is interest earned on mortgage loans held for sale net of the interest expense paid on our loan funding facilities.
Other income
Other income includes revenues generated from Deposit income related to revenue earned on deposits, including custodial deposits, Rocket Close (title, closing and appraisal fees), Rocket Money (subscription revenue and other service-based fees), Real estate services revenue (commission-based brokerage revenue and real estate network referral fees) and Rocket Loans (personal loan interest earned and other income) and Other (additional subsidiary and miscellaneous revenue).
Components of operating expenses
Our operating expenses as presented in the statements of operations data include Salaries, commissions and team member benefits, General and administrative expenses, Marketing and advertising expenses, Depreciation and amortization, Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt and Other expenses.
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits include all payroll, benefits and share-based compensation expenses for our team members.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include occupancy costs, professional services, loan processing expenses on loans that do not close or that are not charged to clients on closed loans, commitment fees, fees on loan funding facilities, license fees, office expenses and other operating expenses.
Marketing and advertising expenses
Marketing and advertising expenses are primarily related to performance and brand marketing.
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense on property and equipment and intangible assets.
Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt
Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt includes interest and amortization expense related to our Senior Notes, MSR and advance facilities and excess spread financing.
Other expenses
Other expenses primarily consist of mortgage servicing related expenses and expenses generated from Rocket Close (title and settlement services).
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Income taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes predominantly in the United States and Canada. These tax laws are often complex and may be subject to different interpretations. To determine the financial statement impact of accounting for income taxes, the Company must make assumptions and judgments about how to interpret and apply these complex tax laws to numerous transactions and business events, as well as make judgments regarding the timing of when certain items may affect taxable income in the United States and Canada.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent results of operations. If based upon all available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established. The valuation allowance may be reversed in a subsequent reporting period if the Company determines that it is more likely than not that all or part of the deferred tax asset will become realizable.
Our interpretations of tax laws are subject to review and examination by various taxing authorities and jurisdictions where the Company operates and disputes may occur regarding its view on a tax position. These disputes over interpretations with the various tax authorities may be settled by audit, administrative appeals or adjudication in the court systems of the tax jurisdictions in which the Company operates. We regularly review whether we may be assessed additional income taxes as a result of the resolution of these matters and the Company records additional reserves as appropriate. In addition, the Company may revise its estimate of income taxes due to changes in income tax laws, legal interpretations and business strategies. We recognize the financial statement effects of uncertain income tax positions when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense. For additional information regarding our provision for income taxes refer to Note 12, Income Taxes.
Tax Receivable Agreement
We are party to a Tax Receivable Agreement, dated as of August 5, 2020, with RHI and Mr. Gilbert that provides for the payment by us to RHI and Mr. Gilbert (or their transferees of Holdings LLC Units of Holdings LLC or other assignees) of 90% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax or franchise tax that we actually realize (computed using simplifying assumptions to address the impact of state and local taxes) as a result of: (i) certain increases in our allocable share of the tax basis in Holdings LLC’s assets resulting from (a) the purchases of Holdings LLC Units (along with the corresponding shares of Class D common stock or Class C common stock) from RHI and Mr. Gilbert (or their transferees of Holdings LLC Units or other assignees) using the net proceeds from our IPO or in any future offering (subject to the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement Amendment (as defined above)), (b) exchanges by RHI and Mr. Gilbert (or their transferees of Holdings LLC Units or other assignees) of Holdings LLC Units (along with the corresponding shares of Class D common stock or Class C common stock) for cash or shares of Class B common stock or Class A common stock, as applicable (subject to the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement Amendment), or (c) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed arising as a result of payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement; and (iii) disproportionate allocations (if any) of tax benefits to Holdings LLC as a result of section 704(c) of the Code, as amended, that relate to the reorganization transactions undertaken at the time of our IPO. The Tax Receivable Agreement makes certain simplifying assumptions regarding the determination of the cash savings that we realize or are deemed to realize from the covered tax attributes, which may result in payments pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement in excess of those that would result if such assumptions were not made.
As part of RHI’s internal reorganization, RHI contributed its rights to receive payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement in respect of RHI’s prior exchanges to RHI II, and RHI II completed a joinder to become a party to the Tax Receivable Agreement. As part of the Up-C Collapse, (i) Mr. Gilbert exchanged all of his Holdings LP Units and Class D common stock in exchange for shares of Class L common stock and (ii) Tax Receivable Agreement was amended to provide that the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreement will not apply to any exchanges, including, for the avoidance of doubt, any fully paid and nonassessable Holdings LP Units exchanged as part of the Up-C Collapse (such as those exchanged by Mr. Gilbert), that occur, or are deemed to occur, on or following March 9, 2025.
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The amounts payable under the Tax Receivable Agreement will vary depending upon a number of factors, including the amount, character and timing of the taxable income of Rocket Companies in the future. Any such changes in these factors or changes in the Company’s determination of the need for a valuation allowance related to the tax benefits acquired under the Tax Receivable Agreement could adjust the Tax receivable agreement liability recognized and recorded within earnings in future periods.
Intangible Assets
Definite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of trade names, customer relationships and technology acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. These assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment only if events or circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired.
Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of licenses to perform title insurance services acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The Company tests indefinite-lived intangible assets consistent with the policy described below for goodwill.
Goodwill
Goodwill is the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of identifiable net assets acquired in business combinations. The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently when indications of potential impairment exist. The Company monitors the existence of potential impairment indicators throughout the fiscal year. Goodwill impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level. The Company may elect to perform either a qualitative test or a quantitative test to determine if it is more likely than not that the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Fair value reflects the price a market participant would be willing to pay in a potential sale of the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value exceeds carrying value, then we conclude that no goodwill impairment has occurred. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess, not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Refer to Note 10, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, for further information on the goodwill attributable to the Company’s acquisitions.
Share-based compensation
Share-based compensation is composed of both equity and liability awards and is measured and expensed accordingly under ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. As indicated above, share-based compensation expense is included as part of Salaries, commissions and team member benefits.
Non-controlling interests
As a result of the Up-C Collapse, Rocket Limited Partnership no longer has any non-controlling interests. Refer to Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies and Note 18, Non-controlling Interest for more information on non-controlling interests.
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Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Summary of Operations
| Condensed Statement of Operations Data | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,807 | $ | 3,013 | $ | 2,066 | |||||
| Servicing fee income | 2,317 | 1,462 | 1,402 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs, net | (1,530) | (579) | (701) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | 125 | 98 | 121 | ||||||||
| Other income | 1,976 | 1,107 | 911 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | 6,695 | 5,101 | 3,799 | ||||||||
| Expenses | |||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 3,307 | 2,261 | 2,257 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 1,439 | 893 | 803 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 1,088 | 824 | 737 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 290 | 113 | 110 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 438 | 154 | 153 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 347 | 188 | 142 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | 6,909 | 4,433 | 4,202 | ||||||||
| (Loss) income before income taxes | $ | (214) | $ | 668 | $ | (403) | |||||
| (Provision for) benefit from income taxes | (20) | (32) | 13 | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | (234) | 636 | (390) | ||||||||
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest | 166 | (607) | 374 | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | (68) | $ | 29 | $ | (16) |
Gain on sale of loans, net
The components of Gain on sale of loans, net for the years presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Net gain on sale of loans (1) | $ | 2,067 | $ | 1,504 | $ | 684 | |||||
| Fair value of originated MSRs | 1,721 | 1,330 | 1,092 | ||||||||
| Provision for investor reserves | (11) | (36) | (112) | ||||||||
| Unrealized change in fair value of the Pipeline | 379 | (27) | 225 | ||||||||
| Realized and unrealized change in fair value of Pipeline hedges | (349) | 242 | 177 | ||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,807 | $ | 3,013 | $ | 2,066 |
(1) Net gain on sale of loans represents the premium we receive in excess of the loan principal amount and certain fees charged by investors upon sale of loans into the secondary market, plus net origination fees.
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The table below provides details of the characteristics of our mortgage loan production for the years presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| Closed loan origination volume by type | |||||||||
| Conventional Conforming | $ | 75,555 | $ | 60,467 | $ | 48,007 | |||
| FHA/VA | 33,403 | 28,002 | 24,036 | ||||||
| Non Agency | 21,394 | 12,683 | 6,669 | ||||||
| Total mortgage closed loan origination volume | $ | 130,352 | $ | 101,152 | $ | 78,712 | |||
| Portfolio metrics: | |||||||||
| Average loan amount (1) | $ | 285 | $ | 277 | $ | 270 | |||
| Weighted average loan-to-value ratio | 72.36 | % | 73.16 | % | 74.86 | % | |||
| Weighted average credit score | 741 | 737 | 733 | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 6.52 | % | 6.62 | % | 6.62 | % | |||
| Percentage of loans sold: | |||||||||
| To GSEs and government | 81.94 | % | 84.77 | % | 91.38 | % | |||
| To other counterparties | 18.06 | % | 15.23 | % | 8.62 | % | |||
| Servicing-retained | 91.62 | % | 92.74 | % | 94.86 | % | |||
| Servicing-released | 8.38 | % | 7.26 | % | 5.14 | % | |||
| Net rate lock volume (2) | $ | 132,005 | $ | 100,825 | $ | 78,649 | |||
| Gain on sale margin (3) | 2.83 | % | 2.95 | % | 2.63 | % |
(1) Average loan amount is presented in thousands.
(2) Net rate lock volume includes the UPB of loans subject to IRLCs, net of the pull-through factor as described in the “Description of Certain Components of Financial Data” section above.
(3) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. A detailed description of the components of Gain on sale of loans, net can be found below in Description of Certain Components of Financial Data. For purposes of calculating this metric, gain on sale revenue includes all those components, but excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes to the investor reserve, and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts.
Overview of the Gain on sale of loans, net table
At the time an IRLC is issued, an estimate of the Gain on sale of loans, net is recognized in the Unrealized change in fair value of the Pipeline component in the table above. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and MLHFS are recognized in this same component as the loan progresses through closing, which is when the IRLC moves to a MLHFS (and remains here until sold into the secondary market). The goal of our Pipeline hedge strategy is to mitigate the impact of interest rate changes from the point of the IRLC through the sale of the loan. The Unrealized change in fair value of IRLCs and MLHFS each period is dependent on several factors, including mortgage origination volume, duration of the Pipeline, and movement of interest rates during that period as compared to the immediately preceding period. Loans originated during an increasing rate environment generally decrease in value and loans originated during a decreasing rate environment generally increase in value. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market, any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized as a realized gain on sale and moves from the Unrealized change in fair value of the Pipeline component, to the Net gain (loss) on sale of loans component in the table above. The component Realized and unrealized change in fair value related to the Pipeline hedges is intended to economically hedge (or offset) the various fair value adjustments that impact the Unrealized change in fair value of the Pipeline and the Net gain (loss) on sale of loans components. As a result, these three components should be evaluated in combination when evaluating Gain on sale of loans, net, as the sum of these components are primarily driven by net rate lock volume. Furthermore, at the point of sale of the loan, the Fair value of originated MSRs and the Provision for investor reserves are recognized each in their respective components shown above.
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Year ended December 31, 2025 summary
Gain on sale of loans, net was $3.8 billion, an increase of $794 million, or 26%, compared to $3.0 billion in 2024.
Net gain on sale of loans, Unrealized change in fair value of the Pipeline, and Realized and unrealized change in fair value of Pipeline hedges was $2.1 billion, an increase of $378 million, or 22%, compared to $1.7 billion in 2024. The change was primarily driven by a 31% increase in net rate lock volume due to higher mortgage demand in 2025, partially offset by a 4% decrease in gain on sale margin.
The Fair value of originated MSRs was $1.7 billion, an increase of $391 million or 29%, compared to $1.3 billion in 2024, driven by a 29% increase in sold loan volume.
Excluding acquisition-related investor reserves assumed during 2025, the liability balance was relatively flat in the current and prior period. The $25 million reduction in Provision for investor reserves expense was primarily due to a decrease in losses on repurchased loans in the current period as compared to 2024.
Loan servicing income, net
For the years presented, Loan servicing income, net consisted of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Retained servicing fee | $ | 2,089 | $ | 1,401 | $ | 1,351 | |||||
| Subservicing income | 123 | 8 | 9 | ||||||||
| Ancillary income | 105 | 53 | 42 | ||||||||
| Servicing fee income | 2,317 | 1,462 | 1,402 | ||||||||
| Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions | (307) | 208 | 38 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSR hedge | 143 | (9) | (9) | ||||||||
| Collection/realization of cash flows | (1,366) | (778) | (730) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs, net | (1,530) | (579) | (701) | ||||||||
| Loan servicing income, net | $ | 787 | $ | 883 | $ | 701 |
| December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions, units in thousands) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
| MSR UPB of loans serviced | $ | 1,290,325 | $ | 525,518 | $ | 468,238 | |||
| Number of MSR loans serviced | 6,585 | 2,589 | 2,357 | ||||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 831,558 | $ | 67,743 | $ | 40,867 | |||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 2,875 | 177 | 100 | ||||||
| Total serviced UPB | $ | 2,121,883 | $ | 593,261 | $ | 509,105 | |||
| Total loans serviced | 9,460 | 2,766 | 2,457 | ||||||
| Average loan amount (1) | $ | 224 | $ | 215 | $ | 207 | |||
| MSR fair value | $ | 19,442 | $ | 7,633 | $ | 6,440 | |||
| Total serviced delinquency count (60+) as % of total | 1.50% | 1.54% | 1.23% | ||||||
| Retained servicing metrics: | |||||||||
| Weighted average credit score | 726 | 733 | 733 | ||||||
| Weighted average LTV | 75.87% | 71.85% | 71.40% | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 4.51% | 4.28% | 3.74% | ||||||
| Weighted average service fee | 0.29 | % | 0.28% | 0.28% |
(1) Average loan amount is presented in thousands.
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Loan servicing income, net was $787 million, a decrease of $96 million, or 11%, compared to $883 million in 2024, primarily due to the $951 million decrease in Change in fair value of MSRs, net, partially offset by the $855 million increase in Servicing fee income.
The $951 million decrease in Change in fair value of MSRs, net was primarily driven by the Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions, as well as Collection/realization of cash flows. In 2025, the Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions was a $307 million decrease, driven by a decline in interest rates year over year, compared to an increase of $208 million in 2024, which was driven by an increase in interest rates during that period. Collection/realization of cash flows was impacted by the larger average servicing portfolio in 2025.
Servicing fee income increased $855 million due to the larger average servicing portfolio in 2025.
Interest income, net
The components of Interest income, net for the years presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 501 | $ | 413 | $ | 327 | |||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (376) | (315) | (206) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | $ | 125 | $ | 98 | $ | 121 |
Interest income, net was $125 million, an increase of $27 million, or 28%, compared to $98 million in 2024. The change was primarily driven by 29% higher mortgage loan origination volume.
Other income
The components of Other income for the years presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Deposit income | $ | 616 | $ | 404 | $ | 373 | |||||
| Real estate services revenue | 404 | 54 | 50 | ||||||||
| Rocket Close revenue (1) | 391 | 297 | 244 | ||||||||
| Rocket Money revenue | 390 | 297 | 199 | ||||||||
| Rocket Loans revenue | 49 | 26 | 19 | ||||||||
| Other (2) | 126 | 29 | 26 | ||||||||
| Total Other income | $ | 1,976 | $ | 1,107 | $ | 911 |
(1) Includes all title and settlement services.
(2) Other consists of additional subsidiary and miscellaneous revenue.
Other income was $2.0 billion, an increase of $869 million, or 79%, as compared to $1.1 billion in 2024. The increase was driven by increases in Real estate services revenue, Deposit income, Rocket Close revenue, and Rocket Money revenue. Real estate services revenue increased $350 million, primarily due to an increase in real estate transactions associated with Redfin. Deposit income increased $212 million primarily due to the increase in custodial deposits associated with our larger average servicing portfolio in 2025. Rocket Close revenue increased $94 million associated with higher closing volume in 2025. Rocket Money increased $93 million, primarily due to growth in paying subscribers.
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Expenses
Expenses for the years presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | $ | 3,307 | $ | 2,261 | $ | 2,257 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 1,439 | 893 | 803 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 1,088 | 824 | 737 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 290 | 113 | 110 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 438 | 154 | 153 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 347 | 188 | 142 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 6,909 | $ | 4,433 | $ | 4,202 |
Total expenses were $6.9 billion, an increase of $2.5 billion, or 56%, compared to $4.4 billion in 2024. Salaries, commissions and team member benefits were $3.3 billion, an increase of $1.0 billion, or 46%, compared to $2.3 billion in 2024, primarily due to increased variable compensation driven by higher origination volume, as well as expenses associated with additional team members from the Acquisitions. General and administrative expenses were $1.4 billion, an increase of $546 million, or 61%, compared to $893 million in 2024, primarily driven by acquisition-related expenses, as well as an increase in variable costs associated with an increase in origination volume. Marketing and advertising expenses were $1.1 billion, an increase of $264 million, or 32%, compared to $824 million in 2024 primarily driven by the launch of our unified Rocket brand restage, as well as an increase in performance marketing associated with higher origination volume. Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt was $438 million, an increase of $284 million, or 184%, compared to $154 million in 2024, primarily driven by interest and amortization associated with newly issued and assumed senior notes in 2025.
Summary results by segment for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Our operations are organized by distinct marketing channels which promote client acquisition and are categorized under two reportable segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with Rocket Mortgage digitally and/or with our mortgage bankers. We market to potential clients in this segment through various brand campaigns and performance marketing channels. The Direct to Consumer segment generates revenue from originating, closing, selling and servicing predominantly agency-conforming loans, which are pooled and sold to the secondary market. This segment also produces revenue by providing title and settlement services and appraisal management to these clients as part of our end-to-end mortgage origination experience. Servicing and subservicing activities are fully allocated to the Direct to Consumer segment as they are viewed as an extension of the client experience with the primary objective to establish and maintain positive, regular touchpoints with our clients, which positions us to have high retention and recapture the clients’ next refinance, purchase and personal loan transactions.
We provide industry-leading client service and leverage our widely recognized brand to strengthen our wholesale relationships, through Rocket Pro, as well as enterprise partnerships, and correspondent relationships, driving growth in our Partner Network segment. Rocket Pro works exclusively with mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions, enabling them to maintain their own brand and client relationships while leveraging Rocket Mortgage's expertise, technology and award-winning process. Our enterprise partnerships include financial institutions and well-known consumer-focused companies that value our award-winning client experience and offer their clients mortgage solutions through our trusted brand. These organizations connect their clients directly to us through marketing channels and referrals. Through correspondent relationships, we acquire mortgage loans from third-party mortgage originators and financial institutions, leveraging Rocket’s underwriting, fulfillment and secondary market capabilities.
Since the respective acquisition dates, the operations acquired from Mr. Cooper and Redfin have been managed within our existing reportable segment structure.
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We measure the performance of the segments primarily on a Contribution margin basis. Contribution margin is intended to measure the direct profitability of each segment and is calculated as Adjusted revenue less Directly attributable expenses. Adjusted revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure described above. Directly attributable expenses include Salaries, commissions and team member benefits, General and administrative expenses, Marketing and advertising expenses, Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt and Other expenses, such as mortgage servicing related expenses and expenses generated from Rocket Close (title and settlement services). For segments, we measure gain on sale margin of sold loans and refer to this metric as ‘sold loan gain on sale margin.’ A loan is considered sold when it is sold to investors on the secondary market. Sold loan gain on sale margin reflects the gain on sale revenue of loans sold into the secondary market divided by the sold loan volume for the period. By contrast, ‘gain on sale margin’, which we reference outside of the segment discussion, measures the gain on sale revenue, net divided by net rate lock volume for the period. See below for our overview and discussion of segment results for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. For additional discussion, see Note 17, Segments to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Form 10-K.
Direct to Consumer Results
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 68,465 | $ | 52,616 | $ | 43,598 | |||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 4.18 | % | 4.14 | % | 3.86 | % | |||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,130 | $ | 2,363 | $ | 1,660 | |||||
| Interest income | 300 | 224 | 182 | ||||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (231) | (171) | (114) | ||||||||
| Servicing fee income | 2,309 | 1,456 | 1,397 | ||||||||
| Changes in fair value of MSRs | (1,530) | (579) | (701) | ||||||||
| Other income | 813 | 599 | 565 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | $ | 4,791 | $ | 3,892 | $ | 2,989 | |||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | 164 | (199) | (29) | ||||||||
| Adjusted revenue | $ | 4,955 | $ | 3,693 | $ | 2,960 | |||||
| Expenses | |||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 1,329 | 1,065 | 1,014 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 427 | 279 | 189 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 790 | 653 | 602 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 65 | — | — | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 251 | 146 | 119 | ||||||||
| Less: Directly attributable expenses | 2,862 | 2,143 | 1,924 | ||||||||
| Contribution margin | $ | 2,093 | $ | 1,550 | $ | 1,036 |
Direct to Consumer Adjusted revenue was $5.0 billion, an increase of $1.3 billion, or 34%, compared to $3.7 billion in 2024, primarily driven by higher Gain on sale of loans, net, and Servicing fee income. Gain on sale of loans, net increased $767 million, driven by an increase in net rate lock volume due to higher mortgage demand in 2025. Servicing fee income increased $853 million due to growth in the servicing portfolio, primarily resulting from the acquisition of Mr. Cooper. These increases were partially offset by Changes in fair value of MSRs, specifically the Collection/realization of cash flows, which were impacted by the larger average servicing portfolio in 2025.
Direct to Consumer Directly attributable expenses was $2.9 billion, an increase of $719 million, or 34%, compared to $2.1 billion in 2024, primarily driven by an increase in variable compensation and other variable costs associated with higher origination volume. The acquisition of Mr. Cooper and expenses associated with additional team members contributed to the increase in Salaries, commissions and team member benefits. Marketing and advertising expenses were higher in 2025 due to the launch of our unified Rocket brand restage, as well as an increase in performance marketing associated with higher origination volume.
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Direct to Consumer Contribution margin was $2.1 billion, an increase of $543 million, or 35%, compared to $1.6 billion in 2024. The increase in Contribution margin was driven by an increase in Adjusted revenue, partially offset by Directly attributable expenses as described above.
Partner Network Results
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||
| Sold loan volume | $ | 57,149 | $ | 45,094 | $ | 34,893 | ||||
| Sold loan gain on sale margin | 1.08 | % | 1.47 | % | 1.05 | % | ||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | 585 | 605 | 371 | |||||||
| Interest income | 200 | 189 | 145 | |||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (144) | (144) | (92) | |||||||
| Other income | 27 | 20 | 15 | |||||||
| Total revenue, net | $ | 668 | $ | 670 | $ | 439 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | — | — | — | |||||||
| Adjusted revenue | $ | 668 | $ | 670 | $ | 439 | ||||
| Expenses | ||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 234 | 197 | 201 | |||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 27 | 25 | 21 | |||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 10 | 9 | 10 | |||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | — | — | — | |||||||
| Other expenses | 11 | 9 | 8 | |||||||
| Less: Directly attributable expenses | 282 | 240 | 240 | |||||||
| Total Contribution margin | $ | 386 | $ | 430 | $ | 199 |
Partner Network Adjusted revenue was $668 million, relatively flat compared to 2024, driven by higher net rate lock volume offset by lower gain on sale margin.
Partner Network Directly attributable expenses were $282 million, an increase of $42 million, or 18%, as compared to $240 million in 2024. Directly attributable expenses increased in 2025 primarily due to increased variable compensation driven by higher origination volume, as well as expenses associated with additional team members from the acquisition of Mr. Cooper.
Partner Network Contribution margin was $386 million, a decrease of $44 million, or 10%, compared to $430 million in 2024. The decrease in Contribution margin was due to certain Directly attributable expenses, as described above.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have included:
• cash flow from our operations, including:
• sale of whole loans into the secondary market;
• sale of MSRs and excess servicing cash flows into the secondary market;
• loan origination fees;
• servicing fee income;
• interest income on loans held for sale; and
• other income.
• borrowings, including under our funding facilities; financing facilities; unsecured senior notes; and
• cash and marketable securities on hand.
Historically, our primary uses of funds have included:
• origination of loans;
• interest expense;
• repayment of debt;
• operating expenses; and
• acquisition of MSRs.
We are also subject to contingencies which may have a significant impact on the use of our cash.
As discussed in Note 13, Variable Interest Entities, the Company enters into various types of transactions with SPEs. The SPEs were established for a limited purpose and are determined to be VIEs. Generally, these SPEs are formed for asset-backed financing purposes, either through the issuance of debt or repurchase arrangements, supported by collections on the underlying financial assets. The Company has determined that the SPEs created in connection with certain asset-backed financing arrangements should be consolidated as the Company is the primary beneficiary of each of these entities.
In order to originate and aggregate loans for sale into the secondary market, we use our own working capital and borrow or obtain money on a short-term basis primarily through committed and uncommitted funding facilities, generally established with large global banks.
Our funding facilities are primarily in the form of master repurchase agreements. We also have funding facilities directly with the GSEs. Loans financed under these facilities are generally financed at approximately 97% to 98% of the principal balance of the loan (although certain types of loans are financed at lower percentages of the principal balance of the loan), which requires us to fund the balance from cash generated from operations. Once closed, the underlying residential mortgage loan that is held for sale is pledged as collateral for the borrowing or advance that was made under these funding facilities. In most cases, the loans will remain in one of the funding facilities for only a short time, generally less than 45 days, until the loans are pooled and sold. During the time the loans are held for sale, we earn interest income from the borrower on the underlying mortgage loan. This income is partially offset by the interest and fees we have to pay under the funding facilities.
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When we sell a pool of loans in the secondary market, the proceeds received from the sale of the loans are used to pay back the amounts we owe on the funding facilities. We rely on the cash generated from the sale of loans to fund future loans and repay borrowings under our funding facilities. Delays or failures to sell loans in the secondary market could have an adverse effect on our liquidity position.
As discussed in Note 7, Borrowings, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K, as of December 31, 2025, we had 38 different funding facilities and financing facilities in different amounts and with various maturities together with the Senior Notes. At December 31, 2025, the aggregate available amount under our facilities was $39.8 billion, with combined outstanding balances of $17.9 billion and unutilized capacity of $21.9 billion.
The amount of financing actually advanced on each individual loan under our funding facilities, as determined by agreed upon advance rates, may be less than the stated advance rate depending, in part, on the market value of the mortgage loans securing the financings. Each of our funding facilities allows the bank providing the funds to evaluate the market value of the loans that are serving as collateral for the borrowings or advances being made. If the bank determines that the value of the collateral has decreased, the bank can require us to provide additional collateral or reduce the amount outstanding with respect to those loans (e.g., initiate a margin call). Our inability or unwillingness to satisfy the request could result in the termination of the facilities and possible default under our other funding facilities. In addition, a large unanticipated margin call could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
The amount owed and outstanding on our funding facilities fluctuates significantly based on our origination volume, the amount of time it takes us to sell the loans we originate and the amount of loans being self-funded with cash. We may from time to time use surplus cash to “buy-down” the effective interest rate of certain funding facilities or to self-fund a portion of our loan originations. Buy-down funds are included in Cash and cash equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have the ability to withdraw these funds at any time, unless a margin call has been made or a default has occurred under the relevant facilities. We will also deploy cash to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which can be transferred to a funding facility or the early buy out line, provided that such loans meet the eligibility criteria to be placed on such lines.
We remain in a strong liquidity position, with total liquidity of $10.1 billion as of December 31, 2025, which includes $2.7 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $0.1 billion of corporate cash used to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which could be transferred to funding facilities (warehouse lines) at our discretion, $2.3 billion of undrawn lines of credit from financing facilities and $5.0 billion of undrawn MSR lines. Margin cash held on behalf of counterparties is recorded in Cash and cash equivalents and the related liability is classified in Other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Margin cash pledged to counterparties is excluded from Cash and cash equivalents and instead recorded in Other assets, as a receivable, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We believe that our available cash, as well as the sources of liquidity described above, provide adequate resources to fund our anticipated ongoing operational and capital needs.
Our funding facilities and financing facilities also generally require us to comply with certain operating and financial covenants and the availability of funds under these facilities is subject to, among other conditions, our continued compliance with these covenants. These financial covenants include, but are not limited to, maintaining (1) a certain minimum tangible net worth, (2) minimum liquidity, (3) a maximum ratio of total liabilities or total debt to tangible net worth and (4) pre-tax net income requirements. A breach of these covenants can result in an event of default under these facilities and as such allows the lenders to pursue certain remedies. In addition, most of these facilities, include cross default or cross acceleration provisions that could result in all facilities terminating if an event of default or acceleration of maturity occurs, under any facility. We were in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
December 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024
Cash Flows
Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $2.9 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of $1.6 billion, or 128%, compared to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to acquired cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash from the Acquisitions.
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Equity
Equity was $22.9 billion as of December 31, 2025, an increase of $13.9 billion, or 153%, as compared to $9.0 billion as of December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily a result of the Acquisitions. The increase primarily reflects an increase of $1.5 billion and $13.9 billion as a result of the Redfin Acquisition and Mr. Cooper Acquisition, respectively, partially offset by a reduction to Change in controlling interest of investment, net, driven by $1.3 billion of deferred tax impacts during the current period associated with the Up-C Collapse. Equity as of December 31, 2025 also reflected the derecognition of non-controlling interest and a corresponding recognition of APIC associated with the Class L common stock issued during the period. Refer to Note 2, Acquisitions, Note 12, Income Taxes and Note 18, Non-controlling Interest, of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, for further detail.
Contractual Obligations, Commercial Commitments and Other Contingencies
Our material expected cash requirements also include the following contractual commitments:
Repurchase and indemnification obligations
In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to liability under representations and warranties made to purchasers of mortgage loans. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans, or indemnify the purchaser of such loans for losses incurred, if there has been a breach of representations or warranties, or if the borrower defaults on the loan payments within a contractually defined period (early payment default). Additionally, in certain instances we are contractually obligated to refund to the purchaser certain premiums paid to us on the sale if the mortgagor prepays the loan within a specified period of time, specified in our loan sale agreements. See Note 15, Commitments and Contingencies of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Purchase Commitments
Future purchase commitments include various non-cancelable agreements primarily related to our apps and websites, cloud computing services, network infrastructure for data operations and certain marketing arrangements. As of December 31, 2025, future purchase commitments primarily span a four year period, from 2027 through 2030, and aggregate to $914 million in total.
Interest rate lock commitments, loan sale and forward commitments
In the normal course of business, we are party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit to borrowers at either fixed or floating interest rates. IRLCs are commitment agreements to lend to a client at a specified interest rate within a specified period of time as long as there is no violation of conditions established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses which may require payment of a fee. As many of the commitments expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. In addition, we have contracts to sell mortgage loans into the secondary market at specified future dates (commitments to sell loans) and forward commitments to sell MBS at specified future dates and interest rates.
Following is a summary of the notional amounts of commitments:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2025 | 2024 | |||||
| IRLCs—fixed rate | $ | 12,331 | $ | 6,562 | |||
| IRLCs—variable rate | 1,066 | 393 | |||||
| LPCs | 977 | — | |||||
| Commitments to sell mortgage loans | 53 | 1 | |||||
| Forward commitments to sell MBS | 32,042 | 12,092 | |||||
| Forward commitments to purchase MBS | 3,972 | 735 |
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New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
See Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements.
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MD&A history
Prior-year 10-K MD&A spans are extracted from SEC filings with the same bounded parser used for the latest filing. The latest 10-K appears above; prior years are below.
FY 2024 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001805284-25-000010.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”). This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed below under the heading “ Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part I and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. As you read this Form 10-K, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K.
Objective
The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our objective is to provide discussion of events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause the reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to also offer information that provides an understanding of our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2024 and 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2024 and 2023. Discussions of 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.
Executive Summary
We are a Detroit-based financial technology company with operations spanning mortgage, real estate, and personal finance. Our proprietary technology platform is designed to deliver a seamless, AI-driven homeownership experience, integrating home search, mortgage origination, title and closing, and personal financial management. We believe our widely recognized “Rocket” brand is synonymous with simple, fast, and trusted digital experiences.
Recent Developments
Business Trends
In 2024, the housing and mortgage origination markets demonstrated signs of gradual recovery, with overall mortgage origination volume increasing 12% from $1.5 trillion in 2023 to $1.7 trillion in 2024. The U.S. inflation rate moved closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, prompting the Federal Reserve to reduce the federal funds rate by 100 basis points to 4.50% between September and December. Despite these adjustments, mortgage rates remained elevated and volatile, and were accompanied by constrained housing inventory, rising home prices and ongoing economic uncertainty. These factors, collectively, continued to weigh on refinance and purchase origination activity across the industry.
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Seller/Servicer Financial Requirements
FHFA and Ginnie Mae revised their requirements for certain minimum net worth, minimum capital ratio and minimum liquidity ratios. As of December 31, 2024, we were in full compliance with the new ratios, which went into effect on December 31, 2024. See Note 15, Minimum Net Worth Requirements of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for further information.
Year ended December 31, 2024 Summary
We originated $101.2 billion in residential mortgage loans, which was a $22.4 billion, or 29%, increase from 2023. Our Net income was $635.8 million, compared to a Net loss of $390.1 million in 2023. We also generated $862.4 million of Adjusted EBITDA, which was an increase of $795.2 million, compared to $67.2 million in 2023. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for more information on Adjusted EBITDA.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors with information in addition to our results as determined by GAAP, we disclose Adjusted revenue, Adjusted net income (loss), Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share and Adjusted EBITDA (collectively “our non-GAAP financial measures”) as non-GAAP measures which management believes provide useful information to investors. We believe that the presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because each measure assists both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for revenue, net income (loss), or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may define our non-GAAP financial measures differently and as a result, our measures of our non-GAAP financial measures may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures provide indicators of performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period and management relies on these measures for planning and forecasting of future periods. Additionally, these measures allow management to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing and capital structures.
We define “Adjusted revenue” as total revenues net of the change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges). We define “Adjusted net income (loss)” as tax-effected net income (loss) before share-based compensation expense, the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), a litigation accrual reversal, career transition program, change in Tax receivable agreement liability and the tax effects of those and other adjustments as applicable. We define “Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share” as Adjusted net income (loss) divided by the adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding which includes diluted weighted average number of Class A common stock outstanding for the applicable period, which assumes the pro forma exchange and conversion of all outstanding Class D common stock for Class A common stock. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as net income (loss) before interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt, provision for (benefit from) income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), a litigation accrual reversal, career transition program and change in Tax receivable agreement liability.
We exclude from each of our non-GAAP financial measures the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), as this represents a non-cash non-realized adjustment to our total revenues, reflecting changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, which are not indicative of our performance or results of operation. We also exclude the effects of gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs. Adjusted EBITDA includes interest expense on funding facilities, which are recorded as a component of interest income, net, as these expenses are a direct cost driven by loan origination volume. By contrast, interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt is a function of our capital structure and is therefore excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Our definitions of each of our non-GAAP financial measures allow us to add back certain cash and non-cash charges and deduct certain gains that are included in calculating Total revenue, net, Net income (loss) attributable to Rocket Companies or Net income (loss). However, these expenses and gains vary greatly and are difficult to predict. From time to time in the future, we may include or exclude other items if we believe that doing so is consistent with the goal of providing useful information to investors.
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Although we use our non-GAAP financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. Our presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items. Our non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Because of these limitations, our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations.
Limitations to our non-GAAP financial measures included, but are not limited to:
(a) they do not reflect every cash expenditure, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
(b) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our debt;
(c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements in the future and Adjusted revenue, Adjusted net income (loss) and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirement for such replacements or improvements; and
(d) they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
We compensate for these limitations by using our non-GAAP financial measures along with other comparative tools, together with U.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. See below for reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Additionally, our U.S. GAAP-based measures can be found in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
Reconciliation of Adjusted revenue to Total revenue, net
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Total revenue, net | $ | 5,100,798 | $ | 3,799,269 | $ | 5,838,493 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (1) | (199,188) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | |||||||
| Adjusted revenue | $ | 4,901,610 | $ | 3,770,262 | $ | 4,627,546 |
(1) Reflects changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted net income (loss) to Net income (loss) attributable to Rocket Companies
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 29,370 | $ | (15,514) | $ | 46,421 | ||||
| Net income (loss) impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares (1) | 607,509 | (372,541) | 655,863 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the (provision for) benefit from income tax (2) | (130,502) | 84,995 | (138,803) | |||||||
| Tax-effected net income (loss) (2) | $ | 506,377 | $ | (303,060) | $ | 563,481 | ||||
| Share-based compensation expense (3) | 145,483 | 177,389 | 233,760 | |||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (4) | (199,188) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | |||||||
| Litigation accrual reversal (5) | (15,000) | — | — | |||||||
| Career transition program (6) | — | 51,495 | 81,132 | |||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability (7) | (3,512) | 6,565 | (34,159) | |||||||
| Tax impact of adjustments (8) | 17,563 | (50,372) | 225,949 | |||||||
| Other tax adjustments (9) | 3,911 | 3,885 | 3,822 | |||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) | $ | 455,634 | $ | (143,105) | $ | (136,962) |
(1) Reflects net income (loss) to Class A common stock from pro forma exchange and conversion of corresponding shares of our Class D common shares held by non-controlling interest holders as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
(2) Rocket Companies is subject to U.S. Federal income taxes, in addition to state, local and Canadian taxes with respect to its allocable share of any net taxable income or loss of Holdings. The adjustment to the (provision for) benefit from income tax reflects the difference between (a) the income tax computed using the effective tax rates below applied to the income (loss) before income taxes assuming Rocket Companies, Inc. owns 100% of the non-voting common interest units of Holdings and (b) the provision for (benefit from) income taxes.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 29,370 | $ | (15,514) | $ | 46,421 | ||||
| Net income (loss) impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares | 607,509 | (372,541) | 655,863 | |||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 32,224 | (12,817) | 41,978 | |||||||
| Adjusted income (loss) before income taxes | 669,103 | (400,872) | 744,262 | |||||||
| Effective income tax rate for adjusted net income (loss) | 24.32 | % | 24.40 | % | 24.29 | % | ||||
| Adjusted provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 162,726 | (97,812) | 180,781 | |||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 32,224 | (12,817) | 41,978 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the (provision for) benefit from income tax | $ | (130,502) | $ | 84,995 | $ | (138,803) |
| December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rate | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | ||
| Canadian taxes | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |||||
| State and local income taxes (net of federal benefit) | 3.31 | 3.39 | 3.28 | |||||
| Effective income tax rate for adjusted net income (loss) | 24.32 | % | 24.40 | % | 24.29 | % |
(3) The years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
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(4) Reflects changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs.
(5) Reflects litigation accrual reversal related to a specific legal matter recorded as an adjustment in 2021.
(6) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(7) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability.
(8) Tax impact of adjustments gives effect to the income tax related to share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), litigation accrual reversal, career transition program and the change in Tax receivable agreement liability at the effective tax rates for each period.
(9) Represents tax benefits due to the amortization of intangible assets and other tax attributes resulting from the purchase of Holdings units, net of payment obligations under Tax Receivable Agreement.
Reconciliation of Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding to Diluted weighted average Class A common shares outstanding
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands, except per share) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Diluted weighted average Class A common shares outstanding | 141,037,083 | 1,980,523,690 | 1,971,620,573 | ||||||
| Assumed pro forma conversion of Class D shares (1) | 1,848,879,483 | — | — | ||||||
| Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 1,989,916,566 | 1,980,523,690 | 1,971,620,573 | ||||||
| Adjusted net income (loss) | $ | 455,634 | $ | (143,105) | $ | (136,962) | |||
| Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) per share | $ | 0.23 | $ | (0.07) | $ | (0.07) |
(1) Reflects the pro forma exchange and conversion of non-dilutive Class D common stock to Class A common stock. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, Class D common shares were dilutive and are included in the dilutive weighted average Class A common shares outstanding in the table above.
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net income (loss)
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) | $ | 635,828 | $ | (390,080) | $ | 699,933 | |||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 153,637 | 153,386 | 153,596 | ||||||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 32,224 | (12,817) | 41,978 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 112,917 | 110,271 | 94,020 | ||||||||
| Share-based compensation expense (1) | 145,483 | 177,389 | 233,760 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (2) | (199,188) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | ||||||||
| Litigation accrual reversal (3) | (15,000) | — | — | ||||||||
| Career transition program (4) | — | 51,495 | 81,132 | ||||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability (5) | (3,512) | 6,565 | (34,159) | ||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 862,389 | $ | 67,202 | $ | 59,313 |
(1) The years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
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(2) Reflects changes in market interest rates and assumptions, including discount rates and prepayment speeds, gains or losses on sales of MSRs during the period and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales or purchases of MSRs.
(3) Reflects legal accrual reversal related to a specific legal matter recorded as an adjustment in 2021.
(4) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(5) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability.
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Key Performance Indicators
We monitor a number of key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of our business operations. Our loan production key performance indicators enable us to monitor our ability to generate gain on sale revenue as well as understand how our performance compares to the total mortgage origination market. Our servicing portfolio key performance indicators enable us to monitor the overall size of our servicing portfolio of business, the related value of our mortgage servicing rights and the health of the business as measured by the average MSR delinquency rate. Other key performance indicators for other Rocket Companies, besides Rocket Mortgage (“Other Rocket Companies”), allow us to monitor both revenues and unit sales generated by these businesses.
The following summarizes key performance indicators of the business:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Units and $ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Rocket Mortgage | |||||||||||
| Loan Production Data | |||||||||||
| Closed loan origination volume | $ | 101,152,132 | $ | 78,711,994 | $ | 133,129,283 | |||||
| Direct to Consumer origination volume | $ | 54,761,020 | $ | 43,763,278 | $ | 78,641,022 | |||||
| Partner Network origination volume | $ | 46,391,112 | $ | 34,948,716 | $ | 54,488,261 | |||||
| Gain on sale margin (1) | 2.95 | % | 2.63 | % | 2.82 | % | |||||
| Refinance market share (2) | 12.1 | % | 12.1 | % | 11.0 | % | |||||
| Purchase market share (2) | 4.0 | % | 3.7 | % | 3.2 | % | |||||
| Servicing Portfolio Data | |||||||||||
| Total serviced UPB (includes subserviced) | $ | 593,261,034 | $ | 509,105,421 | $ | 534,704,602 | |||||
| MSRs UPB of loans serviced | $ | 525,517,829 | $ | 468,237,971 | $ | 486,540,840 | |||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 67,743,205 | $ | 40,867,450 | $ | 48,163,762 | |||||
| Total loans serviced (includes subserviced) | 2,765.5 | 2,457.1 | 2,534.5 | ||||||||
| Number of MSRs loans serviced | 2,588.9 | 2,357.2 | 2,412.1 | ||||||||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 176.6 | 99.9 | 122.4 | ||||||||
| MSR fair value multiple (3) | 5.13 | 4.94 | 4.98 | ||||||||
| Total serviced MSR delinquency rate (60+) | 1.54 | % | 1.23 | % | 1.20 | % | |||||
| Net client retention rate (4) | 97 | % | 97 | % | 95 | % | |||||
| Select Other Rocket Companies | |||||||||||
| Rocket Close gross revenue (5) | $ | 311,464 | $ | 244,224 | $ | 504,270 | |||||
| Rocket Close closings | 224.6 | 161.8 | 344.0 | ||||||||
| Rocket Money gross revenue (5) | $ | 321,180 | $ | 209,826 | $ | 145,381 | |||||
| Rocket Money paying subscribers, at period end | 4,116.5 | 3,017.5 | 2,263.5 | ||||||||
| Rocket Homes gross revenue (5) | $ | 55,393 | $ | 53,155 | $ | 52,796 | |||||
| Rocket Homes real estate transactions | 21.2 | 25.3 | 32.7 | ||||||||
| Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visitors (6) | 1,279.8 | 1,498.1 | 2,053.3 | ||||||||
| Rocket Loans gross revenue (5) | $ | 80,555 | $ | 62,305 | $ | 68,828 | |||||
| Rocket Loans closed units | 43.4 | 39.2 | 28.2 | ||||||||
| Total Select Other Rocket Companies gross revenue | $ | 768,592 | $ | 569,510 | $ | 771,275 | |||||
| Total Select Other Rocket Companies net revenue (7) | $ | 748,910 | $ | 550,463 | $ | 759,051 |
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(1) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustments on originated loans held for sale and IRLC’s and revaluation of forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of gain on sale revenue and excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes in the loan repurchase reserve and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts.
(2) 2024 market share information is based on Fannie Mae mortgage volume market share estimates as of January 2025.
(3) MSR fair market value multiple is a metric used to determine the relative value of the MSR asset in relation to the annualized retained servicing fee, which is the cash that the holder of the MSR asset would receive from the portfolio as of such date. It is calculated as the quotient of (a) the MSR fair market value as of a specified date divided by (b) the weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio as of such date. The weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio was 0.28%, 0.28% and 0.29% for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The vast majority of our portfolio consists of originated MSRs and consequently, the impact of purchased MSRs does not have a material impact on our weighted average service fee.
(4) This metric measures our retention across a greater percentage of our client base versus our recapture rate. We define “net client retention rate” as the number of clients that were active at the beginning of a period and which remain active at the end of the period, divided by the number of clients that were active at the beginning of the period. This metric excludes clients whose loans were sold during the period as well as clients to whom we did not actively market to due to contractual prohibitions or other business reasons. We define “active” as those clients who do not pay-off their mortgage with us and originate a new mortgage with another lender during the period.
(5) This revenue is reported annually.
(6) Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits is calculated by a third party service that monitors website and app engagement activity. This metric doesn't necessarily have a direct correlation to revenues and is used primarily to monitor consumer interest in the Rockethomes.com site and app.
(7) Net revenue is calculated as gross revenues less intercompany revenue eliminations, as a portion of the Select Other Rocket Companies revenues is generated through intercompany transactions. Consequently, we view gross revenue of individual Select Other Rocket Companies as a key performance indicator and we consider net revenue of Select Other Rocket Companies on a combined basis.
Description of Certain Components of Financial Data
Components of revenue
Our sources of revenue include Gain on sale of loans, net, Loan servicing income, net, Interest income, net, and Other income.
Gain on sale of loans, net
Gain on sale of loans, net includes all components related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans, including (1) net gain on sale of loans, which represents the premium we receive in excess of the loan principal amount and certain fees charged by investors upon sale of loans into the secondary market, (2) loan origination fees, credits, points and certain costs, (3) provision for or benefit from investor reserves, (4) the change in fair value of interest rate locks (“IRLCs” or “rate lock”) and loans held for sale, (5) the gain or loss on forward commitments hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs and (6) the fair value of originated MSRs. MSR assets are created at the time mortgage loans held for sale are securitized and sold to investors for cash, while the Company retains the right to service the loan.
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An estimate of the gain on sale of loans, net is recognized at the time an IRLC is issued, net of an estimated pull-through factor. The pull-through factor is a key assumption and estimates the loan funding probability, as not all loans that reach IRLC status will result in a closed loan. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in current period earnings. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market (i.e., funded), any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
Loan origination fees generally include underwriting and processing fees. Loan origination costs include lender paid mortgage insurance, recording taxes, investor fees and other related expenses. Net loan origination fees and costs related to the origination of mortgage loans are recognized as a component of the fair value of IRLCs.
We establish reserves for our estimated liabilities associated with the potential repurchase or indemnity of purchasers of loans previously sold due to representation and warranty claims by investors. Additionally, the reserves are established for the estimated liabilities from the need to repay, where applicable, a portion of the premium received from investors on the sale of certain loans if such loans are repaid in their entirety within a specified time period after the sale of the loans. The provision for or benefit from investor reserves is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
We enter into derivative transactions to protect against the risk of adverse interest rate movements that could impact the fair value of certain assets, including IRLCs and loans held for sale. We primarily use forward loan sales commitments to hedge our interest rate risk exposure. Changes in the value of these derivatives, or hedging gains and losses, are included in gain on sale of loans.
Included in gain on sale of loans, net is also the fair value of originated MSRs, which represents the estimated fair value of MSRs related to loans which we have sold and retained the right to service.
Loan servicing income, net
Loan servicing income, net includes Servicing fee income and Change in fair value of MSRs. Servicing fee income consists of the contractual fees earned for servicing the loans and includes ancillary revenue such as late fees and modification incentives. Servicing fee income is recorded to income as earned, which is upon collection of payments from borrowers. We have elected to subsequently measure the MSRs at fair value on a recurring basis. Changes in fair value of MSRs primarily due to the realization of expected cash flows and/or changes in valuation inputs and estimates, are recognized in current period earnings.
We regularly perform a comprehensive analysis of the MSR portfolio in order to identify and sell certain MSRs that do not align with our strategy for retaining MSRs. To hedge against interest rate exposure on these assets, we enter into forward loan purchase commitments. Changes in the value of derivatives designed to protect against MSR value fluctuations, or MSR hedging gains and losses, are included as a component of Change in fair value of MSRs.
Interest income, net
Interest income, net is interest earned on mortgage loans held for sale net of the interest expense paid on our loan funding facilities.
Other income
Other income includes revenues generated from Deposit income related to revenue earned on deposits, including escrow deposits, Rocket Close (title, closing and appraisal fees), Rocket Money (subscription revenue and other service-based fees), Rocket Homes (real estate network referral fees) and Rocket Loans (personal loan interest earned and other income) and Other (additional subsidiary and miscellaneous revenue).
Components of operating expenses
Our operating expenses as presented in the statement of operations data include Salaries, commissions and team member benefits, General and administrative expenses, Marketing and advertising expenses, Interest and amortization expense on non-funding-debt and Other expenses.
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Salaries, commissions and team member benefits
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits include all payroll, benefits and share-based compensation expenses for our team members.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include occupancy costs, professional services, loan processing expenses on loans that do not close or that are not charged to clients on closed loans, commitment fees, fees on loan funding facilities, license fees, office expenses and other operating expenses.
Marketing and advertising expenses
Marketing and advertising expenses are primarily related to performance and brand marketing.
Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt
Interest and amortization expense related to our Senior Notes.
Other expenses
Other expenses primarily consist of depreciation and amortization on property and equipment, mortgage servicing related expenses and expenses generated from Rocket Close (title and settlement services).
Income taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes predominantly in the United States and Canada. These tax laws are often complex and may be subject to different interpretations. To determine the financial statement impact of accounting for income taxes, the Company must make assumptions and judgements about how to interpret and apply these complex tax laws to numerous transactions and business events, as well as make judgements regarding the timing of when certain items may affect taxable income in the United States and Canada.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent results of operations. If based upon all available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established. The valuation allowance may be reversed in a subsequent reporting period if the Company determines that it is more likely than not that all or part of the deferred tax asset will become realizable.
Our interpretations of tax laws are subject to review and examination by various taxing authorities and jurisdictions where the Company operates and disputes may occur regarding its view on a tax position. These disputes over interpretations with the various tax authorities may be settled by audit, administrative appeals or adjudication in the court systems of the tax jurisdictions in which the Company operates. We regularly review whether we may be assessed additional income taxes as a result of the resolution of these matters and the Company records additional reserves as appropriate. In addition, the Company may revise its estimate of income taxes due to changes in income tax laws, legal interpretations and business strategies. We recognize the financial statement effects of uncertain income tax positions when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense. For additional information regarding our provision for income taxes refer to Note 12, Income Taxes.
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Tax Receivable Agreement
The Company has a Tax Receivable Agreement with RHI and our Chairman (“LLC Members”) that will obligate the Company to make payments to the LLC Members generally equal to 90% of the applicable cash tax savings that the Company actually realizes or in some cases is deemed to realize as a result of the tax attributes generated by (i) certain increases in our allocable share of the tax basis in Holdings’ assets resulting from (a) the purchases of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) from the LLC Members (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) using the net proceeds from our initial public offering or in any future offering, (b) exchanges by the LLC Members (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) for cash or shares of our Class B common stock or Class A common stock, as applicable, or (c) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed arising as a result of payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (iii) disproportionate allocations (if any) of tax benefits to Holdings as a result of section 704(c) of the Code that relate to the reorganization transactions. The Company will retain the benefit of the remaining 10% of these tax savings.
Intangible Assets
Definite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships and technology acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. These assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment only if events or circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired.
Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of licenses to perform title insurance services acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The Company tests indefinite-lived intangible assets consistent with the policy described below for goodwill.
Goodwill
Goodwill is the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of identifiable net assets acquired in business combinations. The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently when indications of potential impairment exist. The Company monitors the existence of potential impairment indicators throughout the fiscal year. Goodwill impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level. The Company may elect to perform either a qualitative test or a quantitative test to determine if it is more likely than not that the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Fair value reflects the price a market participant would be willing to pay in a potential sale of the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value exceeds carrying value, then we conclude that no goodwill impairment has occurred. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess, not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Refer to Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, for further information on the goodwill attributable to the Company’s acquisitions.
Share-based compensation
Share-based compensation is comprised of both equity and liability awards and is measured and expensed accordingly under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 Compensation—Stock Compensation. As indicated above, share-based compensation expense is included as part of salaries, commissions and team member benefits.
Non-controlling Interest
We are the sole managing member of Holdings and consolidate the financial results of Holdings. Therefore, we report a non-controlling interest based on the Holdings Units of Holdings held by our Chairman and RHI on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Income or loss is attributed to the non-controlling interests based on the weighted average Holdings Units outstanding during the period and is presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. Refer to Note 17, Non-controlling Interest for more information on non-controlling interests.
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Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Summary of Operations
| Condensed Statement of Operations Data | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,012,913 | $ | 2,066,292 | $ | 3,137,417 | |||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,462,173 | 1,401,780 | 1,458,637 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | (578,681) | (700,982) | 185,036 | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | 97,566 | 120,860 | 184,203 | ||||||||
| Other income | 1,106,827 | 911,319 | 873,200 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | 5,100,798 | 3,799,269 | 5,838,493 | ||||||||
| Expenses | |||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 2,261,245 | 2,257,291 | 2,797,868 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 893,154 | 802,865 | 906,195 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 824,042 | 736,676 | 945,694 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding-debt | 153,637 | 153,386 | 153,596 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 300,668 | 251,948 | 293,229 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | 4,432,746 | 4,202,166 | 5,096,582 | ||||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes | $ | 668,052 | $ | (402,897) | $ | 741,911 | |||||
| (Provision for) benefit from income taxes | (32,224) | 12,817 | (41,978) | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) | 635,828 | (390,080) | 699,933 | ||||||||
| Net (income) loss attributable to non-controlling interest | (606,458) | 374,566 | (653,512) | ||||||||
| Net income (loss) attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 29,370 | $ | (15,514) | $ | 46,421 |
Gain on sale of loans, net
The components of Gain on sale of loans, net for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Net gain (loss) on sale of loans (1) | $ | 1,504,149 | $ | 684,415 | $ | (579,562) | |||||
| Fair value of originated MSRs | 1,330,216 | 1,092,332 | 1,970,647 | ||||||||
| Provision for investor reserves | (36,248) | (112,372) | (58,140) | ||||||||
| Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs | (26,546) | 224,605 | (822,289) | ||||||||
| Revaluation from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs | 241,342 | 177,312 | 2,626,761 | ||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,012,913 | $ | 2,066,292 | $ | 3,137,417 |
(1) Net gain (loss) on sale of loans represents the premium received in excess of the UPB, plus net origination fees.
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The table below provides details of the characteristics of our mortgage loan production for each of the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| Closed loan origination volume by type | |||||||||
| Conventional Conforming | $ | 60,467,550 | $ | 48,007,013 | $ | 96,103,677 | |||
| FHA/VA | 28,002,000 | 24,035,770 | 28,208,025 | ||||||
| Non Agency | 12,682,582 | 6,669,211 | 8,817,581 | ||||||
| Total mortgage closed loan origination volume | $ | 101,152,132 | $ | 78,711,994 | $ | 133,129,283 | |||
| Portfolio metrics: | |||||||||
| Average loan amount | $ | 277 | $ | 270 | $ | 283 | |||
| Weighted average loan-to-value ratio | 73.16 | % | 74.86 | % | 72.30 | % | |||
| Weighted average credit score | 737 | 733 | 733 | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 6.62 | % | 6.62 | % | 4.45 | % | |||
| Percentage of loans sold: | |||||||||
| To GSEs and government | 84.77 | % | 91.38 | % | 91.70 | % | |||
| To other counterparties | 15.23 | % | 8.62 | % | 8.30 | % | |||
| Servicing-retained | 92.74 | % | 94.86 | % | 93.45 | % | |||
| Servicing-released | 7.26 | % | 5.14 | % | 6.55 | % | |||
| Net rate lock volume (1) | $ | 100,824,736 | $ | 78,648,717 | $ | 117,756,897 | |||
| Gain on sale margin (2) | 2.95 | % | 2.63 | % | 2.82 | % |
(1) Net rate lock volume includes the UPB of loans subject to IRLCs, net of the pull-through factor as described in the “Description of Certain Components of Financial Data” section above.
(2) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustments on originated loans held for sale and IRLC’s and revaluation of forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of gain on sale revenue and excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes in the loan repurchase reserve and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts. See the table above for each of the components of gain on sale of loans, net.
Overview of the Gain on sale of loans, net table
At the time an IRLC is issued, an estimate of the Gain on sale of loans, net is recognized in the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs component in the table above. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in this same component as the loan progresses through closing, which is the moment that loans move from an IRLC to a loan held for sale and ultimately through the sale of the loan. We deploy a hedge strategy to mitigate the impact of interest rate changes from the point of the IRLC through the sale of the loan. The changes to the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs in each period is dependent on several factors, including mortgage origination volume, how long a loan remains at a given stage in the origination process and the movement of interest rates during that period as compared to the immediately preceding period. Loans originated during an increasing rate environment generally decrease in value and loans originated during a decreasing rate environment generally increase in value. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market, any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized and moves from the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs component in the Net gain (loss) on sale of loans component in the table above. The Revaluation from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs component reflects the forward hedge commitments intended to offset the various fair value adjustments that impact the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs and the Net gain (loss) on sale of loans components. As a result, these three components should be evaluated in combination when evaluating Gain on sale of loans, net, as the sum of these components are primarily driven by net rate lock volume. Furthermore, at the point of sale of the loan, the Fair value of originated MSRs and the Provision for investor reserves are recognized each in their respective components shown above.
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Year ended December 31, 2024 summary
Gain on sale of loans, net was $3.0 billion, an increase of $0.9 billion, or 46%, compared to $2.1 billion in 2023.
Net gain (loss) on sale of loans, Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs and Revaluation from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs was $1.7 billion, an increase of $0.6 billion, or 58%, compared to $1.1 billion in 2023. The change was primarily driven by a 28% increase in net rate lock volume and 12% increase in gain on sale margin due to higher mortgage demand in 2024.
The Fair value of originated MSRs was $1.3 billion, an increase of $0.2 billion or 22%, compared to $1.1 billion in 2023, driven by a 24% increase in sold loan volume.
The Investor reserves liability balance was relatively flat in the current and prior period. The $76.1 million reduction in Provision for investor reserves expense was primarily due to a decrease in losses on repurchased loans in 2024, compared to 2023.
Loan servicing income, net
For the periods presented, Loan servicing income, net consisted of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Retained servicing fee | $ | 1,400,857 | $ | 1,350,595 | $ | 1,416,488 | |||||
| Subservicing income | 8,428 | 9,446 | 9,066 | ||||||||
| Ancillary income | 52,888 | 41,739 | 33,083 | ||||||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,462,173 | 1,401,780 | 1,458,637 | ||||||||
| Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions | 207,760 | 37,570 | 1,279,945 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSR hedge | (8,572) | (8,563) | (68,998) | ||||||||
| Collection/realization of cash flows | (777,869) | (729,989) | (1,025,911) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | (578,681) | (700,982) | 185,036 | ||||||||
| Loan servicing income, net | $ | 883,492 | $ | 700,798 | $ | 1,643,673 |
| December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||
| MSR UPB of loans serviced | $ | 525,517,829 | $ | 468,237,971 | $ | 486,540,840 | |||
| Number of MSR loans serviced | 2,588,882 | 2,357,209 | 2,412,117 | ||||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 67,743,205 | $ | 40,867,450 | $ | 48,163,762 | |||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 176,624 | 99,938 | 122,380 | ||||||
| Total serviced UPB | $ | 593,261,034 | $ | 509,105,421 | $ | 534,704,602 | |||
| Total loans serviced | 2,765,506 | 2,457,147 | 2,534,497 | ||||||
| MSR fair value | $ | 7,633,371 | $ | 6,439,787 | $ | 6,946,940 | |||
| Total serviced delinquency count (60+) as % of total | 1.54% | 1.23% | 1.20% | ||||||
| Weighted average credit score | 733 | 733 | 736 | ||||||
| Weighted average LTV | 71.85% | 71.40% | 71.08% | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 4.28% | 3.74% | 3.40% | ||||||
| Weighted average service fee | 0.28% | 0.28% | 0.29% |
Loan servicing income, net was $883.5 million, an increase of $182.7 million, or 26%, compared to $700.8 million in 2023, primarily due to the $170.2 million increase in valuation reflected in Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions. In 2024, the Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions was $207.8 million, driven by an increase in interest rates year over year, compared to $37.6 million in 2023, which was driven by relatively flat interest rates during the respective prior year period.
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Interest income, net
The components of Interest income, net for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 413,159 | $ | 327,448 | $ | 350,591 | |||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (315,593) | (206,588) | (166,388) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | $ | 97,566 | $ | 120,860 | $ | 184,203 |
Interest income, net was $97.6 million, a decrease of $23.3 million, or 19%, compared to $120.9 million in 2023. Interest income, net in 2024 benefited from higher mortgage loan production, but was offset by higher interest expense from increased utilization of funding facilities.
Other income
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Deposit income | $ | 404,233 | $ | 372,917 | $ | 90,298 | ||||
| Rocket Money revenue | 297,200 | 198,697 | 141,618 | |||||||
| Rocket Close revenue | 297,125 | 243,605 | 503,137 | |||||||
| Rocket Homes revenue | 53,556 | 49,970 | 48,293 | |||||||
| Rocket Loans revenue | 25,971 | 18,757 | 41,885 | |||||||
| Other (1) | 28,742 | 27,373 | 47,969 | |||||||
| Total Other income | $ | 1,106,827 | $ | 911,319 | $ | 873,200 |
(1) Other consists of additional subsidiary and miscellaneous revenue.
Other income was $1.1 billion, an increase of $195.5 million, or 21%, as compared to $911.3 million in 2023, driven by a $98.5 million, or 50%, increase in Rocket Money revenue associated with growth in paying subscribers and also an increase in Rocket Close revenue of $53.5 million, or 22%, driven by higher volume.
Expenses
Expenses for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | $ | 2,261,245 | $ | 2,257,291 | $ | 2,797,868 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 893,154 | 802,865 | 906,195 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 824,042 | 736,676 | 945,694 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 153,637 | 153,386 | 153,596 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 300,668 | 251,948 | 293,229 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 4,432,746 | $ | 4,202,166 | $ | 5,096,582 |
Total expenses were $4.4 billion, an increase of $230.6 million, or 5%, compared to $4.2 billion in 2023. General and administrative expenses were $893.2 million, an increase of $90.3 million, or 11%, compared to $802.9 million in 2023, driven by an increase in variable costs associated with higher origination volume and increased third-party credit report costs per unit. Marketing and advertising expenses were $824.0 million, an increase of $87.4 million, or 12%, compared to $736.7 million in 2023, largely due to an increase in performance marketing in 2024. Other expenses were $300.7 million, an increase of $48.7 million, or 19%, compared to $251.9 million in 2023, due to an increase in title related expenses at Rocket Close associated with higher volume.
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Summary results by segment for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Our operations are organized by distinct marketing channels which promote client acquisition and are categorized under two reportable segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with Rocket Mortgage digitally and/or with our mortgage bankers. We market to potential clients in this segment through various brand campaigns and performance marketing channels. The Direct to Consumer segment generates revenue from originating, closing, selling and servicing predominantly agency-conforming loans, which are pooled and sold to the secondary market. This segment also produces revenue by providing title and settlement services and appraisal management to these clients as part of our end-to-end mortgage origination experience. Servicing activities are fully allocated to the Direct to Consumer segment as they are viewed as an extension of the client experience with the primary objective to establish and maintain positive, regular touchpoints with our clients, which positions us to have high retention and recapture the clients’ next refinance, purchase and personal loan transactions. These activities position us to be the natural choice for clients’ next refinance or purchase transaction.
We provide industry-leading client service and leverage our widely recognized brand to strengthen our wholesale relationships, through Rocket Pro, as well as enterprise partnerships, both driving growth in our Partner Network segment. Rocket Pro works exclusively with mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions, enabling them to maintain their own brand and client relationships while leveraging Rocket Mortgage's expertise, technology and award-winning process. Our enterprise partnerships include financial institutions and well-known consumer-focused companies that value our award-winning client experience and offer their clients mortgage solutions through our trusted brand. These organizations connect their clients directly to us through marketing channels and referrals.
We measure the performance of the segments primarily on a contribution margin basis. Contribution margin is intended to measure the direct profitability of each segment and is calculated as Adjusted Revenue less directly attributable expenses. Adjusted Revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure described above. Directly attributable expenses include Salaries, commissions and team member benefits, General and administrative expenses, Marketing and advertising expenses and Other expenses, such as mortgage servicing related expenses and expenses generated from Rocket Close (title and settlement services). For segments, we measure gain on sale margin of sold loans and refer to this metric as ‘sold loan gain on sale margin.’ A loan is considered sold when it is sold to investors on the secondary market. Sold loan gain on sale margin reflects the gain on sale revenue of loans sold into the secondary market divided by the sold loan volume for the period. By contrast, ‘gain on sale margin’, which we reference outside of the segment discussion, measures the gain on sale revenue, net divided by net rate lock volume for the period. See below for our overview and discussion of segment results for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022. For additional discussion, see Note 16, Segments of the consolidated financial statements of this Form 10-K.
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Direct to Consumer Results
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 52,615,583 | $ | 43,598,231 | $ | 84,142,087 | |||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 4.14 | % | 3.86 | % | 4.14 | % | |||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 2,362,879 | $ | 1,660,038 | $ | 2,573,970 | |||||
| Interest income | 223,826 | 182,097 | 222,621 | ||||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (170,844) | (114,447) | (106,561) | ||||||||
| Service fee income | 1,456,348 | 1,396,639 | 1,455,121 | ||||||||
| Changes in fair value of MSRs | (578,681) | (700,982) | 185,036 | ||||||||
| Other income | 599,019 | 565,882 | 449,813 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | $ | 3,892,547 | $ | 2,989,227 | $ | 4,780,000 | |||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | (199,188) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | ||||||||
| Adjusted revenue | $ | 3,693,359 | $ | 2,960,220 | $ | 3,569,053 | |||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 1,065,202 | 1,014,178 | 1,310,069 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 279,141 | 189,294 | 208,867 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 653,132 | 601,841 | 808,822 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 145,573 | 118,960 | 190,092 | ||||||||
| Less: Directly attributable expenses | 2,143,048 | 1,924,273 | 2,517,850 | ||||||||
| Contribution margin | $ | 1,550,311 | $ | 1,035,947 | $ | 1,051,203 |
Year ending December 31, 2024 summary
Direct to Consumer Adjusted revenue was $3.7 billion, an increase of $733.1 million, or 25%, compared to $3.0 billion in 2023, primarily driven by Gain on sale of loans, net. Gain on sale of loans, net increased $702.8 million, or 42%, driven by an increase in net rate lock volume and gain on sale margin from higher mortgage demand in 2024.
Direct to Consumer Directly attributable expenses was $2.1 billion, an increase of $218.8 million, or 11%, compared to $1.9 billion in 2023, driven by an increase in variable compensation and other variable costs associated with higher
origination volume, as well as increased third-party credit report costs per unit.
Direct to Consumer Contribution margin was $1.6 billion, an increase of $514.4 million, or 50%, compared to $1.0 billion in 2023. The increase in Contribution margin was driven primarily by an increase in Gain on sale of loans, net, partially offset by higher Directly attributable expenses, as described above.
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Partner Network Results
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 45,093,626 | $ | 34,892,877 | $ | 60,498,569 | ||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 1.47 | % | 1.05 | % | 1.05 | % | ||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | 605,373 | 371,392 | 540,234 | |||||||
| Interest income | 189,333 | 145,351 | 125,034 | |||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (144,749) | (91,793) | (59,818) | |||||||
| Other income | 19,871 | 13,902 | 33,163 | |||||||
| Total revenue, net | $ | 669,828 | $ | 438,852 | $ | 638,613 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | — | — | — | |||||||
| Adjusted revenue | $ | 669,828 | $ | 438,852 | $ | 638,613 | ||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 196,831 | 200,958 | 276,756 | |||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 25,278 | 21,477 | 40,923 | |||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 9,327 | 10,309 | 33,449 | |||||||
| Other expenses | 8,880 | 7,658 | 11,189 | |||||||
| Less: Directly attributable expenses | 240,316 | 240,402 | 362,317 | |||||||
| Total Contribution margin | $ | 429,512 | $ | 198,450 | $ | 276,296 |
Year ending December 31, 2024 summary
Partner Network Adjusted revenue was $669.8 million, an increase of $231.0 million, or 53%, as compared to $438.9 million in 2023, primarily driven by Gain on sale of loans, net. Gain on sale of loans, net increased $234.0 million, or 63%, driven by an increase in net rate lock volume and gain on sale margin from higher mortgage demand in 2024.
Partner Network Directly attributable expenses was $240.3 million, flat compared to 2023. Directly attributable expenses in the 2024 compared to 2023 benefited from less compensation expense due to fewer team members directly attributable to the segment, but was offset by variable costs associated with higher origination volume and increased third-party credit report costs per unit.
Partner Network Contribution margin was $429.5 million, an increase of $231.1 million, or 116%, compared to $198.5 million in 2023. The increase in Contribution margin was driven by an increase in Gain on sales of loans, net, as described above.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have included:
• cash flow from our operations, including:
• sale of whole loans into the secondary market;
• sale of mortgage servicing rights and excess servicing cash flows into the secondary market;
• loan origination fees;
• servicing fee income;
• interest income on loans held for sale; and
• other income
• borrowings, including under our funding facilities; financing facilities; unsecured senior notes; and
• cash and marketable securities on hand.
Historically, our primary uses of funds have included:
• origination of loans;
• interest expense;
• repayment of debt;
• operating expenses;
• acquisition of mortgage servicing rights; and
• distributions to RHI including those to fund distributions for payment of taxes by RHI shareholders.
We are also subject to contingencies which may have a significant impact on the use of our cash.
In order to originate and aggregate loans for sale into the secondary market, we use our own working capital and borrow or obtain money on a short-term basis primarily through committed and uncommitted funding facilities, generally established with large global banks.
Our funding facilities are primarily in the form of master repurchase agreements. We also have funding facilities directly with the GSEs. Loans financed under these facilities are generally financed at approximately 97% to 98% of the principal balance of the loan (although certain types of loans are financed at lower percentages of the principal balance of the loan), which requires us to fund the balance from cash generated from operations. Once closed, the underlying residential mortgage loan that is held for sale is pledged as collateral for the borrowing or advance that was made under these funding facilities. In most cases, the loans will remain in one of the funding facilities for only a short time, generally less than 45 days, until the loans are pooled and sold. During the time the loans are held for sale, we earn interest income from the borrower on the underlying mortgage loan. This income is partially offset by the interest and fees we have to pay under the funding facilities.
When we sell a pool of loans in the secondary market, the proceeds received from the sale of the loans are used to pay back the amounts we owe on the funding facilities. We rely on the cash generated from the sale of loans to fund future loans and repay borrowings under our funding facilities. Delays or failures to sell loans in the secondary market could have an adverse effect on our liquidity position.
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As discussed in Note 6, Borrowings, of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, as of December 31, 2024, we had 17 different funding facilities and financing facilities in different amounts and with various maturities together with the Senior Notes. At December 31, 2024, the aggregate available amount under our facilities was $24.5 billion, with combined outstanding balances of $6.8 billion and unutilized capacity of $17.7 billion.
The amount of financing actually advanced on each individual loan under our funding facilities, as determined by agreed upon advance rates, may be less than the stated advance rate depending, in part, on the market value of the mortgage loans securing the financings. Each of our funding facilities allows the bank providing the funds to evaluate the market value of the loans that are serving as collateral for the borrowings or advances being made. If the bank determines that the value of the collateral has decreased, the bank can require us to provide additional collateral or reduce the amount outstanding with respect to those loans (e.g., initiate a margin call). Our inability or unwillingness to satisfy the request could result in the termination of the facilities and possible default under our other funding facilities. In addition, a large unanticipated margin call could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
The amount owed and outstanding on our funding facilities fluctuates significantly based on our origination volume, the amount of time it takes us to sell the loans we originate and the amount of loans being self-funded with cash. We may from time to time use surplus cash to “buy-down” the effective interest rate of certain funding facilities or to self-fund a portion of our loan originations. Buy-down funds are included in Cash and cash equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have the ability to withdraw these funds at any time, unless a margin call has been made or a default has occurred under the relevant facilities. We will also deploy cash to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which can be transferred to a funding facility or the early buy out line, provided that such loans meet the eligibility criteria to be placed on such lines.
We remain in a strong liquidity position, with total liquidity of $8.2 billion as of December 31, 2024, which includes $1.3 billion of cash and cash equivalents and $1.6 billion of corporate cash used to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which could be transferred to funding facilities (warehouse lines) at our discretion, $3.3 billion of undrawn lines of credit from financing facilities and $2.0 billion of undrawn MSR lines. Margin cash held on behalf of counterparties is recorded in Cash and cash equivalents and the related liability is classified in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Margin cash pledged to counterparties is excluded from Cash and cash equivalents and instead recorded in Other assets, as a receivable, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We believe that our available cash, as well as the sources of liquidity described above, provide adequate resources to fund our anticipated ongoing operational and capital needs.
Our funding facilities, early buy out facilities, MSRs facilities and unsecured lines of credit also generally require us to comply with certain operating and financial covenants and the availability of funds under these facilities is subject to, among other conditions, our continued compliance with these covenants. These financial covenants include, but are not limited to, maintaining (1) a certain minimum tangible net worth, (2) minimum liquidity, (3) a maximum ratio of total liabilities or total debt to tangible net worth and (4) pre-tax net income requirements. A breach of these covenants can result in an event of default under these facilities and as such allows the lenders to pursue certain remedies. In addition, each of these facilities, as well as our unsecured lines of credit, includes cross default or cross acceleration provisions that could result in all facilities terminating if an event of default or acceleration of maturity occurs, under any facility. We were in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023
Cash Flows
Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $1.3 billion at December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.2 billion, or 13%, compared to $1.1 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily driven by less corporate cash used to self-fund loan originations, partially offset by the increase in MSR purchases during the period.
Equity
Equity was $9.0 billion as of December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.7 billion, or 9%, as compared to $8.3 billion as of December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily a result of a net income of $635.8 million, as well as an increase in share-based compensation of $140.5 million.
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Contractual Obligations, Commercial Commitments and Other Contingencies
Our material expected cash requirements also include the following contractual commitments:
Repurchase and indemnification obligations
In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to liability under representations and warranties made to purchasers of mortgage loans. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans, or indemnify the purchaser of such loans for losses incurred, if there has been a breach of representations or warranties, or if the borrower defaults on the loan payments within a contractually defined period (early payment default). Additionally, in certain instances we are contractually obligated to refund to the purchaser certain premiums paid to us on the sale if the mortgagor prepays the loan within a specified period of time, specified in our loan sale agreements. See Note 14, Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Purchase commitments
Future purchase commitments include various non-cancelable agreements primarily related to our apps and websites, cloud computing services and certain marketing arrangements. As of December 31, 2024, future purchase commitments primarily span a four year period, from 2025 through 2028, and aggregate to $486.9 million in total.
Interest rate lock commitments, loan sale and forward commitments
In the normal course of business, we are party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit to borrowers at either fixed or floating interest rates. IRLCs are commitment agreements to lend to a client at a specified interest rate within a specified period of time as long as there is no violation of conditions established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses which may require payment of a fee. As many of the commitments expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. In addition, we have contracts to sell mortgage loans into the secondary market at specified future dates (commitments to sell loans) and forward commitments to sell MBS at specified future dates and interest rates.
Following is a summary of the notional amounts of commitments:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2024 | 2023 | |||||
| Interest rate lock commitments—fixed rate | $ | 6,562,026 | $ | 6,317,330 | |||
| Interest rate lock commitments—variable rate | $ | 393,175 | $ | 258,045 | |||
| Commitments to sell mortgage loans | $ | 1,120 | $ | — | |||
| Forward commitments to sell mortgage-backed securities | $ | 12,091,939 | $ | 9,275,041 | |||
| Forward commitments to purchase mortgage-backed securities | $ | 735,000 | $ | 375,000 |
New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
See Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our consolidated financial statements.
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FY 2023 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001805284-24-000009.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”). This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed below under the heading “ Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part I and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. As you read this Form 10-K, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K.
Objective
The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our objective is to provide discussion of events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause the reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to also offer information that provides an understanding of our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Discussions of 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Executive Summary
We are a Detroit-based fintech company including mortgage, real estate and personal finance businesses. We are committed to providing an industry-leading client experience powered by our simple, fast and trusted digital solutions. In addition to Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest retail mortgage lender, we have expanded into complementary industries, such as real estate services and personal finance.
Recent Developments
Business Trends
The U.S. Federal Reserve has raised the Federal Funds rate multiple times throughout 2022 and 2023 to mitigate inflationary pressures. The resulting mortgage interest rate increases have driven a significant decline in the size of the mortgage origination market from 2022 to 2023. The increase in mortgage interest rates, coupled with uncertainty in the economy, have reduced demand for mortgage originations and, in particular, refinance transactions.
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Basel III
In the third quarter of 2023, the Federal Banking Agencies released a notice of proposed rulemaking to revise the Basel III Capital Rules. Although we are not directly impacted by this proposal as we are not a bank, we are in the process of evaluating this proposed rulemaking and assessing its potential impact, if any, on the Company.
Seller/Servicer Financial Requirements
FHFA and Ginnie Mae revised their requirements for certain minimum net worth, minimum capital ratio and minimum liquidity ratios. As of December 31, 2023, we were in full compliance with the new ratios, which went into effect on September 30, 2023. See Note 15, Minimum Net Worth Requirements of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K for further information.
Career Transition Program
During the third quarter of 2023, the Company offered a voluntary career transition program to certain eligible team members. The career transition program included a compensation package, healthcare coverage, career transition services, and an accelerated vesting of certain equity awards, if applicable. The company recorded a $51.5 million charge during the year related to the career transition program.
Year ended December 31, 2023 Summary
We originated $78.7 billion in residential mortgage loans, which was a $54.4 billion, or 40.9%, decrease from the same period in 2022. Our Net Loss was $390.1 million, compared to a Net Income of $699.9 million for the same period in 2022. We also generated $67.2 million of Adjusted EBITDA, which was an increase of $7.9 million, or 13.3%, compared to $59.3 million for the same period in 2022. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for more information on Adjusted EBITDA.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors with information in addition to our results as determined by GAAP, we disclose Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share and Adjusted EBITDA (collectively “our non-GAAP financial measures”) as non-GAAP measures which management believes provide useful information to investors. We believe that the presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because each measure assists both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for revenue, net income (loss), or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may define our non-GAAP financial measures differently, and as a result, our measures of our non-GAAP financial measures may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures provide indicators of performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period, and management relies on these measures for planning and forecasting of future periods. Additionally, these measures allow management to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing and capital structures.
We define “Adjusted Revenue” as total revenues net of the change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges). We define “Adjusted Net (Loss) Income” as tax-effected earnings before share-based compensation expense, the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes, a litigation accrual, career transition program, change in Tax receivable agreement liability, and the tax effects of those adjustments as applicable. We define “Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share” as Adjusted Net (Loss) Income divided by the diluted weighted average number of Class A common stock outstanding for the applicable period, which assumes the pro forma exchange and conversion of all outstanding Class D common stock for Class A common stock. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as earnings (losses) before interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt, income tax, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), a litigation accrual, career transition program, and change in Tax receivable agreement liability.
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We exclude from each of our non-GAAP financial measures the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) as this represents a non-cash non-realized adjustment to our total revenues, reflecting changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, which is not indicative of our performance or results of operation. We also exclude effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs. Adjusted EBITDA includes Interest expense on funding facilities, which are recorded as a component of Interest income, net, as these expenses are a direct cost driven by loan origination volume. By contrast, interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt is a function of our capital structure and is therefore excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Our definitions of each of our non-GAAP financial measures allow us to add back certain cash and non-cash charges, and deduct certain gains that are included in calculating Total revenues, net, Net income (loss) attributable to Rocket Companies or Net income (loss). However, these expenses and gains vary greatly, and are difficult to predict. From time to time in the future, we may include or exclude other items if we believe that doing so is consistent with the goal of providing useful information to investors.
Although we use our non-GAAP financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. Our presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items. Our non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Because of these limitations, our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations.
Limitations to our non-GAAP financial measures included, but are not limited to:
(a) they do not reflect every cash expenditure, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
(b) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our debt;
(c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements in the future, and Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirement for such replacements or improvements; and
(d) they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
We compensate for these limitations by using our non-GAAP financial measures along with other comparative tools, together with U.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. See below for reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Additionally, our U.S. GAAP-based measures can be found in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted Revenue to Total Revenue, net
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 3,799,269 | $ | 5,838,493 | $ | 12,914,466 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (1) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | |||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 3,770,262 | $ | 4,627,546 | $ | 12,426,993 |
(1) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Net (Loss) Income to Net (Loss) Income Attributable to Rocket Companies
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | (15,514) | $ | 46,421 | $ | 308,210 | ||||
| Net (loss) income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares (1) | (372,541) | 655,863 | 5,766,284 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the benefit from (provision for) income tax (2) | 84,995 | (138,803) | (1,428,937) | |||||||
| Tax-effected net (loss) income (2) | $ | (303,060) | $ | 563,481 | $ | 4,645,557 | ||||
| Share-based compensation expense (3) | 177,389 | 233,760 | 163,738 | |||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (4) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | |||||||
| Loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes | — | — | 87,262 | |||||||
| Litigation accrual (5) | — | — | 15,000 | |||||||
| Career transition program (6) | 51,495 | 81,132 | — | |||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability (7) | 6,565 | (34,159) | 18,835 | |||||||
| Tax impact of adjustments (8) | (50,372) | 225,949 | 55,211 | |||||||
| Other tax adjustments (9) | 3,885 | 3,822 | 3,732 | |||||||
| Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | $ | (143,105) | $ | (136,962) | $ | 4,501,862 |
(1) Reflects net (loss) income to Class A common stock from pro forma exchange and conversion of corresponding shares of our Class D common shares held by non-controlling interest holders as of December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.
(2) Rocket Companies is subject to U.S. Federal income taxes, in addition to state, local and Canadian taxes with respect to its allocable share of any net taxable income or loss of Holdings. The Adjustment to the benefit from (provision for) income tax reflects the difference between (a) the income tax computed using the effective tax rates below applied to the (loss) income before income taxes assuming Rocket Companies, Inc. owns 100% of the non-voting common interest units of Holdings and (b) the (benefit from) provision for income taxes.
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| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | (15,514) | $ | 46,421 | $ | 308,210 | ||||
| Net (loss) income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares | (372,541) | 655,863 | 5,766,284 | |||||||
| (Benefit from) provision for income taxes | (12,817) | 41,978 | 112,738 | |||||||
| Adjusted (loss) income before income taxes | (400,872) | 744,262 | 6,187,232 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 | Column 7 | Column 8 | Column 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective Income Tax Rate for Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | 24.40 | % | 24.29 | % | 24.92 | % |
| Adjusted (benefit from) provision for income taxes | (97,812) | 180,781 | 1,541,675 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Benefit from) provision for income taxes | (12,817) | 41,978 | 112,738 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the benefit from (provision for) income tax | $ | 84,995 | $ | (138,803) | $ | (1,428,937) |
| December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rate | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | ||
| Canadian taxes | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |||||
| State and Local Income Taxes (net of federal benefit) | 3.39 | 3.28 | 3.91 | |||||
| Effective Income Tax Rate for Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | 24.40 | % | 24.29 | % | 24.92 | % |
(3) The years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
(4) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
(5) Reflects legal accrual related to a specific legal matter.
(6) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services, and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(7) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability.
(8) Tax impact of adjustments gives effect to the income tax related to share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions, loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes, litigation accrual, career transition program and the change in Tax receivable agreement liability at the effective tax rates for each period.
(9) Represents tax benefits due to the amortization of intangible assets and other tax attributes resulting from the purchase of Holdings units, net of payment obligations under Tax Receivable Agreement.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding to Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands, except per share) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Diluted weighted average Class A common shares outstanding | 1,980,523,690 | 1,971,620,573 | 1,989,433,567 | ||||||
| Assumed pro forma conversion of Class D shares (1) | — | — | — | ||||||
| Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 1,980,523,690 | 1,971,620,573 | 1,989,433,567 | ||||||
| Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | $ | (143,105) | $ | (136,962) | $ | 4,501,862 | |||
| Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share | $ | (0.07) | $ | (0.07) | $ | 2.26 |
(1) Reflects the pro forma exchange and conversion of non-dilutive Class D common stock to Class A common stock. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, Class D common shares were dilutive and are included in the dilutive weighted average Class A common shares outstanding in the table above.
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net (Loss) Income
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income | $ | (390,080) | $ | 699,933 | $ | 6,072,163 | |||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 153,386 | 153,596 | 230,740 | ||||||||
| (Benefit from) provision for income taxes | (12,817) | 41,978 | 112,738 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 110,271 | 94,020 | 74,713 | ||||||||
| Share-based compensation expense (1) | 177,389 | 233,760 | 163,738 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (2) | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | ||||||||
| Litigation accrual (3) | — | — | 15,000 | ||||||||
| Career transition program (4) | 51,495 | 81,132 | — | ||||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability (5) | 6,565 | (34,159) | 18,835 | ||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 67,202 | $ | 59,313 | $ | 6,200,454 |
(1) The years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
(2) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
(3) Reflects legal accrual related to a specific legal matter.
(4) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services, and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(5) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability.
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Key Performance Indicators
We monitor a number of key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of our business operations. Our loan production key performance indicators enable us to monitor our ability to generate gain on sale revenue as well as understand how our performance compares to the total mortgage origination market. Our servicing portfolio key performance indicators enable us to monitor the overall size of our servicing portfolio of business, the related value of our mortgage servicing rights, and the health of the business as measured by the average MSR delinquency rate. Other key performance indicators for other Rocket Companies, besides Rocket Mortgage (“Other Rocket Companies”), allow us to monitor both revenues and unit sales generated by these businesses. We also include Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits, as we believe traffic on the site is an indicator of consumer interest.
The following summarizes key performance indicators of the business:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Units and $ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Rocket Mortgage | |||||||||||
| Loan Production Data | |||||||||||
| Closed loan origination volume | $ | 78,711,994 | $ | 133,129,283 | $ | 351,193,352 | |||||
| Direct to Consumer origination volume | $ | 43,763,278 | $ | 78,641,022 | $ | 199,894,693 | |||||
| Partner Network origination volume | $ | 34,948,716 | $ | 54,488,261 | $ | 151,298,659 | |||||
| Gain on sale margin(1) | 2.63 | % | 2.82 | % | 3.13 | % | |||||
| Refinance market share(2) | 12.1 | % | 11.0 | % | 10.8 | % | |||||
| Purchase market share(2) | 3.7 | % | 3.2 | % | 3.3 | % | |||||
| Servicing Portfolio Data | |||||||||||
| Total serviced UPB (includes subserviced) | $ | 509,105,421 | $ | 534,704,602 | $ | 551,866,424 | |||||
| MSRs UPB of loans serviced | $ | 468,237,971 | $ | 486,540,840 | $ | 485,087,214 | |||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 40,867,450 | $ | 48,163,762 | $ | 66,779,210 | |||||
| Total loans serviced (includes subserviced) | 2,457.1 | 2,534.5 | 2,565.1 | ||||||||
| Number of MSRs loans serviced | 2,357.2 | 2,412.1 | 2,384.2 | ||||||||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 99.9 | 122.4 | 180.9 | ||||||||
| MSR fair value multiple(3) | 4.94 | 4.98 | 3.91 | ||||||||
| Total serviced MSR delinquency rate (60+) | 1.23 | % | 1.20 | % | 1.60 | % | |||||
| Net client retention rate(4) | 97 | % | 95 | % | 91 | % | |||||
| Select Other Rocket Companies | |||||||||||
| Amrock gross revenue(5) | $ | 244,224 | $ | 504,270 | $ | 1,393,174 | |||||
| Amrock closings | 161.8 | 344.0 | 1,115.1 | ||||||||
| Rocket Homes gross revenue(5) | $ | 53,155 | $ | 52,796 | $ | 57,559 | |||||
| Rocket Homes real estate transactions | 25.3 | 32.7 | 33.1 | ||||||||
| Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visitors(6) | 1,498.1 | 2,053.3 | 1,829.7 | ||||||||
| Rocket Loans gross revenue(5) | $ | 62,305 | $ | 68,828 | $ | 95,442 | |||||
| Rocket Loans closed units | 39.2 | 28.2 | 17.4 | ||||||||
| Total Select Other Rocket Companies gross revenue | $ | 359,684 | $ | 625,894 | $ | 1,546,175 | |||||
| Total Select Other Rocket Companies net revenue(7) | $ | 351,766 | $ | 617,434 | $ | 1,537,714 |
(1) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustments on originated loans held for sale and IRLC’s, and revaluation of forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of gain on sale revenue and excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes in the loan repurchase reserve and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts.
(2) Market share information is based on Fannie Mae mortgage volume market share estimates as of December 2023.
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(3) MSR fair market value multiple is a metric used to determine the relative value of the MSR asset in relation to the annualized retained servicing fee, which is the cash that the holder of the MSR asset would receive from the portfolio as of such date. It is calculated as the quotient of (a) the MSR fair market value as of a specified date divided by (b) the weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio as of such date. The weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio was 0.28%, 0.29%, and 0.28% for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The vast majority of our portfolio consists of originated MSRs and consequently, the impact of purchased MSRs does not have a material impact on our weighted average service fee.
(4) This metric measures our retention across a greater percentage of our client bases versus our recapture rate. We define “net client retention rate” as the number of clients that were active at the beginning of a period and which remain active at the end of the period, divided by the number of clients that were active at the beginning of the period. This metric excludes clients whose loans were sold during the period as well as clients to whom we did not actively market to due to contractual prohibitions or other business reasons. We define “active” as those clients who do not pay-off their mortgage with us and originate a new mortgage with another lender during the period.
(5) This revenue is reported annually.
(6) Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits is calculated by a third party service that monitors website activity. This metric doesn't necessarily have a direct correlation to revenues and is used primarily to monitor consumer interest in the Rockethomes.com site.
(7) Net revenue presented above is calculated as gross revenues less intercompany revenue eliminations, as a portion of the Select Other Rocket Companies revenues is generated through intercompany transactions. These intercompany transactions take place with entities that are part of our platform. Consequently, we view gross revenue of individual Select Other Rocket Companies as a key performance indicator, and we consider net revenue of Select Other Rocket Companies on a combined basis.
Description of Certain Components of Financial Data
Components of revenue
Our sources of revenue include gain on sale of loans, loan servicing income, interest income, and other income.
Gain on sale of loans, net
Gain on sale of loans, net includes all components related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans, including (1) net gain on sale of loans, which represents the premium we receive in excess of the loan principal amount and certain fees charged by investors upon sale of loans into the secondary market, (2) loan origination fees, credits, points and certain costs, (3) provision for or benefit from investor reserves, (4) the change in fair value of interest rate locks (“IRLCs” or “rate lock”) and loans held for sale, (5) the gain or loss on forward commitments hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs, and (6) the fair value of originated MSRs. MSR assets are created at the time Mortgage Loans Held for Sale are securitized and sold to investors for cash, while the Company retains the right to service the loan.
An estimate of the gain on sale of loans, net is recognized at the time an IRLC is issued, net of an estimated pull-through factor. The pull-through factor is a key assumption and estimates the loan funding probability, as not all loans that reach IRLC status will result in a closed loan. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in current period earnings. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market (i.e., funded), any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
Loan origination fees generally include underwriting and processing fees. Loan origination costs include lender paid mortgage insurance, recording taxes, investor fees and other related expenses. Net loan origination fees and costs related to the origination of mortgage loans are recognized as a component of the fair value of IRLCs.
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We establish reserves for our estimated liabilities associated with the potential repurchase or indemnity of purchasers of loans previously sold due to representation and warranty claims by investors. Additionally, the reserves are established for the estimated liabilities from the need to repay, where applicable, a portion of the premium received from investors on the sale of certain loans if such loans are repaid in their entirety within a specified time period after the sale of the loans. The provision for or benefit from investor reserves is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
We enter into derivative transactions to protect against the risk of adverse interest rate movements that could impact the fair value of certain assets, including IRLCs and loans held for sale. We primarily use forward loan sales commitments to hedge our interest rate risk exposure. Changes in the value of these derivatives, or hedging gains and losses, are included in gain on sale of loans.
Included in gain on sale of loans, net is also the fair value of originated MSRs, which represents the estimated fair value of MSRs related to loans which we have sold and retained the right to service.
Loan servicing income, net
Loan servicing income, net includes Servicing fee income and Change in fair value of MSRs. Servicing fee income consists of the contractual fees earned for servicing the loans and includes ancillary revenue such as late fees and modification incentives. Servicing fee income is recorded to income as earned, which is upon collection of payments from borrowers. We have elected to subsequently measure the MSRs at fair value on a recurring basis. Changes in fair value of MSRs primarily due to the realization of expected cash flows and/or changes in valuation inputs and estimates, are recognized in current period earnings.
We regularly perform a comprehensive analysis of the MSR portfolio in order to identify and sell certain MSRs that do not align with our strategy for retaining MSRs. To hedge against interest rate exposure on these assets, we enter into forward loan purchase commitments. Changes in the value of derivatives designed to protect against MSR value fluctuations, or MSR hedging gains and losses, are included as a component of Change in fair value of MSRs.
Interest income, net
Interest income, net is interest earned on mortgage loans held for sale net of the interest expense paid on our loan funding facilities.
Other income
Other income includes revenues generated from Amrock (title insurance services, property valuation, and settlement services), Rocket Homes (real estate network referral fees), Rocket Auto (auto marketplace sales revenues), Core Digital Media (third party lead generation revenues), Rock Connections (third party sales and support revenues), Rocket Money (personal finance), Rocket Loans (personal loans), deposit income related to revenue earned on deposits, including escrow deposits, and professional service fees. The professional service fees represent amounts received in exchange for professional services provided to affiliated companies. Services are provided primarily in connection with technology, facilities, human resources, accounting, training, and security functions. Other income also includes revenues from other subsidiaries and other miscellaneous income items.
Components of operating expenses
Our operating expenses as presented in the statement of operations data include Salaries, commissions and team member benefits, General and administrative expenses, Marketing and advertising expenses, Interest and amortization expense on non-funding-debt and Other expenses.
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits include all payroll, benefits, and share-based compensation expenses for our team members.
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General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include occupancy costs, professional services, loan processing expenses on loans that do not close or that are not charged to clients on closed loans, commitment fees, fees on loan funding facilities, license fees, office expenses and other operating expenses.
Marketing and advertising expenses
Marketing and advertising expenses are primarily related to performance and brand marketing.
Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt
Interest and amortization expense related to our Senior Notes.
Other expenses
Other expenses primarily consist of depreciation and amortization on property and equipment, mortgage servicing related expenses, and expenses generated from Amrock (title insurance services, property valuation, and settlement services).
Income taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes predominantly in the United States and Canada. These tax laws are often complex and may be subject to different interpretations. To determine the financial statement impact of accounting for income taxes, the Company must make assumptions and judgements about how to interpret and apply these complex tax laws to numerous transactions and business events, as well as make judgements regarding the timing of when certain items may affect taxable income in the United States and Canada.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent results of operations. If based upon all available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established. The valuation allowance may be reversed in a subsequent reporting period if the Company determines that it is more likely than not that all or part of the deferred tax asset will become realizable.
Our interpretations of tax laws are subject to review and examination by various taxing authorities and jurisdictions where the Company operates, and disputes may occur regarding its view on a tax position. These disputes over interpretations with the various tax authorities may be settled by audit, administrative appeals or adjudication in the court systems of the tax jurisdictions in which the Company operates. We regularly review whether we may be assessed additional income taxes as a result of the resolution of these matters, and the Company records additional reserves as appropriate. In addition, the Company may revise its estimate of income taxes due to changes in income tax laws, legal interpretations, and business strategies. We recognize the financial statement effects of uncertain income tax positions when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense. For additional information regarding our provision for income taxes refer to Note 12, Income Taxes.
Tax Receivable Agreement
In connection with the reorganization completed prior to our IPO in 2020, the Company entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with RHI and our Chairman (“LLC Members”) that will obligate the Company to make payments to the LLC Members generally equal to 90% of the applicable cash tax savings that the Company actually realizes or in some cases is deemed to realize as a result of the tax attributes generated by (i) certain increases in our allocable share of the tax basis in Holdings’ assets resulting from (a) the purchases of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) from the LLC Members (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) using the net proceeds from our initial public offering or in any future offering, (b) exchanges by the LLC Members (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D
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common stock or Class C common stock) for cash or shares of our Class B common stock or Class A common stock, as applicable, or (c) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed arising as a result of payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (iii) disproportionate allocations (if any) of tax benefits to Holdings as a result of section 704(c) of the Code that relate to the reorganization transactions. The Company will retain the benefit of the remaining 10% of these tax savings.
Intangible Assets
Definite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships and technology acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. These assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment only if events or circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired.
Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of licenses to perform title insurance services acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The Company tests indefinite-lived intangible assets consistent with the policy described below for goodwill.
Goodwill
Goodwill is the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of identifiable net assets acquired in business combinations. The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently when indications of potential impairment exist. The Company monitors the existence of potential impairment indicators throughout the fiscal year. Goodwill impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level. The Company may elect to perform either a qualitative test or a quantitative test to determine if it is more likely than not that the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Fair value reflects the price a market participant would be willing to pay in a potential sale of the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value exceeds carrying value, then we conclude that no goodwill impairment has occurred. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess, not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Refer to Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, for further information on the goodwill attributable to the Company’s acquisitions.
Share-based compensation
Share-based compensation is comprised of both equity and liability awards and is measured and expensed accordingly under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 Compensation—Stock Compensation. As indicated above, share-based compensation expense is included as part of salaries, commissions and team member benefits.
Non-controlling Interest
We are the sole managing member of Holdings and consolidate the financial results of Holdings. Therefore, we report a non-controlling interest based on the Holdings Units of Holdings held by our Chairman and RHI on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Income or loss is attributed to the non-controlling interests based on the weighted average Holdings Units outstanding during the period and is presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. Refer to Note 17, Non-controlling Interest for more information on non-controlling interests.
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Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
Summary of Operations
| Condensed Statement of Operations Data | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 2,066,292 | $ | 3,137,417 | $ | 10,468,574 | |||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,401,780 | 1,458,637 | 1,325,938 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | (700,982) | 185,036 | (689,432) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | 120,860 | 184,203 | 168,940 | ||||||||
| Other income | 911,319 | 873,200 | 1,640,446 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | 3,799,269 | 5,838,493 | 12,914,466 | ||||||||
| Expenses | |||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 2,257,291 | 2,797,868 | 3,356,815 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 802,865 | 906,195 | 1,183,418 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 736,676 | 945,694 | 1,249,583 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding-debt | 153,386 | 153,596 | 230,740 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 251,948 | 293,229 | 709,009 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | 4,202,166 | 5,096,582 | 6,729,565 | ||||||||
| (Loss) income before income taxes | $ | (402,897) | $ | 741,911 | $ | 6,184,901 | |||||
| Benefit from (provision for) income taxes | 12,817 | (41,978) | (112,738) | ||||||||
| Net (Loss) Income | (390,080) | 699,933 | 6,072,163 | ||||||||
| Net loss (income) attributable to non-controlling interest | 374,566 | (653,512) | (5,763,953) | ||||||||
| Net (loss) income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | (15,514) | $ | 46,421 | $ | 308,210 |
Gain on sale of loans, net
The components of Gain on sale of loans, net for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Net gain (loss) on sale of loans(1) | $ | 684,415 | $ | (579,562) | $ | 7,462,202 | |||||
| Fair value of originated MSRs | 1,092,332 | 1,970,647 | 3,864,359 | ||||||||
| (Provision for) benefit from investor reserves | (112,372) | (58,140) | 8,557 | ||||||||
| Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs | 224,605 | (822,289) | (2,106,952) | ||||||||
| Revaluation gain from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs | 177,312 | 2,626,761 | 1,240,408 | ||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 2,066,292 | $ | 3,137,417 | $ | 10,468,574 |
(1) Net gain (loss) on sale of loans represents the premium received in excess of the UPB, plus net origination fees.
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The table below provides details of the characteristics of our mortgage loan production for each of the periods presented:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| Closed loan origination volume by type | |||||||||
| Conventional Conforming | $ | 48,007,013 | $ | 96,103,677 | $ | 273,463,292 | |||
| FHA/VA | 24,035,770 | 28,208,025 | 55,231,445 | ||||||
| Non Agency | 6,669,211 | 8,817,581 | 22,498,615 | ||||||
| Total mortgage closed loan origination volume | $ | 78,711,994 | $ | 133,129,283 | $ | 351,193,352 | |||
| Portfolio metrics | |||||||||
| Average loan amount | $ | 270 | $ | 283 | $ | 281 | |||
| Weighted average loan-to-value ratio | 74.86 | % | 72.30 | % | 67.87 | % | |||
| Weighted average credit score | 733 | 733 | 749 | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 6.62 | % | 4.45 | % | 2.80 | % | |||
| Percentage of loans sold | |||||||||
| To GSEs and government | 91.38 | % | 91.70 | % | 92.98 | % | |||
| To other counterparties | 8.62 | % | 8.30 | % | 7.02 | % | |||
| Servicing-retained | 94.86 | % | 93.45 | % | 95.23 | % | |||
| Servicing-released | 5.14 | % | 6.55 | % | 4.77 | % | |||
| Net rate lock volume(1) | $ | 78,648,717 | $ | 117,756,897 | $ | 333,790,140 | |||
| Gain on sale margin(2) | 2.63 | % | 2.82 | % | 3.13 | % |
(1) Net rate lock volume includes the UPB of loans subject to IRLCs, net of the pull-through factor as described in the “Description of Certain Components of Financial Data” section above.
(2) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustments on originated loans held for sale and IRLC’s, and revaluation of forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of gain on sale revenue and excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes in the loan repurchase reserve and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts. See the table above for each of the components of gain on sale of loans, net.
Overview of the Gain on sale of loans, net table
At the time an IRLC is issued, an estimate of the Gain on sale of loans, net is recognized in the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs component in the table above. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in this same component as the loan progresses through closing, which is the moment that loans move from an IRLC to a loan held for sale, and ultimately through the sale of the loan. We deploy a hedge strategy to mitigate the impact of interest rate changes from the point of the IRLC through the sale of the loan. The changes to the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs in each period is dependent on several factors, including mortgage origination volume, how long a loan remains at a given stage in the origination process and the movement of interest rates during that period as compared to the immediately preceding period. Loans originated during an increasing rate environment generally decrease in value, and loans originated during a decreasing rate environment generally increase in value. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market, any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized and moves from the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs component in the Net gain (loss) on sale of loans component in the table above. The Revaluation gain from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs component reflects the forward hedge commitments intended to offset the various fair value adjustments that impact the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs and the Net gain (loss) on sale of loans components. As a result, these three components should be evaluated in combination when evaluating Gain on sale of loans, net, as the sum of these components are primarily driven by net rate lock volume. Furthermore, at the point of sale of the loan, the Fair value of originated MSRs and the (Provision for) benefit from investor reserves are recognized each in their respective components shown above.
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Year ended December 31, 2023 summary
Gain on sale of loans, net was $2.1 billion, a decrease of $1.1 billion, or 34%, as compared with $3.1 billion for the same period in 2022.
Net gain (loss) on sale of loans, Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs and Revaluation gain from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs was $1.1 billion, a decrease of $0.1 billion, or 11%, as compared with $1.2 billion for the same period in 2022. The change was driven primarily by a decrease in net rate lock volume of 33%, due to a reduction in mortgage demand year-over-year, partially offset by favorable fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, compared to the prior year.
The Fair value of originated MSRs was $1.1 billion, a decrease of $0.9 billion or 45%, as compared with $2.0 billion in 2022. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in sold loan volume in 2023 to $78.5 billion, a decrease of $66.1 billion, or 46%, from $144.6 billion in 2022.
The Provision for investor reserves is our estimate of losses on potential future repurchases of loans previously sold. The $54.2 million, or 93% increase compared to 2022, was primarily due to realized losses on re-sold loans.
Loan servicing income, net
For the periods presented, loan servicing income, net consisted of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Retained servicing fee | $ | 1,350,595 | $ | 1,416,488 | $ | 1,292,031 | |||||
| Subservicing income | 9,446 | 9,066 | 9,389 | ||||||||
| Ancillary income | 41,739 | 33,083 | 24,518 | ||||||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,401,780 | 1,458,637 | 1,325,938 | ||||||||
| Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions | 37,570 | 1,279,945 | 510,869 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSR hedge | (8,563) | (68,998) | (23,396) | ||||||||
| Collection/realization of cash flows | (729,989) | (1,025,911) | (1,176,905) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | (700,982) | 185,036 | (689,432) | ||||||||
| Loan servicing income, net | $ | 700,798 | $ | 1,643,673 | $ | 636,506 |
| December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||
| MSR UPB of loans serviced | $ | 468,237,971 | $ | 486,540,840 | $ | 485,087,214 | |||
| Number of MSR loans serviced | 2,357,209 | 2,412,117 | 2,384,150 | ||||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 40,867,450 | $ | 48,163,762 | $ | 66,779,210 | |||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 99,938 | 122,380 | 180,900 | ||||||
| Total serviced UPB | $ | 509,105,421 | $ | 534,704,602 | $ | 551,866,424 | |||
| Total loans serviced | 2,457,147 | 2,534,497 | 2,565,050 | ||||||
| MSR fair value | $ | 6,439,787 | $ | 6,946,940 | $ | 5,385,613 | |||
| Total serviced delinquency count (60+) as % of total | 1.23% | 1.20% | 1.60% | ||||||
| Weighted average credit score | 733 | 736 | 738 | ||||||
| Weighted average LTV | 71.40% | 71.08% | 70.57% | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 3.74% | 3.40% | 3.17% | ||||||
| Weighted average service fee | 0.28% | 0.29% | 0.28% |
Loan servicing income, net was $0.7 billion, a decrease of $0.9 billion, or 57%, which compares to $1.6 billion for the same period in 2022. The Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions was a $37.6 million increase in 2023, as compared to a $1.3 billion increase in 2022, due to relatively flat mortgage interest rates during 2023 as compared to rising interest rates
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throughout 2022. This was partially offset by $730.0 million in Collection/realization of cash flows in 2023, compared to $1.0 billion for the same period in 2022, driven by a decrease in loans that were paid off during the period.
Interest income, net
The components of interest income, net for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 327,448 | $ | 350,591 | $ | 430,086 | |||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (206,588) | (166,388) | (261,146) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | $ | 120,860 | $ | 184,203 | $ | 168,940 |
Interest income, net was $120.9 million, a decrease of $63.3 million, or 34%, as compared to $184.2 million for the same period in 2022. The decrease in interest income, net in 2023 was primarily attributable to a decrease in sold loan volume of 46% and higher short term interest rates associated with our funding facilities.
Other income
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Deposit income | $ | 372,917 | $ | 90,298 | $ | 30,396 | ||||
| Amrock revenue | 243,605 | 503,137 | 1,390,305 | |||||||
| Rocket Money revenue (1) | 198,697 | 141,618 | 2,349 | |||||||
| Rocket Homes revenue | 49,970 | 48,293 | 54,208 | |||||||
| Rocket Loans revenue | 18,757 | 41,885 | 80,577 | |||||||
| Other (2) | 27,373 | 47,969 | 82,611 | |||||||
| Total Other income | $ | 911,319 | $ | 873,200 | $ | 1,640,446 |
(1) Rocket Money was acquired on December 23, 2021 and therefore, 2021 does not reflect a full year of revenue.
(2) Other consists of revenue from additional entities and other miscellaneous income.
Other income was $911.3 million, an increase of $38.1 million, or 4%, as compared to $873.2 million for the same period in 2022. Deposit income was $372.9 million, an increase of $282.6 million, or 313%, primarily due to higher deposit earnings rates, partially offset by a decrease in revenues at Amrock of $260 million or 52%, driven by lower title and appraisal volumes.
Expenses
Expenses for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | $ | 2,257,291 | $ | 2,797,868 | $ | 3,356,815 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 802,865 | 906,195 | 1,183,418 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 736,676 | 945,694 | 1,249,583 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 153,386 | 153,596 | 230,740 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 251,948 | 293,229 | 709,009 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 4,202,166 | $ | 5,096,582 | $ | 6,729,565 |
Total expenses were $4.2 billion, a decrease of $0.9 billion or 18%, as compared with $5.1 billion for the same period in 2022. The decrease was driven by our cost reduction efforts affecting salaries, commissions and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, marketing and advertising expenses, and other expenses, including production and other
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vendor-related costs. In 2023, salaries, commissions and team member benefits was $2.3 billion, a decrease of $0.5 billion, or 19%, primarily due to a decrease in team members in production and non-production roles, driven by initiatives to increase operational efficiency. General and administrative expenses were $802.9 million, a decrease of $103.3 million, or 11%, primarily driven by a decrease in loan processing costs and vendor cost saving initiatives. Market and advertising expenses was $736.7 million, a decrease of $209.0 million, or 22%, primarily due to a decrease in performance marketing in 2023. Other expenses were $251.9 million, a decrease of $41.3 million, or 14%, associated with a decrease in title related expenses at Amrock.
Summary results by segment for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
Our operations are organized by distinct marketing channels which promote client acquisition and are categorized under two reportable segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with the Rocket Mortgage app and/or with our mortgage bankers, consisting of sales team members across our platform. We market to potential clients in this segment through various performance marketing channels. The Direct to Consumer segment derives revenue from originating, closing, selling and servicing predominantly agency-conforming loans, which are pooled and sold to the secondary market. This also includes providing title insurance services, appraisals and settlement services to these clients as part of our end-to-end mortgage origination experience. Servicing activities are fully allocated to the Direct to Consumer segment as they are viewed as an extension of the client experience with the primary objective to establish and maintain positive, regular touchpoints with our clients, which positions us to have high retention and recapture the clients’ next refinance, purchase, and personal loan transactions. These activities position us to be the natural choice for clients’ next refinance or purchase transaction.
The Rocket Professional platform supports our Partner Network segment, where we leverage our superior client service and widely recognized brand to grow marketing and influencer relationships, and our mortgage broker partnerships through Rocket Pro TPO. Our marketing partnerships consist of well-known consumer-focused companies that find value in our award-winning client experience and want to offer their clients mortgage solutions with our trusted, widely recognized brand. These organizations connect their clients directly to us through marketing channels and a referral process. Our influencer partnerships are typically with companies that employ licensed mortgage professionals that find value in our client experience, technology and efficient mortgage process, where mortgages may not be their primary offering. We also enable clients to start the mortgage process through the Rocket platform in the way that works best for them, including through a local mortgage broker. Rocket Pro TPO works exclusively with mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions. Rocket Pro TPO’s partners provide the face-to-face service their clients desire, while tapping into the expertise, technology and award-winning process of Rocket Mortgage.
We measure the performance of the segments primarily on a contribution margin basis. Contribution margin is intended to measure the direct profitability of each segment and is calculated as Adjusted Revenue less directly attributable expenses. Adjusted Revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure described above. Directly attributable expenses include salaries, commissions and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, marketing and advertising expenses and other expenses, such as direct servicing costs and origination costs. For segments, we measure gain on sale margin of sold loans and refer to this metric as ‘sold loan gain on sale margin.’ A loan is considered sold when it is sold to investors on the secondary market. Sold loan gain on sale margin reflects the gain on sale revenue of loans sold into the secondary market divided by the sold loan volume for the period. By contrast, ‘gain on sale margin’, which we reference outside of the segment discussion, measures the gain on sale revenue, net divided by net rate lock volume for the period. See below for our overview and discussion of segment results for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021. For additional discussion, see Note 16, Segments of the consolidated financial statements of this Form 10-K.
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Direct to Consumer Results
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 43,598,231 | $ | 84,142,087 | $ | 213,888,883 | |||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 3.86 | % | 4.14 | % | 4.75 | % | |||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale | $ | 1,660,038 | $ | 2,573,970 | $ | 8,843,040 | |||||
| Interest income | 182,097 | 222,621 | 265,438 | ||||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (114,447) | (106,561) | (161,867) | ||||||||
| Service fee income | 1,396,639 | 1,455,121 | 1,323,171 | ||||||||
| Changes in fair value of MSRs | (700,982) | 185,036 | (689,432) | ||||||||
| Other income | 565,882 | 449,813 | 1,001,060 | ||||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 2,989,227 | $ | 4,780,000 | $ | 10,581,410 | |||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions, net of hedges | (29,007) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | ||||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 2,960,220 | $ | 3,569,053 | $ | 10,093,937 | |||||
| Less: Directly attributable expenses(1) | 1,924,273 | 2,517,850 | 3,697,774 | ||||||||
| Contribution Margin | $ | 1,035,947 | $ | 1,051,203 | $ | 6,396,163 |
(1) Direct expenses attributable to operating segments exclude corporate overhead, depreciation and amortization, and interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt.
Year ending December 31, 2023 summary
Direct to Consumer Adjusted Revenue was $3.0 billion, a decrease of $608.8 million, or 17% from $3.6 billion in 2022. Gain on sale revenue decreased $913.9 million, or 36%. The decrease in gain on sale revenue was driven by a decrease in net rate lock volume from reduced mortgage demand. The Change in fair value of MSRs was a $701.0 million decrease, compared to an increase of $185.0 million in the same period in 2022, primarily due to relatively flat mortgage interest rates during 2023 as compared to rising interest rates. Additionally, Other income increased $116.1 million, or 26%, to $565.9 million, as a result of an increase in deposit income primarily due to higher deposit earnings rates, partially offset by a decrease in revenues at Amrock.
Direct to Consumer attributable expenses decreased $593.6 million, or 24%, to $1.9 billion in 2023 compared to $2.5 billion in 2022. The decrease was due to fewer team members, decreases in loan processing costs, vendor cost saving initiatives, and lower marketing spend, all driven by our operational efficiency efforts.
Direct to Consumer contribution margin was $1.0 billion, a decrease of $15.3 million, or 1%, compared to $1.1 billion in 2022. The decrease in contribution margin was driven primarily by lower gain on sale revenue, offset by a reduction in directly attributable expenses and the above referenced difference in the Change in fair value of MSRs year over year.
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Partner Network Results
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 34,892,877 | $ | 60,498,569 | $ | 138,802,940 | ||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 1.05 | % | 1.05 | % | 1.20 | % | ||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale | 371,392 | 540,234 | 1,597,569 | |||||||
| Interest income | 145,351 | 125,034 | 161,256 | |||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (91,793) | (59,818) | (99,226) | |||||||
| Other income | 13,902 | 33,163 | 105,976 | |||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 438,852 | $ | 638,613 | $ | 1,765,575 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions, net of hedges | — | — | — | |||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 438,852 | $ | 638,613 | $ | 1,765,575 | ||||
| Less: Directly attributable expenses | 240,402 | 362,317 | 686,296 | |||||||
| Total Contribution Margin | $ | 198,450 | $ | 276,296 | $ | 1,079,279 |
Year ending December 31, 2023 summary
Partner Network Adjusted Revenue was $438.9 million, a decrease of $199.8 million, or 31%, as compared to $638.6 million for the same period in 2022. Gain on sale revenue was $371.4 million, a decrease of $168.8 million, or 31%. The decrease in gain on sale revenue was driven by a decrease in net rate lock volume from reduced mortgage demand.
Partner Network directly attributable expenses was $240.4 million, a decrease of $121.9 million, or 34%, compared to $362.3 million in 2022. The decrease was due to members in production and non-production roles, decreases in loan processing costs, vendor cost saving initiatives, and lower marketing spend, all driven by our operational efficiency efforts.
Partner Network contribution margin was $198.5 million, a decrease of $77.8 million, or 28%, compared to $276.3 million in 2022. The decrease in contribution margin was driven by lower gain on sale revenue, partially offset by a decrease in directly attributable expenses.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have included:
• cash flow from our operations, including:
• sale of whole loans into the secondary market;
• sale of mortgage servicing rights and excess servicing cash flows into the secondary market;
• loan origination fees;
• servicing fee income; and
• interest income on loans held for sale
• borrowings, including under our funding facilities, financing facilities, and unsecured senior notes; and
• cash and marketable securities on hand.
Historically, our primary uses of funds have included:
• origination of loans;
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• interest expense;
• repayment of debt;
• operating expenses;
• acquisition of mortgage servicing rights; and
• distributions to RHI including those to fund distributions for payment of taxes by RHI shareholders.
We are also subject to contingencies which may have a significant impact on the use of our cash.
In order to originate and aggregate loans for sale into the secondary market, we use our own working capital and borrow or obtain money on a short-term basis primarily through committed and uncommitted funding facilities, generally established with large global banks.
Our funding facilities are primarily in the form of master repurchase agreements. We also have funding facilities directly with the GSEs. Loans financed under these facilities are generally financed at approximately 97% to 98% of the principal balance of the loan (although certain types of loans are financed at lower percentages of the principal balance of the loan), which requires us to fund the balance from cash generated from operations. Once closed, the underlying residential mortgage loan that is held for sale is pledged as collateral for the borrowing or advance that was made under these funding facilities. In most cases, the loans will remain in one of the funding facilities for only a short time, generally less than 45 days, until the loans are pooled and sold. During the time the loans are held for sale, we earn interest income from the borrower on the underlying mortgage loan. This income is partially offset by the interest and fees we have to pay under the funding facilities.
When we sell a pool of loans in the secondary market, the proceeds received from the sale of the loans are used to pay back the amounts we owe on the funding facilities. We rely on the cash generated from the sale of loans to fund future loans and repay borrowings under our funding facilities. Delays or failures to sell loans in the secondary market could have an adverse effect on our liquidity position.
As discussed in Note 6, Borrowings, of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, as of December 31, 2023, we had 15 different funding facilities and financing facilities in different amounts and with various maturities together with the Senior Notes. At December 31, 2023, the aggregate available amount under our facilities was $21.2 billion, with combined outstanding balances of $3.6 billion and unutilized capacity of $17.6 billion.
The amount of financing actually advanced on each individual loan under our funding facilities, as determined by agreed upon advance rates, may be less than the stated advance rate depending, in part, on the market value of the mortgage loans securing the financings. Each of our funding facilities allows the bank providing the funds to evaluate the market value of the loans that are serving as collateral for the borrowings or advances being made. If the bank determines that the value of the collateral has decreased, the bank can require us to provide additional collateral or reduce the amount outstanding with respect to those loans (e.g., initiate a margin call). Our inability or unwillingness to satisfy the request could result in the termination of the facilities and possible default under our other funding facilities. In addition, a large unanticipated margin call could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
The amount owed and outstanding on our funding facilities fluctuates significantly based on our origination volume, the amount of time it takes us to sell the loans we originate, and the amount of loans being self-funded with cash. We may from time to time use surplus cash to “buy-down” the effective interest rate of certain funding facilities or to self-fund a portion of our loan originations. Buy-down funds are included in Cash and cash equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have the ability to withdraw these funds at any time, unless a margin call has been made or a default has occurred under the relevant facilities. We will also deploy cash to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which can be transferred to a mortgage loan funding facility or the early buy out line, provided that such loans meet the eligibility criteria to be placed on such lines. The remaining portion will be funded in normal course over a short period of time, generally less than 45 days.
Total available cash was $3.6 billion as of December 31, 2023, which includes $1.1 billion of cash and cash equivalents, and $2.5 billion of corporate cash used to self-fund loan originations. Additionally, we have access to $3.4 billion of undrawn
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lines of credit, and $2.0 billion of undrawn MSR lines of credit from financing facilities, for a total liquidity position of $9.0 billion as of December 31, 2023.
Our funding facilities and financing facilities also generally require us to comply with certain operating and financial covenants and the availability of funds under these facilities is subject to, among other conditions, our continued compliance with these covenants. These financial covenants include, but are not limited to, maintaining (1) a certain minimum tangible net worth, (2) minimum liquidity, (3) a maximum ratio of total liabilities or total debt to tangible net worth and (4) pre-tax net income requirements. A breach of these covenants can result in an event of default under these facilities and as such allows the lenders to pursue certain remedies. In addition, some of these facilities include cross default or cross acceleration provisions that could result in some facilities terminating if an event of default or acceleration of maturity occurs. We were in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.
December 31, 2023 compared to December 31, 2022
Cash Flows
Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $1.1 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $0.3 billion, or 44%, compared to $0.8 billion at December 31, 2022. The increase was primarily driven by MSR sales during the period, partially offset by our net loss for the period.
Equity
Equity was $8.3 billion as of December 31, 2023, a decrease of $0.2 billion, or 2%, as compared to $8.5 billion as of December 31, 2022. The decrease was primarily a result of a net loss of $390.1 million, partially offset by an increase in share-based compensation of $176.2 million.
Contractual Obligations, Commercial Commitments, and Other Contingencies
Our material expected cash requirements also include the following contractual commitments:
Repurchase and indemnification obligations
In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to liability under representations and warranties made to purchasers of mortgage loans. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans, or indemnify the purchaser of such loans for losses incurred, if there has been a breach of representations or warranties, or if the borrower defaults on the loan payments within a contractually defined period (early payment default). Additionally, in certain instances we are contractually obligated to refund to the purchaser certain premiums paid to us on the sale if the mortgagor prepays the loan within a specified period of time, specified in our loan sale agreements. See Note 14, Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Interest rate lock commitments, loan sale and forward commitments
In the normal course of business, we are party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit to borrowers at either fixed or floating interest rates. IRLCs are commitment agreements to lend to a client at a specified interest rate within a specified period of time as long as there is no violation of conditions established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses which may require payment of a fee. As many of the commitments expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. In addition, we have contracts to sell mortgage loans into the secondary market at specified future dates (commitments to sell loans), and forward commitments to sell MBS at specified future dates and interest rates.
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Following is a summary of the notional amounts of commitments:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Interest rate lock commitments—fixed rate | $ | 6,317,330 | $ | 6,108,132 | |||
| Interest rate lock commitments—variable rate | $ | 258,045 | $ | 326,638 | |||
| Commitments to sell loans | $ | — | $ | 20,618 | |||
| Forward commitments to sell mortgage-backed securities | $ | 9,275,041 | $ | 10,493,989 | |||
| Forward commitments to purchase mortgage-backed securities | $ | 375,000 | $ | 470,000 |
Distributions
Years Ended December 31, 2023
We had no material distributions during the year ended December 31, 2023.
New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
See Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our consolidated financial statements.
FY 2022 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001805284-23-000011.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”). This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed below under the heading “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part I and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. As you read this Form 10-K, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K.
Objective
The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our objective is to provide discussion of events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause the reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to also offer information that provides an understanding of our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2022 and 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2022 and 2021. Discussions of 2020 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II, Item 7 of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
Executive Summary
We are a Detroit-based fintech holding company consisting of tech-driven mortgage, real estate and financial services businesses - including Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Homes, Rocket Loans and Rocket Money (formerly known as Truebill). We
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are committed to providing an industry-leading client experience powered by our simple, fast and trusted digital solutions. In addition to Rocket Mortgage, one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders, we have expanded into complementary industries, such as real estate services, personal lending, solar, and personal finance where we seek to deliver innovative client solutions leveraging our Rocket platform and be the best at creating certainty in life's most complex moments so that our clients can live their dreams.
Recent Developments
Business Trends
The U.S. Federal Reserve raised the Federal Funds rate multiple times in 2022 to mitigate inflationary pressures. The resulting mortgage interest rate increases have driven a significant decline in the size of the mortgage origination market from 2021 to 2022. The increase in mortgage interest rates, coupled with uncertainty in the economy, have reduced demand for mortgage originations and particularly refinance transactions.
Career Transition Program
Due to the rapidly changing mortgage market, during the second quarter of 2022 the board of directors approved a career transition program that the Company offered to certain eligible team members. The career transition program included a compensation package, healthcare coverage, career transition services, and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards, if applicable. As a result, the Company incurred charges of $81.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Year ended December 31, 2022 Summary
We originated $133.1 billion in residential mortgage loans, which was a $218.1 billion, or 62.1%, decrease from the same period in 2021. Our Net Income was $699.9 million, compared to a Net Income of $6.1 billion for the same period in 2021. We also generated $59.3 million of Adjusted EBITDA, which was a decrease of $6.1 billion, or 99.0%, compared to $6.2 billion for the same period in 2021. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for more information on Adjusted EBITDA.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors with information in addition to our results as determined by GAAP, we disclose Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share and Adjusted EBITDA (collectively “our non-GAAP financial measures”) as non-GAAP measures which management believes provide useful information to investors. We believe that the presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because each measure assists both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures are not calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for revenue, net income, or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Other companies may define our non-GAAP financial measures differently, and as a result, our measures of our non-GAAP financial measures may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Our non-GAAP financial measures provide indicators of performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period, and management relies on these measures for planning and forecasting of future periods. Additionally, these measures allow management to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing and capital structures.
We define “Adjusted Revenue” as total revenues net of the change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges). We define “Adjusted Net (Loss) Income” as tax-effected earnings before share-based compensation expense, the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes, a litigation accrual, career transition program, change in Tax receivable agreement liability, and the tax effects of those adjustments as applicable. We define “Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share” as Adjusted Net (Loss) Income divided by the diluted weighted average number of Class A common stock outstanding for the applicable period, which assumes the pro forma exchange and conversion of all outstanding Class D common stock for Class A common stock. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as earnings before interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt, income tax, depreciation and amortization, share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), a litigation accrual, career transition program, and change in Tax receivable agreement liability.
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We exclude from each of our non-GAAP financial measures the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) as this represents a non-cash non-realized adjustment to our total revenues, reflecting changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, which is not indicative of our performance or results of operation. We also exclude effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs. Adjusted EBITDA includes Interest expense on funding facilities, which are recorded as a component of Interest income, net, as these expenses are a direct cost driven by loan origination volume. By contrast, interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt is a function of our capital structure and is therefore excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
Our definitions of each of our non-GAAP financial measures allow us to add back certain cash and non-cash charges, and deduct certain gains that are included in calculating Total revenues, net, Net Income attributable to Rocket Companies or Net Income. However, these expenses and gains vary greatly, and are difficult to predict. From time to time in the future, we may include or exclude other items if we believe that doing so is consistent with the goal of providing useful information to investors. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we revised our definition of Adjusted Net (Loss) Income and Adjusted EBITDA to also exclude the cash portion of share-based compensation expenses and the career transition program, respectively, and Adjusted EBITDA to include the Change in Tax receivable agreement liability, as these expenses do not directly affect what we consider to be our core operating performance. Comparative periods presented to the extent impacted were updated.
Although we use our non-GAAP financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business. Our non-GAAP financial measures can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. Our presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items. Our non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Because of these limitations, our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations.
Limitations to our non-GAAP financial measures included, but are not limited to:
(a) they do not reflect every cash expenditure, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
(b) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our debt;
(c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements in the future, and Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirement for such replacements or improvements; and
(d) they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
We compensate for these limitations by using our non-GAAP financial measures along with other comparative tools, together with U.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. See below for reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to their most comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Additionally, our U.S. GAAP-based measures can be found in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted Revenue to Total Revenue, net
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 5,838,493 | $ | 12,914,466 | $ | 15,650,067 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges)(1) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | |||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 4,627,546 | $ | 12,426,993 | $ | 16,938,223 |
(1) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Net (Loss) Income to Net Income Attributable to Rocket Companies
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Net Income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 46,421 | $ | 308,210 | $ | 197,951 | ||||
| Net Income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares(1) | 655,863 | 5,766,284 | 9,203,435 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the provision for income tax(2) | (138,803) | (1,428,937) | (2,235,345) | |||||||
| Tax-effected Net Income(2) | $ | 563,481 | $ | 4,645,557 | $ | 7,166,041 | ||||
| Share-based compensation expense(3) | 233,760 | 163,738 | 162,608 | |||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges)(4) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | |||||||
| Loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes | — | 87,262 | 43,695 | |||||||
| Litigation accrual(5) | — | 15,000 | — | |||||||
| Career transition program(6) | 81,132 | — | — | |||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability(7) | (34,159) | 18,835 | (7,859) | |||||||
| Tax impact of adjustments(8) | 225,949 | 55,211 | (371,015) | |||||||
| Other tax adjustments(9) | 3,822 | 3,732 | 4,548 | |||||||
| Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | $ | (136,962) | $ | 4,501,862 | $ | 8,286,174 |
(1) Reflects Net Income to Class A common stock from pro forma exchange and conversion of corresponding shares of our Class D common shares held by non-controlling interest holders as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
(2) Rocket Companies is subject to U.S. Federal income taxes, in addition to state, local and Canadian taxes with respect to its allocable share of any net taxable income of Holdings. The Adjustment to the provision for income tax reflects the difference between (a) the income tax computed using the effective tax rates below applied to the Income before income taxes assuming Rocket Companies, Inc. owns 100% of the non-voting common interest units of Holdings and (b) the Provision for income taxes.
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| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 46,421 | $ | 308,210 | $ | 197,951 | ||||
| Net income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares | 655,863 | 5,766,284 | 9,203,435 | |||||||
| Provision for income taxes | 41,978 | 112,738 | 132,381 | |||||||
| Adjusted income before income taxes | 744,262 | 6,187,232 | 9,533,767 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 | Column 7 | Column 8 | Column 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective Income Tax Rate for Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | 24.29 | % | 24.92 | % | 24.84 | % |
| Adjusted provision for income taxes | 180,781 | 1,541,675 | 2,367,726 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provision for income taxes | 41,978 | 112,738 | 132,381 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the provision for income tax | $ | (138,803) | $ | (1,428,937) | $ | (2,235,345) |
| December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rate | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | ||
| Canadian taxes | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |||||
| State and Local Income Taxes (net of federal benefit) | 3.28 | 3.91 | 3.83 | |||||
| Effective Income Tax Rate for Adjusted Net (Loss) Income | 24.29 | % | 24.92 | % | 24.84 | % |
(3) The year ended December 31, 2022 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
(4) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
(5) Reflects legal accrual related to a specific legal matter.
(6) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services, and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(7) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability.
(8) Tax impact of adjustments gives effect to the income tax related to share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions, loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes, litigation accrual, career transition program and the change in Tax receivable agreement liability at the effective tax rates for each period.
(9) Represents tax benefits due to the amortization of intangible assets and other tax attributes resulting from the purchase of Holdings units, net of payment obligations under Tax Receivable Agreement.
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Reconciliation of Adjusted Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding to Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands, except per share) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Diluted weighted average Class A common shares outstanding | 1,971,620,573 | 1,989,433,567 | 116,238,493 | ||||||
| Assumed pro forma conversion of Class D shares (1) | — | — | 1,872,476,780 | ||||||
| Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 1,971,620,573 | 1,989,433,567 | 1,988,715,273 | ||||||
| Adjusted Net (Loss) Income (2) | $ | (136,962) | $ | 4,501,862 | $ | 8,286,174 | |||
| Adjusted Diluted (Loss) Earnings Per Share | $ | (0.07) | $ | 2.26 | $ | 4.17 |
(1) Reflects the proforma exchange and conversion of non-dilutive Class D common stock to Class A common stock. For the year ended December 31, 2020, Class D common shares were anti-dilutive and therefore included in the proforma conversion of Class D shares in the table above. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, Class D common shares were dilutive and are included in the dilutive weighted average Class A common shares outstanding in the table above.
(2) Represents Adjusted Net Income for 2020 for the full fiscal year as presented.
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net Income | $ | 699,933 | $ | 6,072,163 | $ | 9,399,276 | |||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 153,596 | 230,740 | 186,301 | ||||||||
| Income tax provision | 41,978 | 112,738 | 132,381 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 94,020 | 74,713 | 74,316 | ||||||||
| Share-based compensation expense (1) | 233,760 | 163,738 | 162,608 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) (2) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | ||||||||
| Litigation accrual (3) | — | 15,000 | — | ||||||||
| Career transition program (4) | 81,132 | — | — | ||||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability (5) | (34,159) | 18,835 | (7,859) | ||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 59,313 | $ | 6,200,454 | $ | 11,235,179 |
(1) The year ended December 31, 2022 amounts exclude the impact of the career transition program.
(2) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
(3) Reflects legal accrual related to a specific legal matter.
(4) Reflects net expenses associated with compensation packages, healthcare coverage, career transition services, and accelerated vesting of certain equity awards.
(5) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability.
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Key Performance Indicators
We monitor a number of key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of our business operations. Our loan production key performance indicators enable us to monitor our ability to generate gain on sale revenue as well as understand how our performance compares to the total mortgage origination market. Our servicing portfolio key performance indicators enable us to monitor the overall size of our servicing portfolio of business, the related value of our mortgage servicing rights, and the health of the business as measured by the average MSR delinquency rate. Other key performance indicators for other Rocket Companies, besides Rocket Mortgage ("Other Rocket Companies"), allow us to monitor both revenues and unit sales generated by these businesses. We also include Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits, as we believe traffic on the site is an indicator of consumer interest.
The following summarizes key performance indicators of the business:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Units and $ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Rocket Mortgage(1) | |||||||||||
| Loan Production Data | |||||||||||
| Closed loan origination volume | $ | 133,129,283 | $ | 351,193,352 | $ | 320,208,777 | |||||
| Direct to Consumer origination volume | $ | 78,641,022 | $ | 199,894,693 | $ | 200,543,558 | |||||
| Partner Network origination volume | $ | 54,488,261 | $ | 151,298,659 | $ | 119,665,219 | |||||
| Gain on sale margin(2) | 2.82 | % | 3.13 | % | 4.46 | % | |||||
| Servicing Portfolio Data | |||||||||||
| Total serviced UPB (includes subserviced) | $ | 534,704,602 | $ | 551,866,424 | $ | 409,552,743 | |||||
| MSRs UPB of loans serviced | $ | 486,540,840 | $ | 485,087,214 | $ | 371,494,905 | |||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 48,163,762 | 66,779,210 | 38,057,838 | ||||||||
| Total loans serviced (includes subserviced) | 2,534.5 | 2,565.1 | 2,059.2 | ||||||||
| Number of MSRs loans serviced | 2,412.1 | 2,384.2 | 1,975.6 | ||||||||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 122.4 | 180.9 | 83.6 | ||||||||
| MSR fair value multiple(3) | 4.98 | 3.91 | 2.53 | ||||||||
| Total serviced delinquency rate, excluding loans in forbearance (60+) | 0.88 | % | 0.94 | % | 0.84 | % | |||||
| Total serviced MSR delinquency rate (60+) | 1.20 | % | 1.60 | % | 3.91 | % | |||||
| Net client retention rate(4) | 95 | % | 91 | % | 91 | % | |||||
| Select Other Rocket Companies | |||||||||||
| Amrock gross revenue(5) | $ | 504,270 | $ | 1,393,174 | $ | 1,251,381 | |||||
| Amrock closings | 344.0 | 1,115.1 | 1,040.1 | ||||||||
| Rocket Homes gross revenue(5) | $ | 52,796 | $ | 57,559 | $ | 45,628 | |||||
| Rocket Homes real estate transactions | 32.7 | 33.1 | 27.4 | ||||||||
| Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visitors(6) | 2,053.3 | 1,829.7 | 568.5 | ||||||||
| Rocket Loans gross revenue(5) | $ | 68,828 | $ | 95,442 | $ | 393,879 | |||||
| Rocket Loans closed units | 28.2 | 17.4 | 9.1 | ||||||||
| Rock Connections gross revenue(5) | $ | 108,652 | $ | 68,783 | $ | 90,196 | |||||
| Total Select Other Rocket Companies gross revenue | $ | 734,546 | $ | 1,614,958 | $ | 1,781,084 | |||||
| Total Select Other Rocket Companies net revenue(7) | $ | 619,272 | $ | 1,543,023 | $ | 1,694,719 |
(1) Rocket Mortgage origination volume and gain on sale margins exclude all reverse mortgage activity.
(2) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustments on originated loans held for sale and IRLC’s, and revaluation of forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of gain on sale revenue and excludes revenues from
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Rocket Loans, changes in the loan repurchase reserve and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts.
(3) MSR fair market value multiple is a metric used to determine the relative value of the MSR asset in relation to the annualized retained servicing fee, which is the cash that the holder of the MSR asset would receive from the portfolio as of such date. It is calculated as the quotient of (a) the MSR fair market value as of a specified date divided by (b) the weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio as of such date. The weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio was 0.29%, 0.28%, and 0.30% for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. The vast majority of our portfolio consists of originated MSRs and consequently, the impact of purchased MSRs does not have a material impact on our weighted average service fee.
(4) This metric measures our retention across a greater percentage of our client bases versus our recapture rate. We define "net client retention rate" as the number of clients that were active at the beginning of a period and which remain active at the end of the period, divided by the number of clients that were active at the beginning of the period. This metric excludes clients whose loans were sold during the period as well as clients to whom we did not actively market to due to contractual prohibitions or other business reasons. We define "active" as those clients who do not pay-off their mortgage with us and originate a new mortgage with another lender during the period.
(5) This revenue is only reported annually.
(6) Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits is calculated by a third party service that monitors website activity. This metric doesn't necessarily have a direct correlation to revenues and is used primarily to monitor consumer interest in the Rockethomes.com site.
(7) Net revenue presented above is calculated as gross revenues less intercompany revenue eliminations, as a portion of the Select Other Rocket Companies revenues is generated through intercompany transactions. These intercompany transactions take place with entities that are part of our platform. Consequently, we view gross revenue of individual Select Other Rocket Companies as a key performance indicator, and we consider net revenue of Select Other Rocket Companies on a combined basis.
Description of Certain Components of Financial Data
Components of revenue
Our sources of revenue include gain on sale of loans, loan servicing income, interest income, and other income.
Gain on sale of loans, net
Gain on sale of loans, net includes all components related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans, including (1) net gain on sale of loans, which represents the premium we receive in excess of the loan principal amount and certain fees charged by investors upon sale of loans into the secondary market, (2) loan origination fees, credits, points and certain costs, (3) provision for or benefit from investor reserves, (4) the change in fair value of interest rate locks (“IRLCs” or “rate lock”) and loans held for sale, (5) the gain or loss on forward commitments hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs, and (6) the fair value of originated MSRs. MSR assets are created at the time Mortgage Loans Held for Sale are securitized and sold to investors for cash, while the Company retains the right to service the loan.
An estimate of the gain on sale of loans, net is recognized at the time an IRLC is issued, net of an estimated pull-through factor. The pull-through factor is a key assumption and estimates the loan funding probability, as not all loans that reach IRLC status will result in a closed loan. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in current period earnings. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market (i.e., funded), any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
Loan origination fees generally include underwriting and processing fees. Loan origination costs include lender paid mortgage insurance, recording taxes, investor fees and other related expenses. Net loan origination fees and costs related to the origination of mortgage loans are recognized as a component of the fair value of IRLCs.
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We establish reserves for our estimated liabilities associated with the potential repurchase or indemnity of purchasers of loans previously sold due to representation and warranty claims by investors. Additionally, the reserves are established for the estimated liabilities from the need to repay, where applicable, a portion of the premium received from investors on the sale of certain loans if such loans are repaid in their entirety within a specified time period after the sale of the loans. The provision for or benefit from investor reserves is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
We enter into derivative transactions to protect against the risk of adverse interest rate movements that could impact the fair value of certain assets, including IRLCs and loans held for sale. We primarily use forward loan sales commitments to hedge our interest rate risk exposure. Changes in the value of these derivatives, or hedging gains and losses, are included in gain on sale of loans.
Included in gain on sale of loans, net is also the fair value of originated MSRs, which represents the estimated fair value of MSRs related to loans which we have sold and retained the right to service.
Loan servicing income (loss), net
The value of newly originated MSRs is recognized as a component of the gain on sale of loans, net when loans are sold and the associated servicing rights are retained. Loan servicing fee income consists of the contractual fees earned for servicing the loans and includes ancillary revenue such as late fees and modification incentives. Loan servicing fee income is recorded to income as earned, which is upon collection of payments from borrowers. We have elected to subsequently measure the MSRs at fair value on a recurring basis. Changes in fair value of MSRs, net primarily due to the realization of expected cash flows and/or changes in valuation inputs and estimates, are recognized in current period earnings. Furthermore, we also include in loan servicing income (loss), net the gains and losses related to MSRs collateral financing liability and MSRs financing liability.
We regularly perform a comprehensive analysis of the MSR portfolio in order to identify and sell certain MSRs that do not align with our strategy for retaining MSRs. To hedge against interest rate exposure on these assets, we enter into forward loan purchase commitments. Changes in the value of derivatives designed to protect against MSR value fluctuations, or MSR hedging gains and losses, are included as a component of servicing fee loss, net.
Interest income, net
Interest income, net is interest earned on mortgage loans held for sale net of the interest expense paid on our loan funding facilities.
Other income
Other income includes revenues generated from Amrock (title insurance services, property valuation, and settlement services), Rocket Homes (real estate network referral fees), Rocket Auto (auto marketplace sales revenues), Core Digital Media (third party lead generation revenues), Rock Connections (third party sales and support revenues), Rocket Money (personal finance), Rocket Loans (personal loans) and professional service fees. The professional service fees represent amounts received in exchange for professional services provided to affiliated companies. Services are provided primarily in connection with technology, facilities, human resources, accounting, training, and security functions. Other income also includes revenues from investment interest income and other miscellaneous income items.
Components of operating expenses
Our operating expenses as presented in the statement of operations data include salaries, commissions and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, marketing and advertising expenses, and other expenses.
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits include all payroll, benefits, and share-based compensation expenses for our team members.
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General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include occupancy costs, professional services, loan processing expenses on loans that do not close or that are not charged to clients on closed loans, commitment fees, fees on loan funding facilities, license fees, office expenses and other operating expenses.
Marketing and advertising expenses
Marketing and advertising expenses are primarily related to performance and brand marketing.
Other expenses
Other expenses primarily consist of expenses generated from Amrock (title insurance services, property valuation, and settlement services), depreciation and amortization on property and equipment, and mortgage servicing related expenses.
Income taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes predominantly in the United States and Canada. These tax laws are often complex and may be subject to different interpretations. To determine the financial statement impact of accounting for income taxes, the Company must make assumptions and judgements about how to interpret and apply these complex tax laws to numerous transactions and business events, as well as make judgements regarding the timing of when certain items may affect taxable income in the United States and Canada.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent results of operations. If based upon all available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established. The valuation allowance may be reversed in a subsequent reporting period if the Company determines that it is more likely than not that all or part of the deferred tax asset will become realizable.
Our interpretations of tax laws are subject to review and examination by various taxing authorities and jurisdictions where the Company operates, and disputes may occur regarding its view on a tax position. These disputes over interpretations with the various tax authorities may be settled by audit, administrative appeals or adjudication in the court systems of the tax jurisdictions in which the Company operates. We regularly review whether we may be assessed additional income taxes as a result of the resolution of these matters, and the Company records additional reserves as appropriate. In addition, the Company may revise its estimate of income taxes due to changes in income tax laws, legal interpretations, and business strategies. We recognize the financial statement effects of uncertain income tax positions when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense. For additional information regarding our provision for income taxes refer to Note 12, Income Taxes.
Tax Receivable Agreement
In connection with the reorganization completed prior to our IPO in 2020, the Company entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with RHI and our Chairman ("LLC Members") that will obligate the Company to make payments to the LLC Members generally equal to 90% of the applicable cash tax savings that the Company actually realizes or in some cases is deemed to realize as a result of the tax attributes generated by (i) certain increases in our allocable share of the tax basis in Holdings’ assets resulting from (a) the purchases of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) from the LLC Members (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) using the net proceeds from our initial public offering or in any future offering, (b) exchanges by the LLC Members (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) for cash or shares of our Class B common stock or Class A common stock, as applicable, or (c) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed arising as a result of payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (iii) disproportionate allocations (if any) of tax
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benefits to Holdings as a result of section 704(c) of the Code that relate to the reorganization transactions. The Company will retain the benefit of the remaining 10% of these tax savings.
Intangible Assets
Definite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships and technology acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. These assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives and are tested for impairment only if events or circumstances indicate that the assets might be impaired.
Indefinite-lived intangible assets consist of licenses to perform title insurance services acquired through business combinations and are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition. The Company tests indefinite-lived intangible assets consistent with the policy described below for goodwill.
Goodwill
Goodwill is the excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair value of identifiable net assets acquired in business combinations. The Company tests goodwill for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently when indications of potential impairment exist. The Company monitors the existence of potential impairment indicators throughout the fiscal year. Goodwill impairment testing is performed at the reporting unit level. The Company may elect to perform either a qualitative test or a quantitative test to determine if it is more likely than not that the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Fair value reflects the price a market participant would be willing to pay in a potential sale of the reporting unit. If the estimated fair value exceeds carrying value, then we conclude that no goodwill impairment has occurred. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess, not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. Refer to Note 9, Goodwill and Intangible Assets, for further information on the goodwill attributable to the Company’s acquisitions.
Share-based compensation
Share-based compensation is comprised of both equity and liability awards and is measured and expensed accordingly under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 Compensation—Stock Compensation. As indicated above, share-based compensation expense is included as part of salaries, commissions and team member benefits.
Non-Controlling Interest
We are the sole managing member of Holdings and consolidate the financial results of Holdings. Therefore, we report a non-controlling interest based on the Holdings Units of Holdings held by our Chairman and RHI on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Income or loss is attributed to the non-controlling interests based on the weighted average Holdings Units outstanding during the period and is presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. Refer to Note 17, Non-controlling Interests for more information on non-controlling interests.
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Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
Summary of Operations
| Condensed Statement of Operations Data | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,137,417 | $ | 10,468,574 | $ | 15,070,703 | |||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,458,637 | 1,325,938 | 1,074,255 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | 185,036 | (689,432) | (2,379,355) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | 184,203 | 168,940 | 84,070 | ||||||||
| Other income | 873,200 | 1,640,446 | 1,800,394 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | 5,838,493 | 12,914,466 | 15,650,067 | ||||||||
| Expenses | |||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 2,797,868 | 3,356,815 | 3,238,301 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 906,195 | 1,183,418 | 1,053,080 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 945,694 | 1,249,583 | 949,933 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding-debt | 153,596 | 230,740 | 186,301 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 293,229 | 709,009 | 690,795 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | 5,096,582 | 6,729,565 | 6,118,410 | ||||||||
| Income before income taxes | $ | 741,911 | $ | 6,184,901 | $ | 9,531,657 | |||||
| Provision for income taxes | (41,978) | (112,738) | (132,381) | ||||||||
| Net Income | 699,933 | 6,072,163 | 9,399,276 | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to non-controlling interest | (653,512) | (5,763,953) | (9,201,325) | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 46,421 | $ | 308,210 | $ | 197,951 |
Gain on sale of loans, net
The components of gain on sale of loans for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Net (loss) gain on sale of loans(1) | $ | (579,562) | $ | 7,462,202 | $ | 12,784,611 | |||||
| Fair value of originated MSRs | 1,970,647 | 3,864,359 | 3,124,659 | ||||||||
| (Provision for) benefit from investor reserves | (58,140) | 8,557 | (36,814) | ||||||||
| Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs | (822,289) | (2,106,952) | 2,102,884 | ||||||||
| Revaluation gain (loss) from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs | 2,626,761 | 1,240,408 | (2,904,637) | ||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 3,137,417 | $ | 10,468,574 | $ | 15,070,703 |
(1) Net (loss) gain on sale of loans represents the premium received in excess of the UPB, plus net origination fees.
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The table below provides details of the characteristics of our mortgage loan production for each of the periods presented:
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan origination volume by type | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| Conventional Conforming | $ | 96,103,677 | $ | 273,463,292 | $ | 262,509,809 | |||
| FHA/VA | 28,208,025 | 55,231,445 | 47,975,043 | ||||||
| Non Agency | 8,817,581 | 22,498,615 | 9,723,925 | ||||||
| Total mortgage loan origination volume | $ | 133,129,283 | $ | 351,193,352 | $ | 320,208,777 | |||
| Portfolio metrics | |||||||||
| Average loan amount | $ | 283 | $ | 281 | $ | 278 | |||
| Weighted average loan-to-value ratio | 72.30 | % | 67.87 | % | 69.42 | % | |||
| Weighted average credit score | 733 | 749 | 756 | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 4.45 | % | 2.80 | % | 3.04 | % | |||
| Percentage of loans sold | |||||||||
| To GSEs and government | 91.70 | % | 92.98 | % | 97.85 | % | |||
| To other counterparties | 8.30 | % | 7.02 | % | 2.15 | % | |||
| Servicing-retained | 99.53 | % | 95.23 | % | 96.69 | % | |||
| Servicing-released | 0.47 | % | 4.77 | % | 3.31 | % | |||
| Net rate lock volume(1) | $ | 117,756,897 | $ | 333,790,140 | $ | 338,666,648 | |||
| Gain on sale margin(2) | 2.82 | % | 3.13 | % | 4.46 | % |
(1) Net rate lock volume includes the UPB of loans subject to IRLCs, net of the pull-through factor as described in the “Description of Certain Components of Financial Data” section above.
(2) Gain on sale margin is calculated by dividing Gain on sale of loans, net by the net rate lock volume for the period. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustments on originated loans held for sale and IRLC’s, and revaluation of forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of gain on sale revenue and excludes revenues from Rocket Loans, changes in the loan repurchase reserve and fair value adjustments on repurchased loans held on our balance sheet, such as early buyouts. See the table above for each of the components of gain on sale of loans, net.
Overview of the Gain on sale of loans, net table
At the time an IRLC is issued, an estimate of the Gain on sale of loans, net is recognized in the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs component in the table above. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in this same component as the loan progresses through closing, which is the moment that loans move from an IRLC to a loan held for sale, and ultimately through the sale of the loan. We deploy a hedge strategy to mitigate the impact of interest rate changes from the point of the IRLC through the sale of the loan. The changes to the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs in each period is dependent on several factors, including mortgage origination volume, how long a loan remains at a given stage in the origination process and the movement of interest rates during that period as compared to the immediately preceding period. Loans originated during an increasing rate environment generally decrease in value, and loans originated during a decreasing rate environment generally increase in value. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market, any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized and moves from the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs component in the Net (loss) gain on sale of loans component in the table above. The Revaluation from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs component reflects the forward hedge commitments intended to offset the various fair value adjustments that impact the Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs and the Net (loss) gain on sale of loans components. As a result, these three components should be evaluated in combination when evaluating Gain on sale of loans, net, as the sum of these components are primarily driven by net rate lock volume. Furthermore, at the point of sale of the loan, the Fair value of originated MSRs and the (Provision for) benefit from investor reserves are recognized each in their respective components shown above.
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Year ended December 31, 2022 summary
Gain on sale of loans, net was $3.1 billion, a decrease of $7.3 billion, or 70.0%, as compared with $10.5 billion for the same period in 2021, primarily driven by the changes in Net (loss) gain on sale of loans, Fair value adjustment on loans held for sale and IRLCs and Revaluation from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale. Interest rate increases during the year led to lower consumer demand, which drove a 65% decrease in net rate lock volume, resulting in an 81% combined decrease in these three components.
The fair value of MSRs originated was $2.0 billion, a decrease of $1.9 billion or 49.0%, as compared with $3.9 billion in 2021. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in sold loan volume of $208.1 billion, or 59.0%, to $144.6 billion in 2022 from $352.7 billion in 2021.
The (provision for) benefit from investor reserves is related to the provision to establish our estimated liabilities associated with the potential repurchase or indemnity of purchasers of loans previously sold due to representation and warranty claims by investors. The $66.7 million, or 779% change compared to 2021, was primarily due to a decrease in the forecasted probability of future loan repurchases in 2021, which resulted in a reduction to our provision in 2021 and an increase of our investor reverses in 2022.
Loan servicing income (loss), net
For the periods presented, loan servicing income (loss), net consisted of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Retained servicing fee | $ | 1,416,488 | $ | 1,292,031 | $ | 1,043,147 | |||||
| Subservicing income | 9,066 | 9,389 | 7,996 | ||||||||
| Ancillary income | 33,083 | 24,518 | 23,112 | ||||||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,458,637 | 1,325,938 | 1,074,255 | ||||||||
| Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions | 1,279,945 | 510,869 | (1,360,052) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSR hedge | (68,998) | (23,396) | 71,896 | ||||||||
| Collection / realization of cash flows | (1,025,911) | (1,176,905) | (1,091,199) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | 185,036 | (689,432) | (2,379,355) | ||||||||
| Loan servicing income (loss), net | $ | 1,643,673 | $ | 636,506 | $ | (1,305,100) |
| December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||
| MSR UPB of loans serviced | $ | 486,540,840 | $ | 485,087,214 | $ | 371,494,905 | |||
| Number of MSR loans serviced | 2,412,117 | 2,384,150 | 1,975,605 | ||||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 48,163,762 | $ | 66,779,210 | $ | 38,057,838 | |||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 122,380 | 180,900 | 83,622 | ||||||
| Total serviced UPB | $ | 534,704,602 | $ | 551,866,424 | $ | 409,552,743 | |||
| Total loans serviced | 2,534,497 | 2,565,050 | 2,059,227 | ||||||
| MSR fair value | $ | 6,946,940 | $ | 5,385,613 | $ | 2,862,685 | |||
| Total serviced delinquency rate, excluding loans in forbearance (60+) | 0.88% | 0.94% | 0.84% | ||||||
| Total serviced delinquency count (60+) as % of total | 1.20% | 1.60% | 3.91% | ||||||
| Weighted average credit score | 736 | 738 | 740 | ||||||
| Weighted average LTV | 71.08% | 70.57% | 72.12% | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 3.40% | 3.17% | 3.54% | ||||||
| Weighted average service fee | 0.29% | 0.28% | 0.30% |
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Loan servicing income, net was $1.6 billion, which compares to $0.6 billion for the same period in 2021. The change in valuation model inputs or assumptions was a $1.3 billion increase in 2022, as compared to a $510.9 million increase in 2021, predominately due to lower prepayment speed assumptions, which was due to the increase in mortgage interest rates. Servicing fee income also increased to $1.5 billion as compared to $1.3 billion for the same period in 2021, primarily as a result of the growth in our average servicing unpaid principal balances throughout the year, as well as an increase in the weighted average service fee.
Interest income, net
The components of interest income, net for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 350,591 | $ | 430,086 | $ | 329,593 | |||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (166,388) | (261,146) | (245,523) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | $ | 184,203 | $ | 168,940 | $ | 84,070 |
Interest income, net was $184.2 million, an increase of $15.3 million, or 9.0%, as compared to $168.9 million for the same period in 2021. The increase in interest income, net in 2022 was attributable to higher mortgage interest rates, which positively impacted interest income, and lower interest expense on funding facilities attributable to more corporate cash used to self-fund laons in 2022 compared to 2021 as a percent of total originations..
Other income
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Amrock revenue | $ | 503,137 | $ | 1,390,305 | $ | 1,251,047 | ||||
| Rocket Money revenue | 141,618 | 2,349 | — | |||||||
| Rocket Loans revenue | 65,733 | 93,201 | 392,840 | |||||||
| Rocket Homes revenue | 48,293 | 54,208 | 43,102 | |||||||
| Other (1) | 114,419 | 100,383 | 113,405 | |||||||
| Total Other income | $ | 873,200 | $ | 1,640,446 | $ | 1,800,394 |
(1) Other consists of revenue from additional entities, investment interest income, and other miscellaneous income.
Other income decreased $767.2 million, or 46.8%, to $873.2 million, as compared to $1.6 billion for the same period in 2021. The decrease was primarily a reduction in revenues at Amrock of $887.2 million or 63.8%, driven by fewer mortgage originations at Rocket Mortgage, which led to a decrease in title, closing, and settlement revenue at Amrock.
Expenses
Expenses for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | $ | 2,797,868 | $ | 3,356,815 | $ | 3,238,301 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 906,195 | 1,183,418 | 1,053,080 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 945,694 | 1,249,583 | 949,933 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 153,596 | 230,740 | 186,301 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 293,229 | 709,009 | 690,795 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 5,096,582 | $ | 6,729,565 | $ | 6,118,410 |
Total expenses were $5.1 billion, a decrease of $1.6 billion or 24.3%, as compared with $6.7 billion for the same period in 2021. The decrease was driven by our cost reduction efforts affecting salaries, commissions, and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, marketing and advertising expenses and other expenses including production and other
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vendor-related costs. In 2022, salaries, commissions and team member benefits was $2.8 billion, a decrease of $0.6 billion, or 16.7%, primarily due to a decrease in team members in production roles and lower variable compensation associated with lower production levels. General and administrative expenses were $906.2 million, a decrease of $277.2 million, or 23.4%, primarily due to decreases in third party professional services spend and decreases in variable expenses. Market and advertising expenses was $945.7 million, a decrease of $303.9 million, or 24.3%, primarily due to a decrease in performance marketing in 2022. Other expenses were $293.2 million, a decrease of $415.8 million, or 58.6%, associated with a decrease in title revenue at Amrock.
Summary results by segment for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
Our operations are organized by distinct marketing channels which promote client acquisition into our platform and include two reportable segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with the Rocket Mortgage app and/or with our mortgage bankers, consisting of sales team members across our platform. We market to potential clients in this segment through various performance marketing channels. The Direct to Consumer segment derives revenue from originating, closing, selling and servicing predominantly agency-conforming loans, which are pooled and sold to the secondary market. This also includes providing title insurance services, appraisals and settlement services to these clients as part of our end-to-end mortgage origination experience. Servicing activities are fully allocated to the Direct to Consumer segment as they are viewed as an extension of the client experience with the primary objective to establish and maintain positive, regular touchpoints with our clients, which positions us to have high retention and recapture the clients’ next refinance, purchase, and personal loan transactions. These activities position us to be the natural choice for clients’ next refinance or purchase transaction.
The Rocket Professional platform supports our Partner Network segment, where we leverage our superior client service and widely recognized brand to grow marketing and influencer relationships, and our mortgage broker partnerships through Rocket Pro TPO. Our marketing partnerships consist of well-known consumer-focused companies that find value in our award-winning client experience and want to offer their clients mortgage solutions with our trusted, widely recognized brand. These organizations connect their clients directly to us through marketing channels and a referral process. Our influencer partnerships are typically with companies that employ licensed mortgage professionals that find value in our client experience, technology and efficient mortgage process, where mortgages may not be their primary offering. We also enable clients to start the mortgage process through the Rocket platform in the way that works best for them, including through a local mortgage broker. Rocket Pro TPO works exclusively with mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions. Rocket Pro TPO’s partners provide the face-to-face service their clients desire, while tapping into the expertise, technology and award-winning process of Rocket Mortgage.
We measure the performance of the segments primarily on a contribution margin basis. Contribution margin is intended to measure the direct profitability of each segment and is calculated as Adjusted Revenue less Directly attributable expenses. Adjusted Revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure described above. Directly attributable expenses include salaries, commissions and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, marketing and advertising expenses and other expenses, such as direct servicing costs and origination costs. For segments, we measure gain on sale margin of sold loans and refer to this metric as ‘sold loan gain on sale margin.’ A loan is considered sold when it is sold to investors on the secondary market. In previous disclosures, 'sold loans' were referred to as 'funded loans'. Sold loan gain on sale margin represents revenues on loans that have been sold divided by the sold UPB amount. Sold loan gain on sale margin is used specifically in the context of measuring the gain on sale margins of our Direct to Consumer and Partner Network segments. Sold loan gain on sale margin is an important metric in evaluating the revenue generating performance of our segments as it allows us to measure this metric at a segment level with a high degree of precision. By contrast, ‘gain on sale margin’, which we use outside of the segment discussion, measures the gain on sale revenue generation of our combined mortgage business. See below for our overview and discussion of segment results for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020. For additional discussion, see Note 16, Segments of the consolidated financial statements of this Form 10-K.
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Direct to Consumer Results
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 84,142,087 | $ | 213,888,883 | $ | 199,841,530 | |||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 4.14 | % | 4.75 | % | 5.48 | % | |||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale | $ | 2,573,970 | $ | 8,843,040 | $ | 12,076,569 | |||||
| Interest income | 222,621 | 265,438 | 215,171 | ||||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (106,561) | (161,867) | (161,478) | ||||||||
| Service fee income | 1,455,121 | 1,323,171 | 1,070,463 | ||||||||
| Changes in fair value of MSRs | 185,036 | (689,432) | (2,379,355) | ||||||||
| Other income | 449,813 | 1,001,060 | 900,520 | ||||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 4,780,000 | $ | 10,581,410 | $ | 11,721,890 | |||||
| (Increase) decrease in MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | (1,210,947) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | ||||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 3,569,053 | $ | 10,093,937 | $ | 13,010,046 | |||||
| Less: Directly Attributable Expenses(1) | 2,517,850 | 3,697,774 | 3,637,525 | ||||||||
| Contribution Margin | $ | 1,051,203 | $ | 6,396,163 | $ | 9,372,521 |
(1) Direct expenses attributable to operating segments exclude corporate overhead, depreciation and amortization, and interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt.
Year ending December 31, 2022 summary
Direct to Consumer Adjusted Revenue decreased $6.5 billion, or 64.6% to $3.6 billion in 2022 from $10.1 billion in 2021. The decrease was driven by a decrease in sold loan volume and sold loan gain on sale margin, resulting in decreased gain on sale revenue of $6.3 billion, or 70.9%. On a sold loan basis, the Direct to Consumer segment generated $84.1 billion in volume in 2022, a decrease of $129.7 billion, or 60.7%, as compared to 2021 . In addition, sold loan gain on sale margin was 4.14% in 2022, as compared to 4.75% in 2021, driven primarily by more price competition related to excess industry capacity.
Direct to Consumer attributable expenses decreased $1.2 billion, or 31.9%, to $2.5 billion in 2022 compared to $3.7 billion in 2021. The decrease was due to decreased variable compensation and loan processing costs associated with lower volumes, fewer team members in production roles and reduced marketing spend.
Direct to Consumer Contribution Margin decreased $5.3 billion, or 83.6%, to $1.1 billion in 2022 compared to $6.4 billion in 2021. The decrease in Contribution Margin was driven primarily by a decrease in sold loan volume and sold loan gain on sale margin.
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Partner Network Results
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 60,498,569 | $ | 138,802,940 | $ | 106,530,173 | ||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 1.05 | % | 1.20 | % | 2.19 | % | ||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale | 540,234 | 1,597,569 | 2,986,418 | |||||||
| Interest income | 125,034 | 161,256 | 111,876 | |||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (59,818) | (99,226) | (83,628) | |||||||
| Other income | 33,163 | 105,976 | 165,699 | |||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 638,613 | $ | 1,765,575 | $ | 3,180,365 | ||||
| (Increase) decrease in MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | — | — | — | |||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 638,613 | $ | 1,765,575 | $ | 3,180,365 | ||||
| Less: Directly Attributable Expenses | 362,317 | 686,296 | 537,543 | |||||||
| Total Contribution Margin | $ | 276,296 | $ | 1,079,279 | $ | 2,642,822 |
Year ending December 31, 2022 summary
Partner Network Adjusted Revenue decreased $1.1 billion, or 63.8% to $638.6 million in 2022 from $1.8 billion in 2021. The decrease was driven by a decrease in sold loan volume and sold loan gain on sale margin. On a sold loan basis, the Partner Network segment generated $60.5 billion in volume in 2022, a decrease of $78.3 billion, or 56.4%, as compared to 2021. In addition, sold loan gain on sale margin was 1.05% in 2022, as compared to 1.20% in 2021, driven primarily by more price competition related to excess industry capacity.
Partner Network Directly Attributable Expenses decreased $324.0 million, or 47.2%, to $362.3 million in 2022 compared to $686.3 million in 2021. The decrease was due to lower variable compensation and loan processing costs associated with lower volumes and fewer team members in production roles.
Partner Network Contribution Margin decreased $803.0 million, or 74.4%, to $276.3 million in 2022 compared to $1.1 billion in 2021. The decrease in Contribution Margin was driven by a decrease in sold loan volume and sold loan gain on sale margin as noted above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have included:
• cash flow from our operations, including:
• sale of whole loans into the secondary market;
• sale of mortgage servicing rights into the secondary market;
• loan origination fees;
• servicing fee income; and
• interest income on loans held for sale;
• borrowings, including under our loan funding facilities and other secured and unsecured financing facilities; and
• cash and marketable securities on hand.
Historically, our primary uses of funds have included:
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• origination of loans;
• interest expense;
• repayment of debt;
• operating expenses; and
• distributions to RHI including those to fund distributions for payment of taxes by RHI shareholders.
We are also subject to contingencies which may have a significant impact on the use of our cash.
In order to originate and aggregate loans for sale into the secondary market, we use our own working capital and borrow or obtain money on a short-term basis primarily through committed and uncommitted loan funding facilities established with large global banks.
Our loan funding facilities are primarily in the form of master repurchase agreements. We also have loan funding facilities directly with the GSEs. Loans financed under these facilities are generally financed at approximately 97% to 98% of the principal balance of the loan (although certain types of loans are financed at lower percentages of the principal balance of the loan), which requires us to fund the balance from cash generated from operations. Once closed, the underlying residential mortgage loan that is held for sale is pledged as collateral for the borrowing or advance that was made under these loan funding facilities. In most cases, the loans will remain in one of the loan funding facilities for only a short time, generally less than one month, until the loans are pooled and sold. During the time the loans are held for sale, we earn interest income from the borrower on the underlying mortgage loan. This income is partially offset by the interest and fees we have to pay under the loan funding facilities.
When we sell a pool of loans in the secondary market, the proceeds received from the sale of the loans are used to pay back the amounts we owe on the loan funding facilities. We rely on the cash generated from the sale of loans to fund future loans and repay borrowings under our loan funding facilities. Delays or failures to sell loans in the secondary market could have an adverse effect on our liquidity position.
As discussed in Note 6, Borrowings, of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, as of December 31, 2022, we had 15 different funding facilities in different amounts and with various maturities together with the Senior Notes. At December 31, 2022, the aggregate available amount under our facilities was $22.3 billion, with combined outstanding balances of $4.2 billion and unutilized capacity of $18.1 billion.
The amount of financing actually advanced on each individual loan under our loan funding facilities, as determined by agreed upon advance rates, may be less than the stated advance rate depending, in part, on the market value of the mortgage loans securing the financings. Each of our loan funding facilities allows the bank providing the funds to evaluate the market value of the loans that are serving as collateral for the borrowings or advances being made. If the bank determines that the value of the collateral has decreased, the bank can require us to provide additional collateral or reduce the amount outstanding with respect to those loans (e.g., initiate a margin call). Our inability or unwillingness to satisfy the request could result in the termination of the facilities and possible default under our other loan funding facilities. In addition, a large unanticipated margin call could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
The amount owed and outstanding on our loan funding facilities fluctuates significantly based on our origination volume, the amount of time it takes us to sell the loans it originates, and the amount of loans being self-funded with cash. We may from time to time use surplus cash to “buy-down” the effective interest rate of certain loan funding facilities or to self-fund a portion of our loan originations. Buy-down funds are included in Cash and cash equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have the ability to withdraw these funds at any time, unless a margin call has been made or a default has occurred under the relevant facilities. We will also deploy cash to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which can be transferred to a warehouse line or the early buy out line, provided that such loans meet the eligibility criteria to be placed on such lines. The remaining portion will be funded in normal course over a short period of time, generally less than 45 days.
We remain in a strong liquidity position, with total liquidity of $8.1 billion as of December 31, 2022, which includes $0.7 billion of cash on hand, $2.6 billion of corporate cash used to self-fund loan originations, a portion of which could be
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transferred to funding facilities (warehouse lines) at our discretion, $3.1 billion of undrawn lines of credit from non-funding facilities, and $1.7 billion of undrawn MSR lines. As of December 31, 2022, our available cash position was $3.3 billion, which includes cash on hand and corporate cash used to self-fund loan originations, combined with the $6.9 billion of mortgage servicing rights, representing a total of $10.2 billion dollars of asset value on our balance sheet. Margin cash is cash that is exchanged by counterparties to be held as collateral related to our derivative financial instruments. Margin cash held on behalf of counterparties is recorded in Cash and cash equivalents, and the related liability is classified in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Margin cash pledged to counterparties is excluded from cash and cash equivalents and instead recorded in Other assets, as a receivable, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of September 30, 2022, we had $439 million of margin cash held on behalf of counterparties and zero of margin cash pledged, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had $24.1 million of margin cash pledged to counterparties and $1.0 million of margin cash held on behalf of counterparties, respectively. Our available cash position, excluding margin cash pledged or held on behalf of counterparties, was $3.6 billion and $3.3 billion as of September 30, 2022, and December 31, 2022, respectively.
Our loan funding facilities, early buy out facilities, MSRs facility and unsecured lines of credit also generally require us to comply with certain operating and financial covenants and the availability of funds under these facilities is subject to, among other conditions, our continued compliance with these covenants. These financial covenants include, but are not limited to, maintaining (1) a certain minimum tangible net worth, (2) minimum liquidity, (3) a maximum ratio of total liabilities or total debt to tangible net worth and (4) pre-tax net income requirements. A breach of these covenants can result in an event of default under these facilities and as such allows the lenders to pursue certain remedies. In addition, each of these facilities, as well as our unsecured lines of credit, includes cross default or cross acceleration provisions that could result in all facilities terminating if an event of default or acceleration of maturity occurs under any facility. We were in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.
December 31, 2022 compared to December 31, 2021
Cash Flows
Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $789.1 million at December 31, 2022, a decrease of $1.4 billion, or 64.3%, compared to $2.2 billion at December 31, 2021. The decrease was primarily driven by distributions made to Class A shareholders of the Company and to unit holders (members) of Holdings partially offset by the net increase from earnings adjusted for non-cash items.
Equity
Equity was $8.5 billion as of December 31, 2022, a decrease of $1.3 billion, or 13.2%, as compared to $9.8 billion as of December 31, 2021. The decrease was primarily a result of distributions made to Class A shareholders of the Company and to unit holders (members) of Holdings and the repurchase of Class A Common Shares, partially offset by Net Income of $0.7 billion and share-based compensation of $228.9 million.
Contractual Obligations, Commercial Commitments, and Other Contingencies
Our material expected cash requirements also include the following contractual commitments:
Repurchase and indemnification obligations
In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to liability under representations and warranties made to purchasers of mortgage loans. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans, or indemnify the purchaser of such loans for losses incurred, if there has been a breach of representations or warranties, or if the borrower defaults on the loan payments within a contractually defined period (early payment default). Additionally, in certain instances we are contractually obligated to refund to the purchaser certain premiums paid to us on the sale if the mortgagor prepays the loan within a specified period of time, specified in our loan sale agreements. See Note 14, Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Interest rate lock commitments, loan sale and forward commitments
In the normal course of business, we are party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit to borrowers at either fixed or floating interest rates. IRLCs are commitment agreements to lend to a client at a specified interest rate within a specified period of time as long as there is no violation of conditions established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses which may require payment of a fee. As many of the commitments expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. In addition, we have contracts to sell mortgage loans into the secondary market at specified future dates (commitments to sell loans), and forward commitments to sell MBS at specified future dates and interest rates.
Following is a summary of the notional amounts of commitments:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2022 | 2021 | |||||
| Interest rate lock commitments—fixed rate | $ | 6,108,132 | $ | 25,937,777 | |||
| Interest rate lock commitments—variable rate | $ | 326,638 | $ | 1,239,762 | |||
| Commitments to sell loans | $ | 20,618 | $ | 2,243,381 | |||
| Forward commitments to sell mortgage-backed securities | $ | 10,493,989 | $ | 34,851,371 | |||
| Forward commitments to purchase mortgage-backed securities | $ | 470,000 | $ | 1,625,500 |
Distributions
Years Ended December 31, 2022
On February 24, 2022, our board of directors declared a cash dividend (the "2022 Special Dividend") of $1.01 per share to the holders of our Class A common stock. The 2022 Special Dividend was paid on March 22, 2022 to holders of the Class A common stock of record as of the close of business on March 8, 2022. The Company funded the 2022 Special Dividend from cash distributions of approximately $2.0 billion by RKT Holdings, LLC to all of its members, including the Company. To the extent the 2022 Special Dividend exceeded our current and accumulated earnings and profits, a portion of the 2022 Special Dividend may be deemed a return of capital or a capital gain to the investors in our Class A common stock. Refer to our risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part II. Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and in our Form 10-K.
In addition to the approximately $2.0 billion 2022 Special Dividend, we had $166.2 million in tax distributions, for a total of $2.1 billion of distributions during the year ended December 31, 2022. Except for tax distributions, these distributions are at the discretion of our board of directors.
New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
See Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our consolidated financial statements.
FY 2021 10-K MD&A
SEC filing source: 0001805284-22-000011.
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”). This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed below under the heading “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and in Part I and elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and, in each case, their negative or other various or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Form 10-K, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenue, projected costs, prospects, plans, objectives of management and expected market growth are forward-looking statements. As you read this Form 10-K, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Our forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this Form 10-K. We expressly disclaim any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this Form 10-K.
Objective
The following discussion provides an analysis of the Company's financial condition, cash flows and results of operations from management's perspective and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our objective is to provide discussion of events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause reported financial information not to be indicative of future operating results or of future financial condition and to offer information that provides understanding of our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Executive Summary
We are a Detroit-based FinTech holding company consisting of tech-driven real estate, mortgage and eCommerce businesses. We are committed to providing an industry-leading client experience powered by our platform. In addition to Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, we have expanded into complementary industries, such as real estate services, personal lending, auto sales, solar, and personal finance where we seek to deliver innovative client solutions leveraging our Rocket platform.
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Recent Developments
Business Update in Response to COVID-19 Impact
As of December 31, 2021, 20,652 clients, or 0.81% of the total serviced portfolio, have entered into a forbearance plan related to COVID-19. Since year end, we’ve seen positive developments in the number of clients entering into forbearance and as of January 31, 2022, the total number of clients in a forbearance plan related to COVID-19 was 18,909, or 0.73% of the portfolio.
Share Repurchase Program
As of February 18, 2022, Rocket Companies has repurchased 20.7 million shares at a weighted average price of $15.08. Cumulatively, we have returned $312.2 million to shareholders under the $1 billion Share Repurchase Program authorized in November 2020.
Year ended December 31, 2021 summary
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we originated $351.2 billion in residential mortgage loans, which was a $31.0 billion, or 9.7%, increase from the year ended December 31, 2020. Our Net income was $6.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to a Net income of $9.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. We generated $6.2 billion of Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2021, which was a decrease of $5.0 billion, or 44.9%, compared to $11.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. For more information on Adjusted EBITDA, please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
The decrease in Net income and Adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by a decrease of $4.6 billion, or 30.5%, in Gain on sale of loans, net which was driven primarily by a decrease in gain on sale margin in the year ended December 31, 2021. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2021 results included an increase in expenses associated with higher production levels as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 results. The increase in salaries, commissions and team member benefits of $118.5 million, or 3.7%, was primarily due to hiring in production roles to support the increased volume levels, as well as hiring of key talent such as technology and product strategy teams. General and administrative costs increased by $130.3 million, or 12.4%, in the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 driven primarily due to increases in third party technology spend to support increased production, partially offset by a decrease in the costs related to the Small Business Administration ("SBA") loan program at Rocket Loans. Marketing and advertising expenses increased by $299.7 million, or 31.5%, in the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020 as a result of higher performance marketing to associated with higher production and an increase in brand marketing spend related to the reintroduction of many sporting and other live events that were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of December 31, 2021, our servicing portfolio, including loans subserviced for others, included approximately $551.9 billion of UPB and 2.6 million client loans. The portfolio primarily consists of high quality performing GSE and government (FHA and VA) loans. As of December 31, 2021, our delinquent loans (defined as 60-plus days past-due) were 1.60% of our total portfolio. Excluding clients in forbearance plans, our delinquent loans were 0.94% as of December 31, 2021. We monitor the MSR portfolio on a regular basis seeking to optimize our portfolio by evaluating the risk and the client lifetime value. As part of these efforts we sold the servicing on approximately 240,000 loans with $93.3 billion in UPB during the year ended December 31, 2021. These sales were more than offset by new loans that were added to the MSR portfolio organically during the period.
Year ended December 31, 2020 summary
For the year ended December 31, 2020, we originated $320.2 billion in residential mortgage loans, which was an $175.0 billion, or 120.6% increase from the year ended December 31, 2019. Our Net income was $9.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, up $8.5 billion, or 947.7%, compared to $897.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. We generated $11.2 billion of Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was an increase of $9.2 billion, or 462.5%, in the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $2.0 billion in the year ended December 31, 2019. For more information on Adjusted EBITDA, please see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" below.
The increase in net income and Adjusted EBITDA was primarily driven by an increase of $10.2 billion, or 206.9% in gain on sale of loans, net which was driven primarily by the increase in origination volume in the year ended December 31, 2020 noted above. Other income also increased $1.1 billion, or 144.4%, due primarily to revenue generated from Amrock's title insurance services, property valuation and settlement services that was also driven by the increase in origination volume noted above and revenue earned at Rocket Loans from processing 19.9 million unique loan recommendations through the economic injury disaster loans program offered by the Small Business Administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in collection/realization of cash flows from MSRs of $284.5 million, or 35.3%, which is a reduction in revenue primarily due to an increase in the volume of loans paid in full prior to their scheduled maturity from our servicing portfolio (referred to as ‘prepayment speed’) in the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended of December 31, 2019. In addition, the year ended December 31, 2020 results include increased expenses associated with higher production levels as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 results. The increase in production led to an increase in salaries, commissions and team member benefits of $1.2 billion, or 55.5%, primarily due to variable compensation and an increase in team members in production roles to support our continued growth. General and administrative costs also increased by $368.1 million, or 53.7%, in the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 driven primarily by higher loan processing expenses due to increased production as well as expenses associated with the increased revenues from Rocket Loans noted above. Other expenses increased by $335.8 million, or 94.6%, in the year ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2019 driven by expenses incurred to support the higher level of title insurance services, property valuation and settlement services due to the increased origination volumes noted above. Other expenses also increased due to an increase in payoff interest expense that resulted from an increase in the volume of loans paid in full prior to their scheduled maturity from our servicing portfolio and due to expenses incurred in connection with the sale of MSRs in the year ended December 31, 2020. When individual loans are paid off, we are required to remit interest for an entire month regardless of the date of payoff; however, clients are only responsible for interest accrued up to the date of payoff. The difference between the interest we are required to remit to investors and the interest we collect from the client as a result of an early payoff is referred to as “payoff interest”.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To provide investors with information in addition to our results as determined by GAAP, we disclose Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA as non-GAAP measures which management believes provide useful information to investors. These measures are not financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for revenue, net income, or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP, and may not be comparable to a similarly titled measure reported by other companies.
We define “Adjusted Revenue” as total revenues net of the change in fair value of mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”) due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges). We define “Adjusted Net Income” as tax-effected earnings before non-cash share-based compensation expense, the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes, a litigation accrual, Change in Tax receivable agreement liability, and the tax effects of those adjustments. We define “Adjusted Diluted EPS” as Adjusted Net Income divided by the diluted weighted average number of Class A common stock outstanding for the applicable period, which assumes the pro forma exchange and conversion of all outstanding Class D common stock for Class A common stock. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as earnings before interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt, income tax, and depreciation and amortization, net of the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges), share-based compensation expense, and a litigation accrual. We exclude from each of these non-GAAP measures the change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) as this represents a non-cash non-realized adjustment to our total revenues, reflecting changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, which is not indicative of our performance or results of operation. We also exclude effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs. Adjusted EBITDA includes interest expense on funding facilities, which are recorded as a component of “Interest income, net”, as these expenses are a direct cost driven by loan origination volume. By contrast, interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt is a function of our capital structure and is therefore excluded from Adjusted EBITDA.
In first quarter of 2021, we revised our definition of Adjusted Net income and Adjusted EBITDA to exclude a litigation accrual that does not directly affect what we consider to be our core operating performance. Excluding this cost did not impact Adjusted Net income or Adjusted EBITDA for the comparative periods presented. In the third quarter of 2021, we revised our definition of Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net income and Adjusted EBITDA to exclude the effects of contractual
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prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs as this does not directly affect what we consider to be our core operating performance. Excluding these costs impacted Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA for the comparative periods presented. In the fourth quarter of 2021, we revised our definition of Adjusted Net income to exclude loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes and change in tax receivable agreement liability as these do not directly affect what we consider to be our core operating performance. Excluding these costs impacted Adjusted Net income for the comparative periods presented. From time to time in the future, we may exclude other items if we believe that doing so is consistent with the goal of providing useful information to investors.
We believe that the presentation of Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because each measure assists both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA provide indicators of performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period, and management relies on these measures for planning and forecasting of future periods. Additionally, these measures allow management to compare our results with those of other companies that have different financing and capital structures. However, other companies may define Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA differently, and as a result, our measures of Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA may not be directly comparable to those of other companies.
Although we use Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA as financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business. Additionally, our definitions of each of Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA allows us to add back certain non-cash charges and deduct certain gains that are included in calculating total revenues, net, net income attributable to Rocket Companies or net income (loss). However, these expenses and gains vary greatly, and are difficult to predict. They can represent the effect of long-term strategies as opposed to short-term results. Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, total revenues, net income attributable to Rocket Companies and net income (loss) in accordance with U.S. GAAP as measures of performance. Our presentation of Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items.
Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are:
(a) they do not reflect every cash expenditure, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
(b) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect the significant interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our debt;
(c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements in the future, and Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect any cash requirement for such replacements or improvements; and
(d) they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Because of these limitations, Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended as alternatives to total revenue, net income attributable to Rocket Companies or net income (loss) as an indicator of our operating performance and should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations. We compensate for these limitations by using Adjusted Revenue, Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Diluted EPS and Adjusted EBITDA along with other comparative tools, together with U.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. See below for reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to their most comparable U.S. GAAP measures. Additionally, our U.S.
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GAAP-based measures can be found in the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Revenue to Total Revenue, net
| Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 12,914,466 | $ | 15,650,067 | $ | 5,069,102 | ||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges)(1) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | 838,119 | |||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 12,426,993 | $ | 16,938,223 | $ | 5,907,221 |
(1) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income to Net Income Attributable to Rocket Companies
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Net income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 308,210 | $ | 197,951 | $ | — | ||||
| Net income impact from pro forma conversion of Class D common shares to Class A common shares(1) | 5,766,284 | 9,203,435 | 898,497 | |||||||
| Adjustment to the provision for income tax(2) | (1,428,937) | (2,235,345) | (217,059) | |||||||
| Tax-effected net income(2) | $ | 4,645,557 | $ | 7,166,041 | $ | 681,438 | ||||
| Non-cash share-based compensation expense | 163,712 | 136,187 | 39,703 | |||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges)(3) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | 838,119 | |||||||
| Loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes | 87,262 | 43,695 | — | |||||||
| Litigation accrual(4) | 15,000 | — | — | |||||||
| Change in Tax receivable agreement liability(5) | 18,835 | (7,859) | — | |||||||
| Tax impact of adjustments(6) | 55,191 | (364,458) | (217,438) | |||||||
| Other tax adjustments(7) | 3,732 | 4,548 | — | |||||||
| Adjusted Net Income | $ | 4,501,816 | $ | 8,266,310 | $ | 1,341,822 |
(1) Reflects net income to Class A common stock from pro forma exchange and conversion of corresponding shares of our Class D common shares held by non-controlling interest holders as of December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
(2) Rocket Companies will be subject to U.S. Federal income taxes, in addition to state, local and Canadian taxes with respect to its allocable share of any net taxable income of Holdings. The adjustment to the provision for income tax reflects the effective tax rates below, assuming the Issuer owns 100% of the non-voting common interest units of Holdings.
| December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
| Statutory U.S. Federal Income Tax Rate | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | 21.00 | % | ||
| Canadian taxes | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | |||||
| State and Local Income Taxes (net of federal benefit) | 4.20 | 3.86 | 3.76 | |||||
| Effective Income Tax Rate for Adjusted Net Income | 25.21 | % | 24.87 | % | 24.77 | % |
(3) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates, and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSRs.
(4) Reflects legal accrual related to a specific legal matter.
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(5) Reflects changes in estimates of tax rates and other variables of the Tax receivable agreement liability for which no income tax expense/benefit is recognized.
(6) Tax impact of adjustments gives effect to the income tax related to non-cash share-based compensation expense, change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions, loss on extinguishment of Senior Notes, and the litigation accrual at the above described effective tax rates for each period.
(7) Represents tax benefits due to the amortization of intangible assets and other tax attributes resulting from the purchase of Holdings units, net of payment obligations under Tax Receivable Agreement.
Reconciliation of Adjusted Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding to Diluted Weighted Average Shares Outstanding
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands, except per share) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||
| Diluted weighted average Class A common shares outstanding | 1,989,433,567 | 116,238,493 | N/A(3) | |||||
| Assumed pro forma conversion of Class D shares(1) | — | 1,872,476,780 | N/A(3) | |||||
| Adjusted diluted weighted average shares outstanding | 1,989,433,567 | 1,988,715,273 | N/A(3) | |||||
| Adjusted Net Income(2) | $ | 4,501,816 | $ | 8,266,310 | N/A(3) | |||
| Adjusted Diluted EPS | $ | 2.26 | $ | 4.16 | N/A(3) |
(1) Reflects the pro forma exchange and conversion of non-dilutive all Class D common stock to Class A common stock.
(2) Represents Adjusted Net Income for 2020 for the full fiscal year as presented.
(3) This non-GAAP measure is not applicable for this period, as the reorganization transactions had not yet occurred.
Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Income
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Net income | $ | 6,072,163 | $ | 9,399,276 | $ | 897,130 | |||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 230,740 | 186,301 | 136,853 | ||||||||
| Income tax provision | 112,738 | 132,381 | 7,310 | ||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 74,713 | 74,316 | 74,952 | ||||||||
| Non-cash share-based compensation expense | 163,712 | 136,187 | 39,703 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges)(1) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | 838,119 | ||||||||
| Litigation accrual(2) | 15,000 | — | — | ||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 6,181,593 | $ | 11,216,617 | $ | 1,994,067 |
(1) Reflects changes in assumptions including discount rates and prepayment speed assumptions, mostly due to changes in market interest rates and the effects of contractual prepayment protection associated with sales of MSR's.
(2) Reflects legal accrual related to a specific legal matter.
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Key Performance Indicators
We monitor a number of key performance indicators to evaluate the performance of our business operations. Our loan production key performance indicators enable us to monitor our ability to generate gain on sale revenue as well as understand how our performance compares to the total mortgage origination market. Our servicing portfolio key performance indicators enable us to monitor the overall size of our servicing portfolio of business, the related value of our mortgage servicing rights, and the health of the business as measured by the average MSR delinquency rate. Other key performance indicators for other Rocket Companies, besides Rocket Mortgage ("Other Rocket Companies"), allow us to monitor both revenues and unit sales generated by these businesses. We also include Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits, as we believe traffic on the site is an indicator of consumer interest.
The following summarizes key performance indicators of the business:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Units and $ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Rocket Mortgage(1) | |||||||||||
| Loan Production Data | |||||||||||
| Closed loan origination volume | $ | 351,193,352 | $ | 320,208,777 | $ | 145,179,577 | |||||
| Direct to Consumer origination volume | $ | 199,894,693 | $ | 200,543,558 | $ | 92,476,450 | |||||
| Partner Network origination volume | $ | 151,298,659 | $ | 119,665,219 | $ | 52,703,127 | |||||
| Total Market Share(2) | 8.8 | % | 7.8 | % | 6.4 | % | |||||
| Gain on sale margin(3) | 3.13 | % | 4.46 | % | 3.19 | % | |||||
| Servicing Portfolio Data | |||||||||||
| Total serviced UPB (includes subserviced) | $ | 551,866,424 | $ | 409,552,743 | $ | 338,639,281 | |||||
| MSRs UPB of loans serviced | $ | 485,087,214 | $ | 371,494,905 | $ | 311,718,188 | |||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 66,779,210 | 38,057,838 | 26,921,093 | ||||||||
| Total loans serviced (includes subserviced) | 2,565.1 | 2,059.2 | 1,802.2 | ||||||||
| Number of MSRs loans serviced | 2,384.2 | 1,975.6 | 1,698.9 | ||||||||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 180.9 | 83.6 | 103.3 | ||||||||
| MSR fair value multiple(4) | 3.91 | 2.53 | 3.01 | ||||||||
| Total serviced delinquency rate, excluding loans in forbearance (60+) | 0.94 | % | 0.84 | % | 1.01 | % | |||||
| Total serviced MSR delinquency rate (60+) | 1.60 | % | 3.91 | % | 1.01 | % | |||||
| Net client retention rate(5) | 91 | % | 91 | % | 94 | % | |||||
| Other Rocket Companies | |||||||||||
| Amrock gross revenue(6) | $ | 1,373,612 | $ | 1,251,381 | $ | 558,622 | |||||
| Amrock closings | 1,115.1 | 1,040.1 | 444.9 | ||||||||
| Rocket Homes gross revenue(6) | $ | 57,559 | $ | 45,628 | $ | 43,068 | |||||
| Rocket Homes real estate transactions | 33.1 | 27.4 | 30.3 | ||||||||
| Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits(7) | 1,829.7 | 568.5 | 180.0 | ||||||||
| Rocket Loans gross revenue(6) | $ | 95,441 | $ | 393,879 | $ | 24,751 | |||||
| Rocket Loans closed units(8) | 17.4 | 9.1 | 25.7 | ||||||||
| Rock Connections gross revenue(6) | $ | 66,417 | $ | 90,196 | $ | 100,843 | |||||
| Rocket Auto gross revenue(6)(9) | $ | 40,594 | $ | 23,663 | $ | 13,209 | |||||
| Rocket Auto car sales | 59.7 | 32.1 | 20.0 | ||||||||
| Total Other Rocket Companies gross revenue | $ | 1,633,623 | $ | 1,804,747 | $ | 740,493 | |||||
| Total Other Rocket Companies net revenue(10) | $ | 1,583,617 | $ | 1,717,432 | $ | 646,939 |
(1) Rocket Mortgage origination volume and gain on sale margins exclude all reverse mortgage activity.
(2) Market share information is calculated based on one to four family mortgage originations as reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association as of January 2022.
(3) Gain on sale margin is the gain on sale of loans, net divided by net rate lock volume for the period, excluding all reverse mortgage activity. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, and fair value adjustment on loans held for sale, divided by the UPB of loans subject to IRLC’s during the applicable period.
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(4) MSR fair market value multiple is a metric used to determine the relative value of the MSR asset in relation to the annualized retained servicing fee, which is the cash that the holder of the MSR asset would receive from the portfolio as of such date. It is calculated as the quotient of (a) the MSR fair market value as of a specified date divided by (b) the weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio as of such date. The weighted average annualized retained servicing fee for our MSR portfolio was 0.284%, 0.304%, and 0.307% for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively. The vast majority of our portfolio consists of originated MSRs and consequently, the impact of purchased MSRs does not have a material impact on our weighted average service fee.
(5) This metric measures our retention across a greater percentage of our client bases versus our recapture rate. We define "net client retention rate" as the number of clients that were active at the beginning of a period and which remain active at the end of the period, divided by the number of clients that were active at the beginning of the period. This metric excludes clients whose loans were sold during the period as well as clients to whom we did not actively market to due to contractual prohibitions or other business reasons. We define "active" as those clients who do not pay-off their mortgage with us and originate a new mortgage with another lender during the period.
(6) This revenue is only reported annually.
(7) Rockethomes.com average unique monthly visits is calculated by a third party service that monitors website activity. This metric does not have a direct correlation to revenues and is used primarily to monitor consumer interest in the Rockethomes.com site.
(8) In addition to the closed loans Rocket Loans disclosed here, as noted above, during the year ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, we also processed more than 3.9 million and 19.9 million unique loan recommendations through the economic injury disaster loans program offered by the SBA.
(9) Rocket Auto gross revenues includes all revenues generated from facilitating auto sales. Rocket Auto's Gross Merchandise Value, which represents the vehicle and other vehicle-related sales during the period, was $1,896 and $799 for the year ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
(10) Net revenue presented above is calculated as gross revenues less intercompany revenue eliminations, as a portion of the Other Rocket Companies revenues is generated through intercompany transactions.
Description of Certain Components of Financial Data
Components of revenue
Our sources of revenue include gain on sale of loans, loan servicing income, interest income, and other income.
Gain on sale of loans, net
Gain on sale of loans, net includes all components related to the origination and sale of mortgage loans, including (1) net gain on sale of loans, which represents the premium we receive in excess of the loan principal amount and certain fees charged by investors upon sale of loans into the secondary market, (2) loan origination fees, credits, points and certain costs, (3) provision for or benefit from investor reserves, (4) the change in fair value of interest rate locks (“IRLCs” or “rate lock”) and loans held for sale, (5) the gain or loss on forward commitments hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs, and (6) the fair value of originated MSRs.
An estimate of the gain on sale of loans, net is recognized at the time an IRLC is issued, net of an estimated pull-through factor. The pull-through factor is a key assumption and estimates the loan funding probability, as not all loans that reach IRLC status will result in a closed loan. Subsequent changes in the fair value of IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale are recognized in current period earnings. When the mortgage loan is sold into the secondary market (i.e., funded), any difference between the proceeds received and the current fair value of the loan is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
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Loan origination fees generally include underwriting and processing fees. Loan origination costs include lender paid mortgage insurance, recording taxes, investor fees and other related expenses. Net loan origination fees and costs related to the origination of mortgage loans are recognized as a component of the fair value of IRLCs.
We establish reserves for our estimated liabilities associated with the potential repurchase or indemnity of purchasers of loans previously sold due to representation and warranty claims by investors. Additionally, the reserves are established for the estimated liabilities from the need to repay, where applicable, a portion of the premium received from investors on the sale of certain loans if such loans are repaid in their entirety within a specified time period after the sale of the loans. The provision for or benefit from investor reserves is recognized in current period earnings in gain on sale of loans.
We enter into derivative transactions to protect against the risk of adverse interest rate movements that could impact the fair value of certain assets, including IRLCs and loans held for sale. We primarily use forward loan sales commitments to hedge our interest rate risk exposure. Changes in the value of these derivatives, or hedging gains and losses, are included in gain on sale of loans.
Included in gain on sale of loans, net is also the fair value of originated MSRs, which represents the estimated fair value of MSRs related to loans which we have sold and retained the right to service.
Loan servicing income (loss), net
The value of newly originated MSRs is recognized as a component of the gain on sale of loans, net when loans are sold and the associated servicing rights are retained. Loan servicing fee income consists of the contractual fees earned for servicing the loans and includes ancillary revenue such as late fees and modification incentives. Loan servicing fee income is recorded to income as earned, which is upon collection of payments from borrowers. We have elected to subsequently measure the MSRs at fair value on a recurring basis. Changes in fair value of MSRs, net primarily due to the realization of expected cash flows and/or changes in valuation inputs and estimates, are recognized in current period earnings. Furthermore, we also include in loan servicing income (loss), net the gains and losses related to MSRs collateral financing liability and MSRs financing liability.
We regularly perform a comprehensive analysis of the MSR portfolio in order to identify and sell certain MSRs that do not align with our strategy for retaining MSRs. To hedge against interest rate exposure on these assets, we enter into forward loan purchase commitments. Changes in the value of derivatives designed to protect against MSR value fluctuations, or MSR hedging gains and losses, are included as a component of servicing fee loss, net.
Interest income, net
Interest income, net is interest earned on mortgage loans held for sale net of the interest expense paid on our loan funding facilities.
Other income
Other income includes revenues generated from Amrock (title insurance services, property valuation, and settlement services), Rocket Homes (real estate network referral fees), Rocket Auto (auto sales business revenues), Core Digital Media (third party lead generation revenues), Rock Connections (third party sales and support revenues), Truebill (personal finance) and professional service fees. The professional service fees represent amounts paid for services provided by Rocket Mortgage to affiliated companies. For additional information on such fees, see Note 7, Transactions with Related Parties in the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Form 10-K for additional detail. Services are provided primarily in connection with technology, facilities, human resources, accounting, training, and security functions. Other income also includes revenues from investment interest income.
Components of operating expenses
Our operating expenses as presented in the statement of operations data include salaries, commissions and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, marketing and advertising expenses, and other expenses.
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Salaries, commissions and team member benefits
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits include all payroll, benefits, and stock compensation expenses for our team members.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses primarily include occupancy costs, professional services, loan processing expenses on loans that do not close or that are not charged to clients on closed loans, commitment fees, fees on loan funding facilities, license fees, office expenses and other operating expenses.
Marketing and advertising expenses
Marketing and advertising expenses are primarily related to performance and brand marketing.
Other expenses
Other expenses primarily consist of depreciation and amortization on property and equipment, and mortgage servicing related expenses.
Income taxes
Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management’s best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes predominantly in the United States and Canada. These tax laws are often complex and may be subject to different interpretations. To determine the financial statement impact of accounting for income taxes, the Company must make assumptions and judgements about how to interpret and apply these complex tax laws to numerous transactions and business events, as well as make judgements regarding the timing of when certain items may affect taxable income in the United States and Canada.
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities. In evaluating our ability to recover our deferred tax assets within the jurisdiction from which they arise, we consider all available positive and negative evidence including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent results of operations. If based upon all available positive and negative evidence, it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is established. The valuation allowance may be reversed in a subsequent reporting period if the Company determines that it is more likely than not that all or part of the deferred tax asset will become realizable.
Our interpretations of tax laws are subject to review and examination by various taxing authorities and jurisdictions where the Company operates, and disputes may occur regarding its view on a tax position. These disputes over interpretations with the various tax authorities may be settled by audit, administrative appeals or adjudication in the court systems of the tax jurisdictions in which the Company operates. We regularly review whether we may be assessed additional income taxes as a result of the resolution of these matters, and the Company records additional reserves as appropriate. In addition, the Company may revise its estimate of income taxes due to changes in income tax laws, legal interpretations, and business strategies. We recognize the financial statement effects of uncertain income tax positions when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the position will be sustained upon examination. We record interest and penalties related to uncertain income tax positions in income tax expense. For additional information regarding our provision for income taxes refer to Note 11, Income Taxes.
Tax Receivable Agreement
In connection with the reorganization, we entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with RHI and our Chairman that will obligate us to make payments to RHI and our Chairman generally equal to 90% of the applicable cash savings that we actually realize as a result of the tax attributes generated by (i) certain increases in our allocable share of the tax basis in Holdings’ assets resulting from (a) the purchases of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) from RHI and our Chairman (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) using the net proceeds from our initial public offering or in any future offering, (b) exchanges by RHI and our Chairman (or their transferees of Holdings Units or other assignees) of Holdings Units (along with the corresponding shares
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of our Class D common stock or Class C common stock) for cash or shares of our Class B common stock or Class A common stock, as applicable, or (c) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement; (ii) tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed arising as a result of payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement and (iii) disproportionate allocations (if any) of tax benefits to Holdings as a result of section 704(c) of the Code that relate to the reorganization transactions. We will retain the benefit of the remaining 10% of these tax savings.
Share-based compensation
Share-based compensation is comprised of both equity and liability awards and is measured and expensed accordingly under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718 Compensation—Stock Compensation. As indicated above, share-based compensation expense is included as part of salaries, commissions and team member benefits.
Non-Controlling Interest
We are the sole managing member of Holdings and consolidate the financial results of Holdings. Therefore, we report a non-controlling interest based on the Holdings Units of Holdings held by our Chairman and RHI on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Income or loss is attributed to the non-controlling interests based on the weighted average Holdings Units outstanding during the period and is presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. Refer to Note 16, Non-controlling Interests for more information on non-controlling interests.
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Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Summary of Operations
| Condensed Statement of Operations Data | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 10,468,574 | $ | 15,070,703 | $ | 4,911,307 | |||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,325,938 | 1,074,255 | 950,221 | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | (689,432) | (2,379,355) | (1,644,849) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | 168,940 | 84,070 | 115,834 | ||||||||
| Other income | 1,640,446 | 1,800,394 | 736,589 | ||||||||
| Total revenue, net | 12,914,466 | 15,650,067 | 5,069,102 | ||||||||
| Expenses | |||||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | 3,356,815 | 3,238,301 | 2,082,797 | ||||||||
| General and administrative expenses | 1,183,418 | 1,053,080 | 685,028 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 1,249,583 | 949,933 | 905,000 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding-debt | 230,740 | 186,301 | 136,853 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 709,009 | 690,795 | 354,984 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | 6,729,565 | 6,118,410 | 4,164,662 | ||||||||
| Net income before taxes | $ | 6,184,901 | $ | 9,531,657 | $ | 904,440 | |||||
| Provision for income taxes | (112,738) | (132,381) | (7,310) | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to non-controlling interest | (5,763,953) | (9,201,325) | (897,130) | ||||||||
| Net income attributable to Rocket Companies | $ | 308,210 | $ | 197,951 | $ | — |
Gain on sale of loans, net
The components of gain on sale of loans for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Net gain on sale of loans(1) | $ | 7,462,202 | $ | 12,784,611 | $ | 3,259,530 | |||||
| Fair value of originated MSRs | 3,864,359 | 3,124,659 | 1,771,651 | ||||||||
| Benefit from (provision for) investor reserves | 8,557 | (36,814) | 1,872 | ||||||||
| Fair value adjustment gain on loans held for sale and IRLCs | (2,106,952) | 2,102,884 | 427,749 | ||||||||
| Revaluation gain (loss) from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs | 1,240,408 | (2,904,637) | (549,495) | ||||||||
| Gain on sale of loans, net | $ | 10,468,574 | $ | 15,070,703 | $ | 4,911,307 |
(1) Net gain on sale of loans represents the premium received in excess of the UPB, plus net origination fees.
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The table below provides details of the characteristics of our mortgage loan production for each of the periods presented:
| ($ in thousands) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan origination volume by type | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
| Conventional Conforming | $ | 273,463,292 | $ | 262,509,809 | $ | 104,070,952 | |||
| FHA/VA | 55,231,445 | 47,975,043 | 33,690,730 | ||||||
| Non Agency | 22,498,615 | 9,723,925 | 7,417,895 | ||||||
| Total mortgage loan origination volume | $ | 351,193,352 | $ | 320,208,777 | $ | 145,179,577 | |||
| Portfolio metrics | |||||||||
| Average loan amount | $ | 281 | $ | 278 | $ | 262 | |||
| Weighted average loan-to-value ratio | 67.87 | % | 69.42 | % | 75.65 | % | |||
| Weighted average credit score | 749 | 756 | 740 | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 2.80 | % | 3.04 | % | 4.02 | % | |||
| Percentage of loans sold | |||||||||
| To GSEs and government | 92.98 | % | 97.85 | % | 90.86 | % | |||
| To other counterparties | 7.02 | % | 2.15 | % | 9.14 | % | |||
| Servicing-retained | 95.23 | % | 96.69 | % | 96.11 | % | |||
| Servicing-released | 4.77 | % | 3.31 | % | 3.89 | % | |||
| Net rate lock volume(1) | $ | 333,790,140 | $ | 338,666,648 | $ | 152,183,984 | |||
| Gain on sale margin(2) | 3.13 | % | 4.46 | % | 3.19 | % |
(1) Net rate lock volume includes the UPB of loans subject to IRLCs, net of the pull-through factor as described in the “Description of Certain Components of Financial Data” section above.
(2) Gain on sale margin is a ratio of gain on sale of loans, net to the net rate lock volume for the period as described above. Gain on sale of loans, net includes the net gain on sale of loans, fair value of originated MSRs, fair value adjustment gain on loans held for sale and IRLC’s, and revaluation loss from forward commitments economically hedging loans held for sale and IRLCs. This metric is a measure of profitability for our on-going mortgage business and therefore excludes revenues from Other Rocket Companies and reverse mortgage activity. See the table above for each of the components of gain on sale of loans, net.
Gain on sale of loans, net was $10.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, a decrease of $4.6 billion, or 30.5%, as compared with $15.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in gain on sale of loans, net was primarily driven by a decrease in gain on sale margin to 3.13% from 4.46% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in mortgage loan origination volume of $31.0 billion, or 9.7%. The decrease in gain on sale margin during the year ended December 31, 2021 is driven by a compression in the primary-secondary spread and an increase in Partner Network as a percentage of our overall production mix. The primary-secondary spread refers to the difference between the primary mortgage rate at which lenders originate loans with borrowers and the rate in the secondary market in which lenders securitize loans into mortgage backed securities.
Gain on sale of loans, net was $15.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $10.2 billion, or 206.9%, as compared with $4.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in gain on sale of loans, net was primarily driven by an increase in mortgage loan origination volume of $175.0 billion, or 120.6%. There was an increase in gain on sale margin to 4.46% in 2020 compared to 3.19% in 2019, respectively. The increase in gain on sale margin was driven by strong consumer demand for mortgages due to historically low mortgage rates and the related increase in the primary-secondary spreads as compared to 2019.
Net gain on sales of loans decreased $5.3 billion, or 41.6%, to $7.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to $12.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. This was driven by a decrease in gain on sale margin noted above partially offset by an increase in mortgage loan origination volume .
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Net gain on sales of loans increased $9.5 billion, or 292.2%, to $12.8 billion in the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to $3.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. This was driven by an increase in mortgage loan origination volume and an increase in gain on sale margin noted above.
The fair value of MSRs originated was $3.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $0.7 billion, or 23.7%, as compared with $3.1 billion during the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in sold loan volume of $46.3 billion, or 15.1%, from $306.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $352.7 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in sold loan volume was partially offset by a decrease in the weighted average servicing fee during the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020.
The fair value of MSRs originated was $3.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $1.4 billion, or 76.4%, as compared with $1.8 billion during the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in sold loan volume noted above.
Loan servicing income (loss), net
For the periods presented, loan servicing income (loss), net consisted of the following:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Retained servicing fee | $ | 1,292,031 | $ | 1,043,147 | $ | 910,870 | |||||
| Subservicing income | 9,389 | 7,996 | 8,186 | ||||||||
| Ancillary income | 24,518 | 23,112 | 31,165 | ||||||||
| Servicing fee income | 1,325,938 | 1,074,255 | 950,221 | ||||||||
| Change in valuation model inputs or assumptions | 510,869 | (1,360,052) | (832,619) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSR hedge | (23,396) | 71,896 | (5,500) | ||||||||
| Collection / realization of cash flows | (1,176,905) | (1,091,199) | (806,730) | ||||||||
| Change in fair value of MSRs | (689,432) | (2,379,355) | (1,644,849) | ||||||||
| Loan servicing income (loss), net | $ | 636,506 | $ | (1,305,100) | $ | (694,628) |
| December 31, | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||
| MSR UPB of loans serviced | $ | 485,087,214 | $ | 371,494,905 | $ | 311,718,188 | |||
| Number of MSR loans serviced | 2,384,150 | 1,975,605 | 1,698,938 | ||||||
| UPB of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | $ | 66,779,210 | $ | 38,057,838 | $ | 26,921,093 | |||
| Number of loans subserviced and temporarily serviced | 180,900 | 83,622 | 103,305 | ||||||
| Total serviced UPB | $ | 551,866,424 | $ | 409,552,743 | $ | 338,639,281 | |||
| Total loans serviced | 2,565,050 | 2,059,227 | 1,802,243 | ||||||
| MSR fair value | $ | 5,385,613 | $ | 2,862,685 | $ | 2,874,972 | |||
| Total serviced delinquency rate, excluding loans in forbearance (60+) | 0.94% | 0.84% | 1.01% | ||||||
| Total serviced delinquency count (60+) as % of total | 1.60% | 3.91% | 1.01% | ||||||
| Weighted average credit score | 738 | 740 | 730 | ||||||
| Weighted average LTV | 70.57% | 72.12% | 76.00% | ||||||
| Weighted average loan rate | 3.17% | 3.54% | 4.09% | ||||||
| Weighted average service fee | 0.28% | 0.30% | 0.31% |
Loan servicing income, net was $636.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, which compares to Loan servicing loss, net of $1.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The gain was driven primarily by the change in fair market value of MSRs of $689.4 million in year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to a reduction in fair market value of MSRs of $2.4 billion in year ended December 31, 2020.
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The change in MSR fair value was a net decrease of $689,432 for the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared with a net loss of $2.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change in fair value during the year ended December 31, 2021 included $1.2 billion of loss due to collection/realization of cash flows and an increase in fair value due to change in valuation assumptions (net of hedges) of $0.5 billion primarily driven by a decrease in prepayment speeds from 15.8% at December 31, 2020 to 8.7% at December 31, 2021. The prepayment speed valuation assumption represents the annual rate at which serviced clients are estimated to repay their UPB. The decrease in fair value during the year ended December 31, 2020 included $1.1 billion of due to collection/realization of cash flows and a decrease in fair value due to changes in valuation model inputs or assumptions (net of hedges) of $1.3 billion primarily driven by an increase in prepayment speeds from 14.5% at December 31, 2019 to 15.8% at December 31, 2020.
Interest income, net
The components of interest income, net for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Interest income | $ | 430,086 | $ | 329,593 | $ | 250,750 | |||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (261,146) | (245,523) | (134,916) | ||||||||
| Interest income, net | $ | 168,940 | $ | 84,070 | $ | 115,834 |
Interest income, net was $168.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $84.9 million, or 101.0%, as compared to $84.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was driven primarily by an increase in self-funding of loans, as well as an increase in mortgage loan origination volume.
Other income
Other income decreased $0.2 billion, or 8.9%, to $1.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to $1.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The change was driven by decreased revenues from Rocket Loans in 2021 when compared to 2020, mainly as a result of a reduction in revenues earned from processing economic injury disaster loans offered by the Small Business Administration in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Expenses
Expenses for the periods presented were as follows:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Salaries, commissions and team member benefits | $ | 3,356,815 | $ | 3,238,301 | $ | 2,082,797 | |||||
| General and administrative expenses | 1,183,418 | 1,053,080 | 685,028 | ||||||||
| Marketing and advertising expenses | 1,249,583 | 949,933 | 905,000 | ||||||||
| Interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt | 230,740 | 186,301 | 136,853 | ||||||||
| Other expenses | 709,009 | 690,795 | 354,984 | ||||||||
| Total expenses | $ | 6,729,565 | $ | 6,118,410 | $ | 4,164,662 |
Total expenses were $6.7 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $0.6 billion or 10.0%, as compared with $6.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. This was driven primarily by increases in salaries, commissions and team member benefits, general and administrative expenses, and marketing and advertising expenses as described below.
Salaries, commissions and team member benefits were $3.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $0.1 billion, or 3.7%, as compared with $3.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to hiring in production roles to support the increased volume levels, as well as hiring of key talent such as technology and product strategy teams.
General and administrative expenses were $1.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $0.1 billion, or 12.4%, as compared with $1.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increase was primarily due to increases in
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third party technology spend to support increased production, partially offset by a decrease in the costs related to the SBA loan program at Rocket Loans.
Marketing and advertising expenses were $1.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $299.7 million, or 31.5%, as compared with $0.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The increased expense was a result of an increase in performance marketing associated with higher production and an increase in brand marketing spend related related to the reintroduction of many sporting and other live events that were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Summary results by segment for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019
Our operations are organized by distinct marketing channels which promote client acquisition into our platform and include two reportable segments: Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. In the Direct to Consumer segment, clients have the ability to interact with the Rocket Mortgage app and/or with our Rocket Cloud Force, consisting of sales team members across our platform. We market to potential clients in this segment through various performance marketing channels. The Direct to Consumer segment derives revenue from originating, closing, selling and servicing predominantly agency-conforming loans, which are pooled and sold to the secondary market. This also includes providing title insurance services, appraisals and settlement services to these clients as part of our end-to-end mortgage origination experience. Servicing activities are fully allocated to the Direct to Consumer segment as they are viewed as an extension of the client experience with the primary objective to establish and maintain positive, regular touchpoints with our clients, which positions us to have high retention and recapture the clients’ next refinance, purchase, personal loan, and auto sales transactions. These activities position us to be the natural choice for clients’ next refinance or purchase transaction.
The Rocket Professional platform supports our Partner Network segment, where we leverage our superior client service and widely recognized brand to grow marketing and influencer relationships, and our mortgage broker partnerships through Rocket Pro TPO. Our marketing partnerships consist of well-known consumer-focused companies that find value in our award-winning client experience and want to offer their clients mortgage solutions with our trusted, widely recognized brand. These organizations connect their clients directly to us through marketing channels and a referral process. Our influencer partnerships are typically with companies that employ licensed mortgage professionals that find value in our client experience, technology and efficient mortgage process, where mortgages may not be their primary offering. We also enable clients to start the mortgage process through the Rocket platform in the way that works best for them, including through a local mortgage broker. Rocket Pro TPO works exclusively with mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions. Rocket Pro TPO’s partners provide the face-to-face service their clients desire, while tapping into the expertise, technology and award-winning process of Rocket Mortgage.
We measure the performance of the segments primarily on a contribution margin basis. Contribution margin is intended to measure the direct profitability of each segment and is calculated as Adjusted Revenue less directly attributable expenses. Adjusted Revenue is a non-GAAP financial measure described above. Directly attributable expenses include salaries, commissions and team member benefits, marketing and advertising expenses, general and administrative expenses and other expenses, such as direct servicing costs and origination costs. For segments, we measure gain on sale margin of sold loans and refer to this metric as ‘sold loan gain on sale margin.’ A loan is considered sold when it is sold to investors on the secondary market. In previous disclosures, "sold loans" were referred to as "funded loans". Sold loan gain on sale margin represents revenues on loans that have been sold divided by the sold UPB amount. Sold loan gain on sale margin is used specifically in the context of measuring the gain on sale margins of our Direct to Consumer and Partner Network segments. Sold loan gain on sale margin is an important metric in evaluating the revenue generating performance of our segments as it allows us to measure this metric at a segment level with a high degree of precision. By contrast, ‘gain on sale margin’, which we use outside of the segment discussion, measures the gain on sale revenue generation of our combined mortgage business. See below for our overview and discussion of segment results for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. For additional discussion, see Note 15, Segments of the consolidated financial statements of this Form 10-K.
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Direct to Consumer Results
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | ||||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 213,888,883 | $ | 199,841,530 | $ | 88,939,029 | |||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 4.75 | % | 5.48 | % | 4.45 | % | |||||
| Revenue | |||||||||||
| Gain on sale | $ | 8,843,040 | $ | 12,076,569 | $ | 4,318,930 | |||||
| Interest income | 265,438 | 215,171 | 170,249 | ||||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (161,867) | (161,478) | (91,650) | ||||||||
| Service fee income | 1,323,171 | 1,070,463 | 946,557 | ||||||||
| Changes in fair value of MSRs | (689,432) | (2,379,355) | (1,644,849) | ||||||||
| Other income | 1,001,060 | 900,520 | 443,290 | ||||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 10,581,410 | $ | 11,721,890 | $ | 4,142,527 | |||||
| (Increase) decrease in MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | (487,473) | 1,288,156 | 838,119 | ||||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 10,093,937 | $ | 13,010,046 | $ | 4,980,646 | |||||
| Less: Directly Attributable Expenses(1) | 3,697,774 | 3,637,525 | 2,523,429 | ||||||||
| Contribution Margin | $ | 6,396,163 | $ | 9,372,521 | $ | 2,457,217 |
(1) Direct expenses attributable to operating segments exclude corporate overhead, depreciation and amortization, and interest and amortization expense on non-funding debt.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Direct to Consumer Adjusted Revenue decreased $2.9 billion, or 22.4% to $10.1 billion from $13.0 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease was driven by a decrease in net rate lock gain on sale margin, resulting in decreased gain on sale revenue of $3.2 billion, or 26.8%, in the year ending December 31, 2021. On a sold loan basis, the Direct to Consumer segment generated $213.9 billion in volume in the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $14.0 billion, or 7.0%, as compared to year ended December 31, 2020. In addition, sold loan gain on sale margin was 4.75% in the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to 5.48% in year ended December 31, 2020, driven primarily by compression in primary-secondary spreads.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Direct to Consumer attributable expenses increased $60.2 million, or 1.7%, to $3.7 billion in 2021 compared to $3.6 billion in 2020. The increase was primarily due to higher marketing spend and more team members in production roles, partially offset by lower variable commissions.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Direct to Consumer Contribution Margin decreased $3.0 billion, or 31.8%, to $6.4 billion compared to $9.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease in Contribution Margin was driven primarily due to a decrease in gain on sale revenue, which was driven by a lower net rate lock gain on sale margin.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, Direct to Consumer Adjusted Revenue increased $8.0 billion, or 161.2%, to $13.0 billion from $5.0 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was driven by growth in Direct to Consumer sold loan volume and an increase in sold loan gain on sale margin, resulting in increased gain on sale revenue of $7.8 billion, or 179.6%, in 2020. On a sold loan basis, the Direct to Consumer segment generated $199.8 billion in volume in 2020, an increase of $110.9 billion, or 124.7% as compared to 2019. In addition, sold loan gain on sale margin was 5.48% in 2020 as compared to 4.45% in 2019, driven by strong consumer demand for mortgages due to historically low mortgage rates and the related increase in the primary-secondary spreads as compared to 2019. The increased adjusted revenue also reflects increased other income of $457.2 million, or 103.1%, related primarily to revenues generated from title insurance services, property valuation and settlement services from increased origination levels. Revenues from title insurance services, property valuation and settlement services are generated by Amrock.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, Direct to Consumer Attributable Expenses increased $1.1 billion, or 44.2%, to $3.6 billion in 2020 compared to $2.5 billion in 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in variable compensation and an increase in team members in production roles needed to support volume growth. The increase also reflects greater loan processing costs due to higher loan production and an increase in expenses incurred to support the higher level of title
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insurance services, valuation and settlement services due to the increased sold loan volumes noted above, as well as an increase in payoff interest expense.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, Direct to Consumer Contribution Margin increased $6.9 billion, or 281.4%, to $9.4 billion compared to $2.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in Contribution Margin was driven primarily by the increase in Direct to Consumer sold loan volume and sold loan gain on sale margin as noted above.
Partner Network Results
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |||||||
| Sold Loan Volume | $ | 138,802,940 | $ | 106,530,173 | $ | 46,737,407 | ||||
| Sold Loan Gain on Sale Margin | 1.20 | % | 2.19 | % | 0.77 | % | ||||
| Revenue | ||||||||||
| Gain on sale | 1,597,569 | 2,986,418 | 538,421 | |||||||
| Interest income | 161,256 | 111,876 | 76,829 | |||||||
| Interest expense on funding facilities | (99,226) | (83,628) | (41,359) | |||||||
| Other income | 105,976 | 165,699 | 22,423 | |||||||
| Total Revenue, net | $ | 1,765,575 | $ | 3,180,365 | $ | 596,314 | ||||
| (Increase) decrease in MSRs due to valuation assumptions (net of hedges) | — | — | — | |||||||
| Adjusted Revenue | $ | 1,765,575 | $ | 3,180,365 | $ | 596,314 | ||||
| Less: Directly Attributable Expenses | 686,296 | 537,543 | 245,282 | |||||||
| Total Contribution Margin | $ | 1,079,279 | $ | 2,642,822 | $ | 351,032 |
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Partner Network Adjusted Revenue decreased $1.4 billion, or 44.5% to $1.8 billion from $3.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020. The decrease was driven by a decrease in net rate lock gain on sale margin. On a sold loan basis, the Partner Network segment generated $138.8 billion in volume in the year ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $32.3 billion, or 30.3%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. In addition, sold loan gain on sale margin was 1.20% in the year ended December 31, 2021, as compared to 2.19% in the year ended December 31, 2020, driven primarily by compression in primary-secondary spreads.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Partner Network Directly Attributable Expenses increased $148.8 million, or 27.7%, to $686.3 million in 2021 compared to $537.5 million in 2020. The increase was driven by higher loan processing costs and more team members in production roles to support the increase in sold loan volume.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Partner Network Contribution Margin decreased $1.6 billion, or 59.2%, to $1.1 billion in 2021 compared to $2.6 billion in 2020. The decrease in Contribution Margin was driven by the decrease in net rate lock gain on sale margin noted above and an increase in directly attributable expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, Partner Network Adjusted Revenue increased $2.6 billion, or 433.3% to $3.2 billion from $596.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase was driven by growth in sold loan volume and gain on sale margin, resulting in an increase in gain on sale revenue of $2.4 billion, or 454.7%, in 2020. On a sold loan basis, the Partner Network segment generated $106.5 billion in volume in 2020, an increase of $59.8 billion, or 127.9% as compared to 2019. In addition, sold loan gain on sale margin was 2.19% in 2020 as compared to 0.77% in 2019, driven primarily by high consumer demand for mortgages, due to historically low mortgage rates and the related increase in the primary-secondary spreads as compared to 2019.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, Partner Network Directly attributable expenses increased $292.3 million, or 119.2%, to $537.5 million in 2020 compared to $245.3 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to an increase in variable compensation and an increase in team members in production roles needed to support growth.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, Partner Network Contribution Margin increased $2.3 billion, or 652.9%, to $2.6 billion in 2020 compared to $351.0 million in 2019. The increase in Contribution Margin was driven primarily by the increase in sold loan volume and gain on sale margin noted above.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, our primary sources of liquidity have included:
• borrowings, including under our loan funding facilities and other secured and unsecured financing facilities;
• cash flow from our operations, including:
• sale of whole loans into the secondary market;
• sale of mortgage servicing rights into the secondary market;
• loan origination fees;
• servicing fee income; and
• interest income on loans held for sale; and
• cash and marketable securities on hand.
Historically, our primary uses of funds have included:
• origination of loans;
• payment of interest expense;
• prepayment of debt;
• payment of operating expenses; and
• distributions to RHI including those to fund distributions for payment of taxes by its ultimate shareholders.
We are also subject to contingencies which may have a significant impact on the use of our cash.
In order to originate and aggregate loans for sale into the secondary market, we use our own working capital and borrow or obtain money on a short-term basis primarily through committed and uncommitted loan funding facilities that the Company has established with large global banks.
Our loan funding facilities are primarily in the form of master repurchase agreements. We also have loan funding facilities directly with the GSEs. Loans financed under these facilities are generally financed at approximately 97% to 99% of the principal balance of the loan (although certain types of loans are financed at lower percentages of the principal balance of the loan), which requires us to fund the balance from cash generated from the Company's operations. Once closed, the underlying residential mortgage loan that is held for sale is pledged as collateral for the borrowing or advance that was made under these loan funding facilities. In most cases, the loans will remain in one of the loan funding facilities for only a short time, generally less than one month, until the loans are pooled and sold. During the time the loans are held for sale, we earn interest income from the borrower on the underlying mortgage loan. This income is partially offset by the interest and fees we have to pay under the loan funding facilities.
When we sell a pool of loans in the secondary market, the proceeds received from the sale of the loans are used to pay back the amounts we owe on the loan funding facilities. We rely on the cash generated from the sale of loans to fund future loans and repay borrowings under our loan funding facilities. Delays or failures to sell loans in the secondary market could have an adverse effect on our liquidity position.
As discussed in Note 6, Borrowings, of the consolidated financial statements included in this Form 10-K, as of December 31, 2021, we had 19 different funding facilities in different amounts and with various maturities together with the 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026, 5.250% Senior Notes due 2028, 3.625% Senior Notes due 2029, 3.875% Senior Notes due 2031 and 4.000% Senior Notes due 2033. Also referenced in Note 6, Borrowings, is the interest rate charged by lenders on funding facilities. At
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December 31, 2021, the aggregate available amount under our facilities was $31.0 billion with combined outstanding balances of $14.7 billion and unutilized capacity of $16.3 billion.
During the fourth quarter of 2021, we purchased $948.0 million of the outstanding principal amount of the 2028 Senior Notes and received consent from the holders of such notes to remove substantially all of the restrictive covenants applicable to the 2028 Senior Notes in a Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation.
The amount of financing actually advanced on each individual loan under our loan funding facilities, as determined by agreed upon advance rates, may be less than the stated advance rate depending, in part, on the market value of the mortgage loans securing the financings. Each of our loan funding facilities allows the bank providing the funds to evaluate the market value of the loans that are serving as collateral for the borrowings or advances being made. If the bank determines that the value of the collateral has decreased, the bank can require us to provide additional collateral or reduce the amount outstanding with respect to those loans (e.g., initiate a margin call). Our inability or unwillingness to satisfy the request could result in the termination of the facilities and possible default under our other loan funding facilities. In addition, a large unanticipated margin call could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity.
The amount owed and outstanding on our loan funding facilities fluctuates significantly based on our origination volume, the amount of time it takes us to sell the loans the Company originates, and the amount of loans being self-funded with cash. We may from time to time use surplus cash to “buy-down” the effective interest rate of certain loan funding facilities or to self-fund a portion of our loan originations. As of December 31, 2021, $3.8 billion of our cash was used to buy-down our funding facilities and self-fund, $275.0 million of which are buy-down funds that are included in cash on the balance sheet and $3.5 billion of which is discretionary self-funding that reduces cash on the balance sheet. We have the ability to withdraw the $275.0 million at any time, unless a margin call has been made or a default has occurred under the relevant facilities. The Company has $3.5 billion of discretionary self-funded loans, of which a portion can be transferred to a warehouse line or the early buy out line, provided that such loans meet the eligibility criteria to be placed on such lines. The remaining portion will be funded in normal course over a short period of time, generally less than one month.
We remain in a strong position to meet our liquidity needs. As of December 31, 2021 our total liquidity was $9.1 billion, which includes $2.1 billion of cash on the balance sheet, $3.5 billion of discretionary self-funded loans, a portion of which could be transferred to funding facilities at our discretion, $3.1 billion of undrawn lines of credit from non-funding facilities, and $0.3 billion of undrawn MSR lines. Our available cash position was $5.6 billion, which includes cash on the balance sheet and cash used to self-fund loans.
Our loan funding facilities, early buy out facilities, MSR facility and unsecured lines of credit also generally require us to comply with certain operating and financial covenants and the availability of funds under these facilities is subject to, among other conditions, our continued compliance with these covenants. These financial covenants include, but are not limited to, maintaining (1) a certain minimum tangible net worth, (2) minimum liquidity, (3) a maximum ratio of total liabilities or total debt to tangible net worth and (4) pre-tax net income requirements. A breach of these covenants can result in an event of default under these facilities and as such allows the lenders to pursue certain remedies. In addition, each of these facilities, as well as our unsecured lines of credit, includes cross default or cross acceleration provisions that could result in all facilities terminating if an event of default or acceleration of maturity occurs under any facility. We were in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.
December 31, 2021 compared to December 31, 2020
Cash and cash equivalents
Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $2.2 billion at December 31, 2021, an increase of 0.2 billion, or 7.7%, compared to $2.1 billion at December 31, 2020. The increase in the cash and cash equivalents balance was impacted by a net increase from the issuance of Senior Notes and a net increase from earnings, partially offset by distributions made to Class A shareholders of the Company and to unit holders (members) of Holdings.
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Equity
Equity was $9.8 billion as of December 31, 2021, an increase of $1.9 billion, or 23.8%, as compared to $7.9 billion as of December 31, 2020. The change was primarily the result of net income of $6 billion and share-based compensation of $163.7 million. The increase was partially offset by distributions made to the unit holders, the repurchase of Class A common stock and the 2021 Special Dividend to Class A common shareholders.
December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019
Cash and cash equivalents
Our cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash were $2.1 billion at December 31, 2020, an increase of $598.4 million or 41.1%, compared to $1.5 billion at December 31, 2019. The increase was impacted by a net increase from the issuance of Senior Notes, earnings for the period adjusted for non-cash items, the increase in net borrowings on funding facilities to fund the increase in mortgage loans held for sale, and proceeds from MSR sales. The increase was partially offset by transfers and distributions made to the parent company.
Equity
Equity was $7.9 billion as of December 31, 2020, an increase of $4.4 billion, or 124.2%, as compared to $3.5 billion as of December 31, 2019. The change was primarily the result of net income of $9.4 billion and was partially offset by net transfers and distributions made to the parent company.
Contractual Obligations, Commercial Commitments, and Other Contingencies
Our material expected cash requirements also include the following contractual commitments:
Repurchase and indemnification obligations
In the ordinary course of business, we are exposed to liability under representations and warranties made to purchasers of mortgage loans. Under certain circumstances, we may be required to repurchase mortgage loans, or indemnify the purchaser of such loans for losses incurred, if there has been a breach of representations or warranties, or if the borrower defaults on the loan payments within a contractually defined period (early payment default). Additionally, in certain instances we are contractually obligated to refund to the purchaser certain premiums paid to us on the sale if the mortgagor prepays the loan within a specified period of time, specified in our loan sale agreements. See Note 13, Commitments, Contingencies, and Guarantees of the notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Interest rate lock commitments, loan sale and forward commitments
In the normal course of business, we are party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit to borrowers at either fixed or floating interest rates. IRLCs are commitment agreements to lend to a client at a specified interest rate within a specified period of time as long as there is no violation of conditions established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses which may require payment of a fee. As many of the commitments expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. In addition, we have contracts to sell mortgage loans into the secondary market at specified future dates (commitments to sell loans), and forward commitments to sell MBS at specified future dates and interest rates.
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Following is a summary of the notional amounts of commitments:
| December 31, | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in thousands) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
| Interest rate lock commitments—fixed rate | $ | 25,937,777 | $ | 53,736,717 | |||
| Interest rate lock commitments—variable rate | $ | 1,239,762 | $ | 1,065,936 | |||
| Commitments to sell loans | $ | 2,243,381 | $ | 3,139,816 | |||
| Forward commitments to sell mortgage-backed securities | $ | 34,851,371 | $ | 57,561,900 | |||
| Forward commitments to purchase mortgage-backed securities | $ | 1,625,500 | $ | 1,480,000 |
Distributions
Year Ended December 31, 2021
On February 25, 2021, our board of directors authorized and declared a cash dividend (the "2021 Special Dividend") of $1.11 per share to the holders of our Class A common stock. The 2021 Special Dividend was paid on March 23, 2021 to holders of the Class A common stock of record as of the close of business on March 9, 2021. The Company funded the 2021 Special Dividend from cash distributions of approximately $2.2 billion by RKT Holdings, LLC to all of its members, including the Company.
In addition to the $2.2 billion 2021 Special Dividend, we had $1.8 billion in tax distributions, for a total of $4.0 billion of distributions during the year ended December 31, 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we had net transfers to the parent company of $3.8 billion. Except for tax distributions, these distributions are at the discretion of our board of directors.
Special Dividend
On February 24, 2022, our board of directors declared a cash dividend (the "2022 Special Dividend") of $1.01 per share to the holders of our Class A common stock. The 2022 Special Dividend is to be paid on March 22, 2022 to holders of the Class A common stock of record as of the close of business on March 8, 2022. The Company will fund the 2022 Special Dividend from cash distributions of approximately $2.0 billion by RKT Holdings, LLC to all of its members, including the Company.
Year Ended December 31, 2020
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we had net transfers and distributions to the parent company of $3.8 billion, inclusive of both tax and discretionary equity distributions, as well as cash distributions to other unit holders (members) of RKT Holdings, LLC of $1.4 billion for taxes. During the year ended December 31, 2019, we had net transfers to RHI of $210.9 million. Except for tax distributions, these distributions are at the discretion of our board of directors.
New Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Effective
See Note 1, Business, Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our consolidated financial statements.