Finance of America Companies (FOA) Risk Analysis

Due to the heavily regulated nature of the financial services industry, we are required to comply with a wide array of U.S. federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations that regulate, among other things, the manner in which we conduct our loan origination and servicing business and the fees that we may charge, how we compensate our loan officers and the collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, transfer and other processing of personal information. Governmental authorities and various U.S. federal and state agencies have broad oversight and supervisory and enforcement authority over our business. From time to time, we may also receive requests (including requests in the form of subpoenas and civil investigative demands) from federal, state and local agencies for records, documents and information relating to our servicing and lending activities. Ginnie Mae, the United States Department of the Treasury, various investors, securitization trustees and others also subject us to periodic reviews and audits. These laws, regulations and oversight can significantly affect the way that we do business, can restrict the scope of our existing business, limit our ability to expand our product offerings or to pursue acquisitions, or can make our costs to service or originate loans higher, which could impact our financial results. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulatory requirements may result in, among other things, revocation of or inability to renew required licenses or registrations, loss of approval status, termination of contracts without compensation, administrative enforcement actions and fines, private lawsuits, including those styled as class actions, cease and desist orders and civil and criminal liability. We must comply with a large number of federal, state and local consumer protection laws including, among others, TILA, as amended, together with its implementing regulations (Regulation Z), the FDCPA, RESPA, as amended, together with its implementing regulations (Regulation X), ECOA, as amended, together with its implementing regulations (Regulation B), FCRA, as amended, and its implementing regulations (Regulation V), the Fair Housing Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, as amended, GLBA, together with its implementing regulations (Regulation P), the Mortgage Advertising Practices Rules (Regulation N), the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, as amended, and its implementing regulations (Regulation E), the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act, as amended, HMDA, together with its implementing regulations (Regulation C), the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act, as amended, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, as amended, together with its implementing regulations, U.S. federal and state laws prohibiting unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices and state foreclosure laws. We are also subject to the regulatory, supervisory and examination authority of the CFPB, which has oversight of federal and state non-depository lending and servicing institutions, including reverse mortgage loan originators and loan servicers. The CFPB has rulemaking authority with respect to many of the federal consumer protection laws applicable to mortgage lenders and servicers, including TILA, Section 8 of RESPA, HMDA, ECOA, FCRA, GLBA and the FDCPA. Antidiscrimination statutes, such as the Fair Housing Act and ECOA, prohibit creditors from discriminating against loan applicants and borrowers based on certain characteristics, such as race, religion and national origin. Various federal regulatory agencies and departments, including the DOJ and the CFPB, take the position that these laws apply not only to intentional discrimination, but also to neutral practices that have a disparate impact on a group that shares a characteristic that a creditor may not consider in making credit decisions (i.e., creditor or servicing practices that have a disproportionate negative effect on a protected class of individuals). This interpretation may increase the risk of an allegation of noncompliance. These statutes apply to loan origination, servicing practices, marketing, the amount and nature of fees that may be charged for transactions and incentives, such as rebates, use of credit reports, safeguarding of non-public, personally identifiable information about our clients, foreclosure and claims handling, investment of and interest payments on escrow balances and escrow payment features and required disclosures and notices to clients. RESPA, among other things, prohibits the payment of fees or other things of value in exchange for referrals of real estate settlement services, which would include residential mortgage loans. However, RESPA expressly permits the payment of reasonable value for? non-referral services and facilities actually performed and provided. When a lender seeks to rely on this exception, it must be prepared to demonstrate that the services or facilities for which compensation is paid are separate and distinct from any referral and the amount paid is reasonable. If the amount paid exceeds the reasonable value, the excess could be attributable to the referral. The Company, like many originating lenders, uses "marketing services agreements" with sources of potential loan referrals, such as organizations that serve financial professionals. A "marketing services agreement" is an agreement under which a lender compensates a service provider for performing actual marketing services directed to the general public. The Company also has relationships with lead providers and digital consumer review websites and marketing providers, some of which may be considered "digital marketing review platforms" under the CFPB's February 2023 Advisory Opinion titled "Digital Mortgage Comparison-Shopping Platforms and Related Payments to Operators." The Company also has relationships with third-party mortgage brokers that place loans with the Company. Further, the Company previously engaged in "desk rental" agreements, which provide for the lease of office space, furniture and equipment and use of common areas and other services, like utilities, internet and shared receptionist and janitorial services. In connection with the wind down of FAM, the Company no longer has any desk rental agreements, but could still be subject to an allegation of a RESPA violation related to these past practices. From a RESPA perspective, the analysis focuses on whether the general marketing services are separate and distinct from any referrals that may occur, whether the services actually are being performed or provided and whether the amounts paid by the lender do not exceed the fair market value for such services. While the Company has controls in place to ensure that its relationships with referral sources comply with RESPA regulations, there can be no assurance that the CFPB or any other governmental entity with authority to enforce RESPA, or a court, will share this view. If the CFPB or a court determined that the Company's existing program was not in compliance with RESPA regulations, or otherwise asserted a new basis for non-compliance with any similar regulations, it could have a detrimental effect on our reverse mortgage lending business, our financial condition and results of operation. The scope of the laws and regulations and the intensity of the supervision to which our business is subject have increased over time, in response to the financial crisis in 2008 and other factors such as technological and market changes, and may continue to increase in the future, including due to enhanced scrutiny resulting from changes in U.S. executive administration or Congressional leadership. Regulators continue to be active in the reverse mortgage space, including due to the perceived susceptibility of older borrowers to be influenced by deceptive or misleading marketing activities. Regulators have also focused on appraisal practices because reverse mortgages are largely dependent on collateral valuation. New applicable laws will likely continue to go into effect. Further, the U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations that we are subject to are amended from time to time. While we have processes and systems in place to identify and interpret such new or amended laws and regulations and to implement them, we may not identify every application of law, regulation or ordinance, interpret them accurately, train our employees effectively with respect to these laws and regulations or supervise our service providers and vendors, including outside foreclosure counsel, adequately with respect to their compliance with these laws and regulations. The complexity and continuously changing nature of these legal requirements increases our exposure to the risk of noncompliance. These changes also result in an increase in our regulatory compliance burden and associated costs and place restrictions on our origination and servicing operations. The laws and regulations applicable to us are subject to administrative or judicial interpretation, but some laws and regulations may not yet have been interpreted or may be clarified infrequently. Ambiguities in applicable laws and regulations may leave uncertainty with respect to permitted or restricted conduct and may make compliance with laws, and risk assessment decisions with respect to compliance with laws, difficult and uncertain. In addition, ambiguities make it difficult, in certain circumstances, to determine if, and how, compliance violations may be cured. The adoption by industry participants of different interpretations of these statutes and regulations has added uncertainty and complexity to compliance. We may fail to comply with applicable statutes and regulations even if acting in good faith due to a lack of clarity regarding the interpretation of such statutes and regulations, which may, and at times does, lead to regulatory investigations, governmental enforcement actions or private causes of action with respect to our compliance. Regulatory enforcement and fines have increased across the banking and financial services sector. Regulatory authorities and private plaintiffs may allege that we failed to comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations where we believe we have complied. We have been, and expect to continue to be, subject to regulatory enforcement actions and private causes of action from time to time with respect to our compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Allegations may relate to past conduct and/or past business operations, such as the prior activity of acquired entities, and certain legislative actions and judicial decisions can give rise to the initiation of lawsuits against us for activities we conducted in the past. Furthermore, provisions in our loan product documentation, including but not limited to the mortgage and promissory notes we use in loan originations, could be challenged in and construed as unenforceable by a court. To resolve issues raised in examinations, investigations or other governmental actions, we may be required to take various corrective actions, including changing certain business practices, making refunds or taking other actions that could be financially or competitively detrimental to us. Even unproven allegations that our activities have not complied or do not comply with all applicable laws and regulations may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. See "-We are subject to legal proceedings, federal or state governmental examinations and enforcement investigations from time to time. Some of these matters are highly complex and slow to develop, and results are difficult to predict or estimate." Our failure to comply with applicable U.S. federal, state and local consumer protection and data privacy and information security laws could lead to: - reduced payments by clients;- modification of the original terms of loans;- permanent forgiveness of debt owed to us;- delays in the foreclosure process;- increased servicing advance obligations;- loss of our licenses and approvals to engage in our servicing and lending business;- damage to our reputation in the industry and with consumers;- governmental investigations and enforcement actions;- administrative fines and penalties and litigation;- civil and criminal liability, including class action lawsuits;- diminished ability to finance loans that we originate or purchase, requirements to finance such loans at reduced advance rates compared to other financed loans or to remove financed loans from financing facilities;- diminished ability to sell or securitize loans that we originate or purchase, requirements to sell such loans at a discount compared to other loans or to repurchase or address indemnification claims from purchasers of such loans or in connection with securitizations of such loans;- inability to raise capital; and - inability to execute on our business strategy.

We may from time to time identify opportunities to acquire another company or business. The risks associated with acquisitions include, among others: - failing to identify or adequately assess the magnitude of certain liabilities, shortcomings or other circumstances prior to acquiring or investing in a company, including potential exposure to regulatory sanctions or liabilities resulting from an acquisition target's previous activities, internal controls and information security environment;- significant costs and expenses, including those related to retention payments, equity compensation, severance pay, intangible asset amortization and asset impairment charges, assumed litigation and other liabilities, and legal, accounting and financial advisory fees;- unanticipated issues in integrating information, management style, controls and procedures, servicing practices, communications and other systems including information technology system;- unanticipated incompatibility of purchasing, logistics, marketing and administration methods;- failing to retain key employees or clients;- inaccuracy of valuation and/or operating assumptions supporting our purchase price; and - representation and warranty liability relating to a target's previous lending activities. Before making acquisitions, we conduct due diligence that we deem reasonable and appropriate based on the known facts and circumstances applicable to each acquisition, and we negotiate purchase agreements which we believe adequately protect us from undisclosed-and frequently, disclosed-existing liabilities. Nevertheless, we cannot be certain that the due diligence investigation that we carry out with respect to any acquisition opportunity will reveal or highlight all relevant facts that may be necessary or helpful in evaluating the target. As a result, we may fail to identify or adequately assess the magnitude of certain liabilities, shortcomings or other circumstances prior to acquiring, investing in or partnering with a company, including potential exposure to regulatory sanctions or liabilities resulting from an acquisition target's previous activities, internal controls and security environment. The success of our acquisitions are dependent, in part, on our ability to integrate, grow and scale the newly acquired business into our Company efficiently, which poses substantial challenges for management, including challenges related to the management and monitoring of new operations and associated increased costs and complexity.

FoA Equity is, and it is anticipated that FoA Equity will continue to be, treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As such, FoA Equity will generally not be subject to any entity-level U.S. federal income tax. Instead, taxable income will be allocated to holders of Class A LLC Units, including the Company. Accordingly, we will be required to pay income taxes on our allocable share of any net taxable income of FoA Equity. The income taxes on our allocable share of FoA Equity's net taxable income will increase over time as the FoA Equity unitholders exchange their Class A LLC Units for shares of the Company's Class A Common Stock. In addition, legislation that is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 may impute additional tax liability for adjustments to a partnership's tax return to the partnership itself in certain circumstances, absent an election to the contrary. FoA Equity may be subject to material additional tax liabilities pursuant to this legislation and related guidance if, for example, its calculations of taxable income are incorrect. Any such additional tax liabilities would be allocated to holders of Class A LLC Units, including the Company.

Recently, there has been growing concern from advocacy groups, government agencies and the general public over the effects of climate change on the environment. Transition risks, such as government restrictions, standards or regulations intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and potential climate change impacts, are emerging and may increase in the future. Evolving ESG rules, regulations and stakeholder expectations have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and increased management time and attention spent complying with or meeting such regulations and expectations. Developing and acting on initiatives within the scope of ESG, and collecting, measuring and reporting ESG related information and metrics can be costly, difficult and time consuming and is subject to evolving reporting standards, including the SEC's recently-adopted climate-related reporting requirements, new climate disclosure rules adopted by the state of California, and similar proposals by other U.S. regulatory bodies. Such restrictions and requirements could increase our costs or require additional technology and capital investment, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, ESG and other sustainability matters and the adequacy of our response and disclosures relating to these matters could harm our business, including in areas such as diversity, equity and inclusion, human rights, climate change and environmental stewardship, support for local communities, corporate governance and transparency. Increasing governmental, investor and societal attention to ESG matters, including expanding mandatory and voluntary reporting, diligence and disclosure on topics such as climate change, human capital, labor and risk oversight, could expand the nature, scope and complexity of matters that we are required to control, assess and report. Further, various third-party organizations have developed ratings processes or second party opinions ("SPOs") for evaluating companies on their approach to ESG matters. FAR has received an SPO in connection with its private label securitizations. These third-party ESG ratings may be used by some investors to assist with their investment and voting decisions. Any unfavorable ESG ratings or SPOs may lead to reputational damage and negative sentiment among our investors and other stakeholders. These factors may alter the environment in which we do business and may increase the ongoing costs of compliance and adversely impact our results of operations and cash flows. Conversely, anti-ESG sentiment has gained some momentum across the United States. Failure to successfully manage divergent ESG-related expectations across stakeholders could erode stakeholder trust, impact our reputation and adversely affect our business. If we are unable to adequately address such ESG matters or we fail or are perceived to fail to comply with all laws, regulations, policies and related interpretations, it could negatively impact our reputation and our business results.

We have operations across the U.S., with a workforce of approximately 919 full-time and 3 part-time employees operating in local markets across the U.S. as of December 31, 2023. In addition to complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, we are required to comply with similar state laws and regulations in each market where we have employees. Compliance with these laws and regulations requires a significant amount of administrative resources and management attention. Many of these laws and regulations provide for qui tam or similar private rights of action and we are routinely subject to litigation and regulatory proceedings related to these laws and regulations in the ordinary course of our business. For example, we are currently in litigation brought under the California Private Attorneys General Act related to alleged violations of the California Labor Code. Regardless of the outcome or whether the claims are meritorious, we may need to devote substantial time and expense to defend against claims related to the California Private Attorneys General Act or other similar federal, state and local laws and regulations in the ordinary course of business. Unfavorable rulings could result in adverse impacts on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Secondary Market Risks: We provide representations and warranties to purchasers and insurers of our loans and in connection with our securitization transactions, as well as indemnification for losses resulting from breaches of representations and warranties. In the event of a breach, we may be required to repurchase a mortgage loan or indemnify the purchaser, and any subsequent loss on the mortgage loan may be borne by us. While our contracts vary, they generally contain broad representations and warranties, including but not limited to representations regarding loan quality and underwriting (including compliant appraisals, calculations of income and indebtedness, and occupancy of the mortgaged property); securing of adequate mortgage and title insurance within a certain period after closing; and compliance with regulatory requirements. We may also be required to repurchase loans if the borrower fails to make certain loan payments due to the purchaser. These obligations are affected by factors both internal and external in nature, including the volume of loan sales and securitizations, to whom the loans are sold and the terms of our purchase and sale agreements, the parties to whom our purchasers sell the loans subsequently and the terms of those agreements, actual losses on loans which have breached representations and warranties, our success rate at curing deficiencies or appealing repurchase demands, our ability to recover any losses from third parties, the overall economic condition in the housing market, the economic condition of borrowers, the political environment at investor agencies and the overall U.S. and world economies. Many of the factors are beyond our control and may lead to judgments that are susceptible to change. For HECM, we, in our capacity as a Ginnie Mae issuer, also have an obligation to buy HECM out of the HECM pools securitized into HMBS when the unpaid principal balance of a HECM reaches 98% of its maximum claim amount. Any significant increase in required loan repurchases could have a significant adverse impact on our cash flows and could also have a detrimental effect on our business and financial condition. When engaging in securitization transactions, we also prepare marketing and disclosure documentation, including term sheets, offering documents and prospectuses, that include disclosures regarding the securitization transactions and the assets being securitized. If our marketing and disclosure documentation is alleged or found to contain material inaccuracies or omissions, we may be liable under federal and state securities laws (or under other laws) for damages to third parties that invest in these securitization transactions, including in circumstances where we relied on a third-party in preparing accurate disclosures, or we may incur other expenses and costs in connection with disputing these allegations or settling claims. We have also engaged in selling or contributing loans to third parties who, in turn, have securitized those loans. In these circumstances, we have in the past and may in the future also prepare marketing and disclosure documentation, including documentation that is included in term sheets, offering documents, and prospectuses relating to those securitization transactions. We could be liable under federal and state securities laws (or under other laws) or contractually for damages to third parties that invest in these securitization transactions, including liability for disclosures prepared by third parties or with respect to loans that we did not sell or contribute to the securitization. Additionally, we typically retain various third-party service providers when we engage in securitization transactions, including underwriters or initial purchasers, trustees, administrative and paying agents and custodians, among others. We frequently contractually agree to indemnify these service providers against various claims and losses they may suffer in connection with the provision of services to us and/or the securitization trust. To the extent any of these service providers are liable for damages to third parties that have invested in these securitization transactions, we may incur costs and expenses as a result of these indemnities. Third-Party Loan Broker Risk: The brokers through whom we originate have parallel and separate legal obligations to which they are subject. While these laws may not explicitly hold the originating lenders responsible for the legal violations of such brokers, U.S. federal and state agencies could impose such liability and we may therefore be subject to claims for fines or other penalties based upon the conduct of the brokers with whom we do business. The U.S. Department of Justice (the "DOJ"), through its use of a disparate impact theory under the Fair Housing Act, is actively holding home loan lenders responsible for the pricing practices of independent third-party brokers, alleging that the lender is directly responsible for the total fees and charges paid by the borrower even if the lender neither dictated what the broker could charge nor kept the money for its own account. In addition, under TILA, we may be held responsible for improper disclosures made to clients by brokers. Counterparty Credit Risks: We are exposed to counterparty credit risk in the event of non-performance by counterparties to various agreements, including our lenders, servicers and hedge counterparties. Although certain warehouse and other financing facility lines are committed, we may experience a disruption in operations due to a lender withholding funding of a borrowing requested on the respective financing facility. Any of the above could adversely affect our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent on the secure, efficient and uninterrupted operation of our technology infrastructure, including computer systems, related software applications and data centers, as well as those of certain third parties and affiliates. Our websites and computer/telecommunication networks must accommodate a high volume of traffic and deliver frequently updated information, the accuracy and timeliness of which is critical to our business. Our technology must be able to facilitate a loan application experience that equals or exceeds the experience provided by our competitors. We have or may in the future experience service disruptions and failures caused by system or software failure, fire, power loss, telecommunications failures, team member misconduct, human error, computer hackers, computer viruses and disabling devices, malicious or destructive code, denial of service or information, as well as natural disasters, terrorism, war, health pandemics and other similar events, and our disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all situations. This is especially applicable in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift we have experienced in having most of our employees work from their homes, as our employees access our secure networks through their home networks. The implementation of technology changes and upgrades to maintain current and integrate new technology systems may also cause service interruptions. Any such disruption could interrupt or delay our ability to provide services to our clients and loan applicants, and could also impair the ability of third parties to provide critical services to us.

As of December 31, 2023, 43% of our reverse mortgage loans (by unpaid principal balance) were secured by properties in the state of California. As a result of this geographic concentration, the size and quality of our loan portfolio, which impacts our ability to collect origination fees, monetize our originated loans and collect on the loans we hold, are largely dependent on economic conditions in California. Adverse changes in the California economy may be caused by inflation, recession, unemployment, state or local real estate laws and regulations or other factors beyond our control. Such adverse changes could disproportionately impact the demand for our products and services as compared to other lenders with more geographically diversified operations, impacting the size of our loan portfolio and, accordingly, negatively affecting the results of our operations. Adverse changes in the California economy could also result in decreases in real estate values in California, adversely impacting the value of the properties used as collateral for loans to our borrowers. If the value of such properties decreased, it may in turn make the related loans less attractive to investors and therefore more difficult to monetize. Due to the non-recourse nature of reverse mortgage loans, we may ultimately incur losses on any such loans that we hold to maturity if the decreased value results in the property being sold for less than the loan balance at maturity, though such risk is mitigated in the case of HECM due to our ability to assign HECM to HUD or collect proceeds from FHA loss claims. Further, such adverse economic changes may adversely impact the ability of our borrowers to make timely tax and insurance payments and otherwise comply with the conditions of their loans, which could result in an increase in defaults and in turn faster maturities and increased risk of losses on such loans. In addition, properties located in California may be more susceptible to certain natural disasters, such as wildfires and mudslides, and certain natural disasters not covered by standard hazard insurance, such as earthquakes. Even for properties located in an earthquake prone area, we and other lenders in the market area may not require earthquake insurance as a condition of making a loan. Further, with respect to mortgaged properties in California, if the related insurer determines there is a heightened risk of property damage due to wildfires, such insurer may elect not to renew the related hazard policies or may charge higher premiums. This may result in an increase in lapsed policies or insufficient coverage and an increase in expenses for our Company as servicer, if we elect to force-place hazard insurance. If there is a major earthquake, fire, mudslide or other natural disaster, we face the risk that many of our borrowers may experience uninsured property losses and other adverse economic consequences, which could in turn have a material and adverse impact on our business, as further described under "-Our business is subject to the risks of earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural catastrophic events, which may increase in frequency or severity as a result of global climate change, and to interruption by man-made issues such as strikes, wars and civil unrest."