4. INVESTMENTS AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Investments

Investments include $53 and $914 as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, representing the Company’s interests in the Silvercrest Funds which have been established and managed by the Company and its affiliates. The Company’s financial interest in these funds can range in amounts up to 2% of the net assets of the funds. The Company applies the equity method to account for its interests in affiliated investment funds, despite the Company’s insignificant financial interest therein, because the Company exercises significant influence over and typically serves as the general partner, managing member, or equivalent of these funds. During 2007, the Silvercrest Funds granted the unaffiliated investors in each respective fund the right, by a simple majority of the fund’s unaffiliated investors, without cause, to remove the general partner or equivalent of that fund or to accelerate the liquidation date of that fund in accordance with certain procedures. At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company determined that none of the Silvercrest Funds were required to be consolidated. The Company’s involvement with these entities began on the dates that they were formed, which range from July 2003 to July 2014.

Fair Value Measurements

GAAP establishes a hierarchal disclosure framework which prioritizes and ranks the level of market price observability used in measuring investments at fair value. Market price observability is affected by a number of factors, including the type of investment, the characteristics specific to the investment and the state of the marketplace including the existence and transparency of transactions between market participants. Investments with readily available active quoted prices or for which fair value can be measured from actively quoted prices in an orderly market generally will have a higher degree of market price observability and a lesser degree of judgment used in measuring fair value.

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the determination of which category within the fair value hierarchy is appropriate for any given investment is based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment and considers factors specific to the investment.

At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any financial assets or liabilities that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis, with the exception of the contingent consideration related to the acquisition earnouts.

Contingent Consideration

For business acquisitions, the Company recognizes the fair value of goodwill and other acquired intangible assets, and estimated contingent consideration at the acquisition date as part of purchase price. This fair value measurement is based on unobservable (Level 3) inputs.

The following table represents changes in the fair value of estimated contingent consideration for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021:

Estimated contingent consideration is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.  Payments of contingent consideration are included in earn-outs paid related to acquisitions in financing activities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

In determining fair value of the estimated contingent consideration, the acquired business’ future performance is estimated using financial projections for the acquired business. These financial projections, as well as alternative scenarios of financial performance, are measured against the performance targets specified in each respective acquisition agreement. In addition, discount rates are established based on the cost of debt and the cost of equity. The Company uses the Monte Carlo Simulation Model to determine the fair value of the Company’s estimated contingent consideration.

The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s estimated contingent consideration are the forecasted growth rates over the measurement period and discount rates. Significant increases or decreases in the Company’s forecasted growth rates over the measurement period or discount rates would result in a higher or lower fair value measurement.

Inputs used in the fair value measurement of estimated contingent consideration at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 are summarized below:

Please refer to Note 3. Acquisitions for more details on contingent consideration related to acquisition earnouts.

At September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, financial instruments that are not held at fair value are categorized in the table below: