5. Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill
The following table presents changes in goodwill.
Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)20242023
Beginning balance$465,991 $298,248 
Business combination (Note 3)
(389)167,743 
Ending balance (1)
$465,602 $465,991 
__________
(1)    Remaining goodwill deductible for income tax purposes was $101.2 million at December 31, 2024 and $111.8 million at December 31, 2023.
Intangible Assets
Intangible assets are composed of the following:
December 31, 2024December 31, 2023
(In thousands)
Carrying Amount (1)(2)
Accumulated Amortization(1)(2)
Net Carrying Amount(1)
Carrying Amount (1)(2)
Accumulated Amortization(1)(2)
Net Carrying Amount(1)
Investment management contracts$138,494 $(97,371)$41,123 $150,835 $(84,824)$66,011 
Investor relationships53,322 (24,761)28,561 53,572 (19,190)34,382 
Trade name4,300 (2,337)1,963 4,300 (1,907)2,393 
Other (3)
1,518 (705)813 1,518 (554)964 
$197,634 $(125,174)$72,460 $210,225 $(106,475)$103,750 
__________
(1)    Presented net of impairments and write-offs, if any.
(2)    Exclude intangible assets that were fully amortized in prior years.
(3)    Represents primarily the value of an acquired domain name.
Amortization expense for finite-lived intangible assets totaled $31.0 million, $34.6 million and $21.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. There was no impairment of identifiable intangible assets in the periods presented.
Future Amortization of Intangible Assets
The following table presents the expected future amortization of finite-lived intangible assets:
Year Ending December 31,
(In thousands)202520262027202820292030 and thereafterTotal
Amortization expense$25,102 $17,589 $11,966 $7,871 $3,061 $6,871 $72,460 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2024Feb 21, 2025Showing above
2023Feb 23, 2024
2022Feb 27, 2023
2021Feb 28, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Mar 2, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Mar 1, 2018

About Goodwill & Intangibles Disclosures

Goodwill and intangible asset disclosures reveal the premium paid in acquisitions and how management assesses whether that premium retains its value. Since goodwill is no longer amortized under US GAAP, the annual impairment test is the only mechanism that adjusts carrying values downward — making the assumptions behind that test critically important for investors.

Key signals: a history of goodwill impairments suggests management consistently overpays for acquisitions. Watch the gap between reporting unit fair value and carrying amount — when fair value exceeds carrying amount by less than 10-20%, a small decline in business performance could trigger a write-down. For finite-lived intangibles, examine useful life assumptions across customer relationships, technology, and trade names; aggressive estimates inflate near-term earnings. Compare total intangibles-to-total-assets ratios against peers to assess acquisition dependency. Rising goodwill as a percentage of equity can signal balance sheet fragility.