Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.

Market risk is the potential loss arising from adverse changes in market rates and prices, such as interest rates, foreign exchange rates and equity prices. We are exposed to market risk through our investments, revolving credit line, term loan agreements and international operations.

Our invested assets are held primarily as cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, available-for-sale marketable debt securities, non-marketable debt securities, certificates of deposit, U.S. treasury securities, and professionally managed short duration fixed income funds. These investments are subject to interest rate risk. The fair values of our invested assets at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, approximated their respective carrying values due to their short-term duration and therefore, such market risk is not considered to be material.

We do not actively invest or trade in equity securities. In addition, we generally dispose of any significant equity securities received in conjunction with an acquisition shortly after the acquisition date.

As of December 31, 2020, we had $560.0 million of borrowings outstanding under our various credit agreements, all of which bear interest on a floating basis tied to London Interbank Overnight Rate (“LIBOR”) and is therefore subject to changes in the associated interest expense. The effect of an immediate hypothetical 10% change in interest rates would not have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements. As of July 2017, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) has urged banks and institutions to discontinue their use of the LIBOR benchmark rate for floating rate debt, and other financial instruments tied to the rate after 2021. However, on November 30, 2020, the ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (“IBA”), announced that it would consult in early December 2020 on its intention to cease the publication of the one-week and two-month U.S. dollar LIBOR settings immediately following the LIBOR publication on December 31, 2021, and the remaining U.S. dollar LIBOR settings (overnight and one, three, six and 12 months) immediately following the LIBOR publication on June 30, 2023. The consultation was open for feedback until January 25, 2021 and IBA “intends to share the results of the consultation with the FCA and to publish a feedback statement summarizing responses from the consultation shortly thereafter.” In connection to the released statement from the IBA, on December 4, 2020, the FCA released a similar statement in support of the continuation of the LIBOR rate beyond 2021. The Alternative Reference Rates Committee (“ARRC”) have recommended the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as the best alternative rate to LIBOR post discontinuance and has proposed a transition plan and timeline designed to encourage the adoption of SOFR from LIBOR.

The Company is currently evaluating the transition from LIBOR as an interest rate benchmark to other potential alternative reference rates, including but not limited to the SOFR interest rate. Management will continue to actively assess the related opportunities and risks associated with the transition and monitor related proposals and guidance published by ARRC and other alternative-rate initiatives, with an expectation that we will be prepared to for a termination of LIBOR benchmarks after 2021.

We are subject to exchange rate risk primarily in our U.K.-based wholesale brokerage business that has a cost base principally denominated in British pounds and a revenue base in several other currencies, but principally in U.S. dollars, and in our Canadian MGA business that has substantially all of its revenues and cost base denominated in Canadian Dollars. As of January 14, 2021, the Company announced the completion of the acquisition of O’Leary Insurances, an Ireland based retail brokerage business which has substantially all of its revenue and cost base in Euro Dollars.

Based upon our foreign currency rate exposure as of December 31, 2020, an immediate 10% hypothetical changes of foreign currency exchange rates would not have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.