Finance Receivables | Note 4. Finance Receivables Finance Receivables Portfolio Finance receivables consist of Contracts and Direct Loans and are detailed as follows: (In thousands) December 31, 2020 March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Finance receivables $ 188,626 $ 219,366 $ 211,813 Accrued interest receivable 2,628 3,164 3,088 Unearned dealer discounts (7,006 ) (8,056 ) (8,436 ) Unearned insurance and fee commissions (2,338 ) (2,616 ) (2,644 ) Purchase price discount (447 ) (915 ) (222 ) Finance receivables, net of unearned 181,463 210,943 203,599 Allowance for credit losses (9,077 ) (11,162 ) (13,272 ) Finance receivables, net $ 172,386 $ 199,781 $ 190,327 Contracts and Direct Loans each comprise a portfolio segment. The following tables present selected information on the entire portfolio of the Company: As of December 31, Contract Portfolio 2020 2019 Average APR 22.7 % 22.7 % Average discount 7.6 % 7.7 % Average term (months) 51 51 Number of active contracts 23,388 25,995 As of December 31, Direct Loan Portfolio 2020 2019 Average APR 28.4 % 27.0 % Average term (months) 26 26 Number of active contracts 4,126 3,376 The Company purchases Contracts from automobile dealers at a negotiated price that is less than the original principal amount being financed by the purchaser of the automobile. The Contracts are predominantly for used vehicles. As of December 31, 2020, the average model year of vehicles collateralizing the portfolio was a 2011 vehicle. Direct Loans are typically for amounts ranging from $500 to $15,000 and are generally secured by a lien on an automobile, watercraft or other permissible tangible personal property. The majority of Direct Loans are originated with current or former customers under the Company’s automobile financing program. The typical Direct Loan represents a better credit risk than the typical Contract due to the customer’s prior payment history with the Company; however, the underlying collateral is “typically” less valuable. In deciding whether to make a loan, the Company considers the individual’s credit history, job stability, income, and impressions created during a personal interview with a Company loan officer. Additionally, because most of the Direct Loans made by the Company to date have been made to current or former customers, the payment history of the borrower is a significant factor in making the loan decision. As of December 31, 2020, loans made by the Company pursuant to its Direct Loan program constituted approximately 7.6% of the aggregate principal amount of the Company’s loan portfolio. Changes in the allowance for credit losses for both Contracts and Direct Loans were driven primarily by consideration the composition of the portfolio, current economic conditions, the estimated net realizable value of the underlying collateral, historical loan loss experience, delinquency, non-performing assets, and bankrupt accounts when determining management’s estimate of probable credit losses and adequacy of the allowance for credit losses. If the allowance for credit losses is determined to be inadequate, then an additional charge to the provision would be recorded to maintain adequate reserves based on management’s evaluation of the risk inherent in the loan portfolio. Additionally, credit loss trends over several reporting periods are utilized in estimating future losses and overall portfolio performance. Conversely, the Company could identify abnormalities in the composition of the portfolio, which would indicate the calculation is overstated and management judgement may be required to determine the allowance of credit losses for both Contracts and Direct Loans. Each portfolio segment consists of smaller balance homogeneous loans which are collectively evaluated for impairment. Allowance for Credit Losses The following table sets forth a reconciliation of the changes in the allowance for credit losses on Contracts and Direct Loans for the three months and nine months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019: Three months ended December 31, 2020 Nine months ended December 31, 2020 Contracts Direct Loans Consolidated Contracts Direct Loans Consolidated Balance at beginning of period $ 10,977 $ 492 $ 11,469 $ 10,433 $ 729 $ 11,162 Provision for credit losses 601 49 650 6,951 49 7,000 Charge-offs (4,411 ) (179 ) (4,590 ) (12,819 ) (477 ) (13,296 ) Recoveries 1,527 21 1,548 4,129 82 4,211 Balance at December 31, 2020 $ 8,694 $ 383 $ 9,077 $ 8,694 $ 383 $ 9,077 Three months ended December 31, 2019 Nine months ended December 31, 2019 Contracts Direct Loans Consolidated Contracts Direct Loans Consolidated Balance at beginning of period $ 12,680 $ 850 $ 13,530 $ 16,575 $ 357 $ 16,932 Provision for credit losses 4,597 0 4,597 12,177 805 12,982 Charge-offs (7,350 ) (144 ) (7,494 ) (22,057 ) (483 ) (22,540 ) Recoveries 2,626 13 2,639 5,858 40 5,898 Balance at December 31, 2019 $ 12,553 $ 719 $ 13,272 $ 12,553 $ 719 $ 13,272 The Company uses the trailing six-month charge-offs, annualized, to calculate the allowance for credit losses. The Company’s allowance for credit losses also incorporates recent trends such as delinquency, non-performing assets, and bankruptcy. The Company believes that this approach reflects the current trends of incurred losses within the portfolio and aligns the allowance for credit losses with the portfolio’s performance indicators. The following table is an assessment of the credit quality by creditworthiness: (In thousands) December 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 Contracts Direct Loans Total Contracts Direct Loans Total Performing accounts $ 167,071 $ 13,925 $ 180,996 $ 191,773 $ 11,229 $ 203,002 Non-performing accounts 7,099 302 7,401 8,319 194 8,513 Total 174,170 14,227 188,397 200,092 11,423 211,515 Chapter 13 bankruptcy accounts 218 11 229 289 9 298 Finance receivables $ 174,388 $ 14,238 $ 188,626 $ 200,381 $ 11,432 $ 211,813 A performing account is defined as an account that is less than 61 days past due. The Company defines an automobile contract as delinquent when more than 25% of a payment contractually due by a certain date has not been paid by the immediately following due date, which date may have been extended within limits specified in the servicing agreements or as a result of a deferral. The period of delinquency is based on the number of days payments are contractually past due, as extended where applicable. In certain circumstances, the Company will grant obligors one-month payment extensions. The only modification of terms in those circumstances is to advance the obligor’s next due date by one month and extend the maturity date of the receivable. There are no other concessions, such as a reduction in interest rate, or forgiveness of principal or of accrued interest. Accordingly, the Company considers such extensions to be insignificant delays in payments rather than troubled debt restructurings. A non-performing account is defined as an account that is contractually delinquent for 61 days or more or is a Chapter 13 bankruptcy account for which the accrual interest income has been suspended. The Company’s charge-off policy is to charge off an account in the month the contract becomes 121 days contractually delinquent. In the event an account is dismissed from bankruptcy, the Company will decide, based on several factors, to begin repossession proceedings or to allow the customer to resume making regularly scheduled payments. The Company does consider Chapter 13 bankruptcy accounts, for which the corresponding bankruptcy plan has not been confirmed as of the period end, to be troubled debt restructurings and included in the Company’s allowance for credit losses is a specific reserve of approximately $118,000 and $0 for these accounts as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The following tables present certain information regarding the delinquency rates experienced by the Company with respect to Contracts and Direct Loans, excluding Chapter 13 bankruptcy accounts: Contracts (In thousands, except percentages) Balance Outstanding 30 – 59 days 60 – 89 days 90 – 119 days 120+ Total December 31, 2020 $ 174,170 $ 12,914 $ 4,955 $ 2,117 $ 28 $ 20,014 7.41 % 2.84 % 1.22 % 0.02 % 11.49 % March 31, 2020 207,247 14,977 4,290 1,893 19 21,179 7.23 % 2.07 % 0.91 % 0.01 % 10.22 % December 31, 2019 $ 200,092 $ 16,748 $ 5,993 $ 2,279 $ 47 $ 25,067 8.37 % 3.00 % 1.14 % 0.02 % 12.53 % Direct Loans Balance Outstanding 30 – 59 days 60 – 89 days 90 – 119 days 120+ Total December 31, 2020 $ 14,227 $ 442 $ 188 $ 110 $ 4 $ 744 3.11 % 1.32 % 0.77 % 0.03 % 5.23 % March 31, 2020 11,844 344 136 59 — 539 2.90 % 1.15 % 0.50 % — 4.55 % December 31, 2019 $ 11,423 $ 331 $ 123 $ 68 $ 3 $ 525 2.90 % 1.08 % 0.60 % 0.03 % 4.60 % |