Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities | Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities For a description of the fair value hierarchy and the Company’s fair value methodologies, see “Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.” The Company did not transfer any assets or liabilities in or out of level 3 during the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 , or 2013 . Financial Instruments Recorded at Fair Value The following tables present the fair value hierarchy for assets and liabilities measured at fair value: December 31, 2015 Level 1 Inputs Level 2 Inputs Level 3 Inputs Balance at Fair Value Assets: Loans $ — $ — $ 4,556,081 $ 4,556,081 Securities available for sale: Corporate debt securities — 215,751 — 215,751 Asset-backed securities — 54,409 — 54,409 U.S. agency securities — 16,578 — 16,578 U.S. Treasury securities 3,485 3,485 Other securities — 6,988 — 6,988 Total securities available for sale — 297,211 — 297,211 Servicing assets — — 10,250 10,250 Total assets $ — $ 297,211 $ 4,566,331 $ 4,863,542 Liabilities: Notes and certificates $ — $ — $ 4,571,583 $ 4,571,583 Servicing liabilities — — 3,973 3,973 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 4,575,556 $ 4,575,556 December 31, 2014 Level 1 Inputs Level 2 Inputs Level 3 Inputs Balance at Fair Value Assets: Loans $ — $ — $ 2,798,505 $ 2,798,505 Servicing assets — — 2,181 2,181 Total assets $ — $ — $ 2,800,686 $ 2,800,686 Liabilities: Notes and certificates $ — $ — $ 2,813,618 $ 2,813,618 Servicing liabilities — — 3,973 3,973 Total liabilities $ — $ — $ 2,817,591 $ 2,817,591 As the Company’s loans and related notes and certificates, and loan servicing rights do not trade in an active market with readily observable prices, the Company uses significant unobservable inputs to measure the fair value of these assets and liabilities. Financial instruments are categorized in the Level 3 valuation hierarchy based on the significance of unobservable factors in the overall fair value measurement. These fair value estimates may also include observable, actively quoted components derived from external sources. As a result, the realized and unrealized gains and losses for assets and liabilities within the Level 3 category may include changes in fair value that were attributable to both observable and unobservable inputs. Significant Unobservable Inputs The following tables present quantitative information about the significant unobservable inputs used for the Company’s Level 3 fair value measurements at December 31, 2015 and 2014 : December 31, 2015 Range of Inputs Financial Instrument Unobservable Input Minimum Maximum Weighted- Average Loans, notes and certificates Discount rates 2.9 % 17.5 % 9.0 % Net cumulative expected loss rates (1) 0.3 % 22.0 % 9.9 % Cumulative prepayment rates (1) 23.4 % 36.4 % 30.8 % Servicing asset/liability Discount rates 3.5 % 16.3 % 9.4 % Net cumulative expected loss rates (1) 0.3 % 22.0 % 8.8 % Cumulative prepayment rates (1) 8.0 % 36.4 % 30.5 % Base market servicing rates (% per annum on unpaid principal balance) (2) 0.50 % 0.75 % 0.50 % December 31, 2014 Range of Inputs Financial Instrument Unobservable Input Minimum Maximum Weighted- Average Loans, notes & certificates Discount rates 5.2 % 17.4 % 10.1 % Net cumulative expected loss rates (1) 0.3 % 22.0 % 10.0 % Servicing asset/liability Discount rates 5.3 % 23.7 % 10.7 % Net cumulative expected loss rates (1) 0.3 % 22.0 % 10.2 % Cumulative prepayment rates (1) 16.5 % 26.7 % 20.0 % Base market servicing rates (% per annum on unpaid principal balance) (2) 0.50 % 0.70 % 0.50 % (1) Expressed as a percentage of the original principal balance of the loan, note or certificate. (2) Excludes ancillary fees charged to investors that would be passed on to a third-party servicer. At December 31, 2015 and 2014 , the discounted cash flow methodology used to estimate the note and certificates fair values used the same projected net cash flows as their related loans. As demonstrated by the table below, the fair value adjustments for loans were largely offset by the fair value adjustments of the notes and certificates due to the payment dependent design of the notes and certificates and because the principal balances of the loans were very close to the combined principal balances of the notes and certificates. The following table presents additional information about Level 3 loans, notes and certificates measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 : Loans Notes and Certificates Outstanding Principal Balance Valuation Adjustment Fair Value Outstanding Principal Balance Valuation Adjustment Fair Value Balance at December 31, 2013 $ 1,849,042 $ (20,000 ) $ 1,829,042 $ 1,859,982 $ (19,992 ) $ 1,839,990 Purchases of loans 3,886,427 — 3,886,427 — — — Issuances of notes and certificates — — — 2,156,019 — 2,156,019 Whole loan sales (1,730,045 ) — (1,730,045 ) — — — Principal payments (1,054,357 ) — (1,054,357 ) (1,049,982 ) — (1,049,982 ) Charge-offs (114,338 ) 114,338 — (114,182 ) 114,182 — Recoveries — (7,960 ) (7,960 ) — (7,929 ) (7,929 ) Change in fair value recorded in earnings — (124,602 ) (124,602 ) — (124,480 ) (124,480 ) Balance at December 31, 2014 $ 2,836,729 $ (38,224 ) $ 2,798,505 $ 2,851,837 $ (38,219 ) $ 2,813,618 Purchases of loans 7,224,176 — 7,224,176 — — — Issuances of notes and certificates — — — 3,861,995 — 3,861,995 Whole loan sales (3,358,611 ) — (3,358,611 ) — — — Principal payments (1,804,719 ) — (1,804,719 ) (1,800,859 ) — (1,800,859 ) Charge-offs (215,904 ) 215,904 — (215,804 ) 215,804 — Recoveries — (26,256 ) (26,256 ) — (26,143 ) (26,143 ) Change in fair value recorded in earnings — (277,014 ) (277,014 ) — (277,028 ) (277,028 ) Balance at December 31, 2015 $ 4,681,671 $ (125,590 ) $ 4,556,081 $ 4,697,169 $ (125,586 ) $ 4,571,583 The following table presents additional information about Level 3 servicing assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 : Servicing Assets Servicing Liabilities Fair value at December 31, 2013 $ 534 $ (936 ) Issuances (1) 2,152 (5,721 ) Changes in fair value, included in servicing fees (1,264 ) 2,684 Additions, included in deferred revenue 759 — Fair value at December 31, 2014 $ 2,181 $ (3,973 ) Issuances (1) 10,079 (5,194 ) Changes in fair value, included in servicing fees (3,803 ) 5,194 Additions, included in deferred revenue 1,793 — Fair value at December 31, 2015 $ 10,250 $ (3,973 ) (1) Represents the offsets to the gains or losses on sales of the related loans, recorded in other revenue (expense). Significant Recurring Level 3 Fair Value Asset and Liability Input Sensitivity Certain fair valuation adjustments recorded through earnings related to Level 3 instruments for the years ended December 31, 2015 , 2014 and 2013 . Generally, changes in the net cumulative expected loss rates, cumulative prepayment rates, and discount rates will have an immaterial net impact on the fair value of loans, notes and certificates, and servicing assets and liabilities. Certain of these unobservable inputs may (in isolation) have either a directionally consistent or opposite impact on the fair value of the financial instrument for a given change in that input. When multiple inputs are used within the valuation techniques for loans, notes and certificates, or servicing assets and liabilities, a change in one input in a certain direction may be offset by an opposite change from another input. A specific loan that is projected to have larger future default losses than previously estimated has lower expected future cash flows over its remaining life, which reduces its estimated fair value. Conversely, a specific loan that is projected to have smaller future default losses than previously estimated has increased expected future cash flows over its remaining life, which increases its fair value. Separately, an increase in expected prepayments will reduce the estimated fair value of a loan, whereas a decrease in expected prepayments will increase the estimated fair value of a loan. The Company’s selection of the most representative base market servicing rates for servicing assets and servicing liabilities is inherently judgmental. The Company reviewed third-party servicing rates for its loans and loans in similar credit sectors, as well as a market servicing benchmarking analysis provided by a third-party valuation firm, and determined that base market servicing rates on its loans, ranging from 0.50% to 0.75% per annum of outstanding principal, are reasonable estimates as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 . The table below shows the impact on the estimated fair value of servicing assets and liabilities, calculated using different base market servicing rate assumptions as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 : December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Servicing Assets Servicing Liabilities Servicing Assets Servicing Liabilities Weighted-average base market servicing rate assumptions 0.50 % 0.50 % 0.50 % 0.50 % Change in fair value from: Servicing rate increase to 0.60% $ (3,504 ) $ 1,589 $ (915 ) $ 1,416 Servicing rate decrease to 0.40% $ 3,610 $ (1,483 ) $ 965 $ (1,366 ) Financial Instruments Not Recorded at Fair Value The following tables present the fair value hierarchy for financial instruments not recorded at fair value: December 31, 2015 Carrying Amount Level 1 Inputs Level 2 Inputs Level 3 Inputs Balance at Fair Value Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 623,531 $ — $ 623,531 $ — $ 623,531 Restricted cash 80,733 — 80,733 — 80,733 Deposits 871 — 871 — 871 Total assets $ 705,135 $ — $ 705,135 $ — $ 705,135 Liabilities: Accounts payable $ 5,542 $ — $ 5,542 $ — $ 5,542 Payables to investors 73,162 — 73,162 — 73,162 Total liabilities $ 78,704 $ — $ 78,704 $ — $ 78,704 December 31, 2014 Carrying Amount Level 1 Inputs Level 2 Inputs Level 3 Inputs Balance at Fair Value Assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 869,780 $ — $ 869,780 $ — $ 869,780 Restricted cash 46,763 — 46,763 — 46,763 Deposits 657 — 657 — 657 Total assets $ 917,200 $ — $ 917,200 $ — $ 917,200 Liabilities: Accounts payable $ 5,892 $ — $ 5,892 $ — $ 5,892 Payables to investors 38,741 — 38,741 — 38,741 Total liabilities $ 44,633 $ — $ 44,633 $ — $ 44,633 |