| Significant Accounting Policies and Consolidated Financial Statement Components (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
| Dec. 31, 2015 |
| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates | Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”), under which we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of our consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We base these estimates on information available to us as of the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. Certain estimates, such as credit losses, payment rates, costs of funds, discount rates and the yields earned on credit card receivables, significantly affect the reported amount of credit card receivables that we report at fair value and our notes payable associated with structured financings, at fair value; these estimates likewise affect the changes in these amounts reflected within our fees and related income on earning assets line item on our consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, estimates of future credit losses have a significant effect on loans and fees receivable, net, as shown on our consolidated balance sheets, as well as on the provision for losses on loans and fees receivable within our consolidated statements of operations. We have eliminated all significant intercompany balances and transactions for financial reporting purposes. |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents, Unrestricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Unrestricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Unrestricted cash and cash equivalents consist of cash, money market investments and overnight deposits. We consider all highly liquid cash investments with low interest rate risk and original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates market. We maintain unrestricted cash and cash equivalents for general operating purposes and to meet our longer term debt obligations. The majority of these cash balances are not insured. |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Restricted Cash Restricted cash as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 includes certain collections on loans and fees receivable, the cash balances of which are required to be distributed to noteholders under our debt facilities. Our restricted cash balances also include minimum cash balances held in accounts at the request of certain of our business partners. |
| Loans and Fees Receivable | Loans and Fees Receivable Our loans and fees receivable include: (1) loans and fees receivable, net; (2) loans and fees receivable, at fair value; and (3) loans and fees receivable pledged as collateral under structured financings, at fair value. Loans and Fees Receivable, Net . Our loans and fees receivable, net, currently consist of receivables carried at net realizable value associated with (a) originated United Kingdom ("U.K.") credit cards and U.S. point-of-sale financing and other credit products currently being marketed within our Credit and Other Investments segment and (b) our Auto Finance segment’s operations. Our Credit and Other Investments segment loans and fees receivable generally are unsecured, while our Auto Finance segment loans and fees receivable generally are secured by the underlying automobiles in which we hold the vehicle title. As applicable, we show loans and fees receivable net of both an allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable and unearned fees (or “deferred revenue”). For example, our point-of-sale and auto finance loans and fees receivable include principal balances and associated fees and interest due from customers which are earned each period a loan is outstanding, net of the unearned portion of loan discounts which we recognize over the life of each loan. For our loans and fees receivable carried at net realizable value (i.e., as opposed to those carried at fair value), we determine the necessary allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable by analyzing some or all of the following: historical loss rates; current delinquency and roll-rate trends; vintage analyses based on the number of months an account has been in existence; the effects of changes in the economy on our customers; changes in underwriting criteria; and estimated recoveries. A considerable amount of judgment is required to assess the ultimate amount of uncollectible loans and fees receivable, and we continuously evaluate and update our methodologies to determine the most appropriate allowance necessary. Components of our loans and fees receivable, net (in millions) are as follows: Balance at December 31, 2014 Additions Subtractions Balance at December 31, 2015 Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 141.6 $ 334.9 $ (296.4 ) $ 180.1 Deferred revenue (15.7 ) (41.8 ) 40.8 (16.7 ) Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable (20.0 ) (26.6 ) 25.1 (21.5 ) Loans and fees receivable, net $ 105.9 $ 266.5 $ (230.5 ) $ 141.9 Balance at December 31, 2013 Additions Subtractions Balance at December 31, 2014 Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 134.7 $ 285.4 $ (278.5 ) $ 141.6 Deferred revenue (13.3 ) (36.2 ) 33.8 (15.7 ) Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable (24.2 ) (30.8 ) 35.0 (20.0 ) Loans and fees receivable, net $ 97.2 $ 218.4 $ (209.7 ) $ 105.9 As of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 , the weighted average remaining accretion period for the $ 16.7 million and $ 15.7 million , respectively, of deferred revenue reflected in the above tables was 11 months for both periods presented. A roll-forward (in millions) of our allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable by class of receivable is as follows: For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2015 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at beginning of period $ (2.7 ) $ (1.2 ) $ (16.1 ) $ (20.0 ) Provision for loan losses (1.7 ) (2.2 ) (22.7 ) (26.6 ) Charge offs 3.7 2.6 21.5 27.8 Recoveries (0.5 ) (0.9 ) (1.3 ) (2.7 ) Balance at end of period $ (1.2 ) $ (1.7 ) $ (18.6 ) $ (21.5 ) As of December 31, 2015 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at end of period individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ (0.1 ) $ (1.3 ) $ (1.4 ) Balance at end of period collectively evaluated for impairment $ (1.2 ) $ (1.6 ) $ (17.3 ) $ (20.1 ) Loans and fees receivable: Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 5.2 $ 76.0 $ 98.9 $ 180.1 Loans and fees receivable individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ 0.2 $ 1.5 $ 1.7 Loans and fees receivable collectively evaluated for impairment $ 5.2 $ 75.8 $ 97.4 $ 178.4 For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2014 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at beginning of period $ (11.6 ) $ (1.4 ) $ (11.2 ) $ (24.2 ) Provision for loan losses (8.8 ) (0.9 ) (21.1 ) (30.8 ) Charge offs 18.1 2.5 16.8 37.4 Recoveries (0.4 ) (1.4 ) (0.6 ) (2.4 ) Balance at end of period $ (2.7 ) $ (1.2 ) $ (16.1 ) $ (20.0 ) As of December 31, 2014 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at end of period individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ (0.1 ) $ (3.0 ) $ (3.1 ) Balance at end of period collectively evaluated for impairment $ (2.7 ) $ (1.1 ) $ (13.1 ) $ (16.9 ) Loans and fees receivable: Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 6.7 $ 70.7 $ 64.2 $ 141.6 Loans and fees receivable individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ 0.2 $ 5.0 $ 5.2 Loans and fees receivable collectively evaluated for impairment $ 6.7 $ 70.5 $ 59.2 $ 136.4 The components (in millions) of loans and fees receivable, gross as of the date of each of our consolidated balance sheets are as follows: December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Current loans receivable $ 150.0 $ 116.1 Current fees receivable 4.5 3.4 Delinquent loans and fees receivable 25.6 22.1 Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 180.1 $ 141.6 Delinquent loans and fees receivable reflect the principal, fee and interest components of loans we did not collect on or prior to the contractual due date. Amounts we believe we will not ultimately collect are included as a component in our overall allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable. We discontinue charging interest and fees for most of our credit products when loans and fees receivable become contractually 90 or more days past due. We charge off our Credit and Other Investments and Auto Finance segment receivables when they become contractually more than 180 days past due or 120 days past due for the point-of-sale finance and direct-to-consumer installment loan product. For our rent-to-own products, we charge off receivables and impair associated rental merchandise if the customer has not made a payment within the previous 90 days . However, if a customer makes a payment greater than or equal to two minimum payments within a month of the charge-off date, we may reconsider whether charge-off status remains appropriate. For all of our products, we charge off receivables within 30 days of notification and confirmation of a customer’s bankruptcy or death. However, in some cases of death, we do not charge off receivables if there is a surviving, contractually liable individual or an estate large enough to pay the debt in full. Recoveries on accounts previously charged off are credited to the allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable and effectively offset our provision for losses on loans and fees receivable recorded at net realizable value on our consolidated statements of operations. (All of the above discussion relates only to our loans and fees receivable for which we use net realizable value (i.e., as opposed to fair value) accounting. For loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value, recoveries offset losses upon charge off of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value, net of recoveries on our consolidated statements of operations.) We consider loan delinquencies a key indicator of credit quality because this measure provides the best ongoing estimate of how a particular class of receivables is performing. An aging of our delinquent loans and fees receivable, gross (in millions) by class of receivable as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 is as follows: Balance at December 31, 2015 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total 30-59 days past due $ 0.2 $ 6.9 $ 4.4 $ 11.5 60-89 days past due 0.1 2.2 3.1 5.4 90 or more days past due 0.4 1.8 6.5 8.7 Delinquent loans and fees receivable, gross 0.7 10.9 14.0 25.6 Current loans and fees receivable, gross 4.5 65.1 84.9 154.5 Total loans and fees receivable, gross $ 5.2 $ 76.0 $ 98.9 $ 180.1 Balance of loans 90 or more days past due and still accruing interest and fees $ — $ 1.5 $ — $ 1.5 Balance at December 31, 2014 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total 30-59 days past due $ 0.4 $ 6.3 $ 2.8 $ 9.5 60-89 days past due 0.4 2.1 2.2 4.7 90 or more days past due 1.6 1.7 4.6 7.9 Delinquent loans and fees receivable, gross 2.4 10.1 9.6 22.1 Current loans and fees receivable, gross 4.3 60.6 54.6 119.5 Total loans and fees receivable, gross $ 6.7 $ 70.7 $ 64.2 $ 141.6 Balance of loans 90 or more days past due and still accruing interest and fees $ — $ 1.6 $ — $ 1.6 Loans and Fees Receivable, at Fair Value. Both categories of our loans and fees receivable held at fair value represent receivables underlying credit card securitization trusts that are consolidated onto our consolidated balance sheet, some portfolios of which are unencumbered (those labeled loans and fees receivables, at fair value) and some of which are still encumbered under structured financing facilities (those labeled loans and fees receivable pledged as collateral under structured financings, at fair value). Further details concerning our loans and fees receivable held at fair value are presented within Note 6, “Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities.” |
| Lease, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Rental Merchandise, Net of Depreciation Our rental merchandise includes consumer electronics, furniture, jewelry and other consumer goods that we initially record on our consolidated balance sheets at our cost. After our initial recording of the rental merchandise at cost, we reduce its carrying value for depreciation thereof. We typically depreciate our rental merchandise over contract rental periods, generally 12 months (monthly agreements) or 26 periods (bi-weekly agreements) under a $- 0 - salvage value assumption. These assumptions are periodically adjusted based on actual results and impairments as they occur. We follow this method to match, as closely as practicable, the recognition of depreciation expense with revenues associated with our customers' use of the rental merchandise. Currently, we do not maintain any levels of rental merchandise beyond what actually has been rented to our customers under our contracts with them. We include a "Rental revenue" line item within our table below detailing our fees and related income on earning assets category on our consolidated statements of operations. Depreciation associated with our rental merchandise totaled $38.6 million and $63.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively. |
| Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Property at Cost, Net of Depreciation We capitalize costs related to internal development and implementation of software used in our operating activities in accordance with applicable accounting literature. These capitalized costs consist almost exclusively of fees paid to third-party consultants to develop code and install and test software specific to our needs and to customize purchased software to maximize its benefit to us. We record our property at cost less accumulated depreciation or amortization. We compute depreciation expense using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of our assets, which are approximately 40 years for buildings, five years for furniture, fixtures and equipment, and three years for software. We amortize leasehold improvements over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the terms of their respective underlying leases. We periodically review our property to determine if it is impaired. Accordingly we impaired $2.7 million of software costs associated with software development in 2014 as planned uses for this software were discontinued. We incurred no such impairment costs in 2015. |
| Equity Method Investments, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Investments in Equity-Method Investees We account for investments using the equity method of accounting if we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investees. Significant influence is generally deemed to exist if we have an ownership interest in the voting stock of an incorporated investee of between 20% and 50% , although other factors, such as representation on an investee’s board of managers, specific voting and veto rights held by each investor and the effects of commercial arrangements, are considered in determining whether equity method accounting is appropriate. We record our interests in the income of our equity-method investees within the equity in income of equity-method investees category on our consolidated statements of operations. We use the equity method for our 66.7% investment in a limited liability company formed in 2004 to acquire a portfolio of credit card receivables. We account for this investment using the equity method of accounting due to specific voting and veto rights held by each investor, which do not allow us to control this investee. We also used the equity method to account for our March 2011 investment to acquire a 50.0% interest in a joint venture with an unrelated third party that purchased the outstanding notes issued out of the structured financing trust underlying our non-U.S. acquired credit card receivables (the “Non-U.S. Acquired Portfolio”) until December 2014 at which point the entity was consolidated. The entity was consolidated as a result of our distribution of certain assets to an unrelated third-party partner in that entity for their interest (the only outstanding minority interest). As such, as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 only one equity-method investee remained. We evaluate our investments in the equity-method investee for impairment each quarter by comparing the carrying amount of the investment to its fair value. Because no active market exists for the investee's limited liability company membership interest, we evaluate our investments for impairment based on our evaluation of the fair value of the equity-method investee’s net assets relative to its carrying value. If we ever were to determine that the carrying value of our investment in the equity-method investee was greater than its fair value, we would write the investment down to its fair value. |
| Deposits [Policy Text Block] | Deposits Deposits include various amounts required to be maintained with our landlords, third-party issuing and other banking relationships and retail electronic payment network providers associated with our credit card receivables in the U.K. |
| PrepaidExpensesandOtherAssets [Policy Text Block] | Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets Prepaid expenses and other assets include amounts paid to third parties for marketing and other services. These prepaid amounts are expensed as the underlying related services are performed. Also included are (1) commissions paid associated with our various office leases which we amortize into expense over the lease terms, (2) deferred loan costs associated with our convertible senior note issuances and certain notes receivable and (3) ongoing deferred costs associated with service contracts. |
| Fees and Related Income on Earning Assets | Fees and Related Income on Earning Assets Fees and related income on earning assets primarily include: (1) fees associated with our credit products, including the receivables underlying our U.S. point-of-sale finance and direct-to-consumer activities, and our credit card receivables; (2) changes in the fair value of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value; (3) changes in fair value of notes payable associated with structured financings recorded at fair value; (4) revenues associated with rent payments on rental merchandise; and (5) (losses) gains associated with our investments in securities. The following summarizes our revenue recognition policies for the revenue from our rent-to-own program. Our rent-to-own terms with our customers typically provide for 26 , non-refundable, bi-weekly rental payments over a contract period of 12 months . Generally, the customer can take ownership of the merchandise by exercising a purchase option or making all required rental payments. We accrue periodic billed rental amounts (net of allowances for uncollectible billings) into revenues over the rental period to which the billed amounts relate, and we defer recognition in revenues of any advanced customer rental payments until the rental period in which they are properly recognizable under the terms of the contract. Additionally, we do not recognize a receivable for future periods' rental obligations due to us from our customers; our customers can terminate their rental agreements at any time with no further obligation to us, other than the return of rental merchandise. We include billed rental receivable amounts (net of allowances for uncollectible billings) within our loans and fees receivable, net consolidated balance sheet category. We assess fees on credit card accounts underlying our credit card receivables according to the terms of the related cardholder agreements and, except for annual membership fees, we recognize these fees as income when they are charged to the cardholders’ accounts. We accrete annual membership fees associated with our credit card receivables into income on a straight-line basis over the cardholder privilege period. Similarly, fees on our other credit products are recognized when earned, which coincides with the time they are charged to the customer’s account. The components (in thousands) of our fees and related income on earning assets are as follows: Twelve months ended December 31, 2015 2014 Fees on credit products $ 6,907 $ 18,662 Changes in fair value of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value 6,265 14,460 Changes in fair value of notes payable associated with structured financings recorded at fair value 1,262 (7,418 ) Rental revenue 36,032 58,457 Other 2,716 4,669 Total fees and related income on earning assets $ 53,182 $ 88,830 The above changes in the fair value of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value category exclude the impact of charge offs associated with these receivables which are separately stated in Net recovery of (losses upon) charge off of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value, net of recoveries on our consolidated statements of operations. See Note 6, “Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities,” for further discussion of these receivables and their effects on our consolidated statements of operations. |
| Selling, General and Administrative Expenses, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Card and Loan Servicing Expenses Card and loan servicing costs primarily include collections and customer service expenses. Within this category of expenses are personnel, service bureau, cardholder correspondence and other direct costs associated with our collections and customer service efforts. Card and loan servicing costs also include outsourced collections and customer service expenses. We expense card and loan servicing costs as we incur them, with the exception of prepaid costs, which we expense over respective service periods. |
| Advertising Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Marketing and Solicitation Expenses We expense product solicitation costs, including printing, credit bureaus, list processing, telemarketing, postage and Internet marketing fees, as we incur these costs or expend resources. |
| New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Recent Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-07, Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting. The ASU eliminates the requirement that when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an investor must adjust the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively, as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The ASU requires that the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee should be combined with the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and the equity method of accounting should be adopted as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. No retroactive adjustment of the investment is required. The ASU also requires that an entity that has an available-for-sale equity security that becomes qualified for the equity method of accounting recognize through earnings, the unrealized holding gain or loss in accumulated other comprehensive income at the date the investment becomes qualified for use of the equity method. The ASU is effective for us January 1, 2017. The impact of adoption of this authoritative guidance is not expected to result in a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which would require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for most leases, changing certain aspects of current lessor accounting, among other things. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We have not yet determined the potential effects of adopting ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued updated authoritative guidance related to debt issuance costs. The amendment modifies the presentation of unamortized debt issuance costs to present such amounts as a direct deduction from the face amount of the debt, similar to unamortized debt discounts and premiums, rather than as an asset. Amortization of the debt issuance costs continues to be reported as interest expense. The guidance is effective for us beginning January 1, 2016. The impact of adoption of this authoritative guidance is not expected to result in a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU 2014-09 establishes a principles-based model under which revenue from a contract is allocated to the distinct performance obligations within the contract and recognized in income as each performance obligation is satisfied. Additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract is also required. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date by one year and the guidance will now be effective for annual and interim periods beginning January 1, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. We do not plan to early adopt the guidance. We have not yet determined the potential effects of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on our consolidated financial statements. |
| Subsequent Events | Subsequent Events We evaluate subsequent events that occur after our consolidated balance sheet date but before our consolidated financial statements are issued. There are two types of subsequent events: (1) recognized, or those that provide additional evidence with respect to conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing financial statements; and (2) nonrecognized, or those that provide evidence with respect to conditions that did not exist at the date of the balance sheet but arose subsequent to that date. We have evaluated subsequent events occurring after December 31, 2015 , and based on our evaluation we did not identify any recognized or nonrecognized subsequent events that would have required further adjustments to our consolidated financial statements other than disclosure related to the completion of a review by U.K. taxing authorities of valued-added tax (“VAT”) filings made by one of our U.K. subsidiaries as noted in Note 11 "Commitments and Contingencies." |
| Significant Accounting Policies and Consolidated Financial Statement Components | Significant Accounting Policies and Consolidated Financial Statement Components The following is a summary of significant accounting policies we follow in preparing our consolidated financial statements, as well as a description of significant components of our consolidated financial statements. Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”), under which we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of our consolidated financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during each reporting period. We base these estimates on information available to us as of the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. Certain estimates, such as credit losses, payment rates, costs of funds, discount rates and the yields earned on credit card receivables, significantly affect the reported amount of credit card receivables that we report at fair value and our notes payable associated with structured financings, at fair value; these estimates likewise affect the changes in these amounts reflected within our fees and related income on earning assets line item on our consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, estimates of future credit losses have a significant effect on loans and fees receivable, net, as shown on our consolidated balance sheets, as well as on the provision for losses on loans and fees receivable within our consolidated statements of operations. We have eliminated all significant intercompany balances and transactions for financial reporting purposes. Unrestricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Unrestricted cash and cash equivalents consist of cash, money market investments and overnight deposits. We consider all highly liquid cash investments with low interest rate risk and original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost, which approximates market. We maintain unrestricted cash and cash equivalents for general operating purposes and to meet our longer term debt obligations. The majority of these cash balances are not insured. Restricted Cash Restricted cash as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 includes certain collections on loans and fees receivable, the cash balances of which are required to be distributed to noteholders under our debt facilities. Our restricted cash balances also include minimum cash balances held in accounts at the request of certain of our business partners. Loans and Fees Receivable Our loans and fees receivable include: (1) loans and fees receivable, net; (2) loans and fees receivable, at fair value; and (3) loans and fees receivable pledged as collateral under structured financings, at fair value. Loans and Fees Receivable, Net . Our loans and fees receivable, net, currently consist of receivables carried at net realizable value associated with (a) originated United Kingdom ("U.K.") credit cards and U.S. point-of-sale financing and other credit products currently being marketed within our Credit and Other Investments segment and (b) our Auto Finance segment’s operations. Our Credit and Other Investments segment loans and fees receivable generally are unsecured, while our Auto Finance segment loans and fees receivable generally are secured by the underlying automobiles in which we hold the vehicle title. As applicable, we show loans and fees receivable net of both an allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable and unearned fees (or “deferred revenue”). For example, our point-of-sale and auto finance loans and fees receivable include principal balances and associated fees and interest due from customers which are earned each period a loan is outstanding, net of the unearned portion of loan discounts which we recognize over the life of each loan. For our loans and fees receivable carried at net realizable value (i.e., as opposed to those carried at fair value), we determine the necessary allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable by analyzing some or all of the following: historical loss rates; current delinquency and roll-rate trends; vintage analyses based on the number of months an account has been in existence; the effects of changes in the economy on our customers; changes in underwriting criteria; and estimated recoveries. A considerable amount of judgment is required to assess the ultimate amount of uncollectible loans and fees receivable, and we continuously evaluate and update our methodologies to determine the most appropriate allowance necessary. Components of our loans and fees receivable, net (in millions) are as follows: Balance at December 31, 2014 Additions Subtractions Balance at December 31, 2015 Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 141.6 $ 334.9 $ (296.4 ) $ 180.1 Deferred revenue (15.7 ) (41.8 ) 40.8 (16.7 ) Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable (20.0 ) (26.6 ) 25.1 (21.5 ) Loans and fees receivable, net $ 105.9 $ 266.5 $ (230.5 ) $ 141.9 Balance at December 31, 2013 Additions Subtractions Balance at December 31, 2014 Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 134.7 $ 285.4 $ (278.5 ) $ 141.6 Deferred revenue (13.3 ) (36.2 ) 33.8 (15.7 ) Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable (24.2 ) (30.8 ) 35.0 (20.0 ) Loans and fees receivable, net $ 97.2 $ 218.4 $ (209.7 ) $ 105.9 As of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 , the weighted average remaining accretion period for the $ 16.7 million and $ 15.7 million , respectively, of deferred revenue reflected in the above tables was 11 months for both periods presented. A roll-forward (in millions) of our allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable by class of receivable is as follows: For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2015 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at beginning of period $ (2.7 ) $ (1.2 ) $ (16.1 ) $ (20.0 ) Provision for loan losses (1.7 ) (2.2 ) (22.7 ) (26.6 ) Charge offs 3.7 2.6 21.5 27.8 Recoveries (0.5 ) (0.9 ) (1.3 ) (2.7 ) Balance at end of period $ (1.2 ) $ (1.7 ) $ (18.6 ) $ (21.5 ) As of December 31, 2015 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at end of period individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ (0.1 ) $ (1.3 ) $ (1.4 ) Balance at end of period collectively evaluated for impairment $ (1.2 ) $ (1.6 ) $ (17.3 ) $ (20.1 ) Loans and fees receivable: Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 5.2 $ 76.0 $ 98.9 $ 180.1 Loans and fees receivable individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ 0.2 $ 1.5 $ 1.7 Loans and fees receivable collectively evaluated for impairment $ 5.2 $ 75.8 $ 97.4 $ 178.4 For the Twelve Months Ended December 31, 2014 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at beginning of period $ (11.6 ) $ (1.4 ) $ (11.2 ) $ (24.2 ) Provision for loan losses (8.8 ) (0.9 ) (21.1 ) (30.8 ) Charge offs 18.1 2.5 16.8 37.4 Recoveries (0.4 ) (1.4 ) (0.6 ) (2.4 ) Balance at end of period $ (2.7 ) $ (1.2 ) $ (16.1 ) $ (20.0 ) As of December 31, 2014 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total Allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable: Balance at end of period individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ (0.1 ) $ (3.0 ) $ (3.1 ) Balance at end of period collectively evaluated for impairment $ (2.7 ) $ (1.1 ) $ (13.1 ) $ (16.9 ) Loans and fees receivable: Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 6.7 $ 70.7 $ 64.2 $ 141.6 Loans and fees receivable individually evaluated for impairment $ — $ 0.2 $ 5.0 $ 5.2 Loans and fees receivable collectively evaluated for impairment $ 6.7 $ 70.5 $ 59.2 $ 136.4 The components (in millions) of loans and fees receivable, gross as of the date of each of our consolidated balance sheets are as follows: December 31, 2015 December 31, 2014 Current loans receivable $ 150.0 $ 116.1 Current fees receivable 4.5 3.4 Delinquent loans and fees receivable 25.6 22.1 Loans and fees receivable, gross $ 180.1 $ 141.6 Delinquent loans and fees receivable reflect the principal, fee and interest components of loans we did not collect on or prior to the contractual due date. Amounts we believe we will not ultimately collect are included as a component in our overall allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable. We discontinue charging interest and fees for most of our credit products when loans and fees receivable become contractually 90 or more days past due. We charge off our Credit and Other Investments and Auto Finance segment receivables when they become contractually more than 180 days past due or 120 days past due for the point-of-sale finance and direct-to-consumer installment loan product. For our rent-to-own products, we charge off receivables and impair associated rental merchandise if the customer has not made a payment within the previous 90 days . However, if a customer makes a payment greater than or equal to two minimum payments within a month of the charge-off date, we may reconsider whether charge-off status remains appropriate. For all of our products, we charge off receivables within 30 days of notification and confirmation of a customer’s bankruptcy or death. However, in some cases of death, we do not charge off receivables if there is a surviving, contractually liable individual or an estate large enough to pay the debt in full. Recoveries on accounts previously charged off are credited to the allowance for uncollectible loans and fees receivable and effectively offset our provision for losses on loans and fees receivable recorded at net realizable value on our consolidated statements of operations. (All of the above discussion relates only to our loans and fees receivable for which we use net realizable value (i.e., as opposed to fair value) accounting. For loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value, recoveries offset losses upon charge off of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value, net of recoveries on our consolidated statements of operations.) We consider loan delinquencies a key indicator of credit quality because this measure provides the best ongoing estimate of how a particular class of receivables is performing. An aging of our delinquent loans and fees receivable, gross (in millions) by class of receivable as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 is as follows: Balance at December 31, 2015 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total 30-59 days past due $ 0.2 $ 6.9 $ 4.4 $ 11.5 60-89 days past due 0.1 2.2 3.1 5.4 90 or more days past due 0.4 1.8 6.5 8.7 Delinquent loans and fees receivable, gross 0.7 10.9 14.0 25.6 Current loans and fees receivable, gross 4.5 65.1 84.9 154.5 Total loans and fees receivable, gross $ 5.2 $ 76.0 $ 98.9 $ 180.1 Balance of loans 90 or more days past due and still accruing interest and fees $ — $ 1.5 $ — $ 1.5 Balance at December 31, 2014 Credit Cards Auto Finance Other Unsecured Lending Products Total 30-59 days past due $ 0.4 $ 6.3 $ 2.8 $ 9.5 60-89 days past due 0.4 2.1 2.2 4.7 90 or more days past due 1.6 1.7 4.6 7.9 Delinquent loans and fees receivable, gross 2.4 10.1 9.6 22.1 Current loans and fees receivable, gross 4.3 60.6 54.6 119.5 Total loans and fees receivable, gross $ 6.7 $ 70.7 $ 64.2 $ 141.6 Balance of loans 90 or more days past due and still accruing interest and fees $ — $ 1.6 $ — $ 1.6 Loans and Fees Receivable, at Fair Value. Both categories of our loans and fees receivable held at fair value represent receivables underlying credit card securitization trusts that are consolidated onto our consolidated balance sheet, some portfolios of which are unencumbered (those labeled loans and fees receivables, at fair value) and some of which are still encumbered under structured financing facilities (those labeled loans and fees receivable pledged as collateral under structured financings, at fair value). Further details concerning our loans and fees receivable held at fair value are presented within Note 6, “Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities.” Rental Merchandise, Net of Depreciation Our rental merchandise includes consumer electronics, furniture, jewelry and other consumer goods that we initially record on our consolidated balance sheets at our cost. After our initial recording of the rental merchandise at cost, we reduce its carrying value for depreciation thereof. We typically depreciate our rental merchandise over contract rental periods, generally 12 months (monthly agreements) or 26 periods (bi-weekly agreements) under a $- 0 - salvage value assumption. These assumptions are periodically adjusted based on actual results and impairments as they occur. We follow this method to match, as closely as practicable, the recognition of depreciation expense with revenues associated with our customers' use of the rental merchandise. Currently, we do not maintain any levels of rental merchandise beyond what actually has been rented to our customers under our contracts with them. We include a "Rental revenue" line item within our table below detailing our fees and related income on earning assets category on our consolidated statements of operations. Depreciation associated with our rental merchandise totaled $38.6 million and $63.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively. Property at Cost, Net of Depreciation We capitalize costs related to internal development and implementation of software used in our operating activities in accordance with applicable accounting literature. These capitalized costs consist almost exclusively of fees paid to third-party consultants to develop code and install and test software specific to our needs and to customize purchased software to maximize its benefit to us. We record our property at cost less accumulated depreciation or amortization. We compute depreciation expense using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of our assets, which are approximately 40 years for buildings, five years for furniture, fixtures and equipment, and three years for software. We amortize leasehold improvements over the shorter of their estimated useful lives or the terms of their respective underlying leases. We periodically review our property to determine if it is impaired. Accordingly we impaired $2.7 million of software costs associated with software development in 2014 as planned uses for this software were discontinued. We incurred no such impairment costs in 2015. Investments in Equity-Method Investees We account for investments using the equity method of accounting if we have the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investees. Significant influence is generally deemed to exist if we have an ownership interest in the voting stock of an incorporated investee of between 20% and 50% , although other factors, such as representation on an investee’s board of managers, specific voting and veto rights held by each investor and the effects of commercial arrangements, are considered in determining whether equity method accounting is appropriate. We record our interests in the income of our equity-method investees within the equity in income of equity-method investees category on our consolidated statements of operations. We use the equity method for our 66.7% investment in a limited liability company formed in 2004 to acquire a portfolio of credit card receivables. We account for this investment using the equity method of accounting due to specific voting and veto rights held by each investor, which do not allow us to control this investee. We also used the equity method to account for our March 2011 investment to acquire a 50.0% interest in a joint venture with an unrelated third party that purchased the outstanding notes issued out of the structured financing trust underlying our non-U.S. acquired credit card receivables (the “Non-U.S. Acquired Portfolio”) until December 2014 at which point the entity was consolidated. The entity was consolidated as a result of our distribution of certain assets to an unrelated third-party partner in that entity for their interest (the only outstanding minority interest). As such, as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 only one equity-method investee remained. We evaluate our investments in the equity-method investee for impairment each quarter by comparing the carrying amount of the investment to its fair value. Because no active market exists for the investee's limited liability company membership interest, we evaluate our investments for impairment based on our evaluation of the fair value of the equity-method investee’s net assets relative to its carrying value. If we ever were to determine that the carrying value of our investment in the equity-method investee was greater than its fair value, we would write the investment down to its fair value. Deposits Deposits include various amounts required to be maintained with our landlords, third-party issuing and other banking relationships and retail electronic payment network providers associated with our credit card receivables in the U.K. Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets Prepaid expenses and other assets include amounts paid to third parties for marketing and other services. These prepaid amounts are expensed as the underlying related services are performed. Also included are (1) commissions paid associated with our various office leases which we amortize into expense over the lease terms, (2) deferred loan costs associated with our convertible senior note issuances and certain notes receivable and (3) ongoing deferred costs associated with service contracts. Fees and Related Income on Earning Assets Fees and related income on earning assets primarily include: (1) fees associated with our credit products, including the receivables underlying our U.S. point-of-sale finance and direct-to-consumer activities, and our credit card receivables; (2) changes in the fair value of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value; (3) changes in fair value of notes payable associated with structured financings recorded at fair value; (4) revenues associated with rent payments on rental merchandise; and (5) (losses) gains associated with our investments in securities. The following summarizes our revenue recognition policies for the revenue from our rent-to-own program. Our rent-to-own terms with our customers typically provide for 26 , non-refundable, bi-weekly rental payments over a contract period of 12 months . Generally, the customer can take ownership of the merchandise by exercising a purchase option or making all required rental payments. We accrue periodic billed rental amounts (net of allowances for uncollectible billings) into revenues over the rental period to which the billed amounts relate, and we defer recognition in revenues of any advanced customer rental payments until the rental period in which they are properly recognizable under the terms of the contract. Additionally, we do not recognize a receivable for future periods' rental obligations due to us from our customers; our customers can terminate their rental agreements at any time with no further obligation to us, other than the return of rental merchandise. We include billed rental receivable amounts (net of allowances for uncollectible billings) within our loans and fees receivable, net consolidated balance sheet category. We assess fees on credit card accounts underlying our credit card receivables according to the terms of the related cardholder agreements and, except for annual membership fees, we recognize these fees as income when they are charged to the cardholders’ accounts. We accrete annual membership fees associated with our credit card receivables into income on a straight-line basis over the cardholder privilege period. Similarly, fees on our other credit products are recognized when earned, which coincides with the time they are charged to the customer’s account. The components (in thousands) of our fees and related income on earning assets are as follows: Twelve months ended December 31, 2015 2014 Fees on credit products $ 6,907 $ 18,662 Changes in fair value of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value 6,265 14,460 Changes in fair value of notes payable associated with structured financings recorded at fair value 1,262 (7,418 ) Rental revenue 36,032 58,457 Other 2,716 4,669 Total fees and related income on earning assets $ 53,182 $ 88,830 The above changes in the fair value of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value category exclude the impact of charge offs associated with these receivables which are separately stated in Net recovery of (losses upon) charge off of loans and fees receivable recorded at fair value, net of recoveries on our consolidated statements of operations. See Note 6, “Fair Values of Assets and Liabilities,” for further discussion of these receivables and their effects on our consolidated statements of operations. Card and Loan Servicing Expenses Card and loan servicing costs primarily include collections and customer service expenses. Within this category of expenses are personnel, service bureau, cardholder correspondence and other direct costs associated with our collections and customer service efforts. Card and loan servicing costs also include outsourced collections and customer service expenses. We expense card and loan servicing costs as we incur them, with the exception of prepaid costs, which we expense over respective service periods. Marketing and Solicitation Expenses We expense product solicitation costs, including printing, credit bureaus, list processing, telemarketing, postage and Internet marketing fees, as we incur these costs or expend resources. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-07, Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting. The ASU eliminates the requirement that when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an investor must adjust the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively, as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The ASU requires that the cost of acquiring the additional interest in the investee should be combined with the current basis of the investor’s previously held interest and the equity method of accounting should be adopted as of the date the investment becomes qualified for equity method accounting. No retroactive adjustment of the investment is required. The ASU also requires that an entity that has an available-for-sale equity security that becomes qualified for the equity method of accounting recognize through earnings, the unrealized holding gain or loss in accumulated other comprehensive income at the date the investment becomes qualified for use of the equity method. The ASU is effective for us January 1, 2017. The impact of adoption of this authoritative guidance is not expected to result in a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases, which would require lessees to recognize assets and liabilities for most leases, changing certain aspects of current lessor accounting, among other things. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted. We have not yet determined the potential effects of adopting ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued updated authoritative guidance related to debt issuance costs. The amendment modifies the presentation of unamortized debt issuance costs to present such amounts as a direct deduction from the face amount of the debt, similar to unamortized debt discounts and premiums, rather than as an asset. Amortization of the debt issuance costs continues to be reported as interest expense. The guidance is effective for us beginning January 1, 2016. The impact of adoption of this authoritative guidance is not expected to result in a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU 2014-09 establishes a principles-based model under which revenue from a contract is allocated to the distinct performance obligations within the contract and recognized in income as each performance obligation is satisfied. Additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract is also required. In August 2015, the FASB delayed the effective date by one year and the guidance will now be effective for annual and interim periods beginning January 1, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. We do not plan to early adopt the guidance. We have not yet determined the potential effects of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on our consolidated financial statements. Subsequent Events We evaluate subsequent events that occur after our consolidated balance sheet date but before our consolidated financial statements are issued. There are two types of subsequent events: (1) recognized, or those that provide additional evidence with respect to conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing financial statements; and (2) nonrecognized, or those that provide evidence with respect to conditions that did not exist at the date of the balance sheet but arose subsequent to that date. We have evaluated subsequent events occurring after December 31, 2015 , and based on our evaluation we did not identify any recognized or nonrecognized subsequent events that would have required further adjustments to our consolidated financial statements other than disclosure related to the completion of a review by U.K. taxing authorities of valued-added tax (“VAT”) filings made by one of our U.K. subsidiaries as noted in Note 11 "Commitments and Contingencies." |
