Occupancy. Occupancy expenses increased $1.3 million, or 11.5%, to $12.4 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019, from $11.1 million during the prior-year period. The increase was primarily due to our 16 net new branches that opened since the prior-year period. Additionally, we frequently experience increases in rent, leasehold improvements, and computer equipment expenses as we renew existing branch leases.
Marketing. Marketing expenses increased $0.2 million, or 5.4%, to $3.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019, from $3.7 million during the prior-year period. The increase was due to increased convenience check mailings and expanded digital marketing related to our 16 net new branches that opened since June 30, 2018.
Other Expenses. Other expenses increased $2.4 million, or 19.0%, to $14.7 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019, from $12.4 million during the prior-year period. Collections expense and legal and settlement expenses each increased $0.6 million compared to the prior-year period. Lender custodian fees increased $0.3 million as a result of the RMIT2018-2 securitization, which was completed in December 2018. Additional increases compared to the prior-year period include audit and professional fees of $0.2 million, bank card processing fees of $0.2 million, and expenses related to our 16 net new branches that opened since June 30, 2018 of $0.2 million.
Interest Expense.Interest expense on long-term debt increased $4.4 million, or 29.2%, to $19.5 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019, from $15.1 million during the prior-year period. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the average balance of our long-term debt facilities from finance receivable growth and an increase in interest rates, which combined for a $2.5 million increase in interest expense. The increase in the average balance of our senior revolving credit facility was partially due to stock repurchases of $7.1 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019. Additionally, amortization of debt issuance costs increased $0.9 million, while unused line fees and interest expense related to our interest rate cap contracts increased $0.6 million and $0.4 million, respectively. The annualized average cost of our total long-term debt increased 0.68% to 6.04% during the six months ended June 30, 2019, from 5.36% during the prior-year period. The average cost of our long-term debt has increased as we have diversified our long-term funding sources.
Income Taxes.Income taxes decreased $0.2 million, or 4.3%, to $5.1 million during the six months ended June 30, 2019, from $5.3 million during the prior-year period. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in income before income taxes of $0.9 million, offset by a decrease in tax benefits related to the exercise of stock options. Our effective tax rates were 23.5% and 23.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and the prior-year period, respectively.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary cash needs relate to the funding of our lending activities and, to a lesser extent, expenditures relating to improving our technology infrastructure and expanding and maintaining our branch locations. In connection with our plans to improve our technology infrastructure and to expand our branch network in future years, we expect to incur approximately $9.0 million to $12.0 million of expenditures annually. We have historically financed, and plan to continue to finance, our short-term and long-term operating liquidity and capital needs through a combination of cash flows from operations and borrowings under our senior revolving credit facility, revolving warehouse credit facility, amortizing loan, and, more recently, asset-backed securitization transactions, all of which are described below. We had a fundeddebt-to-equity ratio of 2.4 to 1.0 and a shareholder equity ratio of 28.4% as of June 30, 2019.
We believe that cash flow from our operations and borrowings under our long-term debt facilities will be adequate to fund our business for the next twelve months, including initial operating losses of new branches and finance receivable growth of new and existing branches. From time to time, we have extended the maturity date of and increased the borrowing limits under our senior revolving credit facility. While we have successfully obtained such extensions and increases in the past, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so if and when needed in the future. In addition, the revolving periods of our warehouse credit facility, RMIT2018-1 securitization, and RMIT2018-2 securitization (each as described below) end in February 2020, June 2020, and December 2020, respectively. There can be no assurance that we will be able to secure an extension of the warehouse credit facility or close additional securitization transactions if and when needed in the future.
In May 2019, the Board authorized the repurchase of up to $25.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock. The authorization was effective immediately and extends through May 6, 2021. Stock repurchases under the program may be made in the open market at prevailing market prices, through privately negotiated transactions, or through other structures in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, at times and in amounts as management deems appropriate. The timing and the amount of any common stock repurchases will be determined by our management based on its evaluation of market conditions, our liquidity needs, legal and contractual requirements and restrictions (including covenants in our credit agreements), share price, and other factors. The repurchase program does not obligate us to purchase any particular number of shares and may be suspended, modified, or discontinued at any time without prior notice. We intend to fund the program with a combination of cash and debt. As of June 30, 2019, we had repurchased 285 thousand shares of our common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $7.1 million.
We are continuing to seek ways to diversify our long-term funding sources, though new funding sources may be more expensive than our existing funding sources.
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