PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
The Company is involved in various legal proceedings and related actions that have arisen in the ordinary course of its business that have not been fully adjudicated. The Company’s management does not believe that these matters, when ultimately concluded and determined, will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations.
Other than the risk factor set forth below, there have been no material changes to our risk factors from those included in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and in our Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2020. In addition to the risk factor below and the other information set forth in this report and in our other reports and statements that we file with the SEC, you should carefully consider the factors discussed in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 (which was filed with the SEC on March 16, 2020) and in Part II, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q
for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2020 (which was filed with the SEC on May 8, 2020), which could materially affect our business, financial condition, and/or future operating results. The risks described in our Annual Report on Form
10-K
and Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q
are not the only risks facing our company. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to the Company or that the Company currently deems to be immaterial also may materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and/or operating results.
The novel coronavirus
(COVID-19)
pandemic has had and is expected to continue to have an adverse impact on our business, liquidity, results of operations, and financial condition.
The
COVID-19
pandemic has resulted in widespread market volatility and economic uncertainty within the United States. National, regional, and local economies have suffered losses and may continue to experience long-term disruptions, including after
COVID-19
has subsided. The extent to which the pandemic will ultimately impact our business and financial condition will depend on future events that are difficult to forecast, including, but not limited to, the duration and severity of the pandemic, the success of actions taken to contain, treat, and prevent the virus, the success and effectiveness of our borrower assistance programs and government economic stimulus measures, and the speed at which normal economic and operating conditions return.
Governmental authorities have taken, and may continue to take, unprecedented actions in an attempt to limit the spread of the pandemic, including social distancing requirements,
orders, quarantines, closure of
non-essential
businesses, face mask mandates, and building capacity limitations. Such actions negatively impact overall economic activity within the United States and may have material and direct adverse consequences on our business. While the more onerous
COVID-19
restrictions have lifted in many states, there is no guarantee that more stringent measures will not be employed in the future. Our business has generally been classified by government authorities as an essential business allowed to remain open during
COVID-19
mandated business closures. However, in April, we were required to temporarily close our branches in the state of New Mexico, which have since
re-opened,
when the governor issued an executive order to close
non-essential
businesses that excluded consumer finance companies like us from the definition of “essential business.” We have also experienced temporary closure of multiple locations due to company-initiated quarantine measures. We may choose, or be required by government agencies, to close these same or other locations in the future due to quarantine or other health and/or safety concerns. Such government- and company-initiated closures have had, and may in the future have, a negative impact on our ability to originate and service customer accounts and an adverse effect on our results of operations. Additional or prolonged branch closures could intensify these negative impacts. We have also implemented social distancing and additional health and safety measures within our branches and may choose, or be required by government agencies, to implement additional safeguards related to
COVID-19
containment in the future that could increase our operating costs and have a negative economic impact on our business.
As a result of the economic downturn related to the pandemic, our branches have experienced a decrease in customer traffic and product demand. We continue to use our custom scorecards, as well as our legacy internal metrics and data, to manage lending and loan renewal criteria. In light of the heightened unemployment rate within the United States, we expect higher levels of delinquencies and credit losses on outstanding finance receivables over time. Negative impacts to our loan growth, collections, and defaults could adversely impact our revenues and other results of operations. In addition, we have scaled back on investment in new branches,
non-critical
hiring, and certain other spending until conditions begin to rebound, all of which may negatively impact our ability to grow our customer base and business.
In light of the
COVID-19
pandemic, we are relying more heavily on online operations for customer access and telework for certain of our team members, including certain members of our home office and field leadership staff. We are also working to expand our capabilities for branch team members to work from home in the event new
mandates are imposed and to provide full origination capabilities remotely.
However, if we experience disruptions in our online operations or are unable to timely expand our remote working or origination capabilities in response to continued, renewed, or increased
COVID-19
restrictions, we may be unable to timely and effectively service accounts and perform key business functions. Disruptions in our business could also result from the inability of key personnel and/or a significant portion of our workforce to fulfill their duties due to
COVID-19
related illness or restriction. We maintain continuity plans, but there is no assurance that such plans will effectively mitigate the risks posed by the pandemic.