Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business. Conn's, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is a holding company with no independent assets or operations other than its investments in its subsidiaries. References to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” “Conn’s” or “CONN” refer to Conn’s Inc. and, as apparent from the context, its subsidiaries. Conn's is a leading specialty retailer that offers a broad selection of quality, branded durable consumer goods and related services in addition to proprietary credit solutions for its core credit-constrained consumers. We operate an integrated and scalable business through our retail stores and website. Our complementary product offerings include furniture and mattresses, home appliances, consumer electronics and home office products from leading global brands across a wide range of price points. Our credit offering provides financing solutions to a large, under-served population of credit-constrained consumers who typically have limited credit alternatives.

We operate two reportable segments: retail and credit. Our retail stores bear the "Conn's" or "Conn's HomePlus" name with all of our stores providing the same products and services to a common customer group. Our stores follow the same procedures and methods in managing their operations. Our retail business and credit business are operated independently from each other. The credit segment is dedicated to providing short- and medium-term financing to our retail customers. The retail segment is not involved in credit approval decisions. Our management evaluates performance and allocates resources based on the operating results of the retail and credit segments.

Basis of Presentation. The accompanying unaudited, condensed consolidated financial statements of Conn's, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the VIEs (as defined below), have been prepared by management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") and prevailing industry practice for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, we do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete financial statements. The accompanying financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for these interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in future periods. The balance sheet at January 31, 2017 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date. The financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 4, 2017.

Fiscal Year. Our fiscal year ends on January 31. References to a fiscal year refer to the calendar year in which the fiscal year ends.

Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Conn's, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Variable Interest Entities. Variable interest entities ("VIEs") are consolidated if the Company is the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is the party that has (i) the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the performance of the VIE and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

We securitize customer accounts receivables by transferring the receivables to various bankruptcy-remote VIEs. We retain the servicing of the securitized portfolio and have a variable interest in each corresponding VIE by holding the residual equity. We have determined that we are the primary beneficiary of each respective VIE because (i) our servicing responsibilities for the securitized portfolio give us the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the performance of the VIE and (ii) our variable interest in the VIE gives us the obligation to absorb losses and the right to receive residual returns that potentially could be significant. As a result, we consolidate the respective VIEs within our consolidated financial statements.

Refer to Note 6, Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, and Note 8, Variable Interest Entities, for additional information.

Use of Estimates. The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make informed judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. Changes in facts and circumstances or additional information may result in revised estimates, and actual results may differ, even significantly, from these estimates. Management evaluates its estimates and related assumptions regularly, including those related to the allowance for doubtful accounts, allowances for no-interest option credit programs and deferred interest, which are particularly sensitive given the size of our customer portfolio balance.

Cash and Cash Equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents include cash, credit card deposits in-transit, and highly liquid debt instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less. Cash and cash equivalents include credit card deposits in-transit of $3.2 million and $2.4 million, as of July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017, respectively.

Restricted Cash. The restricted cash balance as of July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017 includes $58.7 million and $75.2 million, respectively, of cash we collected as servicer on the securitized receivables that was subsequently remitted to the VIEs and $27.7 million and $35.5 million, respectively, of cash held by the VIEs as additional collateral for the asset-backed notes.

Customer accounts receivable. Customer accounts receivable reported in the consolidated balance sheet includes total receivables managed, including both those transferred to the VIEs and those not transferred to the VIEs. Customer accounts receivable are recognized at the time the customer takes possession of the product. Based on contractual terms, we record the amount of principal and accrued interest on customer receivables that is expected to be collected within the next twelve months in current assets with the remaining balance in long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheet. Customer accounts receivable include the net of unamortized deferred fees charged to customers and origination costs. Customer receivables are considered delinquent if a payment has not been received on the scheduled due date. Accounts that are delinquent more than 209 days as of the end of a month are charged-off against the allowance for doubtful accounts along with interest accrued subsequent to the last payment.

In an effort to mitigate losses on our accounts receivable, we may make loan modifications to a borrower experiencing financial difficulty. In our role as servicer,we may also make modifications to loans held by the VIEs. The loan modifications are intended to maximize net cash flow after expenses and avoid the need to repossess collateral or exercise legal remedies available to us. We may extend or "re-age" a portion of our customer accounts, which involves modifying the payment terms to defer a portion of the cash payments due. Our re-aging of customer accounts does not change the interest rate or the total amount due from the customer and typically does not reduce the monthly contractual payments. To a much lesser extent, we may provide the customer the ability to re-age their obligation by refinancing the account, which does not change the interest rate or the total amount due from the customer but does reduce the monthly contractual payments and extend the term. We consider accounts that have been re-aged in excess of three months or refinanced as Troubled Debt Restructurings ("TDR" or "Restructured Accounts").

Interest income on customer accounts receivable. Interest income, which includes interest income and amortization of deferred fees and origination costs, is recorded using the interest method and is reflected in finance charges and other revenues. Typically, interest income is recorded until the customer account is paid off or charged-off, and we provide an allowance for estimated uncollectible interest. Any contractual interest income received from customers in excess of the interest income calculated using the interest method is recorded as deferred revenue on our balance sheets. Our calculation of interest income for customers with similar financing arrangements for which the timing and amount of prepayments can be reasonably estimated includes an estimate of the benefit from future prepayments based on our historical experience. At July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017, there was $13.5 million and $13.7 million, respectively, of deferred interest included in deferred revenues and other credits and other long-term liabilities. The deferred interest will ultimately be brought into income as the accounts pay off or charge-off.

We offer 12-and 18-month no-interest option programs. If the customer is delinquent in making a scheduled monthly payment or does not repay the principal in full by the end of the no-interest option program period (grace periods are provided), the account does not qualify for the no-interest provision and none of the interest earned is waived. Interest income is recognized based on estimated accrued interest earned to date on all no-interest option finance programs with an offsetting reserve for those customers expected to satisfy the requirements of the program based on our historical experience.

No-interest option finance programs with terms greater than 12 months are discounted to their present value at origination, resulting in a reduction in sales and customer receivables, and the discount amount is amortized into finance charges and other revenues over the term of the contract.

We recognize interest income on TDR accounts using the interest income method, which requires reporting interest income equal to the increase in the net carrying amount of the loan attributable to the passage of time. Cash proceeds and other adjustments are applied to the net carrying amount such that it equals the present value of expected future cash flows.

We typically only place accounts in non-accrual status when legally required. Payments received on non-accrual loans will be applied to principal and reduce the amount of the loan. Interest accrual is resumed on those accounts once a legally-mandated settlement arrangement is reached or other payment arrangements are made with the customer. At July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017, customer receivables carried in non-accrual status were $49.2 million and $22.9 million, respectively. At July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017, customer receivables that were past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest totaled $84.9 million and $124.0 million, respectively. The shift in the customer receivables balance from 90 days or more and still accruing interest to customer receivables in non-accrual status is primarily due to the increased use of third-party collection agencies to support our internal collection efforts. At July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017, customer receivables in a bankruptcy status that are less than 60 days past due of $15.2 million and $19.5 million, respectively, are included within the customer receivables carried in non-accrual status balance.

Allowance for doubtful accounts. The determination of the amount of the allowance for bad debts is, by nature, highly complex and subjective. Future events that are inherently uncertain could result in material changes to the level of the allowance for bad debts. General economic conditions, changes to state or federal regulations and a variety of other factors that affect the ability of borrowers’ to service their debts or our ability to collect will impact the future performance of the portfolio.

We establish an allowance for doubtful accounts, including estimated uncollectible interest, to cover probable and estimable losses on our customer accounts receivable resulting from the failure of customers to make contractual payments. Our customer portfolio balance consists of a large number of relatively small, homogeneous accounts. None of our accounts are large enough to warrant individual evaluation for impairment.

We record an allowance for doubtful accounts on our non-TDR customer accounts receivable that we expect to charge-off over the next 12 months based on historical gross charge-off rates over the last 24 months. During the three months ended July 31, 2017, we began to incorporate an adjustment to historical gross charge-off rates for a scaled factor of the year-over-year change in six month average first payment default rates and the year-over-year change in the balance of customer accounts receivable that are 60 days or more past due. In addition to adjusted historical gross charge-off rates, estimates of post-charge-off recoveries, including cash payments from customers, amounts realized from the repossession of the products financed, sales tax recoveries from taxing jurisdictions, and payments received under credit insurance policies are also considered.

Qualitative adjustments are made to the allowance for bad debts when, based on management’s judgment, there are internal or external factors impacting probable incurred losses not taken into account by the quantitative calculations. These qualitative considerations are based on the following factors: changes in lending policies and procedures, changes in economic and business conditions, changes in the nature and volume of the portfolio, changes in lending management, changes in credit quality statistics, changes in the quality of the loan review system, changes in the value of underlying collateral, changes in concentrations of credit, and other internal or external factor changes. We utilize an economic qualitative adjustment based on changes in unemployment rates if current unemployment rates in our markets are worse than they were on average over the last 24 months. We also qualitatively limit the impact of changes in first payment default rates and changes in delinquency when those changes result in a decrease to the allowance for bad debts based on a measure of the dispersion of historical charge-off rates. The impact of the changes in first payment default rates and changes in delinquency balance adjustments implemented during the second quarter, net of qualitative adjustments, was a reduction to the allowance for doubtful accounts of $4.4 million.

We determine allowances for those accounts that are TDR based on the discounted present value of cash flows expected to be collected over the life of those accounts based primarily on the performance of TDR loans over the last 24 months. The cash flows are discounted based on the weighted-average effective interest rate of the TDR accounts. The excess of the carrying amount over the discounted cash flow amount is recorded as an allowance for loss on those accounts.

Debt Issuance Costs. Costs that are direct and incremental to debt issuance are deferred and amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method over the expected life of the debt. All other costs related to debt issuance are expensed as incurred. We present debt issuance costs associated with long-term debt as a reduction of the carrying amount of the debt. Unamortized costs related to the revolving credit facility were $6.7 million and $5.7 million as of July 31, 2017 and January 31, 2017, respectively, and were included in other assets on our consolidated balance sheet.

Income Taxes. For the six months ended July 31, 2017 and 2016 we utilized the estimated annual effective tax rate based on our estimated fiscal year 2018 and 2017 pre-tax income, respectively, in determining income tax expense.

Stock-based compensation. During the three months ended July 31, 2017, the Company granted 72,012 performance stock awards ("PSUs") and 318,806 restricted stock awards (“RSUs") with an aggregate grant date fair value of $6.8 million. During the six months ended July 31, 2017, the Company granted 501,012 PSUs and 643,293 RSUs with an aggregate grant date fair value of $14.5 million. During the three months ended July 31, 2016, the Company granted 131,759 PSUs and 319,454 RSUs with an aggregate grant date fair value of $4.8 million. During the six months ended July 31, 2016, the Company granted 131,759 PSUs and 328,827 RSUs with an aggregate grant date fair value of $4.9 million. The majority of the PSUs issued during the six months ended July 31, 2017 will vest, if at all, upon the certification, after the Company’s fiscal year 2020, by the compensation committee of the satisfaction of the annual and cumulative Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization performance conditions over the three fiscal years commencing with the Company’s fiscal year 2018. The majority of the RSUs issued during the six months ended July 31, 2017 will vest, if at all, over periods of three to five years from the date of grant. For the three months ended July 31, 2017 and 2016, stock-based compensation expense was $3.6 million and $1.3 million, respectively. For the six months ended July 31, 2017 and 2016, stock-based compensation expense was $5.2 million and $2.6 million, respectively.

Earnings per Share. Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share includes the dilutive effects of any stock options and restricted stock units granted, which is calculated using the treasury-stock method. The following table sets forth the shares outstanding for the earnings per share calculations:



	Three Months Ended July 31,		Six Months Ended July 31,
(in thousands)	2017	2016	2017	2016
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Basic	31,094	30,731	31,034	30,696
Dilutive effect of stock options and restricted stock units	341	—	258	—
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Diluted	31,435	30,731	31,292	30,696

For the three months ended July 31, 2017 and 2016 the weighted-average number of stock options and restricted stock units not included in the calculation due to their anti-dilutive effect was 0.4 million and 1.3 million, respectively. For the six months ended July 31, 2017 and 2016, the weighted-average number of stock options and restricted stock units not included in the calculation due to their anti-dilutive effect was 0.5 million and 1.0 million, respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value are categorized using defined hierarchical levels related to subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair value measurements as follows:


•	Level 1 – Inputs represent unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities

•

Level 2 – Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly (for example, quoted market prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets not considered to be active, inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, or market-corroborated inputs).


•	Level 3 – Inputs that are not observable from objective sources such as our internally developed assumptions used in pricing an asset or liability (for example, an estimate of future cash flows used in our internally developed present value of future cash flows model that underlies the fair-value measurement).

In determining fair value, we use observable market data when available, or models that incorporate observable market data. When we are required to measure fair value and there is not a market-observable price for the asset or liability or for a similar asset or liability, we use the cost or income approach depending on the quality of information available to support management’s assumptions. The cost approach is based on management’s best estimate of the current asset replacement cost. The income approach is based on management’s best assumptions regarding expectations of future net cash flows and discounts the expected cash flows using a commensurate risk-adjusted discount rate. Such evaluations involve significant judgment, and the results are based on expected future events or conditions such as sales prices, economic and regulatory climates, and other factors, most of which are often outside of management’s control. However, we believe assumptions used reflect a market participant’s view of long-term prices, costs, and other factors and are consistent with assumptions used in our business plans and investment decisions.

In arriving at fair-value estimates, we use relevant observable inputs available for the valuation technique employed. If a fair-value measurement reflects inputs at multiple levels within the hierarchy, the fair-value measurement is characterized based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair-value measurement.

The fair value of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash held by the consolidated VIEs and accounts payable approximate their carrying amounts because of the short maturity of these instruments. The fair value of customer accounts receivables, determined using a Level 3 discounted cash flow analysis, approximates their carrying amount, which includes the allowance for doubtful accounts. The fair value of our revolving credit facility approximates carrying value based on the current borrowing rate for similar types of borrowing arrangements. At July 31, 2017, the fair value of the Senior Notes outstanding, which was determined using Level 1 inputs, was $221.4 million as compared to the carrying value of $227.0 million, excluding the impact of the related discount. At July 31, 2017, the fair value of the asset-backed notes approximates their carrying value and was determined using Level 2 inputs based on inactive trading activity.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Adopted. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which modifies the accounting for excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies associated with share-based payments, the accounting for forfeitures, and the classification of certain items on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-09 eliminates the requirement to recognize excess tax benefits in additional paid-in capital ("APIC"), and the requirement to evaluate tax deficiencies for APIC or income tax expense classification, and provides for these benefits or deficiencies to be recorded as an income tax expense or benefit in the income statement. With these changes, tax-related cash flows resulting from share-based payments are classified as operating activities as opposed to financing. The standard became effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The amendment requiring the recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies as income tax benefit or expense in the income statement as opposed to being recognized as additional paid-in-capital was applied prospectively; the impact was not material. The Company retrospectively adopted the amendments requiring the classification of excess tax benefits and deficiencies with other income tax cash flows as operating activities and cash paid when directly withholding shares as financing activities in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows; the impact was not material. The Company has elected to continue its current practice of estimating the number of awards expected to vest in determining the amount of compensation cost to be recognized related to share based payment transactions.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. ASU 2015-11 requires that inventory that has historically been measured using first-in, first-out or average cost method be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The update requires prospective application and became effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Yet To Be Adopted. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which provides a single comprehensive accounting standard for revenue recognition for contracts with customers and supersedes current guidance. Upon adoption of ASU 2014-09, entities are required to recognize revenue using the following comprehensive model: (1) identify contracts with customers, (2) identify the performance obligations in such contracts, (3) determine transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations, and (5) recognize revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of Effective Date, which defers the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year and allows early adoption on a limited basis. The FASB has also issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net); ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing; ASU 2016-11, Rescission of SEC Guidance Because of Accounting Standards Updates 2014-09 and 2014-16 Pursuant to Staff Announcements at the March 3, 2016 EITF Meeting; and ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, all of which were issued to improve and clarify the guidance in ASU 2014-09. These ASUs are effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 and will result in retrospective application, either in the form of recasting all prior periods presented or a cumulative adjustment to equity in the period of adoption. We currently anticipate adopting the standard using the cumulative catch-up transition method. Based on our preliminary assessment, we do not expect the adoption of these ASUs to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements other than the expected additional disclosure requirements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which will change how lessees account for leases. For most leases, a liability will be recorded on the balance sheet based on the present value of future lease obligations with a corresponding right-of-use asset. Primarily for those leases currently classified by us as operating leases, we will recognize a single lease cost on a straight line basis based on the combined amortization of the lease obligation and the right-of-use asset. Other leases will be required to be accounted for as financing arrangements similar to how we currently account for capital leases. On transition, we will recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. The final standard will become effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. We are currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on our financial statements. We are the lessee under various lease agreements for our retail stores and equipment that are currently accounted for as operating leases as discussed in Note 6, Leases, of our audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2017.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. ASU 2016-13 requires that financial assets measured at amortized cost should be presented at the net amount expected to be collected through an allowance for credit losses that is deducted from the amortized cost basis. The allowance for credit losses should reflect management’s current estimate of credit losses that are expected to occur over the remaining life of a financial asset. The standard will become effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal year 2021 and earlier adoption is permitted beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. We are currently assessing the impact this ASU will have on our financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force). ASU 2016-15 clarifies guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and payments in the statement of cash flows to reduce diversity in practice. Among other things, the presentation of debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs as cash outflows for financing activities on the statement of cash flow. The standard will become effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 and early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other than Inventory, which eliminates the exception that prohibits the recognition of current and deferred income tax effects for intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory until the asset has been sold to an outside party. We will be required to adopt the amendments in this ASU in the annual and interim periods for our fiscal year ending January 31, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The application of the amendments will require the use of a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. We are evaluating the standard and the impact it will have on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force). ASU 2016-18 requires that the statement of cash flows provides the change in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. This will result in us no longer showing the changes in restricted cash balances as a component of cash flows from financing activities but instead include the balances of both current and long-term restricted cash with cash and cash equivalents in total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash for the beginning and end of the periods presented. The ASU will become effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, and early adoption is permitted. We are currently assessing when we expect to adopt the ASU.