Finance Receivables, Credit Quality Information and Allowance for Loan Losses - Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Total Finance receivables at the end of the period	$ 1,614		$ 1,560
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been recorded	3,408		3,474
Subsidiary purchased loans	4,116
Recoveries of collection on purchased loans	1,241
Third party lender
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	2,570	$ 4,513
Provision	1,976	5,758
Charge-offs	(2,877)	(4,417)
Balance at the end of the period	1,669	5,854
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been recorded	26,667		28,444
Consumer Borrower
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	13,828	3,474
Provision	13,624	14,505
Charge-offs	(25,449)	(22,035)
Recoveries	9,417	10,095
Balance at the end of the period	11,420	6,039
Total Finance receivables at the end of the period	$ 73,152	$ 80,155	98,330
Allowance as a percentage of receivable	15.61%	7.53%
Troubled debt restructuring
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Allowance for TDR's	$ 2	$ 3
Net carrying value of TDR's	4	6
Credit service program (CSO Program) | Third party lender
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been recorded	5,839		12,096
Short-term consumer loans
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Total Finance receivables at the end of the period	44,908		61,973
Short-term consumer loans | Third party lender
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	1,304	4,454
Provision	2,124	2,857
Charge-offs	(2,617)	(4,410)
Balance at the end of the period	811	2,901
Short-term consumer loans | Consumer Borrower
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	2,654	2,018
Provision	8,068	7,572
Charge-offs	(17,366)	(16,402)
Recoveries	8,790	9,127
Balance at the end of the period	2,146	2,315
Total Finance receivables at the end of the period	$ 44,908	$ 51,283
Allowance as a percentage of receivable	4.78%	4.51%
Short-term consumer loans | Ohio credit service program (CSO Program)
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Recoveries	$ 38	$ 6,936
Required purchases	80	9,898
Short-term consumer loans | Texas credit service program (CSO Program)
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Recoveries	2,107	1,205
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been recorded	3,254		4,953
Required purchases	4,473	2,547
Medium-term consumer loans
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Total Finance receivables at the end of the period	28,244		36,357
Medium-term consumer loans | Third party lender
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	1,266	59
Provision	(148)	2,901
Charge-offs	(260)	(7)
Balance at the end of the period	858	2,953
Medium-term consumer loans | Consumer Borrower
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	11,174	1,456
Provision	5,556	6,933
Charge-offs	(8,083)	(5,633)
Recoveries	627	968
Balance at the end of the period	9,274	3,724
Total Finance receivables at the end of the period	$ 28,244	$ 28,872
Allowance as a percentage of receivable	32.84%	12.90%
Medium-term consumer loans | Troubled debt restructuring | Consumer Borrower
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Provision and write off	$ 11	$ 10
Payment defaults for loans evaluated for impairment	22	23
Medium-term consumer loans | Credit service program (CSO Program)
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Recoveries	368
Medium-term consumer loans | Ohio credit service program (CSO Program)
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Recoveries		58
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been recorded	2,585		7,143
Required purchases	616	63
Check cashing | Consumer Borrower
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Provision	1,320	$ 1,023
Debt buyer liability | Third party lender
Changes in the allowance for the loan losses by product type
Balance at the beginning of the period	3,474
Provision	2,809
Charge-offs	(2,875)
Balance at the end of the period	3,408
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been recorded	26,667		28,444
Total gross finance receivables for which accrual for third-party lender losses has been reserved	$ 3,408		$ 3,474