Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013 item	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012 item	Sep. 30, 2013 item	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Information
Number of business segments				3
Number of states in which personal loans are originated and serviced	26			26
Number of states where personal lending and retail sales financing ceased as a result of restructuring activities			14
Interest income:
Finance charges	$ 417,627,000	$ 416,855,000		$ 1,235,483,000	$ 1,269,966,000
Finance receivables held for sale originated as held for investment		346,000			2,740,000
Total interest income	417,627,000	417,201,000		1,235,483,000	1,272,706,000
Interest expense	205,036,000	267,085,000		646,932,000	823,334,000
Net interest income	212,591,000	150,116,000		588,551,000	449,372,000
Provision for finance receivable losses	97,414,000	90,836,000		262,142,000	227,430,000
Net interest income after provision for finance receivable losses	115,177,000	59,280,000		326,409,000	221,942,000
Other revenues:
Insurance	38,277,000	31,719,000		107,144,000	93,042,000
Investment	6,756,000	5,747,000		26,291,000	21,378,000
Net gain (loss) on repurchases and repayments of debt	(34,503,000)	(10,670,000)		(34,558,000)	(11,750,000)
Other	5,514,000	1,853,000		20,874,000	(19,204,000)
Total other revenues	16,044,000	28,649,000		119,751,000	83,466,000
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	209,625,000	78,122,000		363,163,000	241,114,000
Other operating expenses	52,110,000	71,774,000		151,034,000	214,157,000
Restructuring expenses					23,503,000
Insurance losses and loss adjustment expenses	16,550,000	15,152,000		47,650,000	42,302,000
Total other expenses	278,285,000	165,048,000		561,847,000	521,076,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(147,064,000)	(77,119,000)		(115,687,000)	(215,668,000)
Assets	13,919,428,000	15,056,605,000		13,919,428,000	15,056,605,000	14,654,771,000
RSUs
Information about segments as well as reconciliations to condensed consolidated financial statement amounts
Non-cash stock compensation expense	131,300,000
Total Historical Accounting Basis
Interest income:
Finance charges	367,167,000	370,100,000		1,086,392,000	1,131,852,000
Finance receivables held for sale originated as held for investment		344,000			2,734,000
Total interest income		370,444,000			1,134,586,000
Interest expense	170,898,000	208,008,000		541,648,000	637,895,000
Net interest income	196,269,000	162,436,000		544,744,000	496,691,000
Provision for finance receivable losses	83,366,000	(87,010,000)		242,161,000	28,179,000
Net interest income after provision for finance receivable losses	112,903,000	249,446,000		302,583,000	468,512,000
Other revenues:
Insurance	38,284,000	31,741,000		107,172,000	93,134,000
Investment	8,308,000	7,976,000		31,054,000	28,226,000
Net gain (loss) on repurchases and repayments of debt	(20,772,000)	11,575,000		(42,143,000)	21,048,000
Other	5,480,000	(7,823,000)		21,008,000	(30,981,000)
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	209,678,000	78,246,000		363,323,000	241,497,000
Other operating expenses	51,007,000	65,240,000		147,616,000	204,799,000
Restructuring expenses					23,503,000
Insurance losses and loss adjustment expenses	16,849,000	15,360,000		48,373,000	43,076,000
Total other expenses	277,534,000	158,846,000		559,312,000	512,875,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(133,331,000)	134,069,000		(139,638,000)	67,064,000
Assets	14,552,892,000	15,905,465,000		14,552,892,000	15,905,465,000
Push-down Accounting Adjustment
Interest income:
Finance charges	50,460,000	46,755,000		149,091,000	138,114,000
Finance receivables held for sale originated as held for investment		2,000			6,000
Total interest income		46,757,000			138,120,000
Interest expense	34,138,000	59,077,000		105,284,000	185,439,000
Net interest income	16,322,000	(12,320,000)		43,807,000	(47,319,000)
Provision for finance receivable losses	14,048,000	177,846,000		19,981,000	199,251,000
Net interest income after provision for finance receivable losses	2,274,000	(190,166,000)		23,826,000	(246,570,000)
Other revenues:
Insurance	(7,000)	(22,000)		(28,000)	(92,000)
Investment	(1,552,000)	(2,229,000)		(4,763,000)	(6,848,000)
Net gain (loss) on repurchases and repayments of debt	(13,731,000)	(22,245,000)		7,585,000	(32,798,000)
Other	34,000	9,676,000		(134,000)	11,777,000
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	(53,000)	(124,000)		(160,000)	(383,000)
Other operating expenses	1,103,000	6,534,000		3,418,000	9,358,000
Insurance losses and loss adjustment expenses	(299,000)	(208,000)		(723,000)	(774,000)
Total other expenses	751,000	6,202,000		2,535,000	8,201,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(13,733,000)	(211,188,000)		23,951,000	(282,732,000)
Assets	(633,464,000)	(848,860,000)		(633,464,000)	(848,860,000)
Consumer
Interest income:
Finance charges	188,294,000	149,333,000		519,315,000	429,564,000
Total interest income		149,333,000			429,564,000
Interest expense	38,260,000	35,434,000		111,399,000	102,129,000
Net interest income	150,034,000	113,899,000		407,916,000	327,435,000
Provision for finance receivable losses	38,111,000	17,633,000		52,126,000	46,471,000
Net interest income after provision for finance receivable losses	111,923,000	96,266,000		355,790,000	280,964,000
Other revenues:
Net gain (loss) on repurchases and repayments of debt	(2,892,000)	3,234,000		(4,391,000)	5,881,000
Other	493,000	(1,980,000)		1,256,000	(2,250,000)
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	58,593,000	60,970,000		182,051,000	185,261,000
Other operating expenses	30,867,000	24,585,000		89,642,000	88,691,000
Restructuring expenses					15,634,000
Total other expenses	89,460,000	85,555,000		271,693,000	289,586,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	35,150,000	22,541,000		124,258,000	24,766,000
Assets	3,075,404,000	2,536,917,000		3,075,404,000	2,536,917,000
Insurance
Other revenues:
Insurance	38,266,000	31,718,000		107,114,000	93,050,000
Investment	8,308,000	7,976,000		31,054,000	28,226,000
Other	2,426,000	1,543,000		6,797,000	3,173,000
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	7,285,000	2,890,000		11,402,000	8,660,000
Other operating expenses	3,288,000	2,097,000		8,369,000	8,215,000
Restructuring expenses					229,000
Insurance losses and loss adjustment expenses	16,849,000	15,360,000		48,373,000	43,076,000
Total other expenses	27,422,000	20,347,000		68,144,000	60,180,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	6,481,000	10,343,000		33,519,000	34,224,000
Assets	913,440,000	957,558,000		913,440,000	957,558,000
Real Estate
Interest income:
Finance charges	168,872,000	198,164,000		529,446,000	619,312,000
Finance receivables held for sale originated as held for investment		344,000			2,734,000
Total interest income		198,508,000			622,046,000
Interest expense	129,309,000	165,303,000		418,051,000	508,368,000
Net interest income	39,563,000	33,205,000		111,395,000	113,678,000
Provision for finance receivable losses	42,863,000	(107,306,000)		193,391,000	(25,488,000)
Net interest income after provision for finance receivable losses	(3,300,000)	140,511,000		(81,996,000)	139,166,000
Other revenues:
Net gain (loss) on repurchases and repayments of debt	(17,175,000)	7,565,000		(36,775,000)	13,755,000
Other	(1,841,000)	(13,143,000)		(1,372,000)	(47,873,000)
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	7,551,000	7,052,000		20,541,000	21,845,000
Other operating expenses	14,785,000	14,570,000		43,431,000	59,224,000
Restructuring expenses					818,000
Total other expenses	22,336,000	21,622,000		63,972,000	81,887,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(44,610,000)	113,340,000		(184,015,000)	23,226,000
Assets	8,762,800,000	9,966,285,000		8,762,800,000	9,966,285,000
Other
Interest income:
Finance charges	10,001,000	22,603,000		37,631,000	82,976,000
Total interest income		22,603,000			82,976,000
Interest expense	3,329,000	7,271,000		12,198,000	27,398,000
Net interest income	6,672,000	15,332,000		25,433,000	55,578,000
Provision for finance receivable losses	2,392,000	2,663,000		(3,356,000)	7,196,000
Net interest income after provision for finance receivable losses	4,280,000	12,669,000		28,789,000	48,382,000
Other revenues:
Insurance	18,000	23,000		58,000	84,000
Net gain (loss) on repurchases and repayments of debt	(705,000)	776,000		(977,000)	1,412,000
Other	4,402,000	5,757,000		14,327,000	15,969,000
Operating expenses:
Salaries and benefits	136,249,000	7,334,000		149,329,000	25,731,000
Other operating expenses	2,067,000	23,988,000		6,174,000	48,669,000
Restructuring expenses					6,822,000
Total other expenses	138,316,000	31,322,000		155,503,000	81,222,000
Income (loss) before provision for (benefit from) income taxes	(130,352,000)	(12,155,000)		(113,400,000)	(15,152,000)
Assets	1,801,248,000	2,444,705,000		1,801,248,000	2,444,705,000
Operating segments
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	16,044,000	28,649,000		119,751,000	83,466,000
Operating segments | Total Historical Accounting Basis
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	31,300,000	43,469,000		117,091,000	111,427,000
Operating segments | Push-down Accounting Adjustment
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	(15,256,000)	(14,820,000)		2,660,000	(27,961,000)
Operating segments | Consumer
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	12,687,000	11,830,000		40,161,000	33,388,000
Operating segments | Insurance
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	33,903,000	30,690,000		101,663,000	94,404,000
Operating segments | Real Estate
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	(18,974,000)	(5,549,000)		(38,047,000)	(34,053,000)
Operating segments | Other
Other revenues:
Total other revenues	3,684,000	6,498,000		13,314,000	17,688,000
Intersegment | Consumer
Other revenues:
Intersegment - insurance commissions	15,086,000	10,576,000		43,296,000	29,757,000
Intersegment | Insurance
Other revenues:
Intersegment - insurance commissions	(15,097,000)	(10,547,000)		(43,302,000)	(30,045,000)
Intersegment | Real Estate
Other revenues:
Intersegment - insurance commissions	42,000	29,000		100,000	65,000
Intersegment | Other
Other revenues:
Intersegment - insurance commissions	$ (31,000)	$ (58,000)		$ (94,000)	$ 223,000