(2) Finance Receivables

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Finance Receivables

(2) Finance Receivables

(2) Finance Receivables

Our portfolio of finance receivables consists of small-balance homogeneous contracts comprising a single segment and class that is collectively evaluated for impairment on a portfolio basis according to delinquency status. Our contract purchase guidelines are designed to produce a homogenous portfolio. For key terms such as interest rate, length of contract, monthly payment and amount financed, there is relatively little variation from the average for the portfolio. We report delinquency on a contractual basis. Once a contract becomes greater than 90 days delinquent, we do not recognize additional interest income until the obligor under the contract makes sufficient payments to be less than 90 days delinquent. Any payments received on a contract that is greater than 90 days delinquent are first applied to accrued interest and then to principal reduction.

In January 2018 the Company adopted the fair value method of accounting for finance receivables acquired after 2017. Finance receivables measured at fair value are recorded separately on the Company’s Balance Sheet and are excluded from all tables in this footnote.

The following table presents the components of Finance Receivables, net of unearned interest:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
Finance receivables	(In thousands)
Automobile finance receivables, net of unearned interest	$	410,623	$	491,307
Unearned acquisition fees and originations costs		486		826
Finance receivables	$	411,109	$	492,133

We consider an automobile contract delinquent when an obligor fails to make at least 90% of a contractually due payment by the following due date, which date may have been extended within limits specified in the servicing agreements. The period of delinquency is based on the number of days payments are contractually past due, as extended where applicable. Automobile contracts less than 31 days delinquent are not included. In certain circumstances we will grant obligors one-month payment extensions to assist them with temporary cash flow problems. The only modification of terms is to advance the obligor’s next due date by one month and extend the maturity date of the receivable by one month. In certain limited cases, a two-month extension may be granted. There are no other concessions such as a reduction in interest rate, forgiveness of principal or of accrued interest. Accordingly, we consider such extensions to be insignificant delays in payments rather than troubled debt restructurings. The following table summarizes the delinquency status of finance receivables as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Delinquency Status
Current	$	360,369	$	406,693
31 - 60 days		35,533		56,572
61 - 90 days		11,683		22,660
91 + days		3,038		5,382
	$	410,623	$	491,307

Finance receivables totaling $3.0 million and $5.4 million at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, including all receivables greater than 90 days delinquent, have been placed on non-accrual status as a result of their delinquency status.

Allowance for Credit Losses – Finance Receivables

The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of finance receivables to present the net amount expected to be collected. Charge offs are deducted from the allowance when management believes that collectability is unlikely.

Management estimates the allowance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions and, reasonable and supportable forecasts. We believe our historical credit loss experience provides the best basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Consequently, we use historical loss experience for older receivables, aggregated into vintage pools based on their calendar quarter of origination, to forecast expected losses for less seasoned quarterly vintage pools.

We measure the weighted average monthly incremental change in cumulative net losses for the vintage pools in the relevant historical period. For the pools in the relevant historical period, we consider each pool’s performance from its inception through the end of the current period. We then apply the results of the historical analysis to less seasoned vintage pools beginning with each vintage pool’s most recent actual cumulative net loss experience and extrapolating from that point based on the historical data. We believe the pattern and magnitude of losses on older vintages allows us to establish a reasonable and supportable forecast of less seasoned vintages.

Our contract purchase guidelines are designed to produce a homogenous portfolio. For key credit characteristics of individual contracts such as obligor credit history, job stability, residence stability and ability to pay, there is relatively little variation from the average for the portfolio. Similarly, for key structural characteristics such as loan-to-value, length of contract, monthly payment and amount financed, there is relatively little variation from the average for the portfolio. Consequently, we do not believe there are significant differences in risk characteristics between various segments of our portfolio.

Our methodology incorporates historical pools that are sufficiently seasoned to capture the magnitude and trends of losses within those vintage pools. Furthermore, the historical period encompasses a substantial volume of receivables over periods that include fluctuations in the competitive landscape, the Company’s rates of growth, size of our managed portfolio and fluctuations in economic growth and unemployment.

In consideration of the depth and breadth of the historical period, and the homogeneity of our portfolio, we generally do not adjust historical loss information for differences in risk characteristics such as credit or structural composition of segments of the portfolio or for changes in environmental conditions such as changes in unemployment rates, collateral values or other factors. However, we have considered how certain qualitative factors may affect future credit losses and have incorporated our judgement of the effect of such factors into our estimates.

Effective January 1, 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 326, which changes the criteria under which credit losses on financial instruments (such as the Company’s finance receivables) are measured. ASC 326 introduced a new credit reserving model known as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model, which replaces the incurred loss impairment methodology previously used under U.S. GAAP with a methodology that records currently the expected lifetime credit losses on financial instruments. The adoption of CECL required that we establish an allowance for the remaining expected lifetime credit losses on the portion of the Company’s receivable portfolio for which the Company was not already using fair value accounting. We refer to that portion, which is those receivables that were originated prior to January 2018, as our “legacy portfolio”. To comply with CECL, the Company recorded an addition to its allowance for finance credit losses of $127.0 million. The offset to the addition to the allowance for finance credit losses was a tax affected reduction to retained earnings using the modified retrospective method.

The following table presents the amortized cost basis of our finance receivables by annual vintage as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

	March 31,		December 31,
	2021		2020
	(In thousands)
Annual Vintage Pool
2012 and prior	$	427	$	608
2013		3,102		4,483
2014		17,169		23,115
2015		62,428		78,457
2016		136,699		163,677
2017		190,798		220,967
	$	410,623	$	491,307

The following table presents a summary of the activity for the allowance for finance credit losses for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:

	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
		2021			2020
		(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of period	$	80,790		$	11,640
Early adoption of CECL		–			127,000
Provision for credit losses on finance receivables		–			3,613
Charge-offs		(12,122	)		(34,214	)
Recoveries		4,829			6,034
Balance at end of period	$	73,497		$	114,073

Excluded from finance receivables are contracts that were previously classified as finance receivables but were reclassified as other assets because we have repossessed the vehicle securing the Contract. The following table presents a summary of such repossessed inventory together with the allowance for losses in repossessed inventory that is not included in the allowance for finance credit losses:

	March 31,			December 31,
	2021			2020
	(In thousands)
Gross balance of repossessions in inventory	$	10,340		$	15,589
Allowance for losses on repossessed inventory		(6,816	)		(11,790	)
Net repossessed inventory included in other assets	$	3,524		$	3,799