Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 01, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Document And Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	CONSUMER PORTFOLIO SERVICES INC
Entity Central Index Key	0000889609
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2016
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer?	No
Is Entity a Voluntary Filer?	No
Is Entity's Reporting Status Current?	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 71,276,110
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		23,607,928
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 13,936	$ 19,322
Restricted cash and equivalents	112,754	106,054
Finance receivables	2,267,943	1,985,093
Less: Allowance for finance credit losses	(95,578)	(75,603)
Finance receivables, net	2,172,365	1,909,490
Furniture and equipment, net	2,017	1,715
Deferred tax assets, net	42,845	37,597
Accrued interest receivable	36,233	31,547
Other assets	30,252	23,200
Total Assets	2,410,402	2,128,925
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	24,977	29,509
Warehouse lines of credit	103,358	194,056
Residual interest financing	0	9,042
Securitization trust debt	2,080,900	1,720,021
Subordinated renewable notes	14,949	15,138
Total Liabilities	2,224,184	1,967,766
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock, no par value; authorized 75,000,000 shares; 23,587,126 and 25,616,460 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively	77,128	81,337
Retained earnings	115,772	86,472
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(6,682)	(6,650)
Total stockholders' equity	186,218	161,159
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	2,410,402	2,128,925
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred stock	0	0
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred stock	$ 0	$ 0

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred Stock, Par Value	$ 1	$ 1
Preferred Stock, Authorized	4,998,130	4,998,130
Preferred Stock, Issued	0	0
Preferred Stock, Outstanding	0	0
Common Stock, No Par Value
Common Stock, Authorized	75,000,000	75,000,000
Common Stock, Issued	23,587,126	25,616,460
Common Stock, Outstanding	23,587,126	25,616,460
Series A Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred Stock, Par Value	$ 1	$ 1
Preferred Stock, Authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred Stock, Issued	0	0
Preferred Stock, Outstanding	0	0
Series B Preferred Stock [Member]
Shareholders' Equity
Preferred Stock, Par Value	$ 1	$ 1
Preferred Stock, Authorized	1,870	1,870
Preferred Stock, Issued	0	0
Preferred Stock, Outstanding	0	0

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues:
Interest income	$ 408,996	$ 349,912	$ 286,734
Other income	13,286	13,738	13,522
Total revenues	422,282	363,650	300,256
Expenses:
Employee costs	65,549	59,556	50,129
General and administrative	24,840	20,160	19,254
Interest	79,941	57,745	50,395
Provision for credit losses	178,511	142,618	108,228
Marketing	17,818	17,470	16,116
Occupancy	5,185	4,082	3,464
Depreciation and amortization	777	637	428
Total operating expenses	372,621	302,268	248,014
Income before income tax expense	49,661	61,382	52,242
Income tax expense	20,361	26,701	22,726
Net income	$ 29,300	$ 34,681	$ 29,516
Earnings per share:
Basic	$ 1.20	$ 1.34	$ 1.18
Diluted	$ 1.01	$ 1.10	$ 0.92
Number of shares used in computing earnings per share:
Basic	24,356,000	25,935,000	25,040,000
Diluted	29,035,000	31,584,000	32,032,000

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 29,300	$ 34,681	$ 29,516
Other comprehensive income (loss); change in funded status of pension plan, net of $7, $1,016 and $2,654 in tax for 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively	(32)	(1,599)	(3,956)
Comprehensive income	$ 29,268	$ 33,082	$ 25,560

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Total
Beginning balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2013	24,016
Beginning balance, value at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 73,422	$ 22,275	$ (1,095)	$ 94,602
Common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants, shares	1,525
Common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants	$ 3,256			3,256
Pension benefit obligation			(3,956)	(3,956)
Stock-based compensation	$ 3,835			3,835
Net income		29,516		29,516
Ending balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2014	25,541
Ending balance, value at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 80,513	51,791	(5,051)	127,253
Common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants, shares	1,140
Common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants	$ 1,726			1,726
Repurchase of common stock, shares	(1,064)
Repurchase of common stock, value	$ (5,926)			(5,926)
Pension benefit obligation			(1,599)	(1,599)
Stock-based compensation	$ 5,024			5,024
Net income		34,681		34,681
Ending balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2015	25,617
Ending balance, value at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 81,337	86,472	(6,650)	161,159
Common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants, shares	448
Common stock issued upon exercise of options and warrants	$ 706			706
Repurchase of common stock, shares	(2,478)
Repurchase of common stock, value	$ (10,468)			(10,468)
Pension benefit obligation			(32)	(32)
Stock-based compensation	$ 5,553			5,553
Net income		29,300		29,300
Ending balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2016	23,587
Ending balance, value at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 77,128	$ 115,772	$ (6,682)	$ 186,218

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 29,300	$ 34,681	$ 29,516
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Accretion of deferred acquisition fees	(2,980)	(8,954)	(16,213)
Accretion of purchase discount on receivables measured at fair value	0	0	(283)
Amortization of discount on securitization trust debt	20	62	130
Amortization of discount on senior secured debt, related party	0	0	623
Accretion of premium on debt secured by receivables measured at fair value	0	0	712
Mark to fair value on debt secured by receivables at fair value	0	0	(123)
Mark to fair value of receivables at fair value	0	0	(27)
Depreciation and amortization	777	637	428
Amortization of deferred financing costs	8,389	7,017	6,767
Provision for credit losses	178,511	142,618	108,228
Stock-based compensation expense	5,553	5,024	3,835
Interest income on residual assets	0	(92)	(372)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accrued interest receivable	(4,686)	(8,175)	(4,702)
Other assets	(8,739)	3,237	(1,925)
Deferred tax assets, net	(5,248)	5,250	16,368
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(4,564)	6,250	(7,135)
Net cash provided by operating activities	196,333	187,555	135,827
Cash flows from investing activities:
Originations of finance receivables held for investment	(1,088,785)	(1,060,538)	(944,944)
Payments received on finance receivables held for investment	650,379	551,880	433,870
Payments received on receivables portfolio at fair value	58	1,603	13,122
Proceeds received on residual interest in securitizations	0	0	1,158
Change in repossessions held in inventory	1,629	(2,369)	(441)
Decreases (Increases) in restricted cash and cash equivalents, net	(6,700)	69,328	(43,098)
Purchase of furniture and equipment	(1,079)	(1,191)	(823)
Net cash used in investing activities	(444,498)	(441,287)	(541,156)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of securitization trust debt	1,197,515	795,000	923,000
Proceeds from issuance of subordinated renewable notes	2,911	1,551	579
Payments on subordinated renewable notes	(3,100)	(1,646)	(4,488)
Net proceeds from (repayments of) warehouse lines of credit	(91,496)	139,622	47,387
Repayments of residual interest financing debt	(9,042)	(3,285)	(6,769)
Repayment of securitization trust debt	(834,880)	(661,960)	(502,193)
Repayment of debt secured by receivables measured at fair value	0	(1,250)	(12,456)
Repayment of senior secured debt, related party	0	0	(39,182)
Payment of financing costs	(9,367)	(8,637)	(8,058)
Repurchase of common stock	(10,468)	(5,926)	0
Exercise of options and warrants	706	1,726	3,256
Net cash provided by financing activities	242,779	255,195	401,076
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(5,386)	1,463	(4,253)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	19,322	17,859	22,112
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	13,936	19,322	17,859
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	71,077	50,019	45,914
Income taxes	32,909	13,690	6,520
Non-cash financing activities:
Pension benefit obligation, net	$ 32	$ 1,599	$ 3,956

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. ("CPS") was incorporated in California on March 8, 1991. CPS and its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") specialize in purchasing and servicing retail automobile installment sale contracts ("Contracts") originated by licensed motor vehicle dealers ("Dealers") located throughout the United States. Dealers located in Texas, California, Ohio, Florida and Georgia represented 7.3%, 7.2%, 6.8%, 5.6% and 5.4%, respectively, of contracts purchased during 2016 compared with 7.9%, 8.9%, 6.5%, 5.3%, and 5.2% respectively in 2015. No other state had a concentration in excess of 5.4% in 2016. We specialize in contracts with vehicle purchasers who generally would not be expected to qualify for traditional financing provided by commercial banks or automobile manufacturers’ captive finance companies.

We are subject to various regulations and laws as they relate to the extension of credit in consumer credit transactions. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Principles of Consolidation

The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Consumer Portfolio Services, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, certain of which are special purpose subsidiaries ("SPS"), formed to accommodate the structures under which we purchase and securitize our contracts. The Consolidated Financial Statements also include the accounts of CPS Leasing, Inc., an 80% owned subsidiary. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For purposes of the statements of cash flows, we consider all highly liquid debt instruments with original maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and due from banks and money market accounts. Substantially all of our cash is deposited at three financial institutions. We maintain cash due from banks in excess of the banks' insured deposit limits. We do not believe we are exposed to any significant credit risk on these deposits. As part of certain financial covenants related to debt facilities, we are required to maintain a minimum unrestricted cash balance. As of December 31, 2016, our unrestricted cash balance was $13.9 million, which exceeded the minimum amounts required by our financial covenants.

Finance Receivables

Finance receivables, which we have the intent and ability to hold for the foreseeable future or until maturity or payoff, are presented at cost. All finance receivable contracts are held for investment. Interest income is accrued on the unpaid principal balance. Origination fees, net of certain direct origination costs, are deferred and recognized in interest income using the interest method without anticipating prepayments. Generally, payments received on finance receivables are restricted to certain securitized pools, and the related contracts cannot be resold. Finance receivables are charged off pursuant to the controlling documents of certain securitized pools, generally as described below under Charge Off Policy. Management may authorize an extension of payment terms if collection appears likely during the next calendar month.

Our portfolio of finance receivables consists of small-balance homogeneous contracts that are collectively evaluated for impairment on a portfolio basis. 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.

Allowance for Finance Credit Losses

In order to estimate an appropriate allowance for losses likely incurred on finance receivables, we use a loss allowance methodology commonly referred to as "static pooling," which stratifies the finance receivable portfolio into separately identified pools based on their period of origination, then uses historical performance of seasoned pools to estimate future losses on current pools. Historical loss experience is adjusted as necessary for current economic conditions. We consider our portfolio of finance receivables to be relatively homogenous and consequently we analyze credit performance primarily in the aggregate rather than stratification by any particular credit quality indicator. Using analytical and formula driven techniques, we estimate an allowance for finance credit losses, which we believe is adequate for probable incurred credit losses that can be reasonably estimated in our portfolio of finance receivable contracts. For each monthly pool of contracts that we purchase, we begin establishing the allowance in the month of acquisition and increase it over the subsequent 11 months, through a provision for credit losses charged to our Consolidated Statement of Income. Net losses incurred on finance receivables are charged to the allowance. We evaluate the adequacy of the allowance by examining current delinquencies, the characteristics of the portfolio, the value of the underlying collateral and historical loss trends. As conditions change, our level of provisioning and/or allowance may change.

Charge Off Policy

Delinquent contracts for which the related financed vehicle has been repossessed are generally charged off at the earliest of (1) the month in which the proceeds from the sale of the financed vehicle are received, (2) the month in which 90 days have passed from the date of repossession or (3) the month in which the Contract becomes seven scheduled payments past due (see Repossessed and Other Assets below). The amount charged off is the remaining principal balance of the Contract, after the application of the net proceeds from the liquidation of the financed vehicle. With respect to delinquent contracts for which the related financed vehicle has not been repossessed, the remaining principal balance is generally charged off no later than the end of the month that the Contract becomes five scheduled payments past due.

Contract Acquisition Fees and Origination Costs

Upon purchase of a Contract from a Dealer, we generally either charge or advance the Dealer an acquisition fee. Dealer acquisition fees and deferred origination costs are applied to the carrying value of finance receivables and are accreted into earnings as an adjustment to the yield over the estimated life of the Contract using the interest method.

Repossessed and Other Assets

If a Contract obligor fails to make or keep promises for payments, or if the obligor is uncooperative or attempts to evade contact or hide the vehicle, a supervisor will review the collection activity relating to the account to determine if repossession of the vehicle is warranted. Generally, such a decision is made between the 60th and 90th day past the obligor’s payment due date, but could occur sooner or later, depending on the specific circumstances. At the time the vehicle is repossessed we stop accruing interest on the Contract, and reclassify the remaining Contract balance to the line item "Other Assets" on our Consolidated Balance Sheet at its estimated fair value less costs to sell. Included in other assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets are repossessed vehicles pending sale of $11.1 million and $12.8 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Treatment of Securitizations

Our term securitization structure has generally been as follows:

We sell contracts we acquire to a wholly-owned SPS, which has been established for the limited purpose of buying and reselling our contracts. The SPS then transfers the same contracts to another entity, typically a statutory trust ("Trust"). The Trust issues interest-bearing asset-backed securities ("Notes"), in a principal amount equal to or less than the aggregate principal balance of the contracts. We typically sell these contracts to the Trust at face value and without recourse, except representations and warranties that we make to the Trust that are similar to those provided to us by the Dealer. One or more investors (the "Noteholders") purchase the Notes issued by the Trust; the proceeds from the sale of the Notes are then used to purchase the contracts from us. We may retain or sell subordinated Notes issued by the Trust. In addition, we have provided "Credit Enhancement" for the benefit of the Noteholders in three forms: (1) an initial cash deposit to a bank account (a "Spread Account") held by the Trust, (2) overcollateralization of the Notes, where the principal balance of the Notes issued is less than the principal balance of the contracts, and (3) in the form of subordinated Notes. The agreements governing the securitization transactions (collectively referred to as the "Securitization Agreements") require that the initial level of Credit Enhancement be supplemented by a portion of collections from the contracts until the level of Credit Enhancement reaches specified levels, which are then maintained. The specified levels are generally computed as a percentage of the principal amount remaining unpaid under the related contracts. The specified levels at which the Credit Enhancement is to be maintained will vary depending on the performance of the portfolios of contracts held by the Trusts and on other conditions. Such levels have increased and decreased from time to time based on performance of the various portfolios, and have also varied from one Trust to another.

Our warehouse securitization structures are similar to the above, except that (i) the SPS that purchases the contracts pledges the contracts to secure promissory notes or loans that it issues, and (ii) no increase in the required amount of Credit Enhancement is contemplated. Upon each sale of contracts in a securitization structured as a secured financing, we retain as assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheet the securitized contracts and record as indebtedness the Notes issued in the transaction.

We have the power to direct the most significant activities of the SPS. In addition, we have the obligation to absorb losses and the rights to receive benefits from the SPS, both of which could be potentially significant to the SPS. These types of securitization structures are treated as secured financings, in which the receivables remain on our Consolidated Balance Sheet, and the debt issued by the SPS is shown as a securitization trust debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

We receive periodic base servicing fees for the servicing and collection of the contracts. In addition, we are entitled to the cash flows from the Trusts that represent collections on the contracts in excess of the amounts required to pay principal and interest on the Notes, the base servicing fees, and the premium paid to the Note Insurer, if any, and certain other fees (such as trustee and custodial fees). Required principal payments on the Notes are generally defined as the payments sufficient to keep the principal balance of the Notes equal to the aggregate principal balance of the related contracts (excluding those contracts that have been charged off), or a pre-determined percentage of such balance. Where that percentage is less than 100%, the related Securitization Agreements require accelerated payment of principal until the principal balance of the Notes is reduced to the specified percentage. Such accelerated principal payment is said to create "overcollateralization" of the Notes.

If the amount of cash required for payment of fees, interest and principal on the senior Notes exceeds the amount collected during the collection period, the shortfall is generally withdrawn from the Spread Account, if any. If the cash collected during the period exceeds the amount necessary for the above allocations plus required principal payments on the subordinated Notes, if any, and there is no shortfall in the related Spread Account or other form of Credit Enhancement, the excess is released to us. If the total Credit Enhancement amount is not at the required level, then the excess cash collected is retained in the Trust until the specified level is achieved. Cash in the Spread Accounts is restricted from our use. Cash held in the various Spread Accounts is invested in high quality, liquid investment securities, as specified in the Securitization Agreements. In all of our term securitizations we have transferred the receivables (through a subsidiary) to the securitization Trust. We report the assets and liabilities of the securitization Trust on our Consolidated Balance Sheet. The Noteholders’ and the related securitization Trusts’ recourse against us for failure of the contract obligors to make payments on a timely basis is limited, in general, to our Finance Receivables, and Spread Accounts.

Servicing

We consider the contractual servicing fee received on our managed portfolio held by non-consolidated subsidiaries to be equal to adequate compensation. Additionally, we consider that these fees would fairly compensate a substitute servicer, should one be required. As a result, no servicing asset or liability has been recognized. Servicing fees received on the managed portfolio held by non-consolidated subsidiaries are reported as income when earned. Servicing fees received on the managed portfolio held by consolidated subsidiaries are included in interest income when earned. Servicing costs are charged to expense as incurred. Servicing fees receivable, which are included in Other Assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, represent fees earned but not yet remitted to us by the trustee.

Furniture and Equipment

Furniture and equipment are stated at cost net of accumulated depreciation. We calculate depreciation using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from three to five years. Assets held under capital leases and leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the related lease terms. Amortization expense on assets acquired under capital lease is included with depreciation expense on owned assets.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed Of

Long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

Other Income

The following table presents the primary components of Other Income:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Direct mail revenues	$	9,202	$	8,927	$	7,975
Convenience fee revenue		2,145		2,610		3,300
Recoveries on previously charged-off contracts		766		1,079		143
Sales tax refunds		811		616		500
Servicing fees		100		319		1,376
Other		262		187		228
	$	13,286	$	13,738	$	13,522

Earnings Per Share

The following table illustrates the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands, except per share data)
Numerator:
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share	$	29,300	$	34,681	$	29,516
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share - weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year		24,356		25,935		25,040
Incremental common shares attributable to exercise of outstanding options and warrants		4,679		5,649		6,992
Denominator for diluted earnings per share		29,035		31,584		32,032
Basic earnings per share	$	1.20	$	1.34	$	1.18
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.01	$	1.10	$	0.92

Incremental shares of 7.9 million, 6.8 million and 4.5 million related to stock options and warrants have been excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, because the effect is anti-dilutive.

Deferral and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs

Costs related to the issuance of debt are deferred and amortized using the interest method over the contractual or expected term of the related debt. Unamortized debt issuance costs are presented as a direct deduction to the carrying amount of the related debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Income Taxes

The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return and combined or stand-alone state franchise tax returns for certain states. We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, under which deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement values of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We estimate a valuation allowance against that portion of the deferred tax asset whose utilization in future periods is not more than likely.

Purchases of Company Stock

We record purchases of our own common stock at cost and treat the shares as retired.

Stock Option Plan

We recognize compensation costs in the financial statements for all share-based payments granted subsequent to January 1, 2006 based on the grant date fair value estimated in accordance with the provisions of ASC 718 “Stock Compensation”. Compensation cost is recognized over the required service period, generally defined as the vesting period.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of income and expenses during the reported periods. These material estimates that could be susceptible to changes in the near term and, accordingly, actual results could differ from those estimates.

Reclassification

Certain amounts for the prior year have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation with no effect on previously reported earnings or shareholders’ equity.

Financial Covenants

Certain of our securitization transactions, our residual interest financing and our warehouse credit facilities contain various financial covenants requiring certain minimum financial ratios and results. Such covenants include maintaining minimum levels of liquidity and net worth and not exceeding maximum leverage levels. In addition, certain securitization and non-securitization related debt contain cross-default provisions that would allow certain creditors to declare a default if a default occurred under a different facility. As of December 31, 2016 we were in compliance with all such financial covenants.

Provision for Contingent Liabilities

We are routinely involved in various legal proceedings resulting from our consumer finance activities and practices, both continuing and discontinued. Our legal counsel has advised us on such matters where, based on information available at the time of this report, there is an indication that it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably determined.

Such matters included a California class action suit where we were the defendant, and a governmental inquiry in which the United States Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) required that we refrain from certain allegedly unfair trade practices, and make restitutionary payments into a consumer relief fund. In May 2014, the FTC announced its agreement to settle the matter by filing a lawsuit against us, and requesting, with our consent, that the court enter an agreed judgment against us. The lawsuit arose out of the FTC’s inquiry into our business practices. Under the agreed settlement, we made approximately $1.9 million of restitutionary payments and $1.6 million of account adjustments to our customers in September 2014, and paid a $2 million penalty to the federal government in June 2014, and implemented procedural changes, all pursuant to a consent decree entered by the court in June 2014. The California class action has been settled by agreement with the plaintiffs and the approval of the court. Our obligations under that settlement remained outstanding at December 31, 2016, and were performed after that date and prior to the date of this report.

We have recorded a liability as of December 31, 2016, which represents our best estimate of probable incurred losses for legal contingencies (the agreed payments with respect to the class action settlement referenced above). The amount of losses that may ultimately be incurred in any other proceedings cannot be estimated with certainty.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13 - Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The revised accounting guidance will remove all recognition thresholds and will require a company to recognize an allowance for credit losses for the difference between the amortized cost basis of a financial instrument and the amount of amortized cost that the company expects to collect over the instrument's contractual life. It also amends the credit loss measurement guidance for beneficial interests in securitized financial assets. This new accounting guidance will be effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the provisions of ASU No. 2016-13 to determine the potential impact the new standard will have on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements.

2. Restricted Cash

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Cash and Cash Equivalents [Abstract]

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of cash and cash equivalent accounts relating to our outstanding securitization trusts and credit facilities. The amount of restricted cash on our Consolidated Balance Sheets was $112.8 million and $106.1 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Our securitization transactions and one of our warehouse credit facilities require that we establish cash reserves, or spread accounts, as additional credit enhancement. These cash reserves, which are included in restricted cash, were $40.8 million and $38.9 million as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for cash and cash equivalent footnotes, which may include the types of deposits and money market instruments, applicable carrying amounts, restricted amounts and compensating balance arrangements. Cash and equivalents include: (1) currency on hand (2) demand deposits with banks or financial institutions (3) other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits (4) short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Generally, only investments maturing within three months from the date of acquisition qualify.

+ References + Details

3. Finance Receivables

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Finance Receivables

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. 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.

The following table presents the components of finance receivables, net of unearned interest:

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Finance receivables	(In thousands)
Automobile finance receivables, net of unearned interest	$	2,266,619	$	1,990,913
Unearned acquisition fees, discounts and deferred origination costs, net		1,324		(5,820	)
Finance receivables	$	2,267,943	$	1,985,093

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 reported as delinquent. In certain circumstances we will grant obligors one-month payment extensions. 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 December 31, 2016 and 2015:

	December 31,
	2016		2015
	(In thousands)
Delinquency Status
Current	$	2,053,759	$	1,836,267
31 - 60 days		116,073		70,036
61 - 90 days		52,404		41,136
91 + days		44,383		43,474
	$	2,266,619	$	1,990,913

Finance receivables totaling $44.4 million and $43.5 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, have been placed on non-accrual status as a result of their delinquency status.

The following table presents a summary of the activity for the allowance for finance credit losses, for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014:

	December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
				(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of year	$	75,603		$	61,460		$	39,626
Provision for credit losses		178,511			142,618			108,228
Charge-offs		(192,366	)		(156,553	)		(109,914	)
Recoveries		33,830			28,078			23,520
Balance at end of year	$	95,578		$	75,603		$	61,460

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 on repossessed inventory:

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Gross balance of repossessions in inventory	$	40,069		$	39,728
Allowance for losses on repossessed inventory		(28,924	)		(26,954	)
Net repossessed inventory included in other assets	$	11,145		$	12,774

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for those finance, loan and lease receivables classified as held for investment. This disclosure may include (1) the basis at which such receivables are carried in the entity's statements of financial position (2) how the level of the allowance for loan and lease losses is determined (3) when impairments, charge-offs or recoveries are recognized for such receivables (4) the treatment of commitment and other fees and loan origination costs (including, if applicable, how the entity accounts for fees and costs associated with credit cards that are either purchased or originated) (5) the treatment of any premiums or discounts or unearned income (6) the entity's income recognition policies for such receivables, including those that are impaired, past due or placed on nonaccrual status (for impaired loans, the policy for recognizing interest income on such loans, including how cash receipts are recorded) and (7) the treatment of foreclosures or repossessions.

+ References + Details

4. Furniture and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Furniture and Equipment

The following table presents the components of furniture and equipment:

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Furniture and fixtures	$	1,566		$	1,517
Computer and telephone equipment		4,907			5,249
Leasehold improvements		1,154			1,116
		7,627			7,882
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization		(5,610	)		(6,167	)
	$	2,017		$	1,715

Depreciation expense totaled $777,000, $637,000 and $428,000 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

5. Securitization Trust Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Securitization Trust Debt

Securitization Trust Debt

We have completed numerous term securitization transactions that are structured as secured borrowings for financial accounting purposes. The debt issued in these transactions is shown on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as “Securitization trust debt,” and the components of such debt are summarized in the following table:

										Weighted
	Final	Receivables				Outstanding		Outstanding		Average
	Scheduled	Pledged at				Principal at		Principal at		Interest Rate at
	Payment	December 31,		Initial		December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
Series	Date (1)	2016 (2)		Principal		2016		2015		2016
			(Dollars in thousands)
CPS 2011-B	September 2018		–		109,936		–		10,023	–
CPS 2011-C	March 2019		–		119,400		–		14,785	–
CPS 2012-A	June 2019		–		155,000		–		16,795	–
CPS 2012-B	September 2019		-		141,500		–		26,758	–
CPS 2012-C	December 2019		15,131		147,000		14,421		30,653	2.46%
CPS 2012-D	March 2020		19,232		160,000		17,865		37,464	1.86%
CPS 2013-A	June 2020		30,258		185,000		28,661		56,583	1.73%
CPS 2013-B	September 2020		40,395		205,000		37,570		70,332	2.19%
CPS 2013-C	December 2020		48,080		205,000		46,830		82,851	4.65%
CPS 2013-D	March 2021		48,487		183,000		46,345		82,337	4.10%
CPS 2014-A	June 2021		57,171		180,000		54,988		92,571	3.39%
CPS 2014-B	September 2021		76,158		202,500		75,140		121,515	2.90%
CPS 2014-C	December 2021		117,071		273,000		116,280		183,802	3.05%
CPS 2014-D	March 2022		127,721		267,500		127,307		198,533	3.27%
CPS 2015-A	June 2022		136,010		245,000		134,466		201,527	2.96%
CPS 2015-B	September 2022		155,303		250,000		153,893		221,587	2.97%
CPS 2015-C	December 2022		210,026		300,000		207,636		283,482	3.39%
CPS 2016-A	March 2023		265,496		329,460		262,260		–	3.15%
CPS 2016-B	June 2023		294,463		332,690		284,752		–	3.79%
CPS 2016-C	September 2023		296,179		318,500		285,618		–	3.36%
CPS 2016-D	December 2023		204,432		206,325		200,221		–	2.73%
		$	2,141,613	$	4,515,811	$	2,094,253	$	1,731,598

_________________________

(1)

The Final Scheduled Payment Date represents final legal maturity of the securitization trust debt. Securitization trust debt is expected to become due and to be paid prior to those dates, based on amortization of the finance receivables pledged to the Trusts. Expected payments, which will depend on the performance of such receivables, as to which there can be no assurance, are $786.3 million in 2017, $612.1 million in 2018, $377.1 million in 2019, $209.4 million in 2020, $86.3 million in 2021, and $9.7 million in 2022.

(2)

Includes repossessed assets that are included in Other Assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Debt issuance costs of $13.4 million and $11.6 million as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, have been excluded from the table above. These debt issuance costs are presented as a direct deduction to the carrying amount of the Securitization trust debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

All of the securitization trust debt was issued in private placement transactions to qualified institutional investors. The debt was issued by our wholly-owned, bankruptcy remote subsidiaries and is secured by the assets of such subsidiaries, but not by any of our other assets.

The terms of the various securitization agreements related to the issuance of the securitization trust debt require that certain delinquency and credit loss criteria be met with respect to the collateral pool, and require that we maintain minimum levels of liquidity and net worth and not exceed maximum leverage levels. We were in compliance with all such covenants as of December 31, 2016.

We are responsible for the administration and collection of the contracts. The securitization agreements also require certain funds be held in restricted cash accounts to provide additional credit enhancement for the Notes or to be applied to make payments on the securitization trust debt. As of December 31, 2016, restricted cash under the various agreements totaled approximately $112.8 million. Interest expense on the securitization trust debt is composed of the stated rate of interest plus amortization of additional costs of borrowing. Additional costs of borrowing include facility fees, insurance premiums, amortization of deferred financing costs, and amortization of discounts required on the notes at the time of issuance. Deferred financing costs related to the securitization trust debt are amortized using the interest method. Accordingly, the effective cost of borrowing of the securitization trust debt is greater than the stated rate of interest.

Our wholly-owned, bankruptcy remote subsidiaries were formed to facilitate the above asset-backed financing transactions. Similar bankruptcy remote subsidiaries issue the debt outstanding under our warehouse line of credit. Bankruptcy remote refers to a legal structure in which it is expected that the applicable entity would not be included in any bankruptcy filing by its parent or affiliates. All of the assets of these subsidiaries have been pledged as collateral for the related debt. All such transactions, treated as secured financings for accounting and tax purposes, are treated as sales for all other purposes, including legal and bankruptcy purposes. None of the assets of these subsidiaries are available to pay any of our other creditors.

6. Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt

The terms of our debt outstanding at December 31, 2016 and 2015 are summarized below:

			Amount Outstanding at
			December 31,		December 31,
			2016		2015
			(In thousands)
Description	Interest Rate	Maturity

Warehouse lines of credit	5.50% over one month Libor (Minimum 6.50%)	April 2019	$	64,352	$	91,504

	5.50% over one month Libor (Minimum 6.25%)	August 2019		26,445		73,940

	6.75% over a commercial paper rate (Minimum 7.75%)	November 2019		14,168		31,017

Residual interest financing	11.75% over one-month LIBOR	April 2018		–		9,042

Subordinated renewable notes	Weighted average rate of 7.50% and 9.04% at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively	Weighted average maturity of January 2019 and October 2017 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively		14,949		15,138

			$	119,914	$	220,641

Debt issuance costs of $1.6 million and $2.4 million as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, have been excluded from the table above. These debt issuance costs are presented as a direct deduction to the carrying amount of the Warehouse lines of credit on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

In April 2015 we entered into a $100 million warehouse credit line with affiliates of Fortress Investment Group. The facility is structured to allow us to fund a portion of the purchase price of automobile contracts by borrowing from a credit facility to our consolidated subsidiary Page Six Funding LLC. The facility, which replaces a revolving credit facility that we had used since December 2010, provides for advances up to 88% of eligible finance receivables and the loans under it accrue interest at a rate of one-month LIBOR plus 5.50% per annum, with a minimum rate of 6.50% per annum. There was $64.4 million outstanding under this facility at December 31, 2016 which has a revolving period through April 2017 and an amortization period through April 2019 for any receivables pledged to the facility at the end of the revolving period.

In August 2016, we renewed our $100 million warehouse credit line with Citibank, N.A. The facility is structured to allow us to fund a portion of the purchase price of automobile contracts by borrowing from a credit facility to our consolidated subsidiary Page Eight Funding, LLC. The facility provides for effective advances up to 88.0% of eligible finance receivables. The loans under the facility accrue interest at one-month LIBOR plus 5.50% per annum, with a minimum rate of 6.25% per annum. There was $26.4 million outstanding under this facility at December 31, 2016. This facility has a revolving period through August 2018 and an amortization period through August 2019 for any receivables pledged at the end of the revolving period.

In November 2015, we entered into another $100 million warehouse credit line with Credit Suisse AG and Ares Agent Services, L.P. This facility is structured to allow us to fund a portion of the purchase price of automobile contracts by borrowing from a credit facility to our consolidated subsidiary Page Nine Funding LLC. The facility provides for advances up to 88% of eligible finance receivables and the loans under it accrue interest at a commercial paper rate plus 6.75% per annum, with a minimum rate of 7.75% per annum. There was $14.2 million outstanding under this new facility at December 31, 2016 which has a revolving period through November 2017 and an amortization period through November 2019 for any receivables pledged to the facility at the end of the revolving period.

The total outstanding debt on our three warehouse lines of credit was $105.0 million as of December 31, 2016, compared to $196.5 million outstanding as of December 31, 2015.

The costs incurred in conjunction with the above debt are recorded as deferred financing costs on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets and are more fully described in Note 1.

We must comply with certain affirmative and negative covenants related to debt facilities, which require, among other things, that we maintain certain financial ratios related to liquidity, net worth and capitalization. Further covenants include matters relating to investments, acquisitions, restricted payments and certain dividend restrictions. See the discussion of financial covenants in Note 1.

The following table summarizes the contractual and expected maturity amounts of long term debt as of December 31, 2016:

Contractual maturity date	Subordinated renewable notes

2017	$	8,780
2018		1,677
2019		1,141
2020		804
2021		1,496
Thereafter		1,051
Total	$	14,949

7. Shareholders' Equity

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Equity [Abstract]

7. Shareholders' Equity

Common Stock

Holders of common stock are entitled to such dividends as our board of directors, in its discretion, may declare out of funds available, subject to the terms of any outstanding shares of preferred stock and other restrictions. In the event of liquidation of the Company, holders of common stock are entitled to receive, pro rata, all of the assets of the Company available for distribution, after payment of any liquidation preference to the holders of outstanding shares of preferred stock. Holders of the shares of common stock have no conversion or preemptive or other subscription rights and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to the common stock.

Stock Purchases

For the year ending December 31, 2016, we purchased 2,477,453 shares of our common stock at an average price of $4.23. We purchased 2,453,706 shares of our stock in the open market for $10.4 million. In May 2016 our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $10 million of our common stock. There was $5.1 million of board authorization remaining in our repurchase plans from prior authorizations at December 31, 2015. There is approximately $4.7 million of board authorization remaining under such plans, which have no expiration date.

The remaining purchases of 23,747 shares were related to net exercises of outstanding options and warrants. In transactions during the year ended December 31, 2016, the holders of options and warrants to purchase 70,000 shares of our common stock paid the aggregate $105,000 exercise price by surrender to us of 23,747 of such 70,000 shares.

Options and Warrants

In 2006, the Company adopted and its shareholders approved the CPS 2006 Long-Term Equity Incentive Plan (the “2006 Plan”) pursuant to which our Board of Directors, or a duly-authorized committee thereof, may grant stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units and stock appreciation rights to our employees or employees of our subsidiaries, to directors of the Company, and to individuals acting as consultants to the Company or its subsidiaries. In June 2008, May 2012, April 2013 and again in May 2015, the shareholders of the Company approved an amendment to the 2006 Plan to increase the maximum number of shares that may be subject to awards under the 2006 Plan to 5,000,000, 7,200,000, 12,200,000 and 17,200,000, respectively, in each case plus shares authorized under prior plans and not issued. Options that have been granted under the 2006 Plan and a previous plan approved in 1997 have been granted at an exercise price equal to (or greater than) the stock’s fair value at the date of the grant, with terms generally of 7-10 years and vesting generally over 4-5 years.

The per share weighted-average fair value of stock options granted during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 was $1.38, $2.41 and $2.73, respectively. That fair value was estimated using a binomial option pricing model using the weighted average assumptions noted in the following table. We use historical data to estimate the expected term of each option. The volatility estimate is based on the historical and implied volatility of our stock over the period that equals the expected life of the option. Volatility assumptions ranged from 44% to 51% for 2016, 47% to 51% for 2015, and 52% to 55% for 2014. The risk-free interest rate is based on the yield on a U.S. Treasury bond with a maturity comparable to the expected life of the option. The dividend yield is estimated to be zero based on our intention not to issue dividends for the foreseeable future.

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Expected life (years)		4.04		4.21		4.22
Risk-free interest rate		1.09%		1.35%		1.43%
Volatility		51%		51%		55%
Expected dividend yield		–		–		–

For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we recorded stock-based compensation costs in the amount of $5.6 million, $5.0 million and $3.8 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2016, the unrecognized stock-based compensation costs to be recognized over future periods was equal to $10.1 million. This amount will be recognized as expense over a weighted-average period of 2.1 years.

At December 31, 2016 and 2015, options outstanding had intrinsic values of $17.8 million and $16.6 million, respectively. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, options exercisable had intrinsic values of $14.2 million and $14.5 million, respectively. The total intrinsic value of options exercised was $1.3 million and $6.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. New shares were issued for all options exercised during the year ended December 2016 and cash of $633,000 was received. A tax benefit of $73,000 was recorded for the options exercised in 2016. At December 31, 2016, there were a total of 3.7 million additional shares available for grant under the 2006 Plan.

Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2016 for stock options under the 2006 and 1997 plans is as follows:

						Weighted
	Number of			Weighted		Average
	Shares			Average		Remaining
	(in thousands)			Exercise Price		Contractual Term
Options outstanding at the beginning of period		11,228		$	4.66	N/A
Granted		2,105			3.53	N/A
Exercised		(448	)		1.41	N/A
Forfeited/Expired		(290	)		5.93	N/A
Options outstanding at the end of period		12,595		$	4.56	5.02 years

Options exercisable at the end of period		7,396		$	4.03	4.51 years

We did not issue any stock options with an exercise price above or below the market price of the stock on the grant date for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

In connection with the amendment to and partial repayment of our residual interest financing in July 2008, we issued warrants exercisable for 2,500,000 common shares for $4,071,429. The warrants represent the right to purchase 2,500,000 CPS common shares at a nominal exercise price, at any time prior to July 10, 2018. In March 2010 we repurchased warrants for 500,000 of these shares for $1.0 million. Warrants to purchase 2,000,000 shares remain outstanding as of December 31, 2016.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for shareholders' equity comprised of portions attributable to the parent entity and noncontrolling interest, including other comprehensive income. Includes, but is not limited to, balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings, accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and amount of comprehensive income.

+ References

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+ Details

8. Interest Income and Interest Expense

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Interest Income And Interest Expense

Interest Income and Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of interest income:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Interest on finance receivables	$	408,723	$	349,796	$	286,361
Other interest income		273		116		373
Interest income	$	408,996	$	349,912	$	286,734

The following table presents the components of interest expense:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Securitization trust debt	$	69,178	$	48,631	$	38,558
Warehouse lines of credit		8,569		6,127		5,217
Senior secured debt, related party		–		–		1,651
Debt secured by receivables at fair value		–		–		772
Residual interest financing		846		1,405		1,989
Subordinated renewable notes		1,348		1,582		2,208
Interest expense	$	79,941	$	57,745	$	50,395

9. Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income taxes consist of the following:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Current federal tax expense	$	22,872		$	18,653	$	1,348
Current state tax expense		2,671			1,146		1,316
Deferred federal tax expense		(6,329	)		4,233		18,338
Deferred state tax expense		1,147			2,669		1,724
Income tax expense	$	20,361		$	26,701	$	22,726

Income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 differs from the amount determined by applying the statutory federal rate of 35% to income before income taxes as follows:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Expense at federal tax rate	$	17,381		$	21,484	$	18,285
State taxes, net of federal income tax effect		2,679			3,235		2,651
Stock-based compensation		824			1,560		1,182
Non-deductible expenses		145			107		116
Other		(668	)		315		492
	$	20,361		$	26,701	$	22,726

The tax effected cumulative temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Deferred Tax Assets:
Finance receivables	$	28,986		$	20,825
Accrued liabilities		2,322			3,091
NOL carryforwards		1,697			3,272
Built in losses		8,915			10,254
Pension accrual		2,107			1,999
AMT credit carryforward		–			166
Other		2,343			1,109
Total deferred tax assets		46,370			40,716

Deferred Tax Liabilities:
Deferred loan costs		(3,223	)		(2,894	)
Furniture and equipment		(302	)		(225	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(3,525	)		(3,119	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	42,845		$	37,597

We acquired certain net operating losses and built-in loss assets as part of our acquisitions of MFN Financial Corp. (“MFN”) in 2002 and TFC Enterprises, Inc. (“TFC”) in 2003. Moreover, both MFN and TFC have undergone an ownership change for purposes of Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Section 382. In general, IRC Section 382 imposes an annual limitation on the ability of a loss corporation (that is, a corporation with a net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforward, credit carryforward, or certain built-in losses (“BILs”) to utilize its pre-change NOL carryforwards or BILs to offset taxable income arising after an ownership change.

In determining the possible future realization of deferred tax assets, we have considered future taxable income from the following sources: (a) reversal of taxable temporary differences; and (b) tax planning strategies that, if necessary, would be implemented to accelerate taxable income into years in which net operating losses might otherwise expire.

Deferred tax assets are recognized subject to management’s judgment that realization is more likely than not. A valuation allowance is recognized for a deferred tax asset if, based on the weight of the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In making such judgements, significant weight is given to evidence that can be objectively verified. Although realization is not assured, we believe that the realization of the recognized net deferred tax asset of $42.8 million as of December 31, 2016 is more likely than not based on forecasted future net earnings. Our net deferred tax asset of $42.8 million consists of approximately $36.3 million of net U.S. federal deferred tax assets and $6.5 million of net state deferred tax assets. The major components of the deferred tax asset are $10.6 million in net operating loss carryforwards and built in losses and $31.3 million in net deductions which have not yet been taken on a tax return.

As of December 31, 2016, we had net operating loss carryforwards for state income tax purposes of $56.6 million. These state net operating losses begin to expire in 2017.

We recognize a tax position as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded. We recognize potential interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. At December 31, 2016, we had no unrecognized tax benefits for uncertain tax positions.

We are subject to taxation in the US and various state jurisdictions. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, or local examinations by tax authorities for years before 2013. We are currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service for tax year 2014.

10. Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Related Party Transactions

In December 2007, one of our directors purchased a $4.0 million subordinated renewable note pursuant to our ongoing program of issuing such notes to the public. The note was purchased through the registered agent and under the same terms and conditions, including the interest rate, that were offered to other purchasers at the time the note was issued. As of December 31, 2016, $4.0 million remains outstanding on this note.

11. Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

The Company leases its facilities and certain computer equipment under non-cancelable operating leases, which expire through 2022. Future minimum lease payments at December 31, 2016, under these leases are due during the years ended December 31 as follows:

	Amount
		(In thousands)
2017	$	6,018
2018		5,729
2019		5,285
2020		4,308
2021		4,393
Thereafter		3,333
Total minimum lease payments	$	29,066

Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, was $5.2 million, $4.1 million and $3.5 million, respectively.

Our facility leases contain certain rental concessions and escalating rental payments, which are recognized as adjustments to rental expense and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the terms of the leases.

Legal Proceedings

Consumer Litigation. We are routinely involved in various legal proceedings resulting from our consumer finance activities and practices, both continuing and discontinued. Consumers can and do initiate lawsuits against us alleging violations of law applicable to collection of receivables, and such lawsuits sometimes allege that resolution as a class action is appropriate.

As of December 31, 2016, we were subject to one such class action, which has been settled by agreement with the plaintiffs and with the approval of the court. We performed our obligations under the settlement after that date, and prior to the date of this report.

For the most part, we have legal and factual defenses to consumer claims, which we routinely contest or settle (for immaterial amounts) depending on the particular circumstances of each case. We have recorded a liability as of December 31, 2016 with respect to such matters, in the aggregate.

FTC Action. In May 2014, we consented to the FTC’s filing of a lawsuit against us, and to the simultaneous settlement of that lawsuit pursuant to a consent decree. The agreed judgment, entered June 11, 2014, required that we make restitutionary payments to certain of its our customers, that we pay a $2.0 million penalty to the U.S. government, and that we implement procedural changes relating to compliance with fair debt collection practices and credit reporting. We have retained an independent third party to monitor our compliance with the judgment, and we must file certain periodic reports with the FTC. The payments to past and present customers have been completed and paid, partially in cash and partially in the form of credits against amounts owed. The total of such customer payments, cash and credit, was approximately $3.5 million.

Department of Justice Subpoena. In January 2015, we were served with a subpoena by the U.S. Department of Justice directing us to produce certain documents relating to our and our subsidiaries’ and affiliates’ origination and securitization of sub-prime automobile contracts since 2005, in connection with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in contemplation of a civil proceeding for potential violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. We are among several other securitizers of sub-prime automobile receivables who received such subpoenas in 2014 and 2015. Among other matters, the subpoena requested information relating to the underwriting criteria used to originate these automobile contracts and the representations and warranties relating to those underwriting criteria that were made in connection with the securitization of the automobile contracts. We have produced required documents, and are unaware of any subsequent material developments in the government’s investigation. The investigation could in the future result in the imposition of damages, fines or civil or criminal claims and/or penalties. No assurance can be given as to the ultimate outcome of the investigation or any resulting proceeding(s), which might materially and adversely affect us.

In General. There can be no assurance as to the outcomes of the matters referenced above. We have recorded a liability as of December 31, 2016, which represents our best estimate of probable incurred losses for legal contingencies, including all of the matters described or referenced above. The amount of losses that may ultimately be incurred cannot be estimated with certainty. However, based on such information as is available to us, we believe that the range of reasonably possible losses for the legal proceedings and contingencies we face, including those described or referenced above, as of December 31, 2016, and in excess of the liability we have recorded, does not exceed $1 million.

Accordingly, we believe that the ultimate resolution of such legal proceedings and contingencies, after taking into account our current litigation reserves, should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition. We note, however, that in light of the uncertainties inherent in contested proceedings, the wide discretion vested in the U.S. Department of Justice and other government agencies, and the deference that courts may give to assertions made by government litigants, there can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not significantly exceed the reserves we have accrued; as a result, the outcome of a particular matter may be material to our operating results for a particular period, depending on, among other factors, the size of the loss or liability imposed and the level of our income for that period.

12. Employee Benefits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits

We sponsor a pretax savings and profit sharing plan (the “401(k) Plan”) qualified under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Under the 401(k) Plan, eligible employees are able to contribute up to 15% of their compensation (subject to stricter limitation in the case of highly compensated employees). We may, at our discretion, match 100% of employees’ contributions up to $1,500 per employee per calendar year. Our contributions to the 401(k) Plan were $929,000, $838,000 and $642,000, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

We also sponsor a defined benefit plan, the MFN Financial Corporation Pension Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan benefits were frozen on June 30, 2001.

The following tables represents a reconciliation of the change in the plan’s benefit obligations, fair value of plan assets, and funded status at December 31, 2016 and 2015:

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation
Projected benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	21,385		$	22,559
Service cost		–			–
Interest cost		882			843
Assumption changes		95			(485	)
Actuarial (gain) loss		89			(14	)
Settlements		–			–
Benefits paid		(936	)		(1,518	)
Projected benefit obligation, end of year	$	21,515		$	21,385

Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	$	16,374		$	19,848
Return on assets		1,031			(1,818	)
Employer contribution		–			–
Expenses		(226	)		(138	)
Settlements		–			–
Benefits paid		(936	)		(1,518	)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	$	16,243		$	16,374

Funded Status at end of year	$	(5,272	)	$	(5,011	)

Additional Information

Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations and cost at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows:

	December, 31
	2016		2015
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Discount rate		4.05%		4.20%

Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate		4.20%		3.80%
Expected return on plan assets		7.50%		7.75%

Our overall expected long-term rate of return on assets is 7.50% per annum as of December 31, 2016. The expected long-term rate of return is based on the weighted average of historical returns on individual asset categories, which are described in more detail below.

	December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
	(In thousands)
Amounts recognized on Consolidated Balance Sheet
Other assets	$	–		$	–		$	–
Other liabilities		(5,272	)		(5,011	)		(2,711	)
Net amount recognized	$	(5,272	)	$	(5,011	)	$	(2,711	)

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss consists of:
Net loss	$	10,618		$	10,592		$	7,977
Unrecognized transition asset		–			–			–
Net amount recognized	$	10,618		$	10,592		$	7,977

Components of net periodic benefit cost
Interest cost	$	882		$	843		$	888
Expected return on assets		(1,199	)		(1,508	)		(1,727	)
Amortization of transition asset		–			–			–
Amortization of net loss		553			349			–
Net periodic benefit cost		236			(316	)		(839	)
Settlement (gain)/loss		–			–			–
Total	$	236		$	(316	)	$	(839	)

Benefit Obligation Recognized in Other Comprehensive Loss (Income)
Net loss (gain)	$	25		$	2,615		$	6,610
Prior service cost (credit)		–			–			–
Amortization of prior service cost		–			–			–
Net amount recognized in other comprehensive loss (income)	$	25		$	2,615		$	6,610

The estimated net loss that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost in 2017 is $405,000.

The weighted average asset allocation of our pension benefits at December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows:

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Weighted Average Asset Allocation at Year-End
Asset Category
Equity securities		85%		84%
Debt securities		15%		16%
Cash and cash equivalents		0%		0%
Total		100%		100%

Our investment policies and strategies for the pension benefits plan utilize a target allocation of 75% equity securities and 25% fixed income securities (excluding Company stock). Our investment goals are to maximize returns subject to specific risk management policies. We address risk management and diversification by the use of a professional investment advisor and several sub-advisors which invest in domestic and international equity securities and domestic fixed income securities. Each sub-advisor focuses its investments within a specific sector of the equity or fixed income market. For the sub-advisors focused on the equity markets, the sectors are differentiated by the market capitalization, the relative valuation and the location of the underlying issuer. For the sub-advisors focused on the fixed income markets, the sectors are differentiated by the credit quality and the maturity of the underlying fixed income investment. The investments made by the sub-advisors are readily marketable and can be sold to fund benefit payment obligations as they become payable.

Cash Flows

Estimated Future Benefit Payments (In thousands)
2017	$	785
2018		804
2019		845
2020		890
2021		930
Years 2022 - 2026		5,330

Anticipated Contributions in 2017	$	–

The fair value of plan assets at December 31, 2016 and 2015, by asset category, is as follows:

	December 31, 2016
	Level 1 (1)		Level 2 (2)		Level 3 (3)		Total
Investment Name:	(in thousands)
Company Common Stock	$	4,581	$	–	$	–	$	4,581
Large Cap Value		–		2,238		–		2,238
Mid Cap Index		–		625		–		625
Small Cap Growth		–		621		–		621
Small Cap Value		–		687		–		687
Focus Value		–		676		–		676
Growth		–		1,980		–		1,980
International Growth		–		2,392		–		2,392
Core Bond		–		1,644		–		1,644
High Yield		–		356		–		356
Inflation Protected Bond		–		433		–		433
Money Market		–		10		–		10
Total	$	4,581	$	11,662	$	–	$	16,243

	December 31, 2015
	Level 1 (1)		Level 2 (2)		Level 3 (3)		Total
Investment Name:	(in thousands)
Company Common Stock	$	4,643	$	–	$	–	$	4,643
Large Cap Value		–		2,061		–		2,061
Mid Cap Index		–		578		–		578
Small Cap Growth		–		552		–		552
Small Cap Value		–		573		–		573
Focus Value		–		571		–		571
Growth		–		2,215		–		2,215
International Growth		–		2,475		–		2,475
Core Bond		–		1,833		–		1,833
High Yield		–		354		–		354
Inflation Protected Bond		–		482		–		482
Money Market		–		37		–		37
Total	$	4,643	$	11,731	$	–	$	16,374

________________________

(1)

Company common stock is classified as level 1 and valued using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

(2)

All other plan assets in stock, bond and money market funds are classified as level 2 and valued using significant observable inputs.

(3)

There are no plan assets classified as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy as a result of having significant unobservable inputs.

13. Fair Value Measurements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

ASC 820, "Fair Value Measurements" clarifies the principle that fair value should be based on the assumptions market participants would use when pricing an asset or liability and establishes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the information used to develop those assumptions. Under the standard, fair value measurements are separately disclosed by level within the fair value hierarchy.

ASC 820 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurement and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The three levels are defined as follows: level 1 - inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets; level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument; and level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

Repossessed vehicle inventory, which is included in Other assets on our consolidated balance sheet, is measured at fair value using level 2 assumptions based on our actual loss experience on sale of repossessed vehicles. At December 31, 2016, the finance receivables related to the repossessed vehicles in inventory totaled $40.1 million. We have applied a valuation adjustment, or loss allowance, of $28.9 million, which is based on a recovery rate of approximately 28%, resulting in an estimated fair value and carrying amount of $11.1 million. The fair value and carrying amount of the repossessed inventory at December 31, 2015 was $12.8 million after applying a valuation adjustment of $26.9 million.

There were no transfers in or out of level 1 or level 2 assets and liabilities for 2016 and 2015. We have no level 3 assets or liabilities that are measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis.

The estimated fair values of financial assets and liabilities at December 31, 2016 and 2015, were as follows:

	As of December 31, 2016
Financial Instrument	(In thousands)
	Carrying		Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	13,936	$	13,936	$	–	$	–	$	13,936
Restricted cash and equivalents		112,754		112,754		–		–		112,754
Finance receivables, net		2,172,365		–		–		2,104,503		2,104,503
Accrued interest receivable		36,233		–		–		36,233		36,233
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	$	103,358	$	–	$	–	$	103,358	$	103,358
Accrued interest payable		3,715		–		–		3,715		3,715
Securitization trust debt		2,080,900		–		–		2,138,892		2,138,892
Subordinated renewable notes		14,949		–		–		14,949		14,949

	As of December 31, 2015
Financial Instrument	(In thousands)
	Carrying		Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	19,322	$	19,322	$	–	$	–	$	19,322
Restricted cash and equivalents		106,054		106,054		–		–		106,054
Finance receivables, net		1,909,490		–		–		1,879,510		1,879,510
Accrued interest receivable		31,547		–		–		31,547		31,547
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	$	194,056	$	–	$	–	$	194,056	$	194,056
Accrued interest payable		3,260		–		–		3,260		3,260
Residual interest financing		9,042		–		–		9,042		9,042
Securitization trust debt		1,720,021		–		–		1,718,418		1,718,418
Subordinated renewable notes		15,138		–		–		15,138		15,138

The following summary presents a description of the methodologies and assumptions used to estimate the fair value of our financial instruments. Much of the information used to determine fair value is highly subjective. When applicable, readily available market information has been utilized. However, for a significant portion of our financial instruments, active markets do not exist. Therefore, significant elements of judgment were required in estimating fair value for certain items. The subjective factors include, among other things, the estimated timing and amount of cash flows, risk characteristics, credit quality and interest rates, all of which are subject to change. Since the fair value is estimated as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the amounts that will actually be realized or paid at settlement or maturity of the instruments could be significantly different.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash and Equivalents

The carrying value equals fair value.

Finance Receivables, net

The fair value of finance receivables is estimated by discounting future cash flows expected to be collected using current rates at which similar receivables could be originated.

Accrued Interest Receivable and Payable

The carrying value approximates fair value.

Warehouse Lines of Credit, Residual Interest Financing, and Subordinated Renewable Notes

The carrying value approximates fair value because the related interest rates are estimated to reflect current market conditions for similar types of secured instruments.

Securitization Trust Debt

The fair value is estimated by discounting future cash flows using interest rates that we believe reflect the current market rates.

14. Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

	Quarter Ended
	March 31,		June 30,		September 30,		December 31,
	(In thousands, except per share data)
2016
Revenues	$	100,649	$	104,933	$	108,516	$	108,183
Income before income tax expense		12,229		12,325		12,455		12,651
Net income		7,214		7,272		7,348		7,465
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.29	$	0.30	$	0.31	$	0.31
Diluted		0.24		0.25		0.26		0.26

2015
Revenues	$	85,989	$	88,361	$	93,991	$	95,308
Income before income tax expense		14,749		15,200		15,649		15,783
Net income		8,333		8,537		8,843		8,967
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.33	$	0.33	$	0.34	$	0.35
Diluted		0.26		0.27		0.28		0.29

2014
Revenues	$	68,146	$	71,594	$	77,050	$	83,467
Income before income tax expense		11,764		12,329		13,804		14,346
Net income		6,705		7,026		7,776		8,010
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.28	$	0.28	$	0.31	$	0.31
Diluted		0.21		0.22		0.24		0.25

15. Subsequent Events

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Subsequent Events [Abstract]

Subsequent Events

On January 18, 2017 we executed our first securitization of 2017. In the transaction, qualified institutional buyers purchased $206.3 million of asset-backed notes secured by $210.0 million in automobile receivables purchased by us. The sold notes, issued by CPS Auto Receivables Trust 2017-A, consist of five classes. Ratings of the notes were provided by Standard & Poor’s, DBRS and KBRA and were based on the structure of the transaction, the historical performance of similar receivables and our experience as a servicer. The weighted average yield on the notes is approximately 3.91%.

The 2017-A transaction has initial credit enhancement consisting of a cash deposit equal to 1.00% of the original receivable pool balance. The final enhancement level requires accelerated payment of principal on the notes to reach overcollateralization of 5.15% of the then-outstanding receivable pool balance. The transaction utilizes a pre-funding structure, in which CPS sold approximately $131.5 million of receivables on January 18, 2017 and sold $78.5 million of additional receivables on February 15, 2017.

The transaction was a private offering of securities, not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, or any state securities law.

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Description of Business

Principles of Consolidation

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Finance Receivables

Allowance for Finance Credit Losses

Charge Off Policy

Contract Acquisition Fees and Origination Costs

Repossessed and Other Assets

Servicing

Furniture and Equipment

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed Of

Other Income

The following table presents the primary components of Other Income:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Direct mail revenues	$	9,202	$	8,927	$	7,975
Convenience fee revenue		2,145		2,610		3,300
Recoveries on previously charged-off contracts		766		1,079		143
Sales tax refunds		811		616		500
Servicing fees		100		319		1,376
Other		262		187		228
	$	13,286	$	13,738	$	13,522

Earnings Per Share

The following table illustrates the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands, except per share data)
Numerator:
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share	$	29,300	$	34,681	$	29,516
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share - weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year		24,356		25,935		25,040
Incremental common shares attributable to exercise of outstanding options and warrants		4,679		5,649		6,992
Denominator for diluted earnings per share		29,035		31,584		32,032
Basic earnings per share	$	1.20	$	1.34	$	1.18
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.01	$	1.10	$	0.92

Deferral and Amortization of Debt Issuance Costs

Income Taxes

Purchases of Company Stock

We record purchases of our own common stock at cost and treat the shares as retired.

Stock Option Plan

Use of Estimates

Reclassification

Certain amounts for the prior year have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation with no effect on previously reported earnings or shareholders’ equity.

Financial Covenants

Financial Covenants

Provision for Contingent Liabilities

Provision for Contingent Liabilities

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of other income

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Direct mail revenues	$	9,202	$	8,927	$	7,975
Convenience fee revenue		2,145		2,610		3,300
Recoveries on previously charged-off contracts		766		1,079		143
Sales tax refunds		811		616		500
Servicing fees		100		319		1,376
Other		262		187		228
	$	13,286	$	13,738	$	13,522

Schedule of computation of earnings per share

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands, except per share data)
Numerator:
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share	$	29,300	$	34,681	$	29,516
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share - weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year		24,356		25,935		25,040
Incremental common shares attributable to exercise of outstanding options and warrants		4,679		5,649		6,992
Denominator for diluted earnings per share		29,035		31,584		32,032
Basic earnings per share	$	1.20	$	1.34	$	1.18
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.01	$	1.10	$	0.92

3. Finance Receivables (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Finance Receivables

Schedule of finance receivables

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Finance receivables	(In thousands)
Automobile finance receivables, net of unearned interest	$	2,266,619	$	1,990,913
Unearned acquisition fees, discounts and deferred origination costs, net		1,324		(5,820	)
Finance receivables	$	2,267,943	$	1,985,093

Delinquency status of finance receivables

	December 31,
	2016		2015
	(In thousands)
Delinquency Status
Current	$	2,053,759	$	1,836,267
31 - 60 days		116,073		70,036
61 - 90 days		52,404		41,136
91 + days		44,383		43,474
	$	2,266,619	$	1,990,913

Allowance for credit losses

	December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
				(In thousands)
Balance at beginning of year	$	75,603		$	61,460		$	39,626
Provision for credit losses		178,511			142,618			108,228
Charge-offs		(192,366	)		(156,553	)		(109,914	)
Recoveries		33,830			28,078			23,520
Balance at end of year	$	95,578		$	75,603		$	61,460

Allowance for losses on repossessed inventory

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Gross balance of repossessions in inventory	$	40,069		$	39,728
Allowance for losses on repossessed inventory		(28,924	)		(26,954	)
Net repossessed inventory included in other assets	$	11,145		$	12,774

5. Securitization Trust Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Securitization Trust Debt

Securitization trust debt

										Weighted
	Final	Receivables				Outstanding		Outstanding		Average
	Scheduled	Pledged at				Principal at		Principal at		Interest Rate at
	Payment	December 31,		Initial		December 31,		December 31,		December 31,
Series	Date (1)	2016 (2)		Principal		2016		2015		2016
			(Dollars in thousands)
CPS 2011-B	September 2018		–		109,936		–		10,023	–
CPS 2011-C	March 2019		–		119,400		–		14,785	–
CPS 2012-A	June 2019		–		155,000		–		16,795	–
CPS 2012-B	September 2019		-		141,500		–		26,758	–
CPS 2012-C	December 2019		15,131		147,000		14,421		30,653	2.46%
CPS 2012-D	March 2020		19,232		160,000		17,865		37,464	1.86%
CPS 2013-A	June 2020		30,258		185,000		28,661		56,583	1.73%
CPS 2013-B	September 2020		40,395		205,000		37,570		70,332	2.19%
CPS 2013-C	December 2020		48,080		205,000		46,830		82,851	4.65%
CPS 2013-D	March 2021		48,487		183,000		46,345		82,337	4.10%
CPS 2014-A	June 2021		57,171		180,000		54,988		92,571	3.39%
CPS 2014-B	September 2021		76,158		202,500		75,140		121,515	2.90%
CPS 2014-C	December 2021		117,071		273,000		116,280		183,802	3.05%
CPS 2014-D	March 2022		127,721		267,500		127,307		198,533	3.27%
CPS 2015-A	June 2022		136,010		245,000		134,466		201,527	2.96%
CPS 2015-B	September 2022		155,303		250,000		153,893		221,587	2.97%
CPS 2015-C	December 2022		210,026		300,000		207,636		283,482	3.39%
CPS 2016-A	March 2023		265,496		329,460		262,260		–	3.15%
CPS 2016-B	June 2023		294,463		332,690		284,752		–	3.79%
CPS 2016-C	September 2023		296,179		318,500		285,618		–	3.36%
CPS 2016-D	December 2023		204,432		206,325		200,221		–	2.73%
		$	2,141,613	$	4,515,811	$	2,094,253	$	1,731,598

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of long-debt instruments or arrangements, including identification, terms, features, collateral requirements and other information necessary to a fair presentation. These are debt arrangements that originally required repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the entity, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21475-112644

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6479336&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e),(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21538-112644

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28541-108399

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21521-112644

+ Details

6. Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt Outstanding

			Amount Outstanding at
			December 31,		December 31,
			2016		2015
			(In thousands)
Description	Interest Rate	Maturity

Warehouse lines of credit	5.50% over one month Libor (Minimum 6.50%)	April 2019	$	64,352	$	91,504

	5.50% over one month Libor (Minimum 6.25%)	August 2019		26,445		73,940

	6.75% over a commercial paper rate (Minimum 7.75%)	November 2019		14,168		31,017

Residual interest financing	11.75% over one-month LIBOR	April 2018		–		9,042

Subordinated renewable notes	Weighted average rate of 7.50% and 9.04% at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively	Weighted average maturity of January 2019 and October 2017 at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively		14,949		15,138

			$	119,914	$	220,641

Expected maturity amounts for long-term debt

Contractual maturity date	Subordinated renewable notes

2017	$	8,780
2018		1,677
2019		1,141
2020		804
2021		1,496
Thereafter		1,051
Total	$	14,949

7. Shareholders' Equity (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Equity [Abstract]

Assumptions for stock options

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Expected life (years)		4.04		4.21		4.22
Risk-free interest rate		1.09%		1.35%		1.43%
Volatility		51%		51%		55%
Expected dividend yield		–		–		–

Option activity

						Weighted
	Number of			Weighted		Average
	Shares			Average		Remaining
	(in thousands)			Exercise Price		Contractual Term
Options outstanding at the beginning of period		11,228		$	4.66	N/A
Granted		2,105			3.53	N/A
Exercised		(448	)		1.41	N/A
Forfeited/Expired		(290	)		5.93	N/A
Options outstanding at the end of period		12,595		$	4.56	5.02 years

Options exercisable at the end of period		7,396		$	4.03	4.51 years

8. Interest Income and Interest Expense (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Interest Income And Interest Expense Tables

Schedule of interest income

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Interest on finance receivables	$	408,723	$	349,796	$	286,361
Other interest income		273		116		373
Interest income	$	408,996	$	349,912	$	286,734

Schedule of interest expense

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Securitization trust debt	$	69,178	$	48,631	$	38,558
Warehouse lines of credit		8,569		6,127		5,217
Senior secured debt, related party		–		–		1,651
Debt secured by receivables at fair value		–		–		772
Residual interest financing		846		1,405		1,989
Subordinated renewable notes		1,348		1,582		2,208
Interest expense	$	79,941	$	57,745	$	50,395

9. Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of income tax expense

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Current federal tax expense	$	22,872		$	18,653	$	1,348
Current state tax expense		2,671			1,146		1,316
Deferred federal tax expense		(6,329	)		4,233		18,338
Deferred state tax expense		1,147			2,669		1,724
Income tax expense	$	20,361		$	26,701	$	22,726

Reconciliation of income taxes

	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015		2014
	(In thousands)
Current federal tax expense	$	22,872		$	18,653	$	1,348
Current state tax expense		2,671			1,146		1,316
Deferred federal tax expense		(6,329	)		4,233		18,338
Deferred state tax expense		1,147			2,669		1,724
Income tax expense	$	20,361		$	26,701	$	22,726

Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Deferred Tax Assets:
Finance receivables	$	28,986		$	20,825
Accrued liabilities		2,322			3,091
NOL carryforwards		1,697			3,272
Built in losses		8,915			10,254
Pension accrual		2,107			1,999
AMT credit carryforward		–			166
Other		2,343			1,109
Total deferred tax assets		46,370			40,716

Deferred Tax Liabilities:
Deferred loan costs		(3,223	)		(2,894	)
Furniture and equipment		(302	)		(225	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(3,525	)		(3,119	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	42,845		$	37,597

12. Employee Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Employee Benefits

Reconciliation of the change in the plan's benefit obligations

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation
Projected benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	21,385		$	22,559
Service cost		–			–
Interest cost		882			843
Assumption changes		95			(485	)
Actuarial (gain) loss		89			(14	)
Settlements		–			–
Benefits paid		(936	)		(1,518	)
Projected benefit obligation, end of year	$	21,515		$	21,385

Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	$	16,374		$	19,848
Return on assets		1,031			(1,818	)
Employer contribution		–			–
Expenses		(226	)		(138	)
Settlements		–			–
Benefits paid		(936	)		(1,518	)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	$	16,243		$	16,374

Funded Status at end of year	$	(5,272	)	$	(5,011	)

Weighted average assumptions used to determine pension benefit obligations

	December, 31
	2016		2015
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Discount rate		4.05%		4.20%

Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate		4.20%		3.80%
Expected return on plan assets		7.50%		7.75%

Components of net periodic benefit cost

	December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
	(In thousands)
Amounts recognized on Consolidated Balance Sheet
Other assets	$	–		$	–		$	–
Other liabilities		(5,272	)		(5,011	)		(2,711	)
Net amount recognized	$	(5,272	)	$	(5,011	)	$	(2,711	)

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss consists of:
Net loss	$	10,618		$	10,592		$	7,977
Unrecognized transition asset		–			–			–
Net amount recognized	$	10,618		$	10,592		$	7,977

Components of net periodic benefit cost
Interest cost	$	882		$	843		$	888
Expected return on assets		(1,199	)		(1,508	)		(1,727	)
Amortization of transition asset		–			–			–
Amortization of net loss		553			349			–
Net periodic benefit cost		236			(316	)		(839	)
Settlement (gain)/loss		–			–			–
Total	$	236		$	(316	)	$	(839	)

Benefit Obligation Recognized in Other Comprehensive Loss (Income)
Net loss (gain)	$	25		$	2,615		$	6,610
Prior service cost (credit)		–			–			–
Amortization of prior service cost		–			–			–
Net amount recognized in other comprehensive loss (income)	$	25		$	2,615		$	6,610

Weighted average asset allocation of our pension benefits

	December 31,
	2016		2015
Weighted Average Asset Allocation at Year-End
Asset Category
Equity securities		85%		84%
Debt securities		15%		16%
Cash and cash equivalents		0%		0%
Total		100%		100%

Estimated Future Benefit Payments

Cash Flows

Estimated Future Benefit Payments (In thousands)
2017	$	785
2018		804
2019		845
2020		890
2021		930
Years 2022 - 2026		5,330

Anticipated Contributions in 2017	$	–

Fair value of plan assets

	December 31, 2016
	Level 1 (1)		Level 2 (2)		Level 3 (3)		Total
Investment Name:	(in thousands)
Company Common Stock	$	4,581	$	–	$	–	$	4,581
Large Cap Value		–		2,238		–		2,238
Mid Cap Index		–		625		–		625
Small Cap Growth		–		621		–		621
Small Cap Value		–		687		–		687
Focus Value		–		676		–		676
Growth		–		1,980		–		1,980
International Growth		–		2,392		–		2,392
Core Bond		–		1,644		–		1,644
High Yield		–		356		–		356
Inflation Protected Bond		–		433		–		433
Money Market		–		10		–		10
Total	$	4,581	$	11,662	$	–	$	16,243

	December 31, 2015
	Level 1 (1)		Level 2 (2)		Level 3 (3)		Total
Investment Name:	(in thousands)
Company Common Stock	$	4,643	$	–	$	–	$	4,643
Large Cap Value		–		2,061		–		2,061
Mid Cap Index		–		578		–		578
Small Cap Growth		–		552		–		552
Small Cap Value		–		573		–		573
Focus Value		–		571		–		571
Growth		–		2,215		–		2,215
International Growth		–		2,475		–		2,475
Core Bond		–		1,833		–		1,833
High Yield		–		354		–		354
Inflation Protected Bond		–		482		–		482
Money Market		–		37		–		37
Total	$	4,643	$	11,731	$	–	$	16,374

________________________

(1)

Company common stock is classified as level 1 and valued using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets.

(2)

All other plan assets in stock, bond and money market funds are classified as level 2 and valued using significant observable inputs.

(3)

There are no plan assets classified as level 3 in the fair value hierarchy as a result of having significant unobservable inputs.

13. Fair Value Measurements (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Estimated fair values of financial assets and liabilities

	As of December 31, 2016
Financial Instrument	(In thousands)
	Carrying		Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	13,936	$	13,936	$	–	$	–	$	13,936
Restricted cash and equivalents		112,754		112,754		–		–		112,754
Finance receivables, net		2,172,365		–		–		2,104,503		2,104,503
Accrued interest receivable		36,233		–		–		36,233		36,233
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	$	103,358	$	–	$	–	$	103,358	$	103,358
Accrued interest payable		3,715		–		–		3,715		3,715
Securitization trust debt		2,080,900		–		–		2,138,892		2,138,892
Subordinated renewable notes		14,949		–		–		14,949		14,949

	As of December 31, 2015
Financial Instrument	(In thousands)
	Carrying		Fair Value Measurements Using:
	Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	19,322	$	19,322	$	–	$	–	$	19,322
Restricted cash and equivalents		106,054		106,054		–		–		106,054
Finance receivables, net		1,909,490		–		–		1,879,510		1,879,510
Accrued interest receivable		31,547		–		–		31,547		31,547
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	$	194,056	$	–	$	–	$	194,056	$	194,056
Accrued interest payable		3,260		–		–		3,260		3,260
Residual interest financing		9,042		–		–		9,042		9,042
Securitization trust debt		1,720,021		–		–		1,718,418		1,718,418
Subordinated renewable notes		15,138		–		–		15,138		15,138

14. Quarterly Financial Data (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Quarterly financial data table

	Quarter Ended
	March 31,		June 30,		September 30,		December 31,
	(In thousands, except per share data)
2016
Revenues	$	100,649	$	104,933	$	108,516	$	108,183
Income before income tax expense		12,229		12,325		12,455		12,651
Net income		7,214		7,272		7,348		7,465
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.29	$	0.30	$	0.31	$	0.31
Diluted		0.24		0.25		0.26		0.26

2015
Revenues	$	85,989	$	88,361	$	93,991	$	95,308
Income before income tax expense		14,749		15,200		15,649		15,783
Net income		8,333		8,537		8,843		8,967
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.33	$	0.33	$	0.34	$	0.35
Diluted		0.26		0.27		0.28		0.29

2014
Revenues	$	68,146	$	71,594	$	77,050	$	83,467
Income before income tax expense		11,764		12,329		13,804		14,346
Net income		6,705		7,026		7,776		8,010
Earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.28	$	0.28	$	0.31	$	0.31
Diluted		0.21		0.22		0.24		0.25

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details - Schedule of Other Income) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	$ 13,286	$ 13,738	$ 13,522
Direct Mail Revenues [Member]
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	9,202	8,927	7,975
Convenience Fee Revenue [Member]
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	2,145	2,610	3,300
Recoveries on previously charged-off contracts [Member]
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	766	1,079	143
Sales Tax Refunds [Member]
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	811	616	500
Servicing Fees [Member]
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	100	319	1,376
Other Income [Member]
Primary components of Other Income
Other income for the period	$ 262	$ 187	$ 228

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details - Earnings per share) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings per share:
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share	$ 7,465	$ 7,348	$ 7,272	$ 7,214	$ 8,967	$ 8,843	$ 8,537	$ 8,333	$ 8,010	$ 7,776	$ 7,026	$ 6,705	$ 29,300	$ 34,681	$ 29,516
Denominator for basic earnings per share - weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year													24,356,000	25,935,000	25,040,000
Incremental common shares attibutable to exercise of outstanding options and warrants													4,679,000	5,649,000	6,992,000
Denominator for diluted earnings per share													29,035,000	31,584,000	32,032,000
Basic earnings per share	$ .31	$ .31	$ .30	$ .29	$ 0.35	$ 0.34	$ 0.33	$ 0.33	$ 0.31	$ 0.31	$ 0.28	$ 0.28	$ 1.20	$ 1.34	$ 1.18
Diluted earnings per share	$ .26	$ .26	$ .25	$ .24	$ 0.29	$ 0.28	$ 0.27	$ 0.26	$ 0.25	$ 0.24	$ 0.22	$ 0.21	$ 1.01	$ 1.10	$ 0.92

1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Unrestricted cash balance	$ 13,936	$ 19,322	$ 17,859	$ 22,112
Other assets	$ 30,252	$ 23,200
Incremental shares excluded from EPS calculation	7,900,000	6,800,000	4,500,000
Repossessed Vehicles [Member]
Other assets	$ 11,100	$ 12,800
CPS Leasing, Inc. [Member]
Ownership percentage in subsidiary	80.00%
Dealer concentration [Member] \| Geographic Concentration [Member] \| TEXAS
Concentration percentage	7.30%	7.90%
Dealer concentration [Member] \| Geographic Concentration [Member] \| CALIFORNIA
Concentration percentage	7.20%	8.90%
Dealer concentration [Member] \| Geographic Concentration [Member] \| OHIO
Concentration percentage	6.80%	6.50%
Dealer concentration [Member] \| Geographic Concentration [Member] \| FLORIDA
Concentration percentage	5.60%	5.30%
Dealer concentration [Member] \| Geographic Concentration [Member] \| GEORGIA
Concentration percentage	5.40%	5.20%

3. Finance Receivables (Details-Finance receivables) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Finance Receivables
Automobile finance receivables, net of unearned interest	$ 2,266,619	$ 1,990,913
Less: Unearned acquisition fees and originations costs	1,324	(5,820)
Finance Receivables	$ 2,267,943	$ 1,985,093

3. Finance Receivables (Details-Delinquency status) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Delinquency Status
Finance receivables, past due	$ 2,266,619	$ 1,990,913
Financing Receivables, 1 to 31 Days Past Due [Member]
Delinquency Status
Finance receivables, past due	2,053,759	1,836,267
Financing Receivables, 31 to 60 Days Past Due [Member]
Delinquency Status
Finance receivables, past due	116,073	70,036
Financing Receivables, 61 to 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Delinquency Status
Finance receivables, past due	52,404	41,136
Financing Receivables, 91 + days past due [Member]
Delinquency Status
Finance receivables, past due	$ 44,383	$ 43,474

3. Finance Receivables (Details-Allowance for finance credit losses) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Finance Receivables
Balance at beginning of period	$ 75,603	$ 61,460	$ 39,626
Provision for credit losses on finance receivables	178,511	142,618	108,228
Charge-offs	(192,366)	(156,553)	(109,914)
Recoveries	33,830	28,078	23,520
Balance at end of period	$ 95,578	$ 75,603	$ 61,460

3. Finance Receivables (Details-Repossessions) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Finance Receivables
Gross balance of repossessions in inventory	$ 40,069	$ 39,728
Allowance for losses on repossessed inventory	(28,924)	(26,954)
Net repossessed inventory included in other assets	$ 11,145	$ 12,774

4. Furniture and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Furniture and equipment, gross	$ 7,627	$ 7,882
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	(5,610)	(6,167)
Furniture and equipment, net	2,017	1,715
Furniture and Fixtures [Member]
Furniture and equipment, gross	1,566	1,517
Computer and Telephone Equipment [Member]
Furniture and equipment, gross	4,907	5,249
Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Furniture and equipment, gross	$ 1,154	$ 1,116

5. Securitization Trust Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 2,141,613
Initial Principal	4,515,811
Outstanding Principal	$ 2,094,253	$ 1,731,598
CPS 2011-B [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	September 2018
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 0
Initial Principal	109,936
Outstanding Principal	$ 0	10,023
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate
CPS 2011-C [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	March 2019
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 0
Initial Principal	119,400
Outstanding Principal	$ 0	14,785
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate
CPS 2012-A [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	June 2019
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 0
Initial Principal	155,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 0	16,795
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate
CPS 2012-B [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	September 2019
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 0
Initial Principal	141,500
Outstanding Principal	$ 0	26,758
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate
CPS 2012-C [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	December 2019
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 15,131
Initial Principal	147,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 14,421	30,653
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	2.46%
CPS 2012-D [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	March 2020
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 19,232
Initial Principal	160,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 17,865	37,464
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	1.86%
CPS 2013-A [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	June 2020
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 30,258
Initial Principal	185,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 28,661	56,583
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	1.73%
CPS 2013-B [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	September 2020
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 40,395
Initial Principal	205,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 37,570	70,332
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	2.19%
CPS 2013-C [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	December 2020
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 48,080
Initial Principal	205,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 46,830	82,851
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	4.65%
CPS 2013-D [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	March 2021
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 48,487
Initial Principal	183,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 46,345	82,337
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	4.10%
CPS 2014-A [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	June 2021
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 57,171
Initial Principal	180,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 54,988	92,571
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.39%
CPS 2014-B [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	September 2021
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 76,158
Initial Principal	202,500
Outstanding Principal	$ 75,140	121,515
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	2.90%
CPS 2014-C [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	December 2021
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 117,071
Initial Principal	273,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 116,280	183,802
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.05%
CPS 2014-D [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	March 2022
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 127,721
Initial Principal	267,500
Outstanding Principal	$ 127,307	198,533
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.27%
CPS 2015-A [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	June 2022
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 136,010
Initial Principal	245,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 134,466	201,527
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	2.96%
CPS 2015-B [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	September 2022
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 155,303
Initial Principal	250,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 153,893	221,587
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	2.97%
CPS 2015-C [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	December 2022
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 210,026
Initial Principal	300,000
Outstanding Principal	$ 283,482	283,482
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.39%
CPS 2016-A [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	March 2023
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 265,496
Initial Principal	329,460
Outstanding Principal	$ 262,260	0
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.15%
CPS 2016-B [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	June 2023
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 294,463
Initial Principal	332,690
Outstanding Principal	$ 284,752	0
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.79%
CPS 2016-C [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	September 2023
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 296,179
Initial Principal	318,500
Outstanding Principal	$ 285,618	0
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	3.36%
CPS 2016-D [Member]
"Securitization trust debt," and components of debt
Final Scheduled Payment Date	December 2023
Receivables Pledged at end of period	$ 204,432
Initial Principal	206,325
Outstanding Principal	$ 200,221	$ 0
Weighted Average Contractual Interest Rate	2.73%

5. Securitization Trust Debt (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Expected finance receivable payments 2017	$ 786,300
Expected finance receivable payments 2018	612,100
Expected finance receivable payments 2019	377,100
Expected finance receivable payments 2020	209,400
Expected finance receivable payments 2021	86,300
Expected finance receivable payments 2022	9,700
Restricted cash under various agreements	112,800
Securitization Trust Debt [Member]
Debt issuance costs	$ 13,400	$ 11,600

6. Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
6. Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 103,358	$ 194,056
Residual interest financing	0	9,042
Subordinated renewable notes	14,949	15,138
Total other debt outstanding	$ 119,914	220,641
Residual interest financing [Member]
Interest rate	11.75% over one month Libor
Maturity date	April 2018
Subordinated renewable notes [Member]
Interest rate	8.01%
Interest rate	Weighted average rate of 7.50% and 9.04% at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively
Maturity date	Weighted average rate of 7.50% and 9.04% at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively
Warehouse lines of credit [Member]
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 64,352	91,504
Interest rate	5.50% over one month Libor (Minimum 6.50%)
Maturity date	April 2019
Warehouse lines of credit (2) [Member]
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 26,445	73,940
Interest rate	5.50% over one month Libor (Minimum 6.25%)
Maturity date	August 2019
Warehouse lines of credit (3) [Member]
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 14,168	31,017
Interest rate	6.75% over a commercial paper rate (Minimum 7.75%)
Maturity date	November 2019
Residual interest financing [Member]
Residual interest financing	$ 0	9,042
Subordinated renewable notes [Member]
Subordinated renewable notes	$ 14,949	$ 15,138

6. Debt (Details - Future maturity amounts) - Subordinated renewable notes [Member] $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Contractual maturity date 2017	$ 8,780
Contractual maturity date 2018	1,677
Contractual maturity date 2019	1,141
Contractual maturity date 2020	804
Contractual maturity date 2021	1,496
Thereafter	1,051
Total	$ 14,949

6. Debt (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
6. Debt (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt issuance costs	$ 1,600	$ 2,400
Warehouse lines of credit	103,358	$ 194,056
Warehouse Credit Facility [Member] \| Fortress Investment Group [Member]
Credit line maximum	100,000
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 64,400
Credit line maturity date	Apr. 30, 2017
Warehouse Credit Facility [Member] \| Citibank [Member]
Credit line maximum	$ 100,000
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 26,400
Credit line maturity date	Aug. 31, 2018
Warehouse Credit Facility [Member] \| Credit Suisse AG and Ares Agent Services [Member]
Credit line maximum	$ 100,000
Warehouse lines of credit	$ 14,200
Credit line maturity date	Nov. 30, 2017

7. Shareholders' Equity (Details - Assumptions)	12 Months Ended
7. Shareholders' Equity (Details - Assumptions)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Expected life (years)	4 years 15 days	4 years 2 months 16 days	4 years 2 months 19 days
Risk-free interest rate	1.09%	1.35%	1.43%
Volatility	51.00%	51.00%	55.00%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

7. Shareholders' Equity (Details-Options outstanding)	12 Months Ended
7. Shareholders' Equity (Details-Options outstanding)	Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares shares
Number of Shares
Outstanding options, beginning balance \| shares	11,228,000
Granted \| shares	2,015,000
Exercised \| shares	(448,000)
Forfeited \| shares	(290,000)
Outstanding options, ending balance \| shares	12,595,000
Options exercisable \| shares	7,396,000
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding options, beginning balance \| $ / shares	$ 4.66
Granted \| $ / shares	3.53
Exercised \| $ / shares	1.41
Forfeited \| $ / shares	5.93
Outstanding options, ending balance \| $ / shares	4.56
Options exercisable \| $ / shares	$ 4.03
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term, ending	5 years 7 days
Options exercisable	4 years 6 months 4 days

7. Shareholders' Equity (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Repurchase of common stock, value	$ (10,468)	$ (5,926)
Weighted average exercise price of stock options granted	$ 1.38	$ 2.41	$ 2.73
Voliatility assumptions, minimum	44.00%	47.00%	52.00%
Voliatility assumptions, maximum	51.00%	51.00%	55.00%
Stock-based compensation	$ 5,553	$ 5,024	$ 3,835
Unrecognized stock-based compensation costs	$ 10,100
Weighted-average period for unrecognized costs	2 years 1 month 6 days
Intrinsic value options outstanding	$ 17,800	16,600
Intrinsic value of options exercisable	14,200	14,500
Intrinsic value of options exercised	1,300	$ 6,400
Proceeds from options exercised	633
Tax benefit from options exercised	$ 73
Shares available for grant	3,700,000
Warrants outstanding	2,000,000
Common Stock \| Authorizations prior to December 31, 2015 [Member]
Amount remaining of stock repurchase authorized amount	$ 5,100
Common Stock \| No expiration [Member]
Amount remaining of stock repurchase authorized amount	$ 4,700
Common Stock
Repurchase of common stock, shares	2,477,453
Common Stock \| Open Market [Member]
Repurchase of common stock, shares	2,453,706
Repurchase of common stock, value	$ 10,400
Common Stock \| Net exercises of outstanding options and warrants [Member]
Repurchase of common stock, shares	23,747

8. Interest Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
8. Interest Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Components of interest income
Interest on Finance Receivables	$ 408,723	$ 349,796	$ 286,361
Other interest income	273	116	373
Interest income	$ 408,996	$ 349,912	$ 286,734

8. Interest Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
8. Interest Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Total interest expense	$ 79,941	$ 57,745	$ 50,395
Securitization Trust Debt [Member]
Total interest expense	69,178	48,631	38,558
Warehouse lines of credit [Member]
Total interest expense	8,569	6,127	5,217
Senior Secured Debt Related Party [Member]
Total interest expense	0	0	1,651
Debt Secured by Receivables, Fair Value [Member]
Total interest expense	0	0	772
Residual interest financing [Member]
Total interest expense	846	1,405	1,989
Subordinated renewable notes [Member]
Total interest expense	$ 1,348	$ 1,582	$ 2,208

9. Income Taxes (Details-Income Tax Expense) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Current federal tax expense	$ 22,872	$ 18,653	$ 1,348
Current state tax expense	2,671	1,146	1,316
Deferred federal tax expense	(6,329)	4,233	18,338
Deferred state tax expense (benefit)	1,147	2,669	1,724
Income tax expense	$ 20,361	$ 26,701	$ 22,726

9. Income Taxes (Details-Reconciliation) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Expense at federal tax rate	$ 17,381	$ 21,484	$ 18,285
State taxes, net of federal income tax effect	2,679	3,235	2,651
Stock-based compensation	824	1,560	1,182
Non-deductible expenses	145	107	116
Other	(668)	315	492
Income tax expense/(benefit)	$ 20,361	$ 26,701	$ 22,726

9. Income Taxes (Details-Deferred Taxes) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred Tax Assets:
Finance receivables	$ 28,986	$ 20,825
Accrued liabilities	2,322	3,091
NOL carryforwards	1,697	3,272
Built in losses	8,915	10,254
Pension accrual	2,107	1,999
AMT credit carryforward	0	166
Other	2,343	1,109
Total deferred tax assets	46,370	40,716
Deferred Tax Liabilities:
Deferred loan costs	(3,223)	(2,894)
Furniture and Equipment	(302)	(225)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(3,525)	(3,119)
Net deferred tax asset	$ 42,845	$ 37,597

9. Income Taxes (Details Narrative) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
9. Income Taxes (Details Narrative) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Net deferred tax asset	$ 42,800
Unrecognized tax benefits	0
Operating Income (Loss) [Member]
Net deferred tax asset	10,600
Net Deductions [Member]
Net deferred tax asset	31,300
Federal [Member]
Net deferred tax asset	36,300
State [Member]
Net deferred tax asset	6,500
Net operating loss carryforwards	$ 56,600
Net operating losses expire	Dec. 31, 2017

10. Related Party Transactions (Details Narrative) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related party amounts outstanding	$ 4,000

11. Commitments and Contingencies (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
2017	$ 6,018
2018	5,729
2019	5,285
2020	4,308
2021	4,393
Thereafter	3,333
Total minimum lease payments	$ 29,066

11. Commitments and Contingencies (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Rent expense	$ 5,200	$ 4,100	$ 3,500
Restitution customer payments, cash and credit	3,500
Liability for losses due to legal proceedings, maximum	$ 1,000

12. Employee Benefits (Details - Funded Status) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Change in Projected Benefit Obligation
Projected benefit obligation, beginning of year	$ 21,385	$ 22,559
Service cost	0	0
Interest cost	882	843	$ 888
Assumption changes	95	(485)
Actuarial (gain) loss	89	(14)
Settlements	0	0
Benefits paid	(936)	(1,518)
Projected benefit obligation, end of year	21,515	21,385	$ 22,559
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	16,374
Return on assets	1,031	(1,818)
Employer contribution	0	0
Expenses	(226)	(138)
Settlements	0	0
Benefits paid under change in plan assets	(936)	(1,518)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year	16,243	16,374
Funded Status at end of year	$ (5,272)	$ (5,011)

12. Employee Benefits (Details - Assumptions)	12 Months Ended
12. Employee Benefits (Details - Assumptions)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Discount rate	4.05%	4.20%
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
Discount rate	4.20%	3.80%
Expected return on plan assets	7.50%	7.75%

12. Employee Benefits (Details - Accumulated Pension Benefit Obligation) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Amounts recognized on Consolidated Balance Sheet
Other assets	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Other liabilities	(5,272)	(5,011)	(2,711)
Net amount recognized	(5,272)	(5,011)	(2,711)
Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income consists of:
Net loss	10,618	10,592	7,977
Unrecognized transition asset	0	0	0
Net amount recognized	10,618	10,592	7,977
Components of net periodic benefit cost
Interest Cost	882	843	888
Expected return on assets	(1,199)	(1,508)	(1,727)
Amortization of transition asset	0	0	0
Amortization of net loss	553	349	0
Net periodic benefit cost	236	(316)	(839)
Settlement (gain)/loss	0	0	0
Total	236	(316)	(839)
Benefit Obligation Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income
Net loss (gain)	25	2,615	6,610
Prior service cost (credit)	0	0	0
Amortization of prior service cost	0	0	0
Net amount recognized in other comprehensive loss (income)	$ 25	$ 2,615	$ 6,610

12. Employee Benefits (Details - Asset Allocation)	12 Months Ended
12. Employee Benefits (Details - Asset Allocation)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Weighted Average Asset Allocation at Year-End	100.00%	100.00%
Cash And Cash Equivalents [Member]
Weighted Average Asset Allocation at Year-End	0.00%	0.00%
Equity Securities [Member]
Weighted Average Asset Allocation at Year-End	85.00%	84.00%
Debt Securities [Member]
Weighted Average Asset Allocation at Year-End	15.00%	16.00%

12. Employee Benefits (Details - Estimated Future Benefit Payments) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Estimated Future Benefit Payments (In thousands)
2017	$ 785
2018	804
2019	845
2020	890
2021	930
Years 2022-2026	5,330
Anticipated Contributions in 2017	$ 0

12. Employee Benefits (Details - Fair Value of Plan Assets) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair value of plan assets	$ 16,243	$ 16,374
Company Common Stock [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	4,581	4,643
Large Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	2,238	2,061
Mid Cap Index [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	625	578
Small Cap Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	621	552
Small Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	687	573
Focus Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	676	571
Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	1,980	2,215
International Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	2,392	2,475
Core Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	1,644	1,833
High Yield [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	356	354
Inflation Protected Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	433	482
Money Market [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	10	37
Level 1 [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	4,581	4,643
Level 1 [Member] \| Company Common Stock [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	4,581	4,643
Level 1 [Member] \| Large Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Mid Cap Index [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Small Cap Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Small Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Focus Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| International Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Core Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| High Yield [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Inflation Protected Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 1 [Member] \| Money Market [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 2 [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	11,662	11,731
Level 2 [Member] \| Company Common Stock [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 2 [Member] \| Large Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	2,238	2,061
Level 2 [Member] \| Mid Cap Index [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	625	578
Level 2 [Member] \| Small Cap Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	621	552
Level 2 [Member] \| Small Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	687	573
Level 2 [Member] \| Focus Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	676	571
Level 2 [Member] \| Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	1,980	2,215
Level 2 [Member] \| International Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	2,392	2,475
Level 2 [Member] \| Core Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	1,644	1,833
Level 2 [Member] \| High Yield [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	356	354
Level 2 [Member] \| Inflation Protected Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	433	482
Level 2 [Member] \| Money Market [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	10	37
Level 3 [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Company Common Stock [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Large Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Mid Cap Index [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Small Cap Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Small Cap Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Focus Value [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| International Growth [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Core Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| High Yield [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Inflation Protected Bond [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	0	0
Level 3 [Member] \| Money Market [Member]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 0	$ 0

12. Employee Benefits (Details Narrative) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
12. Employee Benefits (Details Narrative) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Employee Benefits Details Narrative
401(k) plan contributions	$ 929,000	$ 838,000	$ 642,000
Expected long term rate of return	7.50%	7.75%
Estimated net loss amortized into net periodic benefit cost	$ 405,000

13. Fair Value Measurements (Details - Fair Value Financial Assets) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 13,936	$ 19,322	$ 17,859	$ 22,112
Restricted cash and equivalents	112,754	106,054
Finance receivables, net	2,104,503	1,879,510
Accrued interest receivable	36,233	31,547
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	103,358	194,056
Accrued interest payable	3,715	3,260
Residual interest financing	0	9,042
Securitization trust debt	2,138,892	1,718,418
Subordinated renewable notes	14,949	15,138
Level 1 [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	13,936	19,322
Restricted cash and equivalents	112,754	106,054
Finance receivables, net	0	0
Accrued interest receivable	0	0
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	0	0
Accrued interest payable	0	0
Residual interest financing		0
Securitization trust debt	0	0
Subordinated renewable notes	0	0
Level 2 [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash and equivalents	0	0
Finance receivables, net	0	0
Accrued interest receivable	0	0
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	0	0
Accrued interest payable	0	0
Residual interest financing		0
Securitization trust debt	0	0
Subordinated renewable notes	0	0
Level 3 [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Restricted cash and equivalents	0	0
Finance receivables, net	2,104,503	1,879,510
Accrued interest receivable	36,233	31,547
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	103,358	194,056
Accrued interest payable	3,715	3,260
Residual interest financing		9,042
Securitization trust debt	2,138,892	1,718,418
Subordinated renewable notes	14,949	15,138
Total Amount [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	13,936	19,322
Restricted cash and equivalents	112,754	106,054
Finance receivables, net	2,172,365	1,909,490
Accrued interest receivable	36,233	31,547
Liabilities:
Warehouse lines of credit	103,358	194,056
Accrued interest payable	3,715	3,260
Residual interest financing		9,042
Securitization trust debt	2,080,900	1,720,021
Subordinated renewable notes	$ 14,949	$ 15,138

13. Fair Value Measurements (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Measurements Details Narrative
Finance receivables related to reposessed vehicles in inventory	$ 40,069	$ 39,728
Valuation adjustment, loss allowance	$ 28,924	26,954
Recovery rate	29.00%
Estimated fair value and carrying amount of repossed inventory	$ 11,145	$ 12,774

14. Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 108,183	$ 108,516	$ 104,933	$ 100,649	$ 95,308	$ 93,991	$ 88,361	$ 85,989	$ 83,467	$ 77,050	$ 71,594	$ 68,146	$ 422,282	$ 363,650	$ 300,256
Income before income tax expense	12,651	12,455	12,325	12,229	15,783	15,649	15,200	14,749	14,346	13,804	12,329	11,764	49,661	61,382	52,242
Net income	$ 7,465	$ 7,348	$ 7,272	$ 7,214	$ 8,967	$ 8,843	$ 8,537	$ 8,333	$ 8,010	$ 7,776	$ 7,026	$ 6,705	$ 29,300	$ 34,681	$ 29,516
Earnings per share - basic	$ .31	$ .31	$ .30	$ .29	$ 0.35	$ 0.34	$ 0.33	$ 0.33	$ 0.31	$ 0.31	$ 0.28	$ 0.28	$ 1.20	$ 1.34	$ 1.18
Earnings per share - diluted	$ .26	$ .26	$ .25	$ .24	$ 0.29	$ 0.28	$ 0.27	$ 0.26	$ 0.25	$ 0.24	$ 0.22	$ 0.21	$ 1.01	$ 1.10	$ 0.92

15. Subsequent Events (Details Narrative) - Subsequent Event [Member] - Asset-backed Securities [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended
	Jan. 18, 2017	Feb. 15, 2017
Asset-backed notes sold	$ 206,300
Asset-backed notes secured by automobile receivables	$ 210,000
Weighted average yield on notes	3.91%
Receivables sold	$ 131,500	$ 78,500

2. Restricted Cash (Details Narrative) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Restricted cash	$ 106,100	$ 112,800
Securitizations and credit facility reserves [Member]
Restricted cash	$ 40,800	$ 38,900