Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Business segments	*Business segments:* The Company has one reportable segment, which is the consumer finance segment. The other revenue generating activities of the Company, including insurance operations, are performed in the existing branch network in conjunction with or as a complement to the lending operations.
Principles of consolidation	*Principles of consolidation:* The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company operates through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary in each state. The Company also consolidates variable interest entities (“VIE”) when it is considered to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE because it has (i) power over the significant activities of the VIE and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive returns that could be significant to the VIE.
Treasury stock	*Treasury stock:* The Company records the repurchase of shares of its common stock at cost on the settlement date of the transaction. These shares are considered treasury stock, which is a reduction to stockholders’ equity. Treasury stock is included in authorized and issued shares but excluded from outstanding shares.
Variable interest entity	*Variable interest entity:* The Company has an asset-backed amortizing loan for general funding purposes. The transaction involved selling a pool of the Company’s automobile loans to its wholly-owned subsidiary, Regional Management Receivables, LLC (“RMR”), as collateral for the loan. RMR has the limited purpose of acquiring finance receivables and holding and making payments on the related debt. Assets transferred to RMR are legally isolated from the Company and the claims of the Company’s other creditors. The Company continues to service the finance receivables transferred to RMR. The lender in the debt issued by RMR generally only has recourse to the assets of RMR and does not have recourse to the general credit of the Company. The Company’s asset-backed loan under this arrangement is structured to provide enhancements to the lender in the form of overcollateralization (principal balance of the collateral exceeds the balance of the debt) and reserve funds (restricted cash accounts held by RMR). These enhancements, along with the isolated finance receivables pool, increase the creditworthiness of RMR above that of the Company as a whole. This increases the marketability of the Company’s collateral for borrowing purposes, which leads to more favorable borrowing terms, improved interest rate risk management, and additional flexibility to grow the business. RMR is considered a VIE under GAAP and is consolidated into the financial statements of RMR’s primary beneficiary. The Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary of RMR because it has (i) power over the significant activities of RMR through its role as servicer of the finance receivables under the credit agreement and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive returns that could be significant through the Company’s interest in the monthly residual cash flows of RMR after the debt is paid. Consolidation of RMR results in the transaction being accounted for as a secured borrowing; therefore, the pooled receivables and the related debt remain on the consolidated balance sheet of the Company. The debt is secured solely by the assets of RMR and not by any other assets of the Company. The assets of RMR are the only source of funds for repayment on the debt. Restricted cash accounts held by RMR can only be used to support payments on the debt. The Company recognizes revenue and provision for credit losses on RMR’s finance receivables and interest expense on the related secured debt.
Use of estimates	*Use of estimates:* The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities for the periods indicated in the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to change relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses, fair value of share-based compensation, the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, contingent liabilities on litigation matters, and the allocation of the purchase price to assets acquired in business combinations.
Reclassifications	*Reclassifications:* Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on previously reported net income or stockholders’ equity.
Statement of cash flows	*Statement of cash flows:* Cash flows from finance receivables and the Company’s long-term debt are reported on a net basis.
Finance receivables	*Finance receivables:* The Company’s small loan portfolio is comprised of branch small loan receivables and convenience check receivables. Branch small loan receivables are direct loans to customers closed in the branch and are secured by non-essential household goods and, in some instances, an automobile. Convenience checks are direct loans originated by mailing checks to customers based on a pre-screening process that includes a review of the prospective customer’s credit profile provided by national credit reporting bureaus or data aggregators. A recipient of a convenience check is able to enter into a loan by endorsing and depositing or cashing the check. Large loan receivables are direct loans to customers and are typically secured by automobiles, other vehicles, and/or non-essential household goods. Automobile loan receivables consist of direct automobile purchase loans, which are originated at the dealership and closed in one of the Company’s branches, and indirect automobile purchase loans, which are originated and closed at a dealership in the Company’s network without the need for the customer to visit one of the Company’s branches. In each case, these automobile loans are collateralized primarily by the purchased automobiles and, in the case of indirect loans, are initiated by and purchased from automobile dealerships, subject to the Company’s credit approval. Retail loan receivables consist principally of retail installment sales contracts collateralized by the purchased furniture, appliances, and other retail items, and are initiated by and purchased from retailers, subject to the Company’s credit approval.
Credit losses	*Credit losses:* Provisions for credit losses are charged to income as losses are estimated to have occurred and in amounts sufficient to maintain an allowance for credit losses at an adequate level to provide for future losses on the Company’s finance receivables. In the past, the Company charged credit losses against the allowance when management believed the finance receivable was no longer collectible (discretionary element) or when the account was 365 days contractually delinquent (time-based element). The factors used to determine whether a finance receivable is uncollectible were the age of the account, supervisory review of collection efforts, and other factors such as customers relocating to an area where collection is not practical. In September 2014, the Company changed the time-based element of the charge-off policy from 365 days contractually delinquent to 180 days contractually delinquent. In December 2014, the Company eliminated the discretionary element of the charge-off policy, subject to certain exceptions. The Company’s policy for non-titled accounts in a confirmed bankruptcy is to charge them off at 60 days contractually delinquent, subject to certain exceptions. Deceased borrower accounts are charged off in the month following the proper notification of passing, with the exception of borrowers with credit life insurance. The updated policy improves consistency and creates better alignment with industry practice. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Loss experience, effective loan life, contractual delinquency of finance receivables by loan type, the value of underlying collateral, and management’s judgment are factors used in assessing the overall adequacy of the allowance and the resulting provision for credit losses. While management uses the best information available to make its evaluation, future adjustments to the allowance may be necessary if there are significant changes in economic conditions or portfolio performance. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revisions as more information becomes available. The Company initiates repossession proceedings when, in the opinion of management, the customer is unlikely to make further payments. The Company sells substantially all repossessed vehicle inventory through public sales conducted by independent automobile auction organizations after the required post-repossession waiting period. Losses on the sale of repossessed collateral are charged to the allowance for credit losses. The allowance for credit losses consists of general and specific components. The general component of the allowance estimates credit losses for groups of finance receivables on a collective basis and relates to probable incurred losses of unimpaired finance receivables. Prior to September 30, 2016, the general component of the allowance was primarily based on historical loss rates. Effective September 30, 2016, it is based on delinquency roll rates. The Company’s finance receivable types are stratified by delinquency stages, and the future monthly delinquency profiles and credit losses are projected forward using historical delinquency roll rates. The Company records a general allowance for credit losses that includes forecasted future credit losses over the estimated loss emergence period (the interval of time between the event which caused a borrower to default and the Company’s recording of the credit loss) for each finance receivable type. The Company adjusts the computed roll rate forecast as described above for qualitative factors based on an assessment of internal and external influences on credit quality that are not fully reflected in the roll rate forecast. Those qualitative factors include trends in growth in the loan portfolio, delinquency, unemployment, bankruptcy, operational risks, and other economic trends.
Impaired finance receivables	*Impaired finance receivables:* The specific component of the allowance for credit losses relates to impaired finance receivables, which include accounts for which a customer has initiated a bankruptcy filing and finance receivables that have been modified under Company loss mitigation policies. Finance receivables that have been modified are accounted for as troubled debt restructurings. At the time of the bankruptcy filing or restructuring pursuant to a loss mitigation policy, a specific valuation allowance is established for such finance receivables within the allowance for credit losses. The Company computes the estimated loss on its impaired loans by discounting the projected cash flows at the original contract rates on the loan using the terms imposed by the bankruptcy court or restructured by the Company. This method is applied in the aggregate to each of the Company’s four classes of loans. In making the computations of the present value of cash payments to be received on impaired accounts in each product category, the Company uses the weighted-average interest rates and weighted-average remaining term based on data as of each balance sheet date. For customers in a confirmed Chapter 13 bankruptcy plan, the Company reduces the interest rate to that specified in the bankruptcy order and the Company receives payments with respect to the remaining amount of the loan from the bankruptcy trustee. For customers who recently filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the Company generally does not receive any payments until their bankruptcy plan is confirmed by the court. If the customers have made payments to the trustee in advance of plan confirmation, the Company may receive a lump sum payment from the trustee once the plan is confirmed. This lump sum payment represents the Company’s pro-rata share of the amount paid by the customer. If a customer fails to comply with the terms of the bankruptcy order, the Company will petition the trustee to have the customer dismissed from bankruptcy. Upon dismissal, the Company restores the account to the original terms and pursues collection through its normal loan servicing activities. If a customer files for bankruptcy under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy code, the bankruptcy court has the authority to cancel the customer’s debt. If a vehicle secures a Chapter 7 bankruptcy account, the customer has the option of buying the vehicle at fair value or reaffirming the loan and continuing to pay the loan. Prior to the charge-off policy change in September 2014, the specific component of the allowance for credit losses included a full valuation allowance for finance receivables that were contractually delinquent 180 days and over. The credit losses from the policy change were charged against this allowance as of September 2014.
Delinquency	*Delinquency:* The Company determines past due status using the contractual terms of the finance receivable. Delinquency is one of the primary credit quality indicators used to evaluate the allowance for credit losses for each class of finance receivables.
Repossessed assets	*Repossessed assets:* Repossessed collateral is valued at the lower of the receivable balance on the finance receivable prior to repossession or the estimated net realizable value. Management estimates net realizable value at the projected cash value upon liquidation, less costs to sell the related collateral.
Property and equipment	*Property and equipment:* The Company leases its current headquarters building and owns certain of its prior headquarters buildings. Office buildings owned are depreciated using the straight-line method for financial reporting purposes over their estimated useful lives of thirty-nine years. Branch offices are leased under non-cancellable leases of one to seven years with renewal options. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of their useful lives or the remaining term of the lease. Furniture and equipment are depreciated on the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, generally three to five years. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.
Restricted cash	*Restricted cash:* Restricted cash includes cash and cash equivalents for which the Company’s ability to withdraw funds is contractually limited. The Company’s restricted cash consists of cash reserves that are maintained as collateral for a letter of credit used to secure potential credit life insurance claims and cash restricted for debt servicing of the Company’s amortizing loan.
Derivative instruments	*Derivative instruments:* The Company holds derivative instruments in the form of interest rate caps for the purpose of hedging a portion of its exposure to interest rate risk. Derivative instruments are recorded at fair value and included in other assets with their resulting gains or losses recognized in interest expense. Changes in fair value are reported as an adjustment to net income in computing cash flows from operating activities.
Income recognition	*Income recognition:* Interest income is recognized using the interest method (constant yield method). Therefore, the Company recognizes revenue from interest at an equal rate over the term of the loan. Unearned finance charges on pre-compute contracts are rebated to customers utilizing statutory methods, which in many cases is the sum-of-the-years’ digits method. The difference between income recognized under the constant yield method and the statutory method is recognized as an adjustment to interest income at the time of rebate. Accrual of interest income on finance receivables is suspended when an account becomes 90 days delinquent on a contractual basis. The accrual of income is not resumed until the account is less than 90 days contractually delinquent. Interest income is suspended on finance receivables for which collateral has been repossessed. If the account is charged off, the interest income is reversed as a reduction of interest and fee income. The Company recognizes income on credit life insurance using the sum-of-the-years’ digits or actuarial methods over the terms of the policies. The Company recognizes income on credit accident and health insurance using the average of the sum-of-the-years’ digits and the straight-line methods over the terms of the policies. The Company recognizes income on credit-related property and automobile insurance using the straight-line or sum-of-the-years’ digits methods over the terms of the policies. The Company recognizes income on credit-related involuntary unemployment insurance using the straight-line method over the terms of the policies. Rebates are computed using statutory methods, which in many cases match the GAAP method, and where it does not match, the difference between the GAAP method and the statutory method is recognized in income at the time of rebate. The Company defers fees charged to automobile dealers and recognizes income using the constant yield method for indirect loans and the straight-line method for direct loans over the lives of the respective loans. Charges for late fees are recognized as income when collected.
Finance receivable origination fees and costs	*Finance receivable origination fees and costs:* Non-refundable fees received and direct costs incurred for the origination of finance receivables are deferred and recognized to interest income over their contractual lives using the constant yield method. Unamortized amounts are recognized in income at the time that finance receivables are paid in full.
Share-based compensation	*Share-based compensation:* The Company measures compensation cost for share-based awards at estimated fair value and recognizes compensation expense over the service period for awards expected to vest. The Company uses the closing stock price on the date of grant as the fair value of restricted stock awards. The fair value of stock options is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The Black-Scholes model requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including expected volatility, risk-free interest rate, and expected life, changes to which can materially affect the fair value estimate. The Company estimates volatility using its historical stock prices. The risk-free rate is based on the zero coupon U.S. Treasury bond rate for the expected term of the award on the grant date. The expected term is calculated by using the simplified method (average of the vesting and original contractual terms) due to insufficient historical data to estimate the expected term. In addition, the estimation of share-based awards that will ultimately vest requires judgment, and to the extent actual results or updated estimates differ from current estimates, such amounts will be recorded as a cumulative adjustment in the period estimates are revised.
Marketing costs	*Marketing costs:* Marketing costs are expensed as incurred.
Income taxes	*Income taxes:* The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states. The Company is generally no longer subject to federal, state, or local income tax examinations by taxing authorities before 2013, though the Company remains subject to examination in New Mexico and Texas for the 2011 and 2012 tax years. When tax returns are filed, it is highly certain that some positions taken would be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities, while others are subject to uncertainty about the merits of the position taken or the amount of the position that would be ultimately sustained. The benefit of a tax position is recognized in the financial statements in the period during which, based on all available evidence, it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including the resolution of appeals or litigation processes, if any. Tax positions taken are not offset or aggregated with other positions. Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold are measured as the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement with the applicable taxing authority. The portion of the benefits associated with tax positions taken that exceeds the amount measured as described above is reflected as a liability for unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying balance sheet along with any associated interest and penalties that would be payable to the taxing authorities upon examination. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had not taken any tax position that exceeds the amount described above. Interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits are classified as additional income taxes in the consolidated statements of income. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts 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 effects of future tax rate changes are recognized in the period when the enactment of new rates occurs.
Earnings per share	*Earnings per share:* Earnings per share have been computed based on the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during each reporting period presented. Common shares issuable upon the exercise of share-based compensation, which are computed using the treasury stock method, are included in the computation of diluted earnings per share.
Recent accounting pronouncements	*Recent accounting pronouncements:* In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued an accounting update to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The update requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with a debt discount. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the update. The update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. An entity should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. In August 2015, the FASB issued an additional accounting update on certain debt issuance costs, which clarifies that debt issuance costs associated with line-of-credit agreements may be classified as an asset or as a direct deduction to the carrying amount of the debt. The debt issuance costs should continue to be deferred and amortized over the term of the line-of-credit. As a result of these accounting updates, debt issuance costs were reclassified from other assets to long-term debt. In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update to increase transparency and comparability of accounting for lease transactions. The update requires all leases to be recognized on the balance sheet as lease assets and lease liabilities and requires both quantitative and qualitative disclosures regarding key information about leasing arrangements. All of the Company’s leases are currently classified as operating leases with no lease assets or lease liabilities recorded. The update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of this update on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update to simplify the accounting for share-based compensation, including the accounting for forfeitures, the statutory tax withholding requirements, the accounting for income taxes, and the classification of share-based compensation transactions in the statement of cash flows. The key provision of the update is the requirement for the excess tax benefits or tax deficiencies from the exercise or vesting of share-based awards to flow through the statement of income rather than through additional paid-in-capital on the balance sheet. The standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and early adoption is permitted. Beginning in 2017, the Company will recognize the excess tax benefits or deficiencies as income tax benefit or expense on the consolidated statements of income. Additionally, excess tax benefits or deficiencies will be classified within operating activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. In May 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update providing narrow scope improvements and practical expedients related to the previous update for Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The amendments in this update do not change the core revenue recognition principles. The update addresses certain issues identified in the guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the new revenue recognition standard on its consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update to change the impairment model for estimating credit losses on financial assets. The current incurred loss impairment model requires the recognition of credit losses when it is probable that a loss has been incurred. The incurred loss model will be replaced by an expected loss model, which requires entities to estimate the lifetime expected credit loss on such instruments and to record an allowance to offset the amortized cost basis of the financial asset. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update to provide specific guidance on certain cash flow classification issues to reduce diversity in practice. These issues include debt prepayment or extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments after business combinations, beneficial interest in securitization transactions, and proceeds from insurance claims. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of the new standards on its consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued an accounting update to address diversity in the classification of restricted cash transfers on the statement of cash flows. The amendment requires that the statements of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. At adoption, the Company will no longer report the changes in restricted cash as an investing activity. Instead, restricted cash will be included in the beginning and ending cash balances on the consolidated statements of cash flows. Additionally, the Company will present a reconciliation from the balance sheet cash and restricted cash with the beginning and ending cash used on the consolidated statements of cash flows. In January 2017, the FASB issued an accounting update to simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill. The amendment reduces the cost and complexity of evaluating goodwill for impairment by eliminating the second step in the goodwill impairment test. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this accounting pronouncement will not impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements.