UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

CREDIT ACCEPTANCE CORPORATION

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 20202021

INDEX TO FORM 10-K

PART I

Since 1972, Credit Acceptance Corporation (referred to as the “Company”, “Credit Acceptance”, “we”, “our” or “us”) has offered financing programs that enable automobile dealers to sell vehicles to consumers, regardless of their credit history.  Our financing programs are offered through a nationwide network of automobile dealers who benefit from sales of vehicles to consumers who otherwise could not obtain financing; from repeat and referral sales generated by these same customers; and from sales to customers responding to advertisements for our financing programs, but who actually end up qualifying for traditional financing.

Without our financing programs, consumers are often unable to purchase vehicles or they purchase unreliable ones.  Further, as we report to the three national credit reporting agencies, an important ancillary benefit of our programs is that we provide consumers with an opportunity to improve their lives by improving their credit score and move on to more traditional sources of financing.

Credit Acceptance was founded to collect retail installment contracts (referred to as “Consumer Loans”) originated by automobile dealerships owned by Donald Foss, our founder and former Chairman of the Board.founder. During the 1980s, we began to market this service to non-affiliated dealers and, at the same time, began to offer dealers a non-recourse cash payment (referred to as an “advance”) against anticipated future collections on Consumer Loans serviced for that dealer.

We refer to automobile dealers who participate in our programs and who share our commitment to changing consumers’ lives as “Dealers”.  Upon enrollment in our financing programs, the Dealer enters into a Dealer servicing agreement with us that defines the legal relationship between Credit Acceptance and the Dealer.  The Dealer servicing agreement assigns the responsibilities for administering, servicing, and collecting the amounts due on Consumer Loans from the Dealers to us.  We are an indirect lender from a legal perspective, meaning the Consumer Loan is originated by the Dealer and assigned to us.

We currently operate in one reportable segment which represents our core business of offering Dealers financing programs and related products and services that enable them to sell vehicles to consumers, regardless of their credit history.  For information regarding our one reportable segment and related entity-wide disclosures, see Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Portfolio Program

As payment for the vehicle, the Dealer generally receives the following:

We record the amount advanced to the Dealer as a Dealer Loan, which is classified within Loans receivable in our consolidated balance sheets. Cash advanced to the Dealer is automatically assigned to the Dealer’s open pool of advances. Prior to August 5, 2019, we generally required Dealers to group advances into pools of at least 100 Consumer Loans. Beginning August 5, 2019, Dealers may also elect to close a pool containing at least 50 Consumer Loans and assign subsequent advances to a new pool. Unless we receive a request from the Dealer to keep a pool open, we automatically close each pool based on the Dealer's election. All advances within a Dealer’s pool are secured by the future collections on the related Consumer Loans assigned to the pool. For Dealers with more than one pool, the pools are cross-collateralized so the performance of other pools is considered in determining eligibility for Dealer Holdback. We perfect our security interest with respect to the Dealer Loans by obtaining control or taking possession of the Consumer Loans, which list us as lien holder on the vehicle title.

The Dealer servicing agreement provides that collections received by us during a calendar month on Consumer Loans assigned by a Dealer are applied on a pool-by-pool basis as follows:

If the collections on Consumer Loans from a Dealer’s pool are not sufficient to repay the advance balance and any other amounts due to us, the Dealer will not receive Dealer Holdback. Certain events may also result in Dealers forfeiting their rights to Dealer Holdback, including becoming inactive before assigning 100 Consumer Loans.

Dealers have an opportunity to receive an accelerated Dealer Holdback payment each time a pool of Consumer Loans is closed. The amount paid to the Dealer is calculated using a formula that considers the number of Consumer Loans assigned to the pool and the related forecasted collections and advance balance.

Since typically the combination of the advance and the consumer’s down payment provides the Dealer with a cash profit at the time of sale, the Dealer’s risk in the Consumer Loan is limited.  We cannot demand repayment of the advance from the Dealer except in the event the Dealer is in default of the Dealer servicing agreement.  Advances are made only after the consumer and Dealer have signed a Consumer Loan contract, we have received the executed Consumer Loan contract and supporting documentation in either physical or electronic form, and we have approved all of the related stipulations for funding. 

For accounting purposes, the transactions described under the Portfolio Program are not considered to be loans to consumers.  Instead, our accounting reflects that of a lender to the Dealer.  The classification as a Dealer Loan for accounting purposes is primarily a result of (1) the Dealer’s financial interest in the Consumer Loan and (2) certain elements of our legal relationship with the Dealer.

Purchase Program

The Purchase Program differs from our Portfolio Program in that the Dealer receives a one-time payment from us at the time of assignment to purchase the Consumer Loan instead of a cash advance at the time of assignment and future Dealer Holdback payments.  For accounting purposes, the transactions described under the Purchase Program are considered to be originated by the Dealer and then purchased by us.

Program Enrollment

Beginning August 5, 2019, Dealers may enroll in our Portfolio Program without incurring an enrollment fee. Prior to August 5, 2019, Dealers enrolled in our Portfolio Program by (1) paying an up-front, one-time fee of $9,850, or (2) agreeing to allow us to retain 50% of their accelerated Dealer Holdback payment(s) on the first 100 Consumer Loan assignments.

Access to the Purchase Program is typically only granted to Dealers that meet one of the following:

Revenue Sources

Credit Acceptance derives its revenues from the following principal sources:

The following table sets forth the percent relationship to total revenue of each of these sources:

Operations

Once Dealers have enrolled in our programs, the market area managers work closely with the newly enrolled Dealers to help them successfully launch our programs within their dealerships.  Market area managers also provide active Dealers with ongoing support and consulting focused on improving the Dealers’ success on our programs, including assistance with increasing the volume and performance of Consumer Loan assignments.

The typical Dealer servicing agreement may be terminated by us or by the Dealer upon written notice.  We may terminate the Dealer servicing agreement immediately in the case of an event of default by the Dealer.  Events of default include, among other things:

While a Dealer can cease assigning Consumer Loans to us at any time without terminating the Dealer servicing agreement, if the Dealer elects to terminate the Dealer servicing agreement or in the event of a default, we have the right to require that the Dealer immediately pay us:

Upon receipt of such amounts in full, we reassign the Consumer Loans and our security interest in the financed vehicles to the Dealer.

In the event of a termination of the Dealer servicing agreement by us, we may continue to service Consumer Loans assigned by Dealers accepted prior to termination in the normal course of business without charging a termination fee.

For accounting and financial reporting purposes, a Consumer Loan is considered to have been assigned to us after the following has occurred:

A Consumer Loan is originated by the Dealer when a consumer enters into a contract with a Dealer that sets forth the terms of the agreement between the consumer and the Dealer for the payment of the purchase price of the vehicle.  The amount of the Consumer Loan consists of the total principal and interest that the consumer is required to pay over the term of the Consumer Loan.  Consumer Loans are written on a contract form provided by us. Although the Dealer is named in the Consumer Loan contract, the Dealer generally does not have legal ownership of the Consumer Loan for more than a moment and we, not the Dealer, are listed as lien holder on the vehicle title.  Consumers are obligated to make payments on the Consumer Loan directly to us, and any failure to make such payments will result in our pursuing payment through collection efforts.

All Consumer Loans submitted to us for assignment are processed through our Credit Approval Processing System (“CAPS”).  CAPS allows Dealers to input a consumer’s credit application and view the response from us via the Internet.  CAPS allows Dealers to: (1) receive a quick approval from us; (2) interact with our proprietary credit scoring system to optimize the structure of each transaction prior to delivery; and (3) create, electronically execute and print legally compliant Consumer Loan documents.  All responses include the amount of funding (advance for a Dealer Loan or purchase price for a Purchased Loan), as well as any stipulations required for funding.  The amount of funding is determined using a formula which considers a number of factors including the timing and amount of cash flows expected on the related Consumer Loan and our target return on capital at the time a Consumer Loan is submitted to us for assignment.  The estimated future cash flows are determined based upon our proprietary credit scoring system, which considers numerous variables, including attributes contained in the consumer’s credit bureau report, data contained in the consumer’s credit application, the structure of the proposed transaction, vehicle information and other factors, to calculate a composite credit score that corresponds to an expected collection rate.  Our proprietary credit scoring system forecasts the collection rate based upon the historical performance of Consumer Loans in our portfolio that share similar characteristics.  The performance of our proprietary credit scoring system is evaluated monthly by comparing projected to actual Consumer Loan performance.  Adjustments are made to our proprietary credit scoring system as necessary.  For additional information on adjustments to forecasted collection rates, please see the Critical Accounting Estimates section in Item 7 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

While a Dealer can submit any legally compliant Consumer Loan to us for assignment, the decision whether to provide funding to the Dealer and the amount of any funding is made solely by us.  Through our Dealer Service Center, we perform all significant functions relating to the processing of the Consumer Loan applications and bear certain costs of Consumer Loan assignment, including the cost of assessing the adequacy of Consumer Loan documentation, compliance with our underwriting guidelines and the cost of verifying employment, residence and other information provided by the Dealer.

We audit Consumer Loan files for compliance with our underwriting guidelines on a daily basis in order to assess whether our Dealers are operating in accordance with the terms and conditions of our Dealer servicing agreement.  We occasionally identify breaches of the Dealer servicing agreement and depending upon the circumstances, and at our discretion, we may:

Consumer Loans that have been assigned to us can be reassigned back to the Dealer, at the Dealer’s discretion, as follows:

Our business model allows us to share the risk and reward of collecting on the Consumer Loans with the Dealers, more so with the Portfolio Program than the Purchase Program. Such sharing is intended to motivate the Dealer to assign better quality Consumer Loans, follow our underwriting guidelines, comply with various legal regulations, meet our credit compliance requirements and provide appropriate service and support to the consumer after the sale. In addition, our Dealer Service Center works closely with Dealers to assist them in resolving any documentation deficiencies or funding stipulations. We believe this arrangement causes the interests of the Dealer, the consumer and us to all be aligned.

We measure various criteria for each Dealer against other Dealers in their geographic area as well as the top performing Dealers. Dealers are assigned a Dealer rating based upon the performance of their Consumer Loans in both the Portfolio and Purchase Programs as well as other criteria. The Dealer rating is one of the factors used to determine the amount paid to Dealers as an advance or to acquire a Purchased Loan.  We provide each Dealer under the Portfolio Program with a monthly statement summarizing all activity that occurred on their Consumer Loan assignments.

The decision to repossess a vehicle is based on policy-based criteria. When a Consumer Loan is approved for repossession, we continue to service the Consumer Loan while it is being assigned to a third party repossession contractor, who works on a contingency fee basis. Once a vehicle has been repossessed, the consumer can negotiate to redeem the vehicle, whereupon the vehicle is returned to the consumer in exchange for paying off the Consumer Loan balance; or, where appropriate or if required by law, the vehicle is returned to the consumer and the Consumer Loan is reinstated in exchange for a payment that reduces or eliminates the past due balance. If this process is unsuccessful, the vehicle is sold at a wholesale automobile auction. Prior to sale, the vehicle is typically inspected by a representative at the auction who provides repair and reconditioning recommendations. Alternatively, our remarketing representatives may inspect the vehicle directly.  Our remarketing representatives then authorize any repair and reconditioning work in order to maximize the net sale proceeds at auction.

If the vehicle sale proceeds are not sufficient to satisfy the balance owing on the Consumer Loan, the Consumer Loan is serviced by either: (1) our internal collection team, in the event the consumer is willing to make payments on the deficiency balance; or (2) where permitted by law, our external collection team, if it is believed that legal action is required to reduce the deficiency balance owing on the Consumer Loan. Our external collection team generally assigns Consumer Loans to third party collection attorneys who work on a contingency fee basis.

Collectors service Consumer Loans through our servicing platform, which consists of the following two systems:

We provide Dealers the ability to offer vehicle service contracts to consumers through our relationships with Third Party Providers (“TPPs”). A vehicle service contract provides the consumer protection by paying for the repair or replacement of certain components of the vehicle in the event of a mechanical failure. The retail price of the vehicle service contract is included in the principal balance of the Consumer Loan. The wholesale cost of the vehicle service contract is paid to the TPP, net of an administrative fee retained by us. We recognize our fee as part of finance charges on a level-yield basis based upon forecasted cash flows.over the life of the related Loan. The difference between the wholesale cost and the retail price to the consumer is paid to the Dealer as a commission. Under the Portfolio Program, the wholesale cost of the vehicle service contract and the commission paid to the Dealer are charged to the Dealer’s advance balance. TPPs process claims on vehicle service contracts that are underwritten by third party insurers. We bear the risk of loss for claims on certain vehicle service contracts that are reinsured by us. We market the vehicle service contracts directly to our Dealers. Our agreement with one of our TPPs allows us to receive profit sharing payments depending on the performance of the vehicle service contracts.

VSC Re Company (“VSC Re”), our wholly-owned subsidiary, is engaged in the business of reinsuring coverage under vehicle service contracts sold to consumers by Dealers on vehicles financed by us.  VSC Re currently reinsures vehicle service contracts that are offered through one of our TPPs.  Vehicle service contract premiums, which represent the selling price of the vehicle service contract to the consumer, less fees and certain administrative costs, are contributed to trust accounts controlled by VSC Re.  These premiums are used to fund claims covered under the vehicle service contracts.  VSC Re is a bankruptcy remote entity.  As such, our exposure to fund claims is limited to the trust assets controlled by VSC Re and our net investment in VSC Re.

We provide Dealers the ability to offer Guaranteed Asset Protection (“GAP”) to consumers through our relationships with TPPs. GAP provides the consumer protection by paying the difference between the loan balance and the amount covered by the consumer's insurance policy in the event of a total loss of the vehicle due to severe damage or theft. The retail price of GAP is included in the principal balance of the Consumer Loan. The wholesale cost of GAP is paid to the TPP, net of an administrative fee retained by us. We recognize our fee as part of finance charges on a level-yield basis based upon forecasted cash flows.over the life of the related Loan. The difference between the wholesale cost and the retail price to the consumer is paid to the Dealer as a commission. Under the Portfolio Program, the wholesale cost of GAP and the commission paid to the Dealer are charged to the Dealer’s advance balance. TPPs process claims on GAP contracts that are underwritten by third party insurers. Our agreement with one of our TPPs allow us to receive profit sharing payments depending on the performance of the GAP contracts.

Under our Purchase Program, we provide Dealers that meet certain criteria the ability to offer vehicle service contracts and GAP to consumers through the Dealers’ relationships with TPPs. The retail price of the vehicle service contract and/or GAP is included in the principal balance of the Consumer Loan and is paid to the Dealer. Under this arrangement, we do not receive an administrative fee and the Dealers’ TPPs process claims.

We provided Dealers in certain states the ability to purchase GPS-SID through our relationship with a TPP.  Through this program, Dealers could install GPS-SID on vehicles financed by us that can be activated if the consumer fails to make payments on their account, and can result in the prompt repossession of the vehicle.  Dealers purchased GPS-SID directly from the TPP.  The TPP paid us a fee for each device sold, at which time the fee revenue was recognized in other income within our consolidated statements of income. Effective during the second quarter of 2019, we no longer provide Dealers the ability to purchase GPS-SID through this program. We allowed Dealers to install previously purchased GPS-SID on vehicles financed by us until September 1, 2019.

The market for consumers who do not qualify for conventional automobile financing is large and highly competitive.  The market is currently served by “buy here, pay here” dealerships, banks, captive finance affiliates of automobile manufacturers, credit unions and independent finance companies both publicly and privately owned.  Many of these companies are much larger and have greater resources than us.  We compete by offering a profitable and efficient method for Dealers to finance consumers who would be more difficult or less profitable to finance through other methods.  In addition, we compete on the basis of the level of service provided by our Dealer Service Center and sales personnel.

No single Dealer accounted for more than 10% of total revenues during any of the last three years.  Additionally, no single Dealer’s Loans receivable balance accounted for more than 10% of total Loans receivable balance as of December 31, 2020 or 2019.  The following tables provide information regarding the five states that were responsible for the largest dollar volume of Consumer Loan assignments and the related number of active Dealers during 2021, 2020 2019 and 2018:2019:

Our business is seasonal with peak Consumer Loan assignments and collections occurring during the first quarter of the year. Prior to 2020, this seasonality did not have a material impact on our interim results. However, upon adoption of the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model on January 1, 2020, thisThis seasonality has a material impact on our interim results, as we are required to recognize a significant provision for credit losses expense at the time of assignment. For additional information, see Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Our business is subject to laws and regulations, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, prohibitions against unfair, deceptive and abusive acts and practices, and various other state and federal laws and regulations.  These laws and regulations, among other things, require licensing and qualification; limit interest rates, fees and other charges associated with the Consumer Loans assigned to us; require specified disclosures by Dealers to consumers; govern the sale and terms of ancillary products; and define the rights to repossess and sell collateral.  Failure to comply with these laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on us by, among other things, limiting the jurisdictions in which we may operate, restricting our ability to realize the value of the collateral securing the Consumer Loans, making it more costly or burdensome to do business or resulting in potential liability.  The volume of new or modified laws and regulations has increased in recent years and has increased significantly in response to issues arising with respect to consumer lending.years. From time to time, legislation and regulations are enacted which increase the cost of doing business, limit or expand permissible activities or affect the competitive balance among financial services providers.  Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of financial institutions and financial services providers are frequently made in the U.S. Congress, in the state legislatures and by various regulatory agencies.  This legislationSuch changes in laws and regulations may change our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways and may have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to supervision by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (the “Bureau”). The Bureau has rulemaking and enforcement authority over certain non-depository institutions, including us.  The Bureau is specifically authorized, among other things, to take actions to prevent companies providing consumer financial products or services and their service providers from engaging in unfair, deceptive or abusive acts or practices in connection with consumer financial products and services, and to issue rules requiring enhanced disclosures or consumer access to information for consumer financial products or services.  Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act"“Dodd-Frank Act”), the Bureau also may restrict the use of pre-dispute mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts between covered persons and consumers for a consumer financial product or service.  The Bureau also has authority to interpret, enforce and issue regulations implementing enumerated consumer laws, including certain laws that apply to our business. 

In addition to the Bureau, other state and federal agencies have the ability to regulate aspects of our business. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act provides a mechanism for state attorneys general to investigate us. Separately, state attorneys general and certain state regulators have authority under their respective rules and laws, to investigate and/or regulate aspects of theour business. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction to investigate aspects of our business. We expect that regulatory investigations of our business by both state and federal agencies will continue and that the results of these investigations could have a material adverse impact on us.

We are cooperating with the following inquiries and cannot predict the eventual scopes, durations or outcomes at this time.

Our Dealers must also comply with credit and trade practice statutes and regulations. Failure of our Dealers to comply with these statutes and regulations could result in consumers having rights of rescission and other remedies that could have a material adverse effect on us.

We believe that we maintain all material licenses and permits required for our current operations and are in substantial compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Our agreements with Dealers provide that the Dealer shall indemnify us with respect to any loss or expense we incur as a result of the Dealer’s failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Our team members are organized into three operating functions: Originations, Servicing and Support.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a deterioration in the U.S. economy and our industry and resulted in a period of substantial economic and financial turmoil. The ultimate impact of this event on our business and the duration and future severity of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic are uncertain; however, the pandemic has adversely affected, and it is likely that the pandemic will continue to adversely affect, our business, team members, current and potential consumers, automobile dealers, and vendors, as well as our financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations.

We have worked with our consumers to provide relief where possible, including the temporary suspension of involuntary vehicle repossessions, late fees and suit starts. Additionally, many automobile dealers have been required to temporarily close or restrict their operations, and even for dealerships that remained open, consumer demand has deteriorated. As a result, we have experienced a significant decline in Consumer Loan assignments. The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused us to modify our business practices in an effort to increase team member safety, including allowing team members to work remotely, reconfiguring workstations to increase physical distance between team members, where permitted, allowing team members to work remotely, limiting travel, and canceling physical participation in meetings and events, and we may take further actions as required by government authorities or that we determine are in the best interests of our team members. Our business operations may be disrupted further if significant portions of our workforce are unable to work effectively, including because of illness, quarantines, or other restrictions in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no certainty that such measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks posed by the disease, and our ability to perform certain functions could be negatively impacted. While the duration and potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the U.S. economy, and the automotive industry and our industry in particular, are difficult to assess or predict, the pandemic has resulted in disruption of financial markets, which may reduce our ability to access capital or our consumers’ ability to repay past or future Consumer Loans, and could negatively affect our liquidity and results of operations. In addition, a recession or further financial market correction resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely affect demand for used vehicles. A continued disruption in our workforce, decrease in collections from our consumers or decline in Consumer Loan assignments could cause a material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity, and results of operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely. The ultimate impact of this pandemic or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operational and financial performance will depend on future developments, including, but not limited to, the duration of the pandemic, its severity, the actions to contain the disease or mitigate its impact, related restrictions on travel, additional federal stimulus measures and enhanced unemployment benefits, if any, and the duration, timing and severity of the impact on consumer behavior, including any recession resulting from the pandemic, all of which are uncertain and cannot be predicted. An extended period of economic disruptionand supply chain disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic could have a material negative impact on our business, financial position, liquidity, and results of operations, though the full extent and duration is uncertain. The COVID-19 pandemic may also intensify the risks described in the other risk factors disclosed in this Form 10-K. The COVID-19 pandemic, or any future outbreak of any contagious diseases or other public health emergency, could continue to, and may materially, adversely affect our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.

Substantially all of the Consumer Loans assigned to us are made to individuals with impaired or limited credit histories. Consumer Loans made to these individuals generally entail a higher risk of delinquency, default and repossession and higher losses than loans made to consumers with better credit. Since most of our revenue and cash flows from operations are generated from these Consumer Loans, our ability to accurately forecast Consumer Loan performance is critical to our business and financial results. At the time of assignment, we forecast future expected cash flows from the Consumer Loan. Based on these forecasts, which include estimates for wholesale vehicle prices in the event of vehicle repossession and sale, we make an advance or one-time purchase payment to the related Dealer at a level designed to maximize economic profit, a non-GAAP financial measure. We continue to forecast the expected collection rate of each Consumer Loan subsequent to assignment. These forecasts also serve as a critical assumption in our accounting for recognizing finance charge income and determining our allowance for credit losses. Please see the Critical Accounting Estimates – Finance Charge Revenue & Allowance for Credit Losses section in Item 7 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference. Actual cash flows from any individual Consumer Loan are often different from cash flows estimated at the time of assignment. There can be no assurance that our forecasts will be accurate or that Consumer Loan performance will be as expected. In periods with changing economic conditions, accurately forecasting the performance of Consumer Loans is more difficult. In the event that our forecasts are not accurate, our financial position, liquidity and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The automobile finance market for consumers who do not qualify for conventional automobile financing is large and highly competitive. The market is served by a variety of companies including “buy here, pay here” dealerships. The market is also currently served by banks, captive finance affiliates of automobile manufacturers, credit unions and independent finance companies both publicly and privately owned. Many of these companies are much larger and have greater financial resources than are available to us, and many have long standing relationships with automobile dealerships. Providers of automobile financing have traditionally competed based on the interest rate charged, the quality of credit accepted, the flexibility of loan terms offered and the quality of service provided to dealers and consumers. We may be unable to compete successfully in the automobile finance market or, due to the intense competition in this market, our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition may be adversely affected as we adjust our business in response to competitive pressures. Increasing advance rates on Loans has the impact of reducing the return on capital we expect to earn on Loans. Additionally, if we are unsuccessful in maintaining and expanding our relationships with Dealers, we may be unable to accept Consumer Loans in the volume and on the terms that we anticipate.

We have relationships with TPPs to administer vehicle service contracts and GAP underwritten by third party insurers and financed by us. We depend on these TPPs to evaluate and pay claims in an accurate and timely manner. We also have a relationship with a TPP to administer GPS-SID. If our relationships with these TPPs were modified, disrupted, or terminated, we would need to obtain these services from an alternative administrator or provide them using our internal resources. We may be unable to replace these TPPs with a suitable alternative in a timely and efficient manner on terms we consider acceptable, or at all. In the event we were unable to effectively administer our ancillary products offerings, we may need to eliminate or suspend our ancillary product offerings from our future business, we may experience a decline in the performance of our Consumer Loans, our reputation in the marketplace could be undermined, and our financial position, liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our reputation is a key asset to our business. Our ability to attract consumers through our Dealers is highly dependent upon external perceptions of our level of service, trustworthiness, business practices and financial condition. Negative publicity regarding these matters could damage our reputation among existing and potential consumers and Dealers, which could make it difficult for us to attract new consumers and Dealers and maintain existing Dealers. Adverse developments with respect to our industry may also, by association, negatively impact our reputation or result in greater regulatory or legislative scrutiny or litigation against us.

Dealers are located throughout the United States. During the year ended December 31, 2020,2021, our five largest states (measured by advances paid to Dealers on Consumer Loans assigned under our Portfolio Program and one-time payments made to Dealers to purchase Consumer Loans assigned under our Purchase Program) contained 30.0%30.5% of our Dealers. While we believe we have a diverse geographic presence, for the near term, we expect that significant amounts of Consumer Loan assignments will continue to be generated by Dealers in these five states due to the number of Dealers in these states and currently prevailing economic, demographic, regulatory, competitive and other conditions in these states. Changes to conditions in these states could lead to an increase in Dealer attrition or a reduction in demand for our service that could materially adversely affect our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

We outsource certain business functions to third party service providers, which increases our operational complexity and decreases our control. We rely on these service providers to provide a high level of service and support, which subjects us to risks associated with inadequate or untimely service. In addition, if these outsourcing arrangements were not renewed or were terminated or the services provided to us were otherwise disrupted, we would have to obtain these services from an alternative provider or provide them using our internal resources. We may be unable to replace, or be delayed in replacing these sources and there is a risk that we would be unable to enter into a similar agreement with an alternate provider on terms that we consider favorable or in a timely manner. In the future, we may outsource additional business functions. If any of these or other risks related to outsourcing were realized, our financial position, liquidity and results of operations could be adversely affected.

A significant portion of our information technology team is composed of foreign nationals whose ability to work for us depends on obtaining the necessary H-1B visas. The H-1B visa category allows U.S. employers to hire qualified foreign nationals to perform services in specialty occupations that require the attainment of at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. Our ability to hire and retain these foreign nationals and their ability to remain and work in the United States are affected by various laws and regulations, including limitations on the number of available H-1B visas, which the U.S. government allocates by lottery. Changes in the laws or regulations affecting the availability, allocation and/or cost of H-1B visas, eligibility for the H-1B visa category, or otherwise affecting the admission or retention of skilled foreign nationals by U.S. employers, or any increase in demand for H-1B visas relative to the limited supply of those visas, may adversely affect our ability to hire or retain foreign information technology personnel and may, as a result, increase our operating costs and impair our business operations.

Our financial position, liquidity and results of operations depend on management’s ability to execute our business strategy. Key factors involved in the execution of our business strategy include achieving our desired Consumer Loan assignment volume, continued and successful use of CAPS and pricing strategy, the use of effective credit risk management techniques and servicing strategies, continued investment in technology to support operating efficiency and continued access to funding and liquidity sources. Although our pricing strategy is intended to maximize the amount of economic profit we generate, within the confines of capital and infrastructure constraints, there can be no assurance that this strategy will have its intended effect. Please see the Consumer Loan Volume section in Item 7 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference. Our failure or inability to execute any element of our business strategy could materially adversely affect our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

We are subject to general economic conditions which are beyond our control. During periods of economic slowdown or recession, delinquencies, defaults, repossessions and losses may increase on our Consumer Loans and Consumer Loan prepayments may decline. These periods are also typically accompanied by decreased consumer demand for automobiles and declining values of automobiles securing outstanding Consumer Loans, which weakens collateral coverage and increases the amount of a loss in the event of default. Significant increases in the inventory of used automobiles during periods of economic recession may also depress the prices at which repossessed automobiles may be sold or delay the timing of these sales. Additionally, higher gasoline prices, increased focus on climate-related initiatives and regulation, declining stock market values, unstable real estate values, resets of adjustable rate mortgages to higher interest rates, increasing unemployment levels, general availability of consumer credit or other factors that impact consumer confidence or disposable income could increase loss frequency and decrease consumer demand for automobiles as well as weaken collateral values of automobiles. Because our business is focused on consumers who do not qualify for conventional automobile financing, the actual rates of delinquencies, defaults, repossessions and losses on our Consumer Loans could be higher than those experienced in the general automobile finance industry, and could be more dramatically affected by a general economic downturn.

We rely on Dealers to originate Consumer Loans for assignment under our programs. High levels of Dealer attrition, due to a general economic downturn or otherwise, could materially adversely affect our operations. In addition, we rely on vendors to provide us with services we need to operate our business. Any disruption in our operations due to the untimely or discontinued supply of these services could substantially adversely affect our operations. Finally, during an economic slowdown or recession, our servicing costs may increase without a corresponding increase in finance charge revenue. Any sustained period of increased delinquencies, defaults, repossessions or losses or increased servicing costs could also materially adversely affect our financial position, liquidity and results of operations and our ability to enter into future financing transactions.

Technological advancements or changes to trends in the automobile industry such as new autonomous driving technologies or car- and ride-sharing programs could decrease consumer demand for automobiles. Decreased consumer demand for automobiles could negatively impact demand for our financing programs as well as weaken collateral values of automobiles, which could materially adversely affect our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

Natural disasters, climate change, acts of war, terrorist attacks and the escalation of military activity in response to these attacks or otherwise may have negative and significant effects, such as imposition of increased security measures, changes in applicable laws, market disruptions and job losses. These events may have an adverse effect on the economy in general. Moreover, the potential for future terrorist attacks and the national and international responses to these threats could affect the business in ways that cannot be predicted. The effect of any of these events or threats could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

As of December 31, 2020,2021, based on filings made with the SEC and other information made available to us, Prescott General Partners, LLC and its affiliates beneficially owned 15.4%18.3% of our common stock, Jill Foss Watson beneficially owned 13.7%15.4% of our common stock and Allan V. Apple beneficially owned 10.7%12.6% of our common stock. As a result, these shareholders are able to significantly influence matters presented to shareholders, including the election and removal of directors, the approval of significant corporate transactions, such as any reclassification, reorganization, merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, and the control of our management and affairs, including executive compensation arrangements. Their interests may conflict with the interests of our other security holders.

We use debt financing to maintain and grow our business. We currently utilize the following primary forms of debt financing: (1) a revolving secured line of credit; (2) revolving secured warehouse (“Warehouse”) facilities; (3) asset-backed secured financings (“Term ABS”); and (4) senior notes. We cannot guarantee that the revolving secured line of credit or the Warehouse facilities will continue to be available beyond their current maturity dates, on acceptable terms, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms or at all. The availability of additional financing will depend on a variety of factors such as market conditions, the general availability of credit, our financial position, our results of operations, and the capacity for additional borrowing under our existing financing arrangements. If our various financing alternatives were to become limited or unavailable, we may be unable to maintain or grow Consumer Loan volume at the level that we anticipate and our operations could be materially adversely affected.

The agreements that govern our debt contain covenants that restrict our ability to, among other things:

Some of our debt agreements also impose requirements that we maintain specified financial measures not in excess of, or not below, specified levels. In particular, our revolving credit facility requires, among other things, that we maintain (i) as of the end of each fiscal quarter, a ratio of consolidated funded debt less unrestricted cash and cash equivalents to consolidated tangible net worth at or below a specified maximum; (ii) as of the end of each fiscal quarter calculated for the two fiscal quarters then ending, consolidated net income, as defined in the agreements, of not less than a specified minimum; and (iii) as of the end of each fiscal quarter, a ratio of consolidated income available for fixed charges for the period of four consecutive fiscal quarters most recently ended to consolidated fixed charges, as defined in the agreements, for that period of not less than a specified minimum. These covenants limit the manner in which we can conduct our business and could prevent us from engaging in favorable business activities or financing future operations and capital needs and impair our ability to successfully execute our strategy and operate our business.

A breach of any of the covenants in our debt instruments would result in an event of default thereunder if not promptly cured or waived. Any continuing default would permit the creditors to accelerate the related debt, which could also result in the acceleration of other debt containing a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision. In addition, an event of default under our revolving credit facility would permit the lenders thereunder to terminate all commitments to extend further credit under our revolving credit facility. Furthermore, if we were unable to repay the amounts due and payable under our revolving credit facility or other secured debt, the lenders thereunder could cause the collateral agent to proceed against the collateral securing that debt.  In the event our creditors accelerate the repayment of our debt, there can be no assurance that we would have sufficient assets to repay that debt, and our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations would suffer.

Under our Term ABS facilities and our Warehouse facilities, (1) we have various obligations and covenants as servicer and custodian of the Consumer Loans contributed thereto and in our individual capacity and (2) the special purpose subsidiaries to which we contribute Consumer Loans have various obligations and covenants. A violation of any of these obligations or covenants by us or the special purpose subsidiaries, respectively, may result in our being unable to obtain additional funding under our Warehouse facilities, the termination of our servicing rights and the loss of servicing fees, and may result in amounts outstanding under our Term ABS financings and our Warehouse facilities becoming immediately due and payable. In addition, the violation of any financial covenant under our revolving secured line of credit facility is an event of default or termination event under certain of the Term ABS facilities and our Warehouse facilities. The lack of availability from any or all of these Term ABS facilities and Warehouse facilities may have a material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity, and results of operations.

We have a substantial amount of debt, which could have negative consequences, including the following:

Our ability to make payments of principal and interest on indebtedness will depend in part on our cash flows from operations, which are subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. We cannot assure you that we will maintain a level of cash flows from operations sufficient to permit us to meet our debt service obligations. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows from operations to service our debt, we may be required to sell assets, refinance all or a portion of our existing debt or obtain additional financing. There can be no assurance that any refinancing will be possible or that any asset sales or additional financing can be completed on acceptable terms or at all.

Our profitability may be directly affected by the level of and fluctuations in interest rates, whether caused by changes in economic conditions or other factors, which affect our borrowing costs. Our profitability and liquidity could be materially adversely affected during any period of higher interest rates. We monitor the interest rate environment and employ strategies designed to partially mitigate the impact of increases in interest rates. We can provide no assurance, however, that our strategies will mitigate the impact of increases in interest rates.

In July 2017, the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, or the FCA (the authority that regulates LIBOR), announced that it would phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. The FCA-regulated and authorized administrator of LIBOR indicated in 2020 that U.S.-dollar LIBOR for certain maturities would continue to be available until the end of June 2023. It is unclear whether new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established or if alternative rates or benchmarks will be adopted. Our revolving secured line of credit, certain of our Warehouse facilities, one of our Term ABS financings and our interest rate cap agreements utilize LIBOR as a benchmark for calculating the applicable interest rates. We have entered into amendments for certain of those LIBOR-based facilities to provide for transitioning to a LIBOR alternative. Changes in the method of calculating LIBOR, the elimination of LIBOR or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative rate or benchmark, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, may require us to renegotiate or amend those facilities that do not already provide for transitioning to a LIBOR alternative and, even if applied in a manner consistent with any transition provisions, may adversely affect the interest rates available to us and result in higher borrowing costs. Such higher borrowing costs or any other similar increases in the cost of capital to us resulting from the phaseout or replacement of LIBOR could materially adversely affect our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

Credit rating agencies evaluate us, and their ratings of our debt and creditworthiness are based on a number of factors. These factors include our financial strength and other factors not entirely within our control, including conditions affecting the financial services industry generally. As the financial services industry and the financial markets periodically face difficulties, there can be no assurance that we will maintain our current ratings. Failure to maintain those ratings could, among other things, adversely limit our access to the capital markets and affect the cost and other terms upon which we are able to obtain financing.

We may be able to incur substantial additional debt in the future. Although the terms of our debt instruments contain restrictions on our ability to incur additional debt, these restrictions are subject to exemptions that could permit us to incur a substantial amount of additional debt. In addition, our debt instruments do not prevent us from incurring liabilities that do not constitute indebtedness as defined for purposes of those debt instruments. If new debt or other liabilities are added to our current debt levels, the risks associated with our having substantial debt could intensify.

Periodically, there has been uncertainty in the global capital markets and the overall economy. Such uncertainty can result in disruptions in the financial sector and affect lenders with which we have relationships. Disruptions in the financial sector may increase our exposure to credit risk and adversely affect the ability of lenders to perform under the terms of their lending arrangements with us. Failure by our lenders to perform under the terms of our lending arrangements could cause us to incur additional costs that may adversely affect our liquidity, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that future disruptions in the financial sector will not occur that could have similar adverse effects on our business.

All Consumer Loans submitted to us for assignment are processed through our internet-based CAPS application, which enables our Dealers to interact with our proprietary credit scoring system. Our Consumer Loan servicing platform is also technology based. We rely on these systems to record and process significant amounts of data quickly and accurately and believe that these systems provide us with a competitive advantage. All of these systems are dependent upon computer and telecommunications equipment, software systems and Internet access. The temporary or permanent loss of any components of these systems through hardware failures, software errors, operating malfunctions, the vulnerability of the Internet or otherwise could interrupt our business operations, harm our business and adversely affect our competitive advantage. In addition, our competitors could create or acquire systems similar to ours, which would adversely affect our competitive advantage.

We rely on a variety of measures to protect our technology and proprietary information, including copyrights and a comprehensive information security program. However, these measures may not prevent misappropriation or infringement of our intellectual property or proprietary information, which would adversely affect us. In addition, our competitors or other third parties may allege that our systems, processes or technologies infringe their intellectual property rights.

Our ability to integrate computer and telecommunications technologies into our business is essential to our success. Computer and telecommunications technologies are evolving rapidly and are characterized by short product life cycles. We may not be successful in anticipating, managing or adopting technological changes on a timely basis. While we believe that our existing information systems are sufficient to meet our current demands and continued expansion, our future growth may require additional investment in these systems. We cannot assure that adequate capital resources will be available to us at the appropriate time.

Our systems permit origination and assignment of Consumer Loans in electronic form. We have engaged a TPP to facilitate the process of creating, establishing control of and storing electronic contracts in a manner that enables us to perfect our ownership or security interest in the electronic contracts by satisfying the requirements for “control” of electronic chattel paper under the Uniform Commercial Code.

Although the law governing the perfection of ownership and security interests in electronic contracts was enacted in 2001, the statutory requirements for the relevant control arrangements have not been meaningfully tested in court. In addition, market practices regarding control of electronic contracts are still developing. As a result, there is a risk that the systems employed by us or any TPP to maintain control of the electronic contracts may not be sufficient as a matter of law to give us a perfected ownership or security interest in the Consumer Loans evidenced by electronic contracts. In addition, technological failure, including failure in the security or access restrictions with respect to the systems, and operational failure, such as the failure to implement and maintain adequate internal controls and procedures, could also affect our ability to obtain or maintain a perfected ownership or security interest in the Consumer Loans evidenced by electronic contracts (or the priority of such interests). Our failure or inability to perfect our ownership or security interest in the Consumer Loans could materially adversely affect our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including our proprietary business information and personally identifiable information of our consumers and team members, on our computer networks. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy.

We rely on encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties to provide the security and authentication necessary to secure online transmission of confidential consumer and team member information. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other events or developments may result in a compromise or breach of the algorithms that we use to protect sensitive consumer transaction data. A party who is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause interruptions in our operations. We may be required to expend capital and other resources to protect against, or alleviate problems caused by, security breaches or other cybersecurity incidents. Although we have experienced cybersecurity incidents from time to time that have not had a material effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations, there can be no assurance that a cyber attack, security breach or other cybersecurity incident will not have a material adverse effect on us in the future. Our security measures are designed to protect against security breaches, but our failure to prevent security breaches could subject us to liability, decrease our profitability and damage our reputation.

As a result of the consumer-oriented nature of the industry in which we operate and uncertainties with respect to the application of various laws and regulations in some circumstances, we are subject to various consumer claims, litigation and regulatory investigations seeking damages, fines and statutory penalties, based upon, among other things, usury, disclosure inaccuracies, wrongful repossession, violations of bankruptcy stay provisions, certificate of title disputes, fraud and breach of contract. As the assignee of Consumer Loans originated by Dealers, we may also be named as a co-defendant in lawsuits filed by consumers principally against Dealers. We may also have disputes and litigation with Dealers. The claims may allege, among other theories of liability, that we breached our Dealer servicing agreement. We may also have disputes and litigation with vendors and other third parties. The claims may allege, among other theories of liability, that we breached a license agreement or contract. The damages, fines and penalties that may be claimed by consumers, regulatory agencies, Dealers, vendors or other third parties in these types of matters can be substantial. The relief requested by plaintiffs varies but may include requests for compensatory, statutory and punitive damages and injunctive relief, and plaintiffs may seek treatment as purported class actions. A significant judgment against us in connection with any litigation or arbitration could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

We are subject to income tax in many of the various jurisdictions in which we operate. Increases in statutory income tax rates and other adverse changes in applicable law in these jurisdictions could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. In the ordinary course of business, there are transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. At any one time, multiple tax years are subject to audit by various taxing jurisdictions. We provide reserves for potential payments of tax to various tax authorities related to uncertain tax positions. Please see the Critical Accounting Estimates – Uncertain Tax Positions section in Item 7 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference. We adjust these liabilities as a result of changing facts and circumstances; however, due to the complexity of some of these uncertainties, the ultimate resolution may result in a payment that is materially different from our current estimate of the tax liabilities. Such payments could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows from operations.

Reference should be made to Item 1. Business “Regulation” for a discussion of regulatory risk factors.

None.

Our headquarters is located in Southfield, Michigan, in an office building we purchased in 1993, which includes approximately 136,000 square feet of space. In August 2018, we purchasedWe also own a second office building in Southfield that we purchased in 2018, which includes approximately 297,000 square feet of space, that was used to consolidate operations from our current and previous Southfield leased locations and that we intend to use to accommodate future growth.space. We have a mortgage loan from a commercial bank that is secured by a first mortgage lien on the second office property.

We lease approximately 54,000 square feet of office space in Southfield and approximately 31,000 square feet of office space in Henderson, Nevada. The lease, for the Southfield space expires in July 2021. The lease for the Henderson spacewhich includes a renewal option, expires in December 2022. We have renewal options on both of our office space leases. Additionally, there currently is a significant amount of unoccupied office space available for lease in the markets where we operate.

In the normal course of business and as a result of the consumer-oriented nature of the industry in which we operate, we and other industry participants are frequently subject to various consumer claims, litigation and regulatory investigations seeking damages, fines and statutory penalties. The claims allege, among other theories of liability, violations of state, federal and foreign truth-in-lending, credit availability, credit reporting, consumer protection, warranty, debt collection, insurance and other consumer-oriented laws and regulations, including claims seeking damages for alleged physical and mental harm relating to the repossession and sale of consumers’ vehicles and other debt collection activities. As the assignee of Consumer Loans originated by Dealers, we may also be named as a co-defendant in lawsuits filed by consumers principally against Dealers. We may also have disputes and litigation with Dealers. The claims may allege, among other theories of liability, that we breached our Dealer servicing agreement. We may also have disputes and litigation with vendors and other third parties. The claims may allege, among other theories of liability, that we breached a license agreement or contract. The damages, fines and penalties that may be claimed by consumers, regulatory agencies, Dealers, vendors or other third parties in these types of matters can be substantial. The relief requested by plaintiffs varies but may include requests for compensatory, statutory and punitive damages and injunctive relief, and plaintiffs may seek treatment as purported class actions. An adverse ultimate disposition in any action to which we are a party or otherwise subject could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

Not applicable.

PART II

As of February 4, 2021,3, 2022, we had 11090 shareholders of record and approximately 27,600 beneficial holders of our common stock based upon securities position listings furnished to us.stock.

The following graph compares the percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock during the period beginning January 1, 20162017 and ending on December 31, 20202021 with the cumulative total return on the NASDAQ Composite Index and a peer group index based upon approximately 100 companies included in the Dow Jones U.S. Financial Services Index. The comparison assumes that $100 was invested on January 1, 20162017 in our common stock and in the foregoing indices and assumes the reinvestment of dividends.

The following table summarizes our stock repurchases for the three months ended December 31, 2020:2021:

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

We offer financing programs that enable automobile dealers to sell vehicles to consumers, regardless of their credit history. Our financing programs are offered through a nationwide network of automobile dealers who benefit from sales of vehicles to consumers who otherwise could not obtain financing; from repeat and referral sales generated by these same customers; and from sales to customers responding to advertisements for our financing programs, but who actually end up qualifying for traditional financing.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, consolidated net income was $958.3 million, or $59.52 per diluted share, compared to $421.0 million, or $23.47 per diluted share, for the same period in 2020. The increase in consolidated net income was primarily due to a decrease in provision for credit losses and an increase in finance charges. The decrease in provision for credit losses was primarily due to an improvement in Consumer Loan performance and a decrease in new Consumer Loan assignment volume. The increase in finance charges was primarily due to an increase in the average yield on our Loan portfolio, which was primarily the result of the adoption of the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) accounting standard on January 1, 2020. Our results for the year ended December 31, 2021 included:

For the year ended December 31, 2020, consolidated net income was $421.0 million, or $23.47 per diluted share, compared to $656.1 million, or $34.57 per diluted share, for the same period in 2019 and $574.0 million, or $29.39 per diluted share, for the same period in 2018.2019. The decrease in 2020 consolidated net income was primarily due to an increase in our provision for credit losses primarily due to ourthe adoption of CECL on January 1, 2020. The growth in 2019 consolidated net income was primarily due to an increase in the average balance of our Loan portfolio.

Critical success factors include our ability to accurately forecast Consumer Loan performance, access capital on acceptable terms, and maintain or grow Consumer Loan volume at the level and on the terms that we anticipate, with an objective to maximize economic profit. Economic profit is a non-GAAP financial measure we use to evaluate our financial results and determine incentive compensation. Economic profit measures how efficiently we utilize our total capital, both debt and equity, and is a function of the return on capital in excess of the cost of capital and the amount of capital invested in the business.

At the time a Consumer Loan is submitted to us for assignment, we forecast future expected cash flows from the Consumer Loan. Based on the amount and timing of these forecasts and expected expense levels, an advance or one-time purchase payment is made to the related Dealer at a price designed to maximize economic profit.

We use a statistical model to estimate the expected collection rate for each Consumer Loan at the time of assignment. We continue to evaluate the expected collection rate of each Consumer Loan subsequent to assignment. Our evaluation becomes more accurate as the Consumer Loans age, as we use actual performance data in our forecast. By comparing our current expected collection rate for each Consumer Loan with the rate we projected at the time of assignment, we are able to assess the accuracy of our initial forecast. The following table compares our forecast of Consumer Loan collection rates as of December 31, 2020,2021, with the forecasts as of December 31, 2019,2020, as of December 31, 2018,2019, and at the time of assignment, segmented by year of assignment:

Consumer Loans assigned in 2011 through2012 and 2013 and 2018 through 2020 have yielded forecasted collection results materiallysignificantly better than our initial estimates, while Consumer Loans assigned in 2015 and 2016 have yielded forecasted collection results materiallysignificantly worse than our initial estimates. For all other assignment years presented, actual results have been close to our initial estimates.

For the year ended December 31, 2020, forecasted collection rates improved for Consumer Loans assigned in 2020, declined for Consumer Loans assigned in 2015 through 2019 and were generally consistent with expectations at the start of the period for all other assignment years presented.