UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K
ýAnnual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20162019
¨ Transition Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from ________ to ________
Commission File Number: 000-50058

PRA Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware   75-3078675
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
120 Corporate Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia23502(888) 772-7326
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip Code)(Registrant's Telephone No., including area code)

120 Corporate Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia23502
(888) 772-7326
(Address of principal executive offices, zip code, telephone number)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per sharePRAANASDAQ Global Select Market
(Title of Class)(Name of Exchange on which registered)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
None
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES  þ   NO  ¨Yes     No  
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act. YES  ¨   NO  þYes     No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES  þ   NO  ¨Yes     No  
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). YES  þ   NO  ¨Yes     No  
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer", "smaller reporting company" and "smaller reporting"emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Large accelerated filer  þ   Accelerated filer  ¨   Non-accelerated filer  ¨  Smaller reporting company  ¨Emerging growth company  
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES  ¨   NO  þYes     No  
The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 201628, 2019 was $1,103,694,825$1,255,667,779 based on the $24.14$28.14 closing price as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
The number of shares of the registrant's Common Stock outstanding as of February 24, 201725, 2020 was 46,409,330.45,416,258.
Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the Registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for its 20172020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.





Table of Contents


  
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
   
  
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
Item 8.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
   
   
   
 


2


Table of Contents


continued
  
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
 �� 
  
Item 15.
Item 16.
   
Signatures 

3





Cautionary Statements Pursuant to Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding overall cash collection trends, gross margin trends, operating cost trends, liquidity and capital needs and other statements of expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions referred to above may include the following:
a prolonged economic recovery or a deterioration in the economic or inflationary environment in the Americas or Europe, including the interest rate environment;
changes in the credit or capital markets, which affect our ability to borrow money or raise capital;
our ability to replace our portfolios of nonperforming loans with additional portfolios;portfolios sufficient to operate efficiently and profitably;
our ability to purchase nonperforming loans at appropriate prices;
our ability to collect sufficient amounts on our nonperforming loans to fund our operations;
the possibility that we could recognize significant decreases in our estimate of future recoveries on nonperforming loans;
changes in, or interpretations of, federal, state, local, or foreigninternational laws, including bankruptcy and collection laws, or changes in the administrative practices of various bankruptcy courts, which may impactcould negatively affect our business or our ability to collect on our nonperforming loans;
our ability to collect sufficient amounts on our nonperforming loans;
the possibility that we could incur significant allowance charges on our finance receivables;
changes in or interpretations of, bankruptcy or collection laws that could negatively affect our business, including by causing an increase in certain types of bankruptcy filings involving liquidations, which may cause our collections to decrease;accounting standards and their interpretations;
our ability to manage risks associated with our international operations;
changes in tax laws and interpretations regarding earnings of our subsidiaries located outsidedomestic and international operations;
the impact of the United StatesTax Cuts and Jobs Act ("U.S."Tax Act");
the imposition of additional taxes on us; including interpretations and determinations by tax authorities;
the possibility that we could incur goodwill or other intangible asset impairment charges;
adverse effects from the vote byexit of the United Kingdom ("UK") to leavefrom the European Union ("EU");
adverse outcomes in pending litigations or administrative proceedings;
our loss contingency accruals may not be adequate to cover actual losses;
adverse outcomes in pending litigation or administrative proceedings;
the possibility that class action suits and other litigation could divert our management's attention and increase our expenses;
the possibility that we could incur business or technology disruptions or cyber incidents;
disruptions of business operations caused by the under performance or failure of information technology infastructure, networks or telephone systems;
our ability to collect and enforce our finance receivablesnonperforming loans may be limited under federal, state, local and foreign laws;international laws, regulations, and policies;
our ability to comply with existing and new regulations of the collection industry, the failure of which could result in penalties, fines, litigation, damage to our reputation, or the suspension or termination of or required modification to our ability to conduct our business;
investigations, reviews, or enforcement actions by governmental authorities, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB"), which could result in changes to our business practices;practices, negatively impact our portfolio purchasing volume;acquisitions volume, make collection of account balances more difficult, or expose us to the risk of fines, penalties, restitution payments, and litigation;
the possibility that compliance with foreigncomplex and evolving international and United States ("U.S.") laws and regulations that apply to our international operations could increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions;
our ability to comply with data privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR");
our ability to retain, expand, renegotiate or replace our credit facilities and our ability to comply with the covenants under our financing arrangements;
our ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase theour convertible senior notes or to settle conversions in cash;
our ability to maintain, renegotiate or replacerefinance our credit facility;indebtedness, including our outstanding convertible senior notes;
changes in interest or exchange rates, which could reduce our net income, and the possibility that future hedging strategies may not be successful, whichsuccessful;
the possibility that the adoption of future accounting standards could negatively impact our business;
default by or failure of one or more of our counterparty financial institutions could cause us to incur significant losses;
uncertainty about the future of the London Inter-Bank Offer Rate ("LIBOR") may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, as could our failure to comply with hedge accounting principles and interpretations;business; and
the risk factors discussed herein and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"("SEC").
You should assume that the information appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Form("Form 10-K") is accurate only as of the date it was issued. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.


You should carefully consider the factors listed above and review the "Risk Factors" section beginning on page 9, as well as the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section beginning on page 2324 and the "Business" section beginning on page 5.5.
Our forward-looking statements could be wrong in light of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The future events, developments or results described in, or implied by, this Form 10-K could turn out to be materially different. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements after the date of this Form 10-K and you should not expect us to do so.


Investors should also be aware that while we do, from time to time, communicate with securities analysts and others, we do not, by policy, selectively disclose to them any material nonpublic information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, stockholdersinvestors should not assume that we agree with any statement or report issued by any analyst regardless of the content of the statement or report. We do not, by policy, confirm forecasts or projections issued by others. Thus, to the extent that reports issued by securities analysts contain any projections, forecasts, or opinions, such reports are not our responsibility.
PART I
Item 1. Business.Business.
General
Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia and incorporated in Delaware, we are a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas, Europe, and Europe.Australia.
Our primary business is the purchase, collection, and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans that have been charged-off by the credit grantor.loans. The accounts we acquirepurchase are primarily the unpaid obligations of individuals owed to credit grantors, which include banks and other types of consumer, retail, and auto finance companies. We acquirepurchase portfolios of nonperforming loans at a discount in two broad categories: Core and Insolvency. Our Core operation specializes in purchasing and collecting receivables. Becausenonperforming loans, which we purchased since either the credit grantor and/or other debt servicing companiesthird-party collection agencies have unsuccessfully attempted to fully collect these receivables, we are able to purchase them at a substantial discount to their face value.been unsuccessful in collecting the full balance owed. Our Insolvency operation consists primarily of purchasing and collecting on nonperforming loan accounts that arewhere the customer is involved in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy proceeding from credit grantors basedor the equivalent in the U.S, but also includes the purchasing and collecting of insolvent accounts in Europe and Canada.
some European countries. We also provide the following fee-based services:
Vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery for auto lenders, government entities and law enforcement;
Revenue administration, audit and revenue discovery/recovery services for local government entities;
Classon class action claims recovery servicesrecoveries and purchases;
Servicing ofby servicing consumer bankruptcy accounts in the U.S.; and
To a lesser extent, contingent collections of nonperforming loans in Europe and South America.
As discussed in Note 17 to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 17"), we sold our revenue administration, audit and revenue discovery/recovery services for government entities business in January 2017.
We have one reportable segment accounts receivable management, based on similarities among the operating units, including the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or classes of customers for our products and services, the methods used to distribute our products and services, and the nature of the regulatory environment.
We were initially formed as Portfolio Recovery Associates, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company, on March 20, 1996. In connection with becoming a publicly-traded company, weWe formed Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. in August 2002 in order to become a publicly traded company and our common stock began trading on the NASDAQNasdaq Global Select Market ("NASDAQ"Nasdaq") on November 8, 2002. On July 16, 2014, weWe changed our legal name to PRA Group, Inc. on October 23, 2014.
We acquired Aktiv Kapital AS ("Aktiv"), a Norway-based company specializing in the acquisitionpurchase, collection, and servicingmanagement of portfolios of nonperforming loans throughout Europe and Canada.Canada, on July 16, 2014. On October 23, 2014,April 26, 2016, we changedacquired DTP S.A. ("DTP"), a Polish-based debt collection company, further building our legal name from Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. to PRA Group, Inc. Onin-house collection efforts in Poland.
We expanded into South America on August 3, 2015 we acquiredby acquiring 55% of the equity interest in RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"), a servicing platform offor nonperforming loans in Brazil. On December 20, 2018, we entered into a strategic partnership with Banco Bradesco S.A. (“Bradesco”), under which Bradesco purchased 79% of our interest in RCB's servicing platform with PRA Group retaining an 11.7% equity interest. The sale did not impact the nonperforming loan purchasing business that we have established in Brazil in partnership with the remaining 45% of the equity interest owned by the executive team and previous owners of RCB. On April 26, 2016, we completed our public tender offer to purchase 100%RCB, as it was not part of the sharessale to Bradesco.
On March 1, 2019, we entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire the majority of DTP S.A. ("DTP"),the assets of a Polish-based debt collection company.business in Canada, which was consolidated through our current Canadian business.
Additionally, we are planning to begin operations in Australia in the future, leveraging an entity we set up in 2011. 
All references in this Form 10-K to the "PRA Group," "our," "we," "us," the "Company" or similar terms are to PRA Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.



Nonperforming Loan Portfolio PurchasesAcquisitions
Our portfolio of nonperforming loans includes a diverse set of accounts that can be categorized by asset type, age and size of account, level of previous collection efforts, payment history, and geography. To identify buying opportunities, we maintain an extensive marketing effort with our senior officers contacting known and prospective sellers of nonperforming loans. From these sellers, we have purchasedaquired a variety of nonperforming loans including Visa® and MasterCard® credit cards, private label and other


credit cards, installment loans, lines of credit, deficiency balances of various types, legal judgments, and trade payables. Sellers of nonperforming loans include major banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, telecommunication providers, retailers, utilities, automobile finance companies, student loan companies, and other debt owners. The price at which we acquirepurchase portfolios depends on the age of the portfolio, itswhether it is a Core or Insolvency portfolio, geographic distribution, the seller's selection criteria, our historical experience with a certain asset type or credit grantor, and other similar factors.
We purchase portfolios of accounts that are included in certain types of consumer insolvency proceedings. In the U.S., these insolvency accounts are typically those filed under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, have an associated payment plan that generally ranges from three to five years in duration and can be acquired at any stage in the bankruptcy plan life cycle. Portfolios sold close to the filing of the bankruptcy plan will generally take months to generate cash flow; however, aged portfolios sold years after the filing of the bankruptcy plan will typically generate cash flows immediately. Non-U.S. insolvency accounts may have some slight differences, but generally operate in a similar manner. In Canada, we purchase Consumer Proposal, Consumer Credit Counseling and Bankrupt Accounts. In the UK, we purchase Individual Voluntary Arrangements, Company Voluntary Arrangements, Trust Deeds and Bankrupt Accounts. In Germany, we acquire consumer bankruptcies, which may also consist of small business loans with a personal guarantee.
Nonperforming Loan Portfolio Purchasing Process
We acquire portfolios of nonperforming loans from debt ownerscredit grantors through auctions and negotiated sales. In an auction process, the seller will assemble a portfolio of nonperforming loans and will seek purchase prices from specifically invited potential purchasers. In a privately negotiated sale process, the debt ownercredit grantor will contact one or more purchasers directly, receive a bid, and negotiate the terms of sale. In either case, typically, invited purchasers will have already successfully completed a qualification process that can include the owner's reviewsseller's review of any or all of the following: the purchaser's experience, reputation, financial standing, operating procedures, business practices, and compliance oversight.
We also acquirepurchase portfolios of nonperforming loans through either single portfolio transactions, referred to as spot sales, or through the pre-arranged purchase of multiple portfolios over time, referred to as forward flow sales. Under a forward flow contract, we agree to purchase statistically similar nonperforming loansloan portfolios from a debt ownercredit grantors on a periodic basis, at a negotiated price equal to a set percentage of face value of the nonperforming loans over a specified time period, generally from three to twelve months.
Nonperforming Loan Portfolio Collection Operations
Call Center Operations
In higher volume markets, our collection efforts leverage internally staffed call centers. In some newer markets or in markets that have less consistent debt purchasing patterns, most notably outside the U.S., we may utilize external vendors to do some or all of this work. Whether the accounts are being worked internally or externally, we utilize our proprietary analysis to proportionally direct work efforts to those customers most likely to pay. The analysis driving those decisions relies on various models and variables that have the highest correlation to profitable collectioncollections from call activity.
Legal Recovery - Core Portfolios
An important component of our collections effort involves our legal recovery departmentsoperations and the judicial collection of accounts ofbalances from customers who, in general, we believe have the ability, but not the willingness, to resolve their obligations. There are some markets in which the collection process follows a prescribed, time-sensitive and sequential set of legal actions, but in the majority of instances, we use models and analysis andto select those accounts reflecting a high propensity to pay in a legal environment. Depending on the balancecharacteristics of the receivable and the applicable local collection laws, we determine whether to commence legal action to judicially collect on the receivable. The legal process can take an extended period of time and can be costly, but when accounts are selected properly, it also usually generates net cash collections that likely would not have been realized otherwise. We use a combination of internal staff (attorney and support), as well as and external attorneys,staff to pursue legal collections under certain circumstances.circumstances, as we deem appropriate.
Insolvency Operations
Insolvency Operations in the U.S. manages customer filings under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on debtor accounts derived from two sources: (1) our purchased pools of bankrupt accountsnonperforming loans and (2) our Core purchased pools of nonperforming loans that have filed for bankruptcy or insolvency protection after being acquiredpurchased by us. We file proofs of claim ("POCs") or claim transfers and actively manage these accounts through the entire life cycle of the insolvencybankruptcy proceeding in order to substantiate our claims and ensure that we participate in any distributions to creditors. Outside of the U.S., similar insolvency work is primarily outsourced to third parties.
Insolvency accounts in the U.S. are typically those filed under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, have an associated payment plan that generally ranges from three to five years in duration, and can be purchased at any stage in the bankruptcy plan life cycle. Portfolios sold close to the filing of the bankruptcy plan will generally take months to generate cash flow; however, aged portfolios sold years after the filing of the bankruptcy plan will typically generate cash flows immediately. Non-U.S. insolvency accounts may have some slight differences, but generally operate in a similar manner. In Canada, we purchase consumer proposal, consumer credit counseling and bankrupt accounts. In the UK, we purchase individual voluntary arrangements, company voluntary arrangements, trust deeds, and bankrupt accounts. In Germany, we purchase consumer bankruptcies, which may also consist of small business loans with a personal guarantee.



Fee-for-Service BusinessesFee-Based Services
In addition to the purchase, collection, and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans, we provide fee-based services including vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery services for auto lenders and governments via PRA Location Services, LLC ("PLS"); revenue administration, audit, and revenue discovery/recovery services for government entities through PRA Government Services, LLC and MuniServices, LLC (collectively "PGS"); class action claims recovery purchasing and servicing through Claims Compensation Bureau, LLC ("CCB"); contingent collection of finance receivables through PRA Group Europe and RCB; and third-party servicing of bankruptcy accounts in the U.S. As discussed in Note 17, we sold our PGS business in January 2017.
Seasonality
Although our business is not impacted significantly by seasonality, cashCash collections in the Americas tend to be higher in the first and second quartershalf of the year and lowerdue to the high volume of income tax refunds received by individuals in the thirdU.S., and fourth quarters oftrend lower as the year; by contrast, cash collections in Europe tend to be higher in the third and fourth quarters of the year.year progresses. Customer payment patterns arein all of the countries in which we operate can be affected by seasonal employment trends, income tax refunds, and holiday spending habits geographically.habits.
Competition
We face competition in both markets we serve: nonperforming loan purchasing, collecting and management, and fee-for-service receivables management. Purchased portfolio competition comesis derived from both third-party contingent fee collection agencies and other purchasers of debt that manage their own nonperforming loans or outsource such servicing. Our primary competitors in our fee-for-servicefee-based business are new and existing providers of outsourced receivables management services. Regulatory complexity and burdens, combined with seller preference for experienced portfolio purchasers, create significant barriers to successful entry for new competitors.competitors particularly in the U.S. While both markets remain competitive, the contingent fee industry is more fragmented than the purchased portfolio industry.
We face bidding competition in our acquisitionpurchase of nonperforming loans and in obtaining placements for our fee-for-servicefee-based businesses. We also compete on the basis of reputation, industry experience, and performance. We believe that our competitive strengths include our disciplined and proprietary underwriting process, the extensive data set we have developed as a result of not reselling portfolios since 2002,our founding in 1996, our ability to bid on portfolios at appropriate prices, our capital position, our reputation from previous portfolio purchase transactions, our ability to close transactions in a timely fashion, our strong relationships with credit grantors, of receivables, our team of well-trained collectors who provide quality customer service while complying with applicable collection laws, and our ability to efficiently and effectively collect on various asset types.
Compliance
Our approach to compliance is multifaceted and comprehensive and is overseen by both the Board of Directors and management. Our compliance management system includes policies and procedures, training, monitoring, and consumer complaint response. In addition, our compliance expectations extend to our service providers. Our compliance management system is predicated on the following:
our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which applies to all directors and employees, including officers, is available at the Investor Relations page of our website at www.pragroup.com;
our Code of Conduct, which applies to all directors, officers, and employees, is available at the Investor Relations page of our website at www.pragroup.com;
compliance and ethics training for our directors, officers, and employees;
annual compliance testing;
a confidential telephone hotline and email hotline and web-based portals to report suspected compliance violations, fraud, financial reporting, accounting, and auditing matters, and other acts that may be illegal and/or unethical;
regular testing by our compliance departmentand internal audit departments of controls embedded in business processes designed to foster compliance with laws, regulations, and internal policy; and
regular evaluation of the legislative and regulatory environment and monitoring of statutory and regulatory changes and relevant case law, so that operations personnel are aware of and in compliance with the laws and judicial decisions that may impact their job duties.
Regulation
We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local, and foreigninternational laws that establish specific guidelines and procedures that debt collectors must follow when collecting customer accounts, including laws relating to the collection, use, retention, security, and transfer of personal information. It is our policy to comply with the provisions of all applicable federal, state, local, and foreigninternational laws in all of our activities even though there are inconsistencies between jurisdictions and frequent changes in these laws and regulations, inincluding their interpretation and


application and inconsistencies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. application. Our failure to comply with these laws could result in enforcement action against us, the payment of significant fines and penalties, restrictions upon our operations, or our inability to recover amounts owed to us. Significant laws and regulations applicable to our business include the following:
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), which imposes certain obligations and restrictions on the practices of debt collectors, including specific restrictions regarding the time, place and manner of the communications.
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), which imposes certain obligations and restrictions on the practices of debt collectors, including specific restrictions regarding the time, place and manner of the communications.

Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), which obligates credit information providers to verify the accuracy of information provided to credit reporting agencies and investigate consumer disputes concerning the accuracy of such information.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which requires that certain financial institutions, including collection agencies, develop policies to protect the privacy of consumers' private financial information and provide notices to consumers advising them of their privacy policies.
Electronic Funds Transfer Act, which regulates electronic fund transfer transactions, including a consumer’s right to stop payments on a pre-approved fund transfer and right to receive certain documentation of the transaction.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"), which, along with similar state laws, places certain restrictions on users of certain automated dialing equipment and pre-recorded messages that place telephone calls to consumers.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act("SCRA"), which gives U.S. military service personnel relief from credit obligations they may have incurred prior to entering military service, and may also apply in certain circumstances to obligations and liabilities incurred by a servicemember while serving on active duty.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which provides standards to protect the confidentiality of patients' personal healthcare and financial information in the U.S.
U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which prohibits certain contacts with consumers after the filing of bankruptcy petitions and dictates what types of claims will or will not be allowed in a bankruptcy proceeding and how such claims may be discharged.
Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that telecommunications companies operating in the U.S. take steps to ensure functionally equivalent services are available for their consumers with disabilities, and requires accommodation of consumers with disabilities, such as the implementation of telecommunications relay services.
U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), United Kingdom Bribery Act ("UK Bribery Act") and Other Applicable Legislation. Our operations outside the U.S. are subject to the FCPA, which prohibits U.S. companies and their agents and employees from providing anything of value to a foreign official for the purposes of influencing any act or decision of these individuals in order to obtain an unfair advantage or help obtain or retain business. Although similar to the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act is broader in scope and covers bribes given to or received by any person with improper intent.
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), which restructured the regulation and supervision of the financial services industry in the U.S. and created the CFPB. The CFPB has rulemaking, supervisory, and enforcement authority over larger consumer debt collectors. The Dodd-Frank Act, along with the Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ("UDAAP") provisions included therein, and the Federal Trade Commission Act, prohibit unfair, deceptive, and/or abusive acts and practices.
Data Protection and Privacy Laws, which include the United Kingdom Data Protection Act of 1998, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act in Canada and the EU Data Protection Directive, which regulates the processing and free movement of personal data within the EU and transfer of such data outside the EU.
Consumer Credit Act 1974 (and its related regulations), Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations of 1999 and the Financial Conduct Authority's consumer credit conduct of business rules, which apply to our international operations and govern consumer credit agreements.
Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), which obligates credit information providers to verify the accuracy of information provided to credit reporting agencies and investigate consumer disputes concerning the accuracy of such information.
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which requires that certain financial institutions, including collection agencies, develop policies to protect the privacy of consumers' private financial information and provide notices to consumers advising them of their privacy policies.
Electronic Funds Transfer Act, which regulates electronic fund transfer transactions, including a consumer’s right to stop payments on a pre-approved fund transfer and right to receive certain documentation of the transaction.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"), which, along with similar state laws, places certain restrictions on users of certain automated dialing equipment and pre-recorded messages that place telephone calls to consumers.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act("SCRA"), which gives U.S. military service personnel relief from credit obligations they may have incurred prior to entering military service and may also apply in certain circumstances to obligations and liabilities incurred by a servicemember while serving on active duty.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which provides standards to protect the confidentiality of patients' personal healthcare and financial information in the U.S.
U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which prohibits certain contacts with consumers after the filing of bankruptcy petitions and dictates what types of claims will or will not be allowed in a bankruptcy proceeding including how such claims may be discharged.
Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that telecommunications companies operating in the U.S. take steps to ensure functionally equivalent services are available for their consumers with disabilities, and requires accommodation of consumers with disabilities, such as the implementation of telecommunications relay services.
U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), United Kingdom Bribery Act ("UK Bribery Act") and Similar Laws. Our operations outside the U.S. are subject to various U.S. and international laws and regulations, such as the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act, which prohibit corrupt payments to governmental officials and certain other individuals. The FCPA prohibits U.S. companies and their agents and employees from providing anything of value to a foreign official for the purposes of influencing any act or decision of these individuals in order to obtain an unfair advantage or help obtain or retain business. Although similar to the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act is broader in scope and covers bribes given to or received by any person with improper intent.
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), which restructured the regulation and supervision of the financial services industry in the U.S. and created the CFPB. The CFPB has rulemaking, supervisory, and enforcement authority over larger consumer debt collectors. The Dodd-Frank Act, along with the Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ("UDAAP") provisions included therein, and the Federal Trade Commission Act, prohibit unfair, deceptive, and/or abusive acts and practices.
International data protection and privacy laws, which include relevant country specific legislation in the United Kingdom and other European countries where we operate that regulate the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information; the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which aims to protect personal information that is collected, used or disclosed in certain circumstances for purposes of electronic commerce in Canada; and the EU GDPR, which regulates the processing and free movement of personal data within the EU and transfer of such data outside the EU.
Consumer Credit Act 1974 (and its related regulations), Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations of 1999 and the Financial Conduct Authority's consumer credit conduct of business rules, which apply to our international operations and govern consumer credit agreements.
In addition, certain of our EU subsidiaries are subject to capital adequacy and liquidity requirements as prescribed by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority ("SFSA").
On September 9, 2015, Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC ("PRA"), our wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a consent order with the CFPB, settling a previously disclosed investigation of certain debt collection practices of PRA (the "Consent Order"). PRA entered into the Consent Order for settlement purposes, without admitting the truth of the allegations, other than the jurisdictional facts. Among other things, the Consent Order required PRA to: (i) vacate 837 judgments obtained after the applicable statute of limitations, refund $860,607 in payments received on account of such judgments and waive the remaining $3.4 million


in judgment balances; (ii) refund $18.2 million in Litigation Department Calls Restitution, as defined in the Consent Order; and (iii) pay an $8.0 million civil money penalty to the CFPB.requirements.
Employees
As of December 31, 2016,2019, we employed 4,0194,412 full-time equivalents globally. We believe thatManagement considers our employee relations with our employees are generally satisfactory.to be good. While none of our North American employees are represented by a union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement, in Europe we work closely with a number of Works Councils,works councils, and in countries where it is the customary local practice, such as Finland and Spain, we have collective bargaining agreements.



Available Information
Our website is www.pragroup.com. We make available on or through our website, www.pragroup.com, certain reports that we file with or furnish to the SEC in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These include our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.Act ("SEC Filings"). We make this information available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with or furnish it to the SEC. The information that is filed with the SEC may be read or copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. In addition, information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at: www.sec.gov.www.sec.gov.
The information contained on, or that can be accessed through our website, is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this Form 10-K or incorporated into any of our other filings we make with the SEC.SEC Filings.
Reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC are also available free of charge upon request by contacting our corporate office at:
PRA Group, Inc.
Attn: Investor Relations
120 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 100
Norfolk, Virginia 23502
Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Factors.
An investment in our Company involves risk, including the possibility that the value of the investment could fall substantially. The following are risks that could materially affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, cash flows, and the value of, and return on, an investment in our Company.

Risks related to our operations and industry

A prolonged economic recovery or deterioration in the economic or inflationary environment in the Americas or Europe could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our performance may be adversely affected by economic, political or inflationary conditions in any market in which we operate. EconomicThese conditions may be impacted bycould include regulatory developments, changes in global or domestic conditions or by global political and economic conditions such aspolicy, legislative changes, the sovereign debt crises experienced in several European countries and the uncertainty onregarding the EU’s future as a result of the UK's departure from the EU. Deterioration in economic conditions, a prolonged economic recovery, or a significant rise in inflation could cause personal bankruptcy and insolvency filings to increase, and the ability of consumers to pay their debts could be adversely affected. This may in turn adversely impact our business and financial results. Deteriorating economic conditions or a prolonged recovery could also adversely impact the businesses and governmental entities to which we provide fee-based services, which could reduce our fee income and cash flow.

If global credit market conditions and the stability of global banks deteriorate, it could negatively impact the generation of comprehensive receivable buying opportunities andwhich could adversely affect our business, financial results, and ability to succeed in foreign markets could be adversely affected.international markets. If conditions in major credit markets deteriorate, the amount of consumer or commercial lending and financing could be reduced, thus decreasing the amountvolume of potentially purchasable nonperforming loans that we depend onavailable for our operations.

purchase.
Other factors associated with the economy that could influence our performance include the financial stability of the lenders on our bank loans and credit facilities and our access to capital and credit. The financial turmoil that adversely affected the banking system and financial markets in recent yearsduring the last domestic recession resulted in athe tightening in theof credit markets. Although there has since been some

improvement, a worsening of current conditions could have a number of follow-on effectsnegative impact on our business, including a decrease in the value of our financial investments and the insolvency of lending institutions, including the lenders onproviding our bank loans and credit facilities, resulting in our difficulty in or inability to obtain credit. These and other economic factors could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to continually replace our nonperforming loans with additional portfolios sufficient to operate efficiently and profitably, and/or we may not be able to purchase nonperforming loans at appropriate prices.

To operate profitably, we must acquirepurchase and service a sufficient amount of nonperforming loans to generate revenue that exceeds our expenses. Fixed costs such as salaries and other compensation expense constitute a significant portion of our overhead and, if we do not replace the nonperforming loan portfolios we service with additional portfolios, we may have to reduce the number of our collection personnel. We would then have to rehire collection staff if we subsequently obtain additional portfolios. These practices could lead to:to negative consequences such as:

low employee morale;
fewer experienced employees;    
higher training costs;    
disruptions in our operations;    
loss of efficiency; and    
excess costs associated with unused space in our facilities.
    
The availability of nonperforming loansloan portfolios at prices that generate an appropriate return on our investment depends on a number of factors both within and outside of our control, including the following:
the continuation of high levels of consumer debt obligations;
sales of nonperforming loan portfolios by debt owners; and
competitive factors affecting potential purchasers and credit grantors of receivables.

Furthermore, heightened regulation of the credit card and consumer lending industry or changing credit origination strategies may result in decreased availability of credit to consumers, potentially leading to a future reduction in nonperforming loans available for purchase from debt owners. Conversely, lower regulatory barriers with respect to debt buyers could lead to increased participants in the debt collection industry, which could, in turn, impact the supply of nonperforming loans available for purchase. We cannot predict how our ability to identify and purchase receivablesnonperforming loans and the quality of those receivablesnonperforming loans would be affected if there were a shift in lending practices, whether caused by changes in the regulations or accounting practices applicable to debt owners or debt buyers, a sustained economic downturn or otherwise.

Moreover, there can be no assurance that debt owners will continue to sell their nonperforming loans consistent with recent levels or at all, or that we will be able to continue to offer competitive bidsbid competitively for those portfolios. Because of the length of time involved in collecting on acquired portfolios and the variability in the timing of our collections, we may not be able to identify trends and make changes in our purchasing strategies in a timely manner. If we are unable to maintain our business or adapt to changing market needs as well as our current or future competitors, we may experience reduced access to nonperforming loan portfolios at appropriate prices and, therefore, reduced profitability.

Currently, a number of large banks that historically sold nonperforming loans in the U.S., including sellers of bankrupt accounts, are not selling such debt. This includes sellers of bankrupt accounts, some of whom have elected to stop selling such accounts because they believe that regulatory guidance concerning sales of bankruptcy accounts is ambiguous. Should these conditions worsen, it could negatively impact our ability to replace our receivablesnonperforming loans with additional portfolios sufficient to operate profitably.

We may not be able to collect sufficient amounts on our nonperforming loans to fund our operations.


Our principal business consists of acquiringpurchasing and liquidating nonperforming loans that consumers or others have failed to pay and that the credit grantor has deemed uncollectible and has charged-off.pay. The debt owners have typically made numerous attempts to recover on their receivables, often using a combination of in-house recovery efforts and third-party collection agencies. These nonperforming loans are difficult to collect, and we may not collect a sufficient amount to cover our investment and the costs of running our business.


For financial reporting purposes, we utilize the interest method of revenue recognition for determining our income recognized on finance receivables, which is based on an analysis of projected cash flows that may prove to be less than anticipated and could lead to reductions in future revenues or the incurrence of allowance charges.

We utilize the interest method to determine income recognized on finance receivables under the guidance of Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification 310-30, "Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality" ("ASC 310-30"). Under this method, pools of receivables we acquire are modeled upon their projected cash flows. A yield is then established which, when applied to the unamortized purchase price of the receivables, results in the recognition of income at a constant yield relative to the remaining balance in the pool. Each pool is analyzed regularly to assess the actual performance compared to that derived from our models. Under ASC 310-30, rather than lowering the estimated yield if the collection estimates are not received or projected to be received, the carrying value of a pool would be written down to maintain the then current yield and is shown as a reduction in revenue in the consolidated income statements with a corresponding valuation allowance offsetting finance receivables, net, on the consolidated balance sheets. As a result, if the accuracy of the modeling process deteriorates or there is a significant decline in anticipated future cash flows, we could incur reductions in future revenues resulting from additional allowance charges, which could reduce our profitability in a given period.

Our collections may decrease if certain types of insolvency proceedings and bankruptcy filings involving liquidations increase.

Various economic trends and potential changes to existing legislation may contribute to an increase in the amount of personal bankruptcy and insolvency filings. Under certain of these filings, a debtor's assets may be sold to repay creditors, but because most of the receivables we collect through our collections operations are unsecured, we typically would not be able to collect on those receivables. Although our insolvency collections business could benefit from an increase in personal bankruptcies and insolvencies, we cannot ensure that our collections operations collections business would not decline with an increase in personal insolvencies or bankruptcy filings or changes in related regulations or practices. If our actual collection experience with respect to a nonperforming or insolvent bankrupt receivables portfolio is significantly lower than the total amount we projected when we purchasedacquired the portfolio, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted.
Changes in accounting standards and their interpretations could adversely affect our operating results.
U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), as issued and amended by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), is subject to interpretation by the SEC, and various other bodies that promulgate and interpret appropriate

accounting principles. These principles and related implementation guidelines and interpretations can be highly complex and involve subjective estimates. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results. For example, in June 2016 the FASB issued Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts.  Furthermore, in November 2019, FASB issued ASU 2019-11, “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses” (“ASU 2019-11”), which amends the Purchase Credit Deteriorated ("PCD") financial asset guidance in ASU 2016-13 to clarify that expected recoveries of amounts previously written off and expected to be written off should be included in the valuation account and should not exceed the aggregate of amounts previously written off and expected to be written off by an entity. ASU 2019-11 clarifies that a negative allowance is recognized when an entity determines, after a full or partial writeoff of the amortized cost basis, that it will recover all or a portion of the basis.
ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2019-11 supersede ASC 310-30, "Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality" ("ASC 310-30"), which we currently follow to account for income recognized on our finance receivables, and are effective for the fiscal year beginning January 1, 2020.  ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2019-11 represent a significant significant change from existing U.S. GAAP and are expected to result in material changes to the Company’s accounting for its finance receivables. Implementation efforts are nearly complete, including finalizing the accounting processes, fulfillment of additional data needs for new disclosures and reporting requirements, and drafting accounting and internal control policies and procedures. ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2019-11, amendments thereof, and amendments to new and existing accounting standards could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our international operations expose us to risks which could harm our business, operating results of operations and financial condition.

A significant portion of our operations is conducted outside the U.S. This could expose us to increased adverse economic, industry and industrypolitical conditions that may have a negative impact on our ability to manage our existing operations or pursue alternative strategic transactions, which could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The global nature of our operations expands the risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this section, including the following:    
changes in local political, economic, social and labor conditions in the markets in which we operate, including Europe, Brazil and Canada;operate;
foreign exchange controls on currency conversion and the transfer of funds that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the U.S. in a tax-efficient manner;
currency exchange rate fluctuations, currency restructurings, inflation or deflation, and our ability to manage these fluctuations through a foreign exchange risk management program;
different employee/employer relationships, laws and regulations, union recognition and the existence of employment tribunals and Works Councils;works councils;
laws and regulations imposed by foreigninternational governments, including those relating to governing data security, sharing and transfer;
potentially adverse tax consequences resulting from changes in tax laws in the foreign jurisdictions in which we operate or challenges to our interpretations and application of complex international tax laws;
logistical, communications and other challenges caused by distance and cultural and language differences, each making it harder to do business in certain jurisdictions;
risks related to crimes, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, wars and natural disasters in a variety of new geographical locations;disasters;
volatility of global credit markets and the availability of consumer credit and financing in our international markets

markets;
uncertainty as to the enforceability of contract and intellectual property rights under local laws;
the potential of forced nationalization of certain industries, or the impact on creditors' rights, consumer disposable income levels, flexibility and availability of consumer credit, and the ability to enforce and collect aged or charged-off debts stemming from foreigninternational governmental actions, whether through austerity or stimulus measures or initiative,initiatives, intended to control or influence macroeconomic factors such as wages, unemployment, national output or consumption, inflation, investment, credit, finance, taxation or other economic drivers;

the presence of varying levels of business corruption in international markets and the effect of various anti-corruption and other laws on our foreigninternational operations;
the impact on our day-to-day operations and our ability to staff our international operations given our high employee turnover rates, changing labor conditions and long-term trends towards higher wages in developed and emerging international markets as well as the potential impact of union organizing efforts;
potential damage to our reputation due to non-compliance with foreigninternational and local laws; and
the complexity and necessity of using non-U.S. representatives, consultants and consultants.other third-party vendors.
Furthermore,Any one of these factors could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The impact of worldwide tax audits, changes to international or domestic tax laws, the issuance of new tax guidance, and the results of operations could have an adverse tax effect on our financial condition.

Our tax filings are subject to audit by domestic and international tax authorities. These audits may result in assessments of additional taxes, adjustments to the timing of taxable income or deductions, or re-allocations of income among tax jurisdictions.  Any one of these factors could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, many countries in the EU and around the world have adopted and/or proposed changes to current tax laws.  Further, organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have published actions that, if adopted by countries where we do business, could increase our tax obligations in those countries. Due to the scale of our U.S. and international business activities, many of these enacted and proposed changes to the taxation of our activities could increase our worldwide effective tax rate potentially harming our financial position and results of operations.

While the Tax Act was enacted during December 2017, we still expect to see future effectiveregulatory, administrative or legislative guidance. To the extent any future guidance differs from our current interpretation of the law, it could have a material effect on our financial position and results of operations.  The Tax Act included a broad range of tax reform provisions affecting businesses, including the elimination of U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from international subsidiaries; requiring a current inclusion in U.S. federal taxable income of certain earnings of controlled international corporations referred to as Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”); creating the base erosion anti-abuse tax, a new minimum tax; creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; and increased limitations on the deductibility of executive compensation. 

Our future tax expense could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. The determination of the provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities regarding our global operations requires significant judgment. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may adversely affect our financial results in the period or periodsperiod(s) for which such determination is made.
Our tax filings are subject to audit by domestic and foreign tax authorities. These audits may result in assessments of additional taxes, adjustments to the timing of taxable income or deductions, or re-allocations of income among tax jurisdictions.
Any one of these factors could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Goodwill or other intangible asset impairment charges could negatively impact our net income and stockholders' equity.
We have recorded a significant amount of goodwill as a result of our acquisitions. Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level. Goodwill is required to be tested for impairment annually and between annual tests if events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. There are numerous risks that may cause the fair value of a reporting unit to fall below its carrying amount, which could lead to the recognition of goodwill impairment. These risks include, but are not limited to, adverse changes in macroeconomic conditions, the business climate, or the market for the entity's products or services; significant variances between actual and expected financial results; negative or declining cash flows; lowered expectations of future results; failure to realize anticipated synergies from acquisitions; significant expense increases; a more likely-than-not expectation of selling or disposing all or a portion of a reporting unit; the loss of key personnel; an adverse action or assessment by a regulator; andor a sustained decrease in the Company's share price.
Our goodwill impairment testing involves the use of estimates and the exercise of judgment, including judgments regarding expected future business performance and market conditions. Significant changes in our assessment of such factors, including the deterioration of market conditions, could affect our assessment of the fair value of one or more of our reporting units and could result in a goodwill impairment charge in a future period.
Other intangible assets, such as client and customer relationships, non-compete agreements and trademarks, are amortized. Risks such as those that could lead to the recognition of goodwill impairment, could also lead to the recognition of other intangible asset impairment.

The vote by the United Kingdom to leave the EU, and the ultimateUK's exit of the United Kingdom from the EU could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

On June 23, 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU.EU (commonly referred to as "Brexit"). Although Brexit occurred on January 31, 2020, there remains significant uncertainty about the vote had no binding legal effect, it adversely impacted global marketsfuture relationship between the UK and resulted in a decline in the value of the British pound as compared to the U.S. dollar and other currencies. The UK’s actual exit from the EU or Brexit, could take several years because the UK must first give notice to the EU of its intention to leave and the parties have two years from the date the notice is given to complete exit negotiations. However, perceptions concerning the impact of the UK’sUK's withdrawal from the EU may adverselyincluding its affect on business activity, impact on foreign currency, political stability and economic, regulatory, and financial market conditions

in the UK, the EU and globally, which could in turn adversely affect European or worldwide political, regulatory, economic and financial market conditions.

globally.
As of December 31, 2016,2019, the total estimated remaining collections ("ERC") of our UK portfolios constituted approximately 15%23% of our consolidated ERC. We expectOur British pound assets are predominantly funded by British pound liabilities. However, British pound net income and retained earnings could be affected when translated back to the U.S. dollar, positively or negatively, by foreign exchange volatility in exchange rates in the short term as the UK negotiates its exitresulting from the EU. A weaker British pound compared to the U.S. dollar during a reporting period could cause local currency resultsuncertainty of our UK operations to be translated into fewer U.S. dollars.Brexit. In the longer term, any impact from Brexit on our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on the final terms negotiated by the UK and the EU, including arrangements concerning taxes and financial services regulation.

Our use of the cost recovery method of accounting for finance receivables has been challenged by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and an adverse determination could result in our amending prior year tax returns and the payment of deferred taxes, interest and penalties.

For tax purposes, we utilize the cost recovery method of accounting for our finance receivables. The IRS has challenged our use of this method of accounting for tax purposes, and as described in Note 13 and Note 14 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 14"), we are involved in related litigation. If we are unsuccessful in the litigation related to our method of accounting, we may ultimately be required to pay the related deferred taxes, and possibly interest and penalties. This could adversely impact our results of operations and liquidity, and could require additional financing from other sources. Deferred tax liabilities related to this item were $239.3 million at December 31, 2016. Our estimate of the potential federal and state interest is $112.0 million as of December 31, 2016.

Our loss contingency accruals may not be adequate to cover actual losses.

We are involved in judicial, regulatory, and arbitration proceedings or investigations concerning matters arising from our business activities. We believe that we have adopted reasonable compliance policies and procedures and believe we have meritorious defenses in all material litigation pending against us; however,us. However, there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome. We establish accruals for potential liability arising from legal proceedings when it is probable that such liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. We may still incur legal costs for a matter even if we have not accrued a liability. In addition, actual losses may be higher than the amount accrued for a certain matter, or in the aggregate. An unfavorable resolution of a legal proceeding or claim could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. For more information, refer to the "Litigation and Regulatory Matters" section of Note 14 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

10-K ("Note 14").
Class action suits and other litigation could divert our management's attention from operating our business and increase our expenses.

Grantors,Credit grantors, nonperforming loan purchasers and third-party collection agencies and attorneys in the consumer credit industry are frequently subject to putative class action lawsuits and other litigation. Claims include failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations and improper or deceptive origination and servicing practices. An unfavorable outcome in a class action suit or other litigation could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity. Even when we prevail or the basis for the litigation is groundless, considerable time, energy and resources may be needed to respond, and such class action lawsuits or other litigation could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and cash flows.liquidity.

The occurrence ofA cyber incidents, or a deficiency in our cyber-security,incident could negatively impact our business by disruptingdisrupt our operations, compromisingcompromise or corruptingcorrupt our confidential information or damagingdamage our image,reputation, all of which could negatively impact our business and financial results.


Our business is highly dependent on our ability to process and monitor a large number of transactions across markets and in multiple currencies. As our geographical reach expands,we expand geographically, maintaining the security of our information technology systems and infrastructure becomes more significant. Privacy laws in the U.S., Europesignificant and elsewhere govern the collection and transmission of personal data.difficult. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, bothsome of which are internal and thoseothers we have outsourced. OurThe three primary risks that could directly resultwe face from the occurrence of a cyber incident are operational interruption,disruption, reputational damage to our image, and the exposure of private data exposure. Private data may includesuch as customer information, our employees' personally identifiable information, or proprietary business information such as underwriting and collections methodologies.

Although we take protective steps, including upgrading our systems and networks with intrusion and detection prevention systems, monitoring firewalls to safeguard critical business applications and supervising third party providers that have access to our systems, our computer systems, software and networks may still be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses or other malicious code, and other events that could have a security impact. We have implemented solutions, processes, and procedures to help mitigate these risks, but these measures, as well as our organization's increased awareness of our risk of a cyber incident do not guarantee that our business, reputation or financial results will not be impacted negatively impacted by such an incident. To date, interruptions of our systems have been infrequent and have not had a material impact on our operations. However, should

Should such a cyber incident occur, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to notify affected consumers, modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, andexposures. Additionally, we may be subject to fines, penalties, litigation costs and settlements and financial losses that may not be fully covered by our cyber insurance.





The underperformance or failure of our information technology infrastructure, networks or telephone systems could result in loss in productivity, loss of competitive advantage and business disruption.

We depend on effective information and telephone systems to operate our business. We have also acquired and expect to acquire additional systems as a result of business acquisitions. Significant resources are required to maintain or enhance our existing information and telephone systems and to replace obsolete systems. Although we are continually upgrading, streamlining, and integrating our systems and have invested in strategies to prevent a failure, our systems are susceptible to outages due to natural disasters, power loss, computer viruses, security breaches, hardware or software vulnerabilities, disruptions, and similar events. Failure to adequately implement or maintain effective and efficient information systems with sufficiently advanced technological capabilities, or our failure to efficiently and effectively consolidate our information systems to eliminate redundant or obsolete applications, could cause us to lose our competitive advantage, divert management’s time, result in a loss of productivity or disrupt business operations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks associated with governmental regulation and laws

Our ability to collect and enforce our finance receivablesnonperforming loans may be limited under federal, state and foreigninternational laws, regulations and policies.

The businesses conducted by our operating subsidiaries are subject to licensing and regulation by governmental and regulatory bodies in the many jurisdictions in which we operate and conduct our business.operate. Federal and state laws and the laws and regulations of the foreigninternational countries in which we operate may limit our ability to collect on and enforce our finance receivablesrights with respect to our nonperforming loans regardless of any act or omission on our part. Some laws and regulations applicable to credit issuers may preclude us from collecting on nonperforming loans we purchaseacquire if the credit issuer previously failed to comply with applicable laws in generating or servicing those receivables. Collection laws and regulations also directly apply to our business. Such laws and regulations are extensive and subject to change. A variety of state, federal state and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, transmission, sharing and security of consumer data. Consumer protection and privacy protection laws, changes in the ways that existing rules or laws are interpreted or enforced and any procedures that may be implemented as a result of regulatory consent orders may adversely affect our ability to collect on our finance receivablesnonperforming loans and may harm our business. Our failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to us could limit our ability to collect on our receivables, which could reduce our profitability and harm our business.

Failure to comply with government regulation of the collections industry could result in penalties, fines, litigation, damage to our reputation or the suspension or termination of our ability to conduct our business.

The collections industry throughout the markets in which we operate is governed by various laws and regulations, many of which require us to be a licensed debt collector. Our industry is also at times investigated by regulators and offices of state attorneys general, and subpoenas and other requests or demands for information may be issued by governmental authorities who are investigating debt collection activities. These investigations may result in enforcement actions, fines and penalties, or the assertion of private claims and lawsuits. If any such investigations result in findings that we or our vendors have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could be subject to penalties, litigation losses and expenses, damage to our reputation, or the suspension or termination of, or required modification to, our ability to conduct collections, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

In a number of jurisdictions, we must maintain licenses to purchase or own debt, and/or to perform debt recovery services and must satisfy related bonding requirements. Our failure to comply with existing licensing requirements, changing interpretations of existing requirements, or adoption of new licensing requirements, could restrict our ability to collect in certain jurisdictions, subject us to increased regulation, increase our costs, or adversely affect our ability to purchase, own and/or collect our receivables.

Some laws, among other things, also may limit the interest rate and the fees that a credit grantor may impose on our consumers, limit the time in which we may file legal actions to enforce consumer accounts, and require specific account information for certain collection activities. In addition, local requirements and court rulings in various jurisdictions also may affect our ability to collect.

Regulations and statutes applicable to our industry further provide that, in some cases, consumers cannot be held liable for, or their liability may be limited with respect to, charges to their debt or credit card accounts that resulted from unauthorized use of their credit. These laws, among others, may limit our ability to recover amounts owing with respect to the receivables, whether or not we committed any wrongful act or omission in connection with the account.

If we fail to comply with any applicable laws and regulations discussed above, such failure could result in penalties, litigation losses and expenses, damage to our reputation, or otherwise impact our ability to conduct collections efforts, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Investigations, reviews, or enforcement actions by governmental authorities may result in changes to our business practices; negatively impact our receivables portfolio purchasingacquisition volume; make collection of receivables more difficult; or expose us to the risk of fines, penalties, restitution payments and litigation.

Our debt collection activities and business practices are subject to review from time to time by various governmental authorities and regulators, including the CFPB, which may commence investigations, reviews, or enforcement actions, or reviews targeted at businesses in the financial services industry. These investigations or reviews may involve governmental authority consideration of individual consumer

complaints, or could involve a broader review of our debt collection policies and practices. Such investigations or reviews could lead to assertions by governmental authorities that we are not complying with applicable laws or regulations. In such circumstances, authorities may request or seek to impose a range of remedies that could involve potential compensatory or punitive damage claims, fines, restitution payments, sanctions or injunctive relief, that if agreed to or granted, could require us to make payments or incur other expenditures that could have an adverse effect on our financial position. The CFPB has the authority to obtain cease and desist orders (which can include orders for restitution or rescission of contracts, as well as other kinds of affirmative relief), recover costs, and impose monetary penalties (ranging from $5,000 per day to over $1 million per day, depending on the nature and gravity of the violation). In addition, where a company has violated Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act or CFPB regulations implemented thereunder, the Dodd-Frank Act empowers state Attorneys Generalattorneys general and other state regulators to bring civil actions to remedy violations under state law. Government authorities could also request or seek to require us to cease certain of our practices or institute new practices. Negative publicity relating to investigations or proceedings brought by governmental authorities could have an adverse impact on our reputation, could harm our ability to conduct business with industry participants, and could result in financial institutions reducing or eliminating sales of receivables portfolios to us which would harm our business and negatively impact our results of operations. Moreover, changing or modifying our internal policies or procedures, responding to governmental inquiries and investigations and defending lawsuits or other proceedings could require significant efforts on the part of management and result in increased costs to our business. In addition, such efforts could divert management's full attention from our business operations. All of these factors could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The CFPB has issued civil investigative demands to many companies that it regulates and is currently examiningperiodically examines practices regarding the collection of consumer debt. InOn September 9, 2015, wePortfolio Associates, LLC ("PRA"), our wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a consent order with the CFPB settling a previously disclosed investigation of certain debt collection practices of PRA (the "Consent Order"). Among other things, the Consent Order withrequired PRA to: (i) vacate 837 judgments obtained after the CFPB, which resultedapplicable statute of limitations, refund $860,607 in payments received on account of such judgments and waive the remaining $3.4 million in judgment balances; (ii) refund $18.2 million in Litigation Department Calls Restitution, as defined in the payment of $19Consent Order; and (iii) pay an $8.0 million in consumer refunds and an $8 million penalty. In addition, we were requiredcivil money penalty to cease collection of approximately $3 million of consumer debt and modify some of our collections practices.the CFPB. Although we have implemented the requirements of the Consent Order, there can be no assurance that additional litigation or new industry regulations currently under consideration by the CFPB would not have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, the CFPB monitors our compliance with the Consent Order and could make a determination that we have failed to adhere to our obligations. Such a determination could result in additional inquiries, penalties or liabilities, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Compliance with complex and evolving foreigninternational and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations could increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions.

We operate on a global basis with offices and activities in a number of jurisdictions throughout the U.S., Europe, CanadaAmericas and Brazil.Europe. We face increased exposure to risks inherent in conducting business internationally, including compliance with complex foreigninternational and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations, which could increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions. These laws and regulations include those related to taxation and anti-corruption laws such as the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act and other local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials. Given the complexity of these laws, there is a risk that we may inadvertently breach certain provisions of these laws, such as through the negligent behavior of an employee or our failure to comply with certain formal documentation requirements. Violations of these laws and regulations by us, any of our employees or our third-party vendors, either inadvertently or intentionally, could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, restrictions on our operations and limits on our ability to offer our products and services in one or more countries. Violations of these laws could also adversely affect our business, brand, international expansion efforts, ability to attract and retain employees and results of operations.
The regulation of data privacy in the U.S and globally could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition by increasing our compliance costs.
The regulation of data privacy, including interpretations and determinations by regulatory authorities in the U.S. and in the countries in which we operate, continues to evolve. It is not possible to predict the effect of such rigorous data protection regulations over time. For example, the EU and UK adopted the GDPR, which impacts our European operations. On May 25, 2018 the GDPR

updated data privacy compliance obligations, which required us to adapt our business practices accordingly. Financial penalties for noncompliance with the GDPR can be significant. It is also the case that the U.S. federal government and states within the U.S. have enacted or are considering legislation to enact data privacy protections. Data privacy regulations could result in increased costs of conducting business to maintain compliance with such regulations. Although we take significant steps to protect the security of our data and the personal data of our customers, we may be required to expend significant resources to comply with regulations if third parties improperly obtain and use such data.
Risks associated with indebtedness

We utilize bank loans, credit facilities and convertible notes to finance our business activities, which could negatively impact our liquidity and business operations if we are unable to retain, renegotiate, expand or replace our bank loans and credit facilities or raise the necessary funds to repurchase theour convertible notes.

As described in Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, our sources of financingliquidity include a North American credit facility, a European multicurrency revolving credit facility and convertible senior notes. The credit facilities contain financial and other restrictive covenants, including restrictions on how we operate our business and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders. Failure to satisfy any one of these covenants could result in negative consequences including the following:    
acceleration of outstanding indebtedness;
exercise by our lenders of rights with respect to the collateral pledged under certain of our outstanding indebtedness;

our inability to continue to purchase nonperforming loans needed to operate our business; or
our inability to secure alternative financing on favorable terms, if at all.

If we are unable to retain, renegotiate, expand or replace our credit facilities, including as a result of failure to satisfy the restrictive covenants contained in them, our liquidity and business operations could be impacted negatively.

WeAs referenced above, we have additional indebtedness in the form of Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (theand 2023 (collectively the "Notes") and may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the Notes upon a fundamental change or to settle conversions in cash. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, or to refinance our indebtedness, including the Notes, or to make cash payments in connection with any conversion of the Notes depends on our future performance, which is subject tocould be negatively impacted by economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at that time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations. In addition, in the event the conditional conversion featurefeatures of the Notes isare triggered, holders of the Notes are entitled to convert the Notes into shares of our common stock at any time during specified periods at their option.option, subject to the terms of the indenture governing the Notes. Upon conversion, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional shares of our common stock), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the Notes. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to repurchase Notes surrendered to settle conversions in cash, and our ability to repurchase the Notes or pay cash upon conversion may be limited by law. Any issuance of shares of our common stock upon conversion of the Notes would dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders.
We may be restricted from paying cash upon conversion of the Notes, repurchasing the Notes for cash when required and repaying the Notes at maturity or upon acceleration following an event of default under the Notes unless we repay all amounts outstanding under, and terminate, our North American Credit Agreement. Additionally, our future indebtedness may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon conversion of the Notes and on our ability to repurchase the Notes.
The terms of our North American Credit Agreement prohibit us from paying cash upon conversion of the Notes, repurchasing the Notes for cash when required upon the occurrence of a fundamental change and repaying the Notes at maturity or upon acceleration following an event of default under the indenture governing the Notes if a default or an event of default exists on the date of such required payment, repurchase or repayment, as applicable, or certain other conditions are not met, including pro forma compliance with the financial covenants and having “Sufficient Liquidity” (described below). As a result, we will be restricted from making such payments unless the default or event of default under our North American Credit Agreement is cured or waived, such conditions are met and/or we repay all amounts then outstanding under, and terminate, our North American Credit Agreement.

In addition, under our North American Credit Agreement our ability to settle conversions of the Notes in cash requires that immediately prior to any such conversion, our cash and cash equivalents (including our availability under our domestic and multi-currency revolving facilities under our North American Credit Agreement) be at least 115% of the sum of the principal amount of the Notes to be paid in cash (“Sufficient Liquidity”). The terms of any additional indebtedness incurred as permitted by our North American Credit Agreement may contain similar or more onerous restrictions than the foregoing.
Our failure to repurchase Notes, to pay, when due, cash upon conversion of the Notes or repay the Notes at maturity or upon acceleration following an event of default under the indenture governing the Notes would constitute a default under the indenture governing the Notes. A default under the indenture may constitute a default under our North American Credit Agreement.
Changes in interest rates could increase our interest expense and reduce our net income.
Our revolving credit facilities bear interest at variable rates. Increases in interest rates could increase our interest expense which would, in turn, lower our earnings. From time to time, we may enter into hedging transactions to mitigate our interest rate risk on all or a portion of our debt. Hedging strategies rely on assumptions and projections. If these assumptions and projections prove to be incorrect or our hedges do not adequately mitigate the impact of changes in interest rates, we may experience volatility in our earnings that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Default by or failure of one or more of our counterparty financial institutions could cause us to incur significant losses.
As part of our risk management activities, we enter into transactions involving derivative financial instruments, including, among others, forward contracts and interest rate swap contracts, with various financial institutions. In addition, we have significant amounts of cash and cash equivalents on deposit or in accounts with banks or other financial institutions in the U.S. and abroad. As a result, we are exposed to the risk of default by, or failure of, counterparty financial institutions. The risk of counterparty default or failure may be heightened during economic downturns and periods of uncertainty in the financial markets. If one of our counterparties were to become insolvent or file for bankruptcy, our ability to recover losses incurred as a result of default or to retrieve our assets that are deposited or held in accounts with such counterparty may be limited by the counterparty's liquidity or the applicable laws governing the insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
Uncertainty about the future of the LIBOR may adversely affect our business.

LIBOR is a reference rate used for over $110 trillion of financial contracts on a global basis. We incorporate LIBOR in both our bank loan and derivative hedging agreements.  Due to reforms coming out of the 2008 financial crisis, LIBOR is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2021 and be replaced by an Alternative Reference Rate ("ARR").  A number of regulatory institutions are involved in coordinating this transition including the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, the U.S. Federal Reserve, the SEC, and the FASB.  Key industry-wide issues regarding the transition are still unresolved; these include the fact that a term structure (1 month, 3 month, 6 month, etc.) for the ARR has not yet been developed and a way to ensure neither borrowers nor lenders gain an unfair advantage has yet to be finalized.  It is unknown whether proposed alternative reference rates will attain market acceptance as replacements for LIBOR or whether the outstanding issues related to them will be satisfactorily resolved.  As a result, while we do not expect the impact to have a significant effect on our cost of capital, financial results, and cash flows, the final impact cannot yet be determined.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.


Item 2. Properties.
Our corporate headquarters and primary domestic operations facilityfacilities are located in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition, at December 31, 2019, we havehad operational centers all of which are leased except the facilities in Kansas and Tennessee, in the following locations in the Americas (13 leased and Europe:
Americas
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana- Jackson, Tennessee
- Birmingham, Alabama- Lake Forest, California
- Conshohocken, Pennsylvania- London, Ontario, Canada
- Duluth, Georgia- Montgomery, Alabama
- Folsom, California- North Richland Hills, Texas
- Fresno, California- Rosemont, Illinois
- Hampton, Virginia- San Diego, California
- Houston, Texas- São Paulo, Brazil
- Hutchinson, Kansas
Europe
- Bromley, United Kingdom- Madrid, Spain
- Duisburg, Germany- Oslo, Norway
- Eisenstadt, Austria- Padova, Italy
- Helsinki, Finland- Uppsala, Sweden
- Kilmarnock, United Kingdom- Warsaw, Poland
- London, United Kingdom- Zug, Switzerland
- Luxembourg, Luxembourg
We also lease several less significant facilities in various locations throughout the Americas3 owned), Europe (12 leased) and Europe, which are not listed above. We do not consider any specific leased or owned facility to be material to our operations. We believe that equally suitable alternative facilities are available throughout our geographic market areas.Australia (1 leased).
Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
We and our subsidiaries are from time to time subject to a variety of routine legal and regulatory claims, inquiries and proceedings, most of which are incidental to the ordinary course of our business. We initiate lawsuits against customers and are occasionally countersued by them in such actions. Also, customers, either individually, as members of a class action, or through a governmental entity on behalf of customers, may initiate litigation against us in which they allege that we have violated a state or federal law in the process of collecting on an account. From time to time, other types of lawsuits are brought against us.
Refer to Note 14 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved.

17


Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.

18



PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Price Range of Common Stock
Our common stock is traded on NASDAQNasdaq under the symbol "PRAA." The following table sets forth the high and low sales price for our common stock, as reported by the NASDAQ, for the periods indicated.
 2016 2015
 High Low High Low
Quarter ended March 31,$35.98 $20.00 $58.42 $47.84
Quarter ended June 30,$34.15 $22.51 $64.24 $52.92
Quarter ended September 30,$34.99 $21.93 $64.82 $50.03
Quarter ended December 31,$39.70 $23.15 $56.00 $32.49
Based on information provided by our transfer agent and registrar, as of February 15, 2017,14, 2020, there were 7146 holders of record and 40,134 beneficial owners of our common stock.record.
Stock Performance
The following graph and subsequent table comparescompare from December 31, 20112014 to December 31, 2016,2019, the cumulative stockholder returns assuming an initial investment of $100 in our common stock (PRAA), the stocks comprising the NASDAQNasdaq Financial 100 (IXF), and the stocks comprising the NASDAQNasdaq Global Market Composite Index (NQGM) at the beginning of the period. Any dividends paid during the five yearfive-year period are assumed to be reinvested.

chart-4684cd0258475e04a30.jpg
 Ticker 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
PRA Group, Inc.PRAA $100
 $158
 $235
 $257
 $154
 $174
NASDAQ Financial 100IXF $100
 $116
 $166
 $174
 $185
 $234
NASDAQ Global Market Composite IndexNQGM $100
 $116
 $192
 $204
 $204
 $196
 Ticker 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
PRA Group, Inc.PRAA $100
 $60
 $68
 $57
 $42
 $63
Nasdaq Financial 100IXF $100
 $106
 $135
 $155
 $142
 $184
Nasdaq Global Market Composite IndexNQGM $100
 $100
 $96
 $120
 $112
 $155
The comparisons of stock performance shown above are not intended to forecast or be indicative of possible future performance of our common stock. We do not make or endorse any predictions as to our future stock performance.


Dividend Policy
Our board of directors sets our dividend policy. We do not currently pay regular dividends on our common stock and did not pay dividends in the three years ended December 31, 2016;2019; however, our board of directors may determine in the future to declare or pay dividends on our common stock. Under the terms of our credit facilities,Northern American Credit Agreement, cash dividends may not exceed $20 million in any fiscal year without the consent of our lenders. Any future determination as to the declaration and payment of dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then existing conditions, including our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects, and other factors that our board of directors may consider relevant.


Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
For information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans see Note 911 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Share Repurchase Programs
On October 22, 2015, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $125 million of our outstanding shares of common stock.None.
During the fourth quarter of 2015, we purchased $80 million of our common stock under this program. No shares were purchased during 2016. As of December 31, 2016, the maximum remaining amount available for share repurchases under this program was $45 million.

20





Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in Item 7 of this Form 10-K and our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K .10-K. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation.
Consolidated Income Statement, Operating and Other Financial Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Consolidated Income Statements, Operating and Other Financial Data
$ in thousands, except per share amounts
Consolidated Income Statements, Operating and Other Financial Data
$ in thousands, except per share amounts
Years Ended December 31,Years Ended December 31,
Income Statement Data:2016 2015 2014 2013 20122019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Revenues:                  
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$745,119
 $865,122
 $807,474
 $663,546
 $530,635
Income recognized on finance receivables$998,361
 $891,899
 $795,435
 $845,142
 $894,491
Fee income77,381
 64,383
 65,675
 71,532
 62,164
15,769
 14,916
 24,916
 77,381
 64,383
Other revenue8,080
 12,513
 7,820
 57
 2
2,951
 1,441
 7,855
 8,080
 12,513
Total revenues830,580
 942,018
 880,969
 735,135
 592,801
1,017,081
 908,256
 828,206
 930,603
 971,387
         
Net allowance charges(24,025) (33,425) (11,898) (98,479) (29,369)
         
Operating expenses:                  
Compensation and employee services258,846
 268,345
 234,531
 192,474
 168,356
310,441
 319,400
 273,033
 258,846
 268,345
Legal collection expenses132,202
 129,456
 139,161
 124,551
 106,718
Legal collection fees55,261
 42,941
 43,351
 47,717
 53,393
Legal collection costs134,156
 104,988
 76,047
 84,485
 76,063
Agency fees44,922
 32,188
 16,399
 5,901
 5,906
55,812
 33,854
 35,530
 44,922
 32,188
Outside fees and services63,098
 65,155
 55,821
 31,615
 28,867
63,513
 61,492
 62,792
 63,098
 65,155
Communication33,771
 33,113
 33,085
 28,161
 25,225
44,057
 43,224
 33,132
 33,771
 33,113
Rent and occupancy15,710
 14,714
 11,509
 8,311
 7,498
17,854
 16,906
 14,823
 15,710
 14,714
Depreciation and amortization24,359
 19,874
 18,414
 14,417
 14,515
17,464
 19,322
 19,763
 24,359
 19,874
Other operating expenses39,466
 68,829
 29,981
 25,781
 19,661
46,811
 47,444
 44,103
 39,466
 68,829
Impairment of goodwill
 
 
 6,397
 
Total operating expenses612,374
 631,674
 538,901
 437,608
 376,746
745,369
 689,571
 602,574
 612,374
 631,674
Income from operations218,206
 310,344
 342,068
 297,527
 216,055
247,687
 185,260
 213,734
 219,750
 310,344
Other income and (expense):                  
Interest expense(80,864) (60,336) (35,226) (14,466) (9,031)
Impairment of investments(5,823) 
 
 
 
Gain on sale of subsidiaries
 26,575
 48,474
 
 
Interest expense, net(141,918) (121,078) (98,041) (80,864) (60,336)
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)2,564
 7,514
 (5,829) 4
 9
11,954
 (944) (1,104) 2,564
 7,514
Other(364) (316) (2,790) (5,823) 
Income before income taxes134,083
 257,522
 301,013
 283,065
 207,033
117,359
 89,497
 160,273
 135,627
 257,522
Provision for income taxes43,191
 89,391
 124,508
 106,146
 80,934
Income tax expense/(benefit)19,680
 13,763
 (10,852) 43,577
 89,391
Net income90,892
 168,131
 176,505
 176,919
 126,099
97,679
 75,734
 171,125
 92,050
 168,131
Adjustment for net income/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest5,795
 205
 
 1,605
 (494)
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests11,521
 10,171
 6,810
 5,795
 205
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$85,097
 $167,926
 $176,505
 $175,314
 $126,593
$86,158
 $65,563
 $164,315
 $86,255
 $167,926
Net income per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:         
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:         
Basic$1.84 $3.49 $3.53 $3.48 $2.48$1.90 $1.45 $3.60 $1.86 $3.49
Diluted$1.83 $3.47 $3.50 $3.45 $2.46$1.89 $1.44 $3.59 $1.86 $3.47
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:                  
Basic46,316
 48,128
 49,990
 50,366
 50,991
45,387
 45,280
 45,671
 46,316
 48,128
Diluted46,388
 48,405
 50,421
 50,873
 51,369
45,577
 45,413
 45,823
 46,388
 48,405
Operating and Other Financial Data:                  
Cash receipts$1,569,367
 $1,603,878
 $1,444,487
 $1,213,969
 $970,848
$1,857,040
 $1,640,121
 $1,537,521
 $1,569,367
 $1,603,878
Operating expenses to cash receipts39% 39% 37% 36% 39%
Return on equity (1)
10% 20% 19% 22% 20%
Cash Efficiency Ratio (1)
59.9% 58.0% 60.8% 61.0% 60.6%
Acquisitions of finance receivables, at cost (2)
$947,331
 $963,811
 $1,432,764
 $656,785
 $542,451
$1,289,327
 $1,117,997
 $1,108,959
 $947,331
 $963,811
Full-time equivalents at period end4,019
 3,799
 3,880
 3,543
 3,221
4,412
 5,377
 5,154
 4,019
 3,799
(1)Calculated by dividing net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. for each yearcash receipts less operating expenses by average monthly stockholders' equity - PRA Group, Inc. for the same year.cash receipts.
(2)Represents cash paid for finance receivables through the ordinary course of business as well as the acquisition date finance receivable portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.



Key Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Key Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Key Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
As of December 31,As of December 31,
2016 2015 2014 2013 20122019 2018 2017 2016 2015
Cash and cash equivalents$94,287
 $71,372
 $39,661
 $162,004
 $32,687
$119,774
 $98,695
 $120,516
 $94,287
 $71,372
Finance receivables, net2,307,969
 2,202,113
 2,001,790
 1,239,191
 1,078,951
3,514,165
 3,084,777
 2,776,199
 2,309,513
 2,202,113
Total assets3,163,999
 2,990,567
 2,778,751
 1,601,232
 1,288,956
4,423,891
 3,909,559
 3,700,972
 3,165,157
 2,990,567
Borrowings1,784,101
 1,717,129
 1,482,456
 451,780
 327,542
2,808,425
 2,473,656
 2,170,182
 1,784,101
 1,717,129
Total equity917,163
 839,747
 902,215
 869,476
 708,427
1,227,013
 1,123,969
 1,140,717
 918,321
 839,747
Quarterly Income Statement Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Quarterly Income Statement Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Quarterly Income Statement Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Dec 31, 2016 Sep 30, 2016 Jun 30, 2016 Mar 31, 2016 Dec 31, 2015 Sep 30, 2015 Jun 30, 2015 Mar 31, 2015Dec 31, 2019 Sep 30, 2019 Jun 30, 2019 Mar 31, 2019 Dec 31, 2018 Sep 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2018 Mar 31, 2018
Revenues:                              
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$131,965
 $202,639
 $204,008
 $206,507
 $208,471
 $208,184
 $220,064
 $228,403
Income recognized on finance receivables$262,835
 $247,471
 $249,219
 $238,836
 $231,029
 $223,228
 $219,018
 $218,624
Fee income21,171
 17,597
 22,347
 16,266
 19,649
 17,803
 13,878
 13,053
4,297
 2,391
 2,707
 6,374
 4,686
 2,561
 2,342
 5,327
Other revenue2,122
 1,748
 2,101
 2,109
 2,065
 3,443
 3,255
 3,750
2,001
 152
 131
 667
 1,027
 99
 158
 157
Total revenues155,258
 221,984
 228,456
 224,882
 230,185
 229,430
 237,197
 245,206
269,133
 250,014
 252,057
 245,877
 236,742
 225,888
 221,518
 224,108
               
Net allowance charges(12,598) (4,136) (1,196) (6,095) (21,381) (8,285) (2,834) (925)
               
Operating expenses:                              
Compensation and employee services61,390
 65,898
 64,793
 66,765
 68,670
 66,084
 68,320
 65,271
75,671
 75,317
 79,808
 79,645
 79,123
 78,350
 80,690
 81,237
Legal collection expenses34,726
 33,447
 33,897
 30,132
 28,647
 32,594
 33,670
 34,545
Legal collection fees13,822
 14,083
 14,297
 13,059
 11,501
 10,428
 10,343
 10,669
Legal collection costs34,411
 31,395
 33,121
 35,229
 33,281
 30,769
 18,695
 22,243
Agency fees10,695
 12,034
 11,309
 10,884
 8,182
 7,961
 7,784
 8,261
15,979
 12,788
 13,013
 14,032
 9,088
 8,350
 8,138
 8,278
Outside fees and services16,683
 14,731
 15,876
 15,808
 27,309
 12,583
 12,466
 12,797
15,239
 16,733
 16,293
 15,248
 17,068
 15,701
 14,565
 14,158
Communication7,652
 7,814
 8,423
 9,882
 6,601
 8,021
 8,073
 10,418
9,722
 10,310
 10,824
 13,201
 10,645
 10,240
 10,782
 11,557
Rent and occupancy4,001
 3,875
 4,038
 3,796
 3,991
 3,684
 3,479
 3,560
4,586
 4,414
 4,491
 4,363
 4,319
 4,270
 4,003
 4,314
Depreciation and amortization6,020
 6,184
 6,085
 6,070
 4,935
 5,413
 4,916
 4,610
4,123
 4,046
 4,723
 4,572
 5,092
 4,776
 4,525
 4,929
Other operating expenses7,023
 10,513
 11,279
 10,651
 10,678
 38,963
 9,610
 9,578
12,198
 12,102
 10,926
 11,585
 13,030
 10,602
 11,628
 12,184
Total operating expenses148,190
 154,496
 155,700
 153,988
 159,013
 175,303
 148,318
 149,040
185,751
 181,188
 187,496
 190,934
 183,147
 173,486
 163,369
 169,569
Income from operations7,068
 67,488
 72,756
 70,894
 71,172
 54,127
 88,879
 96,166
70,784
 64,690
 63,365
 48,848
 32,214
 44,117
 55,315
 53,614
Other income and (expense):                              
Interest expense(21,026) (19,310) (20,569) (19,959) (15,321) (16,787) (13,452) (14,776)
Impairment of investments(5,823) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain(2,619) 5,004
 2,029
 (1,850) 301
 (3,160) 3,584
 6,789
(Loss)/income before income taxes(22,400) 53,182
 54,216
 49,085
 56,152
 34,180
 79,011
 88,179
Provision for income taxes(7,053) 16,664
 17,348
 16,232
 15,164
 16,597
 27,586
 30,044
Net (loss)/income(15,347) 36,518
 36,868
 32,853
 40,988
 17,583
 51,425
 58,135
Gain on sale of subsidiaries
 
 
 
 26,575
 
 
 
Interest expense, net(36,046) (35,864) (36,027) (33,981) (33,549) (30,624) (31,124) (25,781)
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)595
 5,406
 (311) 6,264
 (4,553) 626
 1,690
 1,293
Other(241) (19) 248
 (352) (381) 222
 (400) 243
Income before income taxes35,092
 34,213
 27,275
 20,779
 20,306
 14,341
 25,481
 29,369
Income tax expense4,073
 6,665
 5,075
 3,867
 1,980
 1,789
 3,857
 6,137
Net income31,019
 27,548
 22,200
 16,912
 18,326
 12,552
 21,624
 23,232
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests2,301
 2,212
 412
 870
 18
 187
 
 
3,678
 2,577
 3,581
 1,685
 3,384
 2,625
 2,036
 2,126
Net (loss)/income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$(17,648) $34,306
 $36,456
 $31,983
 $40,970
 $17,396
 $51,425
 $58,135
Net (loss)/income per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:               
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$27,341
 $24,971
 $18,619
 $15,227
 $14,942
 $9,927
 $19,588
 $21,106
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:               
Basic$(0.38) $0.74
 $0.79
 $0.69
 $0.87
 $0.36
 $1.06
 $1.19
$0.60
 $0.55
 $0.41
 $0.34
 $0.33
 $0.22
 $0.43
 $0.47
Diluted$(0.38) $0.74
 $0.79
 $0.69
 $0.86
 $0.36
 $1.06
 $1.19
$0.60
 $0.55
 $0.41
 $0.34
 $0.33
 $0.22
 $0.43
 $0.47
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:                              
Basic46,346
 46,343
 46,333
 46,243
 47,197
 48,265
 48,325
 48,724
45,413
 45,410
 45,387
 45,338
 45,304
 45,302
 45,283
 45,231
Diluted46,346
 46,434
 46,402
 46,372
 47,539
 48,498
 48,529
 49,052
45,748
 45,645
 45,495
 45,419
 45,394
 45,440
 45,449
 45,370



Quarterly Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Quarterly Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Quarterly Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Dec 31, 2016 Sep 30, 2016 Jun 30, 2016 Mar 31, 2016 Dec 31, 2015 Sep 30, 2015 Jun 30, 2015 Mar 31, 2015Dec 31, 2019 Sep 30, 2019 Jun 30, 2019 Mar 31, 2019 Dec 31, 2018 Sep 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2018 Mar 31, 2018
Assets                              
Cash and cash equivalents$94,287
 $91,791
 $117,071
 $79,442
 $71,372
 $69,111
 $56,811
 $40,542
$119,774
 $90,000
 $105,496
 $102,102
 $98,695
 $114,176
 $71,570
 $101,418
Investments68,543
 67,050
 66,560
 71,413
 73,799
 75,985
 88,295
 91,470
56,176
 55,204
 85,911
 85,082
 45,173
 21,750
 80,541
 87,764
Finance receivables, net2,307,969
 2,392,408
 2,399,949
 2,377,077
 2,202,113
 2,167,178
 2,012,552
 1,954,772
3,514,165
 3,238,813
 3,230,949
 3,177,229
 3,084,777
 2,823,622
 2,734,673
 2,771,408
Other receivables, net11,650
 24,299
 30,079
 33,555
 30,771
 24,648
 18,443
 16,834
10,606
 15,808
 13,770
 18,082
 46,157
 9,067
 14,688
 14,308
Income taxes receivable9,427
 10,673
 13,871
 
 1,717
 12,840
 1,580
 
17,918
 23,479
 11,323
 15,472
 16,809
 8,912
 12,163
 10,271
Net deferred tax asset28,482
 19,453
 15,713
 15,571
 13,068
 831
 125
 5,771
Deferred tax asset, net63,225
 60,697
 66,401
 61,619
 61,453
 63,724
 60,944
 59,377
Property and equipment, net38,744
 44,354
 46,852
 47,785
 45,394
 46,105
 46,215
 46,855
56,501
 56,847
 51,484
 54,463
 54,136
 55,010
 53,364
 53,788
Right-of-use assets68,972
 70,723
 72,817
 70,550
 
 
 
 
Goodwill499,911
 560,505
 544,337
 524,870
 495,156
 502,383
 503,001
 496,653
480,794
 465,572
 489,293
 480,518
 464,116
 519,045
 519,811
 544,293
Intangible assets, net27,935
 31,539
 32,655
 32,154
 23,788
 24,458
 9,450
 10,042
4,497
 4,757
 5,219
 5,247
 5,522
 17,369
 18,914
 22,523
Other assets33,808
 37,275
 38,509
 86,966
 33,389
 61,011
 47,284
 37,674
31,263
 36,380
 32,751
 35,970
 32,721
 27,296
 31,650
 37,639
Assets held for sale43,243
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total assets$3,163,999
 $3,279,347
 $3,305,596
 $3,268,833
 $2,990,567
 $2,984,550
 $2,783,756
 $2,700,613
$4,423,891
 $4,118,280
 $4,165,414
 $4,106,334
 $3,909,559
 $3,659,971
 $3,598,318
 $3,702,789
Liabilities and Equity                              
Liabilities:                              
Accounts payable$2,459
 $2,808
 $3,719
 $2,377
 $4,190
 $3,693
 $3,933
 $7,838
$4,258
 $3,469
 $3,279
 $5,682
 $6,110
 $3,773
 $5,090
 $2,330
Accrued expenses82,699
 86,531
 79,202
 95,049
 95,380
 97,123
 77,007
 69,250
88,925
 84,753
 74,950
 77,838
 79,396
 81,445
 78,852
 85,137
Income taxes payable19,631
 20,242
 20,888
 28,114
 21,236
 9,534
 9,758
 22,120
4,046
 624
 372
 389
 15,080
 13,408
 466
 23,872
Net deferred tax liability258,344
 271,152
 276,360
 269,201
 261,498
 267,587
 252,638
 265,661
Deferred tax liability, net85,390
 95,441
 100,742
 108,367
 114,979
 120,990
 140,224
 146,410
Lease liabilities73,377
 74,428
 76,750
 74,308
   
 
 
Interest-bearing deposits76,113
 88,719
 58,041
 55,349
 46,991
 46,277
 33,248
 32,439
106,246
 112,024
 107,840
 95,314
 82,666
 79,282
 82,613
 90,769
Borrowings1,784,101
 1,816,600
 1,912,283
 1,896,424
 1,717,129
 1,654,457
 1,503,363
 1,479,262
2,808,425
 2,567,086
 2,618,382
 2,586,409
 2,473,656
 2,194,687
 2,133,997
 2,150,873
Other liabilities10,821
 5,317
 19,922
 13,577
 4,396
 4,460
 5,933
 6,725
26,211
 29,607
 27,307
 25,789
 7,370
 8,474
 8,061
 15,146
Liabilities held for sale4,220
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total liabilities2,238,388
 2,291,369
 2,370,415
 2,360,091
 2,150,820
 2,083,131
 1,885,880
 1,883,295
3,196,878
 2,967,432
 3,009,622
 2,974,096
 2,779,257
 2,502,059
 2,449,303
 2,514,537
Redeemable noncontrolling interest8,448
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 4,535
 4,935
 6,199
 6,333
 6,955
 8,322
 9,697
Equity:                              
Preferred stock
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common stock464
 463
 463
 463
 462
 482
 483
 483
454
 454
 454
 454
 453
 453
 453
 453
Additional paid-in capital66,414
 70,112
 66,838
 64,287
 64,622
 31,344
 35,360
 31,339
67,321
 64,631
 61,705
 59,091
 60,303
 58,713
 56,410
 54,271
Retained earnings1,049,367
 1,067,015
 1,032,709
 996,253
 964,270
 1,032,966
 1,015,570
 964,145
1,362,631
 1,335,290
 1,310,319
 1,291,700
 1,276,473
 1,261,531
 1,251,604
 1,232,016
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(251,944) (199,888) (213,933) (196,135) (228,861) (201,275) (153,537) (178,649)(261,018) (305,956) (252,124) (248,521) (242,109) (213,078) (209,167) (155,687)
Total stockholders' equity - PRA Group, Inc.864,301
 937,702
 886,077
 864,868
 800,493
 863,517
 897,876
 817,318
1,169,388
 1,094,419
 1,120,354
 1,102,724
 1,095,120
 1,107,619
 1,099,300
 1,131,053
Noncontrolling interest52,862
 50,276
 49,104
 43,874
 39,254
 37,902
 
 
Noncontrolling interests57,625
 51,894
 30,503
 23,315
 28,849
 43,338
 41,393
 47,502
Total equity917,163
 987,978
 935,181
 908,742
 839,747
 901,419
 897,876
 817,318
1,227,013
 1,146,313
 1,150,857
 1,126,039
 1,123,969
 1,150,957
 1,140,693
 1,178,555
Total liabilities and equity$3,163,999
 $3,279,347
 $3,305,596
 $3,268,833
 $2,990,567
 $2,984,550
 $2,783,756
 $2,700,613
$4,423,891
 $4,118,280
 $4,165,414
 $4,106,334
 $3,909,559
 $3,659,971
 $3,598,318
 $3,702,789

23





Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.Operations.
Overview
We are a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas, Europe, and Europe.Australia. Our primary business is the purchase, collection, and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. We also provide
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the following fee-based services: vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery for auto lenders, government entities and law enforcement; class action claims recovery services and purchases; servicing of consumer bankruptcy accounts in the U.S.; and, to a lesser extent, contingent collections of nonperforming loans in Europe and South America. We also provided revenue administration, audit and revenue discovery/recovery services for local government entities through our PGS business which, as discussed in Note 17, we sold in January 2017. The gain on sale before income taxes is expected to be approximately $47 million.
On July 16, 2014, we completed the purchase of the outstanding equity of Aktiv, a Norway-based company specializing in the acquisition and servicing of nonperforming loans in Europe and Canada, for a purchase price of approximately $861.3 million, and assumed approximately $433.7 million of Aktiv's corporate debt, resulting in an enterprise acquisition value of approximately $1.3 billion.
On August 3, 2015, we acquired 55% of the equity interest in RCB. The remaining 45% of the equity interest in RCB is owned by the executive team and previous owners of RCB. RCB is a leading master servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil. Our investment for the 55% ownership of RCB was approximately $55.2 million. As part of the investment and call option agreements, we have the right to purchase the remaining 45% of RCB at certain multiples of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") beginning August 3, 2019 and ending August 3, 2021.
On April 26, 2016, we completed our public tender offer to purchase 100% of the shares of DTP, a Polish-based debt collection company, for approximately $44.9 million.current period presentation.
Frequently Used Terms
We use the following terminology throughout this document:
"Allowance charges" refers to a reduction in income recognized on finance receivables on pools of finance receivables due to a decrease in cash collection estimates or a delay in the expected timing of the cash collections.
"Amortization rate" refers to cash collections applied to principal on finance receivables as a percentage of total cash collections.
"Buybacks" refers to purchase price refunded by the seller due to the return of ineligible accounts.
"Cash collections" refers to collections on our owned finance receivables portfolios.
"Cash receipts" refers to collections on our owned finance receivables portfolios plus fee income.
"Core" accounts or portfolios refer to accounts or portfolios that are nonperforming loans and are not in an insolvent status upon purchase.acquisition. These accounts are aggregated separately from insolvency accounts.
"Estimated remaining collections" or "ERC" refers to the sum of all future projected cash collections on our owned finance receivables portfolios.
"Fee income" refers to revenues generated from our fee-for-service businesses.
"Income recognized on finance receivables" refers to income derived from our owned finance receivables portfolios.
"Income recognized on finance receivables, net" refers to income derived from our owned finance receivables portfolios and is shown net of allowance charges/reversals.
"Insolvency" accounts or portfolios refer to accounts or portfolios of receivables that are in an insolvent status when we purchase them and as such are purchased as a pool of insolvent accounts. These accounts include Individual Voluntary Arrangements ("IVAs"), Trust Deeds in the UK, Consumer Proposals in Canada and bankruptcy accounts in the U.S., Canada, Germany and the UK.
"Net finance receivable balance" is recorded on our balance sheet and refers to the purchase price less principal amortization and net allowance charges/reversals.
"Nonperforming loans" refers to the loans that we purchase, which consist generally of defaulted, unpaid obligations of individuals that have been charged-off by the credit grantor.
"Principal amortization" refers to cash collections applied to principal on finance receivables.
"Purchase price" refers to the cash paid to a seller to acquire nonperforming loans, plus certain capitalized costs, less buybacks.
"Purchase price multiple" refers to the total estimated collections (as defined below) on owned finance receivables portfolios divided by purchase price.
"Total estimated collections" or "TEC" refers to actual cash collections, including cash sales, plus estimated remaining collections on our finance receivables portfolios.


Earnings Summary
For the year ended December 31, 2016, net income attributable"Portfolio purchases" refers to PRA Group was $85.1 million, or $1.83 per diluted share, compared with $167.9 million, or $3.47 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2015. Total revenues were $830.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, down 11.8% from the same year ago period. Revenues during the year ended December 31, 2016 consisted of $745.1 million in income recognized on finance receivables, net, $77.4 million in fee income and $8.1 million in other revenue. Income recognized on finance receivables, net, for the year ended December 31, 2016 decreased $120.0 million, or 13.9%, over the year ended December 31, 2015, primarily due to an increase in net allowance charges on our finance receivables to $98.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $29.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $69.1 million or 235.0%. Our cash collections on our finance receivables decreased to $1,492.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $1,539.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, a decrease of $47.5 million or 3.1%.
Our finance receivables amortization rate, including net allowance charges, was 50.1% for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to 43.8% for the year ended December 31, 2015. Our finance receivables amortization rate, excluding net allowance charges, was 43.5% for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to 41.9% for the year ended December 31, 2015.
Fee income increased from $64.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 to $77.4 million in 2016, primarily due to an increase in revenues generated by PLS, PGS, Recovery Management Systems Corporation ("RMSC"), CCB and RCB. This was offset by a decrease in fee income from PRA Europe, due primarily to an expected declineall portfolios purchased in the amountnormal course of contingent fee services provided by usbusiness and excludes those purchased via business acquisitions.
"Portfolio acquisitions" refers to all portfolios added as a result of a purchase, but also includes portfolios added as a result of a business acquisition.
Unless otherwise specified, references to 2019, 2018 and 2017 are for debt owners.
A summary of how our revenue was generated during the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 is as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2016 2015 2014
Cash collections$1,491,986
 $1,539,495
 $1,378,812
Amortization of investment(648,388) (645,004) (576,273)
Net allowance reversals/(charges)(98,479) (29,369) 4,935
Income recognized on finance receivables, net745,119
 865,122
 807,474
Fee income77,381
 64,383
 65,675
Other revenue8,080
 12,513
 7,820
Total revenues$830,580
 $942,018
 $880,969
Operating expenses were $612.4 million for the year ended2019, December 31, 2016, a decrease of $19.3 million or 3.1% from the year ended2018 and December 31, 2015. The decrease was due in part to $28.8 million in other operating expenses incurred during the year ended December 31, 2015 relating to the Consent Order entered into with the CFPB.2017, respectively.
As a result of expanding our international footprint into many countries with various currencies throughout Europe and the Americas, we are exposed to foreign currency fluctuations between and among the U.S. dollar and each of the other currencies in which we operate. As a result, for the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded a net foreign currency transaction gain of $2.6 million in our consolidated income statement, as compared to a gain of $7.5 million in the prior year, and we recorded a foreign currency translation adjustment of $(23.1) million for the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to an adjustment of $(112.9) million for the year ended December 31, 2015.
During the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we acquired finance receivables portfolios at an approximate cost of $947.3 million, $963.8 million and $1,432.8 million, respectively. The figures for 2014 include the acquisition-date fair value of the Aktiv portfolios. In any period, we acquire nonperforming loans that can vary dramatically in their age, type and ultimate collectability. We may pay significantly different purchase prices relative to face value for purchased receivables within any period as a result of this quality fluctuation. In addition, market forces can increase or decrease pricing, irrespective of other quality fluctuations. As a result, the average purchase price paid relative to face value for any given period can fluctuate dramatically. However, regardless of the average purchase price, we intend to target a similar internal rate of return, after direct expenses, in pricing our portfolio acquisitions during any given period. Therefore, the price paid relative to face value is not necessarily indicative of profitability.






24





Results of Operations
The results of operations include the financial results of PRA Groupthe Company and all of our subsidiaries, which are in the receivables management business. Under the guidance of the FASB ASC Topic 280 "Segment Reporting" ("ASC 280"), we have determined that we have several operating segments that meet the aggregation criteria of ASC 280, and therefore, we have one reportable segment, accounts receivables management, based on similarities among the operating units, including economic characteristics, the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or class of customer for their products and services, the methods used to distribute their products and services and the nature of the regulatory environment.
subsidiaries. The following table sets forth certain operating dataconsolidated income statement amounts as a percentage of total revenues for the yearsperiods indicated (dollars in thousands):
2016 2015 20142019 2018 2017
Revenues:                      
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$745,119
 89.7 % $865,122
 91.8 % $807,474
 91.7 %
Income recognized on finance receivables$998,361
 98.2 % $891,899
 98.2 % $795,435
 96.0 %
Fee income77,381
 9.3
 64,383
 6.8
 65,675
 7.5
15,769
 1.5
 14,916
 1.6
 24,916
 3.0
Other revenue8,080
 1.0
 12,513
 1.4
 7,820
 0.8
2,951
 0.3
 1,441
 0.2
 7,855
 0.9
Total revenues830,580
 100.0
 942,018
 100.0
 880,969
 100.0
1,017,081
 100.0
 908,256
 100.0
 828,206
 100.0
           
Net allowance charges(24,025) (2.4) (33,425) (3.7) (11,898) (1.4)
           
Operating expenses:                      
Compensation and employee services258,846
 31.2
 268,345
 28.5
 234,531
 26.6
310,441
 30.5
 319,400
 35.2
 273,033
 33.0
Legal collection expenses132,202
 15.9
 129,456
 13.8
 139,161
 15.8
Legal collection fees55,261
 5.4
 42,941
 4.7
 43,351
 5.2
Legal collection costs134,156
 13.2
 104,988
 11.6
 76,047
 9.2
Agency fees44,922
 5.4
 32,188
 3.4
 16,399
 1.9
55,812
 5.5
 33,854
 3.7
 35,530
 4.3
Outside fees and services63,098
 7.6
 65,155
 6.9
 55,821
 6.3
63,513
 6.2
 61,492
 6.8
 62,792
 7.6
Communication33,771
 4.1
 33,113
 3.5
 33,085
 3.8
44,057
 4.3
 43,224
 4.8
 33,132
 4.0
Rent and occupancy15,710
 1.9
 14,714
 1.6
 11,509
 1.3
17,854
 1.8
 16,906
 1.9
 14,823
 1.8
Depreciation and amortization24,359
 2.9
 19,874
 2.1
 18,414
 2.1
17,464
 1.7
 19,322
 2.1
 19,763
 2.4
Other operating expenses39,466
 4.8
 68,829
 7.3
 29,981
 3.4
46,811
 4.6
 47,444
 5.1
 44,103
 5.3
Total operating expenses612,374
 73.8
 631,674
 67.1
 538,901
 61.2
745,369
 73.2
 689,571
 75.9
 602,574
 72.8
Income from operations218,206
 26.2
 310,344
 32.9
 342,068
 38.8
247,687
 24.4
 185,260
 20.4
 213,734
 25.8
Other income and (expense):                      
Interest expense(80,864) (9.7) (60,336) (6.4) (35,226) (4.0)
Impairment of investments(5,823) (0.7) 
 
 
 
Gain on sale of subsidiaries
 
 26,575
 2.9
 48,474
 5.9
Interest expense, net(141,918) (14.0) (121,078) (13.3) (98,041) (11.8)
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)2,564
 0.3
 7,514
 0.8
 (5,829) (0.7)11,954
 1.2
 (944) (0.1) (1,104) (0.1)
Other(364) (0.1) (316) (0.1) (2,790) (0.3)
Income before income taxes134,083
 16.1
 257,522
 27.3
 301,013
 34.1
117,359
 11.5
 89,497
 9.8
 160,273
 19.4
Provision for income taxes43,191
 5.2
 89,391
 9.5
 124,508
 14.1
Income tax expense/(benefit)19,680
 1.9
 13,763
 1.5
 (10,852) (1.3)
Net income90,892
 10.9
 168,131
 17.8
 176,505
 20.0
97,679
 9.6
 75,734
 8.3
 171,125
 20.7
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests5,795
 0.7
 205
 
 
 
11,521
 1.1
 10,171
 1.1
 6,810
 0.8
Income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$85,097
 10.2 % $167,926
 17.8 % $176,505
 20.0 %
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$86,158
 8.5 % $65,563
 7.2 % $164,315
 19.9 %

25




Year Ended December 31, 2016 Compared
Cash Collections
Cash collections were as follows for the periods indicated:
 Year Ended December 31, Variances
(Amounts in millions)2019 2018 2017 2019 vs. 2018 2018 vs. 2017
   Americas Core$1,141.5
 $945.2
 $860.9
 $196.3
 $84.3
   Americas Insolvency180.9
 207.8
 222.5
 (26.9) (14.7)
   Europe Core480.1
 443.4
 407.0
 36.7
 36.4
   Europe Insolvency38.8
 28.8
 22.2
 10.0
 6.6
Total cash collections$1,841.3
 $1,625.2
 $1,512.6
 $216.1
 $112.6
          
Cash collections adjusted (1)
$1,841.3
 $1,595.5
 $1,518.7
 $245.8
 $76.8
Cash collections on fully amortized pools47.1
 54.0
 57.6
 (6.9) (3.6)
Cash collections on pools on cost recovery13.5
 35.8
 37.7
 (22.3) (1.9)
Net finance receivables on cost recovery at year-end33.7
 48.0
 166.6
 (14.3) (118.6)
(1) Cash collections adjusted refers to Year Ended December 31, 20152018 cash collections remeasured using 2019 exchange rates and 2017 cash collections remeasured using 2018 exchange rates.
Cash collections were $1,841.3 million in 2019, an increase of $216.1 million or 13.3%, compared to $1,625.2 million in 2018. The increase was largely due to our U.S. legal collections increasing $91.1 million, or 30.6%, due primarily to the increase in the number of accounts placed in the legal channel, and our U.S. call center and other collections increasing $48.6 million, or 8.5%, due primarily to higher Americas Core portfolio purchasing in 2018. Additionally, as a result of increased portfolio purchasing in South America and the acquisition of a business in Canada in the first quarter of 2019, Americas Core outside the U.S. cash collections increased $56.6 million or 73.8%. Furthermore, our Europe Core cash collections increased $36.7 million or 8.3%, due primarily to increased portfolio purchasing, the consolidation of a Polish fund in the third quarter of 2018, and operational improvements. These increases were partially offset by a decline of $26.9 million, or 13.0%, in Americas Insolvency cash collections caused mainly by investment volumes in the U.S. not offsetting the runoff of our older portfolios.
Cash collections were $1,625.2 million in 2018, an increase of $112.6 million or 7.4%, compared to $1,512.6 million in 2017. The increase was largely due to U.S. call center collections increasing 15.7%, due primarily to record U.S. Core portfolio purchasing in 2018 and 2017, and U.S. legal collections increasing 8.0%. Additionally, Europe Core and Europe Insolvency cash collections increased 8.9% and 29.7%, respectively. The increase in Europe Core cash collections was primarily the result of increased portfolio purchasing in the fourth quarter of 2017 and 2018. These increases were partially offset by a 6.6% decline in Americas Insolvency cash collections caused mainly by a decline in portfolio buying in 2018 and the continued runoff of our older portfolios.
Revenues
Total revenues were $830.6$1,017.1 million forin 2019, $908.3 million in 2018, and $828.2 million in 2017.
A summary of how our revenues were generated during the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $111.4 million or 11.8% compared to total revenues of $942.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.years indicated is as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018 2017
Cash collections$1,841,271
 $1,625,205
 $1,512,605
Principal amortization(842,910) (733,306) (717,170)
Income recognized on finance receivables998,361
 891,899
 795,435
Fee income15,769
 14,916
 24,916
Other revenue2,951
 1,441
 7,855
Total revenues$1,017,081
 $908,256
 $828,206
Income Recognized on Finance Receivables net
Income recognized on finance receivables net, was $745.1$998.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $120.0 million or 13.9% compared to income recognized on finance receivables, net, of $865.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was primarily due to an increase in net allowance charges on our finance receivables to $98.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $29.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015,2019, an increase of $69.1$106.5 million or 235.0%. In addition, our cash collections on our finance receivables decreased to $1,492.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2016,11.9% compared to $1,539.5$891.9 million forin 2018. The increase was primarily the year ended December 31, 2015, a decrease of $47.5 million or 3.1%.
Our finance receivables amortization rate, including net allowance charges, was 50.1% for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to 43.8% for the year ended December 31, 2015. Our finance receivables amortization rate, excluding net allowance charges, was 43.5% for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to 41.9% for the year ended December 31, 2015.
Accretable yield represents the amount of income recognized on finance receivables we can expect to generate over the remaining life of our existing portfolios based on estimated future cash flows asresult of the balance sheet date. Additions fromimpact of recent Americas and Europe Core purchasing, sustained over-performance and related yield increases on pools broadly across all geographies, recent increased portfolio purchases representpurchasing in South America, and the original expected accretable yield, on portfolios purchased duringacquisition of a business in Canada in the period, to be earned by us. Net reclassifications from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield primarily result from an increase in our estimatefirst quarter of future cash flows. Increases in future cash flows may occur as portfolios age and actual cash collections exceed those originally expected. If those cash flows are determined to be incremental to the portfolio's original forecast, future projections of cash flows are generally increased resulting in higher expected revenue and hence increases in accretable yield. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we reclassified $41.1 million from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts related to portfolios in Europe partially offset by reductions in cash collection forecasts on our domestic portfolios. During the year ended December 31, 2015, we reclassified $502.7 million from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts related to domestic portfolios primarily acquired from 2011-2014. When applicable, net reclassifications to nonaccretable difference from accretable yield result from a decrease in our estimates of future cash flows and allowance charges that together exceed the increase in our estimate of future cash flows.2019.


Income recognized on finance receivables net, is shown netwas $891.9 million in 2018, an increase of changes$96.5 million or 12.1% compared to $795.4 million in valuation allowances2017. The increase was primarily the result of overperformance on select Americas Core and Europe Core portfolios which resulted in several yield increases on certain pools and the impact of record Americas Core purchasing in 2017 and 2018. This was partially offset by a decline in our Americas Insolvency revenue caused mainly by a decline in Americas Insolvency portfolio purchasing in 2018 and the continued runoff of our older portfolios.
Fee Income
Fee income was $15.8 million in 2019, $14.9 million in 2018, and $24.9 million in 2017. The decrease of $10.0 million or 40.2% in 2018 was primarily due to the sale of our government services businesses and the sale of PRA Location Services, LLC ("PLS") in 2017.
Other Revenue
Other revenue was $3.0 million in 2019, an increase of $1.6 million or 114.3% compared to $1.4 million in 2018, primarily reflecting the variability of our CCB business. Other revenue was $1.4 million in 2018, a decrease of $6.5 million or 82.3% compared to $7.9 million in 2017, primarily due to a decrease in revenue earned on our investments.
Net Allowance Charges
Net allowance charges are recorded for significant decreases in expected cash flows or a change in timing of cash flows which would otherwise require a reduction in the stated yield on a pool of accounts. For the year ended December 31, 2016,In 2019, we recorded net allowance charges of $98.5 million. On$24.0 million consisting of $24.5 million on our domesticAmericas Core portfolios, we recorded allowance charges of $89.3primarily on vintages purchased between 2013-2015 and $0.6 million on our European portfolios purchased between 2005 and 2016,partially offset by net allowance reversals of $0.8 million on portfolios primarily purchased between 2010 and 2011. During 2016, we made downward adjustments to projections of future cash collections and we adjusted amortization periods for many of our Core portfolios. This was done in response to recent trends of cash collections being lower than expected. We have attributed this under-performance to a variety of regulatory and operational factors that we believe adversely impacted our calling efforts and therefore cash collected. We also recorded net allowance charges of $9.4$1.1 million on our foreign portfolios, primarily on certain Spanish, UK and ItalianAmericas Insolvency portfolios. On our Insolvency portfolios,In 2018, we recorded net allowance charges of $0.6$33.4 million consisting of $31.0 million on our domesticAmericas Core portfolios, primarily on vintages impacted most by the Consent Order and purchased between 2013-2015, $0.4 million on our Americas Insolvency portfolios, and $2.0 million on our European portfolios. For the year ended December 31, 2015,In 2017, we recorded net allowance charges of $29.4 million. On our domestic Core portfolios, we recorded net allowance charges$11.9 million consisting of $23.3 million on portfolios purchased between 2010 and 2013, offset by allowance reversals of $1.4 million on portfolios primarily purchased between 2005 and 2008. We also recorded a net allowance charge of $7.5$7.4 million on our Americas Core portfolios, in the UK and $0.1$1.5 million on our Denmark portfolios. On ourAmericas Insolvency portfolios, we recorded net allowance reversals of $0.2and $3.0 million on our domesticEuropean portfolios.
Fee Income
Fee income was $77.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of $13.0 million or 20.2% compared to fee income of $64.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Fee income increased primarily due to an increase in revenues generated by PLS, PGS, CCB, RMSC and RCB. This was offset by a decrease in fee income from PRA Europe, due primarily to an expected decline in the amount of contingent fee services provided by us for debt owners.


Other Revenue
Other revenue was $8.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $4.4 million or 35.2% compared to $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease is primarily due to a decrease in revenue earned on our investments.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses were $612.4$745.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $19.3in 2019, $689.6 million or 3.1% compared to total operating expenses of $631.7in 2018, and $602.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Total operating expenses were 39.0% of cash receipts for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with 39.4% for the year ended December 31, 2015.in 2017.
Compensation and Employee Services
Compensation and employee service expenses were $258.8$310.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016,in 2019, a decrease of $9.5$9.0 million or 3.5%2.8% compared to $319.4 million in 2018. The decrease in compensation expense was primarily attributable to a reduction in the U.S. call center workforce, as we balance the volume between the legal collection channel and call centers and realize the impact of recent investments in technology. Total full-time equivalents decreased 17.9% to 4,412 as of December 31, 2019 from 5,377 as of December 31, 2018. Additionally, this category was impacted by the result of the sale of RCB operating platform in December 2018, which shifted certain expenses from fixed to variable and are now recorded as agency fees.
Compensation and employee service expenses were $319.4 million in 2018, an increase of $268.3$46.4 million foror 17.0% compared to $273.0 million in 2017. Compensation expense increased primarily as a result of larger average staff sizes due mainly to the year ended December 31, 2015. Compensation and employee services expenses decreased primarily due toexpansion of our domestic collector workforce, partially offset by a decrease resulting from the sale of our government services businesses and PLS in discretionary bonus and other incentive compensation expenses, including share-based compensation expenses offset by increases in normal salary expenses caused by an increase in employee headcount.2017. Total full-time equivalents increased 5.8%4.3% to 4,0195,377 as of December 31, 20162018 from 3,7995,154 as of December 31, 2015.2017.
Legal Collection ExpensesFees
Legal collection expensesfees represent costs paid to courts where a lawsuit is filed, contingent fees incurred for the cash collections generated by our independent third-party attorney network,network. Legal collection fees were $55.3 million in 2019, $42.9 million in 2018, and $43.4 million in 2017. The increase of $12.4 million or 28.9% in 2019 was primarily due to a 44.5% increase in external legal cash collections in the costU.S.
Legal Collection Costs
Legal collection costs primarily consist of documentscosts paid to sellerscourts where a lawsuit is filed for the purpose of nonperforming loans.attempting to collect on an account. Legal collection expensescosts were $132.2$134.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016,in 2019, an increase of $2.7$29.2 million or 2.1%27.8%, compared to $129.5$105.0 million forin 2018. The increase was primarily due to additional court costs related to the year ended December 31, 2015.expansion of the number of accounts placed in the legal channel in the U.S.  This expansion was the result of a change in the nature of the accounts purchased, the regulatory environment and consumer behavior.


Legal collection costs were $105.0 million in 2018, an increase of $29.0 million or 38.2%, compared to $76.0 million in 2017. The increase was primarily due to additional court costs related to the expansion of the number of accounts brought into the legal channel in Europe during the year ended December 31, 2016. Our costs paid to courts were $79.8 million forU.S.  This expansion was the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of $9.0 million or 12.7% compared to $70.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.  This was partially offset by a decrease in legal collection expenses paid to third-party attorneys, primarily as a result of a decreasechange in domestic external legal collections. Our costs paid to third-party attorneys were $47.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, a decreasenature of $5.7 million or 10.7% compared to $53.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Our costs paid to sellers of nonperforming loans for documents were $4.7 million foraccounts purchased, the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $0.5 million or 9.6% compared to $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.regulatory environment and consumer behavior.
Agency Fees
Agency fees primarily represent third-party collection fees and also include costs paid to repossession agents to repossess vehicles.fees. Agency fees were $44.9$55.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $32.2 million for the year ended and December 31, 2015,in 2019, an increase of $12.7$21.9 million or 39.4%. This64.6% compared to $33.9 million in 2018. The increase was mainly attributableprimarily due to the sale of the RCB operating platform, which shifted certain expenses from fixed to variable and are now recorded as agency fees, the acquisition of a business in Canada in the first quarter of 2019, and higher volumes of servicing activity in areas where we utilize third-party collection agencies.
Agency fees were $33.9 million in 2018, a decrease of $1.6 million or 4.5% compared to $35.5 million in 2017. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of the sale of PLS partially offset by an increase in third-party collection fees incurred by our international operations where we utilize third-party agencies.operations.
Outside Fees and Services
Outside fees and services expenses were $63.5 million in 2019, an increase of $2.0 million or 3.3% compared to $61.5 million in 2018. The increase was primarily the result of higher consulting fees and higher fees related to an increased number of debit card transactions, mostly offset by a decrease in litigation expenses.
Outside fees and services expenses were $63.1$61.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016,in 2018, a decrease of $2.1$1.3 million or 3.2%2.1% compared to outside fees and services expenses of $65.2$62.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.in 2017. The decrease was primarily due tothe result of a $6.6 million decreasedecline in corporate legal expenses, due largely to legal costs not associated with normal operations incurred during the year ended December 31, 2016, mainly as a result of increased corporate legal expenses incurred in 2015 as a result of outstanding litigation and regulatory matters.2017. This was partially offset by an increase of $4.1 million in payment processing and debit card transactions and increased consulting fees during the year ended December 31, 2016, as compared to the prior year period.fees.
Communication
Communication expenses primarily represent postage and telephone related expenses incurred as a result of our collection efforts. Communication expenses were $33.8$44.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of $0.7in 2019, $43.2 million or 2.1% compared to communication expenses ofin 2018, and $33.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. Nonein 2017. The $10.1 million increase in 2018 was driven primarily by higher letter and call volume associated with record portfolio purchasing of the increase was attributable to any significant identifiable items.Americas Core portfolios in 2017 and 2018 and additional U.S. collectors operating during 2018.
Rent and Occupancy
Rent and occupancy expenses were $15.7$17.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, anin 2019, $16.9 million in 2018, and $14.8 million in 2017. The $2.1 million increase of $1.0 million or 6.8% compared to rent and occupancy expenses of $14.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increasein 2018 was primarily


due to additional rental expenses incurred as a resultthe opening of our acquisitionstwo new call centers in the U.S. in the fourth quarter of RCB, RMSC and DTP2017 as well as the additional rent expense associated with the expansion of our headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.European facilities.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense was $24.4$17.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, an increase of $4.5in 2019, $19.3 million in 2018, and $19.8 million in 2017. The $1.8 million or 22.6% compared to depreciation and amortization expenses of $19.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase9.3% decrease in 2019 was primarily due to the amortization expense incurred on intangible assets acquired in connection withsale of the acquisitionsRCB operating platform which shifted certain expenses from fixed to variable partially offset by the addition of RCB and RMSC.certain capital software projects.
Other Operating Expenses
Other operating expenses were $39.5$46.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, a decrease of $29.3in 2019, $47.4 million or 42.6% compared to other operating expenses of $68.8in 2018, and $44.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.in 2017. The decrease$3.3 million increase in 2018 was primarily due to an increase in corporate technology and software related expenses partially offset by a decrease as a result of the $28.8 millionsale of our government services businesses and the sale of PLS in expenses incurred2017.
Gain on Sale of Subsidiaries
We did not have any sales of subsidiaries during 2015 relating to the Consent Order entered into with the CFPB.2019. In 2018, we sold 79% of our interest in RCB's servicing platform which resulted in a gain of $26.6 million. In 2017, we sold our government services businesses and PLS which resulted in a combined gain of $48.5 million.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net was $80.9$141.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016,in 2019, an increase of $20.6$20.8 million or 34.2%17.2% compared to interest expense of $60.3$121.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.in 2018. The increase was primarily due to higher levels of average borrowings to fund increased portfolio acquisitions paired with slightly higher interest rates and the resultimpact of changes in the fair value of our derivatives.


Interest expense, net was $121.1 million in 2018, an increase of $23.1 million or 23.6% compared to $98.0 million in 2017. The increase was primarily due to higher levels of average borrowings outstanding during 2016 compared to 2015, as well as an increaseand higher average interest rates.
Interest expense, net consisted of the following in the interest rates charged on our variable rate borrowings.2019, 2018 and 2017 (amounts in thousands):
Impairment of Investments
Impairment of investments were $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, compared to $0.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. During 2016, the net portfolio collections on our investments in a closed-end Polish investment fund significantly underperformed expectations.As a result, in 2016 we recorded an other-than-temporary impairment charge $5.8 million. For more information, refer to Note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 3").
 Twelve Months Ended December 31, Variances
 2019 2018 2017 2019 vs. 2018 2018 vs. 2017
Stated interest on debt obligations and unused line fees$94,841
 $83,983
 $71,656
 $10,858
 $12,327
Coupon interest on convertible debt20,700
 20,700
 15,870
 
 4,830
Amortization of convertible debt discount12,398
 11,725
 8,583
 673
 3,142
Amortization of loan fees and other loan costs10,589
 10,332
 9,569
 257
 763
Change in fair value on derivatives5,636
 (2,532) (2,025) 8,168
 (507)
Interest income(2,246) (3,130) (5,612) 884
 2,482
Interest expense, net$141,918
 $121,078
 $98,041
 $20,840
 $23,037
Net Foreign Currency Transaction GainGains/(Losses)
Net foreign currency transaction gainsgains/(losses) were $2.6$12.0 million, $(0.9) million, and $7.5$(1.1) million for the years ended December 31, 2016in 2019, 2018, and 2015,2017, respectively. In any given period, we are exposed tomay incur foreign currency transactionstransaction losses or gains or losses from transactions in currencies other than the functional currency. The $12.9 million increase in 2019 was primarily related to gains on U.S. Dollar linked investments held in Brazil and foreign currency gains in Europe.
Provision for Other Expense
Other expense was $0.4 million in 2019, $0.3 million in 2018, and $2.8 million in 2017. In 2017, we incurred an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $1.7 million on one of our investments in private equity funds. Additionally, during 2017 we incurred a $1.0 million expense related to a performance guarantee on a Polish investment fund.
Income TaxesTax Expense/(Benefit)
Income tax expenseexpense/(benefit) was $43.2$19.7 million, for$13.8 million, and $(10.9) million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The increase from 2018 to 2019 was primarily driven by GILTI, which is included in the year ended December 31, 2016,tax impact on international earnings disclosed in Note 13. The change from 2017 to 2018 was primarily attributable to a decrease$73.8 million after-tax benefit recorded in 2017 as a result of $46.2 million or 51.7% comparedthe revaluation of our net deferred tax liability per the Tax Act.
The effective tax rate increased from 15.4% in 2018 to income tax expense of $89.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was16.8% in 2019 primarily due to a decrease of 47.9%the GILTI taxes in income before taxes. In addition, the US. The effective tax rate for 2018 increased and the 2017 effective tax rate decreased to 32.2% for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to 34.7% fortheir respective prior years due to the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease was caused by a varietyrevaluation of factors, including changes in the mix of earnings, provision-to-return adjustments, and non-deductible penalties incurred during 2016, all of which causeddeferred tax liability per the rate to decrease.  The impact of these factors was partially offset by tax rate changes in Europe and tax expense on a one-time intercompany transaction in 2016.Tax Act. Our effective tax rate will vary from period to period due to these types of items.

29




Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2014
Revenues
Total revenues were $942.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $61.0 million or 6.9% compared to total revenues of $881.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Income Recognized on Finance Receivables, net
Income recognized on finance receivables, net, was $865.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $57.6 million or 7.1% compared to income recognized on finance receivables, net, of $807.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to an increase in cash collections on our finance receivables to $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to $1.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2014, an increase of $100.0 million or 7.1%. This increase was largely due to the inclusion of Aktiv's cash collections for the full year in 2015 as compared to the prior year period from July 16, 2014 to December 31, 2014.
Our finance receivables amortization rate, including net allowance charges, was 43.8% for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to 41.4% for the year ended December 31, 2014.
During the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, we reclassified $502.7 million and $390.3 million, respectively, from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts related to pools primarily acquired from 2011-2014.
For the year ended December 31, 2015, we recorded net allowance charges of $29.4 million. On our domestic Core portfolios, we recorded net allowance charges of $23.3 million on portfolios purchased between 2010 and 2013, offset by net allowance reversals of $1.4 million on portfolios primarily purchased between 2005 and 2008. We also recorded a net allowance charge of $7.5 million on our portfolios in the UK and $0.1 million on our Denmark portfolios. On our Insolvency portfolios, we recorded net allowance reversals of $0.2 million on our domestic portfolios. For the year ended December 31, 2014, we recorded net allowance reversals of $4.9 million. On our domestic Core portfolios, we recorded net allowance reversals of $10.9 million on portfolios purchased between 2005 and 2008, offset by allowance charges of $6.0 million on portfolios primarily purchased in 2010 and 2011. On our Insolvency portfolios, we recorded net allowance reversals of $1.7 million on our domestic portfolios primarily purchased in 2007 and 2008, offset by net allowance charges of $1.1 million on Canadian portfolios purchased in 2014. We also recorded a net allowance charge of $0.5 million on our portfolios in the UK.
Fee Income
Fee income was $64.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, a decrease of $1.3 million or 2.0% compared to fee income of $65.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Fee income decreased primarily due to a decrease in revenues generated by CCB and PRA Europe. The decrease in revenue from CCB is due primarily to smaller distributions of class action settlements. The decline in fee income from PRA Europe is due primarily to a decline in the amount of contingent fee work provided by us for debt owners, which was partially offset by higher fee income generated by PLS, PGS and our operations in Brazil.
Other Revenue
Other revenue was $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $4.7 million or 60.3% compared to $7.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is due primarily to an increase in revenue generated from our Series B Poland investment. For more information, refer to Note 3.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses were $631.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $92.8 million or 17.2% compared to total operating expenses of $538.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Total operating expenses were 39.4% of cash receipts for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared with 37.3% for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Compensation and Employee Services
Compensation and employee service expenses were $268.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $33.8 million or 14.4% compared to compensation and employee service expenses of $234.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Compensation expense increased primarily as a result of larger average staff sizes, mainly attributable to the acquisition of Aktiv, in addition to increases in incentive compensation and normal pay increases. Total full-time equivalents decreased 2.1% to 3,799 as of December 31, 2015 from 3,880 as of December 31, 2014.


Legal Collection Expenses
Legal collection expenses were $129.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, a decrease of $9.7 million or 7.0% compared to legal collection expenses of $139.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease of $14.8 million in costs paid to courts where a lawsuit is filed. During 2012-2014, we expanded the number of accounts brought into the legal collection process resulting in increased legal collection expenses. This expansion subsided in 2015 which led to the decrease in the costs paid to courts. This was partially offset by increases in document costs and contingent fees paid to our independent third-party attorneys. Our costs paid to sellers of nonperforming loans for documents were $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $2.8 million or 116.7% compared to $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. Our costs paid to third-party attorneys were $53.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $2.3 million or 4.5% compared to $51.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.
Agency Fees
Agency fees were $32.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, compared to $16.4 million for the year ended and December 31, 2014, an increase of 15.8 million or 96.3%. This increase was mainly attributable to third-party collection fees incurred by PRA Europe due to our utilization of outsourcing in our blended operational collection model there.
Outside Fees and Services
Outside fees and services expenses were $65.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $9.4 million or 16.8% compared to outside fees and services expenses of $55.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was mainly attributable to an incremental increase of $13.3 million in corporate legal expenses incurred in 2015 as a result of outstanding litigation and regulatory matters. This was offset by a decrease of $12.3 million in acquisition- related transaction costs incurred during 2015 compared to 2014. The remaining increase is a result of the outside fees and services incurred by our European operations for the full year in 2015 as compared to the prior year period from July 16, 2014 to December 31, 2014.
Communication
Communication expenses were $33.1 million for both the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.
Rent and Occupancy
Rent and occupancy expenses were $14.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $3.2 million or 27.8% compared to rent and occupancy expenses of $11.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to the rent and occupancy expense incurred by our European operations for the full year in 2015 as compared to the prior year period from July 16, 2014 to December 31, 2014.
Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization expense was $19.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $1.5 million or 8.2% compared to depreciation and amortization expenses of $18.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to the depreciation and amortization expenses incurred by our European operations for the full year in 2015 as compared to the prior year period from July 16, 2014 to December 31, 2014.
Other Operating Expenses
Other operating expenses were $68.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $38.8 million or 129.3% compared to other operating expenses of $30.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to $28.8 million in expenses incurred during 2015 relating to a Consent Order entered into with the CFPB, as well as other operating expenses incurred by our European operations for the full year in 2015 as compared to the prior year period from July 16, 2014 to December 31, 2014.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $60.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, an increase of $25.1 million or 71.3% compared to interest expense of $35.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was primarily due to additional borrowings for the Aktiv and RCB acquisitions and the additional interest incurred on the Aktiv assumed debt and interest rate swap contracts.


Net Foreign Currency Transaction Gain/(Loss)
Net foreign currency transaction gains were $7.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to a net foreign currency transaction loss of $5.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. In any given period, we are exposed to foreign currency transactions gains or losses from transactions in currencies other than the functional currency.
Provision for Income Taxes
Income tax expense was $89.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015, a decrease of $35.1 million or 28.2% compared to income tax expense of $124.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The decrease was due to a decrease of 14.4% in income before taxes, in addition to a decrease in the effective tax rate to 34.7% for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to 41.4% for the year ended December 31, 2014. The decrease in the effective tax rate was due primarily to having proportionately more income during 2015 in foreign jurisdictions with lower tax rates than the U.S. and changes in amounts and mix of taxable foreign currency translation gains and non-deductible foreign exchange losses, partially offset by the non-tax deductible payments made pursuant to the Consent Order entered into with the CFPB.




Supplemental Performance Data
Finance Receivables Portfolio Performance
The following tables show certain data related to our finance receivables portfolio. These tables include the purchase price, actual cash collections, estimates of future cash collections, income recognized on finance receivables (gross and net of allowance charges/(reversals)), principal amortization, allowance charges/(reversals), net finance receivable balances, and the ratio of total estimated collections to purchase price (which we refer to as purchase price multiple) as well as the original purchase price multiple.portfolios. Certain adjustments, as noted in the footnotes to these tables, have been made to reduce the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on ERC and purchase price multiples.
Further, these tables disclose our Americas and European Core and Insolvency portfolios. The accounts represented in the Insolvencyinsolvency tables are those portfolios of accounts that were in an insolvency status at the time of purchase. This contrasts with accounts in our Core portfolios that file for bankruptcy/insolvency protection after we purchase them, which continue to be tracked in their corresponding Core portfolio. Core customers sometimes file for bankruptcy/insolvency protection subsequent to our purchase of the related Core portfolio. When this occurs, we adjust our collection practices accordingly to comply with bankruptcy/insolvency rules and procedures; however, for accounting purposes, these accounts remain in the relatedoriginal Core portfolio. Conversely, Insolvency accounts may be dismissed voluntarily or involuntarily subsequent to our purchase of the related Insolvency portfolio. Dismissal occurs when the terms of the bankruptcy are not met by the petitioner. When this occurs, we are typically free to pursue collection outside of bankruptcy procedures; however, for accounting purposes, these accounts remain in the relatedoriginal Insolvency pool.
Purchase price multiples can vary over time due to a variety of factors, including pricing competition, supply levels, age of the receivables purchased,acquired, and changes in our operational efficiency. For example, increased pricing competition during the 2005 to 2008 period negatively impacted purchase price multiples of our Core portfolio compared to prior years. Conversely, during the 2009 to 2011 period, pricing disruptionsadditional supply occurred as a result of the economic downturn. This created unique and advantageous purchasing opportunities, particularly within the Insolvency market, relative to the prior four years. Purchase price multiples can also vary among types of finance receivables. For example, we generally incur lower collection costs on our Insolvency portfolio compared with our Core portfolio. This allows us, in general, to pay more for an Insolvency portfolio and experience lower purchase price multiples, while generating similar internal rates of return, net of expenses,income margins when compared with a Core portfolio.
When competition increases and/or supply decreases, pricing often becomes negatively impacted relative to expected collections, and yields tend to trend lower. The opposite tends to occur when competition decreases and/or supply increases.
Within a given portfolio type, to the extent that lower purchase price multiples are the result of more competitive pricing and lower net yields, this will generally lead to higher amortization rates and lower profitability. As portfolio pricing becomes more favorable on a relative basis, our profitability will tend to increase. Profitability within given Core portfolio types may also be impacted by the age and quality of the receivables, which impact the cost to collect those accounts. Fresher accounts, for example, typically carry lower associated collection expenses, while older accounts and lower balance accounts typically carry higher costs and, as a result, require higher purchase price multiples to achieve the same net profitability as fresher paper.
Revenue recognition under ASC 310-30 is driven by estimates of totalthe amount and timing of collections as well as the timing of those collections. We record new portfolio purchasesacquisitions based on our best estimate of the cash flows expected at acquisition, which reflects the uncertainties inherent in the purchaseacquisition of nonperforming loans and the results of our underwriting process. Subsequent to the initial booking, as we gain collection experience and confidence with a pool of accounts, we regularly update ERC. As a result, our estimate of total collections has often increased as pools have aged. These processes have tended to cause the ratio of ERC to purchase price for any given year of buying to gradually increase over time. As a result, our estimate of total collections has often increased as pools have aged. Thus, all factors being equal in terms of pricing, one would typically tend to see a higher collection to purchase price ratio from a pool of accounts that was six years from purchaseacquisition than a pool that was just two years from purchase.acquisition.
We hold a beneficial interest in certain pools of finance receivables in Europe. Revenue recognition is under ASC Topic 310-20, "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs" where we compute a life-to-date yield on a retrospective basis and apply it to the ERC of the portfolio. Revenue on these pools is included in income recognized on finance receivables. In addition, these portfolios are included in the tables below as they perform economically similar to finance receivables accounted for under ASC 310-30.
The numbers presented in the following tables represent gross cash collections and do not reflect any costs to collect; therefore, they may not represent relative profitability. Due to all the factors described above, readers should be cautious when making comparisons of purchase price multiples among periods and between types of receivables.
We hold a majority interest in a closed-end Polish investment fund that purchases and services finance receivables. Our investment in this fund is classified in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as "Investments" and as such is not included in the following tables. The equivalent of the estimated remaining collections of the portfolios, expected to be received by us, is $61.4 million at December 31, 2016.



Multiples Table
Amounts in thousands
Purchase Price Multiples
as of December 31, 2019
Amounts in thousands
Purchase Price Multiples
as of December 31, 2019
Amounts in thousands
 As of December 31, 2016 
Purchase Period
Purchase Price (1)(3)
Net Finance Receivables (4)
ERC-Historical Period Exchange Rates (5)
Total Estimated Collections (6)
ERC-Current Period Exchange Rates (7)
Current Purchase Price Multiple
Original Purchase Price Multiple (2)
Purchase Price (1)(2)
Net Finance Receivables (3)
ERC-Historical Period Exchange Rates (4)
Total Estimated Collections (5)
ERC-Current Period Exchange Rates (6)
Current Estimated Purchase Price Multiple
Original Estimated Purchase Price Multiple (7)
Americas-Core  
1996 - 2006$458,637
$4,458
$22,414
$1,604,862
$22,414
350%246%
2007179,834
6,737
29,422
446,944
29,422
249%227%
2008166,481
7,344
21,730
375,039
21,730
225%220%
2009125,171
3,029
45,506
463,131
45,506
370%252%
Americas Core  
1996-2009$930,026
$9,279
$42,102
$2,885,906
$42,102
310%238%
2010148,237
8,503
68,346
539,432
68,346
364%247%148,193
3,485
28,669
535,684
28,669
361%247%
2011209,747
20,111
101,347
721,704
101,347
344%245%209,602
7,707
48,551
739,158
48,551
353%245%
2012254,627
40,235
143,639
677,575
143,639
266%226%254,076
16,011
60,711
680,352
60,711
268%226%
2013391,572
103,081
306,914
971,191
306,914
248%211%390,826
33,648
94,733
931,194
94,733
238%211%
2014406,261
163,557
452,789
974,450
446,731
240%204%405,169
55,033
152,639
929,179
150,012
229%204%
2015446,846
287,053
594,567
938,887
597,147
210%205%443,779
93,385
226,865
965,671
226,755
218%205%
2016458,280
403,485
785,209
921,482
788,692
201%201%453,158
139,380
354,399
1,081,376
349,699
239%201%
2017533,442
242,129
521,715
1,167,831
519,181
219%193%
2018655,548
460,797
852,246
1,338,876
848,727
204%202%
2019578,281
533,933
1,048,207
1,191,940
1,053,332
206%
Subtotal3,245,693
1,047,593
2,571,883
8,634,697
2,571,888
 5,002,100
1,594,787
3,430,837
12,447,167
3,422,472
 
Americas-Insolvency  
2004 - 200654,396

554
91,184
554
168%145%
200778,524
149
426
106,040
426
135%150%
2008108,579
715
1,367
169,108
1,367
156%163%
2009155,999

5,463
472,528
5,463
303%214%
Americas InsolvencyAmericas Insolvency  
1996-2009397,453

917
835,958
917
210%178%
2010208,972
82
7,801
549,052
7,801
263%184%208,942

1,181
546,872
1,181
262%184%
2011180,587

3,021
366,098
3,021
203%155%180,432

973
370,103
973
205%155%
2012251,737
9,605
25,679
381,613
25,679
152%136%251,395

953
392,377
953
156%136%
2013228,080
41,337
59,441
339,630
59,441
149%133%227,834

2,143
354,923
2,143
156%133%
2014149,013
54,692
73,376
205,796
73,264
138%124%148,689
756
3,598
218,044
3,578
147%124%
201564,024
49,131
58,329
79,616
58,329
124%125%63,170
5,783
9,917
87,773
9,917
139%125%
201694,377
78,905
96,691
115,671
96,027
123%123%92,264
17,433
22,491
116,896
22,501
127%123%
2017275,257
95,421
121,498
348,811
121,498
127%125%
201897,879
74,459
93,120
127,257
93,120
130%127%
2019123,039
114,892
144,228
157,675
144,279
128%
Subtotal1,574,288
234,616
332,148
2,876,336
331,372
 2,066,354
308,744
401,019
3,556,689
401,060
 
Total Americas4,819,981
1,282,209
2,904,031
11,511,033
2,903,260
 7,068,454
1,903,531
3,831,856
16,003,856
3,823,532
 
Europe-Core   
Europe Core   
201220,457

135
32,959
103
161%187%20,409

875
40,542
709
199%187%
201320,370
960
1,885
22,039
1,403
108%119%20,334

431
24,995
343
123%119%
2014797,945
388,379
1,292,054
2,058,567
1,054,557
258%208%796,762
188,892
823,116
2,278,261
704,192
286%208%
2015423,673
271,489
571,381
723,335
492,904
171%160%419,909
161,210
345,214
748,127
314,643
178%160%
2016352,151
314,373
546,628
587,497
523,969
167%167%348,270
190,927
333,375
578,421
332,857
166%167%
2017246,752
157,850
232,858
351,216
229,035
142%144%
2018 (8)
345,256
269,292
407,945
522,374
413,728
151%148%
2019512,702
488,468
730,704
779,136
739,345
152%
Subtotal1,614,596
975,201
2,412,083
3,424,397
2,072,936
 2,710,394
1,456,639
2,874,518
5,323,072
2,734,852
 
Europe-Insolvency  
Europe InsolvencyEurope Insolvency  
201410,876
3,555
9,500
18,524
8,043
170%129%10,876
306
1,061
18,155
941
167%129%
201519,420
11,179
20,547
28,254
16,999
145%139%19,226
3,083
5,970
29,294
5,262
152%139%
201643,143
35,825
49,819
56,141
46,768
130%130%41,858
12,507
18,160
60,651
18,272
145%130%
201738,409
24,417
28,931
47,604
28,707
124%128%
201845,586
39,424
46,969
56,199
47,240
123%
201975,588
74,258
93,518
98,439
95,509
130%
Subtotal73,439
50,559
79,866
102,919
71,810
 231,543
153,995
194,609
310,342
195,931
 
Total Europe1,688,035
1,025,760
2,491,949
3,527,316
2,144,746
 2,941,937
1,610,634
3,069,127
5,633,414
2,930,783
 
Total PRA Group$6,508,016
$2,307,969
$5,395,980
$15,038,349
$5,048,006
 $10,010,391
$3,514,165
$6,900,983
$21,637,270
$6,754,315
 
(1)The amount reflected in the Purchase Price also includesIncludes the acquisition date finance receivablereceivables portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
(2)The Original Purchase Price Multiple represents the purchase price multiple at the end of the year of acquisition.
(3)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, Purchase Price is presented at the exchange rate at the end of the quarter in which the pool was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(4)(3)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, Net Finance Receivables are presented at the December 31, 20162019 exchange rate.
(5)(4)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, ERC-Historical Period Exchange Rates is presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(6)(5)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, TEC is presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(7)(6)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, ERC-Current Period Exchange Rates is presented at the December 31, 20162019 exchange rate.
(7)The Original Purchase Price Multiple represents the purchase price multiple at the end of the year of acquisition.
(8)Includes a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the accounting consolidation of a Polish investment fund.



Portfolio Financial Information
Amounts in thousands
Portfolio Financial Information
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Amounts in thousands
Portfolio Financial Information
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Amounts in thousands
 For the Year Ended December 31, 2016 
Purchase Period
Purchase Price (1)(3)
Cash
Collections
(2)
Gross Revenue (2)
Amortization (2)
Allowance (2)
Net Revenue (2)
Net Finance Receivables (4)
Purchase Price (1)(2)
Cash
Collections
 (3)
Gross Revenue (3)
Amortization (3)
Net Allowance Charges/(Reversals) (3)
Net Revenue (3)(4)
Net Finance Receivables as of December 31, 2019 (5)
Americas-Core 
1996 - 2006$458,637
$11,862
$9,982
$1,880
$2,220
$7,762
$4,458
2007179,834
8,883
6,538
2,345
3,190
3,348
6,737
2008166,481
8,989
5,822
3,167
2,840
2,982
7,344
2009125,171
16,000
13,494
2,506

13,494
3,029
Americas Core 
1996-2009$930,026
$19,178
$15,005
$4,173
$(3,700)$18,705
$9,279
2010148,237
24,515
19,316
5,199
275
19,041
8,503
148,193
9,202
8,090
1,112
40
8,050
3,485
2011209,747
48,711
39,374
9,337
1,485
37,889
20,111
209,602
16,637
14,670
1,967
755
13,915
7,707
2012254,627
59,981
44,784
15,197
16,085
28,699
40,235
254,076
17,866
13,930
3,936
(370)14,300
16,011
2013391,572
120,789
88,492
32,297
41,205
47,287
103,081
390,826
36,855
26,477
10,378
6,325
20,152
33,648
2014406,261
170,311
113,434
56,877
21,178
92,256
163,557
405,169
55,340
37,701
17,639
8,317
29,384
55,033
2015446,846
228,432
119,120
109,312
94
119,026
287,053
443,779
83,592
52,469
31,123
9,247
43,222
93,385
2016458,280
138,723
82,198
56,525
500
81,698
403,485
453,158
140,590
88,200
52,390
3,364
84,836
139,380
2017533,442
256,520
128,559
127,961
265
128,294
242,129
2018655,548
361,899
196,082
165,817
254
195,828
460,797
2019578,281
143,828
96,841
46,987
34
96,807
533,933
Subtotal3,245,693
837,196
542,554
294,642
89,072
453,482
1,047,593
5,002,100
1,141,507
678,024
463,483
24,531
653,493
1,594,787
Americas-Insolvency 
2004 - 200654,396
193
126
67
(20)146

200778,524
270
125
145
(100)225
149
2008108,579
635
239
396
45
194
715
2009155,999
2,531
2,531


2,531

Americas InsolvencyAmericas Insolvency 
1996-2009397,453
652
652


652

2010208,972
5,008
4,893
115
510
4,383
82
208,942
663
663


663

2011180,587
35,996
22,405
13,591
90
22,315

180,432
743
743


743

2012251,737
60,715
23,853
36,862

23,853
9,605
251,395
1,870
1,870


1,870

2013228,080
63,386
23,530
39,856

23,530
41,337
227,834
2,862
2,862


2,862

2014149,013
44,313
16,114
28,199
(69)16,183
54,692
148,689
15,785
9,476
6,309
310
9,166
756
201564,024
17,892
4,495
13,397

4,495
49,131
63,170
16,657
6,221
10,436

6,221
5,783
201694,377
18,869
4,053
14,816

4,053
78,905
92,264
19,918
5,299
14,619
(1,460)6,759
17,433
2017275,257
80,906
20,754
60,152

20,754
95,421
201897,879
27,438
8,210
19,228

8,210
74,459
2019123,039
13,449
5,264
8,185

5,264
114,892
Subtotal1,574,288
249,808
102,364
147,444
456
101,908
234,616
2,066,354
180,943
62,014
118,929
(1,150)63,164
308,744
Total Americas4,819,981
1,087,004
644,918
442,086
89,528
555,390
1,282,209
7,068,454
1,322,450
740,038
582,412
23,381
716,657
1,903,531
Europe-Core 
Europe Core 
201220,457
2,198
2,037
161

2,037

20,409
1,450
1,450


1,450

201320,370
1,326
875
451
454
421
960
20,334
901
820
81

820

2014797,945
246,365
142,256
104,109
2,570
139,686
388,379
796,762
172,885
121,450
51,435
(1,846)123,296
188,892
2015423,673
100,263
32,900
67,363
5,927
26,973
271,489
419,909
66,074
32,821
33,253
(3,353)36,174
161,210
2016352,151
40,368
16,878
23,490

16,878
314,373
348,270
57,989
28,594
29,395
2,911
25,683
190,927
2017246,752
44,085
14,239
29,846
1,815
12,424
157,850
2018 (6)
345,256
88,699
27,309
61,390
664
26,645
269,292
2019512,702
47,976
17,736
30,240
45
17,691
488,468
Subtotal1,614,596
390,520
194,946
195,574
8,951
185,995
975,201
2,710,394
480,059
244,419
235,640
236
244,183
1,456,639
Europe-Insolvency 
Europe InsolvencyEurope Insolvency 
201410,876
3,921
1,298
2,623

1,298
3,555
10,876
1,547
907
640

907
306
201519,420
4,366
1,171
3,195

1,171
11,179
19,226
3,904
1,889
2,015
(72)1,961
3,083
201643,143
6,175
1,265
4,910

1,265
35,825
41,858
10,664
4,161
6,503
(42)4,203
12,507
201738,409
9,240
2,300
6,940
522
1,778
24,417
201845,586
8,422
2,552
5,870

2,552
39,424
201975,588
4,985
2,095
2,890

2,095
74,258
Subtotal73,439
14,462
3,734
10,728

3,734
50,559
231,543
38,762
13,904
24,858
408
13,496
153,995
Total Europe1,688,035
404,982
198,680
206,302
8,951
189,729
1,025,760
2,941,937
518,821
258,323
260,498
644
257,679
1,610,634
Total PRA Group$6,508,016
$1,491,986
$843,598
$648,388
$98,479
$745,119
$2,307,969
$10,010,391
$1,841,271
$998,361
$842,910
$24,025
$974,336
$3,514,165
(1)The amount reflected in the Purchase Price also includesIncludes the acquisition date finance receivablereceivables portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
(2)For our international amounts, amounts are presented using the average exchange rates during the current reporting period.
(3)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, Purchase Price is presented at the exchange rate at the end of the quarter in which the pool was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(3)
For our non-U.S. amounts, amounts are presented using the average exchange rates during the current reporting period.
(4)
Net Revenue refers to income recognized on finance receivables, net of allowance charges/(reversals).
(5)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, net finance receivables are presented at the December 31, 20162019 exchange rate.
(6)Includes a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the accounting consolidation of a Polish investment fund.




The following tables,table, which excludeexcludes any proceeds from cash sales of finance receivables, illustrateillustrates historical cash collections, by year, on our portfolios.
Cash Collections by Year, By Year of Purchase (2)
Amounts in thousands
Cash Collections by Year, By Year of Purchase (1)
as of December 31, 2019
Amounts in thousands
Cash Collections by Year, By Year of Purchase (1)
as of December 31, 2019
Amounts in thousands
 Cash Collections
Purchase Period
Purchase Price (1)(3)
1996 - 20062007200820092010201120122013201420152016Total
Purchase Price (2)(3)
1996-
2009
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019Total
Americas-Core 
1996 - 2006$458,637
$861,003
$195,738
$135,589
$99,674
$77,459
$64,555
$49,820
$35,711
$25,488
$18,293
$11,862
$1,575,192
2007179,834

39,412
87,039
69,175
60,230
50,996
39,585
28,244
19,759
14,198
8,883
417,521
2008166,481


47,253
72,080
62,363
53,654
42,850
31,307
21,027
13,786
8,989
353,309
2009125,171



40,703
95,627
84,339
69,385
51,121
35,555
24,896
16,000
417,626
Americas CoreAmericas Core 
1996-2009$930,026
$1,647,666
$295,679
$253,544
$201,640
$146,383
$101,829
$71,173
$45,734
$30,452
$23,272
$19,178
$2,836,550
2010148,237




47,076
113,554
109,873
82,014
55,946
38,110
24,515
471,088
148,193

47,076
113,554
109,873
82,014
55,946
38,110
24,515
15,587
11,140
9,202
507,017
2011209,747





61,971
174,461
152,908
108,513
73,793
48,711
620,357
209,602


61,971
174,461
152,908
108,513
73,793
48,711
31,991
21,622
16,637
690,607
2012254,627






56,901
173,589
146,198
97,267
59,981
533,936
254,076



56,901
173,589
146,198
97,267
59,981
40,042
27,797
17,866
619,641
2013391,572







101,614
247,849
194,026
120,789
664,278
390,826




101,614
247,849
194,026
120,789
78,880
56,449
36,855
836,462
2014406,261








92,660
253,448
170,311
516,419
405,169





92,660
253,448
170,311
114,219
82,244
55,340
768,222
2015446,846









116,951
228,432
345,383
443,779






116,951
228,432
185,898
126,605
83,592
741,478
2016458,280










138,723
138,723
453,158







138,723
256,531
194,605
140,590
730,449
2017533,442








107,327
278,733
256,520
642,580
2018655,548









122,712
361,899
484,611
2019578,281










143,828
143,828
Subtotal3,245,693
861,003
235,150
269,881
281,632
342,755
429,069
542,875
656,508
752,995
844,768
837,196
6,053,832
5,002,100
1,647,666
342,755
429,069
542,875
656,508
752,995
844,768
837,196
860,927
945,179
1,141,507
9,001,445
Americas-Insolvency 
2004 - 200654,396
34,138
24,166
14,822
8,212
4,518
2,141
1,023
678
437
302
193
90,630
200778,524

2,850
27,972
25,630
22,829
16,093
7,551
1,206
714
500
270
105,615
2008108,579


14,024
35,894
37,974
35,690
28,956
11,650
1,884
1,034
635
167,741
2009155,999



16,635
81,780
102,780
107,888
95,725
53,945
5,781
2,531
467,065
Americas InsolvencyAmericas Insolvency 
1996-2009397,453
204,343
147,101
156,704
145,418
109,259
56,980
7,617
3,629
2,234
1,103
652
835,040
2010208,972




39,486
104,499
125,020
121,717
101,873
43,649
5,008
541,252
208,942

39,486
104,499
125,020
121,717
101,873
43,649
5,008
2,425
1,352
663
545,692
2011180,587





15,218
66,379
82,752
85,816
76,915
35,996
363,076
180,432


15,218
66,379
82,752
85,816
76,915
35,996
3,726
1,584
743
369,129
2012251,737






17,388
103,610
94,141
80,079
60,715
355,933
251,395



17,388
103,610
94,141
80,079
60,715
29,337
4,284
1,870
391,424
2013228,080







52,528
82,596
81,679
63,386
280,189
227,834




52,528
82,596
81,679
63,386
47,781
21,948
2,862
352,780
2014149,013








37,045
50,880
44,313
132,238
148,689





37,045
50,880
44,313
37,350
28,759
15,785
214,132
201564,024









3,395
17,892
21,287
63,170






3,395
17,892
20,143
19,769
16,657
77,856
201694,377










18,869
18,869
92,264







18,869
30,426
25,047
19,918
94,260
2017275,257








49,093
97,315
80,906
227,314
201897,879









6,700
27,438
34,138
2019123,039










13,449
13,449
Subtotal1,574,288
34,138
27,016
56,818
86,371
186,587
276,421
354,205
469,866
458,451
344,214
249,808
2,543,895
2,066,354
204,343
186,587
276,421
354,205
469,866
458,451
344,214
249,808
222,515
207,861
180,943
3,155,214
Total Americas4,819,981
895,141
262,166
326,699
368,003
529,342
705,490
897,080
1,126,374
1,211,446
1,188,982
1,087,004
8,597,727
7,068,454
1,852,009
529,342
705,490
897,080
1,126,374
1,211,446
1,188,982
1,087,004
1,083,442
1,153,040
1,322,450
12,156,659
Europe-Core 
Europe CoreEurope Core 
201220,457






11,604
8,995
5,641
3,175
2,198
31,613
20,409



11,604
8,995
5,641
3,175
2,198
2,038
1,996
1,450
37,097
201320,370







7,068
8,540
2,347
1,326
19,281
20,334




7,068
8,540
2,347
1,326
1,239
1,331
901
22,752
2014797,945








153,180
291,980
246,365
691,525
796,762





153,180
291,980
246,365
220,765
206,255
172,885
1,291,430
2015423,673









45,760
100,263
146,023
419,909






45,760
100,263
86,156
80,858
66,074
379,111
2016352,151










40,368
40,368
348,270







40,368
78,915
72,603
57,989
249,875
2017246,752








17,894
56,033
44,085
118,012
2018 (4)
345,256









24,326
88,699
113,025
2019512,702










47,976
47,976
Subtotal1,614,596






11,604
16,063
167,361
343,262
390,520
928,810
2,710,394



11,604
16,063
167,361
343,262
390,520
407,007
443,402
480,059
2,259,278
Europe-Insolvency 
Europe InsolvencyEurope Insolvency 
201410,876








5
4,297
3,921
8,223
10,876





5
4,297
3,921
3,207
2,620
1,547
15,597
201519,420









2,954
4,366
7,320
19,226






2,954
4,366
5,013
4,783
3,904
21,020
201643,143










6,175
6,175
41,858







6,175
12,703
12,856
10,664
42,398
201738,409








1,233
7,862
9,240
18,335
201845,586









642
8,422
9,064
201975,588










4,985
4,985
Subtotal73,439








5
7,251
14,462
21,718
231,543





5
7,251
14,462
22,156
28,763
38,762
111,399
Total Europe1,688,035






11,604
16,063
167,366
350,513
404,982
950,528
2,941,937



11,604
16,063
167,366
350,513
404,982
429,163
472,165
518,821
2,370,677
Total PRA Group$6,508,016
$895,141
$262,166
$326,699
$368,003
$529,342
$705,490
$908,684
$1,142,437
$1,378,812
$1,539,495
$1,491,986
$9,548,255
$10,010,391
$1,852,009
$529,342
$705,490
$908,684
$1,142,437
$1,378,812
$1,539,495
$1,491,986
$1,512,605
$1,625,205
$1,841,271
$14,527,336
(1)The amount reflected in the Purchase Price also includes the acquisition date finance receivable portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
(2)
For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, cash collections are presented using the average exchange rates during the cash collection period.
(2)
Includes the acquisition date finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through our business acquisitions.
(3)For our internationalnon-U.S. amounts, purchase pricePurchase Price is presented at the exchange rate at the end of the quarter in which the portfolio was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the period end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(4)
Includes a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the accounting consolidation of a Polish investment fund.



Estimated Remaining Collections
The following chart shows our ERC by geographical regionof $6,754.3 million at December 31, 20162019 by geographical region (amounts in millions).
chart-51b861807bb05690af4.jpg

Seasonality
Cash collections in the Americas tend to be higher in the first and second quartershalf of the year and lowerdue to the high volume of income tax refunds received by individuals in the thirdU.S., and fourth quarters oftrend lower as the year; by contrast, cash collections in Europe tend to be higher in the third and fourth quarters of the year.year progresses. Customer payment patterns arein all of the countries in which we operate can be affected by seasonal employment trends, income tax refunds, and holiday spending habits geographically.habits.
Cash Collections
The following table displays our quarterly cash collections by geography and portfolio type, for the periods indicated.
Cash Collections by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
 2016 2015
 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Americas-Core$193,360
 $210,524
 $213,741
 $219,571
 $195,835
 $210,725
 $218,838
 $219,371
Americas-Insolvency52,988
 60,429
 67,745
 68,646
 73,842
 81,865
 92,974
 95,533
Europe-Core97,429
 96,028
 102,972
 94,091
 97,149
 85,635
 76,602
 83,876
Europe-Insolvency4,974
 4,719
 2,744
 2,025
 2,545
 2,528
 1,210
 967
Total Cash Collections$348,751
 $371,700
 $387,202
 $384,333
 $369,371
 $380,753
 $389,624
 $399,747
Cash Collections by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
 2019 2018
 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Americas Core$276,639
 $279,902
 $294,243
 $290,723
 $233,937
 $231,253
 $233,752
 $246,237
Americas Insolvency40,801
 45,759
 49,770
 44,613
 48,000
 48,518
 56,063
 55,280
Europe Core126,649
 118,917
 117,635
 116,858
 113,154
 102,780
 109,359
 118,109
Europe Insolvency12,520
 8,639
 8,626
 8,977
 7,618
 6,731
 7,460
 6,954
Total Cash Collections$456,609
 $453,217
 $470,274
 $461,171
 $402,709
 $389,282
 $406,634
 $426,580
The following table provides additional details on the composition of our U.S. Core cash collections for the periods indicated.
Domestic Portfolio Core Cash Collections by Source
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Core Portfolio Cash Collections by Source
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Core Portfolio Cash Collections by Source
Amounts in thousands
2016 20152019 2018
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Call Center and Other Collections$103,595
 $115,454
 $119,568
 $127,851
 $108,979
 $117,560
 $121,148
 $122,316
$139,399
 $149,782
 $160,479
 $169,753
 $134,543
 $137,325
 $143,527
 $155,448
External Legal Collections35,231
 36,415
 40,369
 43,203
 42,432
 47,318
 49,995
 49,578
58,831
 64,301
 63,490
 57,419
 47,410
 41,935
 40,631
 38,891
Internal Legal Collections31,458
 33,206
 34,505
 39,080
 38,998
 41,338
 42,482
 42,464
33,944
 35,679
 38,065
 37,018
 30,724
 32,064
 32,532
 33,423
Total Domestic Core Cash Collections$170,284
 $185,075
 $194,442
 $210,134
 $190,409
 $206,216
 $213,625
 $214,358
Total U.S.-Core Cash Collections$232,174
 $249,762
 $262,034
 $264,190
 $212,677
 $211,324
 $216,690
 $227,762



Collections Productivity (Domestic(U.S. Portfolio)
The following tables display varioustable displays certain collections productivity measures that we track.measures.
Cash Collections per Collector Hour Paid
Domestic Portfolio
Cash Collections per Collector Hour Paid
U.S. Portfolio
Cash Collections per Collector Hour Paid
U.S. Portfolio
Total domestic core cash collections (1)
Call center and other cash collections (1)
2016 2015 2014 2013 20122019 2018 2017 2016 2015
First Quarter$274
 $247
 $223
 $193
 $166
$139
 $121
 $161
 $168
 $143
Second Quarter269
 245
 220
 190
 169
139
 101
 129
 167
 141
Third Quarter281
 250
 217
 191
 171
124
 107
 125
 177
 145
Fourth Quarter248
 239
 203
 190
 150
128
 104
 112
 153
 139
         
Call center and other cash collections (2)
2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
First Quarter$168
 $143
 $119
 $107
 $97
Second Quarter167
 141
 107
 104
 90
Third Quarter177
 145
 112
 104
 90
Fourth Quarter153
 139
 110
 100
 79

(1)Represents total cash collections less Insolvency cash collections from trustee-administered accounts. This metric includes cash collections from Insolvency accounts administered by the Core call center as well as cash collections generated by our internal staff of legal collectors. This calculation does not include hours paid to our internal staff of legal collectors or to employees processing the required notifications to trustees on Insolvency accounts.
(2)Represents total cash collections less internal legal cash collections, external legal cash collections and Insolvency cash collections from trustee-administered accounts.
Portfolio PurchasingAcquisitions
The following graph shows the purchase price of our portfolios by year since 2007.2009. It also includes the acquisition date finance receivable portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
chart-3871fac5f7025cd5a18.jpg
Our ability to profitably purchase and liquidate pools of Insolvency accounts provides diversity to our nonperforming loan purchasing business. Although we generally purchase Insolvency portfolios from many of the same consumer lenders from whom we acquire Core customer portfolios, the volumes and pricing characteristics as well as the competitors are different. Based upon market dynamics, the profitability of portfolios purchased in the Insolvency and Core markets may differ over time. We have found periods when Insolvency accounts were more profitable and other times when Core accounts were more profitable. A primary driver of portfolio profitability is determined by the amount of purchase price relative to the expected returns of the acquired portfolios. When pricing becomes more competitive due to reduced portfolios available for purchase or increased demand from competitors entering or increasing their presence in the market, prices tend to go up, driving down the purchase price multiples


and lowering the overall expected returns. When pricing relaxes due to market dynamics, purchase price multiples tend to increase, thereby increasing the overall expected returns.
In order to collect our Core portfolios, we generally need to employ relatively higher amounts of labor and incur additional collection costs to generate each dollar of cash collections as compared with Insolvency portfolios. In order to achieve acceptable levels of net return on investment (after direct expenses), we are generally targeting a higher total cash collections to purchase price multiple for Core portfolios. On the other hand, Insolvency accounts generate the majority of their cash collections through the efforts of bankruptcy courts and trustees. In this process, cash is remitted to our Company with no corresponding cost other than the cost of filing claims at the time of purchase, court fees associated with the filing of ownership claim transfers and general administrative costs for monitoring the progress of each account through the bankruptcy process. As a result, overall collection costs are much lower for us when liquidating a pool of Insolvency accounts as compared to a pool of Core accounts, but conversely the price we pay for Insolvency accounts is generally higher than Core accounts. We generally target similar net returns on investment (measured after direct expenses) for Insolvency and Core portfolios at any given point in the market cycles. However, because of the lower related collection costs, we can pay more for Insolvency portfolios, which causes the estimated total cash collections to purchase price multiples of Insolvency pools generally to be lower. In summary, compared to a similar investment in a pool of Core accounts, to the extent both pools had identical targeted net returns on investment (measured after direct expenses), the Insolvency pool would be expected to generate less revenue, less direct expenses, similar operating income, and a higher operating margin. From time to time, especially in Europe, we purchase Core portfolios which consist of a majority of paying previously charged-off accounts. These portfolios have some of the same financial dynamics as Insolvency accounts, with lower collection costs and lower purchase price multiples.
As a result of these purchase price and collection cost dynamics, the mix of our portfolios impacts the relative profitability we realize in a given year. We minimize the impact of higher pricing, to the degree possible, with increased analytics used to score Core accounts and determine on which of those accounts to focus our collection efforts.
We utilize a long-term approach to collecting our receivables. This approach has historically caused us to realize significant cash collections and revenues from purchased portfolios of finance receivables years after they are originally acquired. As a result, we have in the past been able to temporarily reduce our level of current period acquisitions without a material negative current period impact on cash collections and revenue.
The following table displays our quarterly portfolio purchasesacquisitions for the periods indicated.
Portfolio Purchases by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
 2016 2015
 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Americas-Core$91,800
 $95,452
 $130,529
 $136,057
 $120,554
 $90,912
 $98,317
 $138,498
Americas-Insolvency20,929
 16,760
 33,723
 22,952
 20,589
 9,300
 19,111
 16,437
Europe-Core80,129
 34,240
 68,835
 171,038
 79,735
 240,385
 88,499
 21,579
Europe-Insolvency6,943
 14,803
 16,410
 6,731
 4,976
 3,959
 2,450
 8,510
Total Portfolio Purchasing$199,801
 $161,255
 $249,497
 $336,778
 $225,854
 $344,556
 $208,377
 $185,024
Portfolio Acquisitions by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
 2019 2018
 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Americas Core$118,153
 $168,185
 $121,996
 $169,189
 $172,511
 $170,426
 $182,768
 $131,427
Americas Insolvency22,650
 26,311
 26,092
 48,243
 52,871
 17,151
 16,651
 13,436
Europe Core218,919
 64,728
 136,344
 94,283
 231,810
 45,754
 19,403
 18,000
Europe Insolvency42,613
 19,772
 4,715
 7,134
 33,661
 4,159
 2,577
 5,392
Total Portfolio Acquisitions$402,335
 $278,996
 $289,147
 $318,849
 $490,853
 $237,490
 $221,399
 $168,255









Portfolio PurchasesAcquisitions by Stratifications (Domestic(U.S. Only)
The following table categorizes our quarterly domesticU.S. portfolio purchasesacquisitions for the periods indicated into major asset type and delinquency category. Over the past 20 years,Since our inception in 1996, we have acquired more than 4354 million customer accounts in the U.S. alone.
Domestic Portfolio Purchases by Stratification (Major Asset Type)
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Acquisitions by Major Asset Type
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Acquisitions by Major Asset Type
Amounts in thousands
2016 20152019 2018
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4
Major Credit Cards$35,306
 $38,858
 $48,471
 $68,072
 $32,734
 $25,104
 $23,978
 $43,683
$30,337
24.3% $50,500
40.1% $39,468
28.2% $43,440
27.0% $65,025
32.5%
Private Label Credit Cards85,351
68.4% 72,714
57.7% 70,536
50.4% 84,515
52.6% 100,633
50.3%
Consumer Finance5,678
 1,309
 1,616
 2,533
 2,616
 2,513
 2,947
 1,885
2,046
1.7% 2,090
1.7% 28,649
20.4% 2,424
1.5% 2,619
1.3%
Private Label Credit Cards56,681
 54,969
 86,331
 62,104
 93,660
 65,456
 89,066
 105,064
Auto Deficiency6,104
 
 831
 411
 7,032
 557
 
 
Auto Related6,991
5.6% 638
0.5% 1,407
1.0% 30,358
18.9% 31,892
15.9%
Total$103,769
 $95,136
 $137,249
 $133,120
 $136,042
 $93,630
 $115,991
 $150,632
$124,725
100.0% $125,942
100.0% $140,060
100.0% $160,737
100.0% $200,169
100.0%
Domestic Portfolio Purchases by Stratification (Delinquency Category)
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Acquisitions by Delinquency Category
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Acquisitions by Delinquency Category
Amounts in thousands
2016 20152019 2018
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4
Fresh(1)$30,919
 $30,114
 $42,048
 $37,036
 $37,450
 $27,899
 $39,555
 $53,703
$35,330
34.6% $27,600
27.1% $33,288
29.3% $51,212
45.6% $61,730
42.0%
Primary(2)2,672
 1,568
 29,990
 26,240
 37,994
 25,517
 12,462
 23,869
5,796
5.7% 17,658
17.3% 40,027
35.1% 19,725
17.5% 39,690
26.9%
Secondary(3)48,005
 51,630
 51,019
 43,841
 36,804
 28,667
 40,029
 46,063
52,899
51.8% 50,082
49.2% 34,920
30.6% 35,857
31.9% 45,878
31.1%
Tertiary(3)557
 
 
 1,843
 2,298
 
 2,260
 9,119
4,409
4.3% 6,483
6.4% 5,733
5.0% 4,435
3.9% 
%
Other (4)
3,641
3.6% 
% 
% 1,265
1.1% 
%
Total Core102,075
100.0% 101,823
100.0% 113,968
100.0% 112,494
100.0% 147,298
100.0%
Insolvency20,930
 11,145
 13,702
 22,952
 20,589
 9,299
 19,111
 16,437
22,650

 24,119

 26,092

 48,243

 52,871

Other686
 679
 490
 1,208
 907
 2,248
 2,574
 1,441
Total$103,769
 $95,136
 $137,249
 $133,120
 $136,042
 $93,630
 $115,991
 $150,632
$124,725

 $125,942

 $140,060

 $160,737

 $200,169

(1)Fresh accounts are typically past due 120 to 270 days, charged-off by the credit originator and are either being sold prior to any post-charge-off collection activity or placement with a third-party for the first time.
(2)Primary accounts are typically 360 to 450 days past due and charged-off and have been previously placed with one contingent fee servicer.
(3)Secondary and tertiary accounts are typically more than 660 days past due and charged-off and have been placed with two or three contingent fee servicers.
(4)Other accounts are typically two to three years or more past due and charged-off and have previously been worked by four or more contingent fee servicers.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We manage our liquidity to help provide access to sufficient funding to meet our business needs and financial obligations. As of December 31, 2016,2019, cash and cash equivalents totaled $94.3$119.8 million. Of the cash and cash equivalent balance as of December 31, 2016, $73.62019, $109.7 million consisted of cash on hand related to foreigninternational operations with indefinitely reinvested earnings. See the "Undistributed Earnings of ForeignInternational Subsidiaries" section below for more information.
At December 31, 2016,2019, we had approximately $1.8$2.8 billion in borrowings outstanding with $641.1$474.6 million of availability under all of our credit facilities (subject to the borrowing base and applicable debt covenants). Considering borrowing base restrictions, as of December 31, 2016,2019, the amount available to be drawn was $204.0$271.1 million. Of the $641.1$474.6 million of borrowing availability, $538.2$122.5 million was available under our European credit facility, and $102.9$349.2 million was available under our North American credit facility. Of the $204.0$271.1 million available considering borrowing base restrictions, $126.0$121.8 million was available under our European credit facility, and $78.0$146.5 million was available under our North American credit facility. The primary borrowing base under both credit facilities is ERC of the respective finance receivables portfolios. For more information, see Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 6").10-K.
An additional funding source for our Europe operations is interest-bearing deposits generated in Europe.deposits. Per the terms of our European credit facility, we are permitted to obtain interest-bearing deposit funding of up to SEK 1.51.2 billion (approximately $164.1$128.4 million as of December 31, 2016)2019). Interest-bearing deposits as of December 31, 20162019 were $76.1$106.2 million.


In December 2018, we sold 79% of our interest in RCB's servicing platform which provided us with approximately $40 million of net cash proceeds. We received 25% of the proceeds on December 20, 2018 and the remaining 75% in the first quarter of 2019.
We believedetermined that we were in compliance with the covenants of our financing arrangements as of December 31, 2016.
As discussed in Note 17, we sold our government services business in January 2017 for $91.5 million in cash plus additional consideration for certain balance sheet items. The sale of this business provided us with additional liquidity not reflected in our December 31, 2016 Consolidated Financial Statements.2019.
We have the ability to slow the purchasingpurchase of finance receivables if necessary, with low impact to current year cash collections. For example, acquisitions of finance receivables, net of buybacks, totaled $890.8we invested $1,289.3 million in 2016.portfolio acquisitions in 2019. The portfolios purchasedacquired in 20162019 generated $204.1$210.2 million of cash collections, representing only 13.7%11.4% of 20162019 cash collections.
Contractual obligations over the next year are primarily related to debt maturities and purchase commitments. A portion of ourOur North American credit facility expires in December 2017, and the remaining portion expires in December 2020. Of the $695 million outstanding under our North American revolving credit facility at December 31, 2016, $152.3 million is due within one year.May 2022. Our European credit facility expires in February 2021. Of our $718.3$425.0 million in long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2016, $65.02019, $10.0 million in principal is due within one year. Additionally, the $287.5 million principal amount of the 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 is due August 1, 2020. Based upon our current availability considering borrowing base restrictions in North America ($146.5 million), our cash on hand, our current ability to negotiate extensions or renew our lines of credit and to secure additional financing in the open market, and our strong operating cash flows, we believe that we have the ability to settle this instrument in cash at maturity.
We have in place forward flow commitments for the purchase of nonperforming loans primarily over the next twelve12 months with a maximum purchase price of $302.6$497.5 million, as of December 31, 2016.2019. The $497.5 million includes $226.0 million for the Americas and $271.5 million for Europe. We may also enter into new or renewed forward flow commitments and close on spot transactions in addition to the aforementioned forward flow agreements.
For domestic income tax purposes,On May 10, 2017, we recognize revenue fromreached a settlement with the collections of finance receivables usingInternal Revenue Service (“IRS”) in regard to the cost recovery method. The IRS has audited and issued Notices of Deficiency for the tax years ended December 31, 2005 through 2012. It has assertedassertion that tax revenue recognition using the cost recovery method doesdid not clearly reflect taxable income. In accordance with the settlement, our tax accounting method to recognize finance receivables revenue changed effective with tax year 2017. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections amortizes principal and the remaining portion is taxable income. The revenue related to the difference in timing between the new method and the cost recovery method will be included evenly into our tax filings over four years effective with tax year 2017. We have filed petitions in the U.S. Tax Court (the "Tax Court") challenging the deficiencies and believe we have sufficient support for the technical merits of our positions. On July 14, 2016, the Tax Court set the trial to begin on May 15, 2017. If we are unsuccessful in the Tax Court and any potential appeals, we may ultimately be required to payestimate the related deferred taxes, and possiblytax payments to be approximately $9.3 million per quarter through the year 2020. No interest andor penalties


which may require additional financing from other sources. Deferred tax liabilities related to this item were $239.3 million at December 31, 2016. Any adverse determination on this matter could result in our amending state tax returns for prior years, increasing our taxable income in those states. Our estimateassessed as part of the potential federal and state interest is $112.0 million as of December 31, 2016. Accordingly, an adverse determination on this matter could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity. While the trial is set to begin on May 15, 2017, due to the administrative process involved, the final outcome is anticipated to occur between late 2018 and early 2021, depending on any appeals. Accordingly, an adverse outcome, if it was to occur, is not expected to impact the Company in the short-term.
On October 22, 2015, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $125.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock. Repurchases depend on prevailing market conditions and other factors. The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time. During 2015, we purchased 2,072,721 shares of our common stock under the share repurchase program at an average price of $38.60 per share. We made no repurchases during 2016. At December 31, 2016, the maximum remaining purchase price for share repurchases under the program was approximately $45.0 million.settlement.
We believe that funds generated from operations and from cash collections on finance receivables, together with existing cash and available borrowings under our revolving credit facilities will be sufficient to finance our operations, planned capital expenditures, forward flow purchase commitments, and additional portfolio purchasingpurchases during the next twelve months. Business acquisitions, adverse outcomes in pending litigation or higher than expected levels of portfolio purchasing could require additional financing from other sources.
Cash Flows Analysis
Our operating activities providedThe following table summarizes our cash of $103.0 million, $186.7 million, and $267.9 millionflow activity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015,2019, 2018 and 2014, respectively. In these periods,2017 (amounts in thousands):
  2019 2018 2017
Total cash provided by (used in):      
Operating activities $133,388
 $80,866
 $15,475
Investing activities (441,190) (387,251) (294,960)
Financing activities 339,523
 294,926
 295,698
Effect of exchange rate on cash (6,609) (10,362) 10,016
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents $25,112
 $(21,821) $26,229
Operating Activities
The change in our cash flows from operationsoperating activities in 2019 was generated primarily from net income earned throughdue to cash collections recognized as revenue offset by cash paid for operating expenses, interest, and fee income receivedtaxes. Key drivers of operating activities were adjusted for the period. In addition,(i) non-cash items included in net income such as provisions for unrealized gains and losses, depreciation and amortization, deferred taxes, hedged derivatives, and stock-based compensation and (ii) changes in other accounts relatedthe balances of operating assets and liabilities, which can vary significantly in the normal course of business due to ourthe amount and timing of payments.


Net cash provided by operating activities impacted our cash from operations.
Our investing activities used cashincreased $52.5 million or 65.0% in 2019 mainly driven by higher net income of $217.5 million, $282.3$21.9 million and $1,030.7a $26.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. gain on sale in 2018 of RCB.
Investing Activities
Cash used in investing activities is primarilynormally driven by acquisitions of nonperforming loans and business acquisitions.purchases of investments. Cash provided by investing activities is primarilymainly driven by cash collections applied to principal on finance receivables. The change in netreceivables and proceeds from the sale of investments and subsidiaries.
Net cash used in investing activities wasincreased $53.9 million or 13.9% in 2019, primarily due to net cash payments for corporate acquisitions totaling $60.2from a $125.6 million $1.4 million, and $851.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014. The change was also due to changesincrease in the amounts of acquisitions of finance receivables, which totaled $890.8$57.6 million forof cash used related to a business acquisition in the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to $955.0first quarter of 2019, a $40.7 million and $682.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In addition, we had net sales and maturities of investments of $0.8 million and $14.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, compared to netincrease in purchases of investments, and $17.5 million related to the consolidation of $44.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This decrease wasa Polish investment fund in 2018. These activities were partially offset by ana $109.6 million increase in collections applied to principal on finance receivables, which totaled$746.9a $49.1 million $674.4increase in proceeds from sales and maturities of investments, and $26.3 million and $571.3 million forin proceeds in the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.first quarter of 2019 from the sale of RCB in the fourth quarter of 2018.
Our financing activities provided cash of $97.3 million, $136.5 million and $648.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Financing Activities
Cash for financing activities is normally provided by draws on our lines of credit and proceeds from long-term debt.debt offerings. Cash used in financing activities is primarily driven by principal payments on our lines of credit and long-term debt and repurchases of our common stock. The decrease in cashdebt.
Cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to the year ended December 31, 2015 wasincreased $44.6 million or 15.1% primarily due tofrom a decrease$603.2 million increase in proceeds from our lines of credit, a $36.1 million increase from interest bearing deposits, and a $32.3 million increase in net borrowingscontributions from noncontrolling interests, partially offset by a $628.1 million increase in payments on our lines of credit and long-termlong term debt. During the year ended December 31, 2016, net repayments on our lines of credit totaled $21.5 million and net draws on our long-term debt totaled $104.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2015, net draws on our lines of credit totaled $327.2 million and net repayments on our long-term debt totaled $47.4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2014, net draws on our lines of credit and long-term debt totaled $409.0 million and $264.1 million, respectively. The decrease in cash provided by financing activities in 2015 compared to 2014 was primarily attributable to the additional funding required for the Aktiv acquisition in 2014. In addition, cash flow related to financing activities was impacted by stock repurchases of $0.0 million, $165.5 million, and $33.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.
Cash paid for interest was $68.0 million, $49.8 million, and $31.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Interest was paid on our revolving credit facilities, long-term debt, convertible debt, interest-bearing deposits and interest rate swap agreements. The increase during the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to 2015 and 2014, was mainly the result of higher average borrowings outstanding as well as an increase in the interest rates charged on our variable rate borrowings. Cash paid for income taxes was $78.8 million, $86.3 million, and $47.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. The decrease in taxes paid for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to the year ended December 31, 2015, is primarily due to a decrease in taxable income. The increase in taxes paid for the year ended December 31,


2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014, is primarily due to the utilization of foreign net operating losses and the full year impact in 2015 of our acquisition of Aktiv in 2014.
Cash generated from operations is dependent upon our ability to collect on our finance receivables. Many factors, including the economy and our ability to hire and retain qualified collectors and managers, are essential to our ability to generate cash flows. Fluctuations in these factors that cause a negative impact on our business could have a material impact on our future cash flows.
Undistributed Earnings of ForeignInternational Subsidiaries
We intend to use predominantly all of our accumulated and future undistributed earnings of foreigninternational subsidiaries to expand operations outside the U.S.; therefore, such undistributed earnings of foreigninternational subsidiaries are considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S..U.S. Accordingly, no provision for federal and state income tax or withholding tax has been provided thereon. If management's intentions change and eligible undistributed earnings of foreigninternational subsidiaries are repatriated, we wouldcould be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and withholding taxes payable to various foreign jurisdictions, where applicable.taxes. This could result in a higher effective tax rate in the period in which such a decision is made to repatriate accumulated or future undistributed foreigninternational earnings. The amount of cash on hand related to foreigninternational operations with indefinitely reinvested earnings was $73.6$109.7 million and $51.5$78.6 million as of December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, respectively. Refer to the Note 13 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further information related to our income taxes and undistributed foreigninternational earnings.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off balanceoff-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 20162019 as defined by Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act.
Contractual Obligations
Our contractual obligations as of December 31, 20162019 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
 Payments due by period Payments due by period
Contractual Obligations Total Less than 1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years More than 5 years Total Less than 1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years More than 5 years
Operating leases $48,418
 $10,965
 $16,514
 $10,150
 $10,789
 $95,373
 $11,846
 $20,702
 $13,411
 $49,414
Revolving credit facilities (1)
 1,281,378
 200,859
 86,029
 992,867
 1,623
Revolving credit (1)
 1,936,402
 83,533
 1,847,611
 3,535
 1,723
Long-term debt (2)
 892,695
 90,619
 67,396
 734,680
 
 1,260,070
 337,161
 571,871
 351,038
 
Purchase commitments (3)
 304,574
 303,882
 692
 
 
 506,907
 497,503
 9,404
 
 
Employment agreements 12,855
 8,711
 4,144
 
 
 7,988
 7,927
 61
 
 
Derivatives $23,663
 $10,294
 $10,222
 $3,047
 $100
Total $2,539,920
 $615,036
 $174,775
 $1,737,697
 $12,412
 $3,830,403
 $948,264
 $2,459,871
 $371,031
 $51,237
(1)This amount includesIncludes estimated interest and unused line fees due on our revolving credit facilities and assumes that the outstanding balances on the revolving credit facilities remain constant from the December 31, 20162019 balances to maturity.
(2)This amount includesIncludes scheduled interest and principal payments on our term loans interest-bearing deposits, and the Notes.convertible senior notes.
(3)This amount includesReflects the maximum remaining amount to be purchased under forward flow and other contracts for the purchase of nonperforming loans in the amount of approximately $302.6$506.9 million.

38



Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.GAAP. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K. Our significant accounting policies are fundamental to understanding our results of operations and financial condition because they require that we use estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities.
Three of these policies are considered to be critical because they are important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results, and because they require management to make judgments and estimates that are difficult, subjective, and complex regarding matters that are inherently uncertain.
We base our estimates on historical experience, current trends and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. If these estimates differ significantly from actual results, the impact on our consolidated financial statements may be material.


Management has reviewed these critical accounting policies with the Audit Committee of our board of directors.
Revenue Recognition - Finance Receivables
We account for the vast majority of our investment in finance receivables under the guidance of ASC 310-30. Revenue recognition for finance receivables accounted for under ASC 310-30 involves the use of estimates and the exercise of judgment on the part of management. These estimates include projections of the quantity and timing of future cash flows and economic lives of our pools of finance receivables. Significant changes in such estimates could result in increased revenue via yield increases which are recognized prospectively or increased allowance charges resulting from decreased revenue through the incurrence of allowance charges.cash flow estimates which are recognized immediately.
We implement the accounting for income recognized on finance receivables under ASC 310-30 as follows:
We create each accounting pool using our projections of estimated cash flows and expected economic life. We then compute the effective yield that fully amortizes the pool over a reasonable expectation of its economic life based on the current projections of estimated cash flows. As actual cash flow results are recorded, we balance those results to the data contained in our proprietary models to ensure accuracy, then review each pool watching for trends, actual performance versus projections and curve shape (a graphical depiction of the timing of cash flows), regularly re-forecasting. We then re-forecast future cash flows utilizing our statisticalproprietary analytical models. The review process is primarily performed by our finance staff; however, our operational and statistical staff are also involved, providing updated statistical input and cash projections to the finance staff.

Significant judgment is used in evaluating whether overperformance isvariances in actual performance are due to an increasechanges in projected cash flowsthe total amount or an accelerationchanges in the timing of cash flows (a timing difference). If determined to be a significant increase in expected cash flows, we will recognizeflows. Significant changes in either may result in yield increases or allowance charges if necessary for the effect of the increase prospectively first through an adjustment to any previously recognized valuation allowance for that pool and then through an increase in yield. If the overperformance is determined to be due to a timing difference, we will: a) adjust estimated future cash flows downward which effectively extends thepool's amortization period to fall within a reasonable expectation of the pool'sits economic life; b) adjust future cash flow projections as noted previously coupled with an increaselife.

Refer to Note 1 of our Consolidated Financial Statements included in yield in orderItem 8 of this Form 10-K under Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted for the amortization period to fall within a reasonable expectationfurther information on revenue recognition of the pool's economic life; or c) take no action at all if the amortization period falls within a reasonable expectation of the pool's expected economic life. To the extent there is underperformance, we will record an allowance if the underperformance is significant and causes us to significantly decrease estimated future cash flows or delay the expected timing of the cash flows, or take no action if the pool's amortization period is reasonable and falls within the currently projected economic life.credit losses for loans effective January 1, 2020.
Valuation of Acquired Intangibles and Goodwill
In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other" ("ASC 350"), we amortize intangible assets over their estimated useful lives. Goodwill, pursuant to ASC 350, is not amortized but rather evaluated for impairment annually and more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist. Goodwill is reviewed for potential impairment at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment.

Goodwill is evaluated for impairment either under the qualitative assessment option or the two-step test approach depending on facts and circumstances of a reporting unit, including the excess of fair value over carrying amount in the last valuation or changes in business environment. If we qualitatively determine it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. Otherwise, goodwill is evaluated for impairment using the two-step test, where the carrying amount of a reporting unit is compared to its fair value in Step 1; if the fair value exceeds the carrying amount, Step 2 is unnecessary. If the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, this could indicate potential impairment and Step 2 of the goodwill evaluation process is required to determine if goodwill is impaired and to measure the amount of impairment loss to recognize, if any. When Step 2 is necessary, the fair value of individual assets and liabilities is determined using valuations (which in some cases may be based in part on third-party valuation reports), or other observable sources of fair value, as appropriate. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, the excess is recognized as an impairment loss.



We determine the fair value of a reporting unit by applying the approaches prescribed under the fair value measurement accounting framework: the income approach and the market approach. Depending on the availability of public data and suitable comparables, we may or may not use the market approach or we may emphasize the results from the approach differently. Under the income approach, we estimate the fair value of a reporting unit based on the present value of estimated future cash flows and a residual terminal value. Cash flow projections are based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates, operating margins, necessary working capital, and capital expenditure requirements, taking into consideration industry and market conditions. The discount rate used is based on the weighted-average cost of capital adjusted for the relevant risk associated with business-specific characteristics and the uncertainty related to the reporting unit's ability to execute on the projected cash flows. Under the market approach, we estimate fair value based on prices and other relevant market transactions involving comparable publicly-traded companies with operating and investment characteristics similar to the reporting unit.


Income Taxes
We are subject to the income tax laws of the various jurisdictions in which we operate, including U.S. federal, state, local, and international jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex and are subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and the relevant government taxing authorities. When determining our domestic and foreigninternational income tax expense, we must make judgments about the application of these inherently complex laws.
We follow the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 740 "Income Taxes" ("ASC 740") as it relates to the provision for income taxes and uncertainty in income taxes. Accordingly, we record a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. In accordance with ASC 740, the provision for income taxes is computed using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. The evaluation of a tax position in accordance with the guidance is a two-step process. The first step is recognition: the enterpriseCompany determines whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. In evaluating whether a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the enterpriseCompany should presume that the position will be examined by the appropriate taxing authority that would have full knowledge of all relevant information. The second step is measurement: a tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Tax positions that previously failed to meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be recognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is met. Previously recognized tax positions that no longer meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be derecognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is no longer met. We record interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.
In the event that all or part of the deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, a valuation allowance would be established and charged to earnings in the period such determination is made. If we subsequently realize deferred tax assets that were previously determined to be unrealizable, the respective valuation allowance would be reversed, resulting in a positive adjustment to earnings in the period such determination is made. The establishment or release of a valuation allowance does not have an impact on cash, nor does such an allowance preclude the use of loss carry-forwards or other deferred tax assets in future periods. The calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with our expectations could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.
For domestic income tax purposes, we recognize revenue using the cost recovery method with respect to our nonperforming loan purchasing business. We believe cost recovery to be an acceptable method for companies in the nonperforming loan purchasing industry. Under the cost recovery method, collections on finance receivables are applied first to principal to reduce the finance receivables to zero before any income is recognized.
Our international operations requires the use of material estimates and interpretations of complex tax laws in multiple jurisdictions, and increases the complexity of our accounting for income taxes.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For a summary of recent accounting pronouncements and the anticipated effects on our consolidated financial statements see Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Our activities are subject to various financial risks including market risk, currency and interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and cash flow risk. Our financial risk management program focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimize potential adverse effects on our financial performance. We may periodically enter into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate and currency derivatives, to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable-rate debt, fluctuations in currency rates and their impact on earnings and cash flows. We do not utilize derivative financial instruments with a level of complexity or with a risk greater than the exposure to be managed nor do we enter into or hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. Derivative instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of non-performance, or credit risk. We do


not believe that we currently face a significant risk of loss in the event of non-performance by the counterparties associated with these instruments, as these transactions were executed with a diversified group of major financial institutions with an investment-grade credit rating. Our intention is to spread our counterparty credit risk across a number of counterparties so that exposure to a single counterparty is minimized.
Interest Rate Risk
We are subject to interest rate risk from outstanding borrowings on our variable rate credit facilities. As such, our consolidated financial results are subject to fluctuations due to changes in the market rate of interest. We assess this interest rate risk by estimating the increase or decrease in interest expense that would occur due to a change in short-term interest rates. The borrowings on our variable rate credit facilities were approximately $1.5$2.2 billion as of December 31, 2016. Assuming2019. Based on our current debt structure, assuming a 2550 basis point decrease in interest rates, for example, interest expense over the following twelve12 months would decrease by an estimated $2.5$7.2 million. Assuming a 50 basis point increase in interest rates, interest expense over the following twelve12 months would increase by an estimated $5.5$7.4 million.


To reduce the exposure to changes in the market rate of interest and to be in compliance with the terms of our European credit facility, we have entered into interest rate swap agreementsderivative contracts for a portion of our borrowings under our variablefloating rate facilities.financing arrangements. Further, effective in the second quarter of 2018, we began to apply hedge accounting to certain of our interest rate derivative contracts.  By applying hedge accounting, changes in market value are reflected as adjustments in Other Comprehensive Income. All derivatives to which we have applied hedge accounting were evaluated and remain highly effective at December 31, 2019. Terms of the interest rate swap agreementsderivative contracts require us to receive a variable interest rate and pay a fixed interest rate. For the majority of our borrowings under our variable rate facilities, we have no interest rate swap agreements in place. The sensitivity calculations above consider the impact of our interest rate swap agreements.
The fair value of our interest rate swap agreements was a net liability of $2.8 million at December 31, 2016. A hypothetical 25 basis point decrease in interest rates would cause a decrease in the estimated fair value of our interest rate swap agreements and the resulting estimated fair value would be a liability of $6.0 million at December 31, 2016. Conversely, a hypothetical 50 basis point increase in interest rates would cause an increase in the estimated fair value of our interest rate swap agreements and the resulting estimated fair value would be an asset of $3.8 million at December 31, 2016.derivative contracts.
Currency Exchange Risk
We operate internationally and enter into transactions denominated in various foreign currencies, including the euro, the Great British pound, the Canadian dollar, Norwegian kroner, Swiss franc, Danish kroner, Swedish kroner, Polish zloty, and Brazilian real.currencies. In 2016,2019, we generated $245.8$343.8 million of revenues from operations outside the U.S. and used eighteleven functional currencies.currencies, excluding the U.S. dollar. Weakness in one particular currency might be offset by strength in other currencies over time.
As a result of our international operations, fluctuations in foreign currencies could cause us to incur foreign currency exchange gains and losses, and could adversely affect our comprehensive income and stockholders' equity. Additionally, our reported financial results could change from period to period due solely to fluctuations between currencies.
Foreign currency exchange gains and losses are primarily the result of the re-measurement of account balancestransactions in certain other currencies into an entity's functional currency. Foreign currency gains and losses are included as a component of other income and (expense) in our consolidated income statements. From time to time we may elect to enter into foreign exchange derivative contracts to reduce these variations in our consolidated income statements.
When an entity's functional currency is different than the reporting currency of its parent, foreign currency translation adjustments may occur. Foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of other comprehensive (loss)/income in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income and as a component of equity in our consolidated balance sheets.
We are takinghave taken measures to mitigate the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. We have restructuredorganized our European operations so that portfolio ownership and collections generally occur within the same entity. Our European credit facility is a multi-currency facility, allowing us to better match funding and portfolio investmentspurchasing by currency. We strive to maintainactively monitor the distribution of our European borrowings within defined thresholds based on the currency compositionvalue of our finance receivables portfolios. When those thresholdsby currency. In the event adjustments are exceeded,required to our liability composition by currency we engage inmay, from time to time, execute re-balancing foreign exchange spot transactionscontracts to mitigate our risk.more closely align funding and portfolio purchasing by currency.


41





Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
See Item 6 for quarterly consolidated financial statements for 20162019 and 2015.2018.
Index to Financial Statements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



42





Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
TheTo the Stockholders and Board of Directors and Stockholders
PRA Group, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 20162019 and 2015, and2018, the related consolidated income statements, and statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2016. These2019, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States)statements). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiariesthe Company as of December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, and the results of theirits operations and theirits cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2016,2019, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), PRA Group, Inc.'sthe Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016,2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, (COSO), and our report dated February 28, 2017March 2, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of PRA Group, Inc.'sthe Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Notes 1 and 4 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for leases as of January 1, 2019 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 842, Leases.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Assessment of income recognized on finance receivables and the valuation allowance and net allowance charges

As discussed in Notes 1 and 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s finance receivables balance as of December 31, 2019 was $3.5 billion and the related valuation allowance was $281.3 million. Income recognized on finance receivables for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $998.4 million and net allowances charges for the year ended December 31, 2019 were $24.0 million. The Company accounts for its investment in finance receivables and recognizes revenue under ASC 310-30, Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality, which involves the use of estimates and the exercise of judgment on the part of the Company. These estimates include projections of the amount and timing of future cash flows and economic lives of the pools of finance receivables.


Significant changes in such estimates could result in increased revenue through yield increases which are recognized prospectively or increased allowance charges resulting from decreased cash flow estimates which are recognized immediately. As actual cash flow results are recorded, the Company reviews each pool for trends, actual performance versus projections and curve shape (a graphical depiction of the timing of cash flows). The Company then re-forecasts future cash flows.

We identified the assessment of income recognized on finance receivables and the valuation allowance and net allowance charges as a critical audit matter because it involved significant measurement uncertainty that required complex auditor judgment and specialized knowledge and experience. In addition, auditor judgment was required to evaluate the sufficiency of audit evidence obtained. The future cash flows and economic lives of each pool have sensitivity such that minor changes could have had a significant impact on the total income recognized on finance receivables, and the valuation allowance and net allowance charges. Additionally, there was a high level of subjectivity in performing procedures related to the estimation of future cash flows and the economic lives used to determine (1) income recognized on finance receivables, including the yield rate, and (2) the valuation allowance and net allowance charges.

The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included the following. We tested certain internal controls over the Company's process to (1) develop estimates of future cash flows and determine the economic lives used to recognize income and (2) determine the valuation allowance and net allowance charges. We evaluated the Company’s process to develop the estimates by testing certain sources of data, factors, and assumptions. This included considering the relevance and reliability of such data, factors and assumptions including historical trends, operational factors related to the collections process, and actual performance versus projections. We compared the Company's historical cash collection estimates to actual results to assess the Company's ability to accurately forecast. In addition, we involved credit risk professionals with specialized industry knowledge and experience who assisted in:
performing sensitivity analyses utilizing different assumptions of the future cash flows to assess the magnitude of the impact on the Company's income recognition on finance receivables, the valuation allowance and net allowance charges and economic lives;
assessing the Company's estimates of future cash flows of a selection of pools of finance receivables, by comparing to historical trends and evaluating relevant metrics.

We evaluated the collective results of the procedures performed to assess the sufficiency of the audit evidence obtained related to the Company’s income recognized on finance receivables and the valuation allowance and net allowance charges.

/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2007.
Norfolk, Virginia
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020



44





PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 20162019 and 20152018
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
2016 20152019 2018
Assets      
Cash and cash equivalents$94,287
 $71,372
$119,774
 $98,695
Investments68,543
 73,799
56,176
 45,173
Finance receivables, net2,307,969
 2,202,113
3,514,165
 3,084,777
Other receivables, net11,650
 30,771
10,606
 46,157
Income taxes receivable9,427
 1,717
17,918
 16,809
Net deferred tax asset28,482
 13,068
Deferred tax asset, net63,225
 61,453
Right-of-use assets68,972
 
Property and equipment, net38,744
 45,394
56,501
 54,136
Goodwill499,911
 495,156
480,794
 464,116
Intangible assets, net27,935
 23,788
4,497
 5,522
Other assets33,808
 33,389
31,263
 32,721
Assets held for sale43,243
 
Total assets$3,163,999
 $2,990,567
$4,423,891
 $3,909,559
Liabilities and Equity      
Liabilities:      
Accounts payable$2,459
 $4,190
$4,258
 $6,110
Accrued expenses82,699
 95,380
88,925
 79,396
Income taxes payable19,631
 21,236
4,046
 15,080
Net deferred tax liability258,344
 261,498
Deferred tax liability, net85,390
 114,979
Lease liabilities73,377
 
Interest-bearing deposits76,113
 46,991
106,246
 82,666
Borrowings1,784,101
 1,717,129
2,808,425
 2,473,656
Other liabilities10,821
 4,396
26,211
 7,370
Liabilities held for sale4,220
 
Total liabilities2,238,388
 2,150,820
3,196,878
 2,779,257
   
Redeemable noncontrolling interest8,448
 

 6,333
Equity:
 

 
Preferred stock, par value $0.01, authorized shares, 2,000, issued and outstanding shares, 0
 
Common stock, par value $0.01, authorized shares, 100,000, issued and outstanding shares, 46,356 at December 31, 2016; 100,000 authorized shares, 46,173 issued and outstanding shares at December 31, 2015464
 462
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 2,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding
 
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000 shares authorized, 45,416 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2019; 100,000 shares authorized, 45,304 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018454
 453
Additional paid-in capital66,414
 64,622
67,321
 60,303
Retained earnings1,049,367
 964,270
1,362,631
 1,276,473
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(251,944) (228,861)(261,018) (242,109)
Total stockholders' equity - PRA Group, Inc.864,301
 800,493
1,169,388
 1,095,120
Noncontrolling interest52,862
 39,254
Noncontrolling interests57,625
 28,849
Total equity917,163
 839,747
1,227,013
 1,123,969
Total liabilities and equity$3,163,999
 $2,990,567
$4,423,891
 $3,909,559
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.



45



PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Income Statements
For the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
2016 2015 20142019 2018 2017
Revenues:          
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$745,119
 $865,122
 $807,474
Income recognized on finance receivables$998,361
 $891,899
 $795,435
Fee income77,381
 64,383
 65,675
15,769
 14,916
 24,916
Other revenue8,080
 12,513
 7,820
2,951
 1,441
 7,855
Total revenues830,580
 942,018
 880,969
1,017,081
 908,256
 828,206
     
Net allowance charges(24,025) (33,425) (11,898)
     
Operating expenses:          
Compensation and employee services258,846
 268,345
 234,531
310,441
 319,400
 273,033
Legal collection expenses132,202
 129,456
 139,161
Legal collection fees55,261
 42,941
 43,351
Legal collection costs134,156
 104,988
 76,047
Agency fees44,922
 32,188
 16,399
55,812
 33,854
 35,530
Outside fees and services63,098
 65,155
 55,821
63,513
 61,492
 62,792
Communication33,771
 33,113
 33,085
44,057
 43,224
 33,132
Rent and occupancy15,710
 14,714
 11,509
17,854
 16,906
 14,823
Depreciation and amortization24,359
 19,874
 18,414
17,464
 19,322
 19,763
Other operating expenses39,466
 68,829
 29,981
46,811
 47,444
 44,103
Total operating expenses612,374
 631,674
 538,901
745,369
 689,571
 602,574
     
Income from operations218,206
 310,344
 342,068
247,687
 185,260
 213,734
Other income and (expense):          
Interest expense(80,864) (60,336) (35,226)
Impairment of investments(5,823) 
 
Gain on sale of subsidiaries
 26,575
 48,474
Interest expense, net(141,918) (121,078) (98,041)
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)2,564
 7,514
 (5,829)11,954
 (944) (1,104)
Other(364) (316) (2,790)
Income before income taxes134,083
 257,522
 301,013
117,359
 89,497
 160,273
Provision for income taxes43,191
 89,391
 124,508
Income tax expense/(benefit)19,680
 13,763
 (10,852)
Net income90,892
 168,131
 176,505
97,679
 75,734
 171,125
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests5,795
 205
 
11,521
 10,171
 6,810
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$85,097
 $167,926
 $176,505
$86,158
 $65,563
 $164,315
     
Net income per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:     
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:     
Basic$1.84
 $3.49
 $3.53
$1.90
 $1.45
 $3.60
Diluted$1.83
 $3.47
 $3.50
$1.89
 $1.44
 $3.59
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:          
Basic46,316
 48,128
 49,990
45,387
 45,280
 45,671
Diluted46,388
 48,405
 50,421
45,577
 45,413
 45,823
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


46



PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
For the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017
(Amounts in thousands)
 2016 2015 2014
Net income$90,892
 $168,131
 $176,505
Other comprehensive (loss):     
Change in foreign currency translation(14,559) (119,043) (119,982)
Total comprehensive income76,333
 49,088
 56,523
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest:     
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest5,795
 205
 
Change in foreign currency translation8,490
 (6,132) 
Comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest14,285
 (5,927) 
Comprehensive income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$62,048
 $55,015
 $56,523
 2019 2018 2017
Net income$97,679
 $75,734
 $171,125
Other comprehensive (loss)/income, net of tax:     
Currency translation adjustments(6,359) (63,505) 67,858
Cash flow hedges(13,132) 44
 
Debt securities available-for-sale39
 (83) 
Other comprehensive (loss)/income(19,452) (63,544) 67,858
Total comprehensive income78,227
 12,190
 238,983
Less comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests10,978
 10,129
 1,332
Comprehensive income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$67,249
 $2,061
 $237,651
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

47



PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
For the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017
(Amounts in thousands)
 Common Stock Additional Paid-in Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated  Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) Noncontrolling Interest Total Equity
 Shares Amount     
              
Balance at December 31, 201349,840
 $498
 $135,441
 $729,505
 $4,032
 $
 $869,476
Components of comprehensive income:             
Net income
 
 
 176,505
 
 
 176,505
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (119,982) 
 (119,982)
Vesting of nonvested shares311
 4
 (4) 
 
 
 
Repurchase and cancellation of common stock(574) (6) (33,158) 
 
 
 (33,164)
Amortization of share-based compensation
 
 14,968
 
 
 
 14,968
Excess income tax benefit from share-based compensation
 
 5,558
 
 
 
 5,558
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (11,146) 
 
 
 (11,146)
Balance at December 31, 201449,577
 $496
 $111,659
 $906,010
 $(115,950) $
 $902,215
Components of comprehensive income:             
Net income
 
 
 167,926
 
 205
 168,131
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (112,911) (6,132) (119,043)
Initial noncontrolling interest related to business acquisition
 
 
 
 
 45,181
 45,181
Vesting of nonvested shares279
 3
 (3) 
 
 
 
Repurchase and cancellation of common stock(3,683) (37) (55,798) (109,666) 
 
 (165,501)
Amortization of share-based compensation
 
 16,325
 
 
 
 16,325
Excess income tax benefit from share-based compensation
 
 4,386
 
 
 
 4,386
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (11,947) 
 
 
 (11,947)
Balance at December 31, 201546,173
 $462
 $64,622
 $964,270
 $(228,861) $39,254
 $839,747
Components of comprehensive income:             
Net income
 
 
 85,097
 
 6,018
 91,115
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (23,083) 8,524
 (14,559)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (934) (934)
Vesting of nonvested shares183
 2
 (2) 
 
 
 
Amortization of share-based compensation
 
 6,138
 
 
 
 6,138
Excess income tax benefit from share-based compensation
 
 (1,494) 
 
 
 (1,494)
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (2,850) 
 
 
 (2,850)
Balance at December 31, 201646,356
 $464
 $66,414
 $1,049,367
 $(251,944) $52,862
 $917,163
 Common Stock Additional Paid-in Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated  Other Comprehensive (Loss) Noncontrolling Interests Total Equity
 Shares Amount     
              
Balance at December 31, 201646,356
 $464
 $66,414
 $1,050,525
 $(251,944) $52,862
 $918,321
Components of comprehensive income, net of tax:             
Net income
 
 
 164,315
 
 6,587
 170,902
Currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 73,337
 (7,202) 66,135
Distributions to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (2,085) (2,085)
Vesting of restricted stock145
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
Repurchase and cancellation of common stock(1,312) (13) (44,896) 
 
 
 (44,909)
Share-based compensation expense
 
 8,678
 
 
 
 8,678
Excess income tax benefit from share-based compensation
 
 (3,022) 
 
 
 (3,022)
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 44,910
 
 
 
 44,910
Component of convertible debt
 
 (18,213) 
 
 
 (18,213)
Balance at December 31, 201745,189
 $452
 $53,870
 $1,214,840
 $(178,607) $50,162
 $1,140,717
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - equity securities (1)

 
 
 (3,930) 
 
 (3,930)
Balance at January 1, 201845,189
 $452
 $53,870
 $1,210,910
 $(178,607) $50,162
 $1,136,787
Components of comprehensive income, net of tax:             
Net income
 
 
 65,563
 
 10,171
 75,734
Currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (63,463) (42) (63,505)
Cash flow hedges







44



44
Debt securities available-for-sale







(83)


(83)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (33,271) (33,271)
Vesting of restricted stock115
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
Share-based compensation expense
 
 8,521
 
 
 
 8,521
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (2,087) 
 
 
 (2,087)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 1,829
 1,829
Balance at December 31, 201845,304
 $453
 $60,303
 $1,276,473
 $(242,109) $28,849
 $1,123,969
Components of comprehensive income, net of tax:             
Net income
 
 
 86,158
 
 11,521
 97,679
Currency translation adjustments
 
 
 
 (5,816) (543) (6,359)
Cash flow hedges
 
 
 
 (13,132) 
 (13,132)
Debt securities available-for-sale
 
 
 
 39
 
 39
Distributions to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (6,877) (6,877)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 24,675
 24,675
Vesting of restricted stock112
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
Share-based compensation expense
 
 10,717
 
 
 
 10,717
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (1,609) 
 
 
 (1,609)
Other



(2,089)






(2,089)
Balance at December 31, 201945,416
 $454
 $67,321
 $1,362,631
 $(261,018) $57,625
 $1,227,013
(1) Refer to Note 3 for further detail.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

48



PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017
(Amounts in thousands)
2016 2015 20142019 2018 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net income$90,892
 $168,131
 $176,505
$97,679
 $75,734
 $171,125
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:          
Amortization of share-based compensation6,138
 16,325
 14,968
Share-based compensation expense10,717
 8,521
 8,678
Depreciation and amortization24,359
 19,874
 18,414
17,464
 19,322
 19,763
Gain on sale of subsidiaries
 (26,575) (48,474)
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs10,276
 4,260
 4,058
22,987
 22,057
 18,152
Amortization of debt fair value
 
 (4,827)
Impairment of investments5,823
 
 

 
 1,745
Deferred tax (benefit)/expense(21,700) (8,569) 52,978
Net foreign currency transaction (gain)/loss(2,364) (7,514) 5,829
Deferred tax benefit(37,561) (56,208) (130,138)
Net unrealized foreign currency transactions(4,543) 5,730
 (1,098)
Fair value in earnings for equity securities(5,826) (3,502) 
Net allowance charges24,025
 33,425
 11,898
Other operating activities(234) 
 (4,033)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
Other assets1,861
 2,015
 (1,794)3,313
 (2,180) (460)
Other receivables, net10,016
 (18,124) 9,435
6,300
 (4,269) (3,461)
Accounts payable(2,087) 786
 (20,265)(2,070) 1,321
 2,743
Income taxes payable/receivable, net(13,663) 5,735
 16,862
Income taxes (payable)/receivable, net(12,375) 9,390
 (22,715)
Accrued expenses(12,574) 5,299
 9,746
11,632
 (1,334) (5,752)
Other liabilities6,053
 (1,553) (14,007)1,149
 (566) (2,498)
Right of use asset/lease liability731
 
 
Net cash provided by operating activities103,030
 186,665
 267,902
133,388
 80,866
 15,475
Cash flows from investing activities:    ��     
Purchases of property and equipment(14,160) (14,454) (24,385)(18,033) (20,521) (22,840)
Acquisition of finance receivables, net of buybacks(890,803) (954,954) (682,441)
Acquisition of finance receivables(1,231,351) (1,105,759) (1,086,029)
Collections applied to principal on finance receivables746,867
 674,373
 571,338
842,910
 733,306
 717,170
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired(60,241) (1,423) (851,183)
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired(57,610) 
 
Cash received upon consolidation of Polish investment fund
 17,531
 
Proceeds from sale of subsidiaries, net31,177
 4,905
 93,304
Purchase of investments(6,052) (48,085) (69,862)(83,291) (42,622) (6,688)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments6,898
 62,217
 25,821
75,008
 25,909
 10,123
Net cash used in investing activities(217,491) (282,326) (1,030,712)(441,190) (387,251) (294,960)
Cash flows from financing activities:          
Tax benefit from share-based compensation
 4,386
 5,558
Proceeds from lines of credit985,751
 790,967
 543,000
1,340,700
 737,464
 1,260,161
Principal payments on lines of credit(1,007,234) (463,733) (134,000)(728,282) (403,348) (1,549,833)
Principal payments on notes payable and long-term debt(313,165) (10,000) (15,021)
Proceeds from long-term debt
 
 310,000
Proceeds from convertible debt
 
 345,000
Repurchases of common stock
 (165,501) (33,164)
 
 (44,909)
Payments of line of credit origination costs and fees(17,539) (5,000) 
Tax withholdings related to share-based payments(1,609) (2,087) (3,022)
Payments of origination costs and fees

 (2,260) (18,240)
Cash paid for purchase of portion of noncontrolling interest(1,255) (1,664) 
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interest(934) 
 
(6,877) (14,486) (1,429)
Proceeds from long-term debt297,893
 
 623,354
Principal payments on notes payable and long-term debt(193,580) (47,374) (359,281)
Net increase in interest-bearing deposits32,905
 22,721
 2,492
Contributions from noncontrolling interest24,675
 
 
Net increase/(decrease) in interest-bearing deposits27,427
 (8,693) 12,991
Other financing activities(2,091) 
 
Net cash provided by financing activities97,262
 136,466
 647,959
339,523
 294,926
 295,698
Effect of exchange rate on cash40,114
 (9,094) (7,492)(6,609) (10,362) 10,016
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents22,915
 31,711
 (122,343)25,112
 (21,821) 26,229
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year71,372
 39,661
 162,004
98,695
 120,516
 94,287
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year$94,287
 $71,372
 $39,661
$123,807
 $98,695
 $120,516
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:          
Cash paid for interest$67,987
 $49,777
 $31,831
$119,424
 $97,475
 $79,825
Cash paid for income taxes78,754
 86,255
 47,947
68,979
 73,483
 144,341
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reconciliation:     
Cash and cash equivalents per Consolidated Balance Sheets$119,774
 $98,695
 $120,516
Restricted cash included in Other Assets per Consolidated Balance Sheets4,033
 
 
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash$123,807
 $98,695
 $120,516
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

49


PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements




1. General and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:Policies:
Nature of operations: Throughout this report, As used herein, the terms "PRA Group," "the Company,the "Company," or similar terms refer to PRA Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
PRA Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, is a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas, Europe, and Europe.Australia. The Company's primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. The Company also provides the following fee-based services: vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery for auto lenders, government entities and law enforcement; revenue administration, audit and revenue discovery/recovery services for local government entities;on class action claims recovery servicesrecoveries and purchases;by servicing of consumer bankruptcy accounts in the United States ("U.S.; and, to a lesser extent, contingent collections of nonperforming loans in Europe and South America. As discussed in Note 17, the Company sold its revenue administration, audit and revenue discovery/recovery business in January 2017.").
Recent acquisitions: On April 26, 2016, the Company completed its public tender offer to purchase 100% of the shares of DTP S.A . ("DTP"), a Polish-based debt collection company, for approximately $44.9 million. The Company's consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income, equity and cash flows include the results of operations of DTP for the period from April 26, 2016 through December 31, 2016.
On August 3, 2015, the Company acquired 55% of the equity interest in RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"). The remaining 45% of the equity interest in RCB is owned by the executive team and previous owners of RCB. RCB is a leading master servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil. The Company's investment for the 55% ownership of RCB was approximately $55.2 million. As part of the investment and call option agreements, the Company has the right to purchase the remaining 45% of RCB at certain multiples of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), beginning on August 3, 2019 and lasting for two years. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 810, "Consolidation," the Company has consolidated all financial statement accounts of RCB in its consolidated balance sheets and its consolidated income statements. The consolidated income statements for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, include the results of operations of RCB from August 3, 2015 through December 31, 2016. The noncontrolling interest amount is included as a separate component of equity and represents the 45% interest not controlled by the Company. In addition, net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest is stated separately in the consolidated income statements for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.
On July 16, 2014, the Company completed the acquisition of Aktiv Kapital AS ("Aktiv"), a Norway-based company specializing in the acquisition and servicing of nonperforming loans throughout Europe and in Canada, for a purchase price of approximately $861.3 million, and assumed approximately $433.7 million of Aktiv's corporate debt, resulting in an acquisition of estimated total enterprise value of $1.3 billion. The Company's consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income, equity and cash flows include the results of operations of Aktiv for the period from July 16, 2014 through December 31, 2016.
Basis of presentation: The consolidated financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and include the accounts of all of its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Realized results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Reclassification of prior year presentation: Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation.
Segments: Under the guidance of ASC Topic 280 "Segment Reporting" ("ASC 280"), the Company has determined that it has several operating segments that meet the aggregation criteria of ASC 280, and, therefore, it has one reportable segment, accounts receivable management, based on similarities among the operating units including economic characteristics, the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or class of customer for their products and services, the methods used to distribute their products and services and the nature of the regulatory environment.
Foreign currency: Assets and liabilities have been translated to the reporting currency using the exchange rates in effect on the consolidated balance sheet dates. Equity accounts are translated at historical rates, except for the change in retained earnings during the year which is the result of the income statement translation process. Revenue and expense accounts are translated using the weighted average exchange rate during the period. The cumulative translation adjustments associated with the net assets of foreigninternational subsidiaries are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income/(lossincome (loss) in the accompanying consolidated statements of stockholders’changes in equity.

Segments: Under the guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") ASC Topic 280 "Segment Reporting" ("ASC 280"), the Company has determined that it has several operating segments that meet the aggregation criteria of ASC 280, and, therefore, it has 1 reportable segment, accounts receivable management. This conclusion is based on similarities among the operating units, including economic characteristics, the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or class of customer for their products and services, the methods used to distribute their products, and services and the nature of the regulatory environment.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Revenues and long-lived assets by geographical location: Revenue for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, and long-lived assets held at December 31, 20162019 and 2015, by geographical location2018, both for the U.S., the Company's country of domicile, and outside of the U.S. were (amounts in thousands) were::
 Years Ended December 31, As of December 31,
 2019 2018 2017 2019 2018
 Revenues 
Long-Lived Assets (2)
United States$673,264
 $619,172
 $560,278
 $112,233
 $48,581
United Kingdom120,377
 99,817
 81,322
 3,553
 1,543
Others (1)
223,440
 189,267
 186,606
 9,687
 4,012
Total$1,017,081
 $908,256
 $828,206
 $125,473
 $54,136

 Years Ended December 31, As of December 31,
 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015
 Revenues Long-Lived Assets
United States$584,816
 $722,393
 $766,262
 $29,598
 $36,075
Outside the United States245,764
 219,625
 114,707
 9,146
 9,319
Total$830,580
 $942,018
 $880,969
 $38,744
 $45,394
(1)None of the countries included in "Others" comprise greater than 10% of the Company's consolidated revenues or long-lived assets.
(2) 2019 includes right-of-use assets from the adoption of ASU 2016-02 on January 1, 2019. Refer to Note 4.
Revenues are attributed to countries based on the location of the related operations. Long-lived assets consist of net property and equipment.equipment and right-of-use-assets. The Company reports revenues earned from its debt purchasingnonperforming loan acquisitions and collection activities, fee-based services and its fee-based services.investments. For additional information on the Company's investments, see Note 3. It is impracticable for the Company to report further breakdowns of revenues from external customers by product or service.
Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Included in cash and cash equivalents are funds held on the behalf of others arising from the collection of accounts placed with the Company. The balance of the funds held on behalf of others was $3.8 million and $3.9 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively; there is an offsetting liability that is included in "Other liabilities" on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Concentrations of credit risk: Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of cash, investments and finance receivables.

50

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss): loss: The Company records unrealized gains and losses on certain available-for-sale investments and foreign currency translation adjustments in other comprehensive income. Unrealized gains and losses on available for sale investments are reclassified to earnings as the gains or losses are realized upon sale of the securities. Translation gains or losses on foreign currency translation adjustments are reclassified to earnings upon the substantial sale or liquidation of investments in foreigninternational operations. For the Company’s financial derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments, the change in fair value of the derivative is recorded in other comprehensive income.
Investments:
Debt Securities.The Company accounts for its investments in debt securities under the guidance of ASC Topic 320-10,320, "Investments-Debt and Equity Securities" ("ASC 320-10"320"). The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt and equity securities at the time of purchase and reevaluates such determinations at each balance sheet date. Debt securities are classified as held to maturity when the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold the securities to maturity. Debt securities for which the Company does not have the intent or ability to hold to maturity are classified as available for sale. Held-to-maturity securities are statedcarried at amortized cost. Available for sale securities are carried at fair market value. Fair value with the unrealizedis determined using quoted market prices. Unrealized gains and losses net of tax,are included in the determination of comprehensive income and reported in stockholders' equity. If the fair value of the investment falls below its carrying amount and the decline is deemed to be other than temporary, the investment is written down, with a corresponding charge to earnings.
Equity Securities. The Company accounts for its investments in equity securities in accordance with ASC Topic 321, “Investments-Equity Securities” (“ASC 321”), which requires that investments in equity securities be measured at fair value with changes in unrealized gains and losses reported in earnings. The Company's investment in equity securities have historically been carried at cost with income recognized in Other Revenue in the consolidated income statements when distributions, up to reported income, were received from the partnerships. As of first quarter of 2018, "Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("ASU 2016-01"), requires that investments in equity securities be measured at fair value with changes in unrealized gains and losses reported in earnings. See Note 3 for additional information.
Equity Method Investments.Equity method investments that are not consolidated, but over which the Company exercises significant influence, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Whether or not the Company exercises significant influence with respect to an investee company depends on an evaluation of several factors including, among others, representation on the investee company’s board of directors and ownership level, which is generally a 20% to 50% interest in the voting securities of the investee company. Under the equity method of accounting, an investee company’s accounts are not reflected within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and income statements; however, the Company’s share of the earnings or losses of the investee company is reflected in the caption ‘‘Other revenue’’ in the consolidated income statements. The Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is reflected in the caption ‘‘Investments’’ in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
When the Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is reduced to zero, no further losses are recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements unless the Company guaranteed obligations of the investee company or has committed additional funding. When the investee company subsequently reports income, the Company will not record its share of such income until it equals the amount of its share of losses not previously recognized.
Finance receivables and income recognition: The Company accounts for its investment in finance receivables under the guidance of ASC Topic 310-30, "Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality" ("ASC 310-30"). The Company acquires portfolios of accounts that have experienced deterioration of credit quality between origination and the Company's acquisition of the accounts. The amount paid for a portfolio reflects the Company's determination that it is probable the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to an account's contractual terms. At acquisition, the Company reviews the accounts to determine whether there is evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination, and if it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the loan's contractual terms. If both conditions exist, the Company then determines whether each such account is to be accounted for individually or whether such accounts will be assembled into pools based on common risk characteristics. The Company considers expected prepayments and estimates the amount and timing of undiscounted expected principal, interest and other cash flows (expected at acquisition) for each acquired portfolio based on the Company's proprietary models, and the Company subsequently aggregates portfolios of accounts into quarterly pools. The Company determines the excess of the pool's scheduled contractual principal and contractual interest payments over all cash flows expected at acquisition as an amount that should not be accreted (nonaccretable difference). The remaining amount, representing the excess of the pool's cash flows expected to be collected over the amount paid, is accreted into income recognized on finance receivables over the remaining estimated life of the pool (accretable yield). ASC 310-30 requires that the excess of the contractual cash flows over expected cash flows, based on the Company's estimates derived from proprietary collection models, not be recognized as an adjustment of revenue or expense or on the balance sheet.

51

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Each pool is recorded at cost and is accounted for as a single unit for the recognition of income, payments applied to principal and loss provision. Once a pool is established for a calendar quarter, individual receivable accounts are not added to the pool

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(unless (unless replaced by the seller) or removed from the pool (unless sold or returned to the seller). The yield is estimated and periodically recalculated based on the timing and amount of anticipated cash flows. Income on finance receivables is accrued quarterly based on each pool's effective yield. Significant increases in expected future cash flows may be recognized prospectively, through an upward adjustment of the yield, over a pool's remaining life. Under ASC 310-30, rather than lowering the estimated yield if the collection estimates are below previous expectations, the carrying value of a pool would be written down to maintain the then current yield and is shown as a reduction in revenuean allowance charge in the consolidated income statements with a corresponding valuation allowance offsetting finance receivables net, on the consolidated balance sheets. Cash flows greater than the interest accrual will reduce the carrying value of the pool. This reduction in carrying value is defined as payments applied to principal (also referred to as principal amortization). Likewise, cash flows that are less than the interest accrual will accrete the carrying balance. Generally, the Company does not record accretion in the first six to twelve months of the estimated life of the pool; accordingly, the Company utilizes either the cost recovery method or cash method when necessary to prevent accretion as permitted by ASC 310-30. Under the cash method, revenue is recognized as it would be under the interest method up to the amount of cash collections. Under the cost recovery method, no revenue is recognized until the Company has fully collected the cost of the pool, or until such time that the Company considers the collections to be probable and estimable and begins to recognize income based on the interest method as described above. The Company also uses the cost recovery method when collections on a particular pool of accounts cannot be reasonably estimated.
A pool can become fully amortized (zero carrying balance on the balance sheet) while still generating cash collections. In this case, all subsequent cash collections are recognized as revenue when received.
The Company records a valuation allowance when significant decreases in expected cash flows are identified or there are changes in the timing of expected cash flows that would otherwise require a reduction in the stated yield on a pool of accounts. Factors that may contribute to the recording of valuation allowances include both external and internal factors. External factors that may have an impact on the collectability, and subsequently on the overall profitability of purchasedacquired pools of nonperforming loans, would include:include new laws or regulations relating to collections, new interpretations of existing laws or regulations, and the overall condition of the economy. Internal factors that may have an impact on the collectability, and subsequently the overall profitability of purchasedacquired pools of nonperforming loans, would include:include necessary revisions to initial and post-acquisition scoring and modeling estimates, non-optimal operational activities, (which relate to the collection and movement of accounts on both the collection floor of the Company and external channels), and decreases in productivity related to turnover and tenure of the Company's collection staff.
The Company capitalizes certain fees paid to third parties related to the direct acquisition of a portfolio of accounts. These fees are added to the acquisition cost of the portfolio and accordingly are amortized over the life of the portfolio using the interest method.
The agreements to purchase the aforementioned receivablesnonperforming loans include general representations and warranties from the sellers covering account holder death or bankruptcyinsolvency and accounts settled or disputed prior to sale. The representation and warranty period permitting the return of these accounts from the Company to the seller is typically 90 to 180 days. Any funds received from the seller of finance receivables as a return of purchase price are referred to as buybacks. Buyback funds are applied against the finance receivable balance received and are not included in the Company's cash collections from operations. In some cases, the seller will replace the returned accounts with new accounts in lieu of returning the purchase price. In that case, the old account is removed from the pool and the new account is added.
Fee income recognition: The Company utilizes the provisions of ASC Topic 605-45, "Principal Agent Considerations" ("ASC 605-45"), to account for fee incomerecognizes revenue from certain of its fee-for-service subsidiaries. ASC 605-45 requiresclass action claims recovery services when there is persuasive evidence that an analysis to be completed to determine if certain revenues should be reported grossarrangement exists, delivery has occurred or reported net of their related operating expense. This analysis includes an assessment of who retains credit risk, controls vendor selection, establishes pricingservices have been rendered, the amount is fixed or determinable, and remains the primary obligor on the transaction. Each of these factors was considered to determine the correct method of recognizing revenue from these fee-based subsidiaries.collectability is reasonably assured.
Property and equipment: Property and equipment, including improvements that significantly add to the productive capacity or extend useful life, are recorded at cost. Maintenance and repairs are expensed currently.as incurred. Property and equipment are depreciated over their useful lives using the straight-line method of depreciation. Software and computer equipment are amortized or depreciated over three to five years. Furniture and fixtures are depreciated over five to ten years. Equipment is depreciated over five to seven years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful life, which ranges from three to ten years, or the remaining term of the lease. Building improvements are depreciated straight-line over ten to thirty-nine years. When property is sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and any gain or loss is included in the income statement.

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Business combinations: The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method.method in accordance with ASC 805, "Business Combinations" ("ASC 805"). The cost of an acquired company is assigned to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and the liabilities assumed on the basis of their fair values at the date of acquisition. The determination of fair

52

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management to make estimates and use valuation techniques when market values are not readily available. Any excess of purchase price over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired is allocated to goodwill. Transaction costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred.
Goodwill and intangible assets: Goodwill, in accordance with ASC Topic 350, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other" ("ASC 350"), is not amortized but rather is reviewed for impairment annually or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist. The Company performs its annual assessment as of October 1. The Company may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. If management concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, management conducts a two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. The first step of the impairment test involves comparing the fair value of the applicable reporting unit with its carrying value. The Company estimates the fair values of its reporting units using a combination of the income approach, which uses present value techniques, and the market approach, which uses market multiples from comparable transactions where the acquisition target has similar operating and investment characteristics to the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit's fair value, management performs the second step of the goodwill impairment test. The second step of the goodwill impairment test involves comparing the implied fair value of the affected reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying value of that goodwill. The amount by which the carrying value of the goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, if any, is recognized as an impairment loss. See Note 5 for additional information.
Convertible senior notes: The Company accounts for its 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (the "2020 Notes") and its 3.50% Convertible Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes" and, together with the 2020 Notes, the "Notes") in accordance with ASC 470-20, "Debt with Conversion and Other Options" ("ASC 470-20"). ASC 470-20 requires that, for convertible debt instruments that must be settled fully or partially in cash upon conversion, issuers must separately account for the liability and equity components in a manner that will reflect the entity's nonconvertible debt borrowing rate when interest cost is recognized in subsequent periods. The excess of the principal amount of the liability component over its carrying amount is amortized to interest expense over the expected life of a similar liability that does not have an associated equity component, using the effective interest method. The equity component is not remeasured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification under ASC 815-40, "Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity." Transaction costs incurred with third parties are allocated to the liability and equity components in proportion to the allocation of proceeds and accounted for as debt issuance costs and equity issuance costs, respectively.
For diluted earnings per share purposes, based upon the Company's intent and ability to settle conversions of the Notes through a combination of cash and shares, only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $65.72.$65.72 for the 2020 Notes or $46.24 for the 2023 Notes, neither of which occurred during the respective periods from when the Notes were issued through December 31, 2019.
Income taxes: The Company follows the guidance of ASC Topic 740 "Income Taxes" ("ASC 740") as it relates to the provision for income taxes and uncertainty in income taxes. Accordingly, the Company records a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. The provision for income taxes is estimated using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are expected to be realized or settled.
The evaluation of a tax position in accordance with the guidance is a two-step process. The first step is recognition: the enterprise determines whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. In evaluating whether a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the enterprise should presume that the position will be examined by the appropriate taxing authority that would have full knowledge of all relevant information. The second step is measurement: a tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Tax positions that previously failed to meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be recognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is met. Previously recognized tax positions that no longer meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be derecognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is no longer met. The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense when positions are not met.

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

In the event that all or part of the deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, a valuation allowance would be established and charged to earnings in the period such determination is made. If the Company subsequently realizes

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PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

deferred tax assets that were previously determined to be unrealizable, the respective valuation allowance would be reversed, resulting in a positive adjustment to earnings.
The estimate of income tax expense involves significant judgment in evaluating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with our expectations could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.
For domestic incomeBeginning with the 2017 tax purposes,year, the Company recognizes revenue usingutilizes a new tax accounting method to recognize net finance receivables income. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections amortize principal and the remaining portion is taxable income. The deferred tax liability related to the difference in timing between the new method and the cost recovery method with respect towill be incorporated evenly into the Company's nonperforming loan purchasing business. The Company believes cost recovery to be an acceptable method for purchasers of nonperforming loans. Under the cost recovery method, collections on finance receivables are applied first to principal to reduce the finance receivables to zero before any income is recognized.Company’s tax filings over four years. For additional information, see Note 13.
Advertising costs: Advertising costs are expensed when incurred.
Operating leases: General abatementsLeases: The Company accounts for leases in accordance with the provisions of FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842) Section A - Leases: Amendments to the FASB Account Standards Codification" ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2019 using the alternative method which resulted in the recording of operating lease right-of-use ("ROU") assets and lease liabilities of $72.1 million and $75.8 million, respectively. The Company's balance sheets for reporting periods beginning on or prepaid leasing costsafter January 1, 2019 are recognized on a straight-line basis overpresented under the lifenew guidance, while prior periods amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with previous guidance.
The Company elected to apply the package of practical expedients permitted within the new standard, which among other things, allows it to carry forward the historical lease classification. In addition, the Company elected the practical expedient to exclude short-term leases (lease terms of less than one year) from its ROU assets and lease liabilities.
The Company's operating lease portfolio primarily includes corporate offices and call centers. The majority of its leases have remaining lease terms of one year to twenty years, some of which include options to extend the leases for five years, and others include options to terminate the leases within one year. Exercises of lease renewal options are typically at the Company's sole discretion and are included in its ROU assets and lease liabilities based upon whether the Company is reasonably certain of exercising the renewal options. The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. The Company's lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
As most of the lease. Future minimumCompany's leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of the lease payments. The Company used its incremental borrowing rate as of January 1, 2019 to calculate the present value of the lease payments (including the impact of rent escalations) are expensed on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. Material leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized over the remaining life of the lease.its existing leases at adoption.
Share-based compensation: The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 718 "Compensation-Stock Compensation" ("ASC 718"). ASC 718 requires that compensation expense associated with share equity awards be recognized in the income statement. BasedThe Company determines stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards based on historical experience, the measurement date fair value. The Company has certain share awards that include market conditions that affect vesting. The fair value of these shares is estimated using a lattice model. Compensation cost is not adjusted if the market condition is not met, as long as the requisite service is provided. The Company estimates a forfeiture rate for most equity share grants.grants based on historical experience. Time-based equity share awards generally vest between threeone and fivethree years from the grant date and are expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Equity share awards that contain a performance metric, are expensed over the requisite service period, generally three years, in accordance with the performance level achieved at each reporting period. See Note 11 for additional information.
Derivatives: The Company periodically enters into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate swap agreements, interest rate caps, and foreign currency contracts to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable-rate debt and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company does not utilize derivative financial instruments with a level of complexity or with a risk greater than the exposure to be managed nor does it enter into or hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.
The Company follows the guidance of ASC Topic 815 "Derivatives and Hedging" ("ASC 815") to account for its derivatives. All of the Company's outstanding derivative financial instruments are recognized in the balance sheet at their fair values. The effect on earnings from recognizing the fair values of these derivative financial instruments depends on their intended use, their hedge designation, and their effectiveness in offsetting changes in the fair values of the exposures they are hedging. Changes in the fair values of instruments designated to reduce or eliminate adverse fluctuations in the fair values of recognized assets and

54

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

liabilities and unrecognized firm commitments are reported currently in earnings along with changes in the fair values of the hedged items. Changes in the effective portions of the fair values of instruments used to reduce or eliminate adverse fluctuations in cash flows of anticipated or forecasted transactions are reported in equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income are reclassified to earnings when the related hedged items affect earnings or the anticipated transactions are no longer probable. Changes in the fair values of derivative instruments that are not designated as hedges or do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment are reported currently in earnings. The Company realizes gains and losses from derivative instruments in the same financial statement line item as the hedged item/forecasted transaction. Changes in unrealized gains and losses for derivatives not designated in a hedge accounting relationship are recorded directly in earnings each period and are also recorded in the same financial statement line item as the hedged item/forecasted transaction. Cash flows from the settlement of derivatives, including both economic hedges and those designated in hedge accounting relationships, appear in the consolidated statements of cash flows in the same categories as the cash flows of the hedged item.
For derivative financial instruments accounted for as hedging instruments, the Company formally designates and documents, at inception, the financial instrument as a hedge of a specific underlying exposure, the risk management objective, and the manner in which effectiveness of the hedge will be assessed. The Company formally assesses, both at inception and at each reporting period thereafter, whether the derivative financial instruments used in hedging transactions are effective in offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows of the related underlying exposures. Any ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the instruments is recognized immediately in earnings.
The Company discontinues the use of hedge accounting prospectively when (1) the derivative instrument is no longer effective in offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows of the underlying hedged item; (2) the derivative instrument expires, is sold, terminated, or exercised; or (3) designating the derivative instrument as a hedge is no longer appropriate. See Note 9 for additional information.
Use of estimates: The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principlesGAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Significant estimates have been made by management with respect to the timing and amount of future cash collections of the Company's finance receivables portfolios. Actual results could differ from these estimates making it reasonably possible that a change in these estimates could occur within one year.
Commitments and contingencies: We areThe Company is subject to various claims and contingencies related to lawsuits, certain taxes, and commitments under contractual and other obligations. We recognizeThe Company recognizes liabilities for contingencies and commitments when a loss is probable and estimable. We expenseThe Company expenses related legal costs as incurred. For additional information, see Note 14.
Estimated fair value of financial instruments: The Company applies the provisionprovisions of ASC Topic 820 "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures" ("ASC 820"). ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also requires the consideration of differing levels of inputs in the determination of fair values. Disclosure of the estimated fair values of financial instruments often requires the use of estimates. See Note 8 for additional information.
Reclassification of prior year presentation: Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation.
Recent accounting pronouncements: In May 2014, FASB issued
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09") that updates the principles for recognizing revenue. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenueAdopted:
Codification Improvements to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. ASU 2014-09 also amends the required disclosures of the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and can be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption, with early application not permitted. The Company believes that the revenue it classifies as Fee Income is within the scope of this standard. The Company's fee income consists of revenue generated by its Claims Compensation Bureau, LLC ("CCB"), PRA Location Services, LLC ("PLS"), and PRA Government Services, LLC ("PGS") subsidiaries. Based on the

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Company's evaluation, the Company does not believe the new standard will impact the accounting for its CCB and PLS revenue. The Company sold its PGS business in January 2017.
In June 2014, FASB issued ASU 2014-12, "Accounting for Share-Based Payments When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved after the Requisite Service Period" ("ASU 2014-12"). ASU 2014-12 requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. As such, the performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. ASU 2014-12 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2014-12 in the first quarter of 2016 which had no material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In August 2014, FASB issued ASU 2014-15, "Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern" ("ASU 2014-15"). ASU 2014-15 requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued and provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going concern uncertainties in the financial statements. Certain disclosures will be required if conditions give rise to substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. ASU 2014-15 applies to all entities and is effective for annual and interim reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2014-15 during the fourth quarter of 2016 which did not have an impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In February 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-02, "Consolidation (Topic 810), Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis" ("ASU 2015-02"). The amendments under the new guidance modify the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are variable interest entities ("VIEs") or voting interest entities and eliminate the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. ASU 2015-02 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted ASU 2015-02 in the first quarter of 2016 which had no material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In April 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-03, "Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs" ("ASU 2015-03"). ASU 2015-03 requires an entity to present debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the amendments in this update. For public business entities, this update is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis. The Company adopted ASU 2015-03 in the first quarter of 2016. Upon adoption, the Company reclassified its debt issuance costs from "Other assets" to "Borrowings" in its Consolidated Balance Sheets, which did not have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In April 2015, FASB issued ASU 2015-05, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement" ("ASU 2015-05"). ASU 2015-05 provides explicit guidance to help companies evaluate the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. The new guidance clarifies that if a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the customer should account for the license consistent with its accounting for other software licenses. If the arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. For public business entities, this update is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company prospectively adopted ASU 2015-05 in the first quarter of 2016, which had no material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In January 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("ASU 2016-01"), which provides new guidance on the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial assets and liabilities. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted only for certain provisions. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements.Leases
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02 "Leases (Topic 842) Section A - Leases: Amendments to the FASB Account Standards Codification" ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02which requires that a lessee should recognize a liability to make lease payments and a right-of-use assetROU representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. It is effectiveIn July 2018, FASB issued ASU 2018-10, "Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases" and ASU 2018-11, "Leases (Topic 842) Targeted Improvements" which among other things, allowed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years,an alternative transition method which eliminated the requirement to restate the earliest prior period presented in an entity's financial statements. Entities that elected this transition option, including the Company, were required to adopt the new lease standard using athe modified retrospective approach and earlytransition method required by the standard, but recognized a cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption is permitted.rather than in the earliest period presented. The Company is currently inadopted the processnew leasing standard on January 1, 2019 and as a result recorded operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities of evaluating the impact of$72.1 million and $75.8 million, respectively. The adoption of the ASUstandard did not have any other material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company currently discloses approximately $48.4 million in operating lease obligations in its lease commitments footnote (Note 4) and will evaluate those contracts as well as other existing arrangements to determine if they qualify for lease accounting under the new standard. The Company does not plan to adopt the standard early.Company's consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-06, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Contingent Put and Call Options in Debt Instruments" ("ASU 2016-06"). Topic 815 requires that embedded derivatives be separated from the host contract and accounted

55

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


for separately as derivatives if certain criteria are met, including the "clearlyStatement of Cash Flows- Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and closely related" criterion. ASU 2016-06 clarifies the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. An entity performing the assessment under the amendments is required to assess the embedded call (put) options solely in accordance with the four-step decision sequence. The amendments in ASU 2016-06 apply to all entities that are issuers of or investors in debt instruments (or hybrid financial instruments that are determined to have a debt host) with embedded call (put) options. For public entities, this update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In March 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09"). The guidance eliminates additional paid in capital ("APIC") pools and requires companies to recognize all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. It also addresses the presentation of excess tax benefits and employee taxes paid on the statement of cash flows. Further, the new guidance eliminates the requirement to estimate forfeitures during the vesting period. Instead, companies can elect to account for actual forfeitures as they occur and record any previously unrecognized compensation expense for estimated forfeitures up to the period of adoption as a retrospective adjustment to beginning retained earnings. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of 2017 and does not expect the adoption will have a material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
In June 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)" ("ASU 2016-13"). ASU 2016-13 requires the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable forecasts. The main objective of this ASU is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years and allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018. This ASU supersedes ASC Topic 310-30, which the Company currently follows to account for revenue on its finance receivables. This ASU could have a significant impact on how the Company measures and records revenue on its finance receivables. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements.Cash Payments
In August 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230)" ("ASU 2016-15"). ASU 2016-15 reduces diversity in practice of how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance clarifies the classification of cash activity related to debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate and bank-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity-method investments, and beneficial interests in securitization transactions. The guidance also describes a predominance principle in which cash flows with aspects of more than one class that cannot be separated should be classified based on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flow. ASU 2016-15 is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period, but requires all elements of the amendments to be adopted at once rather than individually. The new standard must be adopted using a retrospective transition method. The Company is currentlyadopted ASU 2016-15 in the processfirst quarter of evaluating the2019 which had no material impact of adoption of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements.consolidated financial statements.
Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
In October 2016,February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, "Income Taxes - Intra-Entity Transfers2018-02, "Reclassification of AssetsCertain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Than Inventory"Comprehensive Income" ("ASU 2016-16"2018-02"), which requires entities to recognize. Under existing GAAP, the effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances are recorded as a component of income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an assetexpense in the period in which the law was enacted. When deferred tax balances related to items originally recorded in accumulated other than inventory whencomprehensive income are adjusted, certain tax effects become stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income. The amendments in ASU 2018-02 allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded income tax effects resulting from the transfer occurs.2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("Tax Act"). The standardamendments in this ASU also require certain disclosures about stranded income tax effects. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as ofThe Company’s provisional adjustments recorded during the beginning of a fiscal year. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method which is a cumulative-effect adjustmentyear ended December 31, 2017 to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company is currently in the process of evaluatingaccount for the impact of adoptionthe Tax Act did not result in stranded tax effects. The Company adopted ASU 2018-02 in the first quarter of the ASU2019 which had no material impact on its Consolidated consolidated financial statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted:
Financial StatementsInstruments - Credit Losses
In January 2017,June 2016, FASB issued "Business CombinationsASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Clarifying the Definition of a BusinessCredit Losses (Topic 805)326)" ("ASU 2017-01"2016-13")., which introduces a new methodology requiring the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. ASU 2017-01 clarifies2016-13 utilizes a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for the definitionrecognition of a business withcredit losses for loans, held-to-maturity debt securities and other receivables measured at amortized cost. The new methodology requires an entity to present on the objectivebalance sheet the net amount expected to be collected. This methodology replaces the multiple impairment methods under existing GAAP, including for purchased credit impaired ("PCI") assets, and introduces the concept of adding guidance to assist companies with evaluating whether transactions shouldpurchased credit deteriorated (“PCD”) financial assets. The Company's PCI assets currently accounted for under existing GAAP will be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals)PCD financial assets upon adoption of ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 requires PCD assets or businesses. The newto be recognized at their purchase price plus the allowance for credit losses expected at the time of acquisition. ASU 2016-13 also requires that financial assets should be written off when they are deemed uncollectible.
In November 2019, FASB issued ASU 2019-11, “Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses” (“ASU 2019-11”), which amends the PCD financial asset guidance isin ASU 2016-13 to clarify that expected recoveries of amounts previously written off and expected to reducebe written off should be included in the numbervaluation account and should not exceed the aggregate of transactions that needamounts previously written off and expected to be further evaluated as businesses. Thewritten off by an entity. Further, ASU 2019-11 clarifies that a negative allowance is recognized when an entity determines, after a full or partial writeoff of the amortized cost basis, that it will recover all or a portion of the basis.
Based on the guidance is effectivein ASU 2016-13 and 2019-11, substantially all the Company’s PCI assets will transition using the PCD guidance; the Company will gross up the amortized cost of the PCI assets by adding the allowance for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted for certain types of transactions.credit losses estimated at transition. The Company is currently inwill then immediately write off the processamortized cost basis of evaluatingindividual accounts and establish a negative allowance for expected recoveries. The immediate writeoff and subsequent recognition of estimated recoveries are expected to have no impact on the impactCompany’s statement of adoptionincome, balance sheet or retained earnings at the date of adoption. The Company will estimate expected recoveries using a discounted cash flow approach and will recognize income over the estimated life of the ASU on its Consolidated Financial Statements.pool at an effective interest rate. Subsequent changes (favorable and unfavorable) in expected cash flows will be recognized in current period earnings by adjusting the present value of the expected recoveries.


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PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


Subsequent to adoption, ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2019-11 represent a significant change from existing GAAP and are expected to result in material changes to the Company’s accounting for its finance receivables, including recognizing revenue at a fixed rate and recognizing both positive and negative changes to the forecast as an adjustment to current period earnings. The guidance will be effective prospectively for the Company as of January 1, 2020. Implementation efforts, including model finalization and drafting of accounting and internal control policies and procedures are nearly complete.
Intangibles - Goodwill and Other
In January 2017, FASB issued ASU 2017-04, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment" ("ASU 2017-04"). ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Instead, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption was permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. Based on the Company's most recent goodwill impairment assessment, there were no reporting units for which it was more-likely-than-not that the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeded its respective fair value; therefore, the Company believes that ASU 2017-04 would not have an impact on its consolidated financial statements or related disclosures. If subsequent to adoption, the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its respective fair value, the Company would be required to recognize an impairment charge. The Company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2020 and does not expect that the adoption of these amendments will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements.
Fair Value Measurement
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” ("ASU 2018-13"). ASU 2018-13 eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements as part of its disclosure framework project. The standard is effective for all entities for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt this standard on January 1, 2020 and expects the adoption of ASU 2018-13 will result in additional and modified disclosures in its consolidated financial statements without any financial impact.
Income Taxes
In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes (“ASU 2019-12”), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes. This standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2020 on a prospective basis, and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2019-12 on our consolidated financial statements and expects it to result in additional and modified disclosures.
The Company does not expect that any other recently issued accounting pronouncements will have a material effect on its Consolidated Financial Statements.consolidated financial statements.
2. Finance Receivables, net:
Changes in finance receivables, net, for the years ended December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, were as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018
Balance at beginning of year$3,084,777
 $2,776,199
Acquisitions of finance receivables (1)
1,274,317
 1,105,423
Addition relating to consolidation of Polish investment fund

 34,871
Foreign currency translation adjustment22,006
 (64,985)
Cash collections(1,841,271) (1,625,205)
Income recognized on finance receivables998,361
 891,899
Net allowance charges(24,025) (33,425)
Balance at end of year$3,514,165
 $3,084,777
 2016 2015
Balance at beginning of year$2,202,113
 $2,001,790
Acquisitions of finance receivables (1)
938,273
 954,954
Cash collections applied to principal(746,867) (674,373)
Foreign currency translation adjustment(85,550) (80,258)
Balance at end of year$2,307,969
 $2,202,113

(1) Acquisitions of finance receivables are net ofIncludes portfolio purchases adjusted for buybacks and include certain capitalized acquisition related costs. They also includescosts and portfolios from the acquisition date finance receivable portfolios that are acquiredof a business in connection with certain business acquisitions.Canada made during the first quarter of 2019.

57

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

During the year ended December 31, 2016,2019, the Company purchasedacquired finance receivable portfolios with a face value of $10.5$11.7 billion for $0.9 billion. During$1.3 billion as compared to the same period last year ended December 31, 2015, the Company purchased finance receivable portfolios with a face value of $6.9$9.2 billion for $1.0$1.1 billion. At December 31, 2016,2019, the estimated remaining collections ("ERC") on the receivables purchasedacquired during the years ended December 31, 20162019 and 20152018 were $1.4$2.0 billion and $1.2$1.4 billion, respectively. At December 31, 20162019 and 2015, the total2018, ERC was $5.05$6.8 billion and $5.01$6.1 billion, respectively.
At the time of acquisition and each quarter thereafter, the life of each pool is estimated based on projected amounts and timing of future cash collections using the proprietary models of the Company. Based upon current projections, estimated cash collections expected to be applied to principal are estimated to be as follows for the yearstwelve-month periods ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2020$831,769
2021672,699
2022500,597
2023368,332
2024263,785
2025193,831
2026156,456
2027135,238
2028125,673
2029116,008
Thereafter149,777
Total ERC expected to be applied to principal$3,514,165
2017$633,565
2018541,874
2019419,322
2020308,356
2021211,759
202293,723
202346,230
Thereafter53,140
Total ERC expected to be applied to principal$2,307,969

At December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, the Company had aggregate net finance receivables balances in pools accounted for under the cost recovery method of $105.5$33.7 million and $21.0$48.0 million, respectively.
Accretable yield represents the amount of income recognized on finance receivables the Company can expect to generaterecognize over the remaining life of its existing portfolios based on estimated future cash flows as of the balance sheet date. Additions represent the original expected accretable yield, on portfolios purchasedacquired during the period, to be earned by the Company based on its proprietary buying models.period. Net reclassifications from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield primarily result from the increase in the Company's estimate of future cash flows. When applicable, net reclassifications to nonaccretable difference from accretable yield result from the decrease in the Company's estimates of future cash flows and allowance charges that together exceed the increase in the Company's estimate of future cash flows.
Changes in accretable yield for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (amounts in thousands):

 2019 2018
Balance at beginning of year$3,058,445
 $2,927,866
Income recognized on finance receivables(998,361) (891,899)
Net allowance charges24,025
 33,425
Additions from portfolio acquisitions943,887
 876,112
Reclassifications from nonaccretable difference205,464
 194,992
Foreign currency translation adjustment6,671
 (82,051)
Balance at end of year$3,240,131
 $3,058,445


58

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Changes in accretable yield for the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2016 2015
Balance at beginning of year$2,727,204
 $2,513,185
Income recognized on finance receivables, net(745,119) (865,122)
Additions from portfolio purchases720,638
 756,628
Reclassifications from nonaccretable difference41,056
 502,665
Foreign currency translation adjustment(3,773) (180,152)
Balance at end of year$2,740,006
 $2,727,204

The following is a summary of activity within the Company's valuation allowance account, all of which relates to loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality, for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018 2017
Beginning balance$257,148
 $225,555
 $211,465
Allowance charges38,662
 48,856
 13,826
Reversal of previous recorded allowance charges(14,637) (15,431) (1,928)
Net allowance charges24,025
 33,425
 11,898
Foreign currency translation adjustment122
 (1,832) 2,192
Ending balance$281,295
 $257,148
 $225,555
 2016 2015 2014
Beginning balance$114,861
 $86,166
 $91,101
Allowance charges100,202
 31,974
 8,010
Reversal of previous recorded allowance charges(1,723) (2,605) (12,945)
Net allowance charges/(reversals)98,479
 29,369
 (4,935)
Foreign currency translation adjustment(1,875) (674) 
Ending balance$211,465
 $114,861
 $86,166

3. Investments:
Investments consisted of the following at December 31, 20162019 and 20152018 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018
Debt securities   
Available-for-sale$5,052
 $5,077
Equity securities   
Private equity funds7,218
 7,973
Mutual funds33,677
 21,753
Equity method investments10,229
 10,370
Total investments$56,176
 $45,173

 2016 2015
Available-for-sale   
Securitized assets$
 $4,649
Government bonds and fixed income funds2,138
 3,405
Held-to-maturity   
Securitized assets51,407
 50,247
Other investments   
Private equity funds14,998
 15,498
Total investments$68,543
 $73,799
Debt Securities
Available-for-Sale
Investments in securitized assets: The Company holds a majority interest in a closed-end Polish investment fund. The fund was formed in December 2014 to acquire portfolios of nonperforming consumer loans in Poland. The Company's investment consists of a 100% interest of the Series B certificates and a 20% interest of the Series C certificates. Each certificate comes with one vote and is governed by a co-investment agreement. Series C certificates, which share equally in the residual profit of the fund, are accounted for as debt securities classified as available-for-sale and are stated at fair value. There was no revenue recorded in 2016 or 2015 from the Series C investment. During 2016, the net portfolio collections on the Company's investments in the closed-end Polish investment fund significantly underperformed expectations.As a result, in 2016 the Company recorded an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $5.8 million.
Government bonds and fixed income funds: :The Company's investments in government bonds and fixed income funds are classified as available-for-sale and are stated at fair value. Fair value is estimated using the quoted price of the investment. Unrealized gains and losses are included in other comprehensive income and reported in equity.
Held-to-Maturity
Investments in securitized assets: The Company holds a majority interest in a closed-end Polish investment fund. The Company's 100% interest in the Fund's Series B certificates, which provide a preferred return based on the expected net income of the portfolios, are accounted for as a beneficial interest in securitized financial assets and stated at amortized cost. The Company

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

has determined it has the ability and intent to hold these certificates until maturity, which occurs when the fund terminates or liquidates its assets. The preferred return is not a guaranteed return. Income is recognized under FASB ASC Topic 325-40, "Beneficial Interest in Securitized Financial Assets" ("ASC 325-40"). Income is recognized using the effective yield method. The Company adjusts the yield for changes in estimated cash flows prospectively through earnings.
The underlyingamortized cost and estimated fair value of investments in debt securities have both known principal repayment terms as well as unknown principal repayments due to potential borrower pre-payments. Accordingly, it is difficult to accurately predict the final maturity date of these investments. Revenues recognized on these investments are recorded in the Other Revenue line item in the income statement and were $6.1 million for the year endedat December 31, 2016 compared to $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.2019 and 2018 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Other Investments
 December 31, 2019
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds$5,095
 $
 $43
 $5,052
        
 December 31, 2018
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds$5,160
 $
 $83
 $5,077

Equity Securities
Investments in private equity funds: Investments in private equity funds represent limited partnerships in which the Company has less than a 3% interest andinterest. In the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2016-01. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-01, the investments are carried at cost. Distributions receivedthe fair value reported by the fund manager. The Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of $3.9 million, net of tax, to beginning retained earnings for the unrealized loss on the investment.
Mutual funds: The Company invests certain excess funds held in Brazil in a Brazilian real denominated mutual fund benchmarked to the U.S. dollar that invests principally in Brazilian fixed income securities. The investments are carried at fair value based on quoted market prices. Gains and losses from the partnershipsthis investment are included inas a foreign exchange component of other revenue. Distributions receivedincome and (expense) in excess of the Company's consolidated income statements.

59

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Unrealized gains and losses: Net unrealized gains on equity securities were $5.8 million and $3.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively on the Company's equity securities.
Equity Method Investments
Effective December 20, 2018, the Company has an 11.7% interest in RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"), a servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil, which is accounted for on the equity method because the Company exercises significant influence over RCB’s operating and financial activities. Accordingly, the Company’s investment in RCB is adjusted for the Company’s proportionate share of accumulatedRCB’s earnings are applied as a reduction of the cost of the investment. Distributions received from investments carried at cost were $2.7 million and $7.8 millionor losses. Refer to Note 17 for 2016 and 2015, respectively.additional information.
4. Leases:
The amortized cost and estimated fair valuecomponents of available-for sale and held-to-maturity investments atlease expense for the year ended December 31, 20162019 was as follows (amounts in thousands):
 December 31, 2019
Operating lease cost$12,008
Short-term lease cost2,973
Total lease cost$14,981
Supplemental cash flow information and 2015non-cash activity related to leases for the year ended December 31, 2019 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
 December 31, 2016
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds and fixed income funds$2,161
 $
 $23
 $2,138
Held-to-maturity       
Securitized assets51,407
 4,147
 
 55,554
        
 December 31, 2015
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Securitized assets$5,855
 $
 $1,206
 $4,649
Government bonds and fixed income funds3,405
 
 
 3,405
Held-to-maturity       
Securitized assets50,247
 5,366
 
 55,613
 December 31, 2019
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of operating lease liabilities$11,438
  
ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations$80,725
Lease term and discount rate information related to operating leases were as follows as of the date indicated:
December 31, 2019
Weighted-average remaining lease terms (years)10.7
Weighted-average discount rate4.9%

4. Operating Leases:
The Company leases office space and equipment under operating leases. RentalLease expense was $12.3$15.0 million, $11.3$13.6 million and $8.7$11.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, respectively.
Future minimumMaturities of lease payments for operating leasesliabilities at December 31, 2016,2019, are as follows for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
 Operating Leases
2020$11,846
202111,378
20229,324
20237,132
20246,279
Thereafter49,414
Total lease payments$95,373
Less imputed interest(21,996)
Total$73,377


As previously disclosed in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and under the previous lease accounting standard (which excludes the impact of the Company's intent to exercise renewal options as required by ASU 2016-02),

60

2017$10,965
20189,086
20197,428
20205,868
20214,282
Thereafter10,789
Total future minimum lease payments$48,418

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


future minimum lease payments for operating leases at December 31, 2018, were as follows for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2019$11,470
202011,451
202110,809
20227,287
20236,189
Thereafter7,866
Total future minimum lease payments$55,072

5. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net:
In connection with the Company's previous business acquisitions, the Company acquired certain tangible and intangible assets. Intangible assets resulting from these acquisitions include client and customer relationships, non-compete agreements, trademarks and technology. The Company performs an annual review of goodwill as of October 1 or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed an annual review of goodwill as of October 1, 2016,2019 and concluded that no0 goodwill impairment was necessary.
The following table represents the changes in goodwill for the years ended December 31, 20162019 and 20152018 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018
Goodwill:   
Balance at beginning of period$464,116
 $526,513
Changes:  ��
Acquisition18,831
 
Sale of subsidiary
 (36,053)
Foreign currency translation adjustment(2,153) (26,344)
Net change in goodwill16,678
 (62,397)
    
Balance at end of period$480,794
 $464,116
 2016 2015
Balance at beginning of period:   
Goodwill$501,553
 $533,842
Accumulated impairment loss(6,397) (6,397)
 495,156
 527,445
Changes:   
Acquisitions28,792
 38,489
Foreign currency translation adjustment5,646
 (70,778)
Reclassifications to assets held for sale(29,683) 
Net change in goodwill4,755
 (32,289)
    
Balance at end of period:   
Goodwill506,308
 501,553
Accumulated impairment loss(6,397) (6,397)

$499,911
 $495,156

The $28.8$18.8 million addition to goodwill due to business acquisitions in 2016 was mainly attributableduring the year ended December 31, 2019, is related to the acquisition of DTPa business in Canada during the second quarterfirst quarter. The $36.1 million decrease in goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2018, is a result of 2016 and the acquisitionsale of Recovery Management Systems Corporation ("RMSC")a portion of RCB's servicing platform in the first quarterDecember of 2016. The goodwill recognized from the DTP acquisition is not expected to be deductible for U.S. income tax purposes while the goodwill recognized from the RMSC acquisition is expected to be deductible for U.S. income tax purposes.
The $38.5 million addition to goodwill due to business acquisitions in 2015 was mainly attributable to the acquisition of RCB. The acquired goodwill is not deductible for U.S. income tax purposes.2018.
Intangible assets, excluding goodwill, consisted of the following at December 31, 20162019 and 20152018 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018
 Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
 Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
Client and customer relationships$12,072
 $8,242
 $11,806
 $6,993
Non-compete agreements439
 183
 
 
Trademarks400
 362
 400
 345
Technology1,679
 1,306
 1,548
 894
Total$14,590
 $10,093
 $13,754
 $8,232
 2016 2015
 Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
 Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
Client and customer relationships$35,936
 $13,455
 $47,674
 $28,064
Non-compete agreements1,412
 667
 858
 119
Trademarks3,315
 988
 4,367
 2,038
Technology3,102
 720
 1,211
 101
Total$43,765
 $15,830
 $54,110
 $30,322

The Company amortizes the intangible assets over thetheir estimated useful lives. Total amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017 was $6.2$1.6 million, $3.7$4.3 million and $4.8$4.3 million, respectively. The Company reviews these intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable and the carrying amount exceeds its fair value.


61

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


The future amortization of these intangible assets is estimated to be as follows as of December 31, 2016 for the following years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2020$1,402
2021880
2022750
2023707
2024758
Thereafter
Total$4,497
2017$4,793
20184,390
20194,143
20203,635
20212,666
Thereafter8,308
Total$27,935

6. Borrowings:
The Company's borrowings consisted of the following as of the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
 December 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Americas revolving credit$772,037
 $598,279
Europe revolving credit1,017,465
 561,882
Term loans425,000
 740,551
Convertible senior notes632,500
 632,500
 2,847,002
 2,533,212
Less: Debt discount and issuance costs(38,577) (59,556)
Total$2,808,425
 $2,473,656
 December 31,
2016
 December 31,
2015
North American revolving credit$695,088
 $541,799
Term loans430,764
 170,000
Note payable
 169,938
European revolving credit401,780
 576,433
Convertible senior notes287,500
 287,500
Less: Debt discount and issuance costs(31,031) (28,541)
Total$1,784,101
 $1,717,129

The following principal payments are due on the Company's borrowings at December 31, 20162019 for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2020$298,603
20211,028,568
20221,174,831
2023345,000
2024 and thereafter
Total$2,847,002
2017$217,285
201810,000
201910,000
2020895,303
2021682,544
Thereafter
Total$1,815,132

The Company believes it was in compliance with the covenants of its financing arrangements as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.2019.
North American Revolving Credit and Term Loan
On December 19, 2012,May 5, 2017, the Company entered into aamended and restated its existing credit facilityagreement (as amended, and modified from time to time, the “North American Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, Bank of America, National Association, acting through its Canada branch, as the Canadian administrative agent, and a syndicate of lenders named therein (such agreement as later amended or modified,therein. In the "Northfourth quarter of 2018, the Company entered into a First Amendment (the "First Amendment") to the North American Credit Agreement").Agreement which, among other things, increased the domestic revolving credit facility by $363.0 million and expanded the accordion feature to allow the Company to increase the original principal amount of the commitments under the North American Credit Agreement by an additional $500.0 million, subject to certain terms and conditions. The total credit facility under the North American Credit Agreement includes an aggregate principal amount of $948.0$1,543.0 million (subject to compliance with a borrowing base and applicable debt covenants), which consists of (i) a fully-funded $150.0$425.0 million term loan, (ii) a $748$1,068.0 million domestic revolving credit facility and (iii) a $50$50.0 million Canadian revolving credit facility. The facility includes an optional increaseaccordion feature for up to $500.0 million in additional commitments for a $125.0 million accordion feature (at the option of the lenders)lender) and also provides for up to $20$25.0 million of letters of credit and a $25.0 million swingline loan sublimit that would reduce amounts available for borrowing. The term and revolving loans accrue interest, at the option of the Company, at either the base rate or the Eurodollar rate (as defined in the North American Credit Agreement) for the applicable term plus 2.50% per annum in the case of the Eurodollar rate loans and 1.50% in the case of the base rate loans. The base rate is the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate (as defined in the North American Credit Agreement) plus 0.50%, (b) Bank of America's prime rate or (c) the one-month Eurodollar rate plus 1.00%. Of the $948.0 million total principal amount of the credit facility, $216.3 million matures on December 19, 2017, and the remainder matures on the earlier of December 21, 2020 or 91 days priorCanadian Prime Rate Loans bear

62

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

interest at a rate per annum equal to the maturityCanadian Prime Rate plus 1.50%. The revolving credit facilities also bear an unused line fee of 0.375% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears. The loans under the Notes.North American Credit Agreement mature May 5, 2022. As of December 31, 2016,2019, the unused portion of the North American Credit Agreement was $102.9$349.2 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions as of December 31, 2016,2019, the amount available to be drawn was $78.0$146.5 million.

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The North American Credit Agreement is secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the Company's domestic and CanadianNorth American assets. The North American Credit Agreement as amended and modified, contains restrictive covenants and events of default including the following:
borrowings under each of the domestic revolving loan facility and the Canadian revolving loan facility are subject to separate borrowing base calculations and may not exceed 35% of the ERC of all domestic or Canadian, as applicable, core eligible asset pools, plus 55% of the ERC of domestic or Canadian, as applicable, insolvency eligible asset pools, plus 75% of domestic or Canadian, as applicable, eligible accounts receivable;
the consolidated total leverage ratio (as defined incannot exceed 2.75 to 1.0 as of the Credit Agreement)end of any fiscal quarter;
the consolidated senior secured leverage ratio cannot exceed 2.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
subject to no default or event of default, cash dividends and distributions during any fiscal year cannot exceed $20$20.0 million;
subject to no default or event of default, stock repurchases during any fiscal year cannot exceed $100$100.0 million plus 50% of the prior year's consolidated net income;
permitted acquisitions (as defined in the Credit Agreement) during any fiscal year cannot exceed $250 million;$250.0 million (with a $50.0 million per year sublimit for permitted acquisitions by non-loan parties);
indebtedness in the form of senior, unsecured convertible notes or other unsecured financings cannot exceed $500$750.0 million in the aggregate (without respect to the Company's 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020)2020 Notes);
the Company must maintain positive consolidated income from operations (as defined in the North American Credit Agreement) during any fiscal quarter; and
restrictions on changes in control.
The revolving credit facility also bears an unused line fee of 0.375% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears.
Information on the outstanding balances and weighted average interest rates by type of borrowing under the credit facility as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 isthe dates indicated are as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
 December 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
 Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
Term loan$425,000
 4.30% $435,000
 5.02%
Revolving credit facilities768,800
 4.31% 598,279
 4.97%
 2016 2015
 Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
Term loan$150,000
 3.27% $170,000
 2.92%
Revolving facility$695,088
 3.28% $541,799
 2.89%
Note Payable
In conjunction with the closing of the Aktiv business acquisition on July 16, 2014, the Company entered into a $169.9 million promissory note with an affiliate of the seller. The promissory note bore interest at the three-month London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") plus 3.75%. On July 18, 2016, the Company paid the entire outstanding principal balance due of $169.9 million plus accrued interest.
European Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan
On October 23, 2014, European subsidiaries of the Company ("PRA Europe") entered into a credit agreement with DNB Bank ASA for a Multicurrency Revolving Credit Facility (such agreement as later amended or modified, "the Europeanthe "European Credit Agreement"). In the first quarter of 2019, the Company entered into the Fifth Amendment and Restatement Agreement to its European Credit Agreement which, among other things, merged the term loan facility with the revolving credit facility and increased all applicable margins for the interest payable under the multicurrency revolving credit facility by 5 basis points.
Under the terms of the European Revolving Credit Agreement, the credit facility includes an aggregate amount of $1.2approximately $1.1 billion (subject to the borrowing base), of which approximately $300 million is a term loan, accrues interest at the Interbank Offered Rate ("IBOR") plus 2.80%-3.90% under the revolving facility and 4.25%-4.50% under the term loan facility2.70% - 3.80% (as determined by the loan-to-value ratio ("LTV Ratio")Ratio as defined in the European Credit Agreement), bears an unused line fee, currently 1.26%1.23% per annum, of 35% of the margin, is payable monthly in arrears, and matures on February 19, 2021. The European Credit Agreement also includes an Overdraft Facilityoverdraft facility in the aggregate amount of $40$40.0 million (subject to the borrowing base), which accrues interest (per currency) at the daily rates as published by the facility agent, bears a facility line fee of 0.125% per annum,quarter, payable quarterly in arrears, and also matures February 19, 2021. As of December 31, 2016,2019, the unused portion of the European Credit Agreement (including the Overdraft Facility)overdraft facility) was $538.2$122.5 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions and other covenants as of December 31, 2016,2019, the amount available to be drawn under the European Credit Agreement (including the Overdraft Facility)overdraft facility) was $126.0$121.8 million.
The European Credit Agreement is secured by the shares of most of the Company's European subsidiaries and by all intercompany loan receivablesloans receivable in Europe. The European Credit Agreement contains restrictive covenants and events of default including the following:
the LTV Ratio (as defined in the European Credit Agreement) cannot exceed 75%;
the GIBD Ratio (as definedgross interest-bearing debt ratio in the European Credit Agreement)Europe cannot exceed 3.53.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter until March 31, 2017 and 3.25 to 1.0 thereafter;quarter;
interest bearing deposits in AK Nordic AB cannot exceed SEK 1,500,000,000;1.2 billion; and
PRA Europe's cash collections must exceed 95% of PRA Europe's ERC for the same set of portfolios, measured on a quarterly basis.



63

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


InformationPRA Europe's cash collections must meet certain thresholds, measured on thea quarterly basis.
The outstanding balances and weighted average interest rates by type of borrowing under the credit facilityEuropean Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 isthe dates indicated are as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
 December 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
 Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
Term loan$
 % $305,551
 3.75%
Revolving credit facility1,017,465
 4.31% 561,882
 4.10%

 2016 2015
 Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
Term loan$280,764
 4.25% $
 %
Revolving facility$401,780
 4.06% $576,433
 3.64%
Colombian Revolving Credit Facility
On September 17, 2019, PRA Group Colombia Holding SAS ("PRA Colombia"), entered into a credit agreement with Bancolombia in an aggregate amount of approximately $6.0 million. As of December 31, 2019, the outstanding balance under the credit agreement was approximately $3.2 million, with a weighted average interest rate of 7.13%. The outstanding balance accrues interest at the Indicador Bancario de Referencia  rate ("IBR") plus a weighted average spread of 2.74%, is payable quarterly in arrears, amortizes quarterly, and matures on October 17, 2022 (per the credit agreement, maturity represents three years from the last draw). This credit facility is fully collateralized using time deposits with Bancolombia which are subject to certain limitations regarding withdrawal and usage and are included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2019, the unused portion of the Colombia Credit Agreement was $2.8 million.
Convertible Senior Notes due 2020
On August 13, 2013, the Company completed the private offering of $287.5 million in aggregate principal amount of the Notes.its 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due August 1, 2020 (the "2020 Notes"). The 2020 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated August 13, 2013 (the "Indenture""2013 Indenture"), between the Company and Wells FargoRegions Bank, National Association, as successor trustee. The 2013 Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including certain events of default after which the 2020 Notes may be due and payable immediately. The 2020 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest on the 2020 Notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning on February 1, 2014. Prior to February 1, 2020, the 2020 Notes will be convertible only upon the occurrence of specified events. On or after February 1, 2020,As of December 31, 2019, the Notes will be convertible at any time. Thethe Company doesdid not have the right to redeem the 2020 Notes prior to maturity. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, nonethe Company did not believe that any of the conditions allowing holders of the 2020 Notes to convert their Notesnotes had occurred. All conversions occurring on or after February 1, 2020, shall be settled using the Settlement Method as defined in the indenture.
The Company determined that the fair value of the Notes at the date of issuance was approximately $255.3 million, and designated the residual value of approximately $32.2 million as the equity component. Additionally, the Company allocated approximately $7.3 million of the $8.2 million original Notes issuance cost as debt issuance cost and the remaining $0.9 million as equity issuance cost.
The conversion rate for the 2020 Notes is initially 15.2172 shares per $1,000 principal amount of 2020 Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $65.72 per share of the Company's common stock and is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances pursuant to the 2013 Indenture. Upon conversion, holders of the 2020 Notes will receive cash, shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election. The Company's current intent is to settle conversions through combination settlement (i.e., the 2020 Notes would be convertedinto cash up to the aggregate principal amount and shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election, for the remainder). As a result, and in accordance with authoritative guidance related to derivatives and hedging and earnings per share, only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $65.72.
The Company determined that the fair value of the 2020 Notes at the date of issuance was approximately $255.3 million and designated the residual value of approximately $32.2 million as the equity component. Additionally, the Company allocated approximately $7.3 million of the $8.2 million issuance cost as debt issuance cost and the remaining $0.9 million as equity issuance cost.
Convertible Senior Notes due 2023
On May 26, 2017, the Company completed the private offering of $345.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 3.50% Convertible Senior Notes due June 1, 2023 (the "2023 Notes" and, together with the 2020 Notes, the "Notes"). The 2023 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated May 26, 2017 (the "2017 Indenture"), between the Company and Regions Bank, as trustee. The 2017 Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including certain events of default after which the 2023 Notes may be due and payable immediately. The 2023 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest on the

64

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2023 Notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on December 1, 2017. Prior to March 1, 2023, the 2023 Notes will be convertible only upon the occurrence of specified events. On or after March 1, 2023, the 2023 Notes will be convertible at any time. The Company has the right, at its election, to redeem all or any part of the outstanding 2023 Notes at any time on or after June 1, 2021 for cash, but only if the last reported sale price (as defined in the 2017 Indenture) exceeds 130% of the conversion price on each of at least 20 trading days during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on and including the trading day immediately before the date the Company sends the related redemption notice. As of December 31, 2019, the Company does not believe that any of the conditions allowing holders of the 2023 Notes to convert their notes had occurred.
The conversion rate for the 2023 Notes is initially 21.6275 shares per $1,000 principal amount of 2023 Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $46.24 per share of the Company's common stock and is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances pursuant to the 2017 Indenture. Upon conversion, holders of the 2023 Notes will receive cash, shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election. The Company's intent is to settle conversions through combination settlement (i.e., the 2023 Notes would be convertedinto cash up to the aggregate principal amount and shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election, for the remainder). As a result, and in accordance with authoritative guidance related to derivatives and hedging and earnings per share, only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $46.24.
The Company determined that the fair value of the 2023 Notes at the date of issuance was approximately $298.8 million and designated the residual value of approximately $46.2 million as the equity component. Additionally, the Company allocated approximately $8.3 million of the $9.6 million issuance cost as debt issuance cost and the remaining $1.3 million as equity issuance cost.
The balances of the liability and equity components of the Notes outstanding were as follows as of the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
December 31,
2016
 December 31,
2015
December 31,
2019
 December 31,
2018
Liability component - principal amount$287,500
 $287,500
$632,500
 $632,500
Unamortized debt discount(17,930) (22,402)(31,414) (43,812)
Liability component - net carrying amount$269,570
 $265,098
$601,086
 $588,688
Equity component$31,306
 $31,306
$76,216
 $76,216
The debt discount is being amortized into interest expense over the remaining life of the 2020 Notes and the 2023 Notes using the effective interest rate, which is 4.92%. and 6.20%, respectively.
Interest expense related to the Notes was as follows for the years ended December 31, 20162019, 2018 and 20152017 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018 2017
Interest expense - stated coupon rate$20,700
 $20,700
 $15,870
Interest expense - amortization of debt discount12,398
 11,725
 8,583
Total interest expense - convertible senior notes$33,098
 $32,425
 $24,453

Interest Expense, Net
The Company incurs interest expense on its borrowings, interest-bearing deposits, and interest rate derivative agreements. The Company earns interest income on certain of its cash and cash equivalents and its interest rate derivative agreements. Interest expense, net, was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018 2017
Interest expense$144,165
 $124,208
 $103,653
Interest (income)(2,247) (3,130) (5,612)
Interest expense, net$141,918
 $121,078
 $98,041


65

 2016 2015 2014
Interest expense - stated coupon rate$8,625
 $8,625
 $8,625
Interest expense - amortization of debt discount4,472
 4,260
 4,058
Total interest expense - convertible senior notes$13,097
 $12,885
 $12,683

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


7. Property and Equipment, net:
Property and equipment, at cost, consisted of the following as of December 31, 20162019 and 20152018 (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018
Software$62,758
 $64,670
Computer equipment20,847
 22,153
Furniture and fixtures16,324
 16,061
Equipment13,869
 12,390
Leasehold improvements16,709
 16,556
Building and improvements7,900
 7,431
Land1,296
 1,296
Accumulated depreciation and amortization(93,207) (92,877)
Assets in process10,005
 6,456
Property and equipment, net$56,501
 $54,136
 2016 2015
Software$53,793
 $62,198
Computer equipment19,594
 21,109
Furniture and fixtures13,607
 11,888
Equipment12,065
 12,874
Leasehold improvements13,644
 15,112
Building and improvements7,323
 7,235
Land1,296
 1,296
Accumulated depreciation and amortization(82,578) (86,318)
Property and equipment, net$38,744
 $45,394

Depreciation and amortization expense relating to property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017 was $18.2$15.9 million, $16.2$15.1 million and $13.6$15.4 million, respectively.
8. Fair Value:
As defined by ASC 820, fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also requires the consideration of differing levels of inputs in the determination of fair values.
Those levels of input are summarized as follows:
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices, such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.
The level in the fair value hierarchy within which a fair value measurement in its entirety falls is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Financial Instruments Not Required To Be Carried at Fair Value
In accordance with the disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 825, "Financial Instruments" ("ASC 825"), the table below summarizes fair value estimates for the Company's financial instruments that are not required to be carried at fair value. The total of the fair value calculations presented does not represent, and should not be construed to represent, the underlying value of the Company.






66

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The carrying amounts in the table are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 20162019 and December 31, 20152018 (amounts in thousands):

 December 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
 Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
 Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
Financial assets:       
Cash and cash equivalents119,774
 119,774
 $98,695
 $98,695
Finance receivables, net3,514,165
 3,645,610
 3,084,777
 3,410,475
Financial liabilities:       
Interest-bearing deposits106,246
 106,246
 82,666
 82,666
Revolving lines of credit1,789,502
 1,789,502
 1,160,161
 1,160,161
Term loans425,000
 425,000
 740,551
 740,551
Convertible senior notes601,086
 648,968
 588,688
 557,122
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 December 31, 2016 December 31, 2015
 Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
 Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
Financial assets:       
Cash and cash equivalents$94,287
 $94,287
 $71,372
 $71,372
Held-to-maturity investments51,407
 55,554
 50,247
 55,613
Other investments14,998
 12,573
 15,498
 16,803
Finance receivables, net2,307,969
 2,708,582
 2,202,113
 2,704,432
Financial liabilities:       
Interest-bearing deposits76,113
 76,113
 46,991
 46,991
Revolving lines of credit1,096,868
 1,096,868
 1,118,232
 1,118,232
Term loans430,764
 430,764
 170,000
 170,000
Note payable
 
 169,938
 169,938
Convertible senior notes269,570
 270,825
 265,098
 241,126

Disclosure of the estimated fair values of financial instruments often requires the use of estimates. The carrying amount and estimates of the fair value of the Company's debt obligations outlined above do not include any related debt issuance costs associated with the debt obligations. The Company uses the following methods and assumptions to estimate the fair value of financial instruments:
Cash and cash equivalents: The carrying amount approximates fair value and quoted prices for identical assets can be found in active markets. Accordingly, the Company estimates the fair value of cash and cash equivalents using Level 1 inputs.
Held-to-maturity investments: Fair value of the Company's investment in Series B certificates of a closed-end Polish investment fund is estimated using proprietary pricing models that the Company utilizes to make portfolio purchase decisions. Accordingly, theFinance receivables, net: The Company estimates the fair value of its held-to-maturity investments using Level 3 inputs as there is little observable market data available and management is required to use significant judgment in its estimates.
Other investments: This class of investments consists of private equity funds that invest primarily in loans and securities including single-family residential debt; corporate debt products; and financially-oriented, real-estate-rich and other operating companies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Japan. These investments are subject to certain restrictions regarding transfers and withdrawals. The investments can never be redeemed with the funds. Instead, the nature of the investments in this class is that distributions are received through the liquidation of the underlying assets of the fund. The fair value of the Company's interest is calculated by the fund managers; accordingly, the Company estimates the fair value of these investments using Level 3 inputs. The investments are expected to be returned through distributions as a result of liquidations of the funds' underlying assets over 1 to 4 years.
Finance receivables, net: The Company computed the estimated fair value of these receivables using proprietary pricing models that the Company utilizes to make portfolio purchaseacquisition decisions. Accordingly, the Company's fair value estimates use Level 3 inputs as there is little observable market data available and management is required to use significant judgment in its estimates.
Interest-bearing deposits: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the deposits and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Revolving lines of credit: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the interest rate periods and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Term loans: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the interest rate periods and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Note payable: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the loan terms and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Convertible Senior Notes: The Notes are carried at historical cost, adjusted for the debt discount. senior notes: The fair value estimates for thesethe Notes incorporatesincorporate quoted market prices which were obtained from secondary market broker quotes which were derived

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

from a variety of inputs including client orders, information from their pricing vendors, modeling software, and actual trading prices when they occur. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates. Furthermore, in the table above, carrying amount represents the portion of the Notes classified as debt, while estimated fair value pertains to the face amount of the Notes.









67

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Financial Instruments Required To Be Carried At Fair Value
The carrying amounts in the following table are measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 20162019 and 20152018 (amounts in thousands):
 Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2019
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:       
Available-for-sale investments       
Government bonds$5,052
 $
 $
 $5,052
Fair value through net income investments      
Mutual funds33,677
 
 
 33,677
Derivative contracts (recorded in other assets)
 875
 
 875
Liabilities:       
Derivative contracts (recorded in other liabilities)
 23,663
 
 23,663
        
 Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2018
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:       
Available-for-sale investments       
Government bonds$5,077
 $
 $
 $5,077
Fair value through net income investments       
Mutual funds$21,753
 $
 $
 $21,753
Derivative contracts (recorded in other assets)
 3,334
 
 3,334

 Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2016
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:       
Available-for-sale investments$2,138
 $
 $
 $2,138
Liabilities:       
Interest rate swap contracts (recorded in accrued expenses)
 2,825
 
 2,825
        
 Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2015
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:       
Available-for-sale investments$3,405
 $
 $4,649
 $8,054
Liabilities:       
Interest rate swap contracts (recorded in accrued expenses)
 1,602
 
 1,602
Available-for-sale investments
Available-for-sale investments:Government bonds: Fair value of the Company's investment in government bonds and fixedis estimated using quoted market prices. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 1 inputs.
Fair value through net income investments
Mutual funds: Fair value of the Company's investment in mutual funds is estimated using quoted market prices. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 1 inputs.
Fair value as of December 31, 2015 of the Company's investment in Series C certificates of a closed-end Polish investment fund is estimated using proprietary pricing models that the Company utilizes to make portfolio purchase decisions. Accordingly, the Company estimates the fair value of these available-for-sale investments using Level 3 inputs as there is little observable market data available and management is required to use significant judgment in its estimates. At December 31, 2016 and 2015 unrealized losses in other comprehensive income were $0.0 million and $1.2 million respectively.
Interest rate swapDerivative contracts: The estimated fair value of the interest rate swapderivative contracts is determined by using industry standard valuation models. These models project future cash flows and discount the future amounts to a present value using market-based observable inputs, including interest rate curves and other factors. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates. Effective in the second quarter of 2018, the Company began to apply hedge accounting to certain of its derivative contracts. By applying hedge accounting, changes in market value are reflected as adjustments in other comprehensive income. The hedges were evaluated and remained highly effective at December 31, 2019 and have initial terms of two to seven years.
Investments measured using net asset value
Private equity funds: This class of investments consists of private equity funds that invest primarily in loans and securities including single-family residential debt; corporate debt products; and financially-oriented, real estate-rich and other operating companies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Japan. These investments are subject to certain restrictions regarding transfers and withdrawals. The investments cannot be redeemed with the funds. Instead, the nature of the investments in this class is that distributions are received through the liquidation of the underlying assets of the fund. The investments are expected to be returned through distributions as a result of liquidations of the funds' underlying assets over one to six years. The fair value of these private equity funds following the application of the NAV practical expedient was $7.2 million and $8.0 million as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively.

68

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

9. Derivatives:
The following table summarizes the fair value of derivative instruments in the consolidated balance sheets (amounts in thousands):
  December 31, 2019 December 31, 2018
  Balance Sheet Location Fair Value Balance Sheet Location Fair Value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:        
Interest rate contracts Other assets $323
 Other assets $44
Interest rate contracts Other liabilities 17,807
 Other liabilities 
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:        
Foreign currency contracts Other assets 552
 Other assets 2,555
Foreign currency contracts Other liabilities 5,856
 Other liabilities 
Interest rate contracts Other assets 
 Other assets 735

Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Changes in the fair value of derivative contracts designated as cash flow hedging instruments are recognized in other comprehensive income ("OCI"). As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the notional amount of interest rate contracts designated as cash flow hedging instruments was $959.0 million and $260.8 million, respectively. Derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments were evaluated and remained highly effective at December 31, 2019 and have initial terms of two to seven years. The Company estimates that approximately $3.4 million of net derivative loss included in OCI will be reclassified into earnings within the next 12 months.
The following table summarizes the effects of derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments on the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 (amounts in thousands):
  Gain or (loss) recognized in OCI, net of tax
Derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments 2019 2018 2017
Interest rate contracts $(14,311) $44
 $
       
  Gain or (loss) reclassified from OCI into income
Location of gain or (loss) reclassified from OCI into income 2019 2018 2017
Interest expense, net $(1,457) $
 $

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Changes in fair value of derivative contracts not designated as hedging instruments are recognized in earnings. As of December 31, 2019, the Company no longer had interest rate swap contracts not designated as hedging instruments. As of December 31, 2018, the notional amount of interest rate contracts not designated as hedging instruments was $169.7 million. The Company also enters into foreign currency contracts to economically hedge the foreign currency re-measurement exposure related to certain balances that are denominated in currencies other than the functional currency of the entity. As of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the notional amount of foreign currency contracts that are not designated as hedging instruments was $469.9 million and $144.7 million, respectively.






69

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following table summarizes the effects of derivatives not designated as hedging instruments on the Company’s consolidated income statements for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 (amounts in thousands):
    Amount of gain or (loss) recognized in income
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments Location of gain or (loss) recognized in income 2019 2018 2017
Foreign currency contracts Foreign exchange gain/(loss) $(7,008) $4,011
 $
Foreign currency contracts Interest expense, net (3,875) (549) 
Interest rate contracts Interest expense, net (492) 2,082
 

9. 10. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss:
The following table provides details about the reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2019 (amounts in thousands):
Gains and losses on cash flow hedges 2019 Affected line in the consolidated income statement
Interest rate swaps $(1,457) Interest expense, net
Income tax effect of item above 278
 Income tax expense/(benefit)
Total losses on cash flow hedges $(1,179) Net of tax
The following table represents the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss by component after tax, for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 (amounts in thousands):
 Debt Securities   Currency Translation Accumulated Other
 Available-for-Sale Cash Flow Hedges Adjustments 
Comprehensive Loss (1)
Ending balance December 31, 2016$
 $
 $(251,944) $(251,944)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications
 
 73,337
 73,337
Reclassifications, net
 
 
 
Net current period other comprehensive loss
 
 73,337
 73,337
Ending balance December 31, 2017$
 $
 $(178,607) $(178,607)
Reclassification of unrealized loss on debt securities(22) 
 
 (22)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications(61) 44
 (63,463) (63,480)
Reclassifications, net
 
 
 
Net current period other comprehensive loss(83) 44
 (63,463) (63,502)
Ending balance December 31, 2018$(83) $44
 $(242,070) $(242,109)
Other comprehensive loss before reclassifications39
 (14,311) (5,816) (20,088)
Reclassifications, net
 1,179
 
 1,179
Net current period other comprehensive loss39
 (13,132) (5,816) (18,909)
Ending balance December 31, 2019$(44) $(13,088) $(247,886) $(261,018)
(1) Net of a $4.4 million deferred tax benefit for unrealized losses from cash flow hedges for the year ended December 31, 2019.
11. Share-Based Compensation:Compensation:
The Company has an Omnibus Incentive Plan (the "Plan") that is intended to assist the Company in attracting and retaining selected individuals to serve as employees and directors, who are expected to contribute to the Company's success and to achieve long-term objectives that will benefit stockholders of the Company. The Plan enables the Company to award shares of the Company's common stock to select employees and directors, as described in the Plan, not to exceed 5,400,000 shares as authorized by the Plan.

70

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Total share-based compensation expense was $6.1$10.7 million, $16.3$8.5 million and $15.0$8.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, respectively. Tax benefits resulting from tax deductions inThe Company recognizes all excess of share-based compensation expense (windfall tax benefits) recognized under the provisions of ASC 718 are credited to additional paid-in capital. Realized tax shortfalls, if any, are first offset against the cumulative balance of windfall tax benefits if any, and then charged directly totax deficiencies in the income tax expense.statement when the awards vest or are settled. The total tax benefit realized from share-based compensation was approximately $2.7$1.2 million, $8.9$1.7 million and $10.8$3.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, respectively.
Nonvested Shares
As of December 31, 2016,2019, total future compensation costsexpense related to nonvested awardsgrants of nonvested sharesshare grants to employees and directors (not including nonvested shares granted under the Long-Term Incentive Program ("LTI")) program), is estimated to be $5.2$8.6 million with a weighted average remaining life for all nonvested shares of 1.41.6 years. Grants made to key employees and directors of the Company were assumed to have no forfeiture rates associated with them due to the historically low turnover among this group. With the exception of the

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

awards grants made pursuant to the LTI program and a few employee and director grants, the nonvested shares vest ratably generally over threeone to fivethree years and are expensed over their vesting period.
The following summarizes all nonvested share transactions,activity, excluding those related to the LTI program, from December 31, 20132016 through December 31, 20162019 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Nonvested Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
December 31, 2016303
 $38.19
Granted195
 33.70
Vested(173) 37.49
Canceled(27) 43.05
December 31, 2017298
 35.25
Granted254
 36.39
Vested(151) 35.13
Canceled(22) 35.02
December 31, 2018379
 34.85
Granted329
 28.47
Vested(167) 34.81
Canceled(9) 31.01
December 31, 2019532
 $30.97
 Nonvested Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
December 31, 2013226
 $29.58
Granted272
 56.69
Vested(155) 37.34
Canceled(4) 50.41
December 31, 2014339
 47.34
Granted100
 53.29
Vested(151) 42.15
Canceled(4) 47.49
December 31, 2015284
 52.20
Granted196
 28.43
Vested(117) 48.78
Canceled(60) 51.71
December 31, 2016303
 $38.19

The total grant date fair value of shares vested, excluding those granted under the LTI program, during the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, was $5.7$5.8 million, $6.4$5.3 million and $5.8$6.5 million, respectively.
Long-Term Incentive Program
Pursuant to the Plan, the Compensation Committee may grant time-vested and performance basedperformance-based nonvested shares. All shares granted under the LTI program were granted to key employees of the Company.

71

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following table summarizes all LTI share transactionsactivity from December 31, 20132016 through December 31, 20162019 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):
 Nonvested LTI Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
December 31, 2016425
 $39.57
Granted at target level192
 33.50
Adjustments for actual performance5
 60.00
Vested(51) 40.80
Canceled(99) 20.91
December 31, 2017472
 41.06
Granted at target level121
 39.40
Adjustments for actual performance(74) 52.47
Vested(19) 52.47
Canceled(46) 32.31
December 31, 2018454
 33.27
Granted at target level168
 28.28
Adjustments for actual performance(172) 28.98
Vested
 
Canceled(3) 35.87
December 31, 2019447
 $33.03
 Nonvested LTI Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
December 31, 2013434
 $25.79
Granted at target level111
 49.60
Adjustments for actual performance222
 22.32
Vested(279) 24.21
December 31, 2014488
 30.52
Granted at target level132
 52.47
Adjustments for actual performance122
 34.59
Vested(252) 20.21
Canceled(7) 40.05
December 31, 2015483
 42.80
Granted at target level240
 28.98
Adjustments for actual performance(67) 34.59
Vested(176) 34.59
Canceled(55) 43.68
December 31, 2016425
 $39.57

The total grant date fair value of LTI shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, was $6.1$0.0 million, $5.1$1.0 million and $6.8$2.1 million, respectively.

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

At December 31, 2016,2019, total future compensation costs,expense, assuming the current estimated performance levels are achieved, related to nonvested share awardsshares granted under the LTI program areis estimated to be approximately $2.8$4.5 million. The Company assumed a 15.0% forfeiture rate for these grants and the remaining shares have a weighted average remaining life of 1.11.2 years at December 31, 2016.2019.
10.12. Earnings per Share:
Basic earnings per share ("EPS") are computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders of PRA Group, Inc. by weighted average shares of the Company's common stockshares outstanding. Diluted EPS are computed using the same components as basic EPS with the denominator adjusted for the dilutive effect of the conversion spread of the Notes and nonvested share awards, if dilutive. ForThere has been no dilutive effect of the Notes only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $65.72, which did not occur during the period from which the Notes were issued on August 13, 2013since issuance through December 31, 2016.2019. Share-based awards that are contingent upon the attainment of performance goals are not included in the computation of diluted EPS untilif the performance goals have been attained.effect is dilutive. The dilutive effect of nonvested shares is computed using the treasury stock method, which assumes any proceeds that could be obtained upon the vesting of nonvested shares would be used to purchase common shares at the average market price for the period. The assumed proceeds include the windfall tax benefit that would be received upon assumed exercise.
The following table provides a reconciliation between the computation of basic EPS and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):
 2019 2018 2017
 Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS
Basic EPS$86,158
 45,387
 $1.90
 $65,563
 45,280
 $1.45
 $164,315
 45,671
 $3.60
Dilutive effect of nonvested share awards
 190
 (0.01) 
 133
 (0.01) 
 152
 (0.01)
Diluted EPS$86,158
 45,577
 $1.89
 $65,563
 45,413
 $1.44
 $164,315
 45,823
 $3.59
 2016 2015 2014
 Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted average common shares EPS Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted average common shares EPS Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted average common shares EPS
Basic EPS$85,097
 46,316
 $1.84
 $167,926
 48,128
 $3.49
 $176,505
 49,990
 $3.53
Dilutive effect of nonvested share awards  72
 (0.01)   277
 (0.02)   431
 (0.03)
Diluted EPS$85,097
 46,388
 $1.83
 $167,926
 48,405
 $3.47
 $176,505
 50,421
 $3.50

There were no antidilutive options outstanding as of December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014.2017.

72

11. Derivatives:
The Company's activities are subject to various financial risks including market risk, currency and interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and cash flow risk. The Company's overall financial risk management program focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimize potential adverse effects on the Company's financial performance. The Company may periodically enter into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate swap agreements, to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable-rate debt and their impact on earnings and cash flows. The Company does not utilize derivative financial instruments with a level of complexity or with a risk greater than the exposure to be managed nor does it enter into or hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. The Company periodically reviews the creditworthiness of the swap counterparty to assess the counterparty's ability to honor its obligation. Counterparty default would expose the Company to fluctuations in variable interest rates. Based on the guidance of ASC Topic 815 "Derivatives and Hedging" ("ASC 815"), the Company records derivative financial instruments at fair value in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets.
The financing of portfolio investments is generally drawn in the same currencies as the underlying expected future cash flow from the portfolios. The interest rate risk related to the loans is reduced through the use of a combination of interest rate swaps in the euro, Great British pound, Norwegian kroner, Swedish kroner, and Polish zloty. At December 31, 2016 and 2015, approximately 57% and 42%, respectively, of the net borrowings of PRA Europe was hedged, reducing the related interest rate risk.
The Company's financial derivative instruments are not designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815 and therefore the gain or loss on such hedge and the change in fair value of the derivative is recorded as "interest expense" in the Company's consolidated financial statements. During the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the Company recorded $2.8 million, $4.9 million and $1.8 million respectively, in interest expense related to its interest rate swaps in its consolidated income statements.

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following table sets forth the fair value amounts of the derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 (amounts in thousands):
 2016 2015
 
Asset
Derivatives
 Liability Derivatives 
Asset
Derivatives
 Liability Derivatives
Interest rate swap contracts$
 $2,825
 $
 $1,602
12. Stockholders' Equity:
On December 10, 2014, the Company's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $100.0 million of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company purchased 1,610,182 shares of its common stock under the plan at an average price of $53.10 per share, which represented the remaining shares allowed under the plan.
On October 22, 2015, the Company's board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program to purchase up to $125.0 million of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company purchased 2,072,721 shares of its common stock under the new plan at an average price of $38.60 per share. No shares were purchased during the year ended December 31, 2016. At December 31, 2016, the maximum remaining purchase price for share repurchases under the plan was approximately $45.0 million.

13. Income Taxes:
The income tax expense/(benefit) recognized for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017 is comprised of the following (amounts in thousands):
 Federal State International Total
For the year ended December 31, 2019:       
Current tax expense$41,391
 $6,390
 $9,460
 $57,241
Deferred tax (benefit)(27,311) (6,030) (4,220) (37,561)
Total income tax expense$14,080
 $360
 $5,240
 $19,680
For the year ended December 31, 2018:       
Current tax expense$23,444
 $9,026
 $37,501
 $69,971
Deferred tax (benefit)(19,527) (15,268) (21,413) (56,208)
Total income tax expense/(benefit)$3,917
 $(6,242) $16,088
 $13,763
For the year ended December 31, 2017:       
Current tax expense$77,656
 $16,543
 $25,087
 $119,286
Deferred tax (benefit)(112,118) (2,051) (15,969) (130,138)
Total income tax (benefit)/expense$(34,462) $14,492
 $9,118
 $(10,852)

 Federal State Foreign Total
For the year ended December 31, 2016:       
Current tax expense$38,986
 $5,037
 $20,868
 $64,891
Deferred tax expense/(benefit)(7,350) 575
 (14,925) (21,700)
Total income tax expense$31,636
 $5,612
 $5,943
 $43,191
For the year ended December 31, 2015:       
Current tax expense$62,869
 $9,399
 $25,692
 $97,960
Deferred tax expense/(benefit)2,887
 (600) (10,856) (8,569)
Total income tax expense$65,756
 $8,799
 $14,836
 $89,391
For the year ended December 31, 2014:       
Current tax expense$57,336
 $8,823
 $5,342
 $71,501
Deferred tax expense30,319
 4,717
 17,971
 53,007
Total income tax expense$87,655
 $13,540
 $23,313
 $124,508

On December 22, 2017, the United States government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the “Tax Act.”  The main impact of the Tax Act was a reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and the current taxation of international entities.  New legislation and authoritative guidance on the Tax Act is still being released that may impact tax amounts recorded in the financial statements.   Under U.S. GAAP, the Company made an accounting policy election to treat taxes due related to GILTI as a current-period expense when incurred.  
A reconciliation of the Company's expected tax expense at the statutory federal tax rate to actual tax expenseexpense/(benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 20142017 is as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2019 2018 2017
Income tax expense at statutory federal rates$24,645
 $18,794
 $56,095
State tax expense/(benefit), net of federal tax benefit161
 (5,098) 9,072
Tax impact on international earnings(7,326) 206
 (4,953)
Federal rate change
 (719) (73,779)
Other2,200
 580
 2,713
Total income tax expense/(benefit)$19,680
 $13,763
 $(10,852)

 2016 2015 2014
Income tax expense at statutory federal rates$46,929
 $90,133
 $105,355
State tax expense, net of federal tax benefit3,696
 5,719
 8,565
Foreign taxable translation(67) (708) 8,199
Foreign rate difference(7,772) (8,787) 90
Penalties163
 2,819
 
Acquisition expenses31
 234
 2,169
Other211
 (19) 130
Total income tax expense$43,191
 $89,391
 $124,508


73

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


The Company recognized a net deferred tax liability of $229.9$22.2 million and $248.4$53.5 million as of December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, respectively. The components of the net deferred tax liability are as follows (amounts in thousands):
 As of December 31,
 2019 2018
Deferred tax assets:   
Employee compensation$6,085
 $4,670
Net operating loss carryforward93,068
 24,210
Accrued liabilities
 1,850
Interest10,477
 10,559
Finance receivable revenue recognition - international21,343
 37,005
Right of use asset16,045
 
Other12,009
 2,721
Valuation allowance(80,739) (14,512)
Total deferred tax asset78,288
 66,503
Deferred tax liabilities:   
Property and Equipment(5,362) (5,556)
Intangible assets and goodwill(2,999) (5,435)
Lease liability(15,107) 
Convertible debt(7,843) (10,998)
Finance receivable revenue recognition - IRS settlement(36,959) (74,296)
Finance receivable revenue recognition - domestic(32,183) (23,744)
Total deferred tax liability(100,453) (120,029)
Net deferred tax liability$(22,165) $(53,526)

 2016 2015
Deferred tax assets:   
Employee compensation$9,120
 $13,845
Net operating loss carryforward48,298
 39,080
Accrued liabilities5,136
 8,429
Interest10,596
 10,664
Finance receivable revenue recognition - international8,274
 
Other6,154
 3,843
Total deferred tax asset87,578
 75,861
Deferred tax liabilities:   
Depreciation expense7,610
 5,276
Intangible assets and goodwill10,625
 7,039
Convertible debt6,955
 8,653
Finance receivable revenue recognition - international
 2,063
Finance receivable revenue recognition - domestic239,337
 251,733
Other893
 4,204
Total deferred tax liability265,420
 278,968
Net deferred tax liability before valuation allowance177,842
 203,107
Valuation allowance52,021
 45,323
Net deferred tax liability$229,863
 $248,430

A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is recognized and charged to earnings in the period such determination is made, if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will not be realized. If the Company subsequently realized deferred tax assets that were previously determined to be unrealizable, the respective valuation allowance would be reversed, resulting in a positive adjustment to earnings in the period such determination is made. The determination for a valuation allowance is made on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis. At December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, the valuation allowance, relating mainly to net operating losses, capital losses and deferred interest expense in Norway, Brazil, UK,Poland, and Luxembourg, was $52.0$80.7 million and $45.3$14.5 million respectively. The increase in the valuation allowance is primarily due to recording net operating losses in Luxembourg that were interpreted to be restricted by law. The Company believes it is more likely than not that the results of future operations will generate sufficient taxable income to realize the remaining net deferred tax assets.
For tax purposes,On May 10, 2017, the Company utilizesreached a settlement with the cost recovery method of accounting. Under the cost recovery method, collections on finance receivables are applied first to principal to reduce the finance receivables to zero before taxable income is recognized. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") examinedregarding the Company's 2005 through 2012 tax returns and has assertedIRS assertion that tax revenue recognition using the cost recovery method doesdid not clearly reflect taxable income. In accordance with the settlement, the Company changed its tax accounting method used to recognize finance receivables revenue effective with tax year 2017. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections amortizes principal and the remaining portion is taxable income. The Company believes it has sufficient support fordeferred tax liability related to the technical merits of its position,difference in timing between the new method and believes cost recovery to be an acceptable tax revenue recognition method for the Company's industry. The Company has received Notices of Deficiency for tax years ended December 31, 2005 through 2012. The proposed deficiencies relate to the cost recovery method ofwill be incorporated evenly into the Company’s tax accounting. In response to the notices, thefilings over four years effective with tax year 2017. The Company filed petitions in the U.S. Tax Court (the "Tax Court") challenging the deficiencies. On July 10, 2015 and July 21, 2015, the IRS filed Motions for Summary Judgment for tax years 2008 through 2012 and 2005 through 2007, respectively. On November 12, 2015 the Tax Court denied the IRS's Motions for Summary Judgment and set this matter for trial to begin on September 19, 2016. On July 5, 2016, the Tax Court granted the IRS’s Motion for Continuance filed on June 28, 2016. On July 14, 2016, the Tax Court set the trial to begin on May 15, 2017.
If the Company is unsuccessful in the Tax Court and any potential appeals, it may bewas not required to pay the related deferred taxes, and possiblyany interest and penalties. At December 31, 2016 and 2015 deferred tax liabilities related to this item were $239.3 million and $251.7 million, respectively. Any adverse determination on this matter could resultor penalties in the Company amending state tax returns for prior years, increasing its taxable income in those states. The Company files tax returns in multiple state jurisdictions; therefore, any underpayment of state tax will accrue interest in accordanceconnection with the respective state statute. At December 31, 2016 and 2015 the Company's estimate of the potential federal and state interest was $112.0 million and $91.0 million, respectively.settlement.
ASC 740 requires the recognition of interest if the tax law would require interest to be paid on the underpayment of taxes, and recognition of penalties if a tax position does not meet the minimum statutory threshold to avoid payment of penalties. The

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Company believes it has sufficient support for the technical merits of its positionpositions and that it is more likely than not this positionthese positions will be sustained. Accordingly, the Company has not accrued for interest or penalties on any of its tax positions, including the cost recovery matter.positions.
At December 31, 2016,2019, the tax years subject to examination by the major federal, state and international taxing jurisdictions are 2003, 20052014 and subsequent years. The 2003 tax year remains open to examination because of a net operating loss that originated in that year but was not fully utilized until the 2005 tax year. The examination periods for the 2005 through 2012 tax years are suspended until a decision of the Tax Court becomes final.
As of December 31, 2016,2019, the cumulative unremitted earnings of the Company's foreigninternational subsidiaries arewere approximately $3.2$52.3 million. The Company intends for predominantly all foreigninternational earnings to be indefinitely reinvested in its foreigninternational operations and, therefore, the recording of deferred tax liabilities for such unremitted earnings is not required. It is impracticable to determine the total amount of unrecognized deferred taxes with respect to these indefinitely reinvested earnings.

74

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The Company's foreigninternational subsidiaries had $3.7$401.5 million and $1.7$116.8 million of net operating loss carryforwards net of valuation allowances as of December 31, 20162019 and 2015,2018, respectively. MostThere are $283.7 million and $45.8 million of thevaluation allowances recorded to offset those losses as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The net operating losses do not expire under most local lawlaws and the remaining jurisdictions allow for a 7seven to 20twenty year carryforward period.
14. Commitments and Contingencies:Contingencies:
Employment Agreements:
The Company has entered into employment agreements, most of which expire on December 31, 2017,2020, with all of its U.S. executive officers and with several members of its U.S. senior management group. Such agreements provide for base salary payments as well as potential discretionary bonuses which are based onthat take into consideration the attainment of specific management goals.Company's overall performance against its short and long-term financial and strategic objectives. As of December 31, 2016,2019, estimated future compensation under these agreements was approximately $12.9$8.0 million. The agreements also contain confidentiality and non-compete provisions. Outside the United States,U.S., employment agreements are in place with employees pursuant to local country regulations. Generally, these agreements do not have expiration dates and therefore it is impractical to estimate the amount of future compensation under these agreements. Accordingly, the future compensation under these agreements is not included in the $12.9$8.0 million total above.
Leases:
The Company is party to various operating leases with respect to its facilities and equipment. The future minimummaturities of lease paymentsliabilities at December 31, 20162019 totaled approximately $48.4$95.4 million.
Forward Flow Agreements:
The Company is party to several forward flow agreements that allow for the purchase of nonperforming loans at pre-established prices. The maximum remaining amount to be purchased under forward flow agreements at December 31, 20162019 was approximately $302.6$506.9 million.
Finance Receivables:
Certain agreements for the purchase of finance receivables portfolios contain provisions that may, in limited circumstances, require the Company to refund a portion or all of the collections subsequently received by the Company on particular accounts. The potential refunds as of the balance sheet date are not considered to be significant.
Litigation and Regulatory Matters:Matters:
The Company isand its subsidiaries are from time to time subject to a variety of routine legal claims, proceedings and regulatory matters,claims, inquiries and proceedings, most of which are incidental to the ordinary course of itsthe Company's business. The Company initiates lawsuits against customers and is occasionally countersued by them in such actions. Also, customers, either individually, as members of a class action, or through a governmental entity on behalf of customers, may initiate litigation against the Company in which they allege that the Company has violated a state or federal law in the process of collecting on an account. From time to time, other types of lawsuits are brought against the Company. Additionally, the Company receives subpoenas and other requests or demands for information from regulators or governmental authorities who are investigating the Company's debt collection activities. The Company evaluates and responds appropriately to such requests.
The Company accrues for potential liability arising from legal proceedings and regulatory matters when it is probable that such liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. This determination along with the estimate of the aggregate range of reasonably possible losses in excess of the amount accrued, is based upon currently available information for those proceedings in which the Company is involved, taking into account the Company's best estimate of such

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

losses for those cases for which such estimates can be made. The Company's estimate involves significant judgment, given the varying stages of the proceedings (including the fact that many of them are currently in preliminary stages), the number of unresolved issues in many of the proceedings (including issues regarding class certification and the scope of many of the claims), and the related uncertainty of the potential outcomes of these proceedings. In making determinations of the likely outcome of pending litigation, the Company considers many factors, including, but not limited to, the nature of the claims, the Company's experience with similar types of claims, the jurisdiction in which the matter is filed, input from outside legal counsel, the likelihood of resolving the matter through alternative mechanisms, the matter's current status and the damages sought or demands made. Accordingly, the Company's estimate will change from time to time, and actual losses could be more than the current estimate. For certain matters, the Company does not believe that an estimate can currently be made.
The Company believes that the estimate of the aggregate range of reasonably possible losses in excess of the amount accrued for its legal proceedings outstanding at December 31, 2016, excluding2019, where the potential interest associated with the IRS matter described below, isrange of loss can be estimated, was not material.

75

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

In certain legal proceedings, the Company may have recourse to insurance or third-party contractual indemnities to cover all or portions of its litigation expenses, judgments, or settlements. Loss estimates and accruals for potential liability related to legal proceedings are typically exclusive of potential recoveries, if any, under the Company's insurance policies or third-party indemnities. TheDuring the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company has not recorded any$1.0 million in potential recoveries under the Company's insurance policies or third-party indemnities as ofwhich is included in other receivables, net at December 31, 2016.2019.
The matters described below fall outside of the normal parameters of the Company's routine legal proceedings.
Multi-State Investigation
On November 17, 2015, the Company received civil investigative demands from multiple state Attorney General offices ("AGOs") broadly relating to its U.S. debt collection practices. The Company believes that it has fully cooperated with the investigations and discussed potential resolution of the investigations with the AGOs. In these discussions, the AGOs have taken positions with which the Company disagrees, including positions related to penalties, restitution and/or the adoption of new practices and controls in the conduct of the Company's business. If the Company is unable to resolve its differences with the AGOs, it is possible that one or more individual state AGOs may file claims against the Company.
As previously reported in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, the Company settled certain claims with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General on November 6, 2019. The range of loss with respect to the remaining investigations, if any, cannot be estimated at this time.
Iris Pounds v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
On November 21, 2016, Iris Pounds filed suit against the Company in Durham County, North Carolina alleging violations of the North Carolina Prohibited Practices by Collection Agencies Act. The purported class consists of all individuals against whom the Company had obtained a judgment by default in North Carolina on or after October 1, 2009. On December 9, 2016, the Company removed the matter to the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (the "District Court"). On March 28, 2018, the District Court entered an order remanding the matter to the North Carolina state court, which the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed on May 17, 2018. On January 11, 2019, the Company filed motions to compel arbitration with the North Carolina state court, which was denied. The Company is seeking review of the North Carolinas state court's decision to deny the Company's motion to compel arbitration. The range of loss, if any, cannot be estimated at this time due to the uncertainty surrounding liability, class certification and the interpretation of statutory damages.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act Litigation
TheOn January 25, 2017, the Company has been named as defendant inresolved the matter of In Re Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC Telephone ConsumerProtection Act Litigation, which consisted of a number of putative class action cases, each alleging thatactions and single plaintiff claims consolidated by order of the Company violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA") by calling consumers' cellular telephones without their prior express consent. On December 21, 2011, the U.S. Judicial Panel onfor Multi-District Litigation entered an order transferring("MDL"). While the settlement disposed of a large number of claims, several hundred class members opted out ("Opt-Out Plaintiffs") of that settlement. Many of these matters into oneOpt-Out Plaintiffs have been consolidated proceeding inbefore the U.S.MDL appointed court, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, (the "Court"). On November 14, 2012, the putative class plaintiffs filed their amended consolidated complaint in the matter, now styled as In re Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC Telephone Consumer Protection Act Litigation, case No. 11-md-02295 (the "MDL action"). Following the rulingand are pending a determination on cross-motions for summary judgment. The range of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission on June 10, 2015 on various petitions concerning the TCPA, the Court lifted the stay of these matters that had been in place since May 20, 2014. In January 2016, the parties reached a settlement agreement in principle ("the Settlement Agreement") under which the parties agreed to seek court approval of class certification and the proposed settlement. As required by the Settlement Agreement, which remains subject to final court approval, the parties sought preliminary Court approval of the Settlement Agreement, and the Company paid $18 million to resolve the MDL action during the second quarter of 2016. The Company had fully accrued for the settlement amount as of December 31, 2015.
Internal Revenue Service Audit
The IRS examined the Company's 2005 through 2012 tax returns and has asserted that tax revenue recognition using the cost recovery method does not clearly reflect taxable income. The Company believes it has sufficient support for the technical merits of its position, and believes cost recovery toloss, if any, cannot be an acceptable tax revenue recognition method for the Company's industry. The Company has received Notices of Deficiency for tax years ended December 31, 2005 through 2012. The proposed deficiencies relateestimated at this time due to the cost recovery method of tax accounting for finance receivables. In response to the notices, the Company filed petitions in the Tax Court challenging the deficiencies. On July 10, 2015 and July 21, 2015, the IRS filed Motions for Summary Judgment for tax years 2008 through 2012 and 2005 through 2007, respectively. On November 12, 2015, the Tax Court denied the IRS's Motions for Summary Judgment and set this matter for trial to begin on September 19, 2016. On July 5, 2016, the Tax Court granted the IRS’s Motion for Continuance filed on June 28, 2016. On July 14, 2016, the Tax Court set the trial to begin on May 15, 2017. If the Company is unsuccessful in the Tax Court and any potential appeals, it may ultimately be required to pay the related deferred taxes, and possibly interest and penalties. Deferred tax liabilities related to this item were $239.3 million at December 31, 2016. Any adverse determination on this matter could result in the Company amending state tax returns for prior years, increasing its taxable income in those states. The Company files tax returns in multiple state jurisdictions; therefore, any underpayment of state tax will accrue interest in accordance with the respective state statute. The Company's estimate of the potential federal and state interest was $112.0 million as of December 31, 2016, which has not been accrued.
Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC v. Guadalupe Mejia
On May 11, 2015, an unfavorable jury verdict was delivered against the Company in a matter pending in Jackson County, Missouri. The jury awarded Guadalupe Mejia $251,000 in compensatory damages and $82,009,549 in punitive damages for her counter-claim against the Company, alleging malicious prosecution and impermissible collection practices. The Company believed

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

that the verdict and magnitude of the award were erroneous and appealed the award. In February 2017, the parties reached a settlement in principle to resolve the matter. The Company had fully accrued for the settlement amount as of December 31, 2016.uncertainty surrounding liability.
15. Retirement Plans:
The Company sponsors defined contribution plans bothprimarily in the United StatesU.S. and Europe. The U.S. plan is organized as a 401(k) plan under which all employees over eighteen years of age are eligible to make voluntary contributions to the plan up to 100% of their compensation, subject to IRS limitations, after completing six months of service, as defined in the plan. The Company makes matching contributions of up to 4% of an employee's salary. For the defined contribution plans in Europe, the Company pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension insurance plans on a mandatory, contractual or voluntary basis. Total compensation expense related to the Company's contributions was $3.8$5.9 million, $4.3$6.3 million and $2.8$5.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 20152019, 2018 and 2014,2017, respectively.
16. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest:
With the acquisition of DTP S.A. in 2016, the Company acquired a 20% owned Polish securitization fund (the "Fund"). Under ASC 810-10, the Company hashad determined that it hashad control over this Fund and as such has fully consolidated the financial statementsoperations of the Fund. As of December 31, 2019, 100% of the ownership interests were redeemed.

76

PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

17. Sales of Subsidiaries:
On December 20, 2018, the Company sold 79% of its interest in RCB, a servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil for $40.0 million. The redeemable noncontrolling interest amount is separately statedCompany recognized a pre-tax gain of $26.6 million, which includes a gain of $5.4 million on its 11.7% retained interest. The Company received 25% of the consolidated balance sheets and represents the 80% interest not owned by the Company. In addition, net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interest is stated separatelyproceeds in the consolidated income statements for 2016. The noncontrolling shareholdersfourth quarter of 2018 and the Fund have the right, at certain times, to require the Company to redeem their ownership interest in those entities at a multiple of EBITDA. The noncontrolling interests subject to these arrangements are included in temporary equity as redeemable noncontrolling interests, and are adjusted to their estimated redemption amounts each reporting period with a corresponding adjustment to additional paid-in capital. Future reductionsremaining 75% in the carrying amounts are subject to a "floor" amount that is equal to thefirst quarter of 2019. The fair value of the redeemable noncontrolling interests atretained interest was estimated based on the time they were originally recorded.transaction price. The recorded value of the redeemable noncontrolling interests cannot go below the floor level. These adjustments do not affect the calculation of earnings per share.
17. Assets and Liabilities HeldCompany accounts for Sale:its remaining interest in RCB as an equity method investment.
As part of the Company’s strategy to focus on businesses with greater global growth potential,its primary business, the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans, the Company decided in the fourth quarter of 2016 to sellsold its government services businesses: PRA Government Services, LLC; MuniServices, LLC; and PRA Professional Services, LLC. The assets and liabilitiesLLC in the first quarter of the businesses that will be sold were reflected as assets and liabilities held for sale and consist of the following at December 31, 2016 (amounts in thousands):
 December 31, 2016
Other receivables, net$8,133
Property and equipment, net3,227
Goodwill29,683
Intangible assets, net1,776
Other assets424
Assets held for sale$43,243
  
Accrued expenses$4,220
Liabilities held for sale$4,220
On January 24, 2017, the Company completed the sale of its government services businesses for $91.5 million in cash plus additional consideration for certain balance sheet items. The impact of the transaction will be included in the financial results for the first quarter of 2017. Thepre-tax gain on sale before income taxes is expected to bewas approximately $47.0$46.8 million.
During the second quarter of 2017, the Company sold its vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery business, PRA Location Services, LLC, for $4.5 million which resulted in a pre-tax gain on sale of approximately $1.6 million.

77






Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.


Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report.Form 10-K. Based on this evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2016,2019, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2016 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the company’s board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission. Based on its assessment under this framework, management has determined that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2016.2019. Our independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has issued an audit report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016,2019, which is included herein.
Scope of Management’s Report onChanges in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. DuringReporting. There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the second quarter of 2016, we completed the DTP acquisition. As permitted, dueended December 31, 2019 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to the recent date of the acquisition, DTP is excluded from the scope of management’s assessment ofmaterially affect, our internal control over financial reporting. As of December 31, 2016, DTP represents approximately 2.2% of total assets and 0.6% of total revenue reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016.




Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors and Stockholders
PRA Group, Inc.:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited PRA Group, Inc.'s and subsidiaries’ (the Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016,2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). PRA Group, Inc.'sCommission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated income statements, statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2019, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements), and our report dated March 2, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management'sManagement’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting (Item 9A).Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on PRA Group, Inc.'sthe Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company'scompany’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company'scompany’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company'scompany’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
In our opinion, PRA Group, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
PRA Group, Inc. acquired 100% of the shares of DTP S.A. (DTP) during 2016, and management excluded from its assessment of the effectiveness of PRA Group, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, DTP’s internal control over financial reporting associated with approximately 2.2% of total assets and 0.6% of total revenues reflected in the consolidated financial statements of PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiaries as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of PRA Group, Inc. also excluded an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of DTP.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated income statements, and statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2016, and our report dated February 28, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Norfolk, Virginia
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020

79





Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The information required by Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference to the sections labeled "Executive Officers, of the Registrant," "Security Ownership of ManagementCertain Beneficial Owners and Directors,Management," "Board"Our Board and Its Committees," "Election of Directors," "Corporate Governance," "CommitteesGovernance-Code of the Board of Directors"Conduct," and "Report of the Audit Committee" in our definitive Proxy Statement for use in connection with the Company's 20172020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Proxy Statement").
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required by Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to the sections labeled "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" and "Compensation Committee Report" in the Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management And Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required by Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to the section labeled "Security Ownership of ManagementCertain Beneficial Owners and Directors"Management" in the Proxy Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required by Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference to the sections labeled "Policies"Policy for Approval of Related Party Transactions" and "Director Independence" in the Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The information required by Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to the section labeled "Fees Paid to KPMG LLP"KPMG" in the Proxy Statement.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)Financial Statements.
The following financial statements are included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K:
(b)Exhibits.




10.2*Employment Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, by and between Kevin P. Stevenson and PRA Group, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on January 5, 2015).
10.3*Employment Agreement, dated December 19, 2014, by and between Michael J. Petit and PRA Group, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on January 5, 2015).
10.4*Separation and Release Agreement, dated December 29, 2016, by and between Michael J. Petit and PRA Group, Inc. (filed herewith).
10.9

10.10First Amendment to Credit Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on August 6, 2013).
10.11Second Amendment to Credit Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on March 20, 2014).
10.12Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on June 6, 2014).
10.13Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on June 3, 2015).
10.14Fifth Amendment to Credit Agreement (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on August 10, 2015).
10.15
Loan Modification Agreement and Seventh Amendment to the Credit Agreement dated as of December 19, 2012. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 000-50058) filed on March 30, 2016).





101.SCHInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CALInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.LABInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PREInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document


101.DEFInline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
104Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
                                                                                            


* Denotes management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement in which directors or executive officers are eligible to participate.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
None.

82





SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
      
    PRA Group, Inc.
    (Registrant)
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Steven D. FredricksonKevin P. Stevenson
     Steven D. FredricksonKevin P. Stevenson
     Chairman of the Board of DirectorsPresident and Chief Executive Officer
     (Principal Executive Officer)
February 28, 2017By:/s/ Peter M. Graham
Peter M. Graham
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Steven D. FredricksonKevin P. Stevenson and Peter M. Graham, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and on his behalf, and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to execute and sign any and all amendments or post-effective amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof and the registrant hereby confers like authority on its behalf.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Steven D. FredricksonKevin P. Stevenson
     Steven D. FredricksonKevin P. Stevenson
     Chairman of the Board of Directors andPresident, Chief Executive Officer and Director
     (Principal Executive Officer)
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Peter M. Graham
     Peter M. Graham
     Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
     (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)



February 28, 2017
March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Kevin P. StevensonSteven D. Fredrickson
     Kevin P. StevensonSteven D. Fredrickson
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Vikram A. Atal
     Vikram A. Atal
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020By:/s/ Danielle M. Brown
Danielle M. Brown
Director
March 2, 2020By:/s/ Marjorie M. Connelly
Marjorie M. Connelly
Director
March 2, 2020   By:/s/ John H. Fain
     John H. Fain
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Penelope W. Kyle
     Penelope W. Kyle
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ James A. Nussle
     James A. Nussle
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Geir Olsen
     Geir Olsen
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017By:/s/ David N. Roberts
David N. Roberts
Director
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Scott M. Tabakin
     Scott M. Tabakin
     Director
      
      
February 28, 2017By:/s/ James M. Voss
James M. Voss
Director
February 28, 2017March 2, 2020   By:/s/ Lance L. Weaver
     Lance L. Weaver
     Director


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