Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 47,384	$ 98,278	$ 73,740
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	33,945	27,949	13,547
Goodwill impairment	49,277	0	0
Non-cash interest expense	37,745	29,380	18,136
Stock-based compensation expense	22,008	17,181	12,649
Recognized loss on termination of derivative contract	0	0	3,630
Deferred income taxes	(32,369)	(48,078)	(28,188)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based payment arrangements	(1,724)	(11,928)	(5,609)
Reversal of allowances on receivable portfolios, net	(6,763)	(17,407)	(12,193)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Deferred court costs and other assets	(41,835)	(15,532)	(11,697)
Prepaid income tax and income taxes payable	(34,887)	22,180	(468)
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities	41,644	9,521	11,228
Net cash provided by operating activities	114,425	111,544	74,775
Investing activities:
Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(276,575)	(495,838)	(449,024)
Purchases of receivable portfolios, net of put-backs	(749,760)	(862,997)	(249,562)
Collections applied to investment in receivable portfolios, net	635,899	633,960	546,366
Originations and purchases of receivables secured by tax liens	(219,722)	(124,533)	(116,960)
Collections applied to receivables secured by tax liens	164,052	122,638	70,573
Purchases of property and equipment	(28,647)	(23,238)	(13,423)
Other, net	2,044	(5,189)	(5,210)
Net cash used in investing activities	(472,709)	(755,197)	(217,240)
Financing activities:
Payment of loan costs	(17,995)	(20,101)	(17,207)
Proceeds from credit facilities	1,073,941	1,343,417	659,940
Repayment of credit facilities	(891,804)	(1,184,244)	(630,163)
Proceeds from senior secured notes	332,693	288,645	151,670
Repayment of senior secured notes	(15,000)	(15,000)	(13,750)
Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes	0	161,000	172,500
Proceeds from issuance of securitized notes	0	134,000	0
Repayment of securitized notes	(44,251)	(29,753)	0
Repayment of preferred equity certificates, net	0	(693)	(39,743)
Purchases of convertible hedge instruments	0	(33,576)	(32,008)
Repurchase of common stock	(33,185)	(16,815)	(729)
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	(6,289)	(20,324)	(9,591)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based payment arrangements	1,724	11,928	5,609
Other, net	2,011	7,839	(548)
Net cash provided by financing activities	401,845	626,323	245,980
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	43,561	(17,330)	103,515
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(14,131)	15,280	5,188
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	124,163	126,213	17,510
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	153,593	124,163	126,213
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	151,946	95,034	50,181
Cash paid for income taxes, net	84,101	69,948	66,759
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Fixed assets acquired through capital lease	$ 2,220	$ 8,341	$ 5,011