Condensed Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010
Operating activities:
Net income	$ 43,824	$ 34,881
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	3,352	2,241
Amortization of loan costs and debt discount	1,367	3,270
Stock-based compensation expense	5,980	4,756
Deferred income tax benefit	(1,472)	(208)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based payment arrangements	(4,904)	(2,667)
Provision for allowances on receivable portfolios, net	8,109	16,777
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Other assets	1,508	(763)
Deferred court costs	(3,968)	(573)
Prepaid income tax and income taxes payable	3,423	(2,815)
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities	1,012	(2,397)
Net cash provided by operating activities	58,231	52,502
Investing activities:
Purchases of receivable portfolios	(250,107)	(242,857)
Collections applied to investment in receivable portfolios, net	234,726	169,896
Proceeds from put-backs of receivable portfolios	2,343	2,907
Purchases of property and equipment	(3,458)	(1,723)
Net cash used in investing activities	(16,496)	(71,777)
Financing activities:
Payment of loan costs	(835)	(6,248)
Proceeds from senior secured notes	25,000	50,000
Proceeds from revolving credit facility	61,000	111,644
Repayment of revolving credit facility	(127,000)	(92,144)
Repayment of convertible notes		(42,920)
Proceeds from net settlement of certain call options		524
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	1,287	1,773
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards	(3,476)	(1,756)
Excess tax benefit from stock-based payment arrangements	4,904	2,667
Repayment of capital lease obligations	(2,848)	(1,122)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(41,968)	22,418
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(233)	3,143
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	10,905	8,388
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	10,672	11,531
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest	14,591	7,369
Cash paid for income taxes	24,860	22,895
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Fixed assets acquired through capital lease	$ 2,434	$ 2,398