Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basis of Presentation ‑ The Company meets the SEC's definition of a "Smaller Reporting Company”, and therefore qualify for the SEC's reduced disclosure requirements for smaller reporting companies. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). These statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments that are, in management's opinion, necessary for the fair presentation of results. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior-period financial information has been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. All share and per share amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect the Company's one-for-eleven reverse stock split.
Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Use of Estimates ‑ The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP 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 income and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates are based on information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements; therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Consolidation and Variable Interest Entities ‑ The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company’s policy is to consolidate the financial statements of entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in an entity by evaluating whether the entity is a voting interest entity or variable interest entity ("VIE") and if the accounting guidance requires consolidation. VIEs are entities that, by design, either (i) lack sufficient equity to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, or (ii) have equity investors that do not have the ability to make significant decisions relating to the entity’s operations through voting rights, or do not have the obligation to absorb the expected losses, or do not have the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in a VIE by considering whether its involvement with the VIE is significant and whether it is the primary beneficiary of the VIE based on the following: •The Company has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance; •The aggregate indirect and direct variable interests held by us have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could be significant to the VIE; an •Qualitative and quantitative factors regarding the nature, size, and form of the Company’s involvement with the VIE.
Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]	Foreign Currency Re-measurement ‑ The functional currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. Monetary assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are re-measured into U.S. dollars from the local currency at rates in effect at period-end and nonmonetary assets and liabilities are re-measured at historical rates. Revenue and expenses are re-measured at average exchange rates in effect during each period. Foreign currency gains and losses from re-measurement and transaction gains and losses are recorded as other expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.
Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Concentration of Credit Risk ‑ Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and loans receivable at fair value. As of December 31, 2020, 56%, 26%, 5%, and 5% of the owned principal balance related to customers from California, Texas, Illinois and Florida, respectively. Owned principal balance related to customers from each of the remaining states of operation continues to be at or below 3%. As of December 31, 2019, 59%, 25%, 5%, 2%, 2%, 5% of the owned principal balance related to customers from California, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona and Florida, respectively, and the owned principal balance related to customers from Idaho, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah and Wisconsin were not material.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Cash and Cash Equivalents ‑ Cash and cash equivalents consist of unrestricted cash balances and short-term, liquid investments with an original maturity date of three months or less at the time of purchase.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Restricted Cash ‑ Restricted cash represents cash held at a financial institution as part of the collateral for the Company’s Secured Financing, asset-backed notes and loans designated for sale.
Loans Receivable at Fair Value [Policy Text Block]	Loans Receivable at Fair Value ‑ The Company elected the fair value option to account for new loan originations held for investment on or after January 1, 2018. Upon adoption of ASU 2019-05, effective January 1, 2020, the Company elected the fair value option on all loans receivable previously measured at amortized cost as of December 31, 2019. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2020 all loans receivable held for investment are accounted for under the fair value option. Under the fair value option, direct loan origination fees are taken into income immediately and direct loan origination costs are expensed in the period the loan originates. Loans are charged off at the earlier of when loans are determined to be uncollectible or when loans are 120 days contractually past due and recoveries are recorded when cash is received. The Company estimates the fair value of the loans using a discounted cash flow model, which considers various unobservable inputs such as remaining cumulative charge-offs, remaining cumulative prepayments, average life and discount rate. The Company re-evaluates the fair value of loans receivable at the close of each measurement period. Changes in fair value are recorded in "Net increase (decrease) in fair value" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income in the period of the fair value changes.
Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost [Policy Text Block]	Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost ‑ Upon adoption of ASU 2019-05, effective January 1, 2020, the Company elected the fair value option on all loans receivable previously measured at amortized cost as of December 31, 2019. Accordingly, for the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost. Prior to the adoption of ASU 2019-05, loans originated before January 1, 2018 were carried at amortized cost, which is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of deferred loan origination fees and costs and the allowance for loan losses. The Company estimates direct loan origination costs associated with completed and successfully originated loans. The direct loan origination costs include employee compensation and independent third-party costs incurred to originate loans. Direct loan origination costs are offset against any loan origination fees and deferred and amortized over the life of the loan using effective interest rate method for loans originated before January 1, 2018.
Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fair Value Measurements ‑ The Company follows applicable guidance that establishes a fair value measurement framework, provides a single definition of fair value and requires expanded disclosure summarizing fair value measurements. Such guidance emphasizes that fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement. Therefore, a fair value measurement should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability. Fair value guidance establishes a three-level hierarchy for inputs used in measuring the fair value of a financial asset or financial liability. •Level 1 financial instruments are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible by the Company at the measurement date. •Level 2 financial instruments are valued using quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or models using inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data of substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. •Level 3 financial instruments are valued using pricing inputs that are unobservable and reflect the Company’s own assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Asset-Backed Notes at Fair Value ‑ The Company elected the fair value option to account for all asset-backed notes issued on or after January 1, 2018. Asset-backed notes issued prior to January 1, 2018 are accounted for at amortized cost, net. After the redemption of our Series 2017-B asset-back notes on July 8, 2020, the Company no longer had any asset-backed notes at amortized cost. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2020 all asset-backed notes are accounted for under the fair value option. The Company calculates the fair value of the asset-backed notes using independent pricing services and broker price indications, which are based on quoted prices for identical or similar notes, which are Level 2 input measures. The Company re-evaluates the fair value of the asset-backed notes at the close of each measurement period. Changes in fair value are recorded in "Net increase (decrease) in fair value" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income in the period of the fair value changes.
Nonmortgage Loan Held-for-sale [Policy Text Block]	Loans Held for Sale ‑ Loans held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value, applied on an aggregate basis, until the loans are sold. Loans held for sale are sold within four days of origination. Cost of loans held for sale is inclusive of unpaid principal plus net deferred origination costs.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Fixed Assets ‑ Fixed assets are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which is generally three years for computer and office equipment and furniture and fixtures, and three to five years for purchased software, vehicles and leasehold improvements. When assets are sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss, if any, is included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Maintenance and repairs are charged to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income as incurred.The Company does not own any buildings or real estate. The Company enters into term leases for its headquarters, call center and store locations. Leasehold improvements are capitalized and depreciated over the lesser of their physical life or lease term of the building.
Internal Use Software, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Systems Development Costs ‑ The Company capitalizes software developed or acquired for internal use. The Company has internally developed its proprietary Web-based technology platform, which consists of application processing, credit scoring, loan accounting, servicing and collections, debit card processing, and data and analytics. The Company capitalizes its costs to develop software when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed; management has authorized and committed project funding; and it is probable the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. Costs incurred prior to meeting these criteria, together with costs incurred for training and maintenance, are expensed as incurred. When the software developed for internal use has reached its technological feasibility, such costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the assets, which is generally three years. Costs incurred for upgrades and enhancements that are expected to result in additional functionality are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the upgrades.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Impairment [Policy Text Block]	Impairment ‑ We review long-lived assets, including fixed assets, right of use assets and system development costs, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition are less than its carrying amount. We determined that there were no events or changes in circumstances that indicated our long-lived assets were impaired for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, except as disclosed in Note 7, Other Assets.
Revenue Recognition, Interest [Policy Text Block]	Revenue Recognition ‑ The Company’s primary sources of revenue consist of interest and non-interest income. Interest Income Interest income includes interest on loans and fees on loans. Generally, the Company’s loans require semi- monthly or biweekly customer payments of interest and principal. Fees on loans include billed late fees offset by charged-off fees and provision for uncollectible fees. The Company charges customers a late fee if a scheduled installment payment becomes delinquent. Depending on the loan, late fees are assessed when the loan is eight to 16 days delinquent. Late fees are recognized when they are billed. When a loan is charged off, uncollected late fees are also written off. For Loans Receivable at Fair Value, interest income includes (i) billed interest and late fees, plus (ii) origination fees recognized at loan disbursement, less (iii) charged-off interest and late fees, less (iv) provision for uncollectable interest and late fees. Additionally, direct loan origination expenses are recognized in operating expenses as incurred. In comparison, for Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost, interest income includes: (a) billed interest and late fees, less (b) charged-off interest and late fees, less (c) provision for uncollectable interest and late fees, plus (d) amortized origination fees recognized over the life of the loan, less (e) amortized cost of direct loan origination expenses recognized over the life of the loan. Interest income is recognized based upon the amount the Company expects to collect from its customers. When a loan becomes delinquent for a period of 90 days or more, interest income continues to be recorded until the loan is charged off. Delinquent loans are charged off at month-end during the month it becomes 120 days’ delinquent. For both loans receivable at amortized cost and loans receivable at fair value, the Company mitigates the risk of income recorded for loans that are delinquent for 90 days or more by establishing a 100% provision and the provision for uncollectable interest and late fees is offset against interest income. Previously accrued and unpaid interest is also charged off in the month the Company receives a notification of bankruptcy, a judgment or mediated agreement by the court, or loss of life, unless there is evidence that the principal and interest are collectible. For Loans Receivable at Fair Value, loan origination fees and costs are recognized when incurred.
Revenue [Policy Text Block]	Non-Interest Income Non-interest income includes gain on loan sales, servicing fees, debit card income, sublease income and other income. Gain on Loan Sales ‑ The Company recognizes a gain on sale from the difference between the proceeds received from the purchaser and the carrying value of the loans on the Company’s books. The Company sells a certain percentage of new loans twice weekly. The Company accounts for loan sales in accordance with ASC No. 860, Transfers and Servicing. In accordance with this guidance, a transfer of a financial asset, a group of financial assets, or a participating interest in a financial asset is accounted for as a sale if all of the following conditions are met: •The financial assets are isolated from the transferor and its consolidated affiliates as well as its creditors. •The transferee or beneficial interest holders have the right to pledge or exchange the transferred financial assets. •The transferor does not maintain effective control of the transferred assets. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 all sales met the requirements for sale treatment. The Company records the gain on the sale of a loan at the sale date in an amount equal to the proceeds received less outstanding principal, accrued interest, late fees and net deferred origination costs. Servicing Fees ‑ The Company retains servicing rights on sold loans. Servicing fees comprise the 5.0% per annum servicing fee based upon the average daily principal balance of loans sold that the Company earns for servicing loans sold to a third-party financial institution. The servicing fee compensates the Company for the costs incurred in servicing the loans, including providing customer services, receiving customer payments and performing appropriate collection activities. Management believes the fee approximates a market rate and accordingly has not recognized a servicing asset or liability. Debit card income is the revenue from interchange fees when customers use our reloadable debit card for purchases as well as the associated card user fees. Sublease income is the rental income from subleasing a portion of our headquarters. Other income includes marketing incentives paid directly to us by the merchant clearing company based on transaction volumes, interest earned on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, and gain (loss) on asset sales.
Interest Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Interest expense ‑ Interest expense consists of interest expense associated with the Company’s asset-backed notes and Secured Financing, and it includes origination costs as well as fees for the unused portion of the Secured Financing facility. Asset-backed notes at amortized cost are borrowings that originated prior to January 1, 2018, and origination costs are amortized over the life of the borrowing using the effective interest rate method. As of January 1, 2018, the Company elected the fair value option for all new borrowings under asset-backed notes issued on or after that date. Accordingly, all origination costs for such asset-backed notes at fair value are expensed as incurred. After the redemption of our Series 2017-B asset-back notes on July 8, 2020, we did not have any asset-backed notes at amortized cost remaining as of December 31, 2020.
Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Income Taxes ‑ The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the consolidated financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized. Under the provisions of ASC No. 740-10, Income Taxes, the Company evaluates uncertain tax positions by reviewing against applicable tax law all positions taken by the Company with respect to tax years for which the statute of limitations is still open. ASC No. 740-10 provides that a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to the liability for unrecognized tax benefits, if any, as a component of the income tax expense line in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]	Stock-Based Compensation ‑ The Company applies the provisions of ASC No. 718-10, Stock Compensation. ASC 718-10 establishes accounting for stock-based employee awards based on the fair value of the award which is measured at grant date. Accordingly, stock-based compensation cost is recognized in operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income over the requisite service period. The fair value of stock options granted or modified is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The Company granted restricted stock units ("RSUs") to employees that vest upon the satisfaction of time-based criterion of up to four years and previously some included a performance criterion, a liquidity event in connection with an initial public offering or a change in control. These RSUs were not considered vested until both criteria were met and provided that the participant was in continuous service on the vesting date. Compensation cost for awards with performance criteria, measured on the grant date, was recognized when both the service and performance conditions were probable of being achieved. For grants and awards with just a service condition, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expenses using the straight-line basis over the requisite service period net of forfeitures. For grants and awards with both service and performance conditions, the Company recognizes expenses using the accelerated attribution method.
Treasury Stock, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Treasury Stock ‑ From time to time, the Company repurchases shares of its common stock in a tender offer. Treasury stock is reported at cost, and no gain or loss is recorded on stock repurchase transactions. Repurchased shares are held as treasury stock until they are retired or re-issued. The Company did not retire or re-issue any treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.
Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share ‑ Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income per share available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period and excludes the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. The Company computes earnings per share using the two-class method required for participating securities. The Company considers all series of convertible preferred stock to be participating securities due to their noncumulative dividend rights. As such, net income allocated to these participating securities which includes participation rights in undistributed earnings, are subtracted from net income to determine total undistributed net income to be allocated to common stockholders. All participating securities are excluded from basic weighted-average common shares outstanding.Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised. It is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average common shares plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method or the two-class method, whichever is more dilutive.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Allowance for Loan Losses and Fair Value Option ‑ In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This guidance significantly changes the way entities are required to measure credit losses. Under the new standard, estimated credit losses are based upon an expected credit loss approach rather than an incurred loss approach that was previously required. In May 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition. This ASU provides an option to irrevocably elect the fair value option applied on an instrument-by-instrument basis for certain financial assets upon the adoption of Topic 326. In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, Financial Instruments - Credit Loss (Topic 326), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Leases (Topic 842), which deferred the effective date for public filers that are considered smaller reporting companies as defined by the SEC to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods in those fiscal years. The Company elected to early adopt ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2019-05 effective January 1, 2020. The Company previously elected the fair value option for all loans originated after January 1, 2018. Upon adoption of ASU 2019-05, the Company elected the fair value option on all loans receivable originated prior to January 1, 2018 that were previously measured at amortized cost. As a result, adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not have impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements and disclosures. The Company made an accounting policy election not to measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable amounts as the Company writes off the uncollectible accrued interest receivable balance in a timely manner and makes relevant disclosures. The adoption of ASU 2019-05 and fair value election resulted in (i) the release of the remaining allowance for loan losses on Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost as of December 31, 2019; (ii) recognition of the unamortized net originations fee income as of December 31, 2019; and (iii) measurement of the remaining loans originated prior to January 1, 2018 at fair value. These adjustments resulted in an increase to opening retained earnings as of January 1, 2020 of approximately $4.8 million. ASU 2019-05 does not allow for the fair value option to be elected on the Company's asset-backed notes carried at amortized cost. Fair Value Disclosures ‑ In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which amends ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. This ASU simplifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The Company adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2020. The simplified disclosure requirements included a new disclosure for the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty. These new disclosure requirements were applied prospectively. Cloud Computing Arrangements - In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use-Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This ASU aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). The Company adopted the amendments of this ASU effective January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis with no impact upon adoption. All eligible implementation costs related to cloud computing arrangements are now recorded as part of "prepaid expenses" within "Other assets" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amortization expense is presented in the same line on the income statement as the fees for the associated hosted service within "Operating expenses" on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income, and the cash payments related to implementation of cloud computing arrangements are classified as "cash flows from operating activities" within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow. Accounting Standards to be Adopted Income Taxes - In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This ASU is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles of accounting for income taxes and to improve the consistent application of GAAP for other areas of accounting for income taxes by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the effect of the new guidance and determined it will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures. Reference Rate Reform - In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The amendments in this ASU provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. An entity may elect to apply the amendments for contract modifications as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020. The amendments in this ASU must be applied prospectively for all eligible contract modifications. The Company has evaluated the effect of the new guidance and determined it will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation ‑ The Company meets the SEC's definition of a "Smaller Reporting Company”, and therefore qualify for the SEC's reduced disclosure requirements for smaller reporting companies. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). These statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments that are, in management's opinion, necessary for the fair presentation of results. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain prior-period financial information has been reclassified to conform to current period presentation. All share and per share amounts for all periods presented in the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect the Company's one-for-eleven reverse stock split.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates ‑ The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP 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 income and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates are based on information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements; therefore, actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Consolidation and Variable Interest Entities ‑ The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The Company’s policy is to consolidate the financial statements of entities in which it has a controlling financial interest. The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in an entity by evaluating whether the entity is a voting interest entity or variable interest entity ("VIE") and if the accounting guidance requires consolidation.

VIEs are entities that, by design, either (i) lack sufficient equity to permit the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties, or (ii) have equity investors that do not have the ability to make significant decisions relating to the entity’s operations through voting rights, or do not have the obligation to absorb the expected losses, or do not have the right to receive the residual returns of the entity. The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in a VIE by considering whether its involvement with the VIE is significant and whether it is the primary beneficiary of the VIE based on the following:

•The Company has the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance;

•The aggregate indirect and direct variable interests held by us have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could be significant to the VIE; an

•Qualitative and quantitative factors regarding the nature, size, and form of the Company’s involvement with the VIE.

Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block]

Foreign Currency Re-measurement ‑ The functional currency of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. Monetary assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are re-measured into U.S. dollars from the local currency at rates in effect at period-end and nonmonetary assets and liabilities are re-measured at historical rates. Revenue and expenses are re-measured at average exchange rates in effect during each period. Foreign currency gains and losses from re-measurement and transaction gains and losses are recorded as other expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Concentration of Credit Risk ‑ Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and loans receivable at fair value. As of December 31, 2020, 56%, 26%, 5%, and 5% of the owned principal balance related to customers from California, Texas, Illinois and Florida, respectively. Owned principal balance related to customers from each of the remaining states of operation continues to be at or below 3%. As of December 31, 2019, 59%, 25%, 5%, 2%, 2%, 5% of the owned principal balance related to customers from California, Texas, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona and Florida, respectively, and the owned principal balance related to customers from Idaho, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Utah and Wisconsin were not material.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents ‑ Cash and cash equivalents consist of unrestricted cash balances and short-term, liquid investments with an original maturity date of three months or less at the time of purchase.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Restricted Cash ‑ Restricted cash represents cash held at a financial institution as part of the collateral for the Company’s Secured Financing, asset-backed notes and loans designated for sale.

Loans Receivable at Fair Value [Policy Text Block]

Loans Receivable at Fair Value ‑ The Company elected the fair value option to account for new loan originations held for investment on or after January 1, 2018. Upon adoption of ASU 2019-05, effective January 1, 2020, the Company elected the fair value option on all loans receivable previously measured at amortized cost as of December 31, 2019. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2020 all loans receivable held for investment are accounted for under the fair value option. Under the fair value option, direct loan origination fees are taken into income immediately and direct loan origination costs are expensed in the period the loan originates. Loans are charged off at the earlier of when loans are determined to be uncollectible or when loans are 120 days contractually past due and recoveries are recorded when cash is received. The Company estimates the fair value of the loans using a discounted cash flow model, which considers various unobservable inputs such as remaining cumulative charge-offs, remaining cumulative prepayments, average life and discount rate. The Company re-evaluates the fair value of loans receivable at the close of each measurement period. Changes in fair value are recorded in "Net increase (decrease) in fair value" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income in the period of the fair value changes.

Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost [Policy Text Block]

Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost ‑ Upon adoption of ASU 2019-05, effective January 1, 2020, the Company elected the fair value option on all loans receivable previously measured at amortized cost as of December 31, 2019. Accordingly, for the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company did not have any Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost.

Prior to the adoption of ASU 2019-05, loans originated before January 1, 2018 were carried at amortized cost, which is the outstanding unpaid principal balance, net of deferred loan origination fees and costs and the allowance for loan losses. The Company estimates direct loan origination costs associated with completed and successfully originated loans. The direct loan origination costs include employee compensation and independent third-party costs incurred to originate loans. Direct loan origination costs are offset against any loan origination fees and deferred and amortized over the life of the loan using effective interest rate method for loans originated before January 1, 2018.

Fair Value Measurement, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value Measurements ‑ The Company follows applicable guidance that establishes a fair value measurement framework, provides a single definition of fair value and requires expanded disclosure summarizing fair value measurements. Such guidance emphasizes that fair value is a market-based measurement, not an entity-specific measurement. Therefore, a fair value measurement should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability.

Fair value guidance establishes a three-level hierarchy for inputs used in measuring the fair value of a financial asset or financial liability.

•Level 1 financial instruments are valued based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities, accessible by the Company at the measurement date.

•Level 2 financial instruments are valued using quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or models using inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data of substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

•Level 3 financial instruments are valued using pricing inputs that are unobservable and reflect the Company’s own assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

Asset-Backed Notes at Fair Value ‑ The Company elected the fair value option to account for all asset-backed notes issued on or after January 1, 2018. Asset-backed notes issued prior to January 1, 2018 are accounted for at amortized cost, net. After the redemption of our Series 2017-B asset-back notes on July 8, 2020, the Company no longer had any asset-backed notes at amortized cost. Accordingly, as of December 31, 2020 all asset-backed notes are accounted for under the fair value option. The Company calculates the fair value of the asset-backed notes using independent pricing services and broker price indications, which are based on quoted prices for identical or similar notes, which are Level 2 input measures. The Company re-evaluates the fair value of the asset-backed notes at the close of each measurement period. Changes in fair value are recorded in "Net increase (decrease) in fair value" in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income in the period of the fair value changes.

Nonmortgage Loan Held-for-sale [Policy Text Block]

Loans Held for Sale ‑ Loans held for sale are recorded at the lower of cost or fair value, applied on an aggregate basis, until the loans are sold. Loans held for sale are sold within four days of origination. Cost of loans held for sale is inclusive of unpaid principal plus net deferred origination costs.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fixed Assets ‑ Fixed assets are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets, which is generally three years for computer and office equipment and furniture and fixtures, and three to five years for purchased software, vehicles and leasehold improvements. When assets are sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss, if any, is included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Maintenance and repairs are charged to the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income as incurred.The Company does not own any buildings or real estate. The Company enters into term leases for its headquarters, call center and store locations. Leasehold improvements are capitalized and depreciated over the lesser of their physical life or lease term of the building.

Internal Use Software, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Systems Development Costs ‑ The Company capitalizes software developed or acquired for internal use. The Company has internally developed its proprietary Web-based technology platform, which consists of application processing, credit scoring, loan accounting, servicing and collections, debit card processing, and data and analytics.

The Company capitalizes its costs to develop software when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed; management has authorized and committed project funding; and it is probable the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. Costs incurred prior to meeting these criteria, together with costs incurred for training and maintenance, are expensed as incurred. When the software developed for internal use has reached its technological feasibility, such costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the assets, which is generally three years. Costs incurred for upgrades and enhancements that are expected to result in additional functionality are capitalized and amortized over the estimated useful life of the upgrades.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Impairment [Policy Text Block]

Impairment ‑ We review long-lived assets, including fixed assets, right of use assets and system development costs, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be fully recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized when estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition are less than its carrying amount. We determined that there were no events or changes in circumstances that indicated our long-lived assets were impaired for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, except as disclosed in Note 7, Other Assets.

Revenue Recognition, Interest [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition ‑ The Company’s primary sources of revenue consist of interest and non-interest income.

Interest Income

Interest income includes interest on loans and fees on loans. Generally, the Company’s loans require semi- monthly or biweekly customer payments of interest and principal. Fees on loans include billed late fees offset by charged-off fees and provision for uncollectible fees. The Company charges customers a late fee if a scheduled installment payment becomes delinquent. Depending on the loan, late fees are assessed when the loan is eight to 16 days delinquent. Late fees are recognized when they are billed. When a loan is charged off, uncollected late fees are also written off. For Loans Receivable at Fair Value, interest income includes (i) billed interest and late fees, plus (ii) origination fees recognized at loan disbursement, less (iii) charged-off interest and late fees, less (iv) provision for uncollectable interest and late fees. Additionally, direct loan origination expenses are recognized in operating expenses as incurred. In comparison, for Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost, interest income includes: (a) billed interest and late fees, less (b) charged-off interest and late fees, less (c) provision for uncollectable interest and late fees, plus (d) amortized origination fees recognized over the life of the loan, less (e) amortized cost of direct loan origination expenses recognized over the life of the loan.

Interest income is recognized based upon the amount the Company expects to collect from its customers. When a loan becomes delinquent for a period of 90 days or more, interest income continues to be recorded until the loan is charged off. Delinquent loans are charged off at month-end during the month it becomes 120 days’ delinquent. For both loans receivable at amortized cost and loans receivable at fair value, the Company mitigates the risk of income recorded for loans that are delinquent for 90 days or more by establishing a 100% provision and the provision for uncollectable interest and late fees is offset against interest income. Previously accrued and unpaid interest is also charged off in the month the Company receives a notification of bankruptcy, a judgment or mediated agreement by the court, or loss of life, unless there is evidence that the principal and interest are collectible.

For Loans Receivable at Fair Value, loan origination fees and costs are recognized when incurred.

Revenue [Policy Text Block]

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income includes gain on loan sales, servicing fees, debit card income, sublease income and other income.

Gain on Loan Sales ‑ The Company recognizes a gain on sale from the difference between the proceeds received from the purchaser and the carrying value of the loans on the Company’s books. The Company sells a certain percentage of new loans twice weekly.

The Company accounts for loan sales in accordance with ASC No. 860, Transfers and Servicing. In accordance with this guidance, a transfer of a financial asset, a group of financial assets, or a participating interest in a financial asset is accounted for as a sale if all of the following conditions are met:

•The financial assets are isolated from the transferor and its consolidated affiliates as well as its creditors.

•The transferee or beneficial interest holders have the right to pledge or exchange the transferred financial assets.

•The transferor does not maintain effective control of the transferred assets.

For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 all sales met the requirements for sale treatment. The Company records the gain on the sale of a loan at the sale date in an amount equal to the proceeds received less outstanding principal, accrued interest, late fees and net deferred origination costs.

Servicing Fees ‑ The Company retains servicing rights on sold loans. Servicing fees comprise the 5.0% per annum servicing fee based upon the average daily principal balance of loans sold that the Company earns for servicing loans sold to a third-party financial institution. The servicing fee compensates the Company for the costs incurred in servicing the loans, including providing customer services, receiving customer payments and performing appropriate collection activities. Management believes the fee approximates a market rate and accordingly has not recognized a servicing asset or liability.

Debit card income is the revenue from interchange fees when customers use our reloadable debit card for purchases as well as the associated card user fees.

Sublease income is the rental income from subleasing a portion of our headquarters.

Other income includes marketing incentives paid directly to us by the merchant clearing company based on transaction volumes, interest earned on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash, and gain (loss) on asset sales.

Interest Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Interest expense ‑ Interest expense consists of interest expense associated with the Company’s asset-backed notes and Secured Financing, and it includes origination costs as well as fees for the unused portion of the Secured Financing facility. Asset-backed notes at amortized cost are borrowings that originated prior to January 1, 2018, and origination costs are amortized over the life of the borrowing using the effective interest rate method. As of January 1, 2018, the Company elected the fair value option for all new borrowings under asset-backed notes issued on or after that date. Accordingly, all origination costs for such asset-backed notes at fair value are expensed as incurred. After the redemption of our Series 2017-B asset-back notes on July 8, 2020, we did not have any asset-backed notes at amortized cost remaining as of December 31, 2020.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes ‑ The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the consolidated financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

Under the provisions of ASC No. 740-10, Income Taxes, the Company evaluates uncertain tax positions by reviewing against applicable tax law all positions taken by the Company with respect to tax years for which the statute of limitations is still open. ASC No. 740-10 provides that a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to the liability for unrecognized tax benefits, if any, as a component of the income tax expense line in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.

Share-based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

Stock-Based Compensation ‑ The Company applies the provisions of ASC No. 718-10, Stock Compensation. ASC 718-10 establishes accounting for stock-based employee awards based on the fair value of the award which is measured at grant date. Accordingly, stock-based compensation cost is recognized in operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income over the requisite service period. The fair value of stock options granted or modified is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model.

The Company granted restricted stock units ("RSUs") to employees that vest upon the satisfaction of time-based criterion of up to four years and previously some included a performance criterion, a liquidity event in connection with an initial public offering or a change in control. These RSUs were not considered vested until both criteria were met and provided that the participant was in continuous service on the vesting date. Compensation cost for awards with performance criteria, measured on the grant date, was recognized when both the service and performance conditions were probable of being achieved. For grants and awards with just a service condition, the Company recognizes stock-based compensation expenses using the straight-line basis over the requisite service period net of forfeitures. For grants and awards with both service and performance conditions, the Company recognizes expenses using the accelerated attribution method.

Treasury Stock, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Treasury Stock ‑ From time to time, the Company repurchases shares of its common stock in a tender offer. Treasury stock is reported at cost, and no gain or loss is recorded on stock repurchase transactions. Repurchased shares are held as treasury stock until they are retired or re-issued. The Company did not retire or re-issue any treasury stock for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basic and Diluted Earnings per Share ‑ Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income per share available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period and excludes the effects of any potentially dilutive securities. The Company computes earnings per share using the two-class method required for participating securities. The Company considers all series of convertible preferred stock to be participating securities due to their noncumulative dividend rights. As such, net income allocated to these participating securities which includes participation rights in undistributed earnings, are subtracted from net income to determine total undistributed net income to be allocated to common stockholders. All participating securities are excluded from basic weighted-average common shares outstanding.Diluted earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised. It is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the weighted-average common shares plus the effect of dilutive potential common shares outstanding during the period using the treasury stock method or the two-class method, whichever is more dilutive.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Allowance for Loan Losses and Fair Value Option ‑ In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This guidance significantly changes the way entities are required to measure credit losses. Under the new standard, estimated credit losses are based upon an expected credit loss approach rather than an incurred loss approach that was previously required. In May 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Targeted Transition. This ASU provides an option to irrevocably elect the fair value option applied on an instrument-by-instrument basis for certain financial assets upon the adoption of Topic 326. In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-10, Financial Instruments - Credit Loss (Topic 326), Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), and Leases (Topic 842), which deferred the effective date for public filers that are considered smaller reporting companies as defined by the SEC to fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods in those fiscal years. The Company elected to early adopt ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2019-05 effective January 1, 2020.

The Company previously elected the fair value option for all loans originated after January 1, 2018. Upon adoption of ASU 2019-05, the Company elected the fair value option on all loans receivable originated prior to January 1, 2018 that were previously measured at amortized cost. As a result, adoption of ASU 2016-13 did not have impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements and disclosures. The Company made an accounting policy election not to measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued interest receivable amounts as the Company writes off the uncollectible accrued interest receivable balance in a timely manner and makes relevant disclosures.

The adoption of ASU 2019-05 and fair value election resulted in (i) the release of the remaining allowance for loan losses on Loans Receivable at Amortized Cost as of December 31, 2019; (ii) recognition of the unamortized net originations fee income as of December 31, 2019; and (iii) measurement of the remaining loans originated prior to January 1, 2018 at fair value. These adjustments resulted in an increase to opening retained earnings as of January 1, 2020 of approximately $4.8 million. ASU 2019-05 does not allow for the fair value option to be elected on the Company's asset-backed notes carried at amortized cost.

Fair Value Disclosures ‑ In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which amends ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement. This ASU simplifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The Company adopted this ASU effective January 1, 2020. The simplified disclosure requirements included a new disclosure for the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty. These new disclosure requirements were applied prospectively.

Cloud Computing Arrangements - In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use-Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract. This ASU aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software license). The Company adopted the amendments of this ASU effective January 1, 2020 on a prospective basis with no impact upon adoption. All eligible implementation costs related to cloud computing arrangements are now recorded as part of "prepaid expenses" within "Other assets" on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The amortization expense is presented in the same line on the income statement as the fees for the associated hosted service within "Operating expenses" on the Company's Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income, and the cash payments related to implementation of cloud computing arrangements are classified as "cash flows from operating activities" within the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flow.

Accounting Standards to be Adopted

Income Taxes - In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. This ASU is intended to simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles of accounting for income taxes and to improve the consistent application of GAAP for other areas of accounting for income taxes by clarifying and amending existing guidance. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has evaluated the effect of the new guidance and determined it will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

Reference Rate Reform - In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. The amendments in this ASU provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform if certain criteria are met. An entity may elect to apply the amendments for contract modifications as of any date from the beginning of an interim period that includes or is subsequent to March 12, 2020. The amendments in this ASU must be applied prospectively for all eligible contract modifications. The Company has evaluated the effect of the new guidance and determined it will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.