8. Legal Proceedings	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Legal Proceedings
Legal Proceedings	Consumer Litigation. We are routinely involved in various legal proceedings resulting from our consumer finance activities and practices, both continuing and discontinued. Consumers can and do initiate lawsuits against us alleging violations of law applicable to collection of receivables, and such lawsuits sometimes allege that resolution as a class action is appropriate. We are currently subject to one such class action, which has been settled by agreement with the plaintiffs. The settlement remains subject to final court approval. (The court has approved the settlement, but an objecting member of the settlement class has appealed that approval.) For the most part, we have legal and factual defenses to consumer claims, which we routinely contest or settle (for immaterial amounts) depending on the particular circumstances of each case. We have recorded a liability as of March 31, 2016 with respect to such matters, in the aggregate. Department of Justice Subpoena. In January 2015, we were served with a subpoena by the U.S. Department of Justice directing us to produce certain documents relating to our and our subsidiaries’ and affiliates’ origination and securitization of sub-prime automobile contracts since 2005, in connection with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in contemplation of a civil proceeding for potential violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. We are among several other securitizers of sub-prime automobile receivables who received such subpoenas in 2014 and 2015. Among other matters, the subpoena required information relating to the underwriting criteria used to originate these automobile contracts and the representations and warranties relating to those underwriting criteria that were made in connection with the securitization of the automobile contracts. We provided the required documents in March 2015, and are unaware of any subsequent material developments in the government’s investigation. The investigation could in the future result in the imposition of damages, fines or civil or criminal claims and/or penalties. No assurance can be given as to the ultimate outcome of the investigation or any resulting proceeding(s), which might materially and adversely affect us. In General. There can be no assurance as to the outcomes of the matters referenced above. We have recorded a liability as of March 31, 2016, which represents our best estimate of probable incurred losses for legal contingencies, including all of the matters described or referenced above. The amount of losses that may ultimately be incurred cannot be estimated with certainty. However, based on such information as is available to us, we believe that the range of reasonably possible losses for the legal proceedings and contingencies we face, including those described or referenced above, as of March 31, 2016, and in excess of the liability we have recorded, is from $0 to $250,000. Accordingly, we believe that the ultimate resolution of such legal proceedings and contingencies, after taking into account our current litigation reserves, should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition. We note, however, that in light of the uncertainties inherent in contested proceedings, the wide discretion vested in the U.S. Department of Justice and other government agencies, and the deference that courts may give to assertions made by government litigants, there can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not significantly exceed the reserves we have accrued; as a result, the outcome of a particular matter may be material to our operating results for a particular period, depending on, among other factors, the size of the loss or liability imposed and the level of our income for that period.

8. Legal Proceedings

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Consumer Litigation. We are routinely involved in various legal proceedings resulting from our consumer finance activities and practices, both continuing and discontinued. Consumers can and do initiate lawsuits against us alleging violations of law applicable to collection of receivables, and such lawsuits sometimes allege that resolution as a class action is appropriate.

We are currently subject to one such class action, which has been settled by agreement with the plaintiffs. The settlement remains subject to final court approval. (The court has approved the settlement, but an objecting member of the settlement class has appealed that approval.)

For the most part, we have legal and factual defenses to consumer claims, which we routinely contest or settle (for immaterial amounts) depending on the particular circumstances of each case. We have recorded a liability as of March 31, 2016 with respect to such matters, in the aggregate.

Department of Justice Subpoena. In January 2015, we were served with a subpoena by the U.S. Department of Justice directing us to produce certain documents relating to our and our subsidiaries’ and affiliates’ origination and securitization of sub-prime automobile contracts since 2005, in connection with an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice in contemplation of a civil proceeding for potential violations of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. We are among several other securitizers of sub-prime automobile receivables who received such subpoenas in 2014 and 2015. Among other matters, the subpoena required information relating to the underwriting criteria used to originate these automobile contracts and the representations and warranties relating to those underwriting criteria that were made in connection with the securitization of the automobile contracts. We provided the required documents in March 2015, and are unaware of any subsequent material developments in the government’s investigation. The investigation could in the future result in the imposition of damages, fines or civil or criminal claims and/or penalties. No assurance can be given as to the ultimate outcome of the investigation or any resulting proceeding(s), which might materially and adversely affect us.

In General. There can be no assurance as to the outcomes of the matters referenced above. We have recorded a liability as of March 31, 2016, which represents our best estimate of probable incurred losses for legal contingencies, including all of the matters described or referenced above. The amount of losses that may ultimately be incurred cannot be estimated with certainty. However, based on such information as is available to us, we believe that the range of reasonably possible losses for the legal proceedings and contingencies we face, including those described or referenced above, as of March 31, 2016, and in excess of the liability we have recorded, is from $0 to $250,000.

Accordingly, we believe that the ultimate resolution of such legal proceedings and contingencies, after taking into account our current litigation reserves, should not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition. We note, however, that in light of the uncertainties inherent in contested proceedings, the wide discretion vested in the U.S. Department of Justice and other government agencies, and the deference that courts may give to assertions made by government litigants, there can be no assurance that the ultimate resolution of these matters will not significantly exceed the reserves we have accrued; as a result, the outcome of a particular matter may be material to our operating results for a particular period, depending on, among other factors, the size of the loss or liability imposed and the level of our income for that period.