FIRSTCASH, INC - FORM 10-K - February 12, 2015

Attached files

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EXCEL - IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT - FIRSTCASH, INC	Financial_Report.xls
EX-21.1 - SUBSIDIARIES - FIRSTCASH, INC	fcfs12312014exhibit211.htm
EX-31.1 - CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT - FIRSTCASH, INC	fcfs12312014exhibit311.htm
EX-23.1 - CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM - FIRSTCASH, INC	fcfs12312014exhibit231.htm
EX-31.2 - CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT - FIRSTCASH, INC	fcfs12312014exhibit312.htm
EX-32.1 - CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION - FIRSTCASH, INC	fcfs12312014exhbiit321.htm
EX-32.2 - CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION - FIRSTCASH, INC	fcfs12312014exhibit322.htm



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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K



[ X ]	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014



[ ]	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 0-19133

FIRST CASH FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware	75-2237318
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
690 East Lamar Blvd., Suite 400	76011
Arlington, Texas	(Zip Code)
(Address of principal executive offices)

(817) 460-3947

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:



Title of Each Class	Name of Exchange on Which Registered
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share	NASDAQ Global Select Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

xYes o 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.

oYes x No



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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. xYes o 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 (§232.405) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). xYes o No

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405) 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. x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.



x Large accelerated filer	o Accelerated filer
o Non-accelerated filer (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)	o Smaller reporting company

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). oYes x No

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the last reported sales price on the NASDAQ Global Select Market on June 30, 2014, is $1,420,098,000.

As of February 10, 2015, there were 28,317,566 shares of common stock outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to its 2015 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on or about June 29, 2015, is incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.



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FIRST CASH FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.

FORM 10-K

For the Year Ended December 31, 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS



PART I

Item 1.	Business	1
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	16
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	28
Item 2.	Properties	29
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	29
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	29

PART II

Item 5.	Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	29
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data	32
Item 7.	Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	34
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	53
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	54
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	54
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	55
Item 9B.	Other Information	57

PART III

Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	57
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	57
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	57
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	57
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	57

PART IV

Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	58

SIGNATURES		61



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FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This annual report contains forward-looking statements about the business, financial condition and prospects of First Cash Financial Services, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (together, the “Company”). Forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “believes,” “projects,” “expects,” “may,” “estimates,” “should,” “plans,” “targets,” “intends,” “could,” or “anticipates,” or the negative thereof, or other variations thereon, or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy or objectives. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical or current matters. Rather, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties.

Forward-looking statements in this annual report include, without limitation, the Company’s expectations of earnings per share, earnings growth, expansion strategies, the impact of new or existing regulations, store openings, liquidity (including the availability of capital under existing credit facilities), cash flow, consumer demand for the Company’s products and services, income tax rates, currency exchange rates, future share repurchases and the price of gold and the impacts thereof, earnings and related transaction expenses from acquisitions and mergers, the ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and other performance results. These statements are made to provide the public with management’s current assessment of the Company’s business. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurances such expectations will prove to be accurate. Security holders are cautioned such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Certain factors may cause results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements made in this annual report. Such factors are difficult to predict and many are beyond the control of the Company and may include, without limitation, the following:


•	changes in regional, national or international economic conditions, including inflation rates, unemployment rates and energy prices;


•	changes in foreign currency exchange rates and the U.S. dollar to Mexican peso exchange rate in particular;


•	changes in consumer demand, including purchasing, borrowing and repayment behaviors;


•	changes in pawn forfeiture rates and credit loss provisions;


•	changes in the market value of pawn collateral and merchandise inventories, including gold prices and the value of consumer electronics and other products;


•	changes or increases in competition;


•	the ability to locate, open and staff new stores and successfully integrate acquisitions;


•	the availability or access to sources of used merchandise inventory;


•	changes in credit markets, interest rates and the ability to establish, renew and/or extend the Company’s debt financing;


•	the ability to maintain banking relationships for treasury services and processing of certain consumer lending transactions;


•	the ability to hire and retain key management personnel;


•	new federal, state or local legislative initiatives or governmental regulations (or changes to existing laws and regulations) affecting pawn businesses, consumer loan businesses and credit services organizations (in both the United States and Mexico), including administrative or legal interpretations thereto;


•	risks and uncertainties related to foreign operations in Mexico;


•	changes in import/export regulations and tariffs or duties;


•	changes in banking, anti-money laundering or gun control regulations;


•	unforeseen litigation;


•	changes in tax rates or policies in the U.S. and Mexico;


•	inclement weather, natural disasters and public health issues;


•	security breaches, cyber attacks or fraudulent activity;


•	a prolonged interruption in the Company’s operations of its facilities, systems, and business functions, including its information technology and other business systems;


•	the implementation of new, or changes in the interpretation of existing, accounting principles or financial reporting requirements; and


•	future business decisions.



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These and other risks, uncertainties and regulatory developments are further and more completely described in “Item 1A. Risk Factors.” Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, nor can the Company predict, in many cases, all of the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this annual report speak only as of the date of this annual report, and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to report any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.



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PART I

Item 1. Business

General

The Company is a leading operator of retail-based pawn stores in the United States and Mexico based on revenue and number of store locations. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had 1,005 locations, consisting of 331 stores across 13 U.S. states and 674 stores across 29 states in Mexico.

The Company’s primary business is the operation of large format, full-service pawn stores, which engage in retail sales, the purchase of secondhand goods as well as offer consumer financial services products. These pawn stores generate significant retail sales from the merchandise acquired through collateral forfeitures and over-the-counter purchases from customers. The Company’s pawn stores are also a convenient source for small consumer loans to help customers meet their short-term cash needs. Personal property such as consumer electronics, jewelry, power tools, household appliances, sporting goods and musical instruments are pledged as collateral for the loans. In addition, some of the Company’s pawn stores offer small consumer loans or credit services products. The Company’s strategy is to focus on growing its retail-based pawn operations in the United States and Mexico through new store openings and strategic acquisition opportunities as they arise.

In addition to its pawn stores, the Company operates a small number of stand-alone consumer finance stores in Texas and Mexico. These stores primarily provide consumer financial services products including credit services and small unsecured consumer loans. The product mix in these stores varies by market. The Company considers the credit services and consumer loan products to be non-core, non-growth revenue streams, representing 5% of the Company’s total revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2014 was primarily derived from the Company’s pawn operations with 54% derived from Mexico and 46% derived from the United States. For additional historical information on the composition of revenues from the United States and Mexico, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Continuing Operations.”

The Company was formed as a Texas corporation in July 1988. In April 1991, the Company reincorporated as a Delaware corporation. The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 690 East Lamar Blvd., Suite 400, Arlington, Texas 76011, and its telephone number is (817) 460-3947.

Pawn Industry

The Company’s primary business is the operation of large format, full-service pawn stores in the United States and Mexico. Pawn stores are neighborhood-based retail stores that buy and sell popular consumer items such as consumer electronics, jewelry, power tools, appliances, sporting goods and musical instruments. Pawn stores also provide a quick and convenient source of small consumer loans to unbanked, under-banked and credit-challenged customers. These consumers are typically not effectively or efficiently served by traditional lenders such as banks, credit unions, credit card providers or other small loan providers. The Company’s pawn stores directly compete in both the specialty retail and consumer finance industries.



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United States

The pawn industry in the United States is well established, with the highest concentration of pawn stores located in the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest regions of the country. The operation of pawn stores is governed primarily by state laws and accordingly, states that maintain regulations most conducive to profitable pawn operations have historically seen the greatest concentration of pawn stores. Management believes the U.S. pawn industry, although mature, remains highly fragmented. The three major publicly traded companies in the pawn industry, which includes the Company, currently operate approximately 2,300 of the estimated 10,000 to 15,000 pawn stores in the United States. The Company believes the majority of pawnshops in the United States are owned by individuals operating five or fewer locations.

Mexico

Most of the Company’s pawn stores in Mexico are large format, full-service pawn stores. The large format, full-service pawn industry in Mexico is less developed as compared to the U.S. Of the approximately 6,000 total pawn stores in Mexico, approximately 5,000 are small format “jewelry-only” stores. The jewelry-only pawn stores in Mexico are much smaller than a typical U.S. pawn store and have limited retail operations, typically offering only pawn loans collateralized by gold jewelry or small consumer electronics. Competition in Mexico for the Company’s large format, full-service pawn stores is limited, as the Company believes there are only approximately 1,000 of these large format, full-service pawn stores, of which the Company operated 629 of such large format pawn stores, as of December 31, 2014. A large percentage of the population in Mexico is unbanked or under-banked and has limited access to consumer credit. The Company believes there is significant opportunity for future expansion in Mexico due to the large potential consumer base and limited competition from other large, full-service pawn store operators.

Business Strategy

The Company’s business plan is to expand its operations by opening new (“de novo”) retail pawn locations and by acquiring existing pawnshops in strategic markets while continuing to increase revenue and operating profits in its existing stores. In pursuing its business strategy, the Company seeks to establish clusters of several stores in specific geographic areas in order to achieve certain economies of scale relative to management and supervision, pricing and purchasing, information and accounting systems and marketing.

The Company has opened or acquired 517 new stores in the last five fiscal years, as indicated in the table below, for a compound annual store growth rate of 14% over this period. The Company intends to open additional stores in locations where management believes appropriate demand and other favorable conditions exist.



	Year Ended December 31,
	2014	2013	2012	2011	2010
Domestic stores:
New locations opened	8	9	6	10	6
Locations acquired	25	34	46	11	6
Total additions	33	43	52	21	12

International stores:
New locations opened	31	60	62	61	58
Locations acquired	47	8	29	—	—
Total additions	78	68	91	61	58

Total:
New locations opened	39	69	68	71	64
Locations acquired	72	42	75	11	6
Total additions	111	111	143	82	70

For additional information on store openings and closings, see “—Locations and Operations” below.



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New Store Openings

The Company plans to continue opening new pawn stores, both in Mexico and the U.S. The Company typically opens new stores in under-developed markets, especially where customer demographics are favorable and competition is limited or restricted. After a suitable location has been identified and a lease and material licenses are obtained, a new store can typically be open for business within six to twelve weeks. The investment required to open a new location includes store operating cash, inventory, funds for pawn and consumer loans, leasehold improvements, store fixtures, security systems, computer equipment and other start-up costs.

Enhance Productivity of Existing and Newly Opened Stores

The primary factors affecting the profitability of the Company’s existing store base are the volume and gross profit of merchandise sales, the volume and yield on customer loans outstanding and the control of store expenses. To encourage customer traffic, which management believes is a key determinant to increasing the stores’ profitability, the Company has taken several steps to distinguish its stores and to make customers feel more comfortable. In addition to a clean and secure physical store facility, the stores’ exteriors typically display attractive and distinctive signage similar to those used by contemporary specialty retailers.

The Company has employee-training programs that promote customer service, productivity and professionalism. The Company utilizes a proprietary computer information system that provides fully-integrated functionality to support point-of-sale retail operations, inventory management, customer recordkeeping and loan processing. Each store is connected on a real-time basis to a data center that houses the centralized databases and operating systems. The information systems provide management with the ability to continuously monitor store transactions and operating results. The Company maintains a well-trained internal audit staff that conducts regular store visits to test compliance of financial and operational controls. Management believes the current operating and financial controls and systems are adequate for the Company’s existing store base and can accommodate reasonably foreseeable growth in the near term.

Acquisitions

Because of the fragmented nature of the pawn industry, the Company believes attractive acquisition opportunities may arise from time to time. Before making an acquisition, management assesses the demographic characteristics of the surrounding area, considers the number, proximity and size of competing stores, and researches state and local regulatory standards. Specific pawn store acquisition criteria include an evaluation of the volume of merchandise sales and pawn transactions, outstanding customer pawn loan balances, historical pawn yields, retail margins and redemption rates, the condition and quantity of inventory on hand, and location, condition and lease loan terms of the facility.

Pawn Merchandise Sales

The Company’s pawn merchandise sales are primarily retail sales to the general public from its pawn stores. The items the Company sells primarily consist of pre-owned consumer electronics, jewelry, power tools, household appliances, sporting goods and musical instruments. In selected U.S. markets, the Company’s pawn stores also sell certain types of firearms. The Company also melts down certain quantities of scrap jewelry and sells the gold, silver and diamonds in commodity markets. Total merchandise sales accounted for approximately 67% of the Company’s revenue from continuing operations during fiscal 2014.

The Company acquires pawn merchandise inventory primarily through forfeited pawn collateral and, to a lesser extent, through purchases of used goods directly from the general public. Merchandise acquired by the Company through forfeited pawn collateral is carried in inventory at the amount of the related pawn loan, exclusive of any accrued service fees.

The Company does not provide financing to customers for the purchase of its merchandise, but does permit its customers to purchase merchandise on an interest-free “layaway” plan. Should the customer fail to make a required payment, the item is returned to inventory and previous payments are forfeited to the Company. Interim payments from customers on layaway sales are credited to deferred revenue and subsequently recorded as income during the period in which final payment is received or when previous payments are forfeited to the Company.



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Pawn Lending Activities

The Company’s pawn stores make small loans to its customers in order to help them meet short-term cash needs. All pawn loans are collateralized by personal property such as consumer electronics, jewelry, power tools, household appliances, sporting goods and musical instruments. In selected U.S. stores, pawn loans can also be collateralized with firearms. Pawn loans are non-recourse loans and the pledged goods provide the only security to the Company for the repayment of the loan. The Company does not investigate the creditworthiness of the borrower, primarily relying instead on the marketability and sales value of pledged goods as a basis for its credit decision. A customer does not have a legal obligation to repay a pawn loan and the decision to not repay the loan will not affect the customer’s credit score.

At the time a pawn loan transaction is entered into, an agreement, commonly referred to as a “pawn ticket,” is delivered to the borrower for signature that sets forth, among other items, the name and address of the pawnshop, the borrower’s name, the borrower’s identification number from his/her driver’s license or other government issued identification, date, identification and description of the pledged goods, including applicable serial numbers, amount financed, pawn service fee, maturity date, total amount that must be paid to redeem the pledged goods on the maturity date and the annual percentage rate.

Pledged property is held through the term of the loan, unless the loan is paid earlier or renewed. The typical loan term is generally one month plus an additional grace period of 14 to 70 days depending on geographical markets and local regulations. If a pawn loan is not repaid prior to the expiration of the automatic extension period, if applicable, the pawn collateral is forfeited to the Company and transferred to inventory at a value equal to the principal amount of the loan, exclusive of accrued interest. The Company does not record pawn loan losses or charge-offs because the amount advanced becomes the carrying cost of the forfeited collateral that is to be recovered through the merchandise sales function described above.

The Company contracts for pawn loan fees and service charges as compensation for the use of the funds loaned and to cover direct operating expenses related to the transaction and holding the pledged property. The pawn loan fees and service charges are typically calculated as a percentage of the pawn loan amount based on the size and duration of the transaction and generally range from 4% to 25% per month, as permitted by applicable law. As required by applicable law, the amounts of these charges are disclosed to the customer on the pawn ticket. Pawn loan fees and service charges accounted for approximately 28% of the Company’s revenue from continuing operations during fiscal 2014.

The amount the Company is willing to finance for a pawn loan is primarily based on a percentage of the estimated retail value of the collateral. There are no minimum or maximum pawn to fair market value restrictions in connection with the Company’s lending activities. In order to estimate the value of the collateral, the Company utilizes its integrated proprietary computer information system to recall recent selling prices of similar merchandise in its own stores and to review the customer’s previous transaction history with the Company. The basis for the Company’s determination of the retail value also includes such sources as precious metals spot markets, catalogs, blue books, online auction sites and retailer advertisements. These sources, together with the employees’ experience in selling similar items of merchandise in particular stores, influence the determination of the estimated retail value of such items. The Company does not utilize a standard or mandated percentage of estimated retail value in determining the amount to be financed. Rather, the employee has the authority to set the percentage for a particular item and to determine the ratio of pawn amount to estimated sale value with the expectation that, if the item is forfeited to the pawnshop, its subsequent sale should yield a gross profit margin consistent with the Company’s historical experience. The recovery of the principal and realization of gross profit on sales of inventory is dependent on the Company’s initial assessment of the property’s estimated retail value. Improper assessment of the retail value of the collateral in the lending function can result in reduced marketability of the property resulting in a reduced gross profit margin. As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s average pawn loan was approximately $103 on a consolidated basis. By country, the average pawn loan at that date was approximately $171 in the U.S. stores and approximately $67 in the Mexico stores.

Credit Services and Consumer Loan Activities

The Company has significantly reduced its consumer loan activities, primarily from payday lending, over the past several years. The Company expects to close seven consumer loans stores in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2015. During fiscal 2014, the Company closed three of its consumer loan stores and discontinued the Cash & Go, Ltd. joint venture operation, which owned and operated 37 check cashing and financial services kiosks, located inside convenience stores in the state of Texas, during fiscal 2014. The Company closed 14 of its consumer loan stores in fiscal 2013 and closed seven of its consumer loan stores during 2012. In March 2011, the Company sold its 10 payday/consumer loan stores located in Illinois. In 2010, the Company discontinued its internet-based credit services product offered in Maryland and in 2009, the Company sold all 22 of its payday/consumer loan stores located in California, Washington and Oregon. In addition, the Company sold its payday/consumer loan operations located in Michigan in 2009.



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The Company offers a fee-based credit services organization program (“CSO Program”) to assist consumers in Texas markets in obtaining extensions of credit. The Company’s consumer loan and pawn stores in Texas offer the CSO Program, and, in Texas, credit services are also offered via an internet platform. The Company’s CSO Program in Texas is licensed as a Credit Access Business (“CAB”) under Texas Finance Code Chapter 393 and regulated by the Texas Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner. Under the CSO Program, the Company assists customers in applying for a short-term extension of credit from an independent, non-bank, consumer lending company (the “Independent Lender”) and issues the Independent Lender a letter of credit to guarantee the repayment of the extension of credit. The extensions of credit made by the Independent Lender to credit services customers of the Company range in amount from $50 to $1,500, with an average loan amount of $499 as of December 31, 2014, have terms of 7 to 180 days and bear interest at a rate of 10% on an annualized basis. The Company typically charges a credit services fee of $22 per $100 advanced. If the extension of credit is not repaid prior to the expiration of the term, the customer’s personal check or automated clearing house (“ACH”) withdrawal is deposited into the Independent Lender’s bank account. Banks return a significant number of ACH transactions and customer checks deposited into the Independent Lender’s account due to insufficient funds in the customers’ accounts. If the extension of credit is unpaid after 16 days from its due date, the Company reimburses the Independent Lender, under the terms of its letter of credit, for the outstanding principal amount, accrued interest, applicable late fees and returned check fees. The Company subsequently collects a large percentage of these bad debts by redepositing the customers’ checks, ACH collections or receiving subsequent cash repayments by the customers. The profitability of the Company’s credit services operations is dependent upon adequate collection of these returned items. The Company also offers an automobile title lending product under the CSO Program. Total credit services fees accounted for approximately 4% of the Company’s revenue from continuing operations during fiscal 2014.

The Company also offers small, unsecured consumer loans to customers in various states within the U.S. and in Mexico. To qualify for a consumer loan, a customer generally must have proof of steady income, residence and valid identification. At maturity, the customer typically returns to the store to pay off the loan and related fee with cash. If the customer fails to repay the loan, the Company initiates collection procedures. These consumer loan fees accounted for less than 1% of the Company’s revenue from continuing operations during fiscal 2014.

See additional discussion of the credit loss provision and related allowances/accruals in “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Policies.”

Financial Information about Geographic Areas

Financial information regarding the Company’s revenue and long-lived assets by geographic areas is provided in Note 16 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained herein.



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Locations and Operations

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had 1,005 locations in 13 U.S. states and 29 states in Mexico, which represents a net store count increase of 11% over the number of stores at December 31, 2013. During fiscal 2014, the Company had net store growth of 99 locations, with a total of 111 new store locations added. The following table details store openings for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014:



	Pawn Locations				Consumer Loan Locations (3)		Total Locations
	Large Format (1)		Small Format (2)		Consumer Loan Locations (3)		Total Locations
Domestic:
Total locations, beginning of period	227		25		57		309
New locations opened	7		1		—		8
Locations acquired	25		—		—		25
Store format conversions	1		(12	)	11		—
Locations closed or consolidated	(5	)	(3	)	(3	)	(11	)
Total locations, end of period	255		11		65		331

International:
Total locations, beginning of period	552		17		28		597
New locations opened	31		—		—		31
Locations acquired	47		—		—		47
Locations closed or consolidated	(1	)	—		—		(1	)
Total locations, end of period	629		17		28		674

Total:
Total locations, beginning of period	779		42		85		906
New locations opened	38		1		—		39
Locations acquired	72		—		—		72
Store format conversions	1		(12	)	11		—
Locations closed or consolidated	(6	)	(3	)	(3	)	(12	)
Total locations, end of period	884		28		93		1,005


(1)	The large format locations include retail showrooms and accept a broad array of pawn collateral including consumer electronics, appliances, power tools, jewelry and other general merchandise items. At December 31, 2014, 129 of the U.S. large format pawn stores, which are primarily located in Texas, also offered consumer loans or credit services products.


(2)	The small format locations typically have limited retail operations and primarily accept jewelry and small electronic items as pawn collateral and also offer consumer loans or credit services products.


(3)	The Company’s U.S. free-standing, small format consumer loan locations offer a credit services product and are all located in Texas. The Mexico locations offer small, short-term consumer loans. The Company’s credit services operations also include an internet distribution channel for customers residing in the state of Texas.

The Company maintains its primary administrative offices in Arlington, Texas and Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.



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As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s stores were located in the following states:



	Pawn Locations		Consumer Loan Locations	Total Locations
	Large Format	Small Format	Consumer Loan Locations	Total Locations
United States:
Texas	128	10	65	203
Colorado	31	—	—	31
Maryland	28	—	—	28
South Carolina	20	—	—	20
Kentucky	13	—	—	13
Indiana	10	—	—	10
Missouri	8	—	—	8
Oklahoma	4	—	—	4
Virginia	4	—	—	4
Tennessee	3	—	—	3
Wyoming	3	—	—	3
District of Columbia	2	1	—	3
Nebraska	1	—	—	1
	255	11	65	331
Mexico:
Edo. De Mexico (State of Mexico)	82	4	—	86
Baja California	61	1	3	65
Jalisco	48	3	4	55
Nuevo Leon	52	1	2	55
Tamaulipas	49	1	3	53
Chihuahua	34	1	2	37
Coahuila	37	—	—	37
Puebla	32	—	4	36
Guanajuato	26	2	6	34
Veracruz	31	1	—	32
Sonora	24	—	—	24
Distrito Federal	19	—	—	19
Morelos	14	—	—	14
Durango	13	—	—	13
Guerrero	13	—	—	13
Queretaro	12	—	1	13
Aguascalientes	8	1	3	12
San Luis Potosi	10	1	—	11
Sinaloa	11	—	—	11
Michoacan	10	—	—	10
Hidalgo	8	1	—	9
Quintana Roo	9	—	—	9
Baja California Sur	8	—	—	8
Colima	5	—	—	5
Zacatecas	4	—	—	4
Chiapas	3	—	—	3



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	Pawn Locations		Consumer Loan Locations	Total Locations
	Large Format	Small Format	Consumer Loan Locations	Total Locations
Mexico (continued):
Nayarit	2	—	—	2
Tabasco	2	—	—	2
Yucatan	2	—	—	2
	629	17	28	674

Total	884	28	93	1,005

Pawn Store Operations

The typical Company pawn store is a freestanding building or part of a retail shopping center with adequate, well-lit parking. Management has established a standard store design intended to distinguish the Company’s stores from the competition. The design consists of a well-illuminated exterior with distinctive signage and a layout similar to other contemporary specialty retailers. The Company’s stores are typically open six to seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

The Company attempts to attract customers primarily through the pawn stores’ visibility and neighborhood presence. The Company uses seasonal promotions, special discounts for regular customers, prominent display of impulse purchase items such as consumer electronics, jewelry and power tools, tent and sidewalk sales, and a layaway purchasing plan to attract retail shoppers. The Company attempts to attract and retain pawn customers by lending a competitive percentage of the estimated sale value of items presented for pledge and by providing quick financing, renewal and redemption services in an appealing atmosphere.

Each pawnshop employs a manager, one or two assistant managers, and between one and eight sales personnel, depending upon the size, sales volume and location of the store. The store manager is responsible for supervising personnel and assuring the store is managed in accordance with Company guidelines and established policies and procedures. Each manager reports to an area supervisor, who typically oversees four to seven store managers. Area supervisors typically report to a Regional Market Manager, who in turn reports to a Regional Operations Director. Regional Operations Directors report to a Senior Vice President of Operations.

The Company believes the profitability of its pawnshops is dependent, among other factors, upon its employees’ ability to engage in transactions that achieve optimum pawn yields and merchandise sales margins, to be effective sales people and to provide prompt and courteous service. The Company’s computer system permits a store manager or clerk to rapidly recall the cost of an item in inventory and the date it was purchased, as well as the prior transaction history of a particular customer. It also facilitates the timely valuation of goods by showing values assigned to similar goods in the past. The Company has networked its stores to permit the Company’s headquarters to more efficiently monitor each store’s operations, including merchandise sales, service charge revenue, pawns written and redeemed and changes in inventory.

The Company trains its employees through direct instruction and on-the-job pawn and sales experience. New employees are introduced to the business through an orientation and training program that includes on-the-job training in lending practices, layaways, merchandise valuation and general administration of store operations. Certain experienced employees receive training and an introduction to the fundamentals of management to acquire the skills necessary to advance into management positions within the organization. Management training typically involves exposure to income maximization, recruitment, inventory control and cost efficiency. The Company maintains a performance-based compensation plan for all store employees based on sales, gross profit and other performance criteria.

Credit Services and Consumer Loan Operations

Similar to the Company’s pawn store operations, the Company’s credit services and consumer loan locations are typically part of a retail strip shopping center with good visibility from a major street and easy access to parking. Management has established a standard store design intended to distinguish the Company’s stores from the competition, which consists of a well-illuminated exterior with lighted signage. The interiors typically feature an ample lobby separated from employee work areas by glass teller windows. The Company’s stores are typically open six to seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to between 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.



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Each store employs a manager and between one and four tellers, depending upon the size, loan volume and location of the store. The store manager is responsible for supervising personnel and assuring the store is managed in accordance with Company guidelines and established policies and procedures. Each store manager reports to an area supervisor, who typically oversees two to five store managers. Area supervisors typically report to a Regional Market Manager, who in turn reports to a Regional Operations Director. Regional Operations Directors report to a Senior Vice President of Operations.

The Company believes the profitability of its credit services and consumer loan locations is dependent upon its employees’ ability to make loans and extend credit services that achieve optimum loan performance, to manage credit loss expense and to provide excellent customer service. Computer operating systems in the Company’s credit services and consumer loan stores allow a store manager or clerk to rapidly recall customer check cashing histories, consumer loan histories, and other vital information. The Company attempts to attract customers primarily through the stores’ visibility and advertising in certain markets.

Company employees are trained through direct instruction and on-the-job lending, collections and customer service experience. New employees are introduced to the business through a training program that includes on-the-job training in lending practices, collections efforts and general administration of store operations. Certain experienced employees receive training and an introduction to the fundamentals of management, such as income maximization, recruitment and cost efficiency to acquire the skills necessary to advance into management positions throughout the Company. The Company maintains a performance-based compensation plan for all consumer loan and credit services store employees based on gross profit, net income and other performance criteria.

Competition

The Company encounters significant competition in connection with all aspects of its business operations. These competitive conditions may adversely affect the Company’s revenue, profitability and ability to expand. The Company believes that the primary elements of competition in the businesses in which it operates are store location, the ability to lend competitive amounts on pawn and consumer loans, customer service and management of store employees. In addition, the Company competes with financial institutions, such as banks and consumer finance companies, which generally lend on an unsecured as well as a secured basis. Other lenders may and do lend money on terms more favorable than those offered by the Company. Many of these competitors have greater financial resources than the Company.

The Company’s pawn business competes primarily with other pawn store operators, other specialty consumer finance operators, rent-to-own stores and specialty consumer goods retailers. Management believes that the U.S. pawn industry remains highly fragmented with an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 total pawnshops in the United States and 6,000 pawnshops in Mexico. There are three large publicly-held, U.S.-based pawnshop operators, two of which have pawn operations in the U.S. and Mexico. The Company had the most pawn stores and the largest market capitalization of the peer group as of December 31, 2014. The Company believes it is the largest public or private operator of full-service pawn stores in Mexico. In addition, there are many public and privately held operators of consumer/payday loan stores, some of which are significantly larger than the Company. The pawnshop and other specialty consumer finance industries are characterized by a large number of independent owner-operators, some of whom own and operate multiple locations.

In both its U.S. and Mexico retail pawn operations, the Company’s competitors include numerous retail and wholesale merchants, including jewelry stores, rent-to-own stores, discount retail stores, “second-hand” stores, consumer electronics stores, other specialty retailers, online retailers, online auction sites, online classified advertising sites and other pawnshops. Competitive factors in the Company’s retail operations include the ability to provide the customer with a variety of merchandise items at attractive prices. Many of the retailer competitors have significantly greater size and financial resources than the Company.

There is also significant competition in the consumer loan and credit services industries from other retail and internet-based providers of such products, many of which have significantly larger operations than the Company.

Intellectual Property

The Company relies on a combination of copyright, trade secret, trademark, and other rights, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect its proprietary technology, processes and other intellectual property.

The Company’s competitors may develop products that are similar to its technology, such as the Company’s proprietary point of sale software. The Company enters into agreements with its employees, consultants and partners, and through these and other written agreements, the Company attempts to control access to and distribution of its software, documentation and other proprietary technology and information. Despite the Company’s efforts to protect its proprietary rights, third parties may, in an authorized or unauthorized manner, attempt to use, copy or otherwise obtain and market or distribute its intellectual property rights or technology



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or otherwise develop a product with the same functionality as its solution. Policing all unauthorized use of the Company’s intellectual property rights is nearly impossible. The Company cannot be certain that the steps it has taken or will take in the future will prevent misappropriations of its technology or intellectual property rights.

“First Cash Financial Services” is a registered trademark in the United States. Other trade-names used by the Company include First Cash Empeno, First Cash Advance, Cash & Go, Presta Max, Famous Pawn, Fast Cash Pawn & Gold Center, King Pawn, Mister Money Pawn, Money Man Pawn, National Pawn, Valu + Pawn, Regent Pawn & Jewelry, Loftis Jewelry & Pawnbrokers, Smart Pawn, Piazza Jewelry & Pawn, Dan’s Discount Jewelry & Pawn, David’s Pawn Shop, Atomic Pawn, SharpMart, Cash America casa de empeno (in Mexico) and Cash America (in Colorado).

Governmental Regulation

General

The Company is subject to significant regulation of its pawn, consumer lending and general business operations in all of the jurisdictions in which it operates. These regulations are implemented through various laws, ordinances and regulatory pronouncements from federal, state and municipal governmental entities in the United States and Mexico. These regulatory bodies often have broad discretionary authority in the establishment, interpretation and enforcement of such regulations. These regulations are often subject to change, sometimes significantly, as a result of political, economic or social trends, events and media perceptions.

The Company is subject to specific laws, ordinances and regulations primarily concerning its pawn and consumer lending operations. Many statutes and regulations prescribe, among other things, the general terms of the Company’s pawn and consumer loan agreements and the maximum service fees and/or interest rates that may be charged and collected. In many jurisdictions, in both the United States and Mexico, the Company must obtain and maintain regulatory operating licenses and comply with regular or frequent regulatory reporting and registration requirements, including reporting and recording of, pawn loans, pawned collateral, used merchandise purchased from the general public, retail sales activities, firearm transactions, export, import and transfer of merchandise, and currency transactions, among other things.

In both the United States and Mexico, governmental action to further restrict or even prohibit pawn loans and transactions or small consumer loans, such as payday advances and credit services products, has been advocated over the past few years by elected officials, regulators, consumer advocacy groups and the media. The consumer groups and media typically focus on the aggregated cost to a consumer for pawn and consumer loans, which is typically higher than the interest generally charged by banks, credit unions and credit card issuers to a more creditworthy consumer. They also focus on affordability issues such as the borrower’s ability to repay such loans, and real or perceived patterns of sustained or cyclical usage of pawn and consumer lending products. The consumer groups and media articles often characterize pawn and especially payday lending activities as unfair or potentially abusive to consumers. During the last few years, in both the United States and Mexico, legislation or ordinances (on federal, state and municipal levels) have been introduced or enacted to prohibit, restrict or further regulate pawn loans and related transactions, including acceptance of pawn collateral, sale of merchandise, payday loans, consumer loans, credit services and related service fees. In addition, regulatory authorities in various levels of government in the United States and Mexico have and will likely continue to propose or publicly address new or expanded regulations that would prohibit or further restrict pawn and consumer lending activities, or other related pawn transactions.

The Company is subject to numerous other types of regulations, including but not limited to, regulations related to securities and exchange activities, including financial reporting and internal controls processes, data protection and privacy, tax compliance, labor and employment practices, real estate transactions, electronic banking, credit card transactions, marketing, and advertising and other general business activities.

There can be no assurance that additional local, state or federal statutes or regulations in either the United States or Mexico will not be enacted or that existing laws and regulations will not be amended, decreed or interpreted at some future date that could outlaw or inhibit the ability of the Company to profitably operate any or all of its services. For example, such regulations could restrict the ability of the Company to offer pawn loans, consumer loans and credit services, or significantly decrease the interest rates or service fees for such lending activities, or prohibit or more stringently regulate the acceptance of pawn collateral, sale, exportation or importation of pawn merchandise, or processing of consumer loan transactions through the banking system, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations and financial condition. If legislative or regulatory actions or interpretations are taken at a federal, state or local jurisdiction level in the United States or Mexico which negatively affect the pawn, consumer loan or credit services industries where the Company has a significant number of stores, those actions



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could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business operations. There can be no assurance that such regulatory action at any jurisdiction level in the United States or Mexico will not be enacted, or that existing laws and regulations will not be amended, decreed or interpreted in such a way which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations and financial condition.

U.S. Federal Regulations

The U.S. government and its agencies have significant regulatory authority over consumer financial services activities. In recent years, additional legislation and regulations have been enacted or proposed which has increased or could continue to increase regulation of the consumer finance industry. These regulations and restrictions are or may be specific to pawn, credit services and consumer loan/payday advance operations.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”), which was created by Title X of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), has broad regulatory, supervisory and enforcement powers over most non-bank providers of consumer credit. The CFPB’s powers include explicit supervisory authority to examine and require registration of providers of consumer financial products and services, including providers of consumer loans, such as the Company, the authority to adopt rules describing specified acts and practices as being “unfair,” “deceptive,” “abusive” or unlawful, and the authority to impose recordkeeping obligations and promulgate additional compliance requirements.

The CFPB has been systematically gathering data to obtain a complete picture of the consumer loan market and its impact on consumers. The CFPB has also released its Short-Term, Small-Dollar Lending Procedures, which is the field guide CFPB examiners use when examining small-dollar lenders like the Company. The CFPB’s examination authority permits CFPB examiners to inspect the Company’s books and records and ask questions about its business and its practices. The examination procedures include, among other things, specific modules for examining marketing activities, loan application and origination activities, payment processing activities and sustained use by consumers, collections and collection practices, defaults, consumer reporting and third-party or vendor relationships.

The CFPB continues to study the small consumer loan market and could propose or adopt rules making certain short-term lending products and services materially less profitable or impractical to offer. In March 2014, the CFPB issued a public report on payday lending outlining its concerns regarding rollover transactions and introducing the concept of “loan sequences” as a measure of sustained usage, which is a more stringent measure than the simple counting of rollovers. The CFPB also raised concerns in the report that payday loans do not typically amortize over a loan sequence and payday loan payments are unaffordable to many borrowers. Through public statements provided to the media, the CFPB has indicated that regulations on payday lending will likely be introduced sometime in 2015. It is not possible to accurately predict the scope, extent, nature or effect of future CFPB rules. Consequently, there can be no assurance that the CFPB will not propose or adopt rules affecting pawn or making short-term lending products, such as payday and credit services products, materially less profitable or even impractical to offer.

In addition to the Dodd-Frank Act’s grant of regulatory and supervisory powers to the CFPB, the Dodd-Frank Act gives the CFPB authority to pursue administrative proceedings or litigation for violations of federal consumer financial laws (including the CFPB’s own rules). In these proceedings, the CFPB can obtain cease and desist orders (which can include orders for restitution or rescission of contracts, as well as affirmative or injunctive relief) and monetary penalties ranging from $5,000 per day for ordinary violations of federal consumer financial laws to $25,000 per day for reckless violations and $1,000,000 per day for knowing or intentional violations. Also, where a company has violated Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act or CFPB regulations implemented under it, the Dodd-Frank Act empowers state attorney generals and state regulators to bring civil actions seeking the same equitable relief available to the CFPB. If the CFPB or one or more state officials believe that the Company has violated any of the applicable laws or regulations, they could exercise their enforcement powers in ways that could have a material adverse effect on the Company or its business. Until the CFPB begins to propose specific rules and regulations that apply to the Company’s consumer credit activities, it is not possible to accurately predict what effect the Dodd-Frank Act and/or the CFPB will have on the Company’s business. There can be no assurance that the CFPB will not propose and enact rules or regulations that would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations and financial performance. For fiscal 2014, approximately 46% of the Company’s total revenue was generated from U.S.-based pawn and consumer credit products.



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The United States Congress enacted legislation in 2006, which became effective in October 2007, that capped the annual percentage rate charged on consumer/payday advance loans made to active military personnel at 36%. The Company does not have, nor does it intend to develop, any consumer/payday loan or credit services products bearing an effective interest and fee rate of 36% per annum or less, as the Company believes the losses and servicing costs associated with lending to the Company’s traditional customer base would exceed the revenue produced at that rate. As a result, the Company does not have a loan product to offer active military personnel.

In addition to the federal laws and frameworks already governing the financial industry, the United States Justice Department (“DOJ” or “Department of Justice”), in conjunction with federal banking regulators, has an ongoing initiative (“Operation Choke Point”) which is directed at banks in the United States that do business with payment processors, payday lenders, pawn operators and other companies believed to be at higher risk for fraud and money laundering. It is believed that the intent of this initiative is to restrict the ability of banks to provide financial services to companies in the targeted industries. There can be no assurance that Operation Choke Point will not pose a future threat to the Company’s ability to access credit, maintain bank accounts, process payday lending transactions or obtain other banking services needed to operate efficiently and profitably.

In connection with credit services/consumer loan transactions, the Company must comply with the various disclosure requirements under the Federal Truth in Lending Act (and Federal Reserve Regulation Z promulgated thereunder). These disclosures include, among other things, the total amount of the finance charges and annualized percentage rate of the charges associated with consumer loan and credit services transactions.

The credit services/consumer loan business is also subject to various laws, rules and guidelines relating to the procedures and disclosures needed for debiting a debtor’s checking account for amounts due via an ACH transaction. Additionally, the Company uses the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) as a guide when conducting its collection activities and complies with all applicable state collection practices laws. Furthermore, with respect to online consumer loans, the Company is subject to various state and federal e-signature rules mandating that certain disclosures be made and certain steps be followed in order to obtain and authenticate e-signatures. In addition, some states restrict the advertising content of marketing materials with respect to consumer loans.

Under the Bank Secrecy Act, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury Department”) regulates transactions involving currency in an amount greater than $10,000 and the purchase of monetary instruments for cash in amounts from $3,000 to $10,000 must be recorded. In general, every financial institution, including the Company, must report each deposit, withdrawal, exchange of currency or other payment or transfer, whether by, through or to the financial institution, that involves currency in an amount greater than $10,000. In addition, multiple currency transactions must be treated as single transactions if the financial institution has knowledge that the transactions are by, or on behalf of, any one person and result in either cash in or cash out totaling more than $10,000 during any one business day.

The Money Laundering Suppression Act of 1994 added a section to the Bank Secrecy Act requiring the registration of “money services businesses” that engage in check cashing, currency exchange, money transmission, or the issuance or redemption of money orders, traveler’s checks and similar instruments. The purpose of the registration is to enable governmental authorities to better enforce laws prohibiting money laundering and other illegal activities. The regulations require money services businesses to register with the Treasury Department by filing a form, adopted by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the Treasury Department (“FinCEN”), and to re-register at least every two years thereafter. The regulations also require that a money services business maintain a list of names and addresses of, and other information about, its agents and that the list be made available to any requesting law enforcement agency (through FinCEN). The agent list must be updated annually. Currently, check cashing is the only product offered by the Company which is subject to such money services regulations.

In March 2000, FinCEN adopted additional regulations, implementing the Bank Secrecy Act that also address money services businesses. These regulations require money services businesses, such as the Company, to report suspicious transactions involving at least $2,000 to FinCEN. The regulations generally describe three classes of reportable suspicious transactions - one or more related transactions that the money services business knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect (1) involve funds derived from illegal activity or are intended to hide or disguise such funds; (2) are designed to evade the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act; or (3) appear to serve no business or lawful purpose.

Under the USA PATRIOT Act passed by Congress in 2001 and revised in 2006, the Company is required to maintain an anti-money laundering compliance program. The program must include (1) the development of internal policies, procedures and controls; (2) the designation of a compliance officer; (3) an ongoing employee-training program; and (4) a review function to test the program.



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The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act requires the Company to generally protect the confidentiality of its customers’ nonpublic personal information and to disclose to its customers its privacy policy and practices, including those regarding sharing the customers’ nonpublic personal information with third parties. Such disclosure must be made to customers at the time the customer relationship is established, at least annually thereafter, and if there is a change in the Company’s privacy policy. In addition, the Company adheres to strict document retention and destruction policies.

The federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act (“ECOA”) prohibits discrimination against any credit applicant on the basis of any protected category, such as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age, and requires the Company to notify credit applicants of any action taken on the individual’s credit application. The Company must provide a loan applicant a Notice of Adverse Action (“NOAA”) when the Company denies an application for credit. The NOAA must inform the applicant of (1) the action taken regarding the credit application; (2) a statement of the ECOA’s prohibition on discrimination; (3) the name and address of both the creditor and the federal agency that monitors compliance with the ECOA; and (4) the applicant’s right to learn the specific reasons for the denial of credit and the contact information for the parties the applicant can contact to obtain those reasons. The Company provides NOAA letters and maintains records of all such letters as required by the ECOA and its regulations.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the Company to provide certain information to customers whose credit applications are not approved on the basis of a report obtained from a consumer reporting agency and to respond to consumers who inquire regarding any adverse reporting submitted by the Company to the consumer reporting agencies.

The federal Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (“FACTA”) requires the Company to adopt written guidance and procedures for detecting, preventing and responding appropriately to mitigate identity theft and to adopt various coworker policies, procedures, and provide coworker training and materials that address the importance of protecting nonpublic personal information and aid the Company in detecting and responding to suspicious activity, including suspicious activity which may suggest a possible identity theft red flag, as appropriate.

The Company is subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of improper payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers (as defined by the statute) for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. It is the Company’s policy to implement and maintain safeguards to discourage these practices by its employees and follow Company standards of conduct for its business throughout the U.S. and Mexico, including the prohibition of any direct or indirect payment or transfer of Company funds or assets to suppliers, vendors, or government officials in the form of bribes, kickbacks or other illegal payoffs.

Each pawn lending/retailing location that handles firearms must comply with the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (the “Brady Act”). The Brady Act requires that federally licensed firearms dealers conduct a background check in connection with any disposition of handguns. In addition, the Company must comply with the regulations of the U.S. Department of Justice-Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms that require each pawn lending location dealing in guns to maintain a permanent written record of all receipts and dispositions of firearms. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had 130 locations in the U.S. which handle firearms.

U.S. State and Local Regulations

The Company operates pawn stores in 13 U.S. states, all of which have licensing and/or fee regulations on pawnshop operations, which include Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Colorado, Kentucky, Nebraska, Wyoming, Tennessee and Missouri. The Company is licensed in each of the states in which a license is currently required for it to operate as a pawnbroker. Certain jurisdictions restrict or prohibit the Company from transferring and/or relocating its pawn licenses and restrict or prohibit the issuance of new licenses. The Company’s fee structures are at or below the applicable rate ceilings adopted by each of these states. The Company offers its pawn and retail customers an interest free layaway plan which complies with applicable state laws. In addition, the Company is in compliance with the net asset requirements in states where it is required to maintain certain levels of liquid assets for each pawn store it operates in the applicable state.

Under some county and municipal ordinances, pawn stores must provide local law enforcement agencies with reports of all daily transactions involving pawns and over-the-counter merchandise purchases. These daily transaction reports are designed to provide local law enforcement officials with a detailed description of the merchandise involved, including serial numbers, if any or other specific identifying information, and the name and address of the owner obtained from a valid identification card. Goods held to secure pawns or goods purchased that are determined to belong to an owner other than the borrower or seller are subject to recovery by the rightful owners. Historically, the Company has not found the volume of the claims to have a material adverse effect upon results of operations. The Company does not maintain insurance to cover the costs of returning merchandise to its rightful owners but historically has benefited from civil and criminal restitution efforts.



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The Company offers a credit services product in the state of Texas. In Texas, First Cash Credit, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary, operates as a registered credit services organization as provided under Section 393 of the Texas Finance Code. As a credit services organization, First Cash Credit, Ltd. assists customers, for a fee, in obtaining a short-term extension of credit from an independent lender. A credit services organization must provide the consumer with a disclosure statement and a credit services agreement that describe in detail, among other things, the services the credit services organization will provide to the consumer, the fees the consumer will be charged by the credit services organization for these services, the details of the surety bond and the availability of the surety bond if the consumer believes the credit services organization has violated the law, the consumer’s right to review his or her file, the procedures a consumer may follow to dispute information contained in his or her file, and the availability of non-profit credit counseling services. The credit services organization must also give a consumer the right to cancel the credit services agreement without penalty within three days after the agreement is signed. In addition, under the provisions of the credit services statute, each First Cash Credit, Ltd. credit services location must be registered as a credit services organization and pay a registration fee. In May of 2011, in the state of Texas, legislation was enacted and became effective in 2012 to further regulate credit services businesses in the state, which includes the Company’s CSO Program. The 2011 law creates an expanded regulatory framework under which Credit Access Businesses (“CAB”) may provide credit services products. The regulations provide that CAB be licensed, regulated and audited by the State’s Office of the Consumer Credit Commissioner. The law also provides for enhanced disclosures to customers regarding credit services products.

Local ordinances increasing the regulation of credit services products offered in the major cities of Austin and Dallas, Texas, became effective in 2012 and in San Antonio in 2013. Similar ordinances were enacted in the Texas cities of Houston (2014) and El Paso (2014) and in several smaller cities as well over the past few years. Among other things, these new city ordinances limit the amount of credit extended under a credit services transaction based on the customer’s gross income, limit the number of refinancing, renewal or installment payments and provide for mandatory reductions of principal with each refinancing, renewal or installment payment. The Company’s locations in these cities have typically experienced a significant reduction of credit services transaction volumes upon such ordinances becoming effective.

It is expected that additional legislation and/or regulations relating to pawn loans, credit services, installment loans and other consumer loan products will be proposed in several state legislatures and/or city councils, including Texas, where the Company has pawn and credit services operations. Though the Company cannot accurately predict the scope, extent and nature of future regulations, it is likely that such legislation may address the maximum allowable interest rates on loans, significantly restrict the ability of customers to obtain such loans by limiting the maximum number of consecutive loan transactions that may be provided to a customer, and/or limiting the total loans a customer may have outstanding at any point in time. Any or all of these changes could make offering these products less profitable and could restrict or even eliminate the availability of consumer loan, pawn loan and credit services products in some or all of the states in which the Company offers such products.

Many local government entities also prohibit or restrict pawn and other consumer finance and check cashing activities through zoning ordinances. Such ordinances can significantly prohibit the ability of the Company to move, expand, remodel or relocate store locations, and in some cases cause existing stores to be closed. In some jurisdictions, check cashing companies or money transmission agents are required to meet minimum bonding or capital requirements and are subject to record-keeping requirements.

The Company cannot currently assess the likelihood of any other proposed legislation, regulations or amendments, such as those described above, which could be enacted; however, if such legislation or regulations were enacted in certain jurisdictions, it could have a materially adverse impact on the revenue and profitability of the Company.

Mexico Federal Regulations

Federal law in Mexico provides for administrative regulation of the pawnshop industry by the Federal Consumer Protection Bureau (“PROFECO”), Mexico’s primary federal consumer protection agency, which requires the Company to register its pawn stores, locations, loan contracts and disclose the interest rate and fees charged on pawn and consumer loan transactions. In addition, the pawnshop and consumer finance industries in Mexico are subject to various general business regulations in the areas of tax compliance, customs, consumer protections, money laundering, public safety and employment matters, among others, by various federal, state and local governmental agencies.



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PROFECO regulates the form and terms of pawn loan contracts and defines certain operating standards and procedures for pawnshops, including retail operations, and establishes reporting requirements. In January 2013, federal legislation in Mexico was signed into law which conveyed additional regulatory authority to PROFECO regarding the pawn industry and national registration process. The 2013 legislation requires all pawn businesses to register with and be approved by PROFECO in order to legally operate. In addition, all operators must comply with additional customer notice and disclosure provisions, bonding requirements to insure against loss or insolvency, reporting of certain types of suspicious transactions, and reporting to state law enforcement officials of certain transactions (or series of transactions) or suspicious transactions. Currently PROFECO has not fully implemented its process and procedures to handle, administer, accept and approve its registration requirements but the Company has complied in all material respects with this ongoing process and registration requirements as currently administered by PROFECO. There are significant fines and sanctions, including operating suspensions, for failure to register and/or comply with PROFECO’s rules and regulations. While there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome from the full implementation of the 2013 legislation, the Company believes it complies with the rules and regulations, as currently administered, and believes that when fully implemented, these registration requirements should have limited impact on its operations or profitability. In fiscal 2014, approximately 54% of the Company’s revenue was derived from its Mexican operations.

Effective in November 2013, the federal government of Mexico enacted new anti-money laundering regulations, The Federal Law for the Prevention and Identification of Transactions with Funds From Illegal Sources, which requires reporting of certain transactions (or series of transactions) which exceed certain monetary limits, stricter maintenance of customer identification records and controls, and reporting of all foreign (non-Mexican) customer transactions. This law affects all industries in Mexico and the intent is to protect Mexico’s financial system and to detect all commercial activities arising from illicit or ill-gotten means though bilateral cooperation between Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SAT or Hacienda), and Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (PGR). This Law restricts the use of cash in certain transactions associated with high-value assets to prevent organized crime from placing a high volume of cash from its criminal activity in the formal economy, as well as limiting, to the extent possible, the performance of money laundering activities protected by the anonymity that cash transactions provide. The law empowers the Hacienda to oversee and enforce this regime and to follow up on the information received from other agencies in Mexico and abroad. Relevant aspects of the law specifically affecting the pawn industry include monthly reporting by the Company to Hacienda and the PGR on “vulnerable activities,” which encompass pawn transactions (of cash or credit) exceeding $103,000 Mexican pesos, retail of precious metals exceeding $52,000 Mexican pesos, and retail transactions of precious metals exceeding $207,000 Mexican pesos are prohibited. There are significant fines and sanctions for failure to comply with the new regulations.

In January 2012, new terms of the Federal Personal Information Protection Act (“Privacy Law”) went into effect, which require companies to protect their customers’ personal information. Specifically, the Privacy Law requires that the Company inform its customers whether the Company shares the customer’s personal information with third parties, or transfers personal information to third parties. It also requires public posting (both on-line and in-store) of the Company’s privacy policy, which includes a process for the customer to revoke any previous consent granted to the Company for the use of the customer’s personal information, or limit the use or disclosure of such information.

Mexico State and Local Regulations

Certain state and local governmental entities in Mexico also regulate pawn, other consumer finance and retail businesses through state laws and local zoning and permitting ordinances. For example, the States of Mexico (where the Company operates 86 stores), Tabasco (where the Company operates 2 stores), and Guanajuato (where the Company operates 34 stores) have recently enacted legislation which requires state permits for all pawn stores to operate, certification of employees as trained in valuation of merchandise, and stricter customer identification controls. State and local agencies often have authority to suspend store operations pending resolution of actual or alleged regulatory, licensing and permitting issues.

As the scope of the Company’s international operations increases, the Company may face additional administrative and regulatory costs in managing its business. In addition, unexpected changes, arbitrary or adverse court or administrative interpretations of federal, state or local requirements or legislation could negatively impact the Company’s operations and profitability.

Employees

The Company had approximately 7,900 employees as of December 31, 2014, including approximately 500 persons employed in executive, supervisory, administrative and accounting functions. None of the Company’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements. The Company considers its employee relations to be satisfactory.



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Insurance

The Company maintains property all-risk coverage and liability insurance for each of its locations in amounts management believes to be adequate. The Company maintains workers’ compensation insurance in Maryland, Missouri, Virginia, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., Oklahoma, Indiana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kentucky, Tennessee and Colorado. The Company is a non-subscriber under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, and therefore maintains employer’s indemnification insurance in Texas.

First Cash Website

The Company’s primary website is at www.firstcash.com. The Company makes available, free of charge, at its corporate website, its annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). 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.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Important risk factors that could cause results or events to differ from current expectations are described below. These factors are not intended to be an all-encompassing list of risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, development and results of the Company’s business.

The Company’s products and services are subject to extensive regulation and supervision under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations in both the United States and Mexico. If changes in regulations affecting the Company’s pawn, credit services and consumer loan businesses create increased restrictions, or have the effect of prohibiting loans in the jurisdictions where the Company offers these products, such regulations could materially impair or reduce the Company’s pawn, credit services and consumer loan businesses and limit its expansion into new markets.

The Company’s products and services are subject to extensive regulation and supervision under various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations in both the United States and Mexico. The Company faces the risk that restrictions or limitations on loan products, loan amounts, loan yields, loan fees and customer acceptance of loan products resulting from the enactment, change, or interpretation of laws and regulations in the United States or Mexico could have a negative effect on the Company’s business activities. Both consumer loans, and to a lesser extent, pawn loans, have come under increased scrutiny and increasingly restrictive regulation in recent years. Other enacted or recently proposed regulatory activity may limit the number of loans that customers may receive or have outstanding and require the Company to offer an extended payment plan to its customers, and regulations adopted by some states require that all borrowers of certain loan products be listed on a database, limit the yield on pawn or consumer loans and limit the number of such loans borrowers may have outstanding. Certain consumer advocacy groups and federal and state legislators have also asserted that laws and regulations should be tightened so as to severely limit, if not eliminate, the availability of pawn loans, consumer loans and credit services products to consumers. It is difficult to assess the likelihood of the enactment of any unfavorable federal or state legislation, and there can be no assurance that additional legislative or regulatory initiatives will not be enacted that would severely restrict, prohibit, or eliminate the Company’s ability to offer certain consumer loan products.

In Mexico, similar restrictions and regulations affecting the pawn and consumer loan industries, including licensing restrictions, customer identification requirements, suspicious activity reporting, disclosure requirements and limits on interest rates and/or loan service fees, have been and continue to be proposed from time to time. Adoption of such federal, state or local regulation or legislation in the United States and Mexico could restrict, or even eliminate, the availability of pawn and consumer finance at some or all of the Company’s locations, which would adversely affect the Company’s operations and financial condition.

The extent of the impact of any future legislative or regulatory changes will depend on the nature of the legislative or regulatory change, the jurisdictions to which the new or modified laws would apply and the amount of business the Company does in that jurisdiction. Moreover, similar actions by states or foreign countries in which the Company does not currently operate could limit its opportunities to pursue its growth strategies. A more detailed discussion of the regulatory environment and current developments and risks to the Company is provided in “Business—Governmental Regulation.”



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Media reports and public perception of pawnshop operations, consumer loans, such as payday advances or pawn loans, as being predatory or abusive could materially adversely affect the Company’s pawn, consumer loan and credit services businesses. In recent years, consumer advocacy groups and some media reports, in both the United States and Mexico, have advocated governmental action to prohibit or place severe restrictions on consumer loans, including payday advances and pawn loans.

The consumer advocacy groups and media reports generally focus on the cost to a consumer for this type of loan, which is higher than the interest typically charged by banks to consumers with better credit histories. These consumer advocacy groups and media reports typically characterize pawn and/or consumer loans as predatory or abusive despite the large customer demand for payday advances or pawn loans. If the negative characterization of these types of loans becomes increasingly accepted by consumers, demand for pawn and/or consumer loan products could significantly decrease, which could materially affect the Company’s results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, if the negative characterization of these types of loans becomes increasingly accepted by legislators and regulators, the Company could become subject to more restrictive laws and regulations that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The CFPB has announced the commencement of regulatory, supervisory and enforcement powers over non-bank providers of consumer credit such as the Company, but the full extent of the nature, extent and timing of such exercise of these powers is unclear. Such exercise of power over the Company could be burdensome and expensive to the Company and could force the Company to modify or terminate some of its pawn or consumer lending products in the U.S.

When the Dodd-Frank Act created the CFPB, it granted the CFPB explicit supervisory authority to examine and require registration of non-bank providers of consumer financial products and services, including providers of consumer loans such as the Company, the authority to adopt rules describing specified acts and practices as being “unfair,” “deceptive” or “abusive” and hence unlawful, and the authority to impose recordkeeping obligations.

The CFPB has announced that it will exercise full regulatory, supervisory and enforcement powers over all aspects of certain non-bank providers of consumer financial products and services such as the Company. In that regard, the CFPB is systematically gathering data to obtain a complete picture of the consumer loan market and its impact on consumers, and has issued its own internal information gathering guide. That is, it drafted and released its Short-Term, Small-Dollar Lending Procedures, the field guide examiners use when examining small-dollar lenders such as the Company, to aid in the data gathering process. The CFPB’s guide and examination powers permit its examiners to inspect a Company’s books and records and ask questions about its business, including its marketing activities, loan application and origination activities, payment processing activities and sustained use by consumers, collections, defaults and consumer reporting and third-party relationships. As a result of its examination efforts, the CFPB issued a report entitled “Payday Loans and Deposit Advance Products: A White Paper of Initial Findings” on April 24, 2013. The report discussed the initial findings of the CFPB regarding short-term payday loans and deposit account advance loans. While the CFPB’s study stated that “these products may work for some consumers for whom an expense needs to be deferred for a short period of time,” the CFPB also noted that its “findings raised substantial consumer protection concerns” related to the sustained use of payday loans and deposit account advances. The CFPB asserted that, based on the data gathered to date and the potential for consumer harm, “further attention is warranted to protect consumers” and that the CFPB “expects to use its authorities to provide such protections.” The CFPB report did not focus on online lending, but the CFPB did indicate that it is separately analyzing the use of online payday loans.

The CFPB issued a public report again in March 2014, with continued emphasis on payday lending. This report outlined the CFPB’s concerns regarding rollover transactions and introducing the concept of “loan sequences” as a measure of sustained usage, which is a more stringent measure than the simple counting of rollovers. The CFPB also raised concerns in the report that payday loans do not typically amortize over a loan sequence and payday loan payments are unaffordable to many borrowers.

Although the CFPB does not have the authority to regulate fees or interest rates, it is possible that at some time in the future the CFPB could propose and adopt rules making short-term consumer lending products and services materially less profitable or even impractical to offer, which could force the Company to modify or terminate certain of its product offerings in the United States. The CFPB could also adopt rules imposing new and potentially burdensome requirements and limitations with respect to other consumer loan products and services. Any such rules could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition or could make the continuance of all or part of the Company’s current U.S. business impractical or unprofitable. The Company does not currently know the nature and extent of the rules the CFPB will consider for consumer loan products and services such as those offered by the Company or the time frame in which the CFPB may consider such rules. There can be no assurance that the CFPB will not propose or adopt rules making short-term lending products, such as payday and credit services products, materially less profitable or even impractical to offer.



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In addition to the Dodd-Frank Act’s grant of regulatory and supervisory powers to the CFPB, the Dodd-Frank Act gives the CFPB authority to pursue administrative proceedings, civil investigative demands, or other litigation for violations of federal consumer financial laws (including the CFPB’s own rules). For instance, pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act, the CFPB is granted primary supervisory, regulatory and enforcement authority of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices, and Truth in Lending issues, among other federal laws. It is not clear how the CFPB will exercise its supervisory, regulatory and enforcement authority for federal consumer financial, privacy and disclosure laws, and it is possible that the CFPB’s approach may differ from the approach previously taken by other regulators. In these proceedings, the CFPB can obtain cease and desist orders (which can include orders for restitution or rescission of contracts, as well as other kinds of affirmative and injunctive relief) and monetary penalties ranging from $5,000 per day for ordinary violations of federal consumer financial laws to $25,000 per day for reckless violations, and $1,000,000 per day for knowing or intentional violations. Also, if a company has violated Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act or CFPB regulations implemented under Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Dodd-Frank Act empowers state attorneys general and state regulators to bring civil actions for the kind of cease and desist orders available to the CFPB. If the CFPB or one or more state officials believe that the Company has violated any of the applicable laws or regulations, they could exercise their enforcement powers in ways that could have a material adverse effect on the Company or its business.

PROFECO’s regulatory, supervisory and enforcement powers over pawn and consumer credit operators such as the Company could be burdensome and expensive to the Company and could force the Company to modify or terminate some of its pawn shop operations in Mexico.

Federal law in Mexico provides for administrative regulation of the pawnshop industry by PROFECO, Mexico’s primary federal consumer protection agency. PROFECO requires all pawn operators like the Company to register its pawn stores, locations, loan contracts and to disclose the interest rate and fees charged on pawn and consumer loan transactions. PROFECO also regulates the form and terms of pawn loan contracts and defines certain operating standards and procedures for pawnshops, including the retail operations, and establishes reporting requirements.

In January 2013, federal legislation in Mexico was signed into law which conveyed additional regulatory authority to PROFECO regarding the pawn industry and national registration process. The 2013 legislation requires all pawn businesses to register with and be approved by PROFECO in order to legally operate. In addition, all operators must comply with additional customer notice and disclosure provisions, bonding requirements to insure against loss or insolvency, reporting of certain types of suspicious transactions, and reporting to state law enforcement officials of certain transactions (or series of transactions) or suspicious transactions. There are significant fines and sanctions, including operating suspensions for failure to register and/or comply with PROFECO’s rules regulations. Currently, PROFECO has not fully implemented its process and procedures to handle, administer, accept and approve its registration requirements, but the Company has complied in all material respects with this ongoing process and registration requirements as currently administered by PROFECO. There are significant fines and sanctions, including operating suspensions, for failure to register and/or comply with PROFECO’s rules and regulations. There can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome from the full implementation of the 2013 legislation.

The Company’s financial position and results of operations may fluctuate significantly due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates in Mexico.

The Company derives significant revenue, earnings and cash flow from operations in Mexico. The Company’s exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations results primarily from the translation exposure associated with the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements, as well as from transaction exposure associated with transactions and assets denominated in currencies other than the Company’s functional currency. While the Company’s consolidated financial statements are reported in U.S. dollars, the financial statements of the Company’s Mexican subsidiaries are prepared using the Mexican peso as the functional currency and translated into U.S. dollars by applying appropriate exchange rates. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar relative to the Mexican peso could cause significant fluctuations in the value of the Company’s assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity and operating results. In addition, while expenses with respect to foreign operations are generally denominated in the same currency as corresponding sales, the Company has transaction exposure to the extent receipts and expenditures are not offsetting in the subsidiary’s functional currency. The costs of doing business in foreign jurisdictions also may increase as a result of adverse currency rate fluctuations. In addition, changes in currency rates could negatively affect customer demand, especially in Mexico and in U.S. stores located along the Mexican border. The Company’s Mexican-based subsidiaries experience foreign currency exposure to the extent monetary assets and liabilities, including debt, are in U.S. dollars, rather than the subsidiaries’ functional currency, which is the Mexican peso. The strengthening in the U.S. dollar compared to the Mexican peso, which primarily occurred in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, negatively impacted the Company’s fiscal 2014 earnings by approximately $2,100,000.



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Adverse gold market fluctuations could negatively affect the Company’s profits.

The Company’s profitability could be adversely impacted by gold market fluctuations. Approximately 38% of the Company’s pawn loans were collateralized with jewelry, which is primarily gold, and 30% of its inventories, also primarily gold, as of December 31, 2014, and the Company sells significant quantities of gold and other precious metals acquired through collateral forfeitures or direct purchases from customers. In addition to normal market risks associated with accepting gold as loan collateral and buying and selling gold, the current global economic conditions have increased the volatility of commodity markets such as those for gold and other precious metals. A significant and sustained decline in gold and/or other precious metal prices could result in decreased merchandise sales and related margins, decreased inventory valuations and sub-standard collateralization of outstanding pawn loans. In addition, a significant decline in market prices could result in a lower balance of pawn loans outstanding for the Company, as customers would receive lower loan amounts for individual pieces of jewelry or other gold items. For a detailed discussion of the impact of a decline in market prices on wholesale scrap jewelry sales, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Risks and uncertainties related to the Company’s foreign operations could negatively impact the Company’s operating results.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had 674 store locations in Mexico, a country in which there are potential risks related to geo-political events, political instability, corruption, economic volatility, drug cartel and gang-related violence, social and ethnic unrest, enforcement of property rights, governmental regulations, public safety and security and import/export regulations among others. As in many developing markets, there are also uncertainties as to how both local law and U.S. federal law is applied, including areas involving commercial transactions and foreign investment. As a result, actions or events could occur in Mexico which are beyond the Company’s control, which could restrict or eliminate the Company’s ability to operate some or all of its locations in Mexico or significantly reduce customer traffic, product demand and the expected profitability of such operations.

The Company’s allowance for credit losses for credit services and consumer loans may not be sufficient to cover actual credit losses, which could adversely affect its financial condition and operating results.

The Company’s consumer loan and pawn stores in Texas offer a fee-based CSO Program through which the Company assists customers in applying for short-term extensions of credit from an Independent Lender. When an extension of credit is granted, the Company issues the Independent Lender a letter of credit to guarantee the repayment of the customer’s extension of credit. The Company is required to recognize a liability for the fair value of the obligation undertaken by issuing the letters of credit. The Company records the estimated fair value of the liability under the letters of credit in accrued liabilities. The Company also has customer loans arising from its consumer loan operations. The Company is required to recognize losses resulting from the inability of credit services and consumer loan customers and/or borrowers to repay such receivables or loans. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses in an attempt to cover credit losses inherent in its consumer loan operations. Additional credit losses will likely occur in the future and may occur at a rate greater than the Company has experienced to date. The allowance for credit losses is based primarily upon historical credit loss experience, with consideration given to delinquency levels, collateral values, economic conditions and underwriting and collection practices. This evaluation is inherently subjective, as it requires estimates of material factors that may be susceptible to significant change, especially in the event of a change in the governmental regulations that affect the Company’s ability to generate new loans or collect outstanding loans. If the Company’s assumptions and judgments prove to be incorrect, its current allowance may not be sufficient and adjustments may be necessary to allow for different economic conditions or adverse developments in its loan portfolio, which could adversely affect its financial condition and operating results.

The failure or inability of third-parties who provide products, services or support to the Company to maintain their products, services or support could disrupt Company operations or result in a loss of revenue.

The Company’s credit services operations depend, in part, on the willingness and ability of the Independent Lender to make extensions of credit to its customers. The loss of the relationship with this lender, and an inability to replace it with a new lender or lenders, or the failure of the lender to fund new extensions of credit and to maintain volumes, quality and consistency in its loan programs could cause the Company to lose customers and substantially decrease the revenue and earnings of the Company’s credit services business. In addition, the Company’s lending, pawn retail, scrap jewelry and cash management operations are dependent upon the Company’s ability to maintain retail banking relationships with commercial banks. Recent actions by federal regulators have caused certain commercial banks, including certain banks used by the Company, to cease offering such services to the Company and other companies in the Company’s industry. The Company also relies significantly on outside vendors to provide services such as financial transaction processing, utilities, store security, armored transport, precious metal smelting, data and voice networks, and other information technology products and services. The failure or inability of any of these third-party lenders, financial institutions or vendors to provide such services could limit the Company’s ability to grow its business and could increase the Company’s costs of doing business, which could adversely affect the Company’s operations if the Company is unable to replace them with comparable service providers at a comparable cost, timely.



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An inability to disburse consumer loan proceeds or collect consumer loan payments through the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) system would materially adversely affect the Company’s consumer loan business.

When making consumer loans, the Company’s online consumer loan business in Texas uses the ACH system to deposit loan proceeds into its customers’ bank accounts, and both the Company’s online and storefront consumer loan businesses, including loans made through the CSO Program, depend all or in part on the ACH system to collect amounts due to the Company by withdrawing funds from its customers’ bank accounts when the Company has obtained written authorization to do so from its customers. The Company’s ACH transactions are processed by banks, and if these banks cease to provide ACH processing services to the Company, the Company would have to materially alter, or possibly discontinue, some or all of its consumer loan business if alternative ACH processors are not available.

It was reported that recent actions by the Department of Justice, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) and certain state regulators appear to be discouraging banks, non-bank providers, and ACH payment processors from providing access to the ACH system (i.e. debiting/crediting consumer accounts) for certain short-term consumer loan providers that they believe are operating illegally. According to published reports, the Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to banks and payment processors relating to ACH practices. The FDIC and other regulators are said to be using bank oversight examinations to discourage banks from providing access to the ACH system to certain online lenders. Recently, the Department of Financial Services of the State of New York (the “NY DFS”), sent letters to approximately 35 online short-term consumer loan companies (that did not include the Company as the Company does not offer consumer loans in New York) demanding that they cease and desist offering illegal payday loans to New York consumers and also sent letters to over 100 banks, as well as the National Automated Clearing House Association (“NACHA”) (which oversees the ACH network), requesting that they work with the NY DFS to cut off ACH system access to New York customer accounts for illegal payday lenders. NACHA, in turn, has requested that its participants review origination activity for these 35 online short-term consumer loan companies and to advise NACHA whether it has terminated these lenders’ access to the ACH system or, if not, the basis for not doing so. NACHA also requested that participants review ACH origination activities related to other online loan companies and to terminate any ACH system access that would violate NACHA rules, which would include, according to NACHA, any authorizations to use the ACH system to pay illegal loans that are unenforceable under state law. Maryland’s Division of Financial Regulation also has been reported to have taken steps to stop banks in Maryland from processing illegal payday loans in its state, and the California Department of Business Oversight similarly directed state-licensed banks and credit unions to monitor transactions with any unlicensed lenders.

In addition to the federal laws and frameworks already governing the financial industry, the DOJ’s “Operation Choke Point” is an ongoing initiative which is investigating banks in the United States and the business they do with payment processors, payday lenders, and other companies believed to be at higher risk for fraud and money laundering. Specifically, the DOJ and bank regulators are pressuring banks and other third-party payment processors to refuse banking services to companies and industries that are deemed to pose a “reputation risk” to the bank.

This heightened regulatory scrutiny by the Department of Justice, the FDIC and other state and federal regulators has the potential to cause banks and ACH payment processors to cease doing business with consumer lenders who are operating legally, without regard to whether that lender is complying with applicable laws, simply to avoid the risk of heightened scrutiny or even unwarranted litigation. In addition, NACHA has certain operating rules that govern the use of the ACH system. In November 2013, NACHA proposed amendments to these rules that, if adopted, would be effective in March 2015 and would establish limitations on ACH return rates and impose fees on certain ACH returns. If these amendments are adopted in their current form, the Company’s access to the ACH system could be restricted, ACH costs could increase and the Company could be required to make changes to its business practices.

There can be no assurance the Company’s access to the ACH system will not be impaired as a result of this heightened scrutiny or the proposed NACHA rule amendments. If this access is impaired, the Company’s consumer loan business could be materially adversely affected and the Company may find it difficult or impossible to continue some or all of its consumer loan business, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects and results of operations and financial condition.

Increased competition from banks, savings and loans, internet-based lenders, other short-term consumer lenders, and other entities offering similar financial services, as well as retail businesses that offer products and services offered by the Company, could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

The Company’s principal competitors are other pawnshops, consumer loan companies, internet-based lenders, consumer finance companies, rent-to-own stores, retail finance programs, payroll lenders and other financial institutions that serve the Company’s primary customer base. Many other financial institutions or other businesses that do not now offer products or services directed toward the Company’s traditional customer base, many of whom may be much larger than the Company, could begin doing so. Significant increases in the number and size of competitors for the Company’s business could result in a decrease in the number



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of consumer loans or pawn loans that the Company writes, resulting in lower levels of revenue and earnings in these categories. Furthermore, the Company has many competitors to its retail operations, such as retailers of new merchandise, retailers of pre-owned merchandise, other pawnshops, thrift shops, online retailers, online classified advertising sites and online auction sites. Increased competition or aggressive marketing and pricing practices by these competitors could result in decreased revenue, margins and turnover rates in the Company’s retail operations. In Mexico, the Company competes directly with certain pawn stores owned by government affiliated or sponsored non-profit foundations. The government could take actions that would harm the Company’s ability to compete in the Mexico market.

A sustained deterioration of economic conditions or an economic crisis could reduce demand or profitability for the Company’s products and services and increase credit losses which would result in reduced earnings.

The Company’s business and financial results may be adversely impacted by sustained unfavorable economic conditions or unfavorable economic conditions associated with a global or regional economic crisis which, in either case, include adverse changes in interest or tax rates, effects of government initiatives to manage economic conditions and increased volatility of commodity markets and foreign currency exchange rates. Specifically, a sustained or rapid deterioration in the economy could cause deterioration in the performance of the Company’s loan portfolios and in consumer or market demand for pre-owned merchandise or gold such as that sold in the Company’s pawnshops. A sustained deterioration in the economy could reduce the demand and resale value of pre-owned merchandise and reduce the amount that the Company could effectively lend on an item of collateral. Such reductions could adversely affect pawn loan balances, pawn loan redemption rates, inventory balances, inventory mixes, sales volumes and gross profit margins. An economic slowdown also could result in a decrease in loan demand and an increase in loan defaults on consumer loan and credit services products. During such a slowdown, the Company could be required to tighten its underwriting standards, which would reduce consumer loan balances and related revenue and credit services fees, and could face more difficulty in collecting defaulted consumer loans, which could lead to an increase in loan losses. As consumer loans and credit services customers generally have to be employed to qualify for a loan or extension of credit, an increase in the unemployment rate would reduce the number of potential customers.

A decrease in demand for the Company’s products and services and the failure of the Company to adapt to such decreases could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

Although the Company’s products and services are a staple of its customer base, the demand for a particular product or service may decrease due to a variety of factors, such as the availability and pricing of competing products, changes in customers’ financial conditions, real or perceived loss of consumer confidence or regulatory restrictions that increase or reduce customer access to particular products. Should the Company fail to adapt to a significant change in its customers’ demand for, or regulatory access to, its products, the Company’s revenue could decrease significantly. Even if the Company does make adaptations, customers may resist or may reject products whose adaptations make them less attractive or less available. In any event, the effect of any product change on the results of the Company’s business may not be fully ascertainable until the change has been in effect for some time. In particular, the Company has changed, and will continue to change, some of the consumer loan products and services it offers due to regulatory developments. Demand may also fluctuate by geographic region. The current geographic concentration of the Company’s stores creates exposure to local economies and regional downturns. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had significant store concentration in Mexico, Texas, Colorado, South Carolina and Maryland. As a result, the business is currently more susceptible to regional conditions than the operations of more geographically diversified competitors, and the Company is vulnerable to economic downturns in those regions. Any unforeseen events or circumstances that negatively affect these areas could materially adversely affect the Company’s revenues and profitability.

Changes in the capital markets or the Company’s financial condition could reduce available capital.

The Company has, in the past, accessed the debt capital markets to refinance existing debt obligations and to obtain capital to finance growth. Efficient access to these markets is critical to the Company’s ongoing financial success; however, the Company’s future access to the debt capital markets could become restricted due to a variety of factors, including a deterioration of the Company’s earnings, cash flows, balance sheet quality, regulatory restrictions or overall business or industry prospects, a significant deterioration in the state of the capital markets or a negative bias toward the Company’s industry by market participants. Inability to access the credit markets on acceptable terms, if at all, would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.



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The Company's existing and future levels of indebtedness could adversely affect its financial health, its ability to obtain financing in the future, its ability to react to changes in its business and its ability to fulfill its obligations under such indebtedness.

As of December 31, 2014, after giving effect to the issuance of the Company's 6.75% senior notes issued in March 2014 (“Notes”) and the entry into the Company’s current credit facility ( the “2014 Credit Facility”), the Company had outstanding indebtedness of $222,400,000 and availability of $137,600,000 under the 2014 Credit Facility. The Company's level of indebtedness could:


•	make it more difficult for it to satisfy its obligations with respect to the Notes and its other indebtedness, resulting in possible defaults on and acceleration of such indebtedness;


•	require it to dedicate a substantial portion of its cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on its indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of such cash flows to fund working capital, acquisitions, new store openings, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes;


•	limit its ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, acquisitions, new store openings, capital expenditures, debt service requirements and other general corporate purposes;


•	limit its ability to refinance indebtedness or cause the associated costs of such refinancing to increase;


•	restrict the ability of its subsidiaries to pay dividends or otherwise transfer assets to the Company, which could limit its ability to, among other things, make required payments on its debt;


•	increase the Company's vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions, including interest rate fluctuations (because a portion of its borrowings are at variable rates of interest); and


•	place the Company at a competitive disadvantage compared to other companies with proportionately less debt or comparable debt at more favorable interest rates who, as a result, may be better positioned to withstand economic downturns.

Any of the foregoing impacts of the Company's level of indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company’s business depends on the uninterrupted operation of the Company’s facilities, systems and business functions, including its information technology and other business systems.

The Company’s business depends highly upon its employees’ ability to perform, in an efficient and uninterrupted fashion, necessary business functions such as operating and securing its retail locations, internet support, call centers, and other administrative support functions. Additionally, the Company’s storefront operations depend on the efficiency and reliability of the Company’s point-of-sale system. A shut-down of or inability to access the facilities in which the Company’s online operations, storefront point-of-sale and loan management system and other technology infrastructure are based, such as due to a power outage, a security breach, a failure of one or more of its information technology, telecommunications or other systems, or sustained or repeated disruptions of such systems could significantly impair its ability to perform such functions on a timely basis and could result in a deterioration of the Company’s ability to perform efficient storefront lending and merchandise disposition activities, provide customer service, perform collection activities, or perform other necessary business functions.

Security breaches, cyber attacks or fraudulent activity could result in damage to the Company’s operations or lead to reputational damage.

A security breach of the Company’s computer systems could interrupt or damage its operations or harm its reputation. In addition, the Company could be subject to liability if confidential customer or employee information is misappropriated from its computer systems. Any compromise of security, including security breaches perpetrated on persons with whom the Company has commercial relationships, that result in the unauthorized release of its users’ personal information or the unauthorized access of confidential Company information, could result in a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant legal and financial exposure, damage to the Company’s reputation, and a loss of confidence in the Company’s security measures, which could harm its business. Any compromise of security could deter people from entering into transactions that involve transmitting confidential information to the Company’s systems and could harm relationships with the Company’s suppliers, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business. Actual or anticipated cyber attacks may cause the Company to incur increasing costs, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees and engage third-party experts and consultants. Despite the implementation of significant security measures, these systems may still be vulnerable to physical break-ins, computer viruses, programming errors, attacks by third parties or similar disruptive problems. The Company may not have the resources or technical sophistication to anticipate or prevent rapidly evolving types of cyber attacks.



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Most of the Company’s customers provide personal information, including bank account information, when applying for consumer loans. The Company relies on encryption and authentication technology to provide security and authentication to effectively secure transmission of confidential information, including customer bank account and other personal information. Advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other developments may result in the technology used by the Company to protect transaction data being breached or compromised.

In addition, many of the third parties who provide products, services, or support to the Company could also experience any of the above cyber risks or security breaches, which could impact the Company’s customers and its business and could result in a loss of customers, suppliers, or revenue.

Judicial or administrative decisions, CFPB rule-making or amendments to the Federal Arbitration Act (the “FAA”) could render the arbitration agreements the Company uses illegal or unenforceable.

The Company includes dispute arbitration provisions in many of its customer loan agreements. These provisions are designed to allow the Company to resolve any customer disputes through individual arbitration rather than in court. The Company’s arbitration provisions explicitly provide that all arbitrations will be conducted on an individual and not on a class basis. Thus, the Company’s arbitration agreements, if enforced, have the effect of mitigating class and collective action liability. They do not have any impact on regulatory enforcement proceedings. The Company takes the position that the FAA requires the enforcement in accordance with their terms of arbitration agreements containing class and collective action waivers of the type the Company uses.

In the past, a number of courts, including the California and Nevada Supreme Courts, and the National Labor Relations Board concluded that arbitration agreements with class action waivers are “unconscionable” and hence unenforceable, particularly where a small dollar amount is in controversy on an individual basis. However, in April 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion that the FAA preempts state laws that would otherwise invalidate consumer arbitration agreements with class action waivers.

The Company’s arbitration agreements differ in some respects from the agreement at issue in Concepcion, and some courts have continued in the aftermath of Concepcion to find reasons to find arbitration agreements unenforceable. Thus, it is possible that one or more courts hostile to the Company’s kind of lending and/or to pre-dispute mandatory consumer arbitration agreements could use the differences between the Company’s arbitration agreements and the agreement at issue in Concepcion, or some other reason, as a basis for a refusal to enforce the Company’s arbitration agreements. Additionally, Congress has considered legislation that would generally limit or prohibit mandatory dispute arbitration in consumer contracts, and it has adopted such prohibitions with respect to certain mortgage loans and certain consumer loans to active-duty members of the military on active duty and their dependents. Also, the Dodd-Frank Act directs the CFPB to study consumer arbitration and report to Congress, and it authorizes the CFPB to adopt rules limiting or prohibiting consumer arbitration, consistent with the results of its study. The CFPB recently announced its proposal to conduct a nationwide telephone survey of credit card holders. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, any CFPB rule prohibiting or limiting arbitration of disputes would apply to arbitration agreements entered into more than six months after the final rule becomes effective (and not to prior arbitration agreements).

Any judicial or administrative decisions, federal legislation or CFPB rule that would impair the Company’s ability to enter into and enforce dispute consumer arbitration agreements with class action waivers could significantly increase the Company’s exposure to class action litigation as well as litigation in plaintiff‑friendly jurisdictions. Such litigation could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

The Company is subject to goodwill impairment risk.

At December 31, 2014, the Company had $276,882,000 of net goodwill on its consolidated balance sheet, all of which represents assets capitalized in connection with the Company’s acquisitions and business combinations. Accounting for goodwill requires significant management estimates and judgment. Management performs periodic reviews of the carrying values of goodwill to determine whether events and circumstances indicate that an impairment in value may have occurred. A variety of factors could cause the carrying value of goodwill to become impaired. Should a review indicate impairment, a write-down of the carrying value of goodwill would occur, resulting in a non-cash charge, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.



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The Company depends on its senior management and may not be able to retain those employees or recruit additional qualified personnel.

The Company depends on its senior management. The loss of services of any of the members of the Company’s senior management could adversely affect the Company’s business until a suitable replacement can be found. There may be a limited number of persons with the requisite skills to serve in these positions, and the Company cannot ensure that it would be able to identify or employ such qualified personnel on acceptable terms.

The inability to successfully integrate acquisitions could adversely affect results.

The Company has historically grown, in part, through strategic acquisitions, including the acquisition of 72 stores during 2014. The Company’s strategy is to continue to pursue attractive acquisition opportunities if and when they become available. The success of an acquisition is subject to numerous internal and external factors, such as the ability to consolidate information technology and accounting functions, the management of additional sales, administrative, operations and management personnel, overall management of a larger organization, competitive market forces, and general economic factors. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing businesses, tax costs or inefficiencies, or inconsistencies in standards, controls, information technology systems, procedures and policies, any of which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to maintain relationships with customers, employees, or other third-parties or the Company’s ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions and could harm its financial performance. Failure to successfully integrate an acquisition could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, any acquisition has the risk that the Company may not realize a return on the acquisition or the Company’s investment.

Current and future litigation or regulatory proceedings, both in the U.S. and Mexico, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The Company or its subsidiaries has been or may be involved in future lawsuits or other claims arising in the ordinary course of business, including those related to federal or state wage and hour laws, product liability, consumer protection, employment, personal injury and other matters that could cause it to incur substantial expenditures and generate adverse publicity. In particular, the Company may be involved in lawsuits related to employment, marketing and other matters, including class action lawsuits brought against it for alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, state wage and hour laws, state or federal advertising laws and other laws. The consequences of an adverse ruling in any current or future litigation could cause the Company to have to refund fees and/or interest collected, refund the principal amount of advances, pay treble or other multiple damages, pay monetary penalties and/or modify or terminate the Company’s operations in particular states. Defense of any lawsuit, even if successful, could require substantial time and attention of the Company’s management and could require the expenditure of significant amounts for legal fees and other related costs. Settlement of lawsuits may also result in significant payments and modifications to the Company’s operations. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation and other claims, the Company cannot accurately predict the ultimate outcome of any such matters.

Adverse court interpretations of the various laws and regulations under which the Company operates could require the Company to alter the products that it offers or cease doing business in the jurisdiction where the court interpretation is applicable. The Company is also subject to regulatory proceedings, and the Company could suffer losses from interpretations of state laws in those regulatory proceedings, even if it is not a party to those proceedings. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition and could impair the Company’s ability to continue current operations. Besides regulation specific to consumer lending, which is discussed previously, the Company’s pawn, credit services and consumer loan businesses are subject to other federal, state and local regulations, tax laws and import/export laws, including but not limited to the Dodd-Frank Act, Federal Truth and Lending Act and Regulation Z adopted under that Act, Fair Debt Collections Practices Act, Bank Secrecy Act, Money Laundering Suppression Act of 1994, USA Patriot Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Electronic Funds Transfer Act, Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. In addition, the Company’s marketing efforts and the representations the Company makes about its products and services are subject to federal and state unfair and deceptive practice statutes, including the Federal Trade Commission Act and analogous state statutes under which the Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general or private plaintiffs may bring legal actions. If the Company is found to have engaged in an unfair and deceptive practice, it could have a material adverse effect on its business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The Company sells products manufactured by third parties, some of which may be defective. Many such products are manufactured overseas in countries which may utilize quality control standards that vary from those legally allowed or commonly accepted in the U.S., which may increase the Company’s risk that such products may be defective. If any products that the Company sells were to cause physical injury or injury to property, the injured party or parties could bring claims against the Company as the



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retailer of the products based upon strict product liability. In addition, the Company’s products are subject to the federal Consumer Product Safety Act and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which empower the Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect consumers from hazardous products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has the authority to exclude from the market and recall certain consumer products that are found to be hazardous. Similar laws exist in some states and cities in the U.S. If the Company fails to comply with government and industry safety standards, the Company may be subject to claims, lawsuits, product recalls, fines and negative publicity that could have a material adverse effect on its business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

Some of the Company’s U.S. stores sell firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories, which may be associated with an increased risk of injury and related lawsuits. The Company may incur losses due to lawsuits relating to its performance of background checks on firearms purchases as mandated by state and federal law or the improper use of firearms sold by the Company, including lawsuits by individuals, municipalities or other organizations attempting to recover damages or costs from firearms retailers relating to the misuse of firearms. Commencement of such lawsuits against the Company could have a material adverse effect on its business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The Company is also subject to similar applicable laws and regulations in Mexico, in addition to PROFECO. For example, effective in November 2013, the federal government of Mexico enacted new anti-money laundering regulations, The Federal Law for the Prevention and Identification of Transactions with Funds From Illegal Sources, which requires reporting of certain transactions (or series of transactions) which exceed certain monetary limits, stricter maintenance of customer identification records and controls, and reporting of all foreign (non-Mexican) customer transactions. In January 2012, new and stricter terms of the Federal Personal Information Protection Act (“Privacy Law”) went into effect, which require companies to protect their customers’ personal information.

Certain state and local governmental entities in Mexico also regulate pawn, other consumer finance and retail businesses through state laws and local zoning and permitting ordinances. State and local agencies often have authority to suspend store operations pending resolution of actual or alleged regulatory, licensing and permitting issues.

Compliance with applicable laws and regulations is costly and can affect operating results and may result in operational restrictions. The Company’s failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject it to regulatory enforcement actions, result in the assessment against the Company of civil, monetary, criminal or other penalties, require the Company to refund interest or fees, result in a determination that certain loans are not collectible, result in a revocation of licenses, or cause damage to its reputation, brands and customer relationships, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The sale of firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories is subject to strict regulation, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

Because the Company sells firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories, the Company is required to comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to the purchase, storage, transfer and sale of such products. These laws and regulations require the Company, among other things, to ensure that all purchasers of firearms are subjected to a pre-sale background check, to record the details of each firearm sale on appropriate government-issued forms, to record each receipt or transfer of a firearm and to maintain these records for a specified period of time. The Company is also required to timely respond to traces of firearms by law enforcement agencies. Over the past several years, the purchase and sale of firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories has been the subject of increased federal, state and local regulation. These regulatory efforts are likely to continue in the Company’s current markets and other markets into which the Company may expand. If enacted, new laws and regulations could limit the types of firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories that the Company is permitted to purchase and sell and could impose new restrictions and requirements on the manner in which the Company purchases and sells these products. If the Company fails to comply with existing or newly enacted laws and regulations relating to the purchase and sale of firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories, its licenses to sell or maintain inventory of firearms at its stores may be suspended or revoked, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. Furthermore, complying with increased regulation relating to the sale of firearms, ammunition and certain related accessories could be costly.



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The Company is subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and other anti-corruption laws, and the Company’s failure to comply with these anti-corruption laws could result in penalties that could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition.

The Company is subject to the FCPA, which generally prohibits companies and their agents or intermediaries from making improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or keeping business and/or other benefits. Although the Company has policies and procedures designed to ensure that it, its employees, agents, and intermediaries comply with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws, there can be no assurance that such policies or procedures will work effectively all of the time or protect the Company against liability for actions taken by its employees, agents, and intermediaries with respect to its business or any businesses that it may acquire. In the event that the Company believes, or has reason to believe, that its employees, agents, or intermediaries have or may have violated applicable anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA, the Company may be required to investigate or have a third party investigate the relevant facts and circumstances, which can be expensive and require significant time and attention from senior management. The Company’s continued operation and expansion outside the United States, especially in Mexico, could increase the risk, perceived or otherwise, of such violations in the future. If the Company violates the FCPA or other laws governing the conduct of business with government entities (including local laws), the Company may be subject to criminal and civil penalties and other remedial measures, which could have an adverse effect on its business, results of operations, and financial condition. Investigation of any potential or perceived violations of the FCPA or other anti-corruption laws by U.S. or foreign authorities could harm the Company’s reputation and could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition.

Failure to maintain certain criteria required by state and local regulatory bodies could result in fines or the loss of the Company’s licenses to conduct business.

Most states and many local jurisdictions both in the United States and in Mexico in which the Company operates, as well as the federal government in Mexico, require registration and licenses to conduct the Company’s business. These states or their respective regulatory bodies have established criteria that the Company must meet in order to obtain, maintain, and renew those licenses. For example, many of the states in which the Company operates require it to meet or exceed certain operational, advertising, disclosure, collection, and recordkeeping requirements and to maintain a minimum amount of net worth or equity. From time to time, the Company is subject to audits in these states to ensure it is meeting the applicable requirements to maintain these licenses. Failure to meet these requirements could result in various fines and penalties, which could include the revocation of existing licenses or the denial of new and renewal licensing requests. The Company cannot guarantee that future license applications or renewals will be granted. If the Company were to lose any of its licenses to conduct its business, it could result in the temporary or permanent closure of stores and online activities, which could adversely affect the Company’s results of operations, cash flows.

The complexity of the regulatory environment in which the Company operates and the related cost of compliance are both increasing due to additional or changing legal and regulatory requirements, the Company’s ongoing expansion into new markets and the fact that foreign laws occasionally conflict with domestic laws. In addition to potential damage to the Company’s reputation and brand, failure to comply with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations such as those outlined above may result in the Company being subject to claims, lawsuits, fines and adverse publicity that could have a material adverse effect on its business, results of operations and financial condition.

Adverse real estate market fluctuations and/or the inability to renew and extend store operating leases could affect the Company’s profits.

The Company leases most of its locations. A significant rise in real estate prices or real property taxes could result in an increase in store lease costs as the Company opens new locations and renews leases for existing locations, thereby negatively impacting the Company’s results of operations. The Company also holds certain developed and undeveloped real estate, which could be impacted by adverse market fluctuations. In addition, the inability of the Company to renew, extend or replace expiring store leases could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.

The Company’s lending business is somewhat seasonal, which causes the Company’s revenues and operating cash flows to fluctuate and may adversely affect the Company’s ability to service its debt obligations.

The Company’s U.S. lending business typically experiences reduced demand in the first and second quarters as a result of its customers’ receipt of federal tax refund checks typically in February of each year. Demand for the Company’s U.S. lending services is generally greatest during the third and fourth quarters. Also, retail sales are seasonally higher in the fourth quarter associated with holiday shopping. Typically, the Company experiences seasonal growth of service fees in the third and fourth quarter of each year due to loan balance growth. Service fees generally decline in the first and second quarter of each year after the heavy repayment period of pawn loans in Mexico associated with statutory bonuses received by customers in the fourth quarter. This seasonality



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requires the Company to manage its cash flows over the course of the year. If a governmental authority were to pursue economic stimulus actions or issue additional tax refunds, tax credits or other statutory payments at other times during the year, such actions could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition during these periods. If the Company’s revenues were to fall substantially below what it would normally expect during certain periods, the Company’s annual financial results and its ability to service its debt obligations could be adversely affected.

Inclement weather or natural disasters can adversely impact the Company’s operating results.

The occurrence of weather events such as rain, cold weather, snow, wind, storms, hurricanes, or other natural disasters adversely affecting consumer traffic and loan origination or collection activities at the Company’s stores could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations. In addition, the Company may incur property, casualty or other losses not covered by insurance. The Company maintains a program of insurance coverage for various types of property, casualty and other risks. The types and amounts of insurance that the Company obtains vary from time to time, depending on availability, cost and management’s decisions with respect to risk retention. The Company’s insurance policies are subject to deductibles and exclusions that result in the Company’s retention of a level of risk on a self-insurance basis. Losses not covered by insurance could be substantial and may increase the Company’s expenses, which could harm the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

The Company’s growth is subject to external factors and other circumstances over which it has limited control or that are beyond its control. These factors and circumstances could adversely affect the Company’s ability to grow through the opening of new store locations.

The success of the Company’s expansion strategy is subject to numerous external factors, such as the availability of sites with favorable customer demographics, limited competition, acceptable regulatory restrictions and suitable lease terms, its ability to attract, train and retain qualified associates and management personnel and the ability to obtain required government permits and licenses. Some of these factors are beyond the Company’s control. The failure to execute this expansion strategy would adversely affect the Company’s ability to expand its business and could materially adversely affect its business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

The Company’s reported results require the judgment of management, and the Company could be subject to risks associated with these judgments or could be adversely affected by the implementation of new, or changes in the interpretation of existing, accounting principles or financial reporting requirements.

The preparation of the Company’s financial statements 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 dates of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. In addition, the Company prepares its financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), and GAAP and its interpretations are subject to change over time. If new rules or interpretations of existing rules require the Company to change its financial reporting, the Company’s results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected, and the Company could be required to restate historical financial reporting.

Unexpected changes in foreign tax rates could negatively impact the Company’s operating results.

The Company currently derives a significant amount of its revenue from operations in Mexico. The Company’s foreign subsidiaries accounted for approximately 54% of the Company’s total revenues in 2014, and approximately 55% of the Company’s total revenues in 2013. The Company’s financial results may be negatively impacted should tax rates in Mexico increase and/or exceed those in the United States, or as a result of the imposition of new withholding requirements on repatriation of foreign earnings.

Certain tax positions taken by the Company require the judgment of management and could be challenged by federal taxing authorities in the United States and Mexico.

Management’s judgment is required in determining the provision for income taxes, the deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets. Management’s judgment is also required in evaluating whether tax benefits meet the more-likely-than-not threshold for recognition under ASC 740-10-25, Income Taxes.



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The international scope of the Company’s operations may contribute to increased costs and negatively impact its operations.

Because international operations increase the complexity of an organization, the Company may face additional administrative costs in managing its business. In addition, most countries typically impose additional burdens on non-domestic companies through the use of local regulations, tariffs, labor controls and other federal or state requirements or legislation. Unexpected changes, arbitrary or adverse court or administrative interpretations of the foregoing could negatively impact the Company’s operations.

The impairment of other financial institutions could adversely affect the Company.

The Company has exposure to financial institutions used as depositories of its corporate cash balances. If the Company’s counterparties and financial institutions become impaired or insolvent, this could have serious consequences to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The Company’s business may be impacted by the outbreak of certain public health issues, including epidemics, pandemics and other contagious diseases.

In the event of an outbreak of epidemics, pandemics or other contagious diseases, regulatory and/or public health officials could restrict store operating hours, product offerings and/or the number of customers allowed in a store at one time, which could adversely affect the Company’s financial results. In addition, to the extent that the Company’s customers become infected by such diseases, or feel uncomfortable visiting public locations due to a perceived risk of exposure to contagious diseases, the Company could experience a reduction in customer traffic, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.

If the Company is unable to protect its intellectual property rights, its ability to compete could be negatively impacted.

The success of the Company’s business depends to a certain extent upon the value associated with its intellectual property rights. The Company owns the trademark “First Cash Financial Services,” which is registered in the United States and utilizes a similar trademark in Mexico. The Company has also developed a proprietary point of sale system for use in its stores. The Company relies on a combination of copyright, trade secret, trademark, and other rights, as well as confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions to protect its proprietary technology, processes and other intellectual property. While the Company intends to vigorously protect its trademarks against infringement, it may not be successful. In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. The costs required to protect the Company’s intellectual property rights and trademarks could be substantial.

Because the Company maintains a significant supply of cash, loan collateral and inventories in its stores, the Company may be subject to employee and third-party robberies, theft and errors. The Company also may be subject to liability as a result of crimes at its stores.

The Company’s business requires it to maintain a significant supply of cash, loan collateral and inventories in most of its stores. As a result, the Company is subject to the risk of robberies, theft and errors. Although the Company has implemented various programs in an effort to reduce these risks, maintain insurance coverage for robberies, theft and errors, and utilize various security measures at its facilities, there can be no assurance that robberies, theft and errors will not occur. The extent of the Company’s cash, loan collateral and inventory losses or shortages could increase as it expands the nature and scope of its products and services. Robberies, theft and errors could lead to losses and shortages and could adversely affect the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition. It is also possible that violent crimes such as armed robberies may be committed at the Company’s stores. The Company could experience liability or adverse publicity arising from such crimes. For example, the Company may be liable if an employee, customer, guard or bystander suffers bodily injury or other harm. Any such event may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

A discussion of certain market risks is covered in “Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.



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Item 2. Properties

As of December 31, 2014, the Company owned the real estate and buildings for 30 of its pawn stores and owned four other parcels of real estate. The Company’s strategy is generally to lease, rather than purchase, space for its pawnshop and consumer loan locations, unless the Company finds what it believes is a superior location at an attractive price. As of December 31, 2014, the Company leased 1,031 store locations that were open or were in the process of opening. Leased facilities are generally leased for a term of three to five years with one or more options to renew. A majority of the store leases can be terminated early upon an adverse change in law which negatively affects the store’s profitability. The Company’s leases expire on dates ranging between 2015 and 2047. All store leases provide for specified periodic rental payments ranging from approximately $900 to $25,000 per month as of December 31, 2014. For more information about the Company’s pawn store locations, see “—Item 1. Business-Locations and Operations.”

The Company leases approximately 18,000 square feet of office space in Arlington, Texas for its corporate offices. The lease, which expires on May 31, 2020, provides for monthly rental payments of approximately $25,000. The Company leases approximately 15,000 square feet of office space in Monterrey, Mexico for its Mexico administrative offices. The lease, which expires on December 31, 2019, provides for monthly rental payments of approximately $16,000. The Company also leases approximately 12,000 square feet of office space in Euless, Texas for administrative operations. The lease, which expires on February 28, 2018, provides for monthly rental payments of approximately $6,500.

Most leases require the Company to maintain the property and pay the cost of insurance and property taxes. The Company believes termination of any particular lease would not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations. The Company believes the facilities currently owned and leased by it as pawn stores and consumer loan stores are suitable for such purposes. The Company considers its equipment, furniture and fixtures to be in good condition.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

The Company is from time to time a defendant (actual or threatened) in certain lawsuits and arbitration claims encountered in the ordinary course of its business, the resolution of which, in the opinion of management, should not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not Applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

General Market Information

The Company’s common stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FCFS.” The following table sets forth the quarterly high and low sales prices per share for the common stock during fiscal 2013 and 2014, as reported by the NASDAQ Global Select Market:



	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
2014
High	$	63.93	$	57.91	$	59.15	$	59.90
Low	46.77		46.01		54.44		52.76

2013
High	$	58.76	$	58.40	$	60.91	$	64.06
Low	48.28		47.56		48.52		55.82

On February 10, 2015, there were approximately 43 stockholders of record of the Company’s common stock.



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No cash dividends have been paid by the Company on its common stock during fiscal 2013 and 2014. The dividend and earnings retention policies are reviewed by the Board of Directors of the Company from time to time in light of, among other things, the Company’s earnings, cash flows, and financial position. The Company’s revolving credit facility contains provisions that allow the Company to pay cash dividends within certain parameters.

Recent Issuances of Common Stock

During the period from January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014, the Company issued 294,000 shares of common stock relating to the exercise of outstanding stock options for an aggregate exercise price of $9,411,000 (including income tax benefit). During fiscal 2014, the Company granted a total of 47,000 nonvested shares of restricted common stock to certain executives of the Company. A total of 37,000 previously granted restricted shares vested and were issued during fiscal 2014.

The transactions set forth in the above paragraph were completed pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act, did not involve a public offering and were sold to a limited group of persons. Each recipient either received adequate information about the Company or had access, through employment or other relationships, to such information, and the Company determined that each recipient had such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that they were able to evaluate the merits and risks of an investment in the Company. All sales of the Company’s securities were made by officers of the Company who received no commission or other remuneration for the solicitation of any person in connection with the respective sales of securities described above.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

In January 2013, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a repurchase program for up to 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The Company completed the 1,500,000 share buyback authorization on August 21, 2014, with a total of 235,000 shares of its common stock repurchased during the second quarter of 2014 and 536,000 shares repurchased during the third quarter of 2014. The total shares repurchased were at an average price of $55.09 per share. Under its share repurchase program, the Company could purchase common stock in open market transactions, block purchases or privately negotiated transactions, and could from time to time purchase shares pursuant to a trading plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, or by any combination of such methods. The number of shares to be purchased and the timing of the purchases was based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the level of cash balances, credit availability, debt covenant restrictions, general business conditions, regulatory requirements, the market price of the Company's stock and the availability of alternative investment opportunities. The following table provides information with respect to purchases made by the Company of shares of its common stock during each month that the program was in effect during fiscal 2014:



	Total Number Of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid Per Share		Total Number Of Shares Purchased As Part Of Publicly Announced Plans	Maximum Number Of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under The Plans
January 1 through January 31, 2014	—	$	—	—	770,867
February 1 through February 28, 2014	—	—		—	770,867
March 1 through March 31, 2014	—	—		—	770,867
April 1 through April 30, 2014	—	—		—	770,867
May 1 through May 31, 2014	—	—		—	770,867
June 1 through June 30, 2014	235,398	56.56		235,398	535,469
July 1 through July 31, 2014	382,963	56.94		382,963	152,506
August 1 through August 31, 2014	152,506	57.88		152,506	—
September 1 through September 30, 2014	—	—		—	—
October 1 through October 31, 2014	—	—		—	—
November 1 through November 30, 2014	—	—		—	—
December 1 through December 31, 2014	—	—		—	—
Total	770,867	$	57.01	770,867



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In January 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized a new repurchase program for up to 2,000,000 shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock. The Board of Directors made this determination after considering the Company's liquidity needs and capital resources as well as the estimated current value of the Company's assets. Under its new share repurchase program, the Company can purchase common stock in open market transactions, block or privately negotiated transactions, and may from time to time purchase shares pursuant to a trading plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange Act, or by any combination of such methods. The number of shares to be purchased and the timing of the purchases are based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the level of cash balances, credit availability, debt covenant restrictions, general business conditions, regulatory requirements, the market price of the Company's stock and the availability of alternative investment opportunities. No time limit was set for completion of repurchases under the new authorization and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

Performance Graph

The graph set forth below compares the cumulative total stockholder return on the common stock of the Company for the period from December 31, 2009 through December 31, 2014, with the cumulative total return on the NASDAQ Composite Index and a peer group index (whose returns are weighted according to their respective market capitalizations) over the same period (assuming the investment of $100 in the Company’s common stock, the NASDAQ Composite Index, and the peer group on December 31, 2009 and assuming the reinvestment of all dividends on the date paid). The 2014 peer group selected by the Company includes Cash America International, Inc., EZCORP, Inc., World Acceptance Corporation, Rent-A-Center, Inc., and Aaron Rents, Inc. The Company excluded DFC Global Corp. from its 2014 peer group as they were no longer a publicly traded company as of December 31, 2014.



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Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The information below should be read in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes thereto in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The information below is derived from and qualified by reference to the Company’s audited financial statements for each of the five years ended December 31, 2014.



	Year Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012			2011			2010
	(in thousands, except per share amounts and certain operating data)
Income Statement Data:
Revenue:
Retail merchandise sales	$	428,182		$	367,187		$	287,456		$	236,797		$	188,536
Pawn loan fees	199,357			181,555			152,237			122,320			102,145
Consumer loan and credit services fees	36,749			43,781			48,692			46,876			44,919
Wholesale scrap jewelry revenue	48,589			68,325			103,706			108,004			81,357
Total revenue	712,877			660,848			592,091			513,997			416,957

Cost of revenue:
Cost of retail merchandise sold	261,673			221,361			167,144			142,106			109,149
Consumer loan and credit services loss provision	9,287			11,368			12,556			11,331			12,523
Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold	41,044			58,545			76,853			71,305			52,886
Total cost of revenue	312,004			291,274			256,553			224,742			174,558
Net revenue	400,873			369,574			335,538			289,255			242,399

Expenses and other income:
Store operating expenses	198,986			181,321			148,879			126,107			112,398
Administrative expenses	54,586			49,530			50,211			45,259			40,195
Depreciation and amortization	17,476			15,361			12,939			10,944			10,341
Interest expense, net	12,845			3,170			1,272			(142		)	294
Total expenses and other income	283,893			249,382			213,301			182,168			163,228

Income from continuing operations before income taxes	116,980			120,192			122,237			107,087			79,171

Provision for income taxes	31,542			35,713			41,375			36,950			28,364

Income from continuing operations	85,438			84,479			80,862			70,137			50,807

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(272		)	(633		)	(503		)	7,645			6,851
Net income	$	85,166		$	83,846		$	80,359		$	77,782		$	57,658



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	Year Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012			2011			2010
Income Statement Data (Continued):
Net income per share:
Basic:
Income from continuing operations	$	2.98		$	2.91		$	2.80		$	2.29		$	1.68
Net income	2.97			2.89			2.78			2.53			1.90
Diluted:
Income from continuing operations	2.94			2.86			2.72			2.23			1.64
Net income	2.93			2.84			2.70			2.47			1.86

Balance Sheet Data:
Inventories	$	91,088		$	77,793		$	65,345		$	44,412		$	47,406
Pawn loans	118,536			115,234			103,181			73,287			70,488
CSO credit extensions held by independent third-party (1)	10,421			12,240			14,134			13,037			12,534
Consumer loans, net	1,241			1,450			1,879			858			995
Net working capital	265,316			241,461			210,280			175,073			170,376
Total assets	714,675			658,973			507,692			357,096			342,446
Long-term liabilities	223,565			195,853			124,126			6,319			9,820
Total liabilities	266,124			244,614			155,276			41,724			44,442
Stockholders’ equity	448,551			414,359			352,416			315,372			298,004

Statement of Cash Flows Data:
Net cash flows provided by (used in):
Operating activities	$	97,679		$	106,718		$	88,792		$	80,375		$	73,645
Investing activities	(85,366		)	(140,726		)	(159,904		)	(22,104		)	(47,696		)
Financing activities	(9,098		)	54,644			49,525			(52,593		)	13,649

Other Financial Data (2):
EBITDA from continuing operations	$	147,301		$	138,723		$	136,448		$	117,889		$	89,806
Free cash flow	$	71,255		$	79,635		$	49,626		$	46,193		$	31,612
Pawn store annualized inventory turnover	3.6x			3.6x			4.2x			4.2x			4.1x

Location Counts (3):
Pawn stores	912			821			715			570			488
Credit services/consumer loan stores	93			85			99			101			107
	1,005			906			814			671			595


(1)	CSO Program amounts outstanding are composed of the principal portion of active CSO Program extensions of credit by the Independent Lender, which are not included on the Company’s balance sheet, net of the Company’s estimated fair value of its liability under the letters of credit guaranteeing the extensions of credit.

(2)

The Company uses certain financial calculations such as EBITDA from continuing operations and free cash flow as factors in the measurement and evaluation of its operating performance and period-over-period growth. The Company derives these financial calculations on the basis of methodologies other than GAAP, primarily by excluding from a comparable GAAP measure certain items it does not consider to be representative of its actual operating performance. These financial calculations are “non-GAAP financial measures” as defined in SEC rules. The Company uses these financial calculations in operating its business because the Company believes they are less susceptible to variances in actual operating performance that can result from the excluded items and other infrequent charges. The Company presents these financial measures to investors because it believes they are useful to investors in



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evaluating the primary factors that drive its operating performance and because the Company believes they provide greater transparency into its results of operations. However, items that are excluded and other adjustments and assumptions that are made in calculating EBITDA from continuing operations and free cash flow are significant components in understanding and assessing the Company’s financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures should be evaluated in conjunction with, and are not a substitute for, the Company’s GAAP financial measures. Further, because these non-GAAP financial measures are not determined in accordance with GAAP and are thus susceptible to varying calculations, EBITDA from continuing operations and free cash flow as presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other companies. See “—Non-GAAP Financial Information” for additional information about EBITDA from continuing operations and free cash flow and a reconciliation of EBITDA from continuing operations and free cash flow to the most comparable GAAP measures.


(3)	Includes locations where consumer loans are provided through the CSO Program.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

General

The Company is a leading operator of retail-based pawn stores in the United States and Mexico. The Company’s pawn stores generate significant retail sales from the merchandise acquired through collateral forfeitures and over-the-counter purchases from customers. The Company’s pawn stores are also a convenient source for small consumer loans to help customers meet their short-term cash needs. Personal property such as consumer electronics, jewelry, power tools, sporting goods and musical instruments are pledged as collateral for the loans. In addition, some of the Company’s pawn stores offer consumer loans or credit services products. The Company’s strategy is to focus on growing its retail-based pawn operations in the United States and Mexico through new store openings and acquisition opportunities as they arise.

Pawn operations accounted for approximately 95% of the Company’s consolidated revenue from continuing operations during fiscal 2014 compared to 93% during fiscal 2013. The Company’s pawn revenue is derived primarily from merchandise sales of forfeited pawn collateral and used goods purchased directly from the general public and from pawn loan fees. The Company accrues pawn loan fee revenue on a constant-yield basis over the life of the pawn loan for all pawns that the Company deems collection to be probable based on historical pawn redemption statistics. If a pawn loan is not repaid prior to the expiration of the loan term, including any automatic extension period, if applicable, the property is forfeited to the Company and transferred to inventory at a value equal to the principal amount of the loan, exclusive of accrued interest.

The Company operates a small number of stand-alone consumer finance stores in Texas and Mexico. These stores provide consumer financial services products including credit services, consumer loans and check cashing. Certain of the Company’s pawn stores also offer credit services and/or consumer loans as an ancillary product. Consumer loan and credit services revenue accounted for approximately 5% of consolidated revenue from continuing operations for fiscal 2014 compared to 7% during fiscal 2013, and was derived primarily from credit services fees. The Company recognizes service fee income on consumer loans and credit services transactions on a constant-yield basis over the life of the loan or credit extension, which is generally 180 days or less. The net defaults on consumer loans and credit services transactions and changes in the valuation reserve are charged to the consumer loan credit loss provision. The credit loss provision associated with the Company’s CSO Program and consumer loans are based primarily upon historical credit loss experience, with consideration given to recent credit loss trends, delinquency rates, economic conditions and management’s expectations of future credit losses. For an additional discussion of the credit loss provision and related allowances and accruals, see “—Results of Continuing Operations.”

Stores included in the same-store revenue calculations presented in this annual report are those stores that were opened prior to the beginning of the prior-year comparative fiscal period and remained open through the end of the measurement period. Also included are stores that were relocated during the year within a specified distance serving the same market where there is not a significant change in store size and where there is not a significant overlap or gap in timing between the opening of the new store and the closing of the existing store. Unless otherwise stated, non-retail sales of scrap jewelry are included in same-store revenue calculations.

Operating expenses consist of all items directly related to the operation of the Company’s stores, including salaries and related payroll costs, rent, utilities, facilities maintenance, advertising, property taxes, licenses, supplies and security. Administrative expenses consist of items relating to the operation of the corporate offices, including the compensation and benefit costs of corporate management, area supervisors and other operations management personnel, collection operations and personnel, accounting and administrative costs, information technology costs, liability and casualty insurance, outside legal and accounting fees and stockholder-related expenses.



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The following table details selected operating metrics regarding the Company’s loan products, inventories and store locations (1):



	Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Pawn loans at end of period, in thousands:
Large format pawn stores - U.S.	$	67,822	$	65,471	$	54,765
Large format pawn stores - Mexico	49,925		48,963		47,512
Small format pawn stores - Mexico	511		555		629
Small format pawn stores - U.S.	278		245		275

Average pawn loans per location at end of period, in thousands:
Large format pawn stores - U.S.	$	266	$	288	$	298
Large format pawn stores - Mexico	79		89		98

Pawn store inventories at end of period, in thousands:
U.S. stores	$	49,969	$	40,910	$	32,664
Mexico stores	41,119		36,883		32,681

Average inventories per location at end of period, in thousands:
Large format pawn stores - U.S.	$	196	$	178	$	176
Large format pawn stores - Mexico	65		66		66

Pawn store annualized inventory turnover	3.6x		3.6x		4.2x

Consumer loan balances and CSO extensions of credit at end of period, in thousands (2):
Consumer loan stores - U.S.	$	5,051	$	5,472	$	7,170
Pawn stores - U.S.	6,088		7,666		8,378
Internet operations - U.S.	565		566		477
Consumer loan stores - Mexico	429		572		654

Average outstanding customer loan amount at end of period:
Pawn loan receivables - U.S.	$	171	$	171	$	185
Pawn loan receivables - Mexico	67		71		75
Pawn loan receivables - Total	103		107		110
CSO extensions of credit held by independent third-party lender - U.S. (3)	499		507		523


(1)	Inventory and loan amounts for stores in Mexico are based on translating the Mexican peso to the U.S. dollar at the exchange rate as of each year end. The exchange rates used for December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012 were 14.7 to 1, 13.1 to 1, and 13.0 to 1, respectively. See “—Non-GAAP Financial Information—Constant Currency Results” below.


(2)	Amounts shown represent the gross amount owed by customers before allowances. Active CSO Program extensions of credit outstanding from the independent third-party lender are not included on the Company’s balance sheet.


(3)	Amounts shown represent the gross amount owed by customers before allowances. Excludes title loan amounts.



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	Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Income statement items as a percent of total revenue:
Revenue:
Retail merchandise sales	60.0	%	55.6	%	48.6	%
Pawn loan fees	28.0		27.4		25.7
Consumer loan and credit services fees	5.2		6.7		8.2
Wholesale scrap jewelry revenue	6.8		10.3		17.5

Cost of revenue:
Cost of retail merchandise sold	36.7		33.5		28.2
Consumer loan and credit services loss provision	1.3		1.7		2.1
Cost of wholesale scrap jewelry sold	5.8		8.9		13.0

Net revenues	56.2		55.9		56.7

Expenses and other income:
Store operating expenses	27.9		27.4		25.1
Administrative expenses	7.7		7.5		8.5
Depreciation and amortization	2.4		2.3		2.2
Interest expense, net	1.8		0.5		0.2

Income from continuing operations before income taxes	16.4		18.2		20.7
Provision for income taxes	4.4		5.4		7.0
Income from continuing operations	12.0		12.8		13.7

Retail merchandise sales gross profit margin	38.9	%	39.7	%	41.9	%
Store operating profit margin (1)	26.3		26.6		29.7

(1) Store operating profit is calculated as follows: Net revenues less store operating expenses less depreciation expense.

Discontinued Operations

During fiscal 2014, the Company discontinued the Cash & Go, Ltd. joint venture operation, which owned and operated 37 check cashing and financial services kiosks located inside convenience stores in the state of Texas. Cash & Go, Ltd. was a joint venture in which the Company owned a 50% interest through its direct 49.5% ownership interest and its 50% ownership of Cash & Go Management, LLC, which in turn owned a 1% interest in the joint venture. The Company recorded an after-tax loss for Cash & Go, Ltd. of $272,000, or $0.01 per share, in fiscal 2014, which was reported as a loss from discontinued operations. In fiscal 2013, the Company recorded a charge of $844,000, net of tax, or $0.03 per share, and the after-tax earnings from operations for Cash & Go, Ltd. were $211,000, or $0.01 per share. Comparable after-tax earnings were $243,000, or $0.01 per share, in fiscal 2012.

In September 2012, the Company closed seven of its consumer loan stores located in the Texas cities of Austin and Dallas due in part to city ordinances enacted during 2012, which significantly restricted the Company’s ability to provide credit services products. The Company recorded a loss on disposal of $628,000, net of tax, or $0.03 per share, from these stores in fiscal 2012. The after-tax operating results from operations for these Texas stores were immaterial in fiscal 2012.

All revenue, expenses and income reported in these consolidated financial statements have been adjusted to reflect reclassification of these discontinued operations. The carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities for discontinued operations as of December 31, 2013 were immaterial.



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Critical Accounting Policies

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, related revenue and expenses, and disclosure of gain and loss contingencies at the date of the financial statements. Such estimates, assumptions and judgments are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s estimates. The significant accounting policies that the Company believes are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating its reported financial results include the following:

Customer loans and revenue recognition - Receivables on the balance sheet consist of pawn loans and consumer loans. Pawn loans are collateralized by pledged tangible personal property. The Company accrues pawn loan fee revenue on a constant-yield basis over the life of the pawn for all pawns for which the Company deems collection to be probable based on historical pawn redemption statistics. The typical pawn loan has an initial term of 30 days, which, depending on state law, can generally be extended from 30 to 60 days. If the pawn is not repaid, the principal amount loaned becomes the carrying value of the forfeited collateral, which is recovered through sales to other customers at prices above the carrying value.

The Company’s pawn merchandise sales are primarily retail sales to the general public in its pawn stores. The Company acquires pawn merchandise inventory through forfeited pawns and through purchases of used goods directly from the general public. The Company records sales revenue at the time of the sale. The Company presents merchandise sales net of any sales or value-added taxes collected. The Company does not provide financing to customers for the purchase of its merchandise, but does permit its customers to purchase merchandise on an interest-free layaway plan. Should the customer fail to make a required payment, the previous payments are forfeited to the Company. Interim payments from customers on layaway sales are recorded as deferred revenue and subsequently recorded as income during the period in which final payment is received or when previous payments are forfeited to the Company. Some jewelry is melted at a third-party facility and the precious metal content is sold at either prevailing market commodity prices or a previously agreed upon price with a commodity buyer. The Company records revenue from these transactions when a price has been agreed upon and the Company ships the precious metals to the buyer.

The Company recognizes credit services fees ratably over the life of the extension of credit made by the Independent Lender. The extensions of credit made by the Independent Lender to credit services customers have terms of 7 to 180 days. The Company accrues consumer loan service fees on a constant-yield basis over the term of the consumer loan. Consumer loans have terms that range from 7 to 365 days.

Credit loss provisions - The Company has determined that no allowance related to credit losses on pawn loans is required, as the fair value of the collateral is significantly in excess of the pawn loan amount. Under the CSO Program, letters of credit issued by the Company to the Independent Lender constitute a guarantee for which the Company is required to recognize, at the inception of the guarantee, a liability for the fair value of the obligation undertaken by issuing the letters of credit. The Independent Lender may present the letter of credit to the Company for payment i