What are Nicholas Financial Inc's Business Segments?
Automobile Finance Business – Contracts
The Company is engaged in the business of providing financing programs, primarily
on behalf of purchasers of new and used cars and light trucks who meet the Company’s
credit standards but who do not meet the credit standards of traditional lenders,
such as banks and credit unions because of the customer’s credit history
or job instability or the age of the vehicle being financed. Unlike traditional
lenders, which look primarily to the credit history of the borrower in making
lending decisions and typically finance new automobiles, the Company is willing
to purchase Contracts for purchases made by borrowers who do not have a good
credit history and for older model and high-mileage automobiles. In making decisions
regarding the purchase of a particular Contract, the Company considers the following
factors related to the borrower: current income; credit history; history in
making installment payments for automobiles; current and prior job status; and
place and length of residence. In addition, the Company examines its prior experience
with Contracts purchased from the dealer from which the Company is purchasing
the Contract, and the value of the automobile in relation to the purchase price
and the term of the Contract.
Contract Procurement
The Company currently purchases Contracts in the states listed in the table
below. The Contracts purchased by the Company are predominately for used vehicles;
for the periods shown below, less than 1% were for new vehicles.
Direct Loans
The Company currently originates Direct Loans in Florida and North Carolina.
Direct Loans are loans originated directly between the Company and the consumer.
These loans are typically for amounts ranging from $1,000 to $9,000 and are
generally secured by a lien on an automobile, watercraft or other permissible
tangible personal property. The average loan made to date by the Company had
an initial principal balance of approximately $4,000. The Company does not expect
the average loan size to increase significantly within the foreseeable future.
The majority of Direct Loans are originated with current or former customers
under the Company’s automobile financing program. The typical Direct Loan
represents a significantly better credit risk than our typical Contract due
to the customer’s historical payment history with the Company. The Company
does not have a Direct Loan license in Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky,
Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Texas, Virginia or Wisconsin, and none is presently required in Georgia (as
long as the Direct Loan is greater than $3,000). The Company is currently not
pursuing Direct Loans in Georgia.
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