million in finance receivables . this included 3.4 thousand large loan convenience checks , representing $ 9.8 million in finance receivables . retail loans  as of december 31 , 2018 , we had 21.2 thousand retail purchase loans outstanding , representing $ 30.4 million in finance receivables . optional insurance products  we offer optional payment and collateral protection insurance to our direct loan customers . regional management corp. | 2018 annual report on form 10-k | 48 small and large installment loans are our core loan products and will be the drivers of our future growth . we ceased originating automobile purchase loans in november 2017 to focus on growing our core loan portfolio , but we continue to own and service the automobile loans that we previously originated . as of december 31 , 2018 , we had approximately 3.7 thousand automobile loans outstanding , representing $ 26.2 million in finance receivables . our primary sources of revenue are interest and fee income from our loan products , of which interest and fees relating to small and large installment loans are the largest component . in addition to interest and fee income from loans , we derive revenue from optional insurance products purchased by customers of our direct loan products . for additional information regarding our business operations , see part i , item 1 , business. factors affecting our results of operations our business is driven by several factors affecting our revenues , costs , and results of operations , including the following : quarterly information and seasonality . our loan volume and contractual delinquency follow seasonal trends . demand for our small and large loans is typically highest during the second , third , and fourth quarters , which we believe is largely due to customers borrowing money for vacation , back-to-school , and holiday spending . with the exception of retail loans , loan demand has generally been the lowest during the first quarter , which we believe is largely due to the timing of income tax refunds . delinquencies generally reach their lowest point in the first quarter of the year and rise throughout the remainder of the fiscal year . consequently , we experience seasonal fluctuations in our operating results and cash needs . growth in loan portfolio . the revenue that we derive from interest and fees is largely driven by the balance of loans that we originate and purchase . average finance receivables grew 14.8 % from $ 572.8 million in 2015 to $ 657.4 million in 2016 , grew 13.2 % to $ 744.2 million in 2017 , and grew 14.7 % to $ 853.8 million in 2018. we source our loans through our branches , direct mail program , retail partners , digital partners , and our consumer website . our loans are made almost exclusively in geographic markets served by our network of branches . increasing the number of loans per branch and the number of branches we operate allows us to increase the number of loans that we are able to service . we opened 17 , 3 , and 8 net new branches in 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 , respectively . we believe that we have the opportunity to add as many as 700 additional branches in states where it is currently favorable for us to conduct business , and we have plans to continue to grow our branch network . product mix . we are exposed to different credit risks and charge different interest rates and fees with respect to the various types of loans we offer . our product mix also varies to some extent by state , and we may further diversify our product mix in the future . the interest rates and fees vary from state to state , depending on the competitive environment and relevant laws and regulations . asset quality and allowance for credit losses . our results of operations are highly dependent upon the credit quality of our loan portfolio . the credit quality of our loan portfolio is the result of our ability to enforce sound underwriting standards , maintain diligent servicing of the portfolio , and respond to changing economic conditions as we grow our loan portfolio . the allowance for credit losses calculation uses the current delinquency profile and historical delinquency roll rates as key data points in estimating the allowance . we believe that the primary underlying factors driving the provision for credit losses for each loan type are our underwriting standards , the general economic conditions in the areas in which we conduct business , loan portfolio growth , and the effectiveness of our collection efforts . in addition , the market for repossessed automobiles at auction is another underlying factor that we believe influences the provision for credit losses for automobile purchase loans and , to a lesser extent , large loans . we monitor these factors , and the amount and past due status of all loans one or more days past due , to identify trends that might require us to modify the allowance for credit losses . regional management corp. | 2018 annual report on form 10-k | 49 interest rates . our costs of funds are affected by changes in interest rates , as the interest rates that we pay on certain of our credit facilities are variable . as a component of our strategy to manage the interest rate risk associated with future interest payments on our variable-rate debt , we have purchased interest rate cap contracts . as of december 31 , 2018 , we held four interest rate cap contracts with an aggregate notional principal amount of $ 400.0 million . story_separator_special_tag other income increased $ 1.4 million , or 13.8 % , to $ 11.8 million in 2018 , from $ 10.4 million in 2017 , due to a $ 1.2 million increase in commissions earned from the sale of our auto club product and a $ 0.4 million increase in loan deferral fee income . these increases were offset by a decrease of $ 0.2 million in income from late charges . the decrease in late charges was primarily due to large loan customers with higher credit quality comprising a greater percentage of our total loan portfolio in 2018 , compared to 2017 , and our expanded use of electronic payments to reduce early-stage delinquency . as large loans continue to represent a greater percentage of our total loan portfolio and we continue to leverage electronic payment options , we expect lower late charges per active account . other income represented 1.4 % and 1.3 % of average finance receivables in 2018 and 2017 , respectively . provision for credit losses . our provision for credit losses increased $ 9.7 million , or 12.6 % , to $ 87.1 million in 2018 , from $ 77.3 million in 2017. the increase was primarily due to an increase in net credit losses of $ 8.0 million and a $ 1.7 million increase in the allowance for credit losses compared to 2017. the provision for credit losses as a percentage of average finance receivables in 2018 was 10.2 % , compared to 10.4 % in 2017. fiscal 2018 included a 0.4 % impact from the net $ 3.7 million hurricane-related provision and a 0.3 % impact from the $ 2.9 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above . fiscal 2017 included a 0.4 % impact from the hurricane-related $ 2.9 million provision and a 0.6 % impact from the $ 4.4 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above , offset by a 0.1 % benefit from the bulk sale of previously charged-off customer accounts in bankruptcy ( the  2017 bulk sale  ) . regional management corp. | 2018 annual report on form 10-k | 55 the increase in the provision for credit losses is explained in greater detail below . hurricane impact . during 2018 , our provision for credit losses was impacted by a $ 3.9 million increase in the allowance for credit losses related to estimated incremental credit losses on customer accounts impacted by a hurricane . in late 2018 , we released $ 0.3 million of the hurricane allowance for credit losses to cover hurricane-related net credit losses . as of december 31 , 2018 , the allowance for credit losses related to the hurricane was $ 3.6 million . during 2017 , our provision for credit losses was impacted by a $ 3.0 million increase in the allowance for credit losses related to estimated incremental credit losses on customer accounts impacted by two hurricanes . in late 2017 , we released $ 0.2 million of the hurricane allowance for credit losses to cover hurricane-related net credit losses . as of december 31 , 2017 , the allowance for credit losses related to the hurricanes was $ 2.8 million . bulk sale . we recognized a recovery of $ 1.0 million in 2017 from the 2017 bulk sale . these accounts were excluded from prior sales of charged-off loans . net credit losses . net credit losses increased $ 8.0 million , or 11.5 % , to $ 77.7 million in 2018 , from $ 69.7 million in 2017. the increase was primarily due to a $ 109.6 million increase in average finance receivables in 2018. net credit losses as a percentage of average finance receivables were 9.1 % in 2018 , compared to 9.4 % in 2017. fiscal 2018 included a 0.2 % impact from the $ 1.7 million increase in net credit losses resulting from the 2017 hurricanes and a 0.3 % impact from the $ 2.9 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above . fiscal 2017 included a 0.6 % impact from the $ 4.4 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above , offset by a 0.1 % benefit from the $ 1.0 million 2017 bulk sale . the following table provides net credit losses and the benefit to net credit losses associated with non-file insurance claims payments as a percentage of average finance receivables for the periods indicated : replace_table_token_17_th we have evaluated various ways to lower our non-file insurance claims , and we decided to reduce our utilization of non-file insurance beginning in the fourth quarter of 2018. as a result , we expect that the benefit provided by non-file insurance will decrease by approximately 0.65 % as a percentage of average finance receivables over the next four quarters , resulting in a corresponding increase in our net credit loss rate . our allowance for credit losses contains sufficient reserves for this anticipated increase in net credit losses . see note 4 , finance receivables , credit quality information , and allowance for credit losses ,  of the notes to consolidated financial statements in part ii , item 8 , financial statements and supplementary data. in addition , due to the decrease in non-file insurance claims , our insurance income , net will increase by an amount comparable to the anticipated increase in net credit losses , resulting in an income statement offset . therefore , we do not expect this policy change to impact our profitability in future periods . delinquency performance . our december 31 , 2018 contractual delinquency as a percentage of total finance receivables increased to 7.7 % from 7.5 % as of december 31 , 2017 , primarily due to credit tightening and the maturation of our large loan portfolio . total contractual delinquency

cash flow . operating activities . net cash provided by operating activities increased by $ 30.9 million , or 26.7 % , to $ 146.3 million in 2018 , from $ 115.4 million in 2017. the increase was primarily due to the growth in our business described above , which produced an increase in net income , before provision for credit losses . investing activities . investing activities consist of originations and purchases of finance receivables , purchases of intangible assets , and purchases of property and equipment for new and existing branches . net cash used in investing activities in 2018 was $ 199.2 million , compared to $ 179.9 million in 2017 , a net increase of $ 19.3 million . the increase in cash used was primarily due to increased net originations of finance receivables . financing activities . financing activities consist of borrowings and payments on our outstanding indebtedness and issuances of common stock . in 2018 , net cash provided by financing activities was $ 81.1 million , an increase of $ 7.3 million compared to $ 73.8 million in 2017. the increase was primarily a result of advances on the rmit 2018-1 and rmit 2018-2 securitizations of $ 150.2 million and $ 130.4 million , respectively . the increase was partially offset by an increase in net payments on debt and debt issuance costs of $ 274.2 million . financing arrangements . senior revolving credit facility . in june 2017 , we amended and restated our senior revolving credit facility to , among other things , increase the availability under the facility from $ 585 million to $ 638 million and extend the maturity of the facility from august 2019 to june 2020. the facility has an accordion provision that allows for the expansion of the facility to $ 700 million . excluding the receivables held by our variable interest entities ( each , a  vie  ) , the senior revolving credit facility is secured by substantially all of our finance receivables and equity interests of the majority of our subsidiaries . advances on the senior revolving credit facility are capped at 85 % of eligible secured finance receivables and 70 % of eligible unsecured finance receivables .


 Write a concise suspicious activity report of the following text delimited by triple backquotes. Return your response as a formal report which covers the key points highlighting the location,dates,entity names and account holder information in chronological order of the text.
     ```cash flow . operating activities . net cash provided by operating activities increased by $ 30.9 million , or 26.7 % , to $ 146.3 million in 2018 , from $ 115.4 million in 2017. the increase was primarily due to the growth in our business described above , which produced an increase in net income , before provision for credit losses . investing activities . investing activities consist of originations and purchases of finance receivables , purchases of intangible assets , and purchases of property and equipment for new and existing branches . net cash used in investing activities in 2018 was $ 199.2 million , compared to $ 179.9 million in 2017 , a net increase of $ 19.3 million . the increase in cash used was primarily due to increased net originations of finance receivables . financing activities . financing activities consist of borrowings and payments on our outstanding indebtedness and issuances of common stock . in 2018 , net cash provided by financing activities was $ 81.1 million , an increase of $ 7.3 million compared to $ 73.8 million in 2017. the increase was primarily a result of advances on the rmit 2018-1 and rmit 2018-2 securitizations of $ 150.2 million and $ 130.4 million , respectively . the increase was partially offset by an increase in net payments on debt and debt issuance costs of $ 274.2 million . financing arrangements . senior revolving credit facility . in june 2017 , we amended and restated our senior revolving credit facility to , among other things , increase the availability under the facility from $ 585 million to $ 638 million and extend the maturity of the facility from august 2019 to june 2020. the facility has an accordion provision that allows for the expansion of the facility to $ 700 million . excluding the receivables held by our variable interest entities ( each , a  vie  ) , the senior revolving credit facility is secured by substantially all of our finance receivables and equity interests of the majority of our subsidiaries . advances on the senior revolving credit facility are capped at 85 % of eligible secured finance receivables and 70 % of eligible unsecured finance receivables .
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 Suspicious Activity Report : million in finance receivables . this included 3.4 thousand large loan convenience checks , representing $ 9.8 million in finance receivables . retail loans  as of december 31 , 2018 , we had 21.2 thousand retail purchase loans outstanding , representing $ 30.4 million in finance receivables . optional insurance products  we offer optional payment and collateral protection insurance to our direct loan customers . regional management corp. | 2018 annual report on form 10-k | 48 small and large installment loans are our core loan products and will be the drivers of our future growth . we ceased originating automobile purchase loans in november 2017 to focus on growing our core loan portfolio , but we continue to own and service the automobile loans that we previously originated . as of december 31 , 2018 , we had approximately 3.7 thousand automobile loans outstanding , representing $ 26.2 million in finance receivables . our primary sources of revenue are interest and fee income from our loan products , of which interest and fees relating to small and large installment loans are the largest component . in addition to interest and fee income from loans , we derive revenue from optional insurance products purchased by customers of our direct loan products . for additional information regarding our business operations , see part i , item 1 , business. factors affecting our results of operations our business is driven by several factors affecting our revenues , costs , and results of operations , including the following : quarterly information and seasonality . our loan volume and contractual delinquency follow seasonal trends . demand for our small and large loans is typically highest during the second , third , and fourth quarters , which we believe is largely due to customers borrowing money for vacation , back-to-school , and holiday spending . with the exception of retail loans , loan demand has generally been the lowest during the first quarter , which we believe is largely due to the timing of income tax refunds . delinquencies generally reach their lowest point in the first quarter of the year and rise throughout the remainder of the fiscal year . consequently , we experience seasonal fluctuations in our operating results and cash needs . growth in loan portfolio . the revenue that we derive from interest and fees is largely driven by the balance of loans that we originate and purchase . average finance receivables grew 14.8 % from $ 572.8 million in 2015 to $ 657.4 million in 2016 , grew 13.2 % to $ 744.2 million in 2017 , and grew 14.7 % to $ 853.8 million in 2018. we source our loans through our branches , direct mail program , retail partners , digital partners , and our consumer website . our loans are made almost exclusively in geographic markets served by our network of branches . increasing the number of loans per branch and the number of branches we operate allows us to increase the number of loans that we are able to service . we opened 17 , 3 , and 8 net new branches in 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 , respectively . we believe that we have the opportunity to add as many as 700 additional branches in states where it is currently favorable for us to conduct business , and we have plans to continue to grow our branch network . product mix . we are exposed to different credit risks and charge different interest rates and fees with respect to the various types of loans we offer . our product mix also varies to some extent by state , and we may further diversify our product mix in the future . the interest rates and fees vary from state to state , depending on the competitive environment and relevant laws and regulations . asset quality and allowance for credit losses . our results of operations are highly dependent upon the credit quality of our loan portfolio . the credit quality of our loan portfolio is the result of our ability to enforce sound underwriting standards , maintain diligent servicing of the portfolio , and respond to changing economic conditions as we grow our loan portfolio . the allowance for credit losses calculation uses the current delinquency profile and historical delinquency roll rates as key data points in estimating the allowance . we believe that the primary underlying factors driving the provision for credit losses for each loan type are our underwriting standards , the general economic conditions in the areas in which we conduct business , loan portfolio growth , and the effectiveness of our collection efforts . in addition , the market for repossessed automobiles at auction is another underlying factor that we believe influences the provision for credit losses for automobile purchase loans and , to a lesser extent , large loans . we monitor these factors , and the amount and past due status of all loans one or more days past due , to identify trends that might require us to modify the allowance for credit losses . regional management corp. | 2018 annual report on form 10-k | 49 interest rates . our costs of funds are affected by changes in interest rates , as the interest rates that we pay on certain of our credit facilities are variable . as a component of our strategy to manage the interest rate risk associated with future interest payments on our variable-rate debt , we have purchased interest rate cap contracts . as of december 31 , 2018 , we held four interest rate cap contracts with an aggregate notional principal amount of $ 400.0 million . story_separator_special_tag other income increased $ 1.4 million , or 13.8 % , to $ 11.8 million in 2018 , from $ 10.4 million in 2017 , due to a $ 1.2 million increase in commissions earned from the sale of our auto club product and a $ 0.4 million increase in loan deferral fee income . these increases were offset by a decrease of $ 0.2 million in income from late charges . the decrease in late charges was primarily due to large loan customers with higher credit quality comprising a greater percentage of our total loan portfolio in 2018 , compared to 2017 , and our expanded use of electronic payments to reduce early-stage delinquency . as large loans continue to represent a greater percentage of our total loan portfolio and we continue to leverage electronic payment options , we expect lower late charges per active account . other income represented 1.4 % and 1.3 % of average finance receivables in 2018 and 2017 , respectively . provision for credit losses . our provision for credit losses increased $ 9.7 million , or 12.6 % , to $ 87.1 million in 2018 , from $ 77.3 million in 2017. the increase was primarily due to an increase in net credit losses of $ 8.0 million and a $ 1.7 million increase in the allowance for credit losses compared to 2017. the provision for credit losses as a percentage of average finance receivables in 2018 was 10.2 % , compared to 10.4 % in 2017. fiscal 2018 included a 0.4 % impact from the net $ 3.7 million hurricane-related provision and a 0.3 % impact from the $ 2.9 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above . fiscal 2017 included a 0.4 % impact from the hurricane-related $ 2.9 million provision and a 0.6 % impact from the $ 4.4 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above , offset by a 0.1 % benefit from the bulk sale of previously charged-off customer accounts in bankruptcy ( the  2017 bulk sale  ) . regional management corp. | 2018 annual report on form 10-k | 55 the increase in the provision for credit losses is explained in greater detail below . hurricane impact . during 2018 , our provision for credit losses was impacted by a $ 3.9 million increase in the allowance for credit losses related to estimated incremental credit losses on customer accounts impacted by a hurricane . in late 2018 , we released $ 0.3 million of the hurricane allowance for credit losses to cover hurricane-related net credit losses . as of december 31 , 2018 , the allowance for credit losses related to the hurricane was $ 3.6 million . during 2017 , our provision for credit losses was impacted by a $ 3.0 million increase in the allowance for credit losses related to estimated incremental credit losses on customer accounts impacted by two hurricanes . in late 2017 , we released $ 0.2 million of the hurricane allowance for credit losses to cover hurricane-related net credit losses . as of december 31 , 2017 , the allowance for credit losses related to the hurricanes was $ 2.8 million . bulk sale . we recognized a recovery of $ 1.0 million in 2017 from the 2017 bulk sale . these accounts were excluded from prior sales of charged-off loans . net credit losses . net credit losses increased $ 8.0 million , or 11.5 % , to $ 77.7 million in 2018 , from $ 69.7 million in 2017. the increase was primarily due to a $ 109.6 million increase in average finance receivables in 2018. net credit losses as a percentage of average finance receivables were 9.1 % in 2018 , compared to 9.4 % in 2017. fiscal 2018 included a 0.2 % impact from the $ 1.7 million increase in net credit losses resulting from the 2017 hurricanes and a 0.3 % impact from the $ 2.9 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above . fiscal 2017 included a 0.6 % impact from the $ 4.4 million increase in net credit losses discussed in the insurance income , net paragraph above , offset by a 0.1 % benefit from the $ 1.0 million 2017 bulk sale . the following table provides net credit losses and the benefit to net credit losses associated with non-file insurance claims payments as a percentage of average finance receivables for the periods indicated : replace_table_token_17_th we have evaluated various ways to lower our non-file insurance claims , and we decided to reduce our utilization of non-file insurance beginning in the fourth quarter of 2018. as a result , we expect that the benefit provided by non-file insurance will decrease by approximately 0.65 % as a percentage of average finance receivables over the next four quarters , resulting in a corresponding increase in our net credit loss rate . our allowance for credit losses contains sufficient reserves for this anticipated increase in net credit losses . see note 4 , finance receivables , credit quality information , and allowance for credit losses ,  of the notes to consolidated financial statements in part ii , item 8 , financial statements and supplementary data. in addition , due to the decrease in non-file insurance claims , our insurance income , net will increase by an amount comparable to the anticipated increase in net credit losses , resulting in an income statement offset . therefore , we do not expect this policy change to impact our profitability in future periods . delinquency performance . our december 31 , 2018 contractual delinquency as a percentage of total finance receivables increased to 7.7 % from 7.5 % as of december 31 , 2017 , primarily due to credit tightening and the maturation of our large loan portfolio . total contractual delinquency

