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01-02-09
EZCORP Completes Value Financial Acquisition; Thedford
Out
Payday loan and pawn provider EZCORP completed its acquisition of pawnshop
operator Value Financial Services. Value operated 67 pawnshops
in Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and Mexico...more
01-01-09
TCF Assumes Textron CE and Appliance Floorplan Program
TCF Inventory Finance will take over Textron's floorplan
financing program effective this month. TCF, a subsidiary of TCF
Financial, announced the agreement with Textron
Wednesday...more
 12-31-08
Colorado Premier Dealers Give Back to Their Community
With 32 years of rent-to-own experience and 750 pounds
between them, Premier Rental Purchase franchisees Mike Gordon
and Mitch Rhodes are known as the "big boys" of RTO. The gentle
giants have been gaining a reputation in Lakewood, Colorado for
their generosity and public service...more
 12-30-08
2008 Rent-to-Own Industry Year in Review; Top Stories
RTO Online, the rent-to-own industry's leading source of news
and information, today released its list of the Top Rent to Own
Industry Stories of 2008. As predicted, the news was dominated by
politics in 2008. But unlike we predicted a year ago, it was inside
politics and not Beltway politics that drew the most reader
attention...more
12-30-08
Poll: Most Small Business Owners Expect Recovery to Take 12 Months
After falling to its lowest measurement ever in November, economic confidence
among small business owners rose slightly in December. The Discover Small
Business Watch rose to 72.8 in December, up 5.3 points from November...more
12-30-08
ColorTyme Expands Franchise Financing to Include SBA
ColorTyme today announced it has reached a milestone in its financial-assistance
program offerings with the addition of SBA loans to its growing portfolio of
finance options."...more
12-30-08
Consumer Confidence Falls to a All-Time Low in December
The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had increased moderately
in November, declined to a new all-time low in December...more
 12-27-08
Paul Hodgetts Named Buy As You View Employee of the Year
Paul Hodgetts, delivery and
installation tech for UK rent-to-own company Buy As You View,
has been named 2008 Employee of the Year. Hodgetts hasn't missed a single day in 14 years. He told
Wales Online, "There are times you feel a bit off color but I've
always thought if you go into work your mind is concentrated on
something and you get over any problem you might have."...more
 12-27-08
Missouri Rental Dealers Association Sets February Meeting
Missouri Rental
Dealers Association (MRDA), the second largest state Rent-to-Own association in the U.S., will hold its 2009 general
membership meeting February 18, 2009 at the Courtyard by Marriot
in Columbia, Missouri...more
 12-26-08
Rent-A-Center Names Xavier Dominicis VP Public Affairs
Rent-A-Center named Xavier Dominicis Vice President of Public
Affairs effective December 15th. Dominicis will report to Dwight
Dumler...more
12-26-08
Textron to Exit All Non-Captive Financial Businesses
TFC is one of several popular inventory financing tools used by independent
rent-to-own companies...more
 12-25-08
Aaron's Grants Christmas Wish
Aaron's Mid American Division has made a Dallas area family's
Christmas wish come true. In conjunction with 94.9 KLTY's
Christmas Wish program, Aaron's donated over $10,000 to a six
year old girl who lost her mother in a car accident earlier this
month...more
12-24-08
Cash Store Financial Buys Back 1.5 Million Shares; $9 Million
The 1,500,000 common shares represent approximately 8.1% of
Cash Store
Financial's shares outstanding as of December 23, 2008...more
12-24-08
Twas The Night Before Christmas; A Not So Traditional Reading
As door hangers
that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an
obstacle mount to the sky. So into the store he came with a
dash, ran up to the counter and pulled out some cash...more
12-24-08
Rent-A-Center
Outfits Rooms at Ohio Oncology Center
Rent-A-Center, the nation's largest rent to own operator, is donating furnishings
to outfit six private patient
rooms at Miami Valley Hospital Oncology Center in Dayton, Ohio...more
 12-23-08
Former Trade Commission Chairwoman Named to Rent-A-Center Board
Rent-A-Center (NASDAQ:RCII), the nation's largest rent-to-own operator,
announced today that Paula Stern, Ph.D. has been named to its Board of Directors...more
12-23-08
Providence ColorTyme Runs "Free Heat" Promotion
As fuel prices skyrocketed and the economy plummeted last
fall, ColorTyme franchisee Ray Bird overheard his customers
fretting about the coming winter heating bills...more
12-23-08
All Rent-to-Own Industry Vendors Invited to Premier 2009 Convention
The Premier Companies will hold its annual convention at the Omni Royal Orleans
Hotel in New Orleans from January 19 – 22. Premier is anticipating this to be
its biggest event to date and is inviting vendors to register...more
 12-23-08
Association Urges Obama to
Move Quickly on Stimulus Package
The National Retail Federation today asked President-elect Barack Obama to
incorporate a series of national sales tax holidays into upcoming economic
stimulus legislation as an important step toward rebuilding consumer confidence...more
12-23-08
Dealers
Claim BlackBox GPS Locators as 2008 Tax Deduction
Muntean recommends dealers confirm with their CPA, but said, "GPS Fleet
equipment purchases may qualify your business for a Section 179 tax deduction
which allows dealers to deduct from the company’s taxable income...more
12-23-08
Americans Pulled Back on Spending Long Before Economic Crisis
Hit
Consumer confidence and spending began slowing as early as
Spring 2007, according to data released by Experian. Analysis of
the data shows that from Spring 2007 to Summer 2008, the
percentage of U.S. adults who felt they would be financially
better off in the next year dropped considerably from 46 percent
to 37 percent...more
12-22-08
Aaron's Sees Strong Q4; Raises 2009 Guidance
Aaron
Rents, Inc. (NYSE:RNT) today announced that business trends
continue to be quite positive and that it was raising its 2009
earnings guidance...more
 12-19-08
Aaron's Donates Furniture to
Struggling Atlanta Firehouse
The gift is being made through Aaron's Community Outreach Program (ACORP).
ACORP has been helping communities nationwide for nearly a
decade. Aaron's
officials say this is a great opportunity to give back to their
local heroes, including Captain Greg Gray at Station 10...more
12-19-08
Rent-A-Center Gives $20,000 Makeover to Special Needs Home
In its most recent Random Act of
Caring, Rent-A-Center co-workers from metropolitan New York
helped make residents of two
Association for Helping Retarded Children (AHRC) homes in the
Bronx feel like the holidays had arrived early...more
12-18-08
Office of Thrift Supervision Issues Final Credit Card Rule
The final rule includes restrictions on subprime cards. The rule (Section
535.26) prohibits savings associations from charging fees for the issuance or
availability of credit that consume the majority of the available credit during
the first year after account opening. Fees exceeding 25 percent of the available
credit must be spread over no less than the first six months...more
12-18-08
Association Calls for Federal Action on
Rent-to-Own Law
In a statement issued today by the Association of Progressive
Rental Organizations (APRO), the association called for passage
of federal legislation mandating standard disclosures for rent-to-own
transactions in all states...more
12-18-08
Whirlpool Names Bitzer President U.S. Operations
Bitzer will have overall leadership
accountability for the Brand, Product, Channel, Supply Chain and
Manufacturing Operations organizations to ensure effective
market execution across the U.S. business...more
12-17-08
Blackbox Offers Real-Time GPS Tracking RTO Delivery Vehicles
BlackBox GPS announces the release of an impressive, yet
easy-to-use, GPS monitoring application designed specifically
for tracking Rent-to-Own (RTO) delivery vehicles at an exceptionally low cost...more
12-16-08
Aaron's Buys Back Second Largest Franchisee; Revenue $45 Million
Aaron
Rents, Inc. announced that it has acquired in a cash transaction
all the stores of Rosey Rentals, L. P., a franchisee since 2003...more
12-16-08
Wichita
Senior Receives Clay Barton Scholarship
The Barton scholarship was established in 1991 for the son of the late
Rent-A-Center Chairman Emeritus W. Frank Barton, for whom WSU's business school is named...more
12-16-08
RAC Opens 32nd West Virginia Location
The new Hurricane store will be the 32nd Rent-A-Center in
West Virginia. For the 2007 calendar year, Rent-A-Center
generated and collected more than $1.6 million dollars in sales
tax on behalf of the state...more
12-16-08
RentDirect Nationwide Announces New Partnership with Liquid Tax
RentDirect
Nationwide announced today that
Liquid Tax
has been added as a new Vendor Partner offering tax preparation
software, services and special pricing to RentDirect Members...more
 12-16-08
RTO Industry Supporter Mary Landrieu to Chair Senate Committee
Rent-to-own industry supporter
Senator Mary
Landrieu (D-LA) has been named Chairwoman of the Senate Committee
on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Landrieu replaces
Senator John Kerry (D-MA) who will now chair the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee. Senator Landrieu has introduced
The Consumer Rental Purchase Agreement Act in each of the
last four sessions of Congress. Senator Kerry said, "Small business owners
should be proud to have Mary Landrieu at the helm of this
Committee in the Senate."...more
 12-15-08
Aaron's to Shift Marketing Dollars After AFL Cancels 2009 Season
The Arena Football League (AFL) will suspend the 2009 season while the League
works on developing a long-term plan to improve its economic model. League
officials blame the shutdown on the "unprecedented economic climate." Aaron
Rents is a major sponsor of the league...more
12-15-08
Rent-A-Center Celebrates
Flurry of Grand Openings
Rent-A-Center is celebrating a flurry of grand openings this week including
stores in Cedar Hill, Texas, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and
Charles Town, West Virginia...more
12-13-08
Michelle Dunning: RTO Dealers Should Order Trucks Before Dec 31
Gas truck prices are going up, diesel trucks will be in short supply and tax
advantages are disappearing after the New Year. Those who think they will need a
truck soon, need to get rolling...more
 12-12-08
New York Rent-to-Own Protests Continue; Habitat Exec Clarifies Remarks
For the last two weeks, activists have organized protests at Rent-A-Center
locations in Brooklyn and Queens. The protests were set to continue Thursday with a
press conference outside the district office of Queens
Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer...more
 12-11-08
New England Rental Dealers Elect Officers; 4 New Podcasts
Rental dealers from Rhode Island, Connecticut and
Massachusetts today officially formed the New England Rental
Dealers Association. Mark Anderson, owner of New Britain
Connecticut based FastTrack Rent to Own was elected president.
Ken Macera of Worcester RTO will be the group's Vice President
and Mark Key, District Manager for SEI Aaron's will serve as
Secretary/Treasurer...more
12-11-08
Jim Forker Opens Third Premier RTO Store
Jim Forker didn't quite anticipate
he would be opening three RTO stores in three years. But on
November 26 he opened his third Premier Rental-Purchase store...more
12-10-08
Study Shows Consumers Want Diversity in Audio Equipment
A majority of consumers view music
and other audio content as a vital component of their daily
lives, according to a new study by the Consumer Electronics
Association (CEA)...more
12-10-08
Massachusetts Court to Hear Rent-A-Center Motion to Dismiss $5 Million Suit
A Massachusetts federal court judge will hear Rent-A-Center's
motion to dismiss a $5 million class-action suit today. Ron
DeMoss, Rent-A-Center's Executive Vice President and General
Counsel said, "The suit claims rent-to-own agreements are credit
sales despite the Massachusetts Consumer Lease Act which has
been universally recognized to regulate RTO since it was passed
in 1986."...more
12-10-08
Report: Black Friday Retail Sales Experience First-Ever Decline
U.S. consumer technology brick and mortar sales experienced the first-ever
decline during the week of Black Friday. Revenue was down more than 8 percent
from November 23 through November 29, 2008 compared to the same time period last
year...more
12-09-08
Sony
to Cut Five Percent of Workforce
Sony will layoff five percent of its worldwide workforce and close
six manufacturing plants
in response to what the company described in a statement as "the
sudden and rapid changes in the global economic environment."...more
12-08-08
Dave Oliver Adds Liquid Tax to First American Home Furnishings Lineup
This will be Dave Oliver's first year to offer tax services to
his customers at First American Home Furnishings, a rent-to-own
company he started 26 years ago. It isn't because he hasn't had the opportunity...more
12-08-08
Mini-Notebok Shipments Buoy PC Market in Q3
Despite what is looking to be a rather dismal fourth quarter for the PC industry
as a whole, one very bright spot has emerged. The mini-note PC, also called
netbook, category grew at more than 160% Q/Q in Q3'08...more
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